11 Key Findings About Online College Students According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2012 approximately 2.6 million students were enrolled in fully-online degree programs, while 5.5 million were taking at least one online course. For institutions to fully understand how to best serve this growing population, it is critical to understand who is studying online and what they are looking for in from their degree program. The "Online College Students 2014: Comprehensive Data on Demands and Preferences" report, a joint project of Learning House and Aslanian Market Research, shares the findings of the third annual survey of 1,500 former, current and future online students. Some Key Findings of the Report Online students are studying further away Fifty-four percent of students attend an institution within 100 miles of where they live, showing a three-year trend of students increasingly willing to attend an institution farther from home. (In 2012, 80% reported attending an institution within 100 miles of where they lived. This declined to 69% in 2013.) Cost and financial aid important, but not critical Although students reported that cost was a primary selection factor when choosing an online degree program, approximately two-thirds of respondents said they did not choose the most inexpensive program. Only 20% said they would not attend an institution if financial aid was not offered, although approximately half said they would need financial aid. Job placement messaging resonates When given a choice of 18 marketing messages, the overwhelming favorite was "90% job placement." This makes sense, given that a large majority of students pursuing an online degree are doing so for job-related reasons. Transfer credit makes a difference Approximately 80% of students have earned credit elsewhere, and those students want to bring that credit with them. Having a clearly defined, generous, and easy-to-navigate transfer credit policy can help institutions stand apart. Download Online College Students 2014: Comprehensive Data on Demands and Preferences

Angel Tracy and Rebekah Ostrander create eLearning for mandatory annual staff training at Gray’s Harbor Community Hospital in Washington—and they use creative ideas to make it engaging. At last year’s Lectora® User Conference, they presented their cool zombie eLearning scenario, so I knew their breakout session at LUC 2015 would be another great one. Angel Tracy and Rebekah Ostrander presenting at the 2015 Lectora User Conference They built a hidden object module (game) in Lectora eLearning software to teach hospital employees mandatory "Environment of Care" information. To make it engaging, Angel and Rebekah used a fun theme: the popular TV show The Amazing Race. Just like the TV show, the eLearning course had detours—one of which was the hidden objects module.    In the hidden objects game, Angel and Rebekah had a list of items to find in the picture below. When the learners clicked on each item, the module opened a new page with information about a new mandatory training topic. Learners also had the choice to simply read all the training material instead of participating in the hidden objects game. The hidden objects game that they created in Lectora Here are a few tips from Angel and Rebekah on creating engaging mandatory training with Lectora: • Change your mindset. As an educator, you must change traditional education methods to meet the needs of mass training in a timely, cost-effective manner. • Mix up training by choosing multiple methods where learners overcome challenges and barriers. • Make training as fun as possible. Theme-based training is an excellent way to do this! For more stories about the cool training courses that Lectora users are creating, subscribe to the Everything eLearning Blog! Try building engaging training in Lectora today—sign up for a free 30-day trial of Lectora® Inspire. The post How to Find the Fun in Mandatory Training appeared first on Trivantis e-Learning.

As I’ve shared previously, our family is excitedly following my cousin’s journey in the NFL. His Packers jersey appears to be more popular than even Aaron Rodgers or Clay Matthews…not bad for a 5th round draft pick that hasn’t yet even made the team.  Yes, my jersey is ordered Full story from WeAreGreenBay.com

The CDC ran an effective multinational course pilot, thanks to ReviewLink™ online review tool. That’s awesome—and I wanted to hear about it at the 2015 Lectora® User Conference, so I attended Karen Ngowe’s breakout session. In case you’re not familiar with ReviewLink, it’s a collaboration tool that is included with Lectora. You can use it to share courses for feedback with external reviewers, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders. At the CDC, Karen Ngowe used it to run an effective multinational course pilot (an official test of a course from start to finish). One benefit of using ReviewLink for this was that it allows multiple reviewers to share their opinions, while keeping their comments hidden from each other. This eliminates the problem of "What page did they comment on?" and prevents one reviewer’s opinion from influencing another’s first impression of the course. Karen explains the keys to sanity during a multinational course pilot According to Karen, there are several keys to sanity during a multinational course pilot:  • Don’t use the development copy of the course for the pilot—you will not be able to distinguish between pilot, SME, and developer comments. • Do publish a NEW version of the course to ReviewLink that is ONLY for the pilot test—only pilot participant comments are collected. • Do be sure to un-check the "Reviewers can see each other’s comments" option—prevents the pilot participants from influencing or being influenced. • Do check this once the pilot is over and the comments are closed so that the SMEs can see all the comments per page. • Don’t leave the pilot open for comments beyond the announced final date. Karen also recommended providing a guidance document for reviewers, which gives them context for the course and need-to-know information, such as how much time it will take them to complete the course. That way, reviewers are prepared and can plan ahead. For more stories about how Lectora users are creating successful training, subscribe to the Everything eLearning Blog!  Try reviewing courses with ReviewLink today—sign up for a free 30-day trial of Lectora® Inspire. The post How to Run an Effective Multinational Course Pilot appeared first on Trivantis e-Learning.

Lessons from Nashville - by Donald H Taylor, chairman, Learning and Performance Institute I spend a lot of time at conferences—whether running them, talking at them, or attending—and I can tell you the toughest thing about getting them right is not finding the right venue; it’s not getting the food to arrive hot, nor even choosing the speakers. It’s setting the right tone. That’s why I was so impressed by the 2015 Lectora® User Conference in Nashville in May. The venue—the Music City Center—was great, and the setup totally professional, as you would expect from Trivantis, but what really struck me was the buzz among the delegates and the positive atmosphere. People were there from all over the US and beyond, ready to share thoughts, experiences, and insights into the fast-changing world of learning that we’re all facing in L&D. Clearly there’s a strong community feeling among Lectora users, and the Trivantis crew had done a great job of supporting that and helping it flourish. As the opening keynote, I did my best to maintain that spirit and add some energy, by posing questions and inviting the delegates to talk together and share experiences. It’s my experience as the chairman of the Learning and Performance Institute that no matter how smart any of us thinks we are individually—and this includes the person on stage speaking—we are smarter when we share what we know. In a way, that was the simple message of my opening keynote—we are now in a fast-moving world, where traditional learning and training methods meet an increasingly smaller range of needs. Standing and talking is no longer enough. We can help people learn better, faster, when we encourage them to share. It was all very different when I began as a face-to-face trainer in the mid-1980s. Back then, courses and books were all we had. Today, we have to adjust our practice to meet the needs of learners, and the reality of a very different business environment. We now live and work in a global economy where the speed of change is far faster than ever. In 1958, the average company in the S&P 500 Index remained there for 61 years. That number is now less than 20 years. In the 1960s, stocks were typically held for over 8 years. They are now held for an average of about 6 months. The world of business is tougher, and more unforgiving, than ever. That’s the big picture. On the smaller scale, our lives are all impacted by business’s shortened time-scales. In this environment, the traditional approach of conveying new information—the course—cannot supply all the answers. A course simply takes too long to produce, check, and distribute to meet most learning needs. When Charles Jennings was Chief Learning Officer at Thomson Reuters, he reckoned many of his learning assets were obsolete within three months. That’s very different from my face-to-face training experiences in the mid-1980s, when we would create a course and use it for the next two years. Courses are still an important part of what we do, particularly for on-boarding and for compliance, where people don’t know what they don’t know. But as the business demands that skills transfer and information acquisition become ever more rapid, we have to expand our repertoire of offerings. If we don’t, we run the risk of getting stuck in what I call the Training Ghetto. When I used that term in Nashville, it struck a chord with the audience—the idea that we’re too often ignored by the rest of the business, or treated as a strange, different place where people talk a slightly odd language and think differently. When the business thinks of us like this, it has an impact on how we work. Usually that impact is pretty negative. The most obvious manifestation is when managers show up with a very specific request for training to "fix" their team, something like "They need a 30-minute eLearning course on time management." Usually, of course, the real problem is not the team. It’s the manager. The fitting response is to tell them to return to their teams and be a better manager, or as one member of the Nashville audience suggested, simply to "Get out of my office!" Although that approach would be very satisfying in the short term, in the longer term it’s probably healthy neither for the effectiveness of the L&D department nor your own job security. Instead, I advocate an approach that’s easy to describe, although more challenging to put into practice: move your approach from the supply-side to the demand-side. Stop thinking of problems in terms of the solutions we have at hand (usually courses) and ask instead three questions of the business: what are the immediate performance needs, what are the longer term capability needs, and what foundations are needed to support both of these? All of this is summed up by the experience of Andrew Jacobs. Andrew ran the L&D department for a London borough, a local authority employing about 3,000 people. When his team was cut from eight to two (including himself), he shifted his approach entirely away from producing and delivering courses and spent his time instead talking to managers about their performance and capability needs and putting in place the infrastructure that helped them meet those needs. The result: employees spent more time learning—and felt the results to be more effective—than under the previous course-driven approach. Of course, Andrew still does produce and deliver courses—but only where they are the best possible solution to the performance issue. He sums this up in one phrase: "We have behaved too much like shop keepers. We need to become engineers." Andrew’s right, and it was a thought I heard repeated by the Lectora users in Nashville. The good news is that the community of users—fostered by Trivantis—is supporting each other in making the transition to demand-side thinking. As I say, we learn best when we learn together. Having met many of them, I’m confident this group of smart eLearning specialists will keep on learning as it changes itself to meet the rigours of 21st century workplace learning. Join Lectora users supporting each other in the new Trivantis Community today. For more LUC 2015 posts and eLearning tips, subscribe to the Everything eLearning Blog. The post 2015 Lectora User Conference Recap by Donald H Taylor appeared first on Trivantis e-Learning.

This year at the Lectora® User Conference, Megan Odom from Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) gave a great presentation on the factors an eLearning developer needs to consider before creating interactive content. Megan covered: • Designing interaction for reality • Layering Lectora questions to create a reality-based scenario • Responding to correct and incorrect responses • Accounting for participant movement during the interaction The presentation was aimed at Lectora developers who are familiar with variables but looking for ways to take their skills to the next level and utilize Lectora’s built-in offerings to create something not-so-standard. "One of the things I really like about Lectora is that there is nothing I feel a SME can ask of me that I have to say ‘no’ to," said Megan. Megan walked us through some example interactions and how she created them, including this one asking the learner to correctly create a label based on content learned earlier in the course. A quick variables tip: start user defined variables with an underscore, so they stay at the top of the variable list. I’m not the only one who thought Megan’s session was great! Twitter was buzzing: For more highlights from the 2015 Lectora User Conference in Nashville, how-to tips, and free resources, subscribe to the Everything eLearning Blog. The post LUC 2015 Session Recap: Considerations in Developing Interactive eLearning appeared first on Trivantis e-Learning.

With the recent conversations that I’ve had with other institutions regarding piloting the Blackboard Enterprise Surveys and Course Evaluations (ESCE) tool, I’ve reserved a meeting room and time slot at BbWorld in the Blackboard User Group (BUG) Lounge for an open conversation on the feature gaps and workarounds that institutions are employing in attempting to implement the functionality. If you will be attending BbWorld and are currently exploring the ESCE tool, feel free to join the conversation on Wednesday, July 16, 4:00-5:00pm, Veronese 2401A. The meeting room will have bean bags and several round tables, allowing for several groups to meet at the same time. This is a low tech room. Projectors, speakers, microphones will be NOT available. I plan to take notes of the conversations and will plan to share here on LinkedIn for those who can’t attend. See you in Vegas! Jason Rhode, Ph.D. Director, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center Northern Illinois University jrhode@niu.edu twitter.com/jrhode

The mere thought of choosing a new e-Learning authoring tool may make some eLearning professionals cringe, but it doesn’t have to be a stressful and time-consuming task. In this article, I’ll walk you through the process of choosing the best eLearning authoring tool for you. The Steps to Follow When Choosing an eLearning Authoring Tool Choosing an eLearning authoring tool that you can use to create engaging eLearning experiences is often a challenge in and of itself. The process usually involves a fair share of trial and error, research, and lengthy comparison checklists, with an abundance of stress thrown in for good measure. But it doesn’t have to be like this. In fact, this article features a step-by-step guide you can use to choose an eLearning authoring tool that offers you the features and functionality you need, without any headaches involved. 1. Determine your budget and objectives. Before you even begin to research the various eLearning authoring tools that are available today, you’ll need to figure out how much you are able and willing to spend. For example, if you have limited funds, you may want to opt for a free eLearning authoring tool or something like Snap! by Lectora® that offers an affordable entry into the eLearning world. On the other hand, if you have more room in your budget, getting an eLearning authoring tool that includes a wide range of helpful features and functions you need (and the flexibility you want), may be the ideal solution. You will also need to determine what you hope to achieve by using the eLearning authoring tool. Are you planning on producing highly interactive quizzes and/or eLearning scenarios? Do you want to be able to develop a variety of multimedia presentations and/or eLearning games? If you want an eLearning authoring tool with all the bells and whistles, then you can usually expect to pay a higher price, but you will get the functionality you need to create customized eLearning experiences. 2. Assess your eLearning team skills. Even the most expensive and high-end eLearning authoring tool isn’t going to be of much use if your eLearning team doesn’t have the appropriate skills or experience to utilize it effectively. As such, you’ll want to take a close look at the current skills, knowledge and talents of your eLearning team so that you can determine which eLearning authoring tool will offer the ease of use that you need. Is there going to be a steep learning curve involved? Is it worth the investment of time and training resources? While some basic desktop authoring tools may be easier to work with, more complex tools that offer more features and functionality may take some time getting used to, but in the end will allow you to create more robust training content. 3. Narrow down your list of features. The sheer abundance of features that many eLearning authoring tools offer can make it challenging to pick the one that’s just right for your organization. As such, when looking at the key features that each tool offers you, consider the needs and goals of your audience. For instance, if you do choose an eLearning authoring tool that is more advanced and gives you the chance to create fully interactive eLearning materials that are dynamic and engaging, is this really going to benefit your audience, or would they probably get more out of a simple and straightforward slide show-based eLearning course? Also, consider where and when they will be accessing the eLearning course when all is said and done. For instance, if they will be on the go when participating, then you may want to opt for an eLearning authoring tool that will allow you to deliver your content in various mobile devices. The Lectora® family of authoring tools from Trivantis has always published to HTML, allowing Lectora courses to be played on any device. 4. Define the level of support that you will require. All eLearning teams need some level of support, just in case the unexpected should ever happen and a glitch threatens to derail your current project. As such, you will want to ask the vendor about the level of support that it is offered. Will you be able to reach them 24/7 via email or phone, or do they just offer online support? If you ever run into technical issues or have questions about the eLearning authoring tool, you need to know that you can count on them to help you figure it out and get the most out of your new software. You may want to check out online user communities, as well. 5. Examine the ease of integration with your current software. If you are currently using a learning management system or other eLearning authoring tools, it’s important to determine if the new tool will easily integrate. Is it compatible with other eLearning tools that you use often, or will the new tool hinder the functionality of the software that you are already using? If you find out that the eLearning authoring tool may conflict with your current technology, then you may need to look into plug-ins that offer you the same features or functions as your existing platforms. 6. Research, review, and make trial runs. Before you click that "buy" button or sign on the dotted line, you will want to research every option that is available to you, based upon the above criteria. Look up reviews that other eLearning professionals have posted online about the eLearning authoring tool you consider buying, do research into the vendor’s background and track record, and ask for a free trial or live demo. Assess every feature that the eLearning authoring tool offers and determine if it’s the right fit for your organization, or if it comes with functions that you may not even need. Use this eLearning authoring tool step-by-step guide to find a solution that meets your needs, so you can design eLearning deliverables that exceed expectations, regardless of your budget or your eLearning experience. Subscribe to the Everything e-Learning Blog for more e-Learning tips, Lectora how-tos and product news. The post 6 Steps to Choosing the Best eLearning Authoring Tool appeared first on Trivantis e-Learning.

Blackboard is conducting a series of user research studies to aid the design of the next generation of Blackboard Learn, the flagship LMS. Please pass along this invitation to participate to any students or faculty who might be interested in these opportunities. Who: Blackboard is being assisted by TecEd (www.teced.com), an independent research firm. What: You’ll try some features of the redesigned Learn and tell us your thoughts. Where: At your own computer, speaking on the phone with a researcher during the one-to-one research session. Sessions will last 30 or 60 minutes for students, and 45 or 90 minutes for faculty. When: Sessions will take place July 11 - August 29. What else: Participants who complete a session will receive an Amazon gift card to thank them for their time and input. The card value will range from $50 to $150, depending on the session length. To apply to participate, please click this link, or copy this link into your browser: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XHLZYLZ If you meet the study criteria, TecEd will contact you to schedule a research session.

Down in Nashville this past spring, secret Lectora® tricks were revealed, sneak peeks were given of future products, and the crowd went wild… especially during the presentation "How the LUC15 app was built in Lectora." Sergey Snegirev shared his insights into the—sometimes frustrating, but ultimately rewarding—process of creating the 2015 Lectora User Conference app in Lectora. Deliberately Designed Sergey talked about the decision to make the app in a portrait orientation instead of landscape. He took inspiration from other utility apps, like Mail, Twitter, and others. Those apps are all naturally portrait, probably because it’s easier to hold your phone in a portrait orientation and scroll vertically through a lot of information. (As you may have noticed, the conference app had a LOT of information we wanted Sergey to include.) It was important that the conference app have a "real app" look and feel—not like a course simply transferred to mobile. That included having an intro splash screen, pictured below. Living in the HD World Attendees learned about the importance of using vector graphics for mobile and a bit about flat design. Sergey pointed out that fonts are actually vector graphics! Icon fonts can be a great solution for graphics that resize well on different mobile devices. Overall, Sergey’s session was a fascinating look into using Lectora for more than just eLearning authoring and a great insight into mobile design. Download a free 30-day trial of Lectora to start creating your own mobile courses and apps! To read more conference recaps and get valuable Lectora tips, subscribe to the Everything eLearning Blog. The post Building Mobile Apps with Lectora appeared first on Trivantis e-Learning.