December 11, 2020 Training

How to Use Animation in E-Learning by E-Learning Uncovered

Animation aids storytelling

Only use animation when it actually adds something to your content, never use it when it distracts from the content

Animation (and images) should be able to meaningfully replace some portion of text.

Be intentional! You should be able to explain why something is animated

Directional Animations — meant to guide a user’s attention, like an arrow that moves subtly to suggest that you should continue to the next slide.

Transitional Animations — meant to guide users from one point to another, like organizing or breaking down points so that users understand the relationships between that information

    If something moves, you know where it came from or where it’ll go when you’re done

Instructional Animations — nonverbal communication, can be used to fill the gaps between what your learners are imagining and what the content really is

Conceptual — telling a visual story with animations, but is not specifically communicating information about the topic in how it is animated

    Highlighting a point you want the user to focus on

Technical — Used to illustrate and explain a topic, hopefully in a way that is better than just pictures or just words alone

    Demonstrating a phenomenon, like a moon orbiting a planet

Create a Tapered Stroke in After Effects by School of Motion

Create a shape layer (with rounded edges and rounded joints, Trim End to 10, Group with itself (this is your master)

Duplicate, rename Taper 01, regroup into Duplicate groups

Pick whip Duplicate Path to Master Path

Pick whip Master Stroke Width to a slider

Duplicate slider, add Master Trim Paths End to this slider

Add Angle Control, Pick whip offset to angle control