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E-Learning in Action

The Problem

After completing the design plans, storyboards, and guidelines for an 18-module online learning program about statistical process control, instructional designer Craig begins working with Andy, an information developer (a term that is often used for a technical writer). Craig provides Andy with all of the plans, and asks Andy to develop the middle six modules.

Although the design plans provide extensive guidance on what will be presented and how, and the sample module provides her with an idea of how the course should look and feel, this is Andy’s first online learning program. She tells Craig that she is excited about developing the program but is concerned that her course might resemble a book on the screen if she does not adjust her writing style for the screen.

After congratulating Andy on recognizing that communicating online is significantly different than communicating on the screen or on the page, Craig advises her that communicating online has four components: communicating interactively (that is, writing a dialogue), communicating visually (that is, seamlessly integrating pictures into the message), writing through a dialogue-like grammar and, most significantly, recognizing the unique characteristics of communicating online.

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Suggested Solution

After scoring “Almost Online” in the assessment, “What’s the State of Your Online Communication Skills?” Andy decided to visit a number of courses to see how they communicated before developing the modules of her course.

Andy specifically looked at courses like Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, a classic course that uses few words to teach but, rather, teaches through exercises. She also looked at training courses for PC applications, to get a sense of how they use minimal text on feedback to exercises to teach. She also looked at some of the courses for children and USA Today, to see how they effectively used visuals to communicate content.

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