Chapter 15: Training modules

Just as in previous chapters, it was interesting to read the breakdown of one type of interactive media. I likened interactive media to "choose your own adventure" in a previous post. I think that that designation might also apply to the creation of an interactive training module. A designer could take his/her program in so many directions--so many, in fact, that Mr. Garand has to describe the "Vital Signs" training module as "a self-paced, standardized, comprehensive, traditional, computer based training program."

It sounds like the creators of "Vital Signs" did a great job. Having worked for Wal-mart for a total of five years, I have a lot of experience with what they call "C.B.L's (computer based learning). They are the most boring programs in the world, lacking something that the "Vital Signs" program has--humor. Their function seems to be to present as much information as possible in the most boring format possible. Another thing that seems to be lacking from both of these programs is customization/personalization. Nine times out of ten, I could just do the quiz at the end of Wal-mart's modules and pass it with flying colors. But instead, the training modules force me to go through sometimes hours of boring, useless training before I reach the quiz. So while "Vital Signs" sounds like a great program, I would probably change it from a standardized experience to a customized one.

Chapter 11: T. Rowe Price

I actually enjoyed this chapter. I feel like I got some good information from it. It was interesting to read about the different categories of websites and then to find that one individual category, commercial websites, can be subdivided into other categories.

The most pertinent information to me, though, was probably the user feedback that T. Rowe Price received to their first-generation website. It was interesting to find out that users do not particularly like the hierarchical organization that forces them to navigate through a million pages. It's better to get them there as quickly as possible. I might want to consider that on my website. But I don't think that my website is nearly as complex as an investment website. It probably won't be more than two clicks for users to find what they're looking for on my website.

Chapter 5: Script and Proposal Formatting

This chapter is fairly interesting although it does pack a lot of new information into a small space. I think that this book is probably difficult to understand at times just because nearly all of the information is new to us (and we are just worthless linear writers after all). However, I think that the gist of this chapter is that a script is just a completely detailed print version of what your interactive multimedia project is going to be. And based on Garrand's examples, I would say that a script for a multimedia project is still a script. I think that that is the point that Mr. Garrand is trying to make in putting in his little plug on pp. 70-71.

The complexity of the project, however, determines the complexity of the project's script. While some multimedia scripts may not be much more complex than the linear script, others require scripting for live people in addition to the multimedia demands. Thus scripts can range from one column to six.

One other thing--I have to point out the author's use of "insure" on pg. 64. His editors, if he had any, apparently didn't ensure that he used the correct words in his text.