Writing Your eLearning Scripts? 5 Important Steps to Take Before You Get Started

Originally published on e-learningpartners.com

Every course creator at one point or another start thinking about scripting their eLearning course content. However, before you jump into writing eLearning scripts, there are several important step you need to take to make sure that your eLearning engages your learners and produces high return on investment. Here, we will share our step by step process of preparing for scripting an eLearning video content. Once, you go through these steps, you are ready to jump into scripting each of your microlearning videos.

How to Write a Script for Your Course or eLearning Program?

Step #1: Identify Your Learners

Before you can start writing eLearning scripts, you need to know who your learners are. You may see this called a perfect learner profile (PLP). You will want to get various details about your learners, so you can fully understand them. To help you get started with this step, we’ve created a Free Masterclass, you can watch here.

Remember that your course should address the biggest challenge of your learners. So, all of the scripts you create need to tie into the challenge you are solving for your learners. This will ensure that your eLearning scripts speak to your learners biggest challenge and are short and to the point.

Step #2: Write Your Learner Transformation Statement

Once you understand your learners, the next step to writing your eLearning script is to create your learner transformation statement (LTS). This is the journey that your learners will go on during your course. It starts at point A, which is where they are before the course. It ends at point Z, which is where they are at the end of the course. By point Z, they have transformed and know how to deal with their biggest challenge.

How does this tie into your script? Whenever you script a specific video, ask yourself, “What part of the journey is my learner in at this point?” This will help you to stay on track and use language and information appropriate for that specific stage of their journey.

Step #3: Create Your Milestones

The next step in writing eLearning scripts is to create milestones or learning outcomes. These are the points between A and Z on the learner journey. Think of these milestones as what your learners learn along their journey.

Your script will follow these points, working from A to Z.

Step #4: Create Your Modules

Now, it’s time to break your milestones into modules. You want at least three modules for each milestone, but we’ve developed courses with 20. These modules are an important part of your eLearning script, as they are the bite-size pieces of your course.

Step #5: Break the Modules into Action-Based Content

Take each of your modules and break them into about three action-based points. Creating action-based content is crucial to your course, as it cements your lessons in the learners’ minds. It also boosts engagement and gives your learners something tangible from creating your course. For example, the action-based steps in our free Masterclass get you ready to create an eLearning course.

This action-based content becomes your script for each module. You can add more details to your script if you want, but many subject matter experts are happy to leave it as bullet points or steps.

Conclusion

Before you can create an eLearning script, you will want to create an overall outline of your course. Start by understanding your learners, including their biggest challenges.

Use your knowledge of your learners to create a learner transformation statement of what they will get from the course. Break that A-to-Z Learner Transformation Statement down into milestones that are other letters of the alphabet. Then, break those milestones down into at least three modules each. Each module will become a small piece of your lesson. Write the script for each module by including three action-based pieces of content for your learners.