Instructional design, e-Learning and games in Adobe Captivate

A lot of the e-Learning and games I have designed have been developed in Adobe Flash. But,  it is worth noting that authoring tools such as Adobe Captivate can offer rapid development opportunities. And with a little bit of scripting sat under the bonnet, the results can be impressive and not simply PowerPoint with questions.

The following examples were generated by myself. They were designed and coded over the course of 8 days and were an exercise in self-training in Captivate and a vehicle to test the limitations of the authoring tool.

Systems Training

System training is Captivate’s stock in trade and it comes as no surprise that developing systems training is an efficient process in Captivate. The example presented here simulates modifying a widget in a browser. The Show e-Learning Topic shows the trainee what they need to do and Test Topic is an interactive step through.

Systems training has obvious applications in adult training, but can also be used in ICT classes in schools.


Photo Stories

This photo story shows how good instructional design can even elevate a simple multiple choice question. Based on three panel photo strips, the design and development makes use of Captivate's scripting and timeline functionality to display appropriate feedback and modify the next part of the story.

Photo stories are narrative based learning and are an excellent way to present dilemmas. In adult training, they can be used to train procedures and in education they provide a powerful way to teach subjects like PHSE.

SITUATED-training (Game)

This example is an attempt to push Captivate to its limits. The SITUATED-training course puts the trainee in a virtual setting where they need to visit various locations, talk to characters and interact with objects. The instructional design embeds a system simulation inside a dynamic story line. At the end of the training, the trainee is presented with a dynamic end report that shows what they did and didn’t do.

SITUATED-training is built around a cause and effect engine and provides a vehicle to deliver problem solving training. The approach is useful to train skills such as project management and auditing. In education, think history, geography and science.

Opportunity
If you want to know more or want help with instructional design and / or development of e-Learning / games in Flash or Captivate then contact me on my (Paul Ladley) Linked-in profile.


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