Photography Basics: Focal Length
This micro-lesson course was developed as part of my Technology & Design course, building upon a previous version I created in Articulate Storyline. The main goal of this project was to develop bite-sized content that could be used to supplement a larger course environment or to serve as a refresher for novice photographers.
Demo the Project
Try out the interactive embed below to demo this microlesson.
Development Process
This course is a micro-lesson: a bite-sized chunk of content designed to supplement a broader photography basics course or serve as refresher material for novice and experienced photographers. This is a self-paced course.
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​The content breaks down the topic into three major components: Focal Length, Field of View, and Perspective. Each unit begins with a brief video explanation created in Articulate Storyline, showcasing photographs that I took to demonstrate the different photography principles. These video overviews are followed by a practical activity that allows learners to explore the different principles independently. A final knowledge check provides learners with an opportunity to assess their understanding.
Micro-Lesson embedded directly in a Canvas course page.
The eLearning content is hosted through Genially, a free web-based platform that enables users to create interactive content without requiring expensive subscriptions or specialized eLearning development knowledge. Part of the rationale for using Genially was to create an easily distributable, web version of the course that could be shared via link or embedded directly on a site or Canvas course. Additionally, as an educational practitioner, I am always eager to utilize tools that other instructors can easily use.
Tools Used
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Adobe Illustrator for custom graphics
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Articulate Storyline for embedded videos
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Genially for interactive slides
and content hosting
Design Principles
The development of the course content was primarily informed by Mayer's Principles of Multimedia Learning. Additionally, chunking the content into smaller units helps learners organize their knowledge by providing a hierarchical order to the learning content. The hierarchy principle is also heavily utilized in the visual design of the course through the use of large, bolded headers and smaller body print. This creates structure that helps learners visually parse the learning content more easily.
Demonstrated Competencies
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Communicate effectively in written, oral, and visual formats.
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Deliver effective and engaging presentations.
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Use appropriate tools to communicate with learners, clients, and other stakeholders.