Thanks to Clark Quinn  for allowing me to use this chart. It summarizes what Roger Schank presented at the LearnTechAsia, where according to him, "Roger gave his passioned, opinionated, irreverent, and spot-on talk to kick off LearnTechAsia. He covered the promise (or not) of AI, learning, stories, and the implications for education."The idea map summarizes much of what Roger Schank has been a proponent of. Known the world over as the leading visionary in virtual learning environments, artificial intelligence, learning theory and cognitive science, he is the CEO of Socratic Arts, a company that specializes in the design, and implementation of story-centered and learning-by-doing curricula both in the academic and corporate worlds.I am an ardent follower of Schank and other thought leaders who use narratives and stories in learning. Hence, this tip is about my reflections on the Map and an interpretation on how this affects what we do in learning design and implementation of platforms.Theory, Practice and ApplicationAI and Story Memories. A dominant theory of Schank is based on using stories in learning design. He describes this using other terms: scenarios, diagnostics, discovery, experience sharing, and others. In his research on Artificial Intelligence, he postulated that memories are indexed by stories (Tell me a Story, 1995). Stories fuel conversations, discoveries and formulation of self-learning. Schank believes that it is in the exchange of stories through conversations that people learn and unlearn. Without conversations there is no way the learner can reorganize the patterns in his/her mind on ideas. Decision making is facilitated by stories and real-life experiences. In many situations, decisions are hampered with a reference point provided by experienced sources like experts (The Future of Decision Making, 2010).  Diagnostic is key to learning. He proposes that if learners have to learn, they need to diagnose problems and get into the gut of it. The diagnostic approach helps learners come to grips with the real-life essence of the content.  (Teaching Minds, 2011)Testing and Memorization is Counter-Learning. Schank opposes the trend in education and training where learning design relies heavily on rote learning and memorization. He prefers discovery by allowing learners to "act" the content in their own real-life situations. If you want to train for math, let them do math and discover the better ways to apply it in actual professions like being an engineer or to tasks needing mathematical calculations. He observes that most training design are geared towards academic goals rather than personal goals. ConclusionRoger Schank departs from the traditional method of teaching which is characterized by rote learning and testing without context. His preference for discovery learning turns the steering wheel of learning over to the learners rather than the designers. Now, learners are free to learn what they want and how they want to achieve that goal.ReferencesAbout Roger C. SchankTell Me a Story: Narrative and Intelligence (Rethinking Theory)The Future of Decision MakingTeaching Minds: How Cognitive Science Can Save Our SchoolsRay Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

We are pleased to announce the winning submissions to our annual pet course creation contest! You can view all the pet submissions in the Trivantis® Community. "Negotiating for a Raise" by Sneakers Ivec Fair pay is important and in this course, negotiation expert Sneakers teaches pets all over the world how to ensure they’re getting the treat amount they deserve. "Office Etiquette" by Alexei Wroten Learn what to do—and what not to do—for a harmonious workplace. (Mostly what not to do.) "Diversity in the Workplace" by Jackson Todd Welcoming new coworkers is a key part of maintaining a positive corporate culture. (Please see follow-up course on interspecies relations and the office relationship policy in the handbook.) Are your pets creating helpful eLearning courses too? Share them on the Community here. They may even earn this "pawsome" badge: Happy April Fools’ Day! The post Award-winning Courses by the Top Pets of eLearning appeared first on .

We are pleased to announce the winning submissions to our annual pet course creation contest! You can view all the pet submissions in the Trivantis® Community. "Negotiating for a Raise" by Sneakers Ivec Fair pay is important and in this course, negotiation expert Sneakers teaches pets all over the world how to ensure they’re getting the treat amount they deserve. "Office Etiquette" by Alexei Wroten Learn what to do—and what not to do—for a harmonious workplace. (Mostly what not to do.) "Diversity in the Workplace" by Jackson Todd Welcoming new coworkers is a key part of maintaining a positive corporate culture. (Please see follow-up course on interspecies relations and the office relationship policy in the handbook.) Are your pets creating helpful eLearning courses too? Share them on the Community here. They may even earn this "pawsome" badge: Happy April Fools’ Day! The post Award-winning Courses by the Top Pets of eLearning appeared first on .

Recently there have been a resurgence in podcasting, productions such as This American Life’s Serial have helped to popularise a media format that had previously dwindled; in 2014 alone Apple anticipated its users listened to 7 billion podcasts. A greater choice of podcasting apps and widespread use of smartphones have played their part in making episodic audio more accessible to individuals, and we look to education to see if this format could be utilised more in taught delivery.Audio recordings as part of course content are commonly used in fully distant delivery, here at Falmouth our home based MA in Professional Writing use audio recordings to accompany tasks and documentation on a weekly basis, with tutors providing a guiding voice through the learning journey. At the University of Leicester podcasts are used to supplement sessions and weekly activities while at the Open University they have recently released OU Podcasts.   But how easy is it to get started with audio recording if it’s something new to you? With a range of free and open source tools available it can be quite daunting when finding the right combination of hardware and software to get started. Although, making use of specific audio recorders using your own hardware such as a mobile phone is also an option. Apps such as Dictaphone and Voice Recorder are easy to use and allow you to record voice straight from your phone, while tools such as Audacity and Audition allow you to add effects and edit your recordings. As with any tool we’d recommend liaising with a learning technologist if you’re unsure where to start or have any questions to make the process as beneficial as possible. For those who have access to Lynda.com a great selection videos and tutorials are available specifically for podcasting.  While on the subject, for podcasts specifically relating to Educational Technology #EdChat Radio and Moving at the Speed of Creativity are worth checking out. Also available to download is Radio 4 Series The Educators featuring interviews with people aiming to change the face of education.    

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What kind of images come to your mind when you think of learning objects? Do you think of trainees in a lab or at home working through a set of interactive exercises? Or remote employees working on the same interactive exercise in a collaborative manner? Or maybe some technical employees working on a simulation exercise to practice the right protocol from the safety of their computers? In any case, you’re right! All these scenarios and many more describe the functions and features of learning objects. Digital learning objects include many interesting and engaging activities that invite the learner to experiment with the content. The key to create a successful learning object is to respond to one learning objective at a time. The key to create a successful learning object is to respond to one learning objective at a time.Click To Tweet In this article, we will guide you through all the steps needed to create a learning object that follows all quality standards. But before we do, let’s shed some light on what research says about learning objects. According to research, a great way to explain the concept of a learning object is to use the analogy of the LEGO™ building blocks: small units that can be fitted together any number of ways to produce customized learning experiences (Hodgins & Conner, 2000). So you create an entire model by fitting together small Lego pieces (each with their unique shapes and sizes) that can be re-used to create another model, and yet another model and so on. In another analogy, learning objects are compared to atoms that combine with specific atoms to form compounds. They cannot form a bond with any atom, only with the compatible atoms (Wiley, 2000). The New Media Consortium (NMC) describes learning objects as follows: "a learning object is any grouping of materials that is structured in a meaningful way and is tied to an educational objective". The "materials" in a learning object can be documents, pictures, simulations, movies, sounds, and so on. Structuring these in a meaningful way implies that the materials are related and arranged in a logical order. But without a clear and measurable educational objective, the collection remains just a collection. To make this very clear for you, a digital learning object consists of content and an interface. The content is made up of images, text passages, videos, sound clips etc. The interface, on the other hand, is the part of the learning object with which the user interacts. The interface has all the graphic design elements that include the navigational elements, the question dialogs, the sound buzzers and other controls that the user sees. An interface can be as simple as content display with navigation, or it could be a highly interactive experience that simulates a lab experiment or programming development. If you frequently work with eLearning programs, you are most likely creating learner experiences. In order to make quality experiences, create learning objects. This will save your time when creating a large volume of eLearning training programs. Before you work with learning objects, ask yourself these questions: · What educational problem are you trying to solve? · How do you envision your learning object being used? · What rights issues can you identify? · What resources do you have available for development? Steps to Create a Learning Object 1. Work with the employees, (if creating in-house training) or with your clients to establish clear goals. What do they hope to accomplish? Create a formal learning objective (LO) and have your clients agree on it. 2. Ask your clients the following three questions to create a clear learning objective: ·  What needs to be learned? This accomplishes what the learner can DO after learning. For example, create a business plan using the provided template, run the machine successfully, improve task management skills by using the prioritization techniques provided, etc. ·  Who needs to learn it? This question will help analyze your learners’ characteristics. ·  What do they need to know before they can start? This question will help outline the prerequisites of the learning object. 3. The time limit of a LO should span between 5 to 10 minutes. 4. A clear learning objective is a true starting point. Create learning experiences that reinforce the learning objectives, with the help of an SME. 5. Create assessment items for the learning objective. 6. Make sure the learning object is SCORM and Section 502 compliant. This allows your learning object to be used in any learning management system or browser and also make it manageable. 7. Inform the learner of the technical requirements to run the LO. 8. Explain how to use the LO through clear directions. 9. Make sure you add metadata to make your LO searchable across several search engines. Make sure to add copyright information to your LO. 10. Ask for comments from your learners to improve the LO periodically. Learning objects are a great way to prevent the "reinvention of the wheel". They make the task of the eLearning developers easier when they are inherited. Reusing and sharing saves time to focus on specialized tasks and learning objects. The next time you build an eLearning program, think of "bite-sized-chunks". When you do, create LO’s and connect them together with the aid of the common user interface. Who knows, you may need a bunch of LO’s for your next eLearning program! Save time and energy using these 10 steps to creating LO’s. The "learning objects" approach to eLearning is a better eLearning practice than creating a large volume of interactive content. With a little planning and creativity, you can become a better eLearning developer. Remember to share with us your LO development experiences! The post 10 Steps to Create Your Own Learning Objects (L.O.s) appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

Many eLearning designers limit learning concepts to memorization and recall. Is swallowing facts and regurgitating them out the only goal of a learning situation? How can you, as a trainer, create quality practice activities for better training transfer to performance context? Guided-analysis activity is your answer. Practice is very important for intellectual tasks that require a sensitive application of procedures. Guided-analysis activities move learners through the process of analyzing a complex situation. They also make learners ask the most important question during the eLearning process: "So what do I do with this knowledge?" When designed well, guided-analysis activities will help learners filter out useless information from the relevant - the confusing from the concrete. In short, guided-analysis helps learners convert data into information and even knowledge. In short, guided-analysis helps learners convert data into information and even knowledge.Click To Tweet How do guided-analysis activities work anyway? These activities require learners to follow a procedure to gather and analyze data. After conducting several cycles of gathering and analyzing the data, the learner may abstract a principle revealed by the analysis and test it or run it. What learning situations are best for guided-analysis activities? Situations that require learners to analyze with the aid of given data. The practice technique may involve calculating or estimating mathematical values. Or it may involve sorting, classifying or ranking items, according to pre-defined procedures. Guided-analysis activities can easily be created using interactivity options available in the user interface. Let’s take a closer look at the guided-analysis strategies and determine how you can use them in your eLearning programs: · Compare and contrast complex data by creating a side-by-side comparison. Comparing stock market prices, two procedures side-by-side, or marketing techniques and their related benefits - all these create situations where contrasts and differences are inevitable. Including blank rows in the user interface below the "compare and contrast lists" allows room for independent comments from the learner. · Classifying items into established categories. To classify data into meaningful information, learners utilize the provided facts on the interface. Drag and drop activities, as well as text box filling activities, promote item classification. There are many other strategies to do this. For example, have learners pick categories from a drop-down list beside each item to be classified. Select from a pick-one list of categories the item belongs to. Match items in one list with the categories in another. Drag items to their categories or categories to their member. · Outline items that are technical or too detailed in nature. Learners would need to put individual items into a hierarchical scheme. This kind of guided analysis teaches general organizing skills as well as well as specific organizing schemes. In a leadership course, learners may organize specific traits around a leadership style to help define the relative power of the leader. Such activities help learners relate and connect knowledge and present it in a way that is unforgettable. · Recreating famous examples from an area of study, something that is also known as "benchmarking". Have learners reproduce the example exactly as originally. For example, providing model papers or presentations to create a business report or a business plan. Any deliverable in an eLearning course can be guided with the aid of models provided for learners to study. Prompt Higher-Level Thinking in Your Guided-Analysis Activities In order to make judgements about ideas or products, learners will need guided practice. William Horton, in his book "eLearning by Design" talks about several questions that can be integrated in a guided-analysis activity. Here is a sample of questions that promote higher-level thinking and internalizing complex concepts taught in the eLearning course: · What are the advantages of this item? · What is wrong with this item? · How can this item be improved? · How can this error be corrected? · What would be the results of performing this action? · What categories do these items fit in? · What are the critical characteristics of this item? · What conclusions can you draw? · What evidence can you offer? · What is the pattern of these incidents? · How does your opinion differ from others? · How can you apply this principle? One of the best ways to promote guided-analysis activities for practice and successful transfer to the work context of knowledge acquired is to provide authentic challenges. For example, use real-world tools like surveys, Gantt charts, evaluation forms, quality matters checks, templates to create reports, presentations and tables to fill in the required information. These authentic tools serve as excellent practice opportunities for the learner. Also provide them with the wrong situation and help them rectify it with the aid of the concepts covered. Adult learners in a training environment appreciate the flexibility to practice as much or as little as they desire. In fact, adult learners learn more effectively and efficiently when they have more control over their practice exercises. Novice learners may need more practice before they advance to the next topic. But seasoned learners may just need to refresh some concepts through little practice. Motivate learners to achieve at least an 85% passing score. But do not force them to complete practice activities. Guided-analysis activities are fun to do in a training environment. They also offer authentic learning situations. Try incorporating these strategies in your next eLearning course for better practice opportunities. The post Guided-Analysis Activities in Training Programs appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

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These days, it takes more than increasing salaries to cultivate healthy and engaged employees. Although the financial reward is why most of us need to work in the first place, encouraging true on-the-job motivation and enthusiasm is a slightly more complex matter. How To Use Training To Foster Healthy and Engaged Employees  One of the […] The post 5 Ways Training Cultivates Healthy And Engaged Employees appeared first on PulseLearning.

Autism Awareness Month is a special opportunity to educate the public about issues within the autism community and to highlight the growing need for awareness about autism and autism spectrum disorders. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex developmental disorders. These disorders are characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. With the May 2013 publication of the DSM-5 diagnostic and statistical manual, all autism disorders now fall under one umbrella diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Formerly, they were recognized as distinct subtypes, including autism, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger’s syndrome. Please refer to the DSM-5 for more information on these changes. Autism appears to have its roots in very early brain development. However, the most obvious signs of autism and symptoms of autism tend to develop between 2 and 3 years of age. Awareness and insights into autism spectrum disorder is a key aspect of the Autism Speaks organization. Know the Signs According to the Autism Society these are some delays in developmental milestones to look for in the children in your life: Lack of or delay in spoken language Repetitive use of language and/or motor mannerisms (e.g., hand-flapping, twirling objects) Little or no eye contact Lack of interest in peer relationships Lack of spontaneous or make-believe play Persistent fixation on parts of objects For more information on developmental milestones, visit the CDC. How Common Is Autism? Autism statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify around 1 in 68 American children as on the autism spectrum-a ten-fold increase in prevalence in 40 years. Studies also show that autism is four to five times more common among boys than girls. An estimated 1 out of 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls are diagnosed with autism in the United States. What Causes Autism? Not long ago, the answer to this question would not have been clear. Research is now delivering some answers. There is no known single cause for autism, but it’s generally accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in brain structure or function. Brain scans show differences in the shape and structure of the brain in children with autism versus those in neurotypical children. Researchers are investigating a number of theories, including the links among heredity, genetics and medical problems. What Does It Mean to Be "On the Spectrum"? Each individual with autism is unique. Many of those on the autism spectrum have exceptional abilities in visual skills, music and academic skills. About 40 percent have average to above average intellectual abilities. Indeed, many persons on the spectrum take deserved pride in their distinctive abilities and "atypical" ways of viewing the world. Others with autism have significant disability and are unable to live independently. About 25 percent of individuals with ASD are nonverbal but can learn to communicate using other means. No matter where an individual falls on "the spectrum" what is known is that these individuals and those who care for them have unique needs and abilities. Interested in learning more? Click on the links to the organizations who work with those who have ASD and read more about the courses we offer below. Ed4Online is proud to offer an extensive catalog of courses for individuals interested in learning more about developmental disabilities, included those on the spectrum and for those who want to work as a direct support professional. Please visit our websites here to learn more: https://ed4online.com/ and https://ed4hhs.com/. - See more at: https://ed4online.com/blog/autism-awareness-month-ingrid-herrera-yee#sth...