Novice Lectora users can watch video tutorials, attend training sessions or contact Trivantis Support to learn how to use their new authoring tool. Or, they can get tips and advice from people who have been in their position—other Lectora users. As a discussion on LinkedIn, one Lectora user posed the question, “If you were to give one piece of advice or helpful tip to a new Lectora user, what would it be?” Here are some of the suggestions that Lectora users offered, and any user can benefit from this information.

  • Take Advantage of Training. The experts at Trivantis make training easy and accessible to all Lectora users, but most specifically to new users. Bradley Frederick, a Lectora user, advised "don't be afraid to get help, don't be afraid to ask," which is why online and in-person training is accessible and available for Lectora users.

Training with Trivantis experts has expanded to cities nationwide, so you can easily get help if you prefer face-to-face training. More details can be found on the Trivantis website.

  • Stay Organized. Name and file all items within your Library Objects. This way, items won’t get lost, and you will know what belongs where. Also, make sure you understand and use the book metaphor within Lectora (i.e. chapter, section, page), so you know how to sort out all of your information and images. Furthermore, become familiar with all of the terms and functions specific to Lectora before you start designing, so you can minimize confusion. 
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  • Save and Back-Up Files. This is the most basic rule of content creation, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded. It’s easy to get in the zone and forget to save in the process, but it’s very important to remember. Also, make copies of files before making any major changes just in case something doesn’t work out. 
  • Keep It Simple. As user Jonathan Shoaf said, “Don’t get too caught up in all the neat little actions you can do. Focus on creating engaging ways to present the subject matter to your learners. Use Lectora to get your learners involved with the content.” This is great advice for new users because learners are the most important audience for your course, and they should be able to understand and interact with the material with ease. 
  • Consider Learning Platforms. Design courses with your learners’ platform in mind, whether it’s a mobile device or a desktop. Do not develop material and test on higher-powered machines than your learners use. One user advised: “Make sure that your learner's desktops are supporting the Lectora requirements for Java and for any other tools...If deploying via an LMS make sure you test and test so that you know that the AICC or SCORM communications are working properly.”

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  • Ask for Advice on Trivantis Forum. The Trivantis community forum is a great resource for gathering information and tips from other users. User Joep Becking suggested visiting the forum to look for your answer or ask people for their advice, and added that, “if you are struggling to learn, just think to yourself it's all logical thinking in Lectora!” Don’t forget to ask for help and use the resources available to you.
  • Attend Lectora User Conference. If you are able to attend, the annual conference is not only an opportunity to meet Lectora users and experts, but to build your knowledge and skill-set. Once you leave the conference, you will have a greater source of information, as well as substantial contacts in the eLearning industry that you can go to for help with Lectora questions. This year's conference will be held May 10-12 at The METS Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. 
  • Practice, Practice, Practice. As they say, practice makes perfect. Using Lectora as often as possible is the best method for learning the program. And, while following users’ tips and advice is important, you must simultaneously practice using Lectora in order to become an expert. The more intricately you use the program, the better you will be at developing content.

For questions with Lectora content creation, look no further than to those who have been in your position. Lectora users, experts and novices, have all learned the program in different ways, and one might have more of an expertise in a certain area than another, so it’s vital to get more than one opinion. Remember to take advantage of the resources that Trivantis offers, such as the forum and the user conference, so you can make connections with other users and gain insightful tips on the Lectora authoring tool. To see more in-depth responses from Lectora users, visit and join the Lectora Users group on LinkedIn.

 

To see updates on Lectora’s features and publishing solutions, stay connected with our social networks at: Twitter: @lectora, Facebook - http://bit.ly/cIG0Pe, LinkedIn group (Lectora Rapid eLearning) -http://bit.ly/9qcO3n

 

Heather Thomas is the Social Media Lead at Trivantis Corporation and is focusing on cultivating its social networks. She is a junior public relations student at Kent State University and is interested in corporate PR and social media. She enjoys traveling, reading and writing about the world of PR.