ELC #298
This week’s e-learning challenge to create animated timers for online learning gave me an opportunity to develop some skills in animation.
I used Adobe Animate to develop these animated timers.
Comic-book style TNT Timer
The dynamite animation adds a fun gamification aspect to quizzes and other assessment activities.
Battery charger countdown timer
This animated battery timer could be used for a number elearning interactions especially any content involving mobile-phone technology. Many of us are familiar with running out of juice at a pivotal moment and the battery charge symbol is easily recognisable. It could also be used to represent the concept of energy or power.
Colour-fill countdown timer
This style of animated timer could be used for almost any e-learning content.
This example could be used for first-aid or medical training representing blood loss or energy drain. A sequence of these figures could represent a lost life as a gamification strategy where learners have a set number of lives.
I could also envisage this figure filling with blue in the reverse direction to represent the concept of rehydration or as a progress indicator rather than a countdown timer.
This image was chosen for conflict resolution training. Failing to resolve the conflict in the correct way in the correct time causes conflict to escalate. I love how the visual reinforces the key concept of the course.
Any recognisable silhouette could be used to create this kind of timer – a musical note or instrument, an animal shape or paw-print, a syringe or test-tube. Essentially any shape that reflects the course content.
Comments:
Timers are valuable for training where appropriate responses are time-sensitive or even time-critical.
Timers can be used on each screen or question or could be used for the overall timing of a learning interaction depending on the objectives of the course.
In a real application these animations would be slower. Some of these animations are looped but typically countdown timers would not be looped. The animations are much larger than you would typically use in a course where a timer is typically a secondary feature.