Content Chunking - may be you have never heard of it, or may be you have heard and been wondering how it works and helps develop successful eLearning courses. Chunking is a method of presenting content by splitting it into small pieces or "chunks" to facilitate quick and easy reading and understanding. Effective content chunking goes a long way in designing eLearning courses by reducing cognitive load on the learner. Instructional designers perform this essential exercise, wherein they break long strings of content into bite-sized, absorbable pieces which are easier to remember. Here is an info-graphic which shares the importance of content chunking in eLearning. Hope you find this post interesting. Do share your views. Related PostsLevels of Content Chunking in E-learningContent Chunking for Effective E-learningImportance of Content Chunking for Effective eLearning Development

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If you haven’t yet adopted Twitter as one of your go-to places for professional development and/or sharing pertinent info with coworkers, students and parents, you really don’t know what you’re missing! And it’s not just the latest celebrity drama! Seriously, despite the 140 character minimum, tweets—articles, thoughts, opinions, inspiration, quotes, images and more—allow like-minded individuals (you and me) to connect, collaborate, discuss, exchange and even debate all sorts of ideas with virtual colleagues. Whether it’s best practices, instructional strategies, the latest and greatest tech tools or an innovative project, invaluable information is just a hastag away! Check out the infographic below for an A-Z list of ways educators can utilize one of the most popular social media platforms on the edtech scene to make meaningful connections with others. Click here for a larger version of this infographic. A shout out to eLearning Infographics for creating and sharing this useful info!

Airline industry is highly regulated in almost every function - security protocol, routine maintenance, standard operating procedures and many more.Any breach of procedures could result in costly mistakes and fatal accidents. For that, they need to be trained and well informed. This can be achieved in two measures. An effective training content that is regularly updated based on the changes in technology or operating procedures. For the purpose, eLearning provides a viable option to ensure employees are trained quickly and within short notice. Assigning and tracking training efficiently to minimize duplication of efforts and enabling evaluation of training effectiveness. An LMS becomes an important medium to facilitate this process. A good and well-developed course might become ineffective if it is not delivered to the right audience at the right time. This is where the efficient use of the Learning Management System (LMS) becomes crucial. In a paper titled, "Deployment of eLearning in the Airline Industry", Dr. Bratengeyer et al point out that airlines tend to implement LMS in one area selectively instead of implementing it enterprise-wide. This actually results in duplication of work and provides low ROI. (Reference: Bratengeyer, E., Albrecht, C. C., Airways, E., & Schwarz, C. H. Deployment of eLearning in the Airline Industry) Apart from delivering and tracking training, one has to measure the effectiveness of training as well. Most LMSs have means to track training and generate reports that enable measuring of training effectiveness. However, very often, the capabilities inherent in an LMS are not capitalized adequately due to various reasons. In order to make the best use of an LMS you need to ensure the following. Dedicated project team to supervise LMS administration In many instances, managers or stakeholders hold multiple responsibilities alongside LMS administration. When a manager, whose primary role is something else, is given the responsibilities of LMS administration, the supervision and administration may not be as thorough as required. Naturally, this would reflect on how the LMS is utilized and managed. Lower user-registrations and low course completion rates are some of the results that one notices. Most often, the causes could be issues such as login- problems, technology glitches and minor interface or navigation matters, which can be easily avoided when handled by a dedicated project team. An LMS has a huge potential and can contribute immensely in making the training program effective provided there is a dedicated project team that supervises and manages LMS administration. It is not a part-time job, and in the cases of large enterprises, a 24 X 7 effort. Experienced technology professionals who can customize and maintain LMS An LMS comes with some standard settings which may or may not be relevant to the organization. On the other hand, it may come with some other settings or options that could actually prove to be very helpful to the organization. How does one evaluate what one needs and what one does not require? Having experienced technology professionals who have worked with multiple LMSs and understand how the system works would be very useful. They can customize the LMS based on the unique requirements of an organization. This way, one gets better ROI on their LMS investment. Involvement of SMEs, training managers and stakeholders in LMS administration One does require a dedicated LMS administration staff, which can be as small as one person or big with a team of 5-6 individuals depending on how small or large an organization is. However, they have to be ably supported by SMEs, training managers and other stakeholders who have an important role to play in managing training through LMS. For example, SMEs need to keep track of the training content and ensure that it stays updated at all times. Training managers need to make sure that courses are assigned to the right people and that the course are completed within the specified duration. Clear vision about role of LMS in the overall training strategy Anders Halskov-Jensen, who has a background as an air traffic controller shares his thoughts in ICAO training report and makes a pertinent point.He saysit is important that training managers review their training programs periodically and not shy away from making changes and letting go of redundant practices. Just because we have always done it in a particular way does not justify that we continue doing it. In this regard, the options and reports provided by an LMS can be of immense value. We can use them to assess training as well as plan future training programs. Therefore, it is important that we have good clarity about our training strategy and how the LMS fits in. Definitive efforts to popularize eLearning amongst staff Lastly, it is important that employees are clearly shown the benefits of online learning. Online courses can be made compulsory to ensure higher registrations and course completions. But, a more lasting impact will be seen if the staff understands how the medium is better when compared to the existing methods. Its advantages in terms of convenience, freedom of choice and interactivities can be highlighted. Having a dedicated team to manage the LMS also ensures that discussion boards, messages and training events are regularly monitored and updated. These forums can be used to communicate with the employees and keep them abreast of developments in their field. Having a well-administered LMS would ensure good and proficient training deployment. It would also help in managing and monitoring training that could be helpful in designing future training programs. What do you say? Related Posts5 Things In LMS Administration You Should Avoid and Why?Myths and Realities about LMS AdministrationShould LMS Administration be done In-House or Outsourced?

Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Positioning Objects in Responsive Adobe Captivate 8 Projects This Adobe Captivate 8 tutorial presents how to position objects in responsive Adobe Captivate 8 projects. The post Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Positioning Objects in Responsive Adobe Captivate 8 Projects appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

Places To Get Answers To Your eLearning Questions How do I get started with eLearning? What kind of mobile content are other developers creating? Where can I find tips for creating a branching scenario? You can find answers to all these questions online, from the eLearning community. Your fellow eLearning developers are talking about what they know best—course development, design, and how to create courses that get results—which they’re all sharing on the internet. You just have to know where to look! Here are 5 places to get answers to your eLearning questions: LinkedIn Join a few eLearning groups on LinkedIn to get answers to many of your questions. You’ll see everything from software preferences, how-tos on a particular authoring tool, and job postings. A few good groups to start with are eLearning Industry,  The eLearning Guild, Chief Learning Officer magazine, Association for Talent Development (ATD), E-Learning 2.0, and The Official Lectora Users’ Group. An eLearning Community Get involved in an eLearning community, like the Trivantis Community. You can ask questions in the community forum, or join discussions that have already started with other eLearning developers. Wondering what other developers are creating lately? Check out what cool stuff they’re sharing in the community. SMEs Make the most of meetings with your subject matter experts (SMEs). Since they’re the ultimate experts on the course content, you’ll save a lot of time by asking questions early in the development process. Find out how to ask the right SME questions in this post: Before the Build: Working with Subject Matter Experts and Asking the Right Questions. Twitter Follow companies, instructional designers, and thought leaders in the eLearning industry on Twitter. These people are constantly sharing the latest articles and news—as it happens. So, if you want to be the first to know, your Twitter feed will keep you informed. A few accounts I follow are @cpappas,  @dpelkins, @eLearningBros, @Lectora, @eLearningCoach, @JaneBozarth, @hjarche, and of course @eLearnIndustry. eLearning Webinars Sign up for some eLearning webinars from the eLearning Guild or Trivantis. Many webinars are recorded and then posted online so that anyone who missed the webinar can see what they missed. You can also check out Rick Zanotti’s eLearn Chat videos to see what top influencers in the eLearning and training industry have to say. Want more eLearning tips like these? Subscribe to the Everything eLearning Blog. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

E-learning - a learning medium that has radically altered the L&D landscape. The online training format has opened new vistas in corporate training, by enabling firms to deliver training, anytime, anywhere, at low cost. Therefore, it did not come as a surprise when Ambient Insight reported that the global market for eLearning solutions has reached a whopping $107 billion, by 2015. How can you make the best use of this immensely popular learning methodology? What does it take to unleash the power of eLearning to deliver top-notch training to your workforce? Well, to find out, download the eBook 116 Proven E-learning Design and Development Tips. This wonderful eBook is the product of 15 years of experience in providing online training solutions. The free resource provides valuable insights into all aspects of eLearning and contains sure-fire tips and tricks of the trade which go long way in harnessing the full potential of the training format. It enables you to do the following and much more. Design first-rate online courses that create learner delight Translate eLearning courses into the native languages of your staff, in an efficient and cost-effective manner Utilize rapid eLearning to develop top-notch courses Unleash the power of the mobile device to impart first-rate training Make the best use of your LMS So, download the eBook now! Related PostsHow to Make Your E-learning Initiative Work5 Important Things To Consider For Creating Good E-learning Course - An InfographicInstructional Design Tips for Product Training Courses

Hey, tech gurus! It’s Tuesday, which means I’m ready to share another segment of "Tech It Up Tuesday", a series devoted to sharing an edtech tool, app, site or other resource that can be utilized in the classroom setting. This week’s feature, the Breaking News Generator, is a quick and simple yet effective interactive resource that will give students the opportunity to create their own version of a screenshot from a newscast in a fun and interactive way. And in just six user friendly steps to be exact. All you have to do is let your group loose on the Classtools.net web site, access the Breaking News Generator and insert the text required on the template shown below: Once the image is generated, users have the following options: Download the png file, snag the URL containing the finished product and/or tweet it out to social media. Check out an example of how the super cool Breaking News Generator can be utilized in a history course to provide factual info about a person or event being studied in class. Seeing is believing, right? Classroom Connection: If you really think about it, the Breaking News Generator can be integrated into the curriculum in a myriad of ways as any topic could be the subject of a newscast—World War II, genetics, a character from a novel in Language Arts or a math theorem to name a few. I know it’s cliche, but the possibilities for using this tool really are endless. Besides requiring students to summarize and share knowledge about a particular theme, it’s an excellent way to incorporate a simple tech tool into a lesson or project. And the best part? There’s more where this one came from! So, if you think the Breaking News Generator is a nifty application, then be sure to check out additional interactive resources on the Classtools.net web site. A shout out to history teacher Russel Tarr for developing and sharing these way cool and very useful applications for educators!

Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Creating Responsive Projects with Adobe Captivate 8 This Adobe Captivate 8 tutorial presents how to preview and publish your courses in Adobe Captivate 8. The post Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Responsive Preview and Publish Options in Adobe Captivate 8 appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

The ultimate goal of an instructional designer is to give a wonderful learning experience to the learner. However, at the end, it only matters what knowledge the learner has acquired from the course and how he is applying it in his daily tasks. E.L. Thorndike, an educational psychologist, has come up with three laws of learning in the 20th century. These laws, when implemented, help learners to learn more effectively. In this blog, I will discuss a few laws that can be applied to eLearning for effective results. Law 1: Willingness A learner would only learn when he is willing to or ready to learn. So, as an instructional designer, it is very important to motivate the learner and create interest in him to take up the course. To achieve this, we need to set clear "learning objectives" which give a clear picture of the course. You can also include "What’s in it for me?", so that the learner can understand what he would gain if he takes up the course. Law 2: Practice  It is a well-known fact that the more you practice the more you remember. A learner remembers more when he practices. We can include "assessments", "quizzes", and "puzzles" to help the learner recall and remember what he has learned. These exercises are a great way to reinforce the learner’s knowledge. When creating such activities, we should make sure that they are aligned with the learning objectives. This also helps assess how far the learner has achieved the objectives. Law 3: Feedback A learner would be more interested if the learning is pleasant and has a positive impact on him. So, it is very essential to provide a positive and motivating feedback to the learner, whenever needed. Giving "rewards" or "certificates" at every level would be very helpful. While providing feedback for assessments or activities, it is very important to clearly explain why the option is correct when the right option is selected and why it is wrong when the wrong option is selected. This helps in reinforcing the learner’s knowledge and motivating him. Law 4: Visualization  Learners tend to remember more when they see than when they hear. Presenting concepts with explanatory images is a great way to make the learner remember the concept. A visually appealing course gives a great learning experience to the learner and helps him retain information for a long period of time. Law 5: Emotion Connecting with a learner at an emotional level would give him a great learning experience. This also helps him remember concepts for a long time. In order to connect with the learner emotionally, we can create "scenarios" that relate to their real life situations. We can also give a situation and ask the learner what he would do if he were in that situation. This kind of activities improves the decision making skills and thinking skills of a learner. By following these laws of learning, you can ensure a good learning experience to your learners. Hope you find this blog informative. Do share your views on this post. Related PostsApplication of Learning Cycle in Designing E-Learning CoursesHow to Create a Customized E-Learning Course? Step 2 - Instructional Design Process4 E-learning Elements to Leave Your Learners Spellbound - An Infographic