All's well that ends well
Last year I took a gamble on a position at a ‘mature start-up’ and that gamble didn’t pay off. When I was made redundant in March it really knocked me for six. So I was immensely grateful to everyone who contacted me with tips, advice and some solid leads. Your kindness kept me going.
The process of applying and interviewing for jobs is never fun, but I spoke with lots of cool people and interesting organisations during my job hunt.
I never guessed my search would take me to the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. This is the home of Entain, one of the world’s largest sports-betting and gaming entertainment groups.
In May I took another gamble and I joined Entain as Head of E-Learning for their Customer Services division. I don’t want to jinx it, but this role feels like a much safer bet!
For the last three months, I have been learning the ropes in a new industry and devising an e-learning strategy. I am supported by a brilliant team based in Manila, who I hope to visit shortly.
In the meantime, I have been using the E-Learning Heroes Challenges to inspire my team and highlight best practice. The community is full of creative and clever people who share so many good ideas.
Another productive trip to the office. Until next time, Gibraltar! pic.twitter.com/uWgYobl8l0
— ᴊ ᴏ ɴ ᴀ ᴛ ʜ ᴀ ɴ_ʜ ɪ ʟ ʟ (@DevByPowerPoint) July 9, 2022
Let's celebrate with a drink!
For this week’s challenge, Mixology and Beverage-Making Classes, I celebrated my good fortune with a drink.
‘Whether it’s the perfect cup of coffee or uncovering the secret to a good margarita,‘ wrote David Anderson, ‘this week’s challenge will help us all improve our drink-making skills.’
This was the perfect opportunity to experiment with a cumulative sum variable to vary the strength of a virtual cocktail. If, like me, you have ever wondered what robots like to drink after a hard day’s work, here’s your answer.
Rusty’s Rocket Boost is also a showcase for:
- Anthropomorphic (non-human) characters in e-learning, customised to match the setting and support the topic
- The learner’s choices influencing the events and outcome
- Tailored feedback based on those choices
- A microlearning format that allows learners to quickly try again, change their approach, and improve their result
Even so, a human voice will always be more appealing than an artificial one. For my next robotic character, I will ask my friend Jonathan Rock to provide a suitably sarcastic voiceover!
This week's @ELHChallenge is 𝗠𝗶𝘅𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲-𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀.
— ᴊ ᴏ ɴ ᴀ ᴛ ʜ ᴀ ɴ_ʜ ɪ ʟ ʟ (@DevByPowerPoint) July 23, 2022
Ever wondered what robots like to drink after a hard day on the production line? pic.twitter.com/W29bzbEvuH
F*ck around and find out
One of the things I love about creating e-learning is the space we can give learner’s to try, fail, experiment and ultimately learn from their mistakes. In saltier terms, to f*ck around and find out.
See below how Rusty’s feedback changes and guides the learner towards a perfect cocktail – not too weak, not too strong. Depending on your choices, he can get a little salty too!
Sum is greater than its parts
This demo pulls together a lot of the tricks I have been practicing over the past two years.
I built Rusty in Microsoft Paint 3D, animated him using Storyline’s Jump-To-Time trigger and used Javascript to create a full-screen experience.
Like many of my E-Learning Heroes demos, this one is also optimised for mobile devices, with one-tap interactions and large, easy to press buttons.
Would you like a drink? Play Rusty’s Nitro Boost below.
This demo pulls together a lot of the tricks I have been practicing over the past two years.
I built Rusty in Microsoft Paint 3D, animated him using Storyline’s Jump-To-Time trigger and used Javascript to create a full-screen experience.
Like many of my E-Learning Heroes demos, this one is also optimised for mobile devices, with one-tap interactions and large, easy to press buttons.
Would you like a drink? Play Rusty’s Nitro Boost now.
Such a fun concept. I love how the character moves from obsequious servant to making comments on your tastes and whether you’ve had enough. It’s immersive. And that’s one of the best compliments an ELearning activity can garner.
Thanks JRock – not gonna lie, I can totally imagine you voicing Rusty!