Storyboarding for E-Learning
Links to how-tos and best practices related to storyboards and design
Storyboards are essential for planning content creation or production. I think it is pretty obvious why you would want to start with one fairly early on. What isn’t fairly obvious is the type of storyboard one should implement. I am familiar with a text-based storyboard (I’ve created a text-based storyboard for a PowerPoint), but it seems like there are many different types of storyboards and anything goes as long as it works for your creative project and helps you successfully develop that vision to an end product.
In the link above, the article talks about storyboarding for a marketing video; which isn’t exactly my content area but it had some interesting points. Marketing videos tend to follow this format:
- Opener (attention grabber)
- Problem Statement
- Solution (what can the brand do to solve you’re aforementioned problem?)
- Call to Action (follow through, the money-maker)
The article also notes that it is important to have your brand logo, website address, etc. visible on the last frame in your video (just like Youtubers do lol).
So knowing all of that info, what would that look in the E-learning world? How do you apply that to making a video for a mobile, micro-learning course?
This article states to start with a script first when creating a storyboard for a video. Break your script into scenes and then break those scenes into shots. I love this idea. I think it would be perfect to start this way with the most recent video that I need to make.
A link to 40 professional storyboard templates and examples:
The article above says to make sure you have your objectives figured out ahead of time. Makes sense. Answer the question — what are the desired goals? Get a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your e-learning. Map out your knowledge checks. Identify how you will assess your learners. Break your content up into chunks, chapters, modules, etc. Group content accordingly. Don’t forget information about transitions, chapter summaries, and what’s coming up next.
Here are some storyboard examples from E-Learning Heroes:
The link above explores the different types of storyboards. It even mentions skipping the storyboard altogether and jumping right into a rapid prototype. This article also does NOT leave out the need for a needs analysis before you even do a storyboard! I liked that. That goes right along with writing your objectives and thinking about assessment before you start storyboarding. Reminds me a little of UbD (Understanding by Design framework). Ya gotta assess where you are and where you are going before you start making all the stuff!