Creating a Storyboard for Development of Online Application Training

These instructions on storyboarding for the development of online application training provide insight to some of the lesser known areas to address.

Step 1: Introduction

Online course development requires planning to produce an online experience that will enable those who take the course to learn, and retain, the material presented. Developers must take the time and effort to create a plan, or storyboard, for the development process to insure all required elements are addressed. The instructions that follow provide a guide for the development of a storyboard to be used prior to and during the development process.

Step 2: Select Your Planning Tools

One of my favorite planning tools, for storyboard development and other projects, are Post It notes. This simple office supply can be used to identify all required elements and then arranged (and re-arranged) in an order
that best suits both the material being covered and the targeted learner population.

Another option is the use of software to create a process flow or diagram for your training course. My software of choice is Visio and is used after I’ve put together a basic plan with Post Its.

Step 3: Identify Content

Content, that is, what is going to be taught, starts with a review of requirements documents, both business requirements and software requirements. Business requirements provide the developer with a deeper insight to those who will use the software as the requirements are written from their perspective. These requirements are usually a list of statements identifying what the user needs the application to do.

A thorough review of the SRS, or System Requirement Specifications, should follow as this provides the details as to how the application will work, including valid input and outputs. The SRS identifies all the application elements that need to be included in the online course.

Step 4: Identify Course Objectives

Of all the steps involved in the development of a storyboard for online application training (and in the development of the course) is the need to identify objectives for the future learners. You must identify specifically what the learner absolutely needs to know upon conclusion of the course. All future course content must be centered on the objectives identified and must be covered during storyboarding and development.

Example (generic):

Upon completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

- Access the application

- Use the application on the job

- Refer application errors for correction

Step 5: Understand the Application Users

This isn’t necessarily a widely recognized step, but one that I find invaluable in determining the best approach to designing training.

Key questions I ask/investigate include:
1. Are the learners currently using a version of the application?

2. What organization (within the company) are they in?

3. What device(s) will they be using to access the application?

Answers to these questions provide the insight required to frame the training to the specific needs of the target learner population.

Step 6: Identify the Best Way for Them to Learn the Application

Plan for different elements to address all types of learners including:

- Audio learner – incorporate sound/sound effect elements

- Visual learner – incorporate text, graphic and animation elements

- Kinesthetic learner – provide ‘hands on’ opportunities within the training

Step 7: Identify Course Modules

Unless your course has very little content to be presented, it will most likely be ‘chunked’ into modules, both
for the ease of the learner and for the application developer/site management. This is where use of those Post Its in Step 1 come in most handy as you evaluate and re-evaluate natural groupings and breaks
in the material. It’s perfectly normal to revisit that step before making a commitment to this step.

Step 8: Build the Storyboard Using a Template

Now the work really begins, where you start to identify and document the content to be included in each module, usually on a screen by screen basis. Each section of the storyboard outlines and defines content for all screens,
including their content in terms of text, graphics, animation and video. If a response is required from the learner,
both the correct response and scaffolding for incorrect responses are to be identified.

Shown below are two sample storyboard templates – one using Microsoft Word and the other using Microsoft
PowerPoint. Any software that you feel most comfortable with to document this information can be used – even paper and pencil – if that’s most convenient!

Step 9: Review and Revise As Necessary

During the development process you may hit a bump in the road where the material isn’t flowing as naturally as you had planned, perhaps due to a change in requirements, or more knowledge acquired by you during the
development process. Don’t hesitate to go back and tweak the storyboard as necessary!