ISC Sample Layout

When I create a layout for an Independent Study Course, I try not to be too fancy.  This can be hard after spending so much time in the design phase, but the easier it is for the user to access the information, the more successful they will be.  Bold is the only flourish I allow myself, and I will generally only use bold when increasing the font size is not an option.  Also, I am opposed to colored text, especially, the over use of red.  I prefer just to spell it out for the user:

Important: Read this.

Below is a sample layout:

Welcome Title
Welcome Message: 
Always welcome the user to training.  Let them know who to contact with questions.

Primary Subject Title
Timeline:  When you expect the user to take the training.
Duration: How much of the user’s time will training take/the maximum time allowed for training.

Curriculum:
A message regarding the overall goals and acquired skills gained by the completion of the course.

Prerequisite(s):
Anything the user must complete before beginning the training course.

Reference Materials:
All Reference materials associated with this course.  Typically these are Quick Cards, Glossaries, and/or outside vendor materials.

Instructions:
Any instructions pertaining to how to complete the Independent Study Course.  Less is more.

Syllabus:
A list of modules, practice exercises, and assessments that the user must complete to be fluent on the Primary Subject.

Module Title (there will be several of these)
Duration:  How long.
Topics: A list of the presented topics.

Important Notes:
Anything that the Instructor/Facilitator determines needs repeating to have the user successfully complete the course.  Typically, this information is an instruction.

Secondary Subject(s) Title
Secondary Subject message/instructions:
Generally, this is a link to an already existing training course.

Deployment: Independent Study Courses

Often I am tapped to provide my expertise to the development and implementation of new policies, projects, and procedures.  I think it is because of my ability to see the long view, from information gathering to completion. I find that ample time and thought are given to specific designs and messages and to what metrics to record, but at the expense of deployment methodology and sound taxonomy.  So I find my most useful role is as a deployment specialist, or in reality, the person who can envision the training from the user’s perspective.

Here is a recent Independent Study Course I put together.  It’s not flashy, but I find the users happily conform to this method much better than the other practices that have been implemented in the past.  

I have a few simple deployment rules:

1.  Deploy the information in as concise a method as possible.  

Think instructions, not lessons.  Break areas into digestible sections to which a user can return.  Promote the idea that everything they need can be found right here.  The deployment technology employed may not be the most conducive to learning, so you need to pioneer new ways to reach the user and be willing to revamp any parts that do not work.

2.  Always welcome the user.  

Most users are nervous and unfamiliar with online learning, so setting a positive tone early helps.

3.  Tell the user what they need to know to succeed and nothing more.  

I know this is near impossible, as training often has to be written before a product is released or in anticipation to other confidential changes.  However, too many distractions can lead users to remember all the things you told them to ignore.  I was pained to have to add the reference to the previous payroll system, but it was so embedded into the training materials that we decided a comment was unavoidable.

4.  Tell the user what you expect from him or her.  

These can be work-specific goals, but many times they are simple instructions.  Also, by setting time limits you encourage users to work, and not procrastinate.

5.  Do not overwhelm the user with choices. 

The Syllabus must be straight path with no deviation.  I suggest having a definitive order in which the modules of the course are to be completed.  Free or exploratory navigation is fine within a single module, but not for the course as a whole.

6.  Do not confuse the user with complicated emails or alternate training scenarios.  

In this case the Additional Training is clearly separated from the Primary Training.  Also, by including the Reference Materials as part of the course, we eliminated two emails.

7.  Anything important is worth saying more than once.  

You don’t need to explain it, just state it.