eLearning Storyboard Template

Definition:

An eLearning storyboard helps to organize written and visual content to fulfill the learning objectives set for the material, and streamlines all phases of the eLearning development process to align with an organization’s learning strategy.

Purpose:

A storyboard can be a collaborative tool used between subject matter experts (SMEs) and developers to develop and edit content, and to visualize the way screens will look before doing too much of the actual work (or possibly having already done lots of rework). The storyboard is also essential for stakeholder buy-in, as it is more persuasive and convincing than words and a project plan alone. The storyboard comes into play after you have planned your training/eLearning strategy, and know the goals of each piece of eLearning content.

An eLearning storyboard should remain fairly simple and can be developed using a variety of tools, including cloud-based applications designed specifically for storyboarding (e.g.,Storyboard That), MS programs such as Word or PowerPoint, and other online tools such as a Google document or Canva.

Relevance:

The storyboard captures all relevant content to be placed on each slide or screen before developing the actual course content in the software application. It provides eLearning designers and developers with the specifics they need upfront rather than wasting time guessing or tracking down SMEs to answer easy questions (and delaying development). It can be used to provide visual representation of the look and feel of a course to get buy-in from stakeholders. The storyboard also displays the content choices and can be reused in similar modules and courses to save design and development time.

Note: This template is a hybrid between a storyboard and a prototype. You can use it just to list the text, images, and transitions as a storyboard. Or, you can beef it up by showing more of the design elements and interactions (prototype).

Related Article and Template:

This TechWhirl article written by Greg Larson,The Storyboard: An Outline for Visual Technical Communications, provides more guidance on how and why to create a storyboard along with helpful resources.

Using the Template:

1. Download the eLearning Storyboard Template in MS Word (409 kb).
2. Set your desired branding elements (change colors and fonts, add a logo).
3. List the course-specific details such as file naming conventions; course, module, and lesson title; SME and developer names.
4. Add the introductory content, including filling in any placeholders with related images and creating the text for the welcome slide.
5. Complete the main learning content sections by listing written, visual, audio, and interactive content.
6. Send the completed storyboard to team members for review, approval, and feedback.