To use this sharing feature on social networks you must accept cookies from the 'Marketing' category
Create PDF

How is the storyboard used in eLearning?

To introduce audiovisual elements in eLearning we use a technique borrowed from the world of cartoons. If you have never heard of the storyboard you are missing out on one of the crucial tools for designing an online course.

Whoever thinks about the storyboard, thinks of Disney cartoons and the film industry by extension that, instead of telling the story of a story with words, describes it with a sequence of images. The storyboard in e-learning is much more than a story illustrated with sketches, it is a strategic document to plan an online course step by step involving all the interested subjects, from the final client to the team of eLearning professionals. Let's see how to create a storyboard for an online course.

How is an eLearning storyboard made?

An instructional designer who approaches for the first time the creation of an online course can find in the storyboard a useful tool to guide him step by step in the creation and delivery of the course. Online you can find different storyboard templates, free or paid. In concrete terms, these are Word or Power Point models to be modified by entering all the essential information of the online course:

  • References of the client for which the course is held: company name, characteristics of the beneficiaries, type of course;
  • Information on the team working on the online project: instructional designer, project manager, developer, expert;
  • Course specifications: technical specifications such as the editor used, the type of browser or device on which to deliver the course;
  • Content of the course: summary, name of the slides, position and type of audio, video and text content.

The storyboard in e-learning has the same function that it has in the audiovisual sector in general: that of detailed guidance on how the final product will be, in this case, the online course.

How do you build the storyboard of an online course?

To build a storyboard you don't need sketches like in cartoons, but you have to start from the basics of educational design. These are some important steps for creating a storyboard:

  • Needs analysis: focus groups, surveys or interviews are organized to understand what the course beneficiaries need to learn, what their starting level is, what are the previous experiences in terms of training;
  • Definition of the teaching objectives: from the needs we come to understand what are the general and specific objectives of our course, what are the results we want to achieve, with what activities, times and methods;
  • Material organization: collects the material with which to create the training contents and decides what kind of audio, video and text content to use and in which position;
  • Creation of the sequence of contents: the contents created are divided into modules and arranged in chronological order.

All these elements are essential to compile the storyboard model and build the course content, always keeping in mind the type of learning experience that the students will have to experience.

What are the major benefits of a storyboard in eLearning?

The advantage of the storyboard lies not only in the possibility of helping the instructional designer in the design of the online course, but also in the possibility of involving all the professionals and beneficiaries of the project in a coordinated way. In addition to the details on the course content, ad hoc sections are prepared where you can leave comments for the developer, insert images, receive comments and feedback from the beneficiaries, write down the texts for the narrator.

A storyboard for eLearning is a tool that describes the multimedia content of an online course in detail, involving interested professionals and the beneficiaries of the training. In this sense, a storyboard is a strategic, multimedia and collaborative tool to be fully exploited.


Did you like this article? Sign up for the newsletter and receive weekly news!

Subscribe to Newsletter

Comments:

No comments are in yet. You be the first to comment on this article!

Post a comment

User:
E-Mail (only for alert)
Insert your comment: