This is the second article of a 3-part article series about storyboards and how they can be utilized in creating elearning courses.
Creating your online classes will be easier with a storyboard. In the first part of this article series, we discussed how it can make content creation easier for elearning developers. It serves as the guide of the developer because it maps out the overall design of the course.
In the second part, we will be looking into the techniques that you can use in creating your storyboard. If this is your first time using this tool to help in creating a course, these are the tips that you can use to create it like a pro.
- Start with the objectives of your course. The guide for your course needs a guide too. This ultimate guide will pattern itself from your goals. What is the purpose of your elearning course? What are the main lessons that you want the learners to know? Identifying the objective early on will help you to plot the necessary tools and elements that will complete the learning process for the participants.
- Select the theme of the course. A storyboard serves as an overview of your course. Choose a theme that will suit the different elements of the elearning course. If you think that one part of the course will not look good with the theme that you chose, you may want to think of a new theme or revise the delivery of that part. The overview that the storyboard provides will help you gauge if the theme can consistently be used for all your online classes.
- Check the aesthetics of the course. When you have chosen the theme, check how it affects the visual appeal of the course. Does it unite the different elements of the course? Or is it distracting in some parts? See if the colors compliment the various elements that will be presented throughout the learning process.
- Plot the assessments. Sometimes, the quizzes and tests serve as the needed break between lessons. It is a great time to pause and see how the learners are coping with the new concepts being presented to them. The storyboard will allow you to see the areas where these assessments will fit perfectly.
- Identify the multimedia elements that will be highlighted. There are instances when a course will use texts, graphics, videos, or a combination of these elements. You can identify what these elements are and how they will appear in relation to the whole course.
- Establish coherence and harmony within the course. Sometimes, there are tools that require some preparation or introduction from the previous part of the course. The storyboard will allow you to identify when and where this is applicable.
Follow these tips to maximize the benefits that a storyboard will bring to your online classes. As you can see, the main purpose of a storyboard is to provide you with the overview of the course. It will help you make changes early on because you will see how the details will affect the whole lesson. This is very helpful for courses that require video production or audio recording. You can prepare everything that is needed because you have identified the different elements in your storyboard. The creation or production phase of the course will go smoothly. This will save you a lot of time in completing your course.
While you want to be thorough about this, you do not have to dwell on the details in the storyboard. That will come later on while you are creating the course. Remember that this is just an overview. Do not waste your time poring over the storyboard. In the third part of this article series, we will be discussing the tips that will keep you from wasting your time on creating your storyboard.
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