As a training manager, you want your employee training and development initiatives to be a success. But, to get a favorable response for your training program, you need to identify the training needs and a right training program that builds the skills/competencies of your employees. But, what is the crux of a perfect training program? How can you bridge the gap between the expected performance and current performance of your employees? These gaps can be bridged by a thorough training needs analysis. But why is it important? Well, it is the first step in the development of a training plan. Training needs analysis helps in identifying the key areas that require training and also empowers employees to acquire new skills at a faster pace. But, the question is - how to conduct training needs analysis? Well, here is an info-graphic which shares some tips to conduct a training need analysis. Hope you find this info-graphic informative. Do share your views. Related Posts4 Tips for Developing E-learning Course Using Rapid Authoring ToolsTips for Conducting Effective Training Needs AnalysisBridging the Gap between Learning and Performance!

Free Webinar: 6 Trends in E-learning Design and Development You Need to Know Do you know that many leading organizations no longer use traditional eLearning courses? Do you know that the field of eLearning design and development is undergoing a sea change? Do you wish to learn about the latest developments in the eLearning world? Then, join us in the live webinar "6 Trends in E-learning Design and Development You Need to Know." The webinar will provide valuable insights into the following. Influence of technological developments on the eLearning design and development process Changes in the storyboarding process Authoring tools that are widely used Changes in the anatomy and physiology of eLearning courses Impact of responsive eLearning courses on instructional design strategies Register for this free webinar now: http://bit.ly/1GogR49 The webinar will provide a comprehensive understanding of the recent developments in the field of eLearning that go a long way in delivering highly effective and engaging training online. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

LMS to Improve and Employee Engagement and Performance Find out how to improve employees performance and engagement by using a learning management solution from Lambda Solutions. The post LMS to Improve and Employee Engagement and Performance appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

Authoring Tools Developments And Trends  If you’re overwhelmed by the choice of authoring tools on offer you’re not alone. Your options when looking for some advice on which tool to choose are limited to reviews of the first release evolves of major applications or more generalized guidelines on different types of authoring tools. When you’re busy building effective eLearning it’s hard to keep up with the incremental changes that add up to create important new capabilities in various software, especially if you have your own favorite or a client requires you to work with a single program. We’re going to look at the very latest updates to the most popular packages and tease out some trends that point towards where authoring tool development is heading, so you can make an informed decision for your next project. Articulate Storyline 2 Storyline is one of the most popular authoring tools in the eLearning developer’s arsenal. Version 2 was released in September 2014, and May 2015 saw the fifth update which introduced several new features focused on accessibility. One of the most common requests eLearning developers hear is for editable content, so one thing to be aware of, if your client uses Storyline 1, is that it can’t open and edit courses created or upgraded with Storyline 2. Articulate has been improving the course upgrade workflow in each update, making it easier to move your Storyline 1 modules to the new platform, but anyone wanting to edit the upgraded files will need the latest software. Articulate Storyline 2 Key updates Cross Platform tablet support (Android, iPad and HTML5-friendly output) Interactive Sliders Motion Path support More animations and transitions New triggers Updated text editor with enhanced font support Enhanced web objects - layer your content over web objects More control of video compression Better accessibility control - better support for screen readers in particular Enhanced productivity controls - redesigned UI with added tools Easily import resources - including templates, content, and questions Lectora Publisher 12 Lectora has been popular with developers who need to offer accessible content across a variety of platforms, and the latest updates have built on these features. December 2014 saw the release of Lectora Publisher 12 and Trivantis has followed up with 12.1 in April 2015 with some extra features, including integrating feedback through ReviewLink 2.0. Lectora Publisher 12 Key updates Offline publishing options Improved image editing and handling Improved text editing Better handling of web window and social media objects Integrated feedback through the responsive ReviewLink 2.0 system New web-based run and preview modes More accessible lists with added styling Access to the latest Camtasia 8.4 screen capture tool Adobe Captivate 8 The last major revision of Adobe’s popular Captivate tool saw the introduction of responsive output, by allowing you to create three different views of your module so that you can deploy the same content to mobile, tablet, and desktop. Since Captivate 8’s release in May 2014, there have been several updates building on the new capabilities; most recently with the October 2014 release, Adobe having added the ability to publish the module as an app from within Captivate. Adobe Captivate 8 Key updates Responsive authoring Gesture support Use device specific capabilities like GPS Responsive screen capture Native support for HTML5 objects Native app publisher for iOS and Android Adapt 1.1 The open source, responsive framework for developing multi-device eLearning saw its first authoring tool released in April 2015. Adapt Authoring Tool 0.1.0 still requires some technical input to install, but it supports many features that will help Learning & Development developers create and update their courses. Adapt 1.1 features of the first release  Fully featured online Adapt content authoring Preview your work as you make changes Upload and use your own custom Adapt plug-ins within the tool Use a variety of custom menu types and themes Support for duplicating content within a course, and creating copies of your courses Media management using a cross-course repository Publish your content as a SCORM 1.2 package, or as non-tracked web content One advantage of an open source project like Adapt is the community of developers constantly working to update the tool's core functions and create plug-ins to support more features in between the major updates. Adapt differs to other options by being built from the ground up as a tool for creating responsive content, with the core functions allowing you to add many standard course elements and the plug-in friendly structure allowing many more possibilities when necessary. The next milestone for the project will be Version 2 of the underlying responsive framework; it’s scheduled for release soon, and it will include improvements to accessibility, native support of right to left languages, and several updates allowing more question layouts. Authoring Tools Trends Responsive design incorporating HTML5 is clearly one of the key features of the major options for eLearning authoring. The blended learning approach is here to stay and the improvements and optimizations that software providers are introducing ensures that content for mobile learners will be easier to create than ever. Accessibility is increasingly important, as it’s something that all eLearning designers should be aware of, and by incorporating the WCAG 2.0 standards into the tools they are using it can only help keep it at the forefront the development process. Flexibility (beyond responsive delivery of the final module): Every tool provider is making steps to create a development environment that is as flexible as possible. From allowing users to re-arrange the layout of the tools UI to exporting the modules in a variety of formats, and even as finished mobile apps. The tools are becoming more and more versatile. What’s clear when looking at the various innovations and incremental improvements across the industry is that competition is helping drive progress in all areas. Most eLearning developers will have a good working knowledge of a range of these authoring tools, and, with the various strengths and unique qualities of each, this will give them an even better chance of offering the best possible eLearning for their audience. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers - Seth Godin Every client expects a good quality eLearning course. Quality is all about meeting customer needs. Customers expect their course to be designed in a quick and cost-effective way. It is an instructional designer’s challenge to satisfy the needs of the customer. If the course doesn’t reach the expectations of the customer, the instructional designer should modify the course, and it results in wastage of time and money. To avoid this, you need to develop a prototype. Prototype is like a sample of the course which can be manipulated according to the needs of the customer. It is a good practice to send the prototype to the customer and get his approval, before proceeding with the development of your online course. This goes a long way in avoiding rework. Here is an info-graphic which shares a few advantages of creating a prototype of an eLearning course. Hope you find this post informative. Please do share your valuable views. Related PostsPrototypes in E-learning - An InfographicBenefits of Using a Prototype in E-learning Development - An Infographic5 Ways to Make E-learning Interesting - An Infographic

Considerations When Choosing a Learning Management System We discuss some of the most pertinent features enterprise-level clients look for in a Learning Management System. Organizations that start using a learning management solution see an increase in course participation, are more effective in managing training delivery of online courses, as well as informal face 2 face learning. Features such as competency management, compliance learning, succession planning, and performance management should be at the centre of any learning management solution. We’ll also look at features such as online course management, quiz and course administration which meet the needs of higher education and technical trainers. The post Considerations When Choosing a Learning Management System appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

What is Personalized eLearning? The concept of "Personalization" can easily be understood from taking a closer look at some of the existing digital technologies that all of us use. For instance, from the browser that you use to roam the Internet, to the email and messaging systems that you use to stay connected with friends and family, to the digital boxes you use to watch TV shows and movies online - they all offer personalization and customization options. However, when it comes to eLearning systems, "personalization" takes on a whole new meaning. Personalized eLearning is the act of customizing: The learning environment (e.g. how the content appears to the learner - font sizes, colors, backgrounds, themes etc.) The learning content itself (e.g. audio, video, textual, graphical etc.) The interaction between facilitator, student and the learning content (e.g. mouse, stylus, tap/swipe, keyboard; e.g. using "Gaming", Quizzes, Online discussions, Demonstrate-do-check-reinforce, Adaptive learning approaches, Tutorials) So what does Personalized eLearning mean? Well, as it relates to eLearning, personalization involves not only providing the ability to customize the learning environment, similar to the "preferences" and "settings" options that most digital tools offer today; but also personalizing many other aspects of the entire learning experience. Personalized eLearning therefore encompasses the ability to customize aspects such as: What content should be delivered as part of the learning experience. How the content should be delivered. The sequence of its delivery. How students will be evaluated. What feedback mechanisms will be offered. ...and much more. While traditional eLearning was an extension to symmetric learning approaches, personalized eLearning espouses a marked shift from "facilitator lead' teaching to "learner centric" learning. Where conventional eLearning tends to treat learners as a homogeneous entity, personalized eLearning digresses from that path by recognizing learners as heterogeneous mix of individuals. Ways To Personalize eLearning In their paper, titled Personal Learning Environments: Challenging the dominant design of educational systems, authors Prof Scott Wilson, Oleg Liber, Mark Johnson, Phil Beauvoir, Paul Sharples,  and Colin Milligan suggest that current eLearning environments aren't "... supportive of lifelong learning or personalization."  Educators therefore need to re-evaluate current eLearning courses to find ways to personalize them. So what can instructional designers do to personalize eLearning experiences? As noted previously, there are multiple factors that impact students' ability to learn, including age, demographics, cultural background and the level of education, to name a few. All of these play an important role in determining how eLearning personalization should be approached.  Some points that should be taken into consideration when deciding to personalize an eLearning experience include: Personalize the learner. Make the course "personal" to the learner. Capture his/her name as part of the registration process, rather than using a generic "Student A." Ask your learners to sign on with their name, and then use the name throughout the course (e.g. "Welcome, Adam! or "Well done, Jill...you've cleared Level II!") Personalize the environment. Let learners determine what their online eLearning environments should look like. Let students pick avatars to represent either themselves or their "facilitators." Where possible, let the learners pick voices (male/female) for audio content Personalize the content. Whenever possible, incorporate content from learners’ personal environment and reflect  learners’ browsing habits and preferences - such as Blogs, Social Media sites or other relevant content sources Personalize the roles with the use of photographs and pictures. Throughout the lesson, use a photograph of the instructor or even ask your learners to add their own photo to make the content more "personal." Personalizing learning objectives. Enable learners to make the learning objectives relevant to why they are taking the course. For example, if the goal is to move from Supervisor to Manager, then learning objectives must reinforce that goal. Personalizing learning sequences. Students should be able to chart their own learning path.  Creating "nonlinear" content allows learners to pick and choose how they will learn. Personalize the "conversation". Whether it is voice/video, or just text, using phrases like "Now,  let's click 'Done' to end this segment", instead of "Click done to end," will make the content more personalized.  Furthermore,  "Now, click 'Done' to end this segment, Jill", is even more personalized than the previous two examples Personalize the navigation. Foster "inquisitiveness" by allowing learners to explore various parts of the content, even if they aren't currently or actively studying/learning it. This will allow eager learners to explore segments they find personally interesting - just like they would do if they were reading a text book Recognize individual competency. Allow learners to skip certain segments of a course (perhaps by directly going to the "Test your knowledge" section) and start learning the areas they feel they need to learn - instead of forcing them to learn what they already know Personalize the media. Some learners learn quickly if they watch a short video, others need to read a printed PDF file rather than viewing the same document online. Giving choices such as "View", "Listen" or "Print" will tap into each learner’s individual learning styles and preferences. When harmonized together, all aspects mentioned above will create a truly Personal Learning Environment (PLE) that will empower learners to manage and control their own learning. Summary Personalized eLearning is essential because each student learns differently. As a result, in order to be effective, the personalization must take into account each individual's needs, requirements, learning objectives, skill level and learning abilities. The personalization process should also use a progress monitoring mechanism to validate whether the personalization is delivering effective results. If not, appropriate revisions must be made to course delivery (e.g. change content from text-based to video/audio content ,etc.) in order to achieve the desired learning outcomes. If you want to learn about designing instructionally sound eLearning courses, please check out the Instructional Design for ELearning: Essential guide to creating successful eLearning courses book. This book is also available in Spanish http://amzn.to/1ur9Fiu This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

An eLearning course does not become successful just by publishing and sending it to the client. Itssuccess depends on how well the learning has reached the target audiences and how well they are applying this knowledge in their day-to-day activities.So, it is essential to use some strategies that make your learners remember the information for a longer period. Here are a few strategies to help your learners. 1. Chunk the Content: For instance, have a look at the above screenshot. This heavy text on the screen may overwhelm the learners. Most of the learners would avoid reading the information.The rest, even if they read it, would find it difficult to understand and remember.  To help the learners understand and remember the information, chunking is the key. Break the heavy text into small, meaningful chunks so that it is easy to grasp. 2. Represent Visually: A picture is worth a thousand words. This is absolutely true for eLearning. Images give a clear understanding of the concept at a glance. A learner can reinforce the information just by remembering the image.So, it is essential to select the images that are relevant and effective. For example, have a look at the screenshot given below. The selection of plant location depends on three natural resources and the image gives a clear explanation about it. 3. Make use of Mnemonics: As a kid, I always had a problem in remembering the planets’ names in order. One day, my teacher taught me by using this mnemonic "My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets" which then helped me remember the planets in order easily. In the same way, mnemonics serve as a very effective instructional strategy in eLearning. They help the learner retain information for a long time. Make sure that the mnemonics are apt and clear when using them in eLearning courses. The following screen shot is an example of a mnemonic that we have used to teach goal setting (SMART goals) in one of our courses. These three strategies help your learners remember more. I hope you find this blog informative. Please do share your views on it. Related PostsMature, Commanding or Bubbly? How to Choose Right Narrator for Your E-learning Project?5 Ways to Make E-learning Interesting - An InfographicE-learning Course for Novice Learners: 5 Tips for Design Strategy

Lectora Inspire V11 Tutorial: Using Chapters, Sections and Pages in Lectora Inspire V11 This Lectora Inspire V11 Tutorial presents how to build your e-Learning course’s structure using chapters, sections and pages in Lectora Inspire V11 e-Learning software. Make organizing your online training course a cinch. The post Lectora Inspire V11 Tutorial: Using Chapters, Sections and Pages in Lectora Inspire V11 appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

Using eLearning Templates: Top 9 Benefits For eLearning Professionals We can all agree that a common worry of all eLearning professionals is to create highly engaging, interactive eLearning content and activities for their learners. On top of that, saving eLearning course development time, reducing costs, and dealing with multiple members of the eLearning team with different levels of expertise are only some of the hassles that affect eLearning professionals every day. Dealing with all these problems at the same time may sound overwhelming, but eLearning templates seem to be the lifesaver eLearning professionals need. It's a common secret for everyone involved in the process of eLearning design and development that the quickest and easiest way to create eLearning content is through the use of ready-made eLearning templates. This occurs because, in most cases, eLearning templates serve as blueprints on how to build eLearning content in order for eLearning professionals to develop eLearning deliverables that are effective, look professional, while at the same time they engage the audience by providing lots of opportunities for interaction with the eLearning content. In this article, I'll discuss the top 9 benefits of using eLearning templates all eLearning professionals should be aware of. eLearning Templates save development time. Using eLearning templates make it faster and easier for you to create eLearning courses, because they eliminate the need to develop eLearning from scratch. The eLearning content instructional designers receive, has often common elements such as definitions, procedures, and specific presentation patterns; therefore, developing fixed eLearning templates that contain these elements, eliminates the need to develop them from the very beginning every time you need to present the same type of eLearning activity. Having ready-made eLearning templates means that you can produce eLearning courses in significantly less time it would originally take you to develop your eLearning course. This is due to the fact that eLearning templates consist of a series of slides, rather than a single one. However, there is one main slide, the "Master Slide" that serves as the basic layout which provides uniformity in terms of colors, structure and navigation options. Making changes to the Master slide automatically updates all the rest of interconnected slides as well. By selecting the appropriate eLearning Master template and the respective interactive slides that accompany it allows eLearning professionals to focus more on the eLearning content itself, rather on how to make technical arrangements with respect to how the eLearning content will appear on screen. eLearning Templates significantly reduce development cost. Standardization of components enables you to reuse the same eLearning templates as many times as you want, reducing development costs. Also, consider visiting any of the eLearning template libraries available online, where you can choose from a wide variety of template layouts, such as games, interactive scenarios, etc. This can significantly reduce you production cost. eLearning Templates are easy to use. eLearning templates make it possible for any eLearning professional to design eLearning content by having access to online libraries of free eLearning templates and thus being able to choose from a diverse set of preconfigured interactions, without needing to program or design anything. With respect to the look and feel of the eLearning template, the infinite collection of unique and ready-to-use designs, patterns, layouts, sizes, etc, that are available on the internet are just a click away, and their application is not only easy, but also a fun way to experiment as you have a variety of different options to choose from. You can either make your choice from the countless resources available on the web, or you can download an authoring tool that will help you develop your own customized templates, exactly as you like it. Customized, reusable eLearning templates meet your design needs, from image size requirements to interactivity. You just have to import your eLearning content by copying and pasting it in the eLearning template or by a simple drag and drop move. eLearning Templates provide opportunities of interaction and engagement. eLearning templates enable you to create different page layouts to meet the different needs of your audience. While the look and feel of the eLearning courses remain the same, customized templates motivate learners to take up the eLearning course, because they have been designed to offer variety in order to meet the needs and preferences of different types of learners. As no eLearning template is the same with another, this decreases the likelihood that learners get bored. In addition, the integrated features they offer, give eLearning professionals the opportunity to make minimum changes by simply customizing the eLearning template to the training needs of their organizations. In addition, the fact that all available eLearning authoring tools offer an integrated audio recording tool extends the potential of eLearning templates and makes the life of eLearning professionals easier. This integrated audio recording tool, combined with the extensive use of multimedia features and graphs eLearning templates include, gives eLearning professionals the opportunity to provide their audience both with visual and auditory eLearning content, which has been proved to have a positive effect on learning. eLearning Templates enable course overview in a single slide. Another great benefit eLearning templates offer is the use of a single slide, as a point of reference for the entire eLearning course. In contrast to static templates, eLearning templates enable learners to learn more about each option offered in the eLearning course without getting transferred to a distinct location. The new information appears as a component of the big picture; as a piece of puzzle that comes to fill in specific knowledge gaps of the learners.Throughout the learning process, learners are always aware of where they stand in terms of the entire eLearning material, what they have covered so far, and what is still missing. By having in front of them an overview of the eLearning course, they get a better understanding of how concepts are interrelated and why they are asked to learn each particular piece of new information. In addition, they are able to better connect this new material with previous knowledge or what they have learned from the eLearning course so far, as they create "mental associations" that not only facilitate the assimilation process of the eLearning content, but also the process of retrieving relevant parts of the information later on, when needed, which increases knowledge retention. From an eLearning professional point of view, the use of eLearning templates as a single point of reference of how various eLearning content elements are interrelated, allows them to organize the information in a meaningful way. eLearning Templates provide consistency. Designing and developing an eLearning course is a team work and usually every member of the group has different taste and preferences with respect to how the eLearning template should look like. This may cause an inconsistency in terms of presentation, which sometimes proves to be quite problematic. Uniformity is a vital part of any eLearning course that helps learners not to doubt about how to navigate within it. eLearning templates increase consistency regarding the look and feel of your eLearning course by providing standardized pre-defined colors, fonts, logos, sizes and layout, all of which result in a high quality eLearning course. Furthermore, using a customized template that has been created exclusively for your company reflects your brand more effectively. eLearning Templates increase flexibility. How many times have you postponed completing the design of your eLearning course while trying to figure out how to place the different elements of your eLearning content and visuals? The huge amount of resources available enables you to choose a ready-made eLearning template or to design a customized one of your own. By choosing from the several eLearning authoring tools available, you have absolute control and unlimited possibilities over the ways you can adapt your eLearning content in order to meet different needs of the audience. All you have to do is organize everything according to the eLearning template you choose. This means that you have absolute freedom to develop your eLearning course in the form you like it best. Accessing eLearning templates libraries offers any eLearning professional tremendous flexibility, as they are able to choose from a very diverse set of preconfigured interactions. After you decide which eLearning template to use, you have immediate control over the look and feel of the output of the eLearning course by designing the page the way you like it, format it as required and add any media type, such as animations, videos, images and tables within the eLearning course page. eLearning Templates give you the opportunity to focus on the eLearning content. eLearning templates offer you the opportunity to be sure that the way you present the information of your eLearning content is effective, as most templates have been tested before, so they are based on solid instructional design models and theories and eLearning best practices. No matter how enthusiastic or creative an eLearning professional may be, sometimes he or she may find it difficult to come up with new ideas for presenting the eLearning content. All you need to do to make your eLearning courses look professional and unique is simply choose the eLearning template that suits you best. eLearning Templates are bug-free. With eLearning templates you don't have to worry that an annoying software malfunction in the eLearning template you use may totally ruin your eLearning course. Ready-made eLearning templates have passed through various tests in different eLearning platforms before they are released in order to eliminate programming bugs and ensure software consistency. This secure framework in which eLearning templates work make them even more powerful tools, fact that largely reduces the stress levels of novice eLearning professionals and makes them feel more confident when experimenting at the development phase of their eLearning deliverable. 5 Tips For Choosing eLearning Templates Some tips to be used when choosing eLearning templates are the following: Never use eLearning templates that are too complicated in terms of structure or navigation. As a rule-of-thumb the most effective eLearning templates are the ones that include three to four interactive options. Also, prefer eLearning Templates that learners will find easy to navigate in. Check the flow behind eLearning templates. This has to do with how the Master slide is interrelated to the rest of slides. Is it the type of flow you really need? Is it too complicated? Check the respective authoring tool’s options and decide upon the degree of linearity or free navigation control level you will allow the learners. Prefer eLearning templates that offer integrated feedback sections. Give learners the opportunity to learn from their own mistakes by following a learning-by-doing approach. Always provide feedback for each alternative option. Explain why an answer is correct or incorrect or the consequences of the option selected by a learner. Promote branching scenarios by challenging learners to make decisions in order to proceed to the next step. Also challenge them to navigate through alternative options in order to examine "what-if" scenarios. Before choosing multimedia eLearning templates, make sure you have all the assets you need. Unless, for example, you have a professional video to upload, do not opt for an eLearning template that is based on video projection. The same applies to graphics. Also, take into account time and budget constraints. Never choose eLearning templates just for the sake of interactivity if they do not meet the requirements of your eLearning course. Always try to keep in mind that the ultimate goal when choosing eLearning templates is to create eLearning content of value that meets the learning objectives of the eLearning course. Using ready-made and/or customizable eLearning templates greatly improves your productivity and enhances the overall quality of your eLearning courses. Without any doubt, eLearning templates are quite useful in the hands of all eLearning professionals, no matter how much experience they have, as they consist the quickest, the safest and perhaps, the most effective to develop high quality eLearning courses. If you would like to wrap up your eLearning templates with attracting descriptions on the eLearning courses you have created, read the article 7 Tips To Develop Attention Grabbing eLearning Course Descriptions to learn some very useful tips on how to emphasize on the real world benefits and applications of your eLearning course. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.