What is a storyboard?
When designing an eLearning course, a training, or even a presentation, using a storyboard can help ensure that it is done well. Creating a storyboard is a process of creating a visual organization scheme to arrange content so that the learner or user progresses through the content in the manner that the author desires, and it helps improve the efficiency of the design process. Storyboards do not have full graphics or color, but they focus on layout, content (visual, audio, text, and interactive), and navigation. Storyboards can be used when creating eLearning courses in collaboration with subject matter experts and graphic designers (Cox, 2015; Pappas, 2015; Rector, n.d.).
Cox (2015) recommended doing the first draft of the storyboard on paper, and then when it is arranged how you want it, recreate it digitally. PowerPoint is a good program for beginners to use to create story boards because it is readily available and easy to use. There are also many templates available that can be downloaded for free (Cox, 2015; Pappas 2012).
Depending on the format of your storyboard, it could have several sections or elements. Common sections include, but are not limited to:
Header,
Body,
Footer,
Table of contents,
Audio script, and
Objectives (Cox, 2015; Rector, n.d.)
Pappas (2015) provided 12 tips to creating an effective eLearning storyboard. These include:
Select a template.
Know your goals and objectives.
Understand your learners.
Determine assessment methods and timeframes.
Write content to match your objectives.
Define the sequence.
Select the multimedia you will use.
Detail every interaction that will be needed.
Include your script.
Design with cognitive overload prevention in mind.
Identify location of navigation.
Create transitions between sections.
Why is this important to me?
As an instructional technologist, this topic of storyboarding is important to me because I am responsible for developing professional development workshops and self-paced learning modules. Before learning about storyboarding, I worked on developing these courses using a similar process to what I did when doing unit and lesson plans while teaching. The basic ideas behind storyboarding and unit planning are similar. In both, you start with the end in mind and consider how the desired outcome will be assessed. Then you create the assessment and work backward to find the lessons that will help to teach the content, and you put them in the most logical sequence. The biggest difference I see with storyboarding is that it is much more detailed because it includes scripts, details interactions and transitions, and involves building a deliverable such as a module in an LMS, a website, or a video.
In the future, as I create new modules or courses using storyboards, the additional attention to detail will help me create better courses for the teachers.
One of my tasks is to create self-paced training modules for onboarding new employees. The article written by Walther (2018) regarding onboarding mistakes was very helpful as I consider the storyboards for these modules taking into account that onboarding should be targeted, customizable, measurable, and not done all in one day. The idea of using AR/VR in online training for teachers was very interesting to me. I could see how this could be especially helpful in the onboarding process and in emergency response trainings (Pappas, 2018). This is something I want to learn more about and explore implementing in my trainings.
The e-book described and offered at this website looks like it would be an excellent resource for further research.
References
Cox, S. (2015, October 12). Intro to storyboarding. YouTube. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF5dRcuHjVk
Pappas, C., (2012). Ultimate List of Free Storyboard Templates for eLearning. Retrieved April 10, 2018 from https://elearningindustry.com/free-storyboard-templates-for-elearning
Pappas, C., (2015). 12 Tips To Create Effective eLearning Storyboards. Retrieved April 9, 2018 from https://elearningindustry.com/12-tips-to-create-effective-elearning-storyboards
Pappas, C., (2018). 8 Innovative Ways To Use AR/VR Technologies In Online Training. Retrieved April 9, 2018 from https://elearningindustry.com/innovative-ways-use-ar-vr-technologies-online-training
Rector, R., (n.d.). Storyboarding for Instructional Design. Retrieved April 10, 2018 from https://docplayer.net/2944105- Storyboarding-for-instruc-onal-design-robert-rector.html
Walther, P., (2018). The 6 Biggest Onboarding Mistakes And How To Bypass Them. Retrieved April 9, 2108 from https://elearningindustry.com/onboarding-mistakes-bypass-6-biggest
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