Welcome to today’s blog post. We can develop a matching assessment very quickly and easily, using Articulate Storyline because all layers and feedback content is generated by default. In a matching assessment, when the learner clicks the next button without completing the activity, an Invalid Answer window pop-up as shown below. One of our clients asked us to change the default text in the pop-up. There is no option available in Storyline to change that text. But, we can do it by using the triggers and layers in Storyline. Here, I would like to share how to change that text in the pop-up using these options. Let’s see thesteps involved in creating custom Invalid Answer pop-up in matching interactions in Articulate Storyline. Step 1:Insert a default Matching Drag and Drop question Step 2:Insert a new layer,and name it as Invalid answer. Step 3: Designyour own invalid answer pop-up. Step 4:Now,youhave to create variables of true/false type.Create number of variables is equal to the number of options. I have created 3 variables as I have 3 options in my question. Name them as 1, 2 and 3. Step 5:Add a trigger to adjust variable 1 to True, when first dragobject dropped on all drop targets. As shown in the below screenshot below. Follow the same method with the second and third triggers as shown in the below screenshots. Step 6:Add a trigger to show the Invalid layeronly when the value of variables 1, 2 and 3 are True. Step 7:Add one more trigger to submit the interaction when the learner clicks theSubmit button. Here is the output which we required. This is the way to create custom invalid answer pop-ups in matching interactions with your own design and content. Hope this helps you. Do share your views. Related PostsHow to Combine Your Adobe Captivate Projects Into Single Course?Rapid E-learning through Storyline Tool: 5 Infographics Sharing Key FeaturesHow to Enable Submit Button after Answer Drag and Drop in Articulate Storyline

Every organization conducts various training programs for its employees in classroom mode. In most cases, the material used in training programs are in the form of PowerPoint presentations, MS-Word documents, printed notes or PDF files. But, as organizations expand globally, it is not possible to meet the learning needs of their international staff members effectively, at low cost, using instructor-led training (ILT) methodologies. Hence, a cost-effective training approach is required to impart training to the global workforce, and eLearning can be used to meet this need very effectively. However, companies may initially find eLearning to be expensive. But, in the long run, it provides higher ROI than the classroom training format. To initiate eLearning economically, you can convert the existing ILT material into online courses. Here is an info-graphic that lists 3 tips to convert ILT content into eLearning courses efficiently. Hope you find this post useful. Do share your views. Related PostsGuidelines for Content Chunking to Design Effective Online CoursesInfographic: Voice Over Scripts in E-Learning or PowerPoint Presentations3 Tips to Develop Excellent Audio Scripts for Your E-learning Courses - An Infographic

The Quintessential Of The Cognitive Flexibility Theory And Its Application In eLearning The Cognitive Flexibility Theory relies upon the idea that learners must not only be able to manipulate the means by which knowledge and content are being represented, but also the processes that are in charge of operating those representations. The main principles of the Cognitive Flexibility Theory are: Knowledge is "context-dependent". Knowledge cannot be perceived out of context. It is the context that allows learners to see any possible relationships between various components of the subject matter presented. In addition, learning activities in any educational setting should be able to provide several different representations of the same instructional objectives in different contexts. Practically speaking, the Cognitive Flexibility Theory suggests that, by doing so, learners have the opportunity to better understand the specific concept or idea because its practical application is clear to them. This is very important, especially for adult learners who usually want to know not only "what", that is new information, but also "why" they learn something, as well as "how to apply" it in real-life settings.With respect to eLearning course design, this would signify an instructional design, in which for each one of the learning objectives to be mastered, learners would be provided with several examples and online activities, as the Cognitive Flexibility Theory claims that learners’ multiple exposure to the same concept in different contexts facilitates the learning process. Furthermore, offering many different ways to represent the same concepts or eLearning content is of extreme value to the learners and this could be translated to an instructional design that makes extensive use of multimedia, giving learners enough opportunities to get exposed to the same concepts, though at the same time would accommodate to all learning preferences and could motivate learners by offering them variety in the eLearning course. Repetition would facilitate the process of mastering the eLearning content, as increased exposure and practice would definitely have positive effects on learners. Knowledge cannot be oversimplified. Instructional materials to be used must not oversimplify a topic neither in terms of content, nor in terms of structure. Simply stated, knowledge cannot be reduced to its basics.With respect to instructional design for eLearning, this means that the eLearning content should be challenging enough in order to engage the audience in the learning process. Oversimplification of concepts gives adult learners a sense that they already know the eLearning material and therefore, they may consider the specific eLearning course as a waste of time. In terms of structure, problems should be presented to students in more complex and involving structures, rather than linear or simplified ones. Therefore, it’s better for instructional designers to provide learners with opportunities to make their own connections between concepts and principles that are being explored, even if these concepts may be of high complexity. Knowledge is constructed. The instruction that takes place should be "case-based", wherein there is an emphasis on the construction of knowledge rather than on how it is transmitted to learners. The Cognitive Flexibility Theory follows a constructivist approach to learning, according to which learners are actively engaged in the learning process and they are responsible for their own learning. This principle is particularly applicable to eLearning course design, as it takes advantage of learners free navigation in the eLearning environment through the use of hyperlinks, and gives them the opportunity to explore the eLearning content and learn through multiple case studies and real-life interactive scenarios that expose them to how a particular concept or idea can be applied in different real world settings. Knowledge is interconnected. In order for the learner to grasp what is being taught, the knowledge sources that are used should be "interconnected", rather than separated and "compartmentalized".  In other words, this means that knowledge should never be isolated from what learners already know; far from previous experience. Applied to eLearning course design, instructional designers need to take into account learners’ previous knowledge on the subject and try to find ways to connect the new piece of information presented, to learners’ current frame of reference. A quick and easy tip to do so is by presenting a brief summary of prerequisite knowledge before presenting new information. This may serve two ways: first, it reminds learners what they may already know, but they may not remember; second, this summary may make some learners realize that it might be better for them to acquire prerequisite knowledge first, before attending the specific eLearning module. By providing the corresponding links in the summary section, for those who need them, instructional designers guarantee the effectiveness of the eLearning course. The foundation of the Cognitive Flexibility Theory is that learners are better able to acquire and retain knowledge if they are encouraged to develop their own representation of it. By following the principles and corresponding eLearning strategies mentioned above, instructional designers can give learners the opportunity, to absorb information in a manner that better suits their personal needs, increasing the effectiveness of their eLearning course. Last but not least, you are more than welcome to view the following video that Rand Spiro, professor of educational psychology at College of Education, Michigan State University, talks about Cognitive Flexibility Theory (CFT). Join us at the Instructional Design History Journey A New Instructional Design Model Will Be Added Every Week! You are more than welcome to let us know if you would like us to cover an instructional design model and theory that is not included at the Instructional Design Models and Theories. Simply leave a comment at the Instructional Design Models and Theories. References: Jonassen, D., Ambruso, D . & Olesen, J. (1992). Designing hypertext on transfusion medicine using cognitive flexibility theory. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 1(3), 309-322. Spiro, R.J., Coulson, R.L., Feltovich, P.J., & Anderson, D. (1988). Cognitive flexibility theory: Advanced knowledge acquisition in ill-structured domains. In V. Patel (ed.), Proceedings of the 10th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Spiro, R.J., Feltovich, P.J., Jacobson, M.J., & Coulson, R.L. (1992). Cognitive flexibility, constructivism and hypertext: Random access instruction for advanced knowledge acquisition in ill-structured domains. In T. Duffy & D. Jonassen (Eds.), Constructivism and the Technology of Instruction. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Spiro, R.J. & Jehng, J. (1990). Cognitive flexibility and hypertext: Theory and technology for the non-linear and multidimensional traversal of complex subject matter. D. Nix & R. Spiro (eds.), Cognition, Education, and Multimedia. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Cognitive Flexibilty Theory and the Post-Gutenberg Mind: Rand Spiro's Home Page This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

The ultimate goal of developing an eLearning course is to help employees learn and apply the learning in their day-to-day activities or jobs. Providing feedback for assessment helps achieve this to some extent. Giving appropriate and explanatory feedback for assessments helps the learner reinforce his knowledge. They help him retain the information for a long period of time. Thus, feedback plays a vital role in eLearning. Here are a few ways that help you give feedback in a highly effective and interesting manner. 1. Tell the Learner Why He Is Correct Many a time, learners answer multiple choice questions (MCQs) correctly even though they are not sure of the right option.They may guess the right answer So, it is very essential to explain the learner why the selected option is correct. Additionally, it is a good practice to tell why the other options (distracters) are incorrect. This explanation will help the learner get a clear understanding of concepts. 2. Explain Why He Is Incorrect If a learner selects the wrong option, don’t simply give a statement saying, "Sorry, that’s incorrect!" Let the learner try again, and even then, if he fails to give the right answer, provide the proper explanation saying why the option is wrong, and then, give the correct option with an explanation of why it is correct. This helps the learner reinforce his knowledge. 3. Allow Revisits to the Page If the learner fails to select the correct option, even after several attempts, then provide feedback telling him why he is wrong and give a reference link that directs him to the related slide or content. The learner can go through the content again and get a grip on it. 4. Use Phrases to Motivate Instead of simply saying, "Yes, that’s correct!" or "No, that’s incorrect!", we can make use of some phrases to motivate the learner. Use phrases like "Bingo", "Hurray", "Well Done" etc. when the correct option is selected. They go a long way in boosting the learner’s interest. In the same way, when the wrong option is selected we can say "Give it another try", "You are almost there" and so on. This prevents the learner from losing his confidence even when he selects the wrong option. These are some of the effective ways of providing feedback in eLearning. Do you have anything to add to this list? Related Posts4 Effective Ways of Presenting Scenarios in E-learning CoursesDesigning an Effective eLearning Course - The Nine-Point PlanFactors that Kill the Learners while Taking an E-learning Course

Last week marked the global launch of the gomo learning suite at Learning Technologies in London. We had an incredibly busy two days on the stand, and we were overwhelmed by the response to our new end-to-end e-learning solution. Just one of our busy demos on stand 56 over the two days of Learning Technologies 2015 This was the first time customers and potential users were able to see the brand new gomo hosting & analytics tool for themselves, along with the latest release of the award-winning gomo authoring software. The gomo learning suite allows subscribers to seamlessly create, host, update and track beautiful multi-device learning from a single place. There is no other authoring solution on the market today which allows for both multi-device content creation and hosting, distribution and analytics capability. The new review feature in the gomo authoring tool   Using a QR code to access a course built in gomo Following last year’s launch of the authoring tool at the Learning Technologies 2014 exhibition, this year we were back, bigger and better than before. With more members of the gomo team manning the stand and packed demos throughout both days, we were delighted to be able to speak to twice as many of you as last year. And our launch seminar on day one managed to block the aisles around the theatre once again! Mike Alcock’s global launch seminar at Learning Technologies 2015 To say that we’re delighted with the response to gomo would be an understatement. The whole team performed non-stop presentations and demos throughout the whole event, with barely a moment to draw breath. We have already had some great feedback in the days since the event, and we hope to see lots of you enjoying our free trials of the gomo authoring software. Raising a glass to gomo at the Learning Technologies exhibitor drinks I’ve enjoyed hearing all the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the visitors to the stand, but my favourite quote from the event was, "You’ve made getting up at the crack of dawn and braving the snow from Leeds worthwhile!" While we can’t say we had to battle through any snow from Brighton, seeing so many new and familiar faces on the stand made it all worth it, and we are looking forward to helping you get started on your gomo journey in the coming months.   The post Launching the gomo learning suite at Learning Technologies appeared first on gomo Learning.

We all have been creating PowerPoint presentations since we were in the high school. But, time has rapidly changed, and we feel such PowerPoint presentations are no longer interesting or engaging as they are not interactive. So, how can we make these presentations interactive? Articulate Storyline makes it possible. Wondering how? It’s very simple. Articulate Storyline provides a very simple option Insert PowerPoint to make your PowerPoint presentations interactive. Step 01: Click the Insert PowerPoint option on the home page of Articulate Storyline. Step 02: Browse through your folders to the location where you saved your PowerPoint presentation. Step 03: Select the PowerPoint presentation you want to import, and click Open. Step 04: You can see the Insert Slides wizard with the thumbnail view of all the slides of your PowerPoint presentation. All slides are selected by default. But, if you want only some slides to be imported, click None to deselect all the slides, and then, click on the slides that you want to import. If you change your mind and want to import all the slides, click Select All. Step 05: Type the desired name for the scene in the space provided and click Import. Step 06: You can see that all the slides of your presentation have been imported into one scene in Storyline. Step 07: Depending on the type of the content in your presentation, you can now convert each slide to any interactivity you like with the help of triggers, variable, slide layers and many more exciting features that Storyline provides. For example, you can make images clickable so that the dialog callouts would appear only when we click the image. So, what are you waiting for? Start importing your PowerPoint presentations into Storyline to make them interactive, interesting and engaging. For more information on eLearning design and development, stay tuned to my blogs. Related PostsRapid E-learning through Storyline Tool: 5 Infographics Sharing Key FeaturesHow to Combine Your Adobe Captivate Projects Into Single Course?How to Add External Resources to Your E-learning Course in Articulate Storyline

Making the most of mobile technologies Increased (and increasing) connectivity of mobile technologies Your contact might not cover it yet or you might not even be able to access it in your area, but 4G is transforming how we consume data. We’re no longer just connected, we can work on documents, download large files and stream entire films. The application of mobile technologies for business are endless and no doubt will continue to transform how we work, learn and interact with all things professional. On a daily basis I’m making edits in a Google Doc, scheduling tweets and analysing web traffic all while I’m sat on the bus to and from the office.The headline for mobile technologies in the learning space is that wherever staff might find themselves, learning content should be available to them at all times of the day. It’s not about working more as such, but being able to access whatever you need via mobile technologies whenever your workforce might need to. We’re not standing still, either - by 2020, 64% of the world’s population will be covered by 4G-LTE, the next, even faster iteration of connectivity which will reshape mobile technologies and our interaction with them. The mobile cloud Services like Dropbox and Google Drive keep all of our stuff together so that we can access them wherever we go. Add to that that more and more software is built with the cloud in mind - think of MailChimp, Salesforce and Squarespace. Today you can cater for all areas of your business with minimal software downloads/ installs. And gomo is no different, everything is based in the cloud, allowing you to get on with what matters, creating great learning. A team working in gomo can upload all assets and images in one hit, giving designers a constant resource of assets, saving time and allowing them to create great learning on desktop or tablet, however they want to. Flexible working for designers and learners As our desk-orientated minds get more comfortable with multiple devices, we anticipate that people will do much more starting and finishing tasks across devices with the help of mobile technologies, as opposed to simply checking in and using the same apps across devices. For learning design teams using cloud authoring solutions like gomo, this means more home working and access while travelling as you aren’t tied down to a specific desktop computer with a paid, 3gb authoring programme installed on it. For learners, developments in mobile technologies will only further transform learning from a fixed, scheduled activity to one that is much more fluid, on the job, on the move and collaborative. The takeaway here is that mobile technologies are only going to make us connected, increasing the options available to us and making our life in the workplace much more flexible. Mobile technologies present a lot of opportunities to learning practitioners. In order to take advantage of these opportunities, we must be sure that we’re developing learning content which is as flexible and high quality as consumers have come to expect of it. Want to learn how you can take advantage of multi-device e-learning authoring and cloud hosting and analytics? Join our next webinar to see how exactly the gomo learning suite can help you just do that. The post 3 reasons to take advantage of mobile technologies appeared first on gomo Learning.

The ICIE 2015 conference is a milestone in the journey towards leadership, creativity and innovation. ICIE 2015 aims and objectives are: Encourage volunteer spirit Promote excellence and sustain quality Connect Communities Strive for improvement Evolve responsibly Meet community expectations of quality Sustain competitiveness and viability Balance innovation with core essentials ICIE 2015 provides you with the opportunity to: Explore the latest developments in education in general, and innovation in education in particular Examine the need for sustainable educational systems Integrate the latest technology into the education system Debate the future of education: What are the challenges ahead? Learn from innovative case studies where educational institutions have taken the initiative Engage in a series of seminars designed to debate the theory and practice of real improvement in education Participate in pre-conference workshops designed to develop participants' competencies ICIE 2015 Keynote Speakers Embodied Creativity: Flexible Brains, Open Minds Alessandro Antonietti, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milano, Italy Improving Intelligence - Changing Brain Activity Norbert Jaušovec, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia Edutainment, Games, and the Future of Education in a Digital World Linda Jarvin, Paris College of Art, France Questioning: A Window into Productive Thinking Lynn Newton, Durham University, Durham, England Creativity and Reflexivity Vlad Glaveanu,, Aalborg University, Denmark Stories of Transformation: Memories of a Global Citizenship Practicum Lloyd Kornelsen, Winnipeg University, Winnipeg, Canada ‘The Life Expects’ Learning Paradigm Gary Hunter, Winnipeg University, Winnipeg, Canada Building on Resilience: Models and Frameworks of Black Male Success Across the P-20 Pipeline Fred Bonner II, Endowed Chair in Educational Leadership and Counseling, Prairie View A&M University, USA Habits of the Creative Mind Lorenzo Paoli, Novaxia, Milano - Italy ICIE 2015 12th international conference on Excellence in Education 2015: The Creativity - Innovation Challenge will take place in Kraków-Poland (July 1-4, 2015). This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

We always assume that instructional strategy is the only component we need to focus on. However, we also need to develop a highly effective visual design strategy to make a good online course. Visuals, when used efficiently, go a long way in delivering high-quality training. Furthermore, the aesthetic value of the course is enhanced, and this creates a good impression on the learner. You can use various kinds of visuals such as charts, images, graphs, videos, drawings, illustrations, photographs, graphics, etc. Now, I will brief you on how visualization will have a great impact on learning. Positive impact on learning Visualization makes a lot of difference in eLearning as it is self-paced, and we are responsible for engaging the learner. Let’s get into the actual point - visuals can be used for displaying information by: An image or picture should be self-explanatory When there are many factors that need to be assimilated at a single glance, visual representation of information will help the learner comprehend better. A simple example is shown here. Option 1: There are three types of hazards viz. Chemical hazard, Physical hazard, and Biological hazard . Option 2: There are three types of hazards such as Which looks more appealing and easy to understand? I am pretty sure it’s option 2. This is how visuals make a difference and have an impact on learning. Few tips to make effective use of visuals Keep in mind that visualization should match the objective of the course Make visualization of information look realistic Using appropriate visualization acts as a navigator for the learner as there will be consistent placement of visual elements onscreen Visual appeal will stay in mind. Good visuals help the learner retain knowledge by recollecting the graphics, images and so on Giving visual elements in a sequence helps provide order and continuity to the learner Proper use of visuals helps the learner to comprehend the subject-matter of the course in an effective manner. It helps him retain information for a long time. Hope you find this blog interesting. Do share your views. Related Posts5 Step process to Visualize Your eLearning Content - An InfographicWhy Visualization Matters in E-learning Courses4 Visual Elements for Effective E-learning Courses

Cloud authoring I remember when the only way to acquire new software was by heading to stores like PC world, buying a big box with a CD-Rom within and heading home to install it on my parent’s Windows 98 machine. Even with the journey aside, the install took my computer out of action for the best part of an hour, it was quite a long-winded affair. This was back when I was at school, so I can’t even begin to imagine the hassle of installing a new programme on ten or dare I say it, a hundred computers in an office. Today, I completely take using software online for granted - I’m writing this very blog online and love being able to check in from my phone, personal computer and work laptop and just crack on. By 2018, 59% of cloud usage will be software as a service workloads (SaaS -aka, running things like gomo), which shows that the cloud isn’t going anywhere any time soon. There are huge benefits to cloud authoring - building your e-learning content through the web saves time, allows for collaboration, keeps your IT teams happy and so much more. Here are just a few reasons why cloud authoring is great… Login is much quicker than install Even if you include the fiddly bit of putting in your card details and setting a password, there is literally just minutes between deciding to buy a cloud authoring tool and actually using it. If you’re looking to develop courses rapidly, it’s essential that you can get on with things straight away, which is exactly the case with cloud authoring. No downloads, IT department sign off, just great e-learning authoring. Updates When you pay for a cloud authoring tool, it comes as standard that subsequent updates to the product will come for free. What’s more is that you don’t have to do anything to access the updated version, you just sign in through your browser and voila, all updates, improvements and fixes have taken effect. Pay as you go Some teams, whether an e-learning vendor or an internal L&D team, will only need to use certain authoring tools for certain projects, or may only need an authoring tool once every quarter. With cloud authoring, you don’t need to stump up the cash for a per year licence, you can pick it up and drop it off as you need to. This is great because it not only lowers the cost, but allows you to use budgets efficiently to create the best content you and your team need to. Collaboration ‘Collaborate’ is quite the buzzword, so it can be difficult to understand what that means when you’re actually using a tool. Because cloud authoring tools are cloud authoring tools, your projects and assets are stored remotely, a whole team can access them to work on them. This takes many forms, from managers delegating work out per project or screen to subject matter experts and others signing in to review and leave notes and feedback. Working in track changes, over email trails and with multiple versions of documents can make a team less effective, so it’s great to be able to strip things back to basics through cloud authoring and keep everyone singing off the same hymn sheet. Security? Cyber security is a huge concern for individuals and organisations, such it’s unsurprising that hosting e-learning content and assets within a cloud authoring solution gives people the heebie-jeebies. I can’t speak for all cloud authoring solutions, but gomo is hosted on Amazon servers -millions of people trust Amazon with card details and last minute christmas deliveries, so there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t trust gomo. The pros of cloud authoring go on - content updates, authoring from anywhere, cloud hosting and distribution… I’ll keep things brief for now, though. Enjoy the read? You might like my last post ‘3 reasons to take advantage of mobile technologies’ The post Cloud authoring, what’s the big deal? appeared first on gomo Learning.