Designers of eLearning continually search for ways to ensure their courses are engaging, interactive, and relevant to their audience. Marketing of online courses and use of social media in learning is also a continual struggle at many organizations. Use of characters can help these efforts; however, designers face common pitfalls like creating characters that are one dimensional, overused, or inappropriate for the content. There is also little use of characters beyond courses, for example in marketing of courses to learners and using them in social media and informal learning where they can be of immense help.

Participants in this session will learn how to effectively use characters in the design of learning programs. You’ll see examples of eLearning courses that successfully use characters, and you’ll learn how to weave characters into your learning designs resulting in more engaged course participants, personalized learning, added entertainment value, and an avenue for your learners to interact more directly with the content. You’ll get specific strategies for using characters in marketing your courses and employing them in social media and informal learning.

In this session, you will learn:

  • Creative ways to incorporate characters into eLearning programs
  • Practical tips for bringing your characters to life
  • How to use characters in social media and informal learning strategies
  • How to utilize characters to market courses to your organization’s learners
  • Where you can find resources for creating original-character graphics or acquire ready-to-use characters.

Audience:
Novice and intermediate designers and developers with a basic knowledge of instructional design.

Technology discussed in this session:
No specific technologies or devices will be demonstrated or discussed.

Student technology needs:
None.

Handouts

Session Video