Quickly changing environments pose special challenges for training and education developers and providers. The regulatory environment can be in flux, as well as the economic, political, and physical contexts. Being able to meet the challenges is of particular use, and it is gratifying to be able to talk to a professional who has successfully developed and implemented training and assessment in

Taking an integrative approach to e-learning, with perspectives gained from working across disciplines and with evolving technologies can provide unique insights. Welcome to an interview with Rick Zanotti, an influential e-learning leader whose perspectives have shaped products and approaches to e-learning and the development of learning management systems. 1.  What is your name and your

I've been doing quite a bit of thinking about the way in which new needs and technologies are impacting the way education and training are prepared, delivered, and administered. All the advantages of m-learning come to the forefront: on-demand, ubiquitous (esp with wifi), and practical. There are also new advantages as well, which have to do with the way in which multimedia and social networks

I have talked may times about the importance and power of stories in our life and in our learning. To help take my learning deeper, I have discovered fantastic authors that postion story in an even bigger context. One of those story leaders is Stephen Denny (@note_to_cmo).   In this fantastic post, Why Do Brand Stories Work? The Societal, Cultural and Physical Reasons Why, Stephen helps us understand why stories matter and what makes story work in a way that I had not considered. My Takeaways: Stories not only help us understand and interpret the world; they give us "equipment for life."  They teach us that the struggles we face have been faced before by generations stretching back to the dawn of time. They tell us, in other words, that we’re not alone, that we’re OK and that we’re doing it right. Or, conversely, that we’re not. Read your own destiny in the stories across time and culture. Stories engage us on a cultural, societal and physical level. We respond to stories because we’re wired to. It’s how we teach our children, it’s how we learn and it’s how we articulate our needs and desires so other will comply. And this is why/where getting our stories right matters most. If we want people in our lives to "comply";to do what we ask or need them to do. Then we need to remember this powerful point: "For stories to ring true, they need imperfection at their core. Without flaws there is neither struggle nor redemption, no drama, no story" Life’s imperfections make us worthy of attention.  ‘The writer must be true to truth.’ Because the only way you can describe a human being truly is by describing his imperfections. The perfect human being is uninteresting… it is the imperfections of life that are lovable. (Denny attributes writer Thomas Mann with this quote.) Therein lies our biggest challenge and our greatest learning. Imperfection is what makes us unique. Imperfection is what makes us human. We can not and do not relate to "perfect." Consider the videos that spread and the stories that stick. The ones that resonate and touch us deeply are not the scripted, polished, post production perfections.  It is the raw, unedited and yes, imperfect that take hold. So what does this mean? Your life and your work are good stories, well told. You have an important message to share. It takes courage and  patience to craft your storyline. As you ponder how to explain who you are in a fresh way to the listening world. Remember this: The web and the world want and need your story.  So don’t be afraid to share yourself with the world; imperfections and all. Here are a few resources to get you thinking: Robert McKee: Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting. Dr. Norman Holland: Literature and The Brain Joseph Campbell: The Hero With A Thousand Faces. The quotes above are from his book, The Power of Myth Here are a few lessons with students to get them thinking: What Makes a Powerful Story? Fiction vs. NonFiction The Heart of Fiction- The Life Story Embracing Imperfections Part One  Part Two

Collaborative learning can be very motivating because it helps reinforce social needs (Maslow) and needs for affiliation (McClelland). However, there are challenges in developing collaborative discussions using online courses and/or social media, for several reasons. Podcast: http://www.zenzebra.net/podcasts/motivation4-nash.mp3 Engagement is a complex concept, and for learners to participate

Please take five minutes and watch this amazing audition of 34 year old, Christopher Maloney, for the 2012 X FactorUK singing competition. It will leave you smiling,crying and "singing" the praises of the people in your life that have given you the courage, strength and conviction to live your dreams. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1T9-I3wx8I  

It is tempting to look at self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997) as the only reflector of an individual's belief about himself or herself in terms of whether or not he or she is likely to stay motivated and to achieve high learning performance. Podcast: http://www.zenzebra.net/podcasts/motivation2-nash.mp3 However, there is another way to map the process of how one's beliefs about themselves frame and

Buffer announced last week a new integration with Trapit, Feeddler and Rhino. Now, you can share your content with Buffer on nearly every social network out there. "We know you discover and share content in all kinds of ways. Because of that, one of our highest priorities right now is integrating with the services you already love or might want to check out" said Leo The co-founder of Buffer. Here are three new ways to find content and share it with Buffer: 1. Trapit for iPad — Take a spin with Trapit to discover content about new and familiar topics in a gorgeous interface designed just for iPad. You can now add content to your Buffer right from there. 2. Feeddler — Set up your RSS reader and Buffer the share-worthy posts from your favorite blogs. 3. Rhino for app.net - Experience the new social network in style with Rhino. Keep up with your feed and Buffer posts to go out later. Find out how these great apps can help you share better. More integrations are coming soon, and as always, Buffer want to hear which ones will help you fit Buffer right into your workflow. Buffer rolled out the the new integration last week, so look for Buffer option in your favorite network, and for more about how to use Buffer, check out the Buffer Help Guide.

Much of president’s Obama’s past and present election platform has been based on the importance of the importance of the education system and how it was the key for the US to rise as the undisputed world leader that it was. And you may or may not have rooted for him but the importance of getting a good quality education and the accreditation that goes along with it is an undisputed and very powerful way of coming to personal gain. And getting that education in an online environment has many advantages, from lower costs to gaining access to a series of high quality specialized programs, so many students might actually prefer this type of studies to any other. Obviously the most important reason why a prospective student would look at an online option for their studies is that these kinds of studies are usually much cheaper than real classes. In the first place it is cheaper on the school itself so it is only natural that they should ask for smaller tuition fees. However there are certain online classes that provide some extraordinary value and they are aware of it so they may actually be as expensive as some off line classes but even then they should be cheaper than the off line version of that specific class. Besides the advantages that online classes have for the schools there are certain advantages for the students too like the fact that for most classes you can choose your own studying times and there are very few classes that require all students to be online at the same time so that they can participate in debates. And even in those situations there are always advantages to being able to study from home like the fact that you don’t have to spend any money on the commute, you can always go in the kitchen and pick up something if you’re hungry and it can be so much more comfortable to keep your pajamas on in the morning. And besides what you might call comfort factors there is always the advantage that studying from home allows you to do other mandatory activities. Like new parents that have to be there for their children at all times but who do have the time to learn to get a better certification and, when they come to it, they can go back to work for a bigger pay grade. And there are many more situations where you have to be in certain places for long periods of time but you still have a few hours to spare to better yourself. And last is the fact that there are certain specialized classes that are not available anywhere but in an online environment. That is because, even in the biggest cities, there may not be enough people interested in taking a certain class but across the world there will certainly be a group that at one given time will be interested in studying a specific class and online is the only place where they can all meet and study that particular subject. This Article is contributed by Joye Allen and she is self employed by doing freelancing. Over last two years she is engaged in writing about dissertation help for the students. She lives in Santa Monica, California.