Four Ways to Add Some Fun to Elearning
Last week, we explained why fun isn’t a standard requirement for corporate eLearning experiences, and we listed a few steps to determine if it’s a good fit.
This week, we have some examples of fun eLearning elements!
To recap, before attempting to create a fun eLearning experience, do these three things:
Be sure your audience is receptive
Make sure you are using their definition of fun (keyword = their)
Use the fun elements to reinforce the content
Once you have determined that elements of fun are a good fit, here are four examples to give you some inspiration.
Puzzles
In this example, a puzzle is used to illustrate the concept of how 5S can save time. It’s unexpected, the timer gets people to pay attention, and we link the experience to the learning objectives.
There are many different ways to do this. Flashcard games, drag-and-drop activities, timed knowledge checks, etc. Note, if accessibility is a top priority, your games and puzzles may need to be more content driven and less interactive since drag-and-drop activities and timers don’t always translate into accessible experiences.
Promotional Materials
This example is one of our favorites. We were asked to help create a three-module series covering a topic that employees generally found frustrating. We kept the modules straightforward, simple, and without much embellishment because we wanted the focus to be on the content and practice activities. For our fun element, we used this promo video as the opener. In it we empathize with users and explain the purpose of the course and how it can help. And we do it as a parody.
This was made in Adobe After Effects, but we’ve done similar (just as fun) course commercials in programs like Techsmith Camtasia, Vyond, Powtoons, etc. Use what you’ve got! It doesn’t have to involve a full production crew, and it can really help you drive home the WIIFM.
Playful Imagery
In this example, we recolored some vectors from Shutterstock to help illustrate each example in the training. This module was one in a series for new trainers. Some of the audience was nervous already, and these graphics are a bit more cheerful and humorous than typical stock imagery would have been for this topic. They also reinforce the message.
Personalities
These screens are from an HR admin course on how to report employee separations. And as we all know, HR Admin Policy courses can get dry by the third screen. And since HR admins have already seen it all when it comes to employee situations, nothing we are showing is new.
We added a bit of fun by giving our characters personalities and feelings. For example, Jerry didn’t just walk off the job. He debated with himself whether or not to leave during a particularly challenging day. Note, none of the additions to the videos impacted the policy content, and the goal of the videos was to prepare learners to complete the separation paperwork by correctly classifying and dating events.
In summary, fun is not required for corporate eLearning, but there are many ways to incorporate fun elements that reinforce your project goals and support learning.
