eLearning video Storyboarding: quick guide
Developing an engaging and appealing eLearning curriculum requires planning, brand research, know-how and a healthy dose of visual-based talent.
Did you notice the first word we said was planning?
That’s intentional, because planning is the absolute cornerstone of your eLearning course, and will determine both its ultimate success and how the Learners will experience their learning journey. With video-first and web-based Learning Management Systems (LMS) offering fantastic engagement rates, one key element you absolutely want to be planning for is the use of videos!
You’ll want to come up with a perfect video that keeps Learners watching, tells them exactly what they need to know, and makes them feel both confident about their learning and empowered in their knowledge. It is definitely a matter of quality over quantity!
Not only do you need to avoid overwhelming your Learners with too many videos within any single Learning Path, but you also need them to be on their toes throughout the entire eLearning video series. The answer to meeting both of these goals is simple: you must design a perfect storyboard.
Are you ready to find out how? Keep reading to find out how to achieve storyboarding success!
TheLearning LAB eLearning Content Development, video storyboard
First things first: What actually IS a storyboard?
Before we start going through the steps of making a perfect storyboard for your eLearning course, let’s shed some light on what exactly an eLearning storyboard really is. Simply said, a storyboard is a visual outline of what you want to include in the video. It is a frame by frame visualisation of what the final video will look like, guiding the filming and editing process as you progress through the development of the video. Having a well-planned storyboard will save you significant time, as you can identify issues and make the vast majority of the necessary changes to your video concept before the actual filming takes place.
Now that you have a clear idea of what is a storyboard let's find out what is involved in designing the perfect storyboard for eLearning videos!
The keys to eLearning Storyboarding
1) It all starts with a template
Selecting a template is essentially laying down the foundation of your storyboard, so it needs to be a decision that is made with care. As your storyboard will help you imagine how the video will play out before you get the cameras rolling, you need to find a template that suits your needs and lets your creativity flow freely.
There are plenty of storyboard templates on the internet that you might want to choose from, or you can consult them and create your own from scratch. Think of the template as an empty comic book strip, with a set amount of frames in which to make the story happen. Now, unlike comics, you’ll have the flowing video going from one frame to the next, so you’ll also need room for annotations about camera zoom, panning, etc. Making your own template will give you a sense of freedom, as you can freely decide your aspect ratio and dimensions and leave dedicated spaces for the notes you want to take. Will there be voice-overs? Is it 3D animation? Is it an interactive video for the Learner to navigate through? There’s a lot to consider!
Starting out with the right template means being able to produce coherent, cohesive and smooth videos that people will actually want to watch. Have a look at the video below, for World Athletics, and see how the elements can come together to shape a visually appealing, interactive viewing experience for the Learner! If you would like to see more about this particular project.
2) Figure out your aims
Before you properly begin drafting your lesson plan, you must decide on your goals. What is it that you really want the digital training program to convey to the Learner? Is it an intro to a subject, or does it dive deep into a particular topic? Is it the first video of a series, or does it stand alone?
Asking yourself these questions will help you gain clarity about what it is that you should include in the storyboard, and how it should look in terms of the sequence. It’ll also begin to give you an idea of the length to aim for, which in general should be fairly short to keep the Learner’s full attention! Strategic planning means not rushing into the design phase without first completing this step in full, and ideally you should enter into a proper workshop phase with an eLearning agency capable of helping you define and determine your goals.
Setting your aims right is an unmissable step towards ensuring your vision carries through the entire process of creating a storyboard and, ultimately, shines through in the video content of your eLearning course.
3) Get everything down on paper
Here comes the big step! It is time for you to write down everything you want to convey in the digital training course, starting from your aims and developing the storyboard alongside the script. Lessons should be as easy as possible for the Learner to follow, so focus on language use, explaining jargon where necessary, and accompanying concepts with visuals to help your Learner retain the information. For a video series, start with the general idea of how the videos link together, and then hash out the details of what elements are taught in which video to ensure you don’t repeat things or miss things out. Write it all out - and don’t worry about the template yet, first get the ideas and concepts down properly before you adapt, mould and neatly fit it into a template.
Note that it is normal to create multiple drafts! Do so until you end up with a lesson plan for a video that will really inspire your audience and which meets all of your goals! You’ll want to share the document with your team, brainstorm and adapt, shape it and edit it until you know it’s the perfect backbone for the video. It’s a marathon, not a sprint!
eLearning Storyboarding, video-first and web-based LMS for the real world. TheLearning LAB Geneva, Palo Alto, London, Paris
4) Segment your written lesson plan
Armed with a document full of ideas and content, you now need it to all become storyboard ready! Breaking up your lesson plan into smaller, logical paragraphs will give you a sense of direction and help you shape the roadmap of how the eLearning course should look, sound, feel and teach. Give your ideas a brief read-through, noting logical breaks in the information flow - these make for great transition times and help you set the storyboard foundation. Then go back and redesign it, so it all sounds more natural, flows more naturally, and the pauses and transitions are placed at the best possible moments.
Get your template out, and start adding the visual elements to the planning. You’ll want it to be designed by someone with the right skillset to provide a pretty accurate visual overview, so be sure to take on an in-house designer or illustrator or consult with an agency!
5) Filming and 3D motion design
The use of visual animations and videos is what gives eLearning an edge over regular classroom learning, so make sure you do it right! Use a professional video designer to bring your concept to life, be involved in every step of the way and consider both the styling as well as the positioning.
Do you want to add the animation after you've explained a concept, initially showing only keywords on the screen? Or use it from the start to lay a foundation for what you're about to explain in more detail? Does it play during the voice-over, does it pause or zoom in to add emphasis? Does the video leave space for subtitles without them obstructing vital visuals? The questions are endless, so choose someone whose talent for videography is both rooted in creativity and proven to be exceptional!
Remember that when you produce a video as part of an eLearning course, it needs to be in line with the rest of the materials and tools you’re using to instruct your Learners. From quizzes to pdfs with extra information, your course needs to flow as a whole! Using the right Learning Management System is vital to this, which is why we offer our web-based LMS LAB.
6) Record and add the narration
An eLearning video without narration is like a brand-new car without an engine! No matter how beautiful the visuals are or how well the videos are directed, there’s something essential missing. Virtually all eLearning courses have some sort of narration or voice over. This helps replicate a traditional learning environment, yet combines the elements of visual and auditory input in a way traditional learning never could! It will also help the users understand concepts in detail and keep them engaged. You want to make sure the narration matches the expectations of your audience, e.g. using a British voice-actor if your audience is largely UK-based.
By this stage, you’ve normally figured out exactly what you want the narration to be, but the pace of the narration may still need to be pinned down in detail. This is something vital to discuss with your voice actor - make sure they understand the full vision of the project, so they can meet the right time markers and place the correct emphasis.
7) Trim off the rough edges
When making the video, you may be tempted to add in absolutely everything there is to know. After all, more knowledge is better right? Well, no, it isn’t always. Too much information can overwhelm your audience, so once your video has been drafted together from visuals and audio elements go through it as a whole and ask yourself whether any part of it is unnecessary, should be bumped to the next video or even added into an ‘optional extra information’ pdf. Go over your video multiple times with your team to ensure everything included is relevant, interesting and actually benefits the Learner.
You must go over everything at least once. Re-reading and comparing your storyboard to the draft product can give you other ideas on how to improve it. It will also help you address the loopholes and ultimately streamline the entire eLearning course, particularly if it involves multiple, consecutive videos!
Video-first LMS, LMS LAB. TheLearning LAB, video storyboard
And finally, the show is ready to hit the road!
This brings us to the end of our storyboarding guide, so let’s have a very brief recap of the absolute must-do’s! Lay a great foundation, prepare a well-planned and researched storyboard, and keep referring back to your goals to design the best eLearning videos. Keep your LMS of choice in mind, and understand the needs of your Learners as you produce their learning materials. We recommend going with a video-first and web-based LMS for ultimate user-friendliness and the best possible learning experience!
There is no substitute for hard work when it comes to producing great eLearning videos, and every step of the way you’ll want to make sure things are falling into place exactly how they should - but trust us, the result will be worth it! If you want to find out a bit more about the many benefits of using a storyboard, have a look at our previous article on exactly that topic, or check out our post on Storyboarding & Scripting for eLearning.