Recently, our team developed an eLearning module and during testing, we realized it was overwhelming to take in all of the information. It started to feel a bit like cognitive overload, and we needed to find a creative way to present content in smaller, more pithy ways. The content was right, the subject matter had been reviewed, it just lacked a bit of clarity.
During our revision period, we spent a lot of time working on introductory statements to content. As we worked through this process, I realized these went beyond an introduction to interactions, and that we were writing thesis statements to help people understand what they are about to learn. Thesis statements are a short and informative statement that summarizes the main point or claim – which is exactly what we were trying to do. Let’s take a look at a few tips for using thesis statements as introductions to interactions.
Thesis Statements are not objectives
While they may tie directly to them, objectives are written early in the design process. Thesis statements are content driven and specific.
Thesis writing iterative
As you refine your content your thesis statement will go from generic to specific. The revised thesis statement will describe what the learner is about to experience in the next interaction.
Restate the Thesis Statement
After the interactions and proving your thesis, restate your thesis with the evidence given and use it to segue into the next section of content. This will solidify what was just learned and give and opportunity to transaction smoothly to the next section.
Thesis statements don’t work for all eLearning, but they worked great to clarify the points we were making in this training. How do you clarify content that gets confusing or overwhelming? Let’s keep this conversation going in the comments below!
