Convert PowerPoint to an interactive eLearning course in a Snap
The COVID-19 has made many of us either take or give online classes, and most likely for the first time. It has been 4 months into lockdown, and we are all wondering when normal learning services will resume.
Upon monitoring the web traffic for the eLearning industry, Traffic changes were detected to be increased 8,135% with users searching for topics linked to remote learning, VILT, and distance learning. Whether it’s for a corporate trainer or a schoolteacher, everyone is looking up for eLearning solutions to provide the best learning experience to their learners.
From regular lectures to corporate training, everything is being shifted to virtual. This is resulting in many L&D specialists to find various strategies to transition their Trainer led classes or blended learning to fully virtual as soon as possible.
We understand your rapidly changing needs, which is why in this article our seasoned instructional designers have come up with a step by step process to help you convert your traditional PPT training material into a fully online interactive eLearning course in a flash.
You can also grab this guide as a PDF to print out or just read when it’s convenient for you.
Convert a PowerPoint into an interactive eLearning course
Have you heard about the term ‘Death by PowerPoint’? It’s a phenomenon used for poor use of the software. One way to avoid it is by dividing the content into small chunks and digestible pieces, called modules. Splitting a huge PPT file into smaller sections will not only make it easier for you to transfer it, but it will also allow the learners to be facilitated with effective and engaging eLearning and take them in order of their choice.
Let’s start converting your old classroom PowerPoint presentations into engaging e-learning courses by following three simple steps.
Step 1: Content planning and development
Courses with a high completion rate require careful content planning and revisions. Before you even go close to the software, work on the content that you will be including in the course. The content should provide value to the learners and keep them engaged as well. Keep in mind the fact that you will not be there in person to keep the learner-focused, but their attention can be grabbed by creating the content that sparks your personality by adding stories, word problems, and examples. This way the content can easily be changed from dull to dynamic without any sweat.
Content creation takes time. However, here are 5 steps you can follow to make the process quick and effective.
- Set goals and a clear objective of what you want the learner to achieve from this course.
- Gather all the resources and materials to be used.
- Create an outline for the content. Don’t add too much clutter in the course and get rid of any material that is not necessary to include or is irrelevant.
Content planning can also be done by storyboarding ideas. In video production, it is done when you are representing visuals but can also be done purely based on text and words. It usually includes information like Slide title/name, Screen text and elements, Graphics and animation, Navigation, Branching, Developer notes, and Audio narration script.
Step 2: Apply Instructional design Strategies
The biggest misuse of PowerPoint is using static images and words alone in training, as mentioned earlier, one of the causes of ‘death by PowerPoint’. However, by using our instructional design strategies, you can make the process of converting PPT to eLearning much more effective.
- Start the course by connecting it with what the learner already knows. Ask questions that will make the learners recollect their previous knowledge or what they already know. It will spark curiosity among them even if they don’t know the correct answers to the questions.
- Since PPT doesn’t allow free navigation and the learner has to keep pressing the next button to move forward. You can include hyperlinks to it and give the learner option of nonlinear navigation and switch to different topics from the main menu. Comparing to an authoring tool, it might be uneasy for the learner to navigate but non-linear navigation is possible.
Read more about Best eLearning Authoring Tools-Updated 2020
- Make the learners engaged by adding triggers to the course. A trigger will require the learner to click on it to initiate the animation. Triggers can be used for either pop-ups or mini-quizzes in the middle of the module.
- One of the most common instructional design strategies is assessments. Unfortunately, PowerPoint does not support assessing the learners and providing them with results. There is no way to judge or evaluate how much the learner has understood. If you plan to check your learner’s knowledge, you can use articulate 360 for implementing quizzes. This way the learners can answer the questions and can be judged based on their previous performance.
Step 3: Distribute your course
Now that you have created your course, it’s time to distribute it among your learners. The simplest way to distribute your course is to email them a copy of your PowerPoint. If the PowerPoint file is too big to be sent as an attachment, share the link via file-sharing services i.e. Google drive and Dropbox.
If you choose to show to track the score and statistics of the learners taking the course, it is recommended to upload it on an LMS. A learning management system (LMS) is an online system that allows planning, execution, and assessments of a specific learning process. LMS requires a super easy registration process and provides you the option of administration, documentation, tracking, and recording, etc. Multiple LMS are thriving in the eLearning industry and the number estimates to increase by the year 2025.