Appy Tuesday, everyone! As you may have guessed from the greeting, this week’s edition of Tech It Up Tuesday focuses on a pretty neat mobile app, one that has just been released on the edtech scene. And it goes something like this: Hey, difficult homework assignments! You’ve met your match! Yep, thanks to a newly released iOS app called Snapsolve, students can get instant homework help for any grade level or topic any day, anytime , anywhere. And it works something like this: Just snap a picture of the challenging homework problem, optionally include additional info that will assist with solving the question and press send. The image is then relayed to one of thousands of highly qualified tutors, who within about 15 minutes on average, not only provides the answer but a customized explanation as to how the problem was solved. And you thought this stuff only happened on the Jetsons! Seriously, with its interactive and collaborative capabilities, this app takes homework helper to a new level! And just so you know: Snapsolve is currently available for the iPhone only, but plans are in the works to develop versions of the software for iPad, Android and OS X devices. Also, the app is a freebie and so are answers to simple math problems. However, there are pricing tiers based on question difficulty and wait time for responses that range from $1.99 (the Decaf option) to $9.99 (the Energy Drink option). Regardless of the amount, all paid selections have a money back guarantee if the services rendered are deemed unsatisfactory. Snap, send, solve… End of story! Classroom Connection: If you’re a math teacher, Snapsolve is a great resource to share with all of your students. You might even find that it’s a pretty cool app for your own use as well!

Camtasia Studio 8 Tutorial: Saving Files and Project Management This Camtasia Studio 8 tutorial provides information about how to save and manage your files. Specifically, it covers the following topics: 0:05 - Preview your recording 0:30 - Save and edit 0:35 - Project management tips 1:00 - Organize your source files 1:25 - Camtasia Studio 1:30 - Introducing the clip bin and timeline 1:35 - Editing dimensions The post Camtasia Studio 8 Tutorial: Saving Files and Project Management appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

Every Instructional designer needs to have good knowledge of standard instructional design models like ADDIE or Gagne’s nine events. These models facilitate the development of learner centric eLearning courses. But, it is not easy to remember all these concepts and apply them at the right instant of time to develop a successful eLearning course. So, how can you overcome this problem? Well, you need to concentrate on four things which will remind you of the ideas behind these principles and help you make good online courses. Let us see what they are. Hope you find this post interesting. Please do share your thoughts. Related Posts4 Effective Ways of Presenting Scenarios in E-learning Courses4 Must Have Slices of An Instructional Design Pie5 Tips for Designing an Effective Training Program

So, I was looking for some of the latest edtech statistics for a project I’m working on when I happened across this infographic published by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation using data collected from America’s Teachers on America’s Schools. Even though this info was compiled a few years ago, I would venture to guess that if a similar study was conducted today, the results would pretty much indicate the same: Technology is a useful tool—one that can be a benefit to the learning process. According to the study, 93% of educators agreed that digital resources such as classroom technology and web-based programs help in their students’ academic achievement. 49% of them strongly agreed with this fact. Learn more about teachers’ responses by checking out the infographic shown below. Click here for a full screen version of this visual. Classroom Connection: It’s no secret that today’s students are digital junkies who spend many hours a day using numerous technological devices. It’s their way of life, how they learn, communicate, collaborate. At the same time, it’s also pretty widely known that a plethora of digital resources are available for teachers to utilize in the classroom. However, despite these two circumstances, many schools are still forcing students to learn primarily through the use of traditional textbooks. Ugh! I don’t know about you, but this information reinforces what I’ve thought for some time: The current educational system needs to do a better job of finding ways to bridge the gap between the old and the new in order to create learning experiences for students that are more relevant and real-world. Will you make a pledge to do so in your classroom?

Cost Cutting Cloud-Based Training Did you know that Cisco, world leader in networking hardware, switched from classroom training to a web-based solution for its 28.000 sales representatives and cut overall training costs by 40-60%? Meanwhile, Dow Chemical did the same thing for regulatory compliance training of its 60.000 employees and contractors. The result? Dow went from spending an average of $95 per student/course to only $11, with overall annual savings of over $34 million. The above stories illustrate why cloud-based training has become so popular. The cost effectiveness of cloud-based training derives from several factors, including: lower infrastructure costs, lower travel costs, and scalable, pay-as-you-go, payment plans. Time Is Money - Reduced Set-Up And Maintenance Costs Conventional computer classrooms require a large outlay in hardware and software. This necessitates both adaptation for the multiple operating systems and hardware, as well as on-going maintenance. In contrast, Cloudshare points out that cloud-based learning management systems are web-based platforms that require no software installation on your company’s hardware system. This eliminates the need to manage your own servers, which is especially important if you don’t have the IT expertise or staff to handle such a big project. The software is managed for you by the LMS provider. This results in significant savings on capital expenditures, as well as implementation and operational expenses. According to elearningindustry.com, cloud-based online classes reduce training expenses by up to 50%. Home-Schooling - Eliminating Travel And Lodging Costs Companies with branches around the world have employees around the world.  Training staff requires either bringing them all to a central educational facility or sending the trainers out to them. With travel and lodging expenses, this quickly becomes very costly. A key advantage of cloud-based learning is that it eliminates the need for both travel and lodging. Employees access the materials from their homes or offices, which is convenient for the employees and cost-effective for the companies. Someone to Watch Over Me - Complete Instructor Oversight In conventional labs instructors can often see only one student session at a time and must move physically between students to interact with them. Cloud-based labs allow instructors to monitor the progress of the entire class simultaneously through real-time thumbnail images of each student’s lab session. They can then drill down into selected student instances to provide personal assistance with questions and problems, all from their own terminal. Tailored Training - Cost Effective Pay-As-You-Go Plans Physical training campuses have large upfront costs and capacity limits. The size of the training room, server inventory, and trainee headcount are all constrained in traditional campuses. If you under-book, you've wasted money on unnecessary infrastructure. If you overbook, you often must rent out additional space and servers at high cost or forgo the additional income opportunity. A cloud-powered course has no such limitations. You can over-book as much as you like, and still support an overwhelming number of trainees. Also, since you are not pre-booking physical space, your upfront financial commitment is significantly lower in the event of a low turnout. The shared resources in cloud computing infrastructure enable companies to offload capital expenses (CAPEX) and set the price tag to pay-as-you-go operations (OPEX). Those same economies of scale apply to training, and often result in significant cost savings. Late Night At The Lab - After-Hours Access A traditional training course offers fixed start and end times. To review the material before or after the course, trainees typically receive printed documentation, which they can review at home. But the lab application that is the focus of the course is only available for a limited time. As a result, the effectiveness of the lab sessions weaken the more time elapses after the course is completed. Since online training is not tied to a physical campus, the same lab application can easily be made accessible even beyond the official training session. This enables instructors to send trainees pre-course prep assignments, or allow students to practice in the lab long after the course concludes. Since access to the training lab is rigorously monitored, after-hours access is often offered as a premium service. Cut It Out - Slashing Training Expenses With The Cloud In short, Cloud-based training helps cut hardware/software costs, eliminate travel/lodging expenses, and eradicate wasted classroom space. No wonder they're becoming so popular. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Camtasia Studio 8 Tutorial: Explore The Editor This Camtasia Studio 8 tutorial provides information concerning the three main areas of the Editor: clip bin, canvas and timeline. 0:05 - The three main areas of the Editor: clip bin, canvas and timeline 0:10 - The clip bin 1:25 - The canvas 3:30 - The timeline The post Camtasia Studio 8 Tutorial: Explore The Editor appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

As Quincy Jones once remarked, "I’ve always thought that a big laugh is a really loud noise from the soul saying, "Ain’t that the truth." That said, Edu-fun Friday is a series devoted to adding some humor to the lives of teachers who visit this blog. After all, there’s nothing better than ending the week on a positive note! Plus, do we have the best topics to provide us with some comic relief or what? Maybe it’s my twisted sense of humor, but this one produced a laugh out loud moment for me—probably because I feel exactly like this on days when I’m trying to convince others that devices suchas iPads really do have educational value. ***Sigh! In any event—be an edtech gladiator. And keep fighting the good fight!

Forget training and eLearning. Did you ever think what you really mean by a good design? Try to think about the term ‘good design’ comprehensively. For this, imagine and think about something that has been well-designed and approved by everyone. Else, hold this elegant design and consider the following things to define a ‘good design’. Look and feel Readily usable Response and implementation The above three aspects are the hallmarks of any good design. Let’s see each one of them in detail. 1. Look and feel A well-designed thing consists of visual aesthetics such as right lines, curves and colors. Choosing the right colors along with pleasing patterns excites learners and drives them in. A good design also consists of a tactile aspect to it. Anything you design should induce a perceptible experience to the learner. For this, we should design the screen in a descriptive and impressive way. 2. Readily usable The most important aspect of any good design is that it is easily understandable and readily usable. As soon as you see the design, you should be able to easily navigate and use all buttons within the design. Even novice learners should be able to open and use them. The navigation needs to be intuitive. You need to create easy-to-use designs which are attractive. 3. Response and implementation A good design should solve the problem as well as it should yield expected outcomes. Before you start designing, be clear about the purpose of the design. Our designs should be in such a way that they enhance learners’ performance and help them perform their work better. We need to create great design experiences by focusing on what the learner should be able to do instead of what they need to know. So as a designer, consider these aspects to create a good design. After designing, ask yourselves about your work and rate it. I am sure there are many other aspects of a good design. Please do share your thoughts and opinions on the same. Related Posts3 Ways to Avoid Cognitive Overload in Your E-learning CourseHow Descriptive is Your E-learning Course Description? Right or Wrong!Application of Learning Cycle in Designing E-Learning Courses

What eLearning Professionals Should Know About Long-Term Memory The long-term memory of your learners is your final destination when you are designing and developing an eLearning experience. As its name suggests, long-term memory, unlike short-term memory, stores information for a long time; it is debatable whether "long time" means a lifetime, but undoubtedly the relatively permanent memory storage of your audience is where you want your eLearning course to find its place. The long-term memory, in particular, allows your audience to retain and recall the concepts and ideas that they need outside the virtual learning environment. To create an effective, unforgettable eLearning course, it is essential to have an in depth understanding of how the information will be remembered. In this article, I'll delve into the topic of long-term memory and I'll share some useful strategies to help you make sure that your learners retain your eLearning content. The Long-Term Memory Types Many cognitive psychologists believe that the long-term memory is divided into two distinct types: explicit memory and implicit memory. Explicit or Declarative Memory. Explicit memory, also known as declarative memory, is made up of memories that we are conscious of remembering and capable of describing in words. Explicit memory can be subdivided into semantic memory, which refers to our memories that are drawn from common knowledge, such as facts and general knowledge about the world, for example  the names of colors, and episodic memory, which refers to memories that are drawn from our personal experiences. Implicit or Non-Declarative Memory. Implicit memory, also known as non-declarative memory, consists of subconscious memories, like knowledge that allows us to carry out basic tasks without even realizing we are recalling the information. For example, when you type on a keyboard you are not conscious of the long-term memories that are allowing you to perform the function. Information that is encoded in implicit memory, such as knowledge concerning our body movements, can be recalled automatically, without us needing to make a conscious effort. Because it flows effortlessly in our actions, it is often difficult to be verbalized, that's why it's also known as "non-declarative". Implicit memory can also be subdivided in two types: procedural, which refers to recalling how to do things that require action, such as walking or playing the piano, and priming memory, referring to the automatic activation of certain associations of new with previous knowledge. A popular example that describes how priming memory works is that when one reads the word "yellow", they will recognize the word "banana" slightly faster than the word "sea". Cognitive Processes Involved In The Long-Term Memory Long-term memory is not just a permanent storage that archives information. It also involves other cognitive mechanism such as providing the working memory with relevant background information in order for the latter to acquire meaning. The long-term memory, therefore, performs three basic operations: encoding, storage, and retrieval. Encoding. Encoding is the ability to convert data we collect into a knowledge-based structures known as schemata. New information is either just added to existing schemata enriching them, or contradicts with them and finally manages to alter them. The first process is known as assimilation, though the second as accommodation. Storage. Simply put, storage is the ability of long-term memory to store information in different brain areas. For example, semantic memories, such as facts are stored in different brain areas than automating procedural memories, such as how to ride a bike. We cannot be sure, neither for how long, nor for how much information can be stored in the long-term memory. Theoretically speaking, the long-term memory has unlimited capacity and information there can be stored for the rest of lives. It is also still debatable whether information stored in long-term memory can be permanently deleted, as "deletion" may involve just inability to locate or retrieve information, rather than permanent loss. It has been found that forgetting is basically the result of either poor initial encoding of information or poor retrieval methods. Retrieval. Retrieval, or else, remembering. Retrieval of information is the process of not only activating, but also using information that is stored in long-term memory. There are two distinct forms of retrieval: recall, which refers to generating or reproducing stored information we've already acquired, and recognition, which refers to identifying stored information that is familiar. Needless to say, recognition is much more effective than recall, as meaningful associations don’t require as much depth of processing or cognitive effort. Enhancing Long-Term Memory: 7 Strategies for eLearning Professionals Indeed, it is quite challenging to find how to process information in ways that will keep it fresh and accessible. This is where your eLearning skills come in. In order to help your learners retain your eLearning content, consider using the following memorization strategies: Repeat, repeat, repeat. Fascinating brain fact: We have 100.000.000.000 (one hundred billion!) neurons in our brain and each of them is connected to 1000 others. Neurons’ main role is to transfer information by "firing" impulse signals to their neighbors, who transfer the same signals to other "neighbors" of theirs, and so on. It's exactly like a domino effect. The connection between two neurons is called "synapse" and it increasingly gets stronger, the more frequent the signals between two neurons become. Because memories, just like thoughts, are represented by the resulting patterns of neuron firing, the stronger the synapse between two neurons, the more reinforced a trace of memory becomes and the higher the likelihood to be retrieved. This is where you come in; as an eLearning professional, wanting to offer your learners a memorable eLearning course, you need to find a way to strengthen the neural networks in their brains. You don’t need to have a neuroscience degree to do this: Just repeat the information you offer them over and over again. For example, repeat your eLearning objectives and goals throughout the eLearning course, use keywords as often as possible and don’t forget to summarize each section or topic after completion. This way, it will be more likely for the information to end up in the long-term memory of your learners, and they will be able to remember it with greater ease and accuracy later. Use multiple ways to present the information. Repetition allows your learners to soak up the information more rapidly and for longer spans of time, even concepts that may be more difficult to understand. However, it’s important to switch up the formats in which the information is delivered. If you give them the information via a scenario in one lesson, provide it in multimedia format or as a story in the next. Not only will this raise your learners’ interest in the eLearning content, but it will also improve retention. For example, creating an audio narrative of the information followed by a video presentation that emphasizes similar key points will appeal to auditory learners as well as visual learners. Think of REM (Relevance, Emotion, Meaning). REM initials here neither stand for Rapid Eye Movement sleep nor the famous rock band; instead, they refer to 3 essential eLearning course qualities: Relevance, Emotion, Meaning. I'm sure you will definitely remember this tip. Why? Because I've just followed a great memory strategy; I related a new piece of information to an already existing, familiar one. Information can be tranferred from short-term to long-term memory only when it's meaningful. To facilitate information transfer to the long-term memory, create meaningful eLearning courses. Integrate stories that trigger an emotional connection. Follow an emotional approach that will engage your audience, and provide your learners with eLearning content that they feel they can relate to. Learners are more likely to remember information when it’s tied to a personal experience or an emotion. For example, if you include stories in your eLearning course that are relatable for your audience, they will automatically pair the semantic memories (facts) with their episodic memories (personal experiences). This enables them to create an emotional connection with the subject matter and store it away in their long-term memory. Make sure that your stories are actually linked to the learning goals and objectives, or else they simply won’t provide your learners with any real value. Use scenarios and simulations to access previously learned subject matter. Scenarios and simulations take active retrieval a step further by immersing your learners in the subject matter. They are then able to make meaningful connections between what they stored in their long-term memory and real world applications of that information. It’s also important to create exercises that mimic real world challenges or fit into the context of how they will be applying the knowledge outside the virtual classroom. For example, if they must learn how to perform a basic customer service task, develop a scenario that tests the skills and steps that are involved in the activity. This will encourage their brains to link the knowledge to that particular process, which will make it easier for them to recall it in the future. Use chunking. Break the eLearning course into bite-sized lessons. Distributed practice is the key to knowledge retention. Break your eLearning course into smaller lessons that are easier for your learners to digest, rather than overwhelming them with too much information at once. This gives them the ability to gradually absorb the information and assimilate it into their long-term memory, rather than forgetting key concepts just seconds after they’ve learned them. The chunking method was first introduced by a pioneer in the field of cognitive psychology, George A. Miller, and it refers to taking individual units of information and grouping them together, so that it is easier to store large amounts of data in the short-term memory. Chunking can be particularly helpful to eLearning professionals, as it enables you not only to get rid of useless information, but also to effectively organize and structure your eLearning course. Prioritize your material by choosing primary and secondary points, and divide your eLearning content into sections. Use different screens for each topic and highlight key ideas by using bullets and numbered lists and colors or bolded fonts in order to make them stand out in the minds of your learners. Finally, if you are integrating images and multimedia into your chunking method, keep in mind that they need to be relevant to your audience. This way, they will be provided with a clearly structured, meaningful and memorable eLearning experience. Prompt your learners for "active retrieval" of previous knowledge. When you encourage your learners to retrieve memories from the long-term memory banks, you are tapping into the power of "active retrieval", which helps to improve knowledge retention and reduces the risk of memory decay, by actively involving your audience in the eLearning activities you provide. It’s a good practice, these eLearning activities and assessments to prompt your learners to make use of previously acquired knowledge in order to be able to answer correctly. Rather than simply reading a summary of what they have learned so far, it is believed that recalling and utilizing information is much more effective than simply reviewing it. The ultimate goal of any online learning experience is to provide the long-term memory with usable material for the future. It is to stick in the minds of its learners, so that they are able to delve into the depths of their memory to apply what they have learned in the real world. Now that you know how long-term memory works and how to use the facts for the benefit of your eLearning course, you may be interested in busting some memory myths. Read the article Memory: Types, Facts, and Myths and find the truth behind the 7 most common memory misconceptions. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Camtasia Studio 8 Tutorial: Apply SmartFocus to Zoom and Pan This Camtasia Studio 8 tutorial provides information about SmartFocus animations — what they are, how to apply them, which file formats they can be applied to, etc. 0:00 - Intro 0:15 - What is SmartFocus? 0:40 - SmartFocus media format information 1:00 - How to apply SmartFocus 2:40 - Edit a Zoom-N-Pan animation 2:50 - Making adjustments in the Visual Properties tab 2:55 - Scaling your video 4:20 - Turn off or remove SmartFocus or animations 4:35 - Adding animations manually 5:35 - Wrap-up / Next tutorial The post Camtasia Studio 8 Tutorial: Apply SmartFocus to Zoom and Pan appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.