Creating effective training
Showing how to create effective training sessions in a visually engaging manner.
Overview
How do you create effective and efficient training sessions? I created this video for a presentation to training managers with the objective of bringing awareness to the qualities required of trainers and the mediums available for them to do so.
Responsibilities: Instructional Design, eLearning Development, Visual Design
Target Audience: Training Managers at a healthcare organisation
Tools Used: Vyond, Camtasia, Audacity
The Process
I identified the key elements of a successful training session to highlight to the viewer and decided to tie them together with an engaging narrative that would demonstrate the benefits of effective and efficient training. To produce the video in a fast and cost effective manner, I chose to use a cloud-based animated video creation platform, which would allow me to humanise the situations being described. I would then distribute the finished product by uploading it to YouTube to practically demonstrate how considering the medium of delivery can increase reach and effectiveness.
Storyboard
As I wanted viewers to engage with the characters and the message being delivered, it was important to ensure that the narrative avoid dilution by relying on the availability of prebuilt templates within the animation platform. For this reason, I produced storyboards as a framework for the content.
The initial storyboard detailing voiceover, text and visual notes.
I then used pen and paper to sketch out the visual layout and transitions required.
Once I produced my initial storyboard draft, I discussed it with peers and then made revisions, introducing ideas that had emerged during the process. In this way, I minimised the development of scenes using animation software that may have proven unnecessary later.
The finished scene, viewable at 04:39 within the completed video.
The Build
I produced the scenes needed using Vyond. I took inspiration from the editing of commercial video content and employed fast cutting to quickly convey information.
Some of the transition effects I wanted to achieve weren’t available as part of the software, so I exported scenes and used Camtasia to produce them instead.
I recorded the voiceover myself, then produced a rough cut of the video and sought peer feedback, making adjustments to the timing of scenes as needed before adding background music, sound effects and removing background noise from the voiceover.
Results and Takeaways
The video contributed to increased implementation by the organisation of mediums such as video and eLearning to deliver training and its viewership continues to increase through its availability on YouTube.
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