Instructional Designer Shannon Williamson brings over 12 years of experience designing classroom and online courseware. Throughout the years, Shannon has explored various tools for course development, encountering challenges with complexity and limited functionality. However, by introducing a new learning experience design initiative at Kalles Group, there came an opportunity to discover a tool to revolutionize the process. Enter Storyline, a powerful course-building tool developed by Articulate.
Storyline proved a game-changer, enabling Shannon and the team to create interactive courses swiftly. The tool’s efficiency and versatility became evident, prompting an exploration of its exceptional features and potential for businesses striving to achieve their goals. In this updated article, we delve into why Storyline is hailed as a remarkable tool and how it can empower businesses in their pursuit of success. Continue reading to uncover the transformative capabilities of Storyline.
What is Storyline articulate?
Storyline Articulate is a software tool developed by Articulate that is widely used in e-learning and instructional design. At Kallesgroup, we utilize Storyline Articulate as a powerful tool to create engaging and interactive learning experiences for our clients. In an interview with Matt Mobley, a faculty member, and leader in the user enablement department at Kalles Group, he highlighted the company’s expertise in designing and developing captivating e-learning modules that enhance the learning experience using Storyline.
According to Matt,
Storyline offers a user-friendly interface and extensive features, empowering them to create highly interactive and immersive content. Our creations include interactive scenarios, simulations, quizzes, and assessments, all aimed at engaging learners and facilitating effective knowledge acquisition for our clients.
Katherine Schneider, a faculty member at Kalles Group, also emphasizes crafting compelling narratives in our learning experience design process using Storyline.
Storyline Articulate empowers us to integrate storytelling elements into e-learning modules seamlessly. Through branching scenarios, learners make impactful choices that shape the story’s outcome, fostering autonomy and enhancing critical thinking skills. The software also supports incorporating multimedia elements such as images, audio, and video, allowing us to create visually appealing and interactive learning content. We can leverage these features to present information in various formats, catering to different learning styles and preferences.
Furthermore, Storyline Articulate offers robust tracking and reporting capabilities. We can track learners’ progress, collect data on their interactions within the modules, and generate detailed reports on their performance. This information helps us assess the effectiveness of the learning experience and make data-driven decisions for future improvements.
Learning Storyline is almost as easy as working with Microsoft PowerPoint. If you know how to create PowerPoint slides, you can use this tool. The difference is that what the user sees is not just a set of static slides or even a bit of animation but a playground of interactivity proven to increase retention and engage the learner.
So why interactive courses?
Studies have proven that students learn best when they DO something. A 2019 report published in The Harvard Gazette titled “Lessons in Learning” revealed that students learn better when participating in classroom learning with active-learning strategies as against traditional lectures. People learn a small percentage by reading content. They learn a bit more by reading and hearing content. However, learning increases significantly when an action accompanies the reading and hearing, whether a click, a drag, or even a full-blown interactive exercise. So instead of just clicking Next several times to get a required course over with, the learner is required to engage on a much deeper level, and this, in turn, increases retention and an increased ability to apply what was learned (which is the goal of any training, right?).
How to design learning experiences with Storyline.
Let’s explore how to leverage Storyline to craft fun and interactive training modules that captivate learners.
Step 1: Define learning objectives
Before diving into the development process, clearly define your training’s learning objectives. What specific skills or knowledge do you want learners to acquire? Clearly defined objectives will guide the development process, ensuring your training stays focused and relevant.
Step 2: Gather content and multimedia assets
Collect all the necessary content and multimedia assets that align with your learning objectives. This can include text, images, audio, video, and interactive elements. Storyline provides a rich set of options for incorporating multimedia assets into your training modules.
Step 3: Create a storyboard
A storyboard acts as a visual blueprint for your training module. It outlines the sequence of content, interactions, and assessments. Create a storyboard that represents the flow of your training, ensuring a logical progression of information and engaging activities.
Step 4: Build slides and interactions
In Storyline, start building your slides based on the content and interactions outlined in your storyboard. Use the intuitive interface to add multimedia elements, such as images, videos, and audio, to make your training visually appealing and interactive. Storyline offers a range of pre-built templates and themes to speed up the development process.
Step 5: Incorporate interactivity and gamification
One of the key advantages of Storyline is its ability to create interactive elements. Leverage this feature to engage learners through quizzes, drag-and-drop activities, scenarios, and simulations. Additionally, consider incorporating gamification elements like leaderboards, badges, and rewards to make the training experience more enjoyable and motivating. Please read our article on how the gamification of cybersecurity training can empower your organization’s defense skills.
Step 6: Add assessments and feedback
Regular assessments help gauge learners’ understanding and retention of the material. Use Storyline’s built-in assessment features to create quizzes, knowledge checks, and scenario-based evaluations. Provide immediate feedback to learners based on their responses, reinforcing correct answers and offering guidance for incorrect ones.
Step 7: Publish and deploy
Once your training module is complete, it’s time to publish and deploy it for learners to access. Storyline lets you publish your training in various formats, including HTML5, SCORM, or Tin Can API (xAPI), making it compatible with different learning management systems (LMS) or web browsers.
Step 8: Track learner progress and analytics
To evaluate the effectiveness of your training, leverage Storyline’s tracking and analytics capabilities. Monitor learners’ progress, completion rates, and assessment scores. This data will help you identify areas of improvement and refine your training for future iterations.
Conclusion
Storyline Articulate is a versatile tool that empowers us to create engaging and interactive e-learning modules. Its applications span various scenarios, from customer service training to onboarding lessons and compliance training. With features like drag-and-drop interactions, sorting activities, and multimedia integration, we can create immersive learning experiences that ensure retention, application, and positive change.
We invite you to visit our Learning Needs Assessment page at Kallesgroup.com to assess and address your organization’s learning needs. Our team of experts will work closely with you to identify gaps and design customized training solutions. Visit our Learning Needs Assessment page to discover more.
Remember, creating effective and enjoyable training experiences is crucial for success. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to transform your learning initiatives. You can download a free trial of Storyline Articulate and discover how this powerful tool can elevate your training efforts. With years of experience, we can confidently say that this tool will not disappoint.
Read our customer story, “Innovating a corporate training program with games to increase participation and engagement,” for a comprehensive understanding of how we used games to increase participation and engagement during a corporate training program.