I partnered with one Subject Matter Expert to create a training library which is shared by new hires and thousands of customers. This was a huge undertaking that was accomplished in a little over six months (we had an interruption mid-project due to the Covid layoff of my SME). This product line had no current training—customers only had access to long-winded, obsolete webinars and out of date documentation (some over tens years old). As the lone instructional designer at the company, this project required me to assume many different roles and use a variety of tools.
- I designed and developed 50 modules (Rise courses), each with multiple interactive Storyline blocks to create an authentic training experience.
- I created a rapid design and development process, and due to limited resources, about 1/3 of the way through the project, I trained my SME to edit the interactive Storyline blocks so we could move faster.
- We wrote and edited over 190 knowledge articles (these are also included in the individual courses for downloading).
- I created countless graphics/images for the courses.
- When there were significant delays in the launch of the new knowledge base (in Salesforce Communities), I devised a way to give customers immediate access to the long-awaited training. As LMS Administrator, I partnered with our Digital Content Manager to realize the opportunity of using our learning management system to create an interim “help center” by generating and arranging public sharelinks.
- I created a video tour of the interim help center which was emailed to over 8,000 customers (administrators and managers of facilities which use the software).
- I partnered with the Marketing team and Product Managers to drive communication, arrange focus groups, and maintain brand standards.
- I partnered with a Customer Service team lead to create a software training plan for new hires who use these deliverables for product training.
What is Interactive Software Training?
Learning transfer is more likely and more predictable when the learning environment is authentic—when it closely matches the performance environment. Ideally, training content, learning activities, and assessments create a context that imitates the real-world environment where the work is done. In software training, this is easily done by capturing video of a process using Articulate Storyline and creating a software simulation.
For our courses, the Storyline video was rendered into a series of “Try Mode” Storyline slides and exported later as a SCORM file (for an eLearning activity in an Articulate Rise course). Try Mode allows the learner to simulate the same steps as the initial video and receive corrective or helpful feedback to enhance learning. Each Articulate Rise course in this training featured two or more screencasts, captured in Storyline, and three or more Try Mode interactive learning activities inserted as Storyline blocks.
Partnership with My Subject Matter Expert
I created a job aid for my Subject Matter Expert using Cathy Moore’s Action Mapping agile approach. I walked through it with him more than a dozen times. Eventually, he was able to use it without my help. It became the ultimate communication tool for us to capture his expertise.
SAMPLE MODULE: Interactive Software Training (1 of 50 Articulate Rise courses developed)
(Articulate Rise, Articulate Storyline, MS Word PDFs/Performance Supports/Job Aids).
Interim Helpcenter Video Tour
(Vidyard, Camtasia 2020)