Thcecc i d e n t a l a Instructional Designer Learning Design for the Digital Age Cammy Bean Thcecc i d e n t a l a Instructional Designer Cammy Bean © 2014 American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please go to www.copyright.com, or contact Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 (telephone: 978.750.8400; fax: 978.646.8600). ASTD Press is an internationally renowned source of insightful and practical information on workplace learning, training, and professional development. ASTD Press 1640 King Street Box 1443 Alexandria, VA 22313-1443 USA Ordering information for print edition: Books published by ASTD Press can be purchased by visiting ASTD’s website at store.astd.org or by calling 800.628.2783 or 703.683.8100. Library of Congress Control Number (print edition only): 2014934634 ISBN-10: 1-56286-914-0 ISBN-13: 978-1-56286-914-4 e-ISBN: 978-1-60728-407-9 ASTD Press Editorial Staff: Director: Glenn Saltzman Manager, ASTD Press: Ashley McDonald Community of Practice Manager, Learning Technologies: Justin Brusino Associate Editor: Melissa Jones Editorial Assistant: Ashley Slade Text and Cover Design: Lon Levy Contents Acknowledgments ...........................................................................................v Introduction: Once Upon a Time .................................................................ix Part I ................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1. On Instructional Design and E-Learning Pie .............................3 Chapter 2. Why Design Matters ...................................................................19 Part II ............................................................................................................31 Chapter 3. Working With Subject Matter Experts ......................................35 Chapter 4. What’s Your Design Approach? .................................................51 Chapter 5. Finding Your Hook .....................................................................81 Chapter 6. Interactivity That Counts ...........................................................95 Chapter 7. Writing Better E-Learning .......................................................119 Chapter 8. It’s All in the Story ....................................................................133 Chapter 9. Looking Good: On Visual Design............................................143 Chapter 10. Mixing It Up: New Blends and Marketing Strategies ...........151 Chapter 11. Secret Handshakes .................................................................173 Part III .........................................................................................................179 Chapter 12. Taking It Forward ...................................................................181 My Favorite Resources ...............................................................................185 Selected Bibliography ................................................................................187 About the Author ........................................................................................193 Index ............................................................................................................195 Acknowledgments While it’s true that I have dreamed of writing a book since I was little, it’s another thing to find that I have actually just written one. And it’s certainly not a journey that I took alone, so I do need to take a moment now to thank the Academy. . . . First and foremost, I would not be here without the mentoring, encour- agement, and support I’ve received from my team at Kineo, where I have worked as the VP of learning design since 2009. Steve Rayson took that first chance on me, and there’s been no turning back. Stephen Walsh sets the tone for everything I write. Steve Lowenthal pushes me to be better, always—even when I don’t want to. Mark Harrison provided firsthand mentorship and inspiration. Many of the ideas and content in this book are drawn from the Kineo website, where we’ve posted more than eight years’ worth of insights on effective learning design. So much of what I share here comes from conversations I’ve had, or thoughts and ideas first put forth by those I’ve mentioned and other members of the Kineo design team including Matt Fox, Paul Welch, Catherine Jones, and Kirstie Greany. I’m just giving voice here to their brilliance, so they should be getting all the credit. To my Kineo U.S. team, you collectively help me put these ideas into action every day and make them all better in the execution. Seriously, guys. You complete me. v Acknowledgments To the many clients I have had the privilege to work with over the years—thank you for the opportunities, the challenges, and the collabora- tion. We are better together. Ellen Wagner, a mentor and friend, listened to what I had to say, encouraged me to share, and gave me confidence that I had something worthwhile to contribute. Along with Jane Bozarth, Jeannette Campos, Janet Clarey, Koreen Olbrish Pagano, and Trina Rimmer—you women are the wind beneath my e-learning wings. When I was too scared to let anyone read early drafts, Meghan Young persistently offered and let me know I was on the right track. Thank you! So many of you good e-learning people have pushed me along in this journey through blog posts, books, tweets, presentations, articles, or late night conversations, and for that I thank you: Michael Allen, Julie Dirksen, Karl Kapp, Judy Katz, Tom Kuhlmann, Connie Malamed, Cathy Moore, Clive Shepherd, Aaron Silvers, Kevin Thorn, Reuben Tozman, Will Thal- heimer, and Clark Quinn. You inspire me. When Bill Brandon at the eLearning Guild published my first article, “The Accidental Instructional Designer,” in Learning Solutions Magazine, I was thrilled, to say the least. Over the years, I have had the good fortune to speak at numerous eLearning Guild conferences, testing my ideas and hearing the stories of my peers. Thank you David Holcomb and Heidi Fisk for continuing to have faith in me. ASTD, I am grateful for the opportunities you have given me to speak at conferences, help with conference planning, and for publishing my work. Justin Brusino, thanks for believing in me and getting this book off the ground. Melissa Jones, you dotted my “I”s and crossed my “T”s and helped make this book better than what it was. vi Acknowledgments To Susan Keyes Morrison, my mom, friend, and role model, you always make me feel like I’m more. Thank you. The biggest thanks of all go to my family—Jon, our three kids, and our three pet ducks (who joined our family quite intentionally last summer). You managed to survive a couple seasons of me working late nights at the kitchen table on this book. For that—and everything else—I love you. Cammy Bean February 2014 vii introduction Once Upon a Time In this chapter . . . • How did I go from a little girl singing in the shower to a grown-up woman working as an instructional designer of technology-based learning solutions? • Do other people have similar stories? • Is your story all that different? A Walking Accident I am a walking accident. Generally a happy one, but an accident nonetheless. Most of my life feels like an accident—a series of unexpected events that have led to this particular moment in time. I look around and say, “How did I get here surrounded by these people, living in this state, in this ix