Why You Should Have User Centric Tutorials for Software Products

When you create tutorials  for a software product, it is very natural to capture the following:

Description about the product features
All tasks that one can do with each of the product features
Steps to complete each of the tasks

Most software product tutorials are product feature centric.
Here is an example  of a product feature centric tutorial for Camtasia. The very title [...]

October 13th, 2009 | Category: Camtasia, Help Manuals, Instructional Design, Online Tutorials, Product Tutorial Design, Scenario Based E-learning, Task Based Approach, elearning | 5 comments

How to Achieve Smooth Visual Effects in Videos Created Using Camtasia?

My post on how to increase call out lengths in Camtasia helped Tina Williams solve her problem. This feedback on my post prompted me to write this post with yet another useful tip
When I was working on my tutorial videos using Camtasia, I noticed that after I produced the video in a shareable [...]

September 23rd, 2009 | Category: Camtasia, Camtasia Tips, Learning, Rapid E-learning, elearning | 4 comments

Free Session on Learner Centric Methodology Used in E-learning on September 19, 2009 at 11:30 AM IST

The Instructional Designers Community of India  is hosting yet another free  learning session on September 19, 2009.
This time the session is about Learner Centric Methodology used in E-learning. The session coverage would be:
1. What is LCM?
2. How does LCM help design effective learning?
3. What are the key principles of LCM?
4. How does LCM benefit stakeholders?
5. A case [...]

September 17th, 2009 | Category: ID Community of India, ID Meet Up, Informal Learning, Instructional Design, Instructional Designers, Learning, elearning | One comment

A Short Video Tutorial on How Layers Work in Photoshop

I created this tutorial video in 2007 when i was exploring Photoshop myself. I had real difficulty understanding the concept of layers. That’s when I thought I must create this video which might be of help to many other beginners like me. Some people found this video useful and have left their comments.  A few [...]

September 9th, 2009 | Category: Captivate, Instructional Design, Online Tutorials, Photoshop, SHOW ME, elearning | 4 comments

How I Learnt to Work With Camtasia

 I do not think learning how to use a tool is a big challenge. But I guess you need to know how to work with a tool efficiently. Otherwise it might happen that you keep struggling to use the tool.
When you are in an organization, you may not have a choice with respect to using [...]

July 3rd, 2009 | Category: Camtasia, Instructional Design, elearning | Leave a comment

Quick Tips for a Lone Instructional Designer

by ruparajgo | Create your own Cartoon at www.toondoo.com
Recently one of my blog readers asked me a very interesting question:
Could you please elaborate on the questions/ information an ID should look for from the client/ the Project manager when he/she is the lone ID handling a project?
All of us are used to collaborative effort when [...]

April 22nd, 2009 | Category: Analysis and Design, Instructional Design, Needs Analysis, elearning | 7 comments

What is a Linear E-learning Course?

by ruparajgo | Create your own Cartoon at www.toondoo.com
A Linear E-learning Course is the most basic of all kinds of e-learning courses. If you are a budding Instructional Designer, then you must choose to design a Linear E-learning Course first. It is comparatively easy to create a Linear E-learning Course than any other kind of e-learning course [...]

March 20th, 2009 | Category: Instructional Design, Instructional Designers, Instructional Strategy, Learning, Linear E-learning Course, elearning | 4 comments

Open Forum : How is Recession Affecting Instructional Designers?

This forum is for the benefit of all people who want to start a career in Instructional Designing or shift jobs during this time of recession.
As far as I know and have heard the recession is not affecting Instructional Designers much. In November 2008, Prof Karl Kapp cites an article that shows that e-learning is [...]

February 17th, 2009 | Category: Forum, elearning | 13 comments

The Wizard of Symbol Game – Interesting Instructional Strategies

Soon after I wrote the post: Why Instructional Designers Should Play Games? , I got a query from one reader asking  how game based strategies will work when there is a budget constraint for an e-learning course.
I guess you do not have to have 3D animations or advanced gaming strategies to make your e-learning course engaging. [...]

January 22nd, 2009 | Category: Game Design, Games, Gaming, Instructional Design, Instructional Strategy, The Wizard of Symbol Game, e-learning games, elearning | Leave a comment

The Value of Instructional Designers – Interesting Post by Cammy Bean

I just read this interesting post by Cammy Bean.
She has started off a good discussion in this post of hers.
I request all Instructional Designers to participate in the discussion and make it more interesting

January 8th, 2008 | Category: Instructional Design, Instructional Designers, Instructional Strategy, elearning | Leave a comment