Become an IDOL 75: Accessibility in eLearning with Samuel Apata
Guest: Samuel Apata, Senior eLearning Developer | Starbucks
In this episode, I will be chatting with Samuel Apata, currently a Senior eLearning Developer for Starbucks. He has over 8 years of experience developing and retaining talent for organizations like T-Mobile, American Airlines and GM Financial. Listen in to here us chat about accessibility! You'll want to know the accessibility minimums to incorporate into course building, the guidelines you'll want to pay attention to on federal and state levels and finding the balance to not stifle your creativity!
Listen to this episode below:
Subscribe to Become an IDOL Podcast: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Google Podcast
Here's a little bit about Samuel:
Samuel Apata is a dedicated instructional designer with over 8 years of experience developing and retaining talent for organizations like T-Mobile, American Airlines, GM Financial, and currently Starbucks. He holds a graduate degree in...
Applying Film Theory to eLearning
We as instructional designers and eLearning developers wear many hats. Consider one more!
When we create instructional materials, we have to think very carefully not just about the content, but also about the visual design. Everything should have a purpose and be tied to the learning objectives. Visuals should always reinforce the content. If a picture or illustration does not have a very clear purpose and connection to the content, then it actually can take away from the learning experience. (Think of extraneous cognitive load.)
This idea brings me back to film school. One of my majors for my undergraduate degree was Film and Media Studies. Because it focused heavily on film theory, I learned how to critically analyze the media I consumed. The foundation of critical analysis and film theory is film history; I’ve linked the textbook that got me started.
One of the things you learn about in film theory is that early cinema took direct cues from theater. In theater,...
Become an IDOL 73: Success Story with Marilyn Day former Career Coach
Guest: Marilyn Day, Instructional Designer | Google
In this episode, I will be chatting with Marilyn Day, an IDOL courses Academy member who transitioned into an Instructional Designer in about 6 months landing an ID role with IDOL Talent first and then Google shortly after. She worked previously as a career coach. The search of creating something to present instead of continuously verbally repeating the same information piqued her interest in the field of Instructional Design. Hear her story of how she was able to successfully transition into this field and also serve as a coach within IDOL courses Academy.
Listen to this episode below:
Subscribe to Become an IDOL Podcast: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Google Podcast
Let me tell you a little bit about Marilyn:
Marilyn joined IDOL courses Academy in Fall of 2021. She worked full time with 2U where she helped students as a career coach. She learned about Instructional Design and was able to go...
Advocating for Accessibility
It’s now becoming common knowledge that humans have a wide range of cognitive differences, in addition to the physical ones that are more readily apparent. However, we’re still just scratching the surface with our understanding of conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder. With that emerging comprehension comes persistent stigmas. I’ve experienced them in my own family and encountered them in the learning and development field.
In fact, what spurred me to write this was getting blocked by a doctor who has an active social media and podcast presence because I asked her to consider not using background music that contained vocals, as the vocals competed with what she said aloud. That doctor also is a professor at a state university, which made me wonder if she provides accommodations for her neurodivergent students. (Learning differences don’t go away when a person enters medical school, after all.)
This reminded me that we still have a...
ID and Ed Tech: They Intersect More than You May Realize
Soon I began to think about how I could take that inclination, strength, and interest I had in using technology for learning, and actually specialize in it. That’s how I ended up enrolling in a master’s program in educational technology. I quickly learned what it meant to earn a Master of Science degree – literature reviews and research papers!
What does this have to do with educational technology? Well, instructional practices should be grounded in solid research – in studies that are peer-reviewed, published, and with findings that usually are reinforced through subsequent studies....
Lessons about Visual Design that I Neglected to Follow
As a freelance artist who has studied and produced art for years, I thought visual design would come naturally to me and yet it was the one thing I neglected in instructional design. In fact, when it came to visual design in the courses I created, I failed, miserably. The reason is simple. I didn’t pay attention to it. I was solely focused on instructional design principles, content, and assessments. I am embarrassed to admit that I didn’t even realize that I was neglecting something so important until someone pointed it out to me. I mean who neglects CRAP (contrast, repetition, alignment, proximity) and doesn’t even know it?! Surely not me… I joke.
I decided that I was going to have to go back to my roots. As an artist, when I got stuck, I turned to the works of artists I admired such as Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Francisco Clemente and Elizabeth Murray. Their work inspired me and gave me new ideas. This time, I turned to magazines and...
Taking ADDIE to the Church the Business Side
“Wait, Churches use Instructional Design? But how?”
I remember when I 1st begin to volunteer with the church, I walked in thinking the office staff would be at their desk with Bibles open talking theology and praying for people when they called. I remember thinking the pastor and board members would be in a room voting on new leadership and responsibilities. Boy was I wrong! So here is a little breakdown of how the local church uses the ADDIE process to accomplish its “business” goals?
ANALYSIS
In my 1st week, the staff was meeting about the 1st community job fair the church was hosting. Because of the magnitude of the project, it was important to have all our ducks in a row, from the participants to the employees, to the volunteers…everyone needed to know what their responsibilities were. So in a planning room, with a whiteboard of information about who is in the community (leaner analysis), and the goal of the event as it...
Reading the Last Page of the Book First
IDOL courses Academy has a nonlinear curriculum, which means that the steps and speed of learning are up to the learner. The nonlinear curriculum works well with adult learners who usually take responsibility for their learning and like to be involved in their learning process. It also goes deeper than just that. If adults own their own learning, their learning will be more effective.
Learning from a nonlinear curriculum can be scary for those of us used to learning from a linear one. In a linear curriculum, there are strict steps and timing for each of the learning phases. You can’t skip steps without losing content. You could try, but the chances are high you’d have to go back and complete the missing part...
The Comprehensive Guide to Storyboarding for Learning Experience Design: Elevate Yourself from Mediocrity to Master
Does the idea of storyboarding launch your imposter syndrome into manic mode? This comprehensive guide will empower you to slay the imposter monster and storyboard successfully in LXD.
Punching The Panic Button
Now don’t quit on this blog post yet, you’ve barely even started.
I know. I can already hear your imposter syndrome alarm blaring:
“I can’t draw!”
”I’m not a graphic designer!”
“My stick figures look like blobs!”
Deep breath.
The purpose of storyboarding for eLearning is not to expose you as an imposter. One storyboard will not end your ID career. And no one is going to laugh at your drawings—I promise.
This guide will give your storyboarding abilities the confidence boost they deserve. We’ll answer six questions about storyboarding for learning experience design and supply you with 9 simple, actionable tips that you can apply straight away to your next eLearning storyboard.
We’ll...
Accessibility Basics E-Learning For All
It is a commonly held myth that accessibility features are only intended for learners with a disability or impairment. However, the truth is that everyone, regardless of ability, can benefit from accessibility features within an e-learning course. In fact, you probably utilize accessibility features in your daily life more often than you realize. Think about the last time you used social media. Did you enable the closed-captions on any videos? Have you referred back to an audio transcription of your favorite podcast? These are two very common examples of accessibility features you may access on a regular basis. With a little thought and intentionality, you can design your e-learning courses to reach as many learners as possible.
What is accessibility and how does it relate to instructional design?
At its most basic, accessibility is ensuring your e-learning content is attainable and meaningful for all learners, regardless of ability. This means that a learner with an...
