eLearning Creative Methods
We are skilled at ensuring eLearning modules are designed to be interactive and engaging. The tools we use have the functionality to allow inclusion of creative media, voice-over, online videos, and hover text. This approach includes a variety of learning pedagogies to maintain interest and accommodate individual learning styles. Below are a few of the ways in which we approach the creative.
Avatars
Avatars are a good way to establish a connection with the audience, especially if there are voiceovers, as it gives the audience context and a more personal feel. There are different approaches we can take when creating avatars.
Using real photos
– The example below is a project we worked on for the Department of Education, where we created real life characters to support the content.
Drawing photos
– This process includes adding a treatment to a real photo. This can help if individuals in the photos need to be de-identified.
Avatars created from Articulate
– The Avatars that come with the program are animation style images but also come with a huge suite of poses and expressions, so it enables us to place the ‘people’ within the story and gives them life and personality.
Activity based learning
Captovate’s instructional designers follow recognised andragogy (adult learning) practices - a theory that holds a set of assumptions about how adults learn. It uses approaches to learning that are problem-based and collaborative rather than didactic (traditional lecturing or teacher "knows all" model). Captovate aims to approach content creation by applying ‘Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction’ to developing storyboards and scripts. These are:
- Gain attention
- Inform learners of objectives
- Stimulate recall of prior learning
- Present the content
- Provide “learning guidance”
- Elicit performance (practice)
- Provide feedback
- Assess performance
- Enhance retention and transfer to the job.
Captovate looks to develop engaging content using a variety of techniques to optimise learning such as reflection, summarising, feedback, goal centred problem solving scenarios, connecting knowledge from prior experiences, repetition and real world branching scenarios.
Captovate’s eLearn developer is familiar with the functional possibilities of Articulate to bring this approach to life. Below we have designed a game to demonstrate the capabilities of Articulate to deliver activity based learning.
Below is an example of how you can learn through play.
Click to try this memory game.
Assessment features
Articulate Storyline provides various options for assessment tools, allowing for short answer questions, multiple choice and interactive, drag and drop questions. Combining these functions with visual scenarios creates a powerful active learning space.
The following are just some of the possible Articulate activity functions:
All of these can be tailored to your look and feel, and all include graphics and photos.
Bite-Sized Support Resources
Learners usually don't have time to sit through a half-hour online training course. Especially when they're in the middle of a task or trying to overcome a common challenge. This is why bite-sized support resources are essential. Everyone acquires the information they need to solve the problem and build their skills.
An example where Captovate has implemented bite size learning was with the DriveSafe project. Captovate developed a mobile App containing just the keywords relevant to each module. The keywords included a voiceover that pronounced the word, and gave its definition. The key was to help those learner drivers with limited English or low literacy, to practice the common words they would need for their driving test. This familiarisation technique was aimed to encourage learners to use their phone Apps anywhere anytime in preparation of the final written assessment.
Gamification
Gamification is becoming a common requirement of many digital applications. Badges, points, and leaderboard incentives help to maintain enthusiasm. Healthy competition between colleagues is recognised as an effective form of engagement. While not related to the eLearning space, Captovate has used the concept of rewards for a behaviour change campaign for Power and Water in an attempt to encourage reduced water usage in consumers. Users gained badges for various events. With coders on our team, Captovate is well placed for implementing this innovative functionality. Gamifying makes the process more fun, as you feel like you're gaining something that's more than just knowledge.
Integrating high-quality voiceovers into your eLearning content is essential as it provides additional engagement, particularly for auditory learners, and ensures your outputs conform to accessibility guidelines. At Captovate, we use Microsoft Azure because it offers a powerful, secure, and efficient platform for accessing and utilising voiceovers. By leveraging Azure's advanced AI capabilities, you can create natural and expressive voiceovers that enhance your content's appeal. Why Choose Microsoft Azure for Voiceovers? Enhanced Security Microsoft Azure prioritises the security of your data. With robust encryption protocols, multi-factor authentication, and compliance with international security standards, Azure ensures that your voiceover projects and sensitive information are protected against unauthorised access and cyber threats. If you work for a government agency, this helps ensure you conform to your internal cybersecurity requirements (although it is important to check with them). Save Output Saving voiceover outputs using Microsoft Azure is straightforward and secure. After generating the voiceover using Azure's Text-to-Speech service, you can download the file directly to your computer in formats like MP3 or WAV. This makes it easier for you to edit content if something changes. Customise Pronunciations Customising pronunciations using phonetic codes in Microsoft Azure involves using the Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML) to define how specific words or phrases should be pronounced. By embedding phonetic codes within your text input, you can control the pronunciation precisely. For example, using the ` ` tag with the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) or custom phonetic alphabets within SSML, you can specify the desired pronunciation for each word, ensuring accuracy and clarity in the generated voiceover. This flexibility allows for tailored speech outputs that match regional accents, technical jargon, or specific name pronunciations. Insider knowledge: For some reason, voiceover software has issues with pronouncing words ending in "ies," such as "policies." This customisation allows us to control the output. We have created a lexicon for challenging words. Cutting-Edge AI Technology Azure's AI-powered text-to-speech capabilities deliver natural and expressive voiceovers, enabling you to create more immersive and engaging content. With a wide range of voices and languages, you can tailor your voiceovers to match your project's specific requirements. Cost-Effective Azure's pay-as-you-go pricing model ensures that you only pay for what you use, making it a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes. How to set it up Go to https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/ Click the "Start Free" button If you haven't already got a microsoft account, create a new one. After you have filled in the relevant information, watch the two videos below. First first - Watch Video Second step - Watch Video In the browser type in speech.microsoft.com After that you should be ready to go.
Do you need to publish a Storyline file to your website or intranet.
Are you considering the development of eLearning modules? If so, one of the first questions on your mind is likely to be:
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Integrating high-quality voiceovers into your eLearning content is essential as it provides additional engagement, particularly for auditory learners, and ensures your outputs conform to accessibility guidelines. At Captovate, we use Microsoft Azure because it offers a powerful, secure, and efficient platform for accessing and utilising voiceovers. By leveraging Azure's advanced AI capabilities, you can create natural and expressive voiceovers that enhance your content's appeal. Why Choose Microsoft Azure for Voiceovers? Enhanced Security Microsoft Azure prioritises the security of your data. With robust encryption protocols, multi-factor authentication, and compliance with international security standards, Azure ensures that your voiceover projects and sensitive information are protected against unauthorised access and cyber threats. If you work for a government agency, this helps ensure you conform to your internal cybersecurity requirements (although it is important to check with them). Save Output Saving voiceover outputs using Microsoft Azure is straightforward and secure. After generating the voiceover using Azure's Text-to-Speech service, you can download the file directly to your computer in formats like MP3 or WAV. This makes it easier for you to edit content if something changes. Customise Pronunciations Customising pronunciations using phonetic codes in Microsoft Azure involves using the Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML) to define how specific words or phrases should be pronounced. By embedding phonetic codes within your text input, you can control the pronunciation precisely. For example, using the ` ` tag with the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) or custom phonetic alphabets within SSML, you can specify the desired pronunciation for each word, ensuring accuracy and clarity in the generated voiceover. This flexibility allows for tailored speech outputs that match regional accents, technical jargon, or specific name pronunciations. Insider knowledge: For some reason, voiceover software has issues with pronouncing words ending in "ies," such as "policies." This customisation allows us to control the output. We have created a lexicon for challenging words. Cutting-Edge AI Technology Azure's AI-powered text-to-speech capabilities deliver natural and expressive voiceovers, enabling you to create more immersive and engaging content. With a wide range of voices and languages, you can tailor your voiceovers to match your project's specific requirements. Cost-Effective Azure's pay-as-you-go pricing model ensures that you only pay for what you use, making it a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes. How to set it up Go to https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/ Click the "Start Free" button If you haven't already got a microsoft account, create a new one. After you have filled in the relevant information, watch the two videos below. First first - Watch Video Second step - Watch Video In the browser type in speech.microsoft.com After that you should be ready to go.
Do you need to publish a Storyline file to your website or intranet.
Are you considering the development of eLearning modules? If so, one of the first questions on your mind is likely to be:
We recognise that they key to success is to ensure learning modules are ‘designed to be interactive and engaging’. As innovation gurus, Captovate has a number of innovative suggestions for increasing efficiency and effectiveness. While not delivered via the LMS, they do serve to create a ‘life long learning model’ - which sees learning go beyond the classroom and fit into various dimensions of a person's whole life.