Top 5 Writing Tips for Instructional Designers

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Check out the full video on how to design effective, scenario-based eLearning: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWPReJhrrb2ondk

[@nicholesanderson6348]

Hi Devlin. I was also an English major and had to break the habits picked up from having my head buried in literature and writing papers. I've come a long way as a training specialist, but this has helped me edit my training modules even further. Thank you!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You're welcome, Nichole! Thanks for sharing :D. Definitely tough to move away from that writing style, but it does help getting a solid handle on grammar and the like :D. Glad that this video could help!

[@kaylasinclair759]

Yes! I taught English over the last eight years and it has helped me write more effectively when developing courses for my current job. These are great tips!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Thanks Kayla! A writing / English background can definitely help in the ID space. Glad that you're making good use of those skills :)

[@leannesuttles6832]

Thank you! I can’t wait to watch the full length version.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You’re welcome! Let me know what you think about the full guide 😃

[@cristinarivas915]

You recently highlighted this group of videos and they were great as promised!

[@cristinarivas915]

coming from the english/writing background as well a lot of this is second nature now that I've been away from academia long enough and worked with all ages (high school and college) and had to change how I talk and write along the way for those audiences. I know a lot of this, especially the grammatical stuff isn't well known by many so I'm guessing that is helpful to many!

[@trishascarcia-king8542]

You are so right, Devlin!!! Using simple language is a skill. I try to think of how I speak with my daughter. But it is definitely something I work on.!!!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Thanks Trisha! It's definitely an art, haha. But practice makes perfect :D

[@trishascarcia-king8542]

@@DevlinPeckYT yes, I agree. As you mentioned in your video academic writing is very different. In fact it is pretty formalized. To the point even in email conversation academic will judge the writing if it isn't making the grade, according to the individual judge so to speak. So it is retraining for some of us. I really appreciate the casual and friendly tone you use.

[@melaniegrandoit2438]

Fantastic tips Devlin! Thank you.

[@beizhou1614]

Thank you so much for your content and insight.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You're so welcome! Thanks for watching :D

[@elizabethdiaz5475]

Thank you Devlin! Great content!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You’re welcome! Thanks for the support 😊

[@MelSN7]

Fantastic tips and examples Devlin! Will share this with my team.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Thanks Mel! I appreciate that 😃

[@bolaogunbayode6143]

Thank you so much, for helping us aspiring ID's up our skill. I will definitely be making reference to this video when storyboarding.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You’re welcome, Bola! I’m happy to help 😃

[@shereakajones2691]

Very helpful, Devlin. Thank you.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You're welcome! Glad it helped :D

[@akshay86523]

So obvious, but so easy to miss out on.. Thank you Devlin, very helpful :)

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching 😃

[@qislxd4897]

This is awesome; thank you for this!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You’re welcome! Glad that you enjoyed it 😊

[@photobizniz]

Sing along with me, “Conjunction junction what’s your function…” Now it all makes sense! Great video Devlin! Personally I struggle with active/passive voice because I used to write a lot of technical training manuals and developed some bad habits. Wish there were better resources out there to practice and learn how to crush those bad habits. Practice, practice, practice. Great tips!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Thanks Randy! I feel ya, can definitely be tough to unlearn writing habits. But practice really helps 😃

[@glendadehoff1973]

One way I avoid the use of passive voice is to turn on that option in the grammar and Refinement Settings in Office Proofing.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

@@glendadehoff1973 Nice suggestion! Thank you, Glenda :D

[@MarieJoLeroux]

Thanks for sharing. I'm totally going to share this with my SMEs when they rewrite dialog in my scenarios :)

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You’re welcome! Hopefully it will help, haha 😃

[@JuliaDemiELT]

Thank you so much, Devlin!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching 😃

[@Grace_d38]

Great tips, Devlin! Is it also advisable to always write in the present tense?

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Thanks! And for scenario-based learning experiences, yes, it's good to keep us in the present :D.

[@VoiceoverMomentum]

Excellent! I actually get scripts in passive voice to narrate, so I do my best to make them more conversational...by forming contractions, etc. I often Wish I could do rewrites but not allowed.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

I bet it would be tempting to rewrite them! Good on you for updating it how you can :D

[@mzilg]

Ha! It's nice to see you, a fellow voice actor, on KZbin as well, Julie. 😅😜🤓👍

[@JessieCarty]

Years of writing and teaching writing and I STILL struggle with the active voice from time to time. I'm wondering when the world will see the Devlin Peck poetry collection :)

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Ahahahaha, TBD if that ever sees the light of day :'D. And yes, it can be tough! I am sure I sometimes use the passive voice when I shouldn't, too.

[@JessieCarty]

@@DevlinPeckYT Oh finding your old cringe worthy poems is a rite of passage :)

[@DevlinPeckYT]

@@JessieCarty Hahaha, very true :D

[@8eautyInTheDark]

How conversational and informal is TOO conversational and informal? Is there a way to tell where the line is?

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Hi! I think you should keep it professional of course (and probably not adding a lot of "fluff" dialogue like there may be in conversations"), but if it sounds like something that someone would actually say, then that is a good indicator that you're doing a good job with a conversational tone.

[@8eautyInTheDark]

@@DevlinPeckYT thanks

[@sarayari3495]

Hello, I remember you mentioned somewhere that we can have 3 samples in our portfolio like: scenario based learning, job aid and animated video! I was wonder about "job aid" sample in our portfolio! what is that exactly and where we can see the sample of that, please explain more about that? and also please let us to know about animated video_ you mean we should have one sample of vyond or we can have vyond in our storyline project?

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Thanks for asking, Sara. Yes, 3 different projects is a good number to aim for in your portfolio. I will add a video about job aids to the list...something I can work on in the future. But there is a good book called "Job Aids and Performance Support" that you may want to check out. And yes, you can have a sample that is just a Vyond video, or you can make it interactive with Storyline.

[@sarayari3495]

@@DevlinPeckYT thank you! is there any sample in your website to see the job aid? I need to get some Idea from that ASAP!

[@DevlinPeckYT]

@@sarayari3495 Not exactly a job aid, but you can see an example of an infographic in this project: www.devlinpeck.com/projects/climbing-to-creditville

[@sarayari3495]

@@DevlinPeckYT one more Qs: what do you mean exactly in the lab project when you mentioned about publish the project in Amazon aws: "this probably isn't what you're going to want to include in your portfolio.... "

[@DevlinPeckYT]

@@sarayari3495 Hi Sara! Can you elaborate more? I am not sure what you're referring to.

[@dorothw265]

Devlin, are you left handed? This video provided so many tangible tips.

[@DevlinPeckYT]

Haha I am not, but nice catch with the thumbnail 😃. And thanks for watching!