Animated videos complement eLearning design and development training exceptionally well. Our latest Video Hero is Megan Creegan, an eLearning Developer at Equity Residential. To develop their course interactivity, Equity Residential uses Articulate Storyline. Then, Megan creates the Vyond videos that they upload throughout the training.
Most of their videos are not available for external viewing. But, Megan created an example training for the Storyline and Vyond communities to show how the two applications work together. Take a look below.
We also interviewed Megan to learn more about her process of integrating animations into Storyline.
How do you use Vyond?
MC: We want to make our online learning content fun, engaging, and memorable. I’ve been using Vyond videos in my eLearning in two ways:
1) To break up information. This works great for course introductions with a lengthy explanation. Instead of listening to a voice recording while text bullets fade onto a screen (so boring!), we can show a realistic animated video to help the learner visualize the information.
2) To break up interactions. Videos make the course fun and engaging. Incorporating them into scenario based questions allows the learner to see something happen, answer a question based on what they saw, then get feedback based on how they answered the question.
It eliminates the need for text or plain audio feedback telling them exactly what they did correct or incorrect.
I always found basic text/audio feedback to be so monotonous (“You got it in/correct because blah blah blah…”). Then I thought, what if we created the scenario by showing them a video, rolled out a question, then used video to show feedback?
A similar method is used when you play most video games. When you achieve something you typically see the feedback in action, rather than have the program tell you what you did or didn’t do correctly. It makes feedback much more powerful and memorable this way.
Talk us through your start to finish process for making a video and how you test in Storyline.
MC: We start with a very basic storyboard and script that covers the bare minimum needed to lock down the content.
After our subject-matter experts (SMEs)/business partners review and approve the content, we finalize the script with the right tone and transitions.
I’ll start my video creation by plopping the characters or props into the video and adding text-to-speech for our rough script.
Then I’ll insert the rough videos into Storyline (with rough interactions and other content I loosely developed in Storyline) and send the combined project for the first review (usually our SMEs and/or business partners, plus a handful of our target audience).
From there, we update the course (and videos) based on reviewers’ feedback. Sometimes we need only two iterations and sometimes we could have up to five iterations depending on the scope of the project.
I always put a rough video in the first iteration just so the reviewers can get an idea of how things will flow along with the script.
To give you an example of what a rough video is, I will add the character and he won’t move or change his expression. The scene doesn’t change and I usually have a note that reminds reviewers that I will add animations, audio, etc. on the final version. The rough video piece shouldn’t take long to create (think minutes instead of hours) since it will change after content is locked down.
I do not add any animations or professional audio until everything has been approved and we’re on our final version.
Then I download the videos and insert them into Storyline as an .mp4 file.
What do you do recommend to others creating videos for their eLearning?
MC: First I’d recommend that you lock down the content before you invest too much development time.
If the video will be part of an interaction (for example, you are playing a video, then stop for a question, then continue the video based on how the user answered the question), you should make separate videos for each stopping point.
Make sure the end of the video, right before the question rolls out, and the feedback video(s) pick up with the same exact scene. That will make it look like a continuous video in your eLearning course.
What resources do you recommend for eLearning trainers to make themselves better at creating videos?
MC: This might sound a bit odd, but I’ve been watching a ton of animated nursery rhyme videos on YouTube with my two-year-old twins. They love them! I’ve been paying close attention to how pan and zoom is used (similar to the camera movement tool in Vyond) and have gotten a ton of creative ideas on how to animate objects on the screen.
I also recommend paying more attention when you watch television or movies. I never realized the amazing detail that went into camera movements until I started using Vyond and paid attention to what I was watching. A lot of things are happening with the camera that are not noticeable, but make the viewing experience seamless.
What is the single biggest reason you would recommend Vyond?
MC: I’ve tried a ton of animated video makers and nothing compares to the quality of the assets (characters, props, templates, etc.) in Vyond. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to use and the interface is very intuitive and fast (especially now with the Vyond Studio).
About Vyond
Vyond allows people of all skill levels in all industries and job roles to create dynamic and powerful business and training videos. With features that go beyond moving text and images, you can build character-driven stories or compelling data visualizations that engage audiences and deliver results.
Start making your own videos today. Sign up for a free 14-day trial and attend our weekly tour of the Vyond Studio.
