Utilizing eLearning In Developing Countries   In recent years, eLearning has been all the rage in western countries such as America, Great Britain, and Canada. It allows working professionals to earn degrees, study on their own schedule, and not have to commute to a far-flung campus for classes or advisory meetings. But now, even relatively undeveloped nations are reaping the benefits of eLearning, and utilizing eLearning in developing countries is becoming increasingly important. Here, we’ll detail some of the reasons eLearning is benefiting these countries, and why we should ensure it continues to do so. Why eLearning? One of the main reasons there are so many benefits in utilizing eLearning in developing countries is that it cuts down on much of the infrastructural costs that deter many students. For instance: Cutting out expenses such as classroom space and textbook rental/purchase makes educational much more affordable to people living in developing countries. The use of eLearning also helps eliminate logistical issues that can occur in these countries, such as poor public transport or a lack of suitable roads entirely. Students can fit in coursework and lectures around their own schedules and work hours, and therefore are not wasting valuable time traveling to and from university, or risking their job and livelihood in order to attend classes. Online education and eLearning not only benefit students, but a country’s economy as a whole. Some of these benefits include: Having a more educated workforce improves a nation’s economy, and also creates a competitive market for foreign investors. Although there is still a cost involved in establishing eLearning capabilities in a developing country, it is not nearly as high as building traditional learning facilities, and often foreign aid from UNESCO and other international NGOs are available to support countries through this process. Case Study: Africa Africa is at the head of the eLearning trend and is showing tremendous leaps in this field. As a whole, the continent is forecasted to have a 15% annual growth rate for the next 4 years. Individual countries, such as Senegal and Zambia, are at the forefront of this growth and expansion: both countries are expected to grow up to 30% in the reach and deployment of eLearning technology. In Somalia, students at the University of Hargeisa can participate in classes at Indiana University through the use of special classrooms and technology provided by the African Virtual University, which has 29 distance learning centers to connect African students with universities around the world. Skype and WhatsApp connect professors and students, and AVU is even working on making lectures available via mobile phones. This kind of development in education and eLearning is welcome news to a region with the lowest university attendance in the world: in sub-Saharan Africa only 6% of school-leavers attend university (as opposed to the worldwide average of 26%). Although there are still some concerns over course completion, as many students do not complete individual modules, let alone entire courses, experts are working to alleviate this concern through finding a balance between online learning and in-person instruction and accountability. Case Study: India Within ever-increasing government support for eLearning, India is fast becoming one of the world’s leaders in this educational arena. Currently estimated at $20 billion, India’s online education market size is set to increase to $40 billion by 2017. Some of the reasons for this exponential growth include: The existing school system: India currently contains over 1 million schools and 18,000 higher education institutions, all of which could benefit from eLearning resources. India’s demographics: over 1.2 billion people live in India, and nearly half fall into the target market for education, eLearning, and other online educational resources. In a country in which roads, transport systems, and wealth vary dramatically by region, eLearning offers a level playing field for all students. Learners in the poorest villages can take advantage of the same educational resources as learners in the most cosmopolitan cities, all thanks to online classes offered at affordable prices. Case Study: Latin America Unfortunately, Latin America is often most known for its drug trade and for being one of the most violent and volatile regions in the world. But eLearning is helping to change all of that through the implementation of online education programs in prisons. Here’s a breakdown of Latin America’s prison problem: Currently, 1.3 million of the world’s 10 million prisoners belong to Latin America. This equates to 229 prisoners per every 100,000 people in the region (the world average is 144 per 100,000). Over the past 20 years, incarceration rates have increased by 120% due to the drug wars during this period, leaving the government with the problem of how to reintegrate this increased number of prisoners into society upon their release. The answer to these issues? Online education. Research has shown that the use of online educational suites that emphasize vocational and technical training have led to a 43% lower chance that inmates return to prison. Inmates in countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Argentina who participated in these programs were also 13% more likely to find a job upon release, another critical factor in successful reintegration into society. Keeping prisoners from reoffending also saves these countries significant amounts of money: indeed, for every $1 spent on online education, the state saves $4-5 as a result. Some Final Reflections As demonstrated, several developing countries around the world are benefiting from the use of eLearning and online education while the rates and the quality of traditional education processes constantly drops down. Not only does eLearning benefit the students, who learn important skills and increase their career potential, but it also helps countries to save money, attract foreign investment, and sustain a healthy economy. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Prezi Video Tutorial: Edit and Present Mode This Prezi Video Tutorial presents the two modes to work with in Prezi, Edit and Present. Watch this video to learn about both modes, so you’ll be ready to present in no time. The post Prezi Video Tutorial: Edit and Present Mode appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

The Importance Of Learning Objects: What eLearning Professionals Need To Know A learning object is defined as "a collection of content items, practice items, and assessment items that are combined based on a single learning objective" [3]. Although the term originates from "object-oriented" programming, its use is completely different in eLearning, and has definitely nothing to do with programming languages and code [2]. eLearning professionals should  think of learning objects as small sharable "knowledge packages" that include all related learning material needed to cover a specific learning objective of the eLearning course. The greatest benefit of working with learning objects is, without any doubt, reusability. As learning objects thoroughly cover a single learning objective in every way, that is information, eLearning activities for practice, and assessment, they consist by definition autonomous learning units that can be used in multiple eLearning courses, as long as the same learning objective needs to be covered. Whether being incorporated into an eLearning course addressing to novices, or presented to advanced learners for revision purposes, they offer eLearning professionals the benefit that they only need to be created once. This has a significant impact on both eLearning development time and budget. Technically speaking, thinking of learning objects as SCORM files seems to be a good practice. In other words, eLearning professionals may consider them as packaged learning resources, each one of which can be uploaded as a single file, aggregating all necessary information to cover a single learning objective of the eLearning course. Although, it is a common practice for learning objects also to include assessment, personally, I wouldn’t recommend it, as I’d rather prefer to keep assessment separately of the eLearning object for reusability purposes. Components Of Learning Objects In Instructional Design For eLearning When working with learning objects, keep in mind that they are composed of the following parts: Title. The title of the learning object to be used should grab learners’ attention from the very beginning. A catchy title will raise learners’ eagerness to learn more about the specific topic under consideration. Subtitle(s). Although not absolutely necessary, it’s a great idea to also add subtitles in your learning objects, as they provide learners with further information about the content of the eLearning session they are going to attend, and they set learners’ expectation of what exactly the eLearning content is going to be about. Learning objective to be covered. Apart from arising attention, it crucial for learners to know in advance what they will be able to achieve at the end of the eLearning course, as well as how this particular learning objective is related to the rest of the eLearning course. Keep in mind that the entire concept of working with learning objects implies that only one learning objective must be presented at a time. However, it’s a good practice to show learners how much of the entire eLearning course they have covered so far, as well as how the particular learning objects fits the "big picture". Overview of eLearning activities. Provide learners with an overview of what exactly will be covered, that is presentation of theory, examples, as well as the corresponding eLearning activities for practice. Finally, it is always a good idea to provide learners with information about the time they will  need to complete the eLearning activity. This is crucial when the eLearning course is also designed with mobile learning in mind. eLearning content. This is the actual eLearning content to be presented to the learners for acquiring the necessary information they need to master in order to proceed to the following topic of the eLearning course. Metadata. This part of information has nothing to do with the learner. Metadata is information of descriptive nature, added to the file for easier retrieval purposes in case of future use. It is a necessary component in case learning object repositories, such as the MERLOT repository of learning objects, are used [1]. All Learning Management Systems used today for eLearning, have some sort of designated resource management area for learning objects, that serves as learning object repository. Last, but not least, learning objects have nothing to do with the instructional design approach to be used, whether behavioral, cognitive, constructivist or mixed, or with the way information and eLearning activities are presented to learners. Their content may range from plain text to online presentation with audio to case studies, interactive branching scenarios and project-based learning through collaborative eLearning activities. Whether in  text or in multimedia format, this makes no difference as long as they cover a single learning objective of the eLearning course. The variety of alternative media they can be presented with, also makes them ideal for adaptive presentation of content in eLearning. 4 Tips To Use Learning Objects In Instructional Design For eLearning Here are some practical tips to follow in order to design and develop effective learning objects. Make them small. Always have in mind that learning objects are reusable online resources. Make them as small as possible in order to be used again and again and to fit a variety of eLearning courses. Making them small and to the point, that is meaningful, also means that it will be easier for learners to assimilate the information presented and stay focused to the intended learning goal. Make the information section either completely context-free or very context-specific. Despite the fact that we all agree on the importance of context in learning, surprisingly enough, there are two approaches you can follow with learning objects. Either make them completely context-free, by isolating the information to be presented from the context to be applied, for reusability purposes, or create multiple versions of the same learning object, each one very context-specific in accordance to the needs of the specific audience you are addressing to. If time and budget allows, I would strongly advise for the second option. Set lower-level learning objects as prerequisites for higher-level ones. Set learning objects of lower-level cognitive processes such as remembering and understanding as prerequisite requirements in order for the eLearning course to allow learners to proceed to other learning objects covering higher-level order skills such as applying, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and creating. This gives learners the opportunity to keep practicing already acquired knowledge and guarantees that they have mastered lower-level learning objectives before proceeding to more advanced ones. Human cognition is a well-structured process, and so your eLearning content should be. Offer variety by creating multiple examples of learning objects for the same learning objective. Developing extra learning objects for the same learning objective to be covered each time you revise your eLearning course may prove to be a good practice. Especially for an instructional design for eLearning based on a cognitive approach, this may be quite helpful as your learners will definitely need extra practice of prerequisite knowledge they should have, in most cases for revision purposes, before being presented with higher-order learning objects. Instead of presenting them with the same eLearning content they have already attended, surprise them and offer them variety. They will really appreciate it and you will enrich you eLearning course in a process of ongoing improvement. Get used to the idea of thinking about you instructional design for eLearning in terms of learning objects. Use the above tips to create effective and reusable eLearning courses, taking advantage of the opportunity to enrich your eLearning course each time you revise it, maximizing at the same time your learners’ satisfaction from their eLearning experience. Want to learn more about different approaches of Instructional Design for eLearning? Do you perceive behaviorism as old-fashioned and by no means applicable in today’s digitalized world? Read the article Behaviorism In Instructional Design For eLearning: When And How To Use to find out all you need to know about behaviorism in instructional design for eLearning, as well as in which cases it may be the most appropriate instructional design approach for your eLearning course. References Cohen, E. B. & Nycz, M. (2006), Learning Objects and E-Learning: an Informing Science Perspective. Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and LearningObjects, 2, 23-34. Retrieved on June 5th, 2015 from: http://www.ijklo.org/Volume2/v2p023-034Cohen32.pdf Nash, S. S. (2005). Learning objects, learning object repositories, and learning theory: Preliminary best practices for online courses. Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects, 1, 217-228. Retrieved on June 5th, 2015 from: http://ijklo.org/Volume1/v1p217-228Nash.pdf Wikipedia (2015), Learning object, Retrieved on June 5th, 2015 from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_object This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Raptivity Video Tutorial: Introduction To Raptivity In this Raptivity Video Tutorial you will learn what Raptivity is, and how it fits into your current elearning courses. The post Raptivity Video Tutorial: Introduction To Raptivity appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

Prezi Video Tutorial: Using The Left Sidebar In this Prezi Video Tutorial you will learn all about what you can do with the left sidebar in Prezi. When you’re creating a prezi, you’ll find yourself using the left sidebar…a lot. The post Prezi Video Tutorial: Using The Left Sidebar appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

Prezi Video Tutorial: Getting To Know The Prezi Editor In this Prezi Video Tutorial you will learn about all of the editor’s features. Once you’re familiar with Prezi’s editor, you’ll be able to create your presentation with ease. The post Prezi Video Tutorial: Getting To Know The Prezi Editor appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

Raptivity Video Tutorial: Online Activation of Raptivity This Raptivity Video Tutorial depicts step by step the online activation process of Raptivity. The post Raptivity Video Tutorial: Online Activation of Raptivity appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

Prezi Video Tutorial: Navigating The Prezi Canvas This Prezi Video Tutorial explains how you can navigate in both Edit and Present mode. Prezi puts you in the driver’s seat as you pan or zoom all around the canvas. The post Prezi Video Tutorial: Navigating The Prezi Canvas appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

Hierarchy Of 5 Key eLearning Challenges  Analyzing our recent consulting projects on optimizing eLearning processes I realized that all of them have some common denominators. eLearning challenges faced by our clients could be brought to several extensive conclusions. Here is some kind of hierarchical approach on taking 5 key eLearning challenges into account while thinking about improving eLearning processes in the organization. Let's take a look at all of these 5 layers in bigger detail: Availability. In every single consulting project we found some business spaces within the organization in which employees (eLearning users) were completely unsatisfied with the availability of eLearning courses. There were many reasons for that; low bandwidth at the ends of the network, lack of constant and easy access to the computer in the workplace, media inadequate to the workplace, etc. Technical availability is the foundation of the eLearning process. If it doesn't work? Well, nothing else is as important. Even the best of breed eLearning courses are useless when learners have a problem with either reaching to them or using them smoothly. Quality. I am not talking about Instructional Design here - in this discussion I take for granted that it is good. Our experience leads us to point out eLearning challenges with much more fundamental understanding of an eLearning course’s quality. Every training process should be founded on accurate, up-to-date information. This information should be consistent among all information channels used within an organization. Every eLearning course should be not only double-checked within the Quality Assurance (QA) process while being created, but also constantly curated while being used. In such learning material there is no place for mistakes, errors, and outdated information. Aesthetics. The biggest problem when talking about aesthetics of eLearning courses is taking into account the personal preferences (subjective judgment) of the project’s sponsors. They used to think that their preferences should be treated as a benchmark for the whole organization; but considering that the target group is huge and not homogeneous, this is of course not right. We try to convince our business partners that it is better to have a visual eLearning design which seems just OK to everybody than to design a learning solution which is loved by one part of the target group and hated by another part. The visual layer of the course should build a positive learning climate reinforcing the process and not distracting learners with unnecessary multimedia elements. Engagement. Many clients narrow their thinking about eLearners’ engagement to providing them with clickable elements (pop-ups, interactive animations), exercises, quizzes, etc.  Some of them think about simple gamification methods like earning points or collect badges during the eLearning process. First of all: These elements should be used deliberately and not mechanically. An eLearning course with 10 interactions is not twice as good as a course with 5 interactions. Interactive elements should be treated as a way of building flow during the eLearning process (see Flow In eLearning: How To Create A Flow In An eLearning Course?), and not only as a kinesthetic way of preventing boredom in an eLearning course. Secondly: eLearners will become more engaged when we propose tasks or challenges to be completed in collaboration or in competition with other learners. Human Touch. The biggest eLearning challenge that we see in every single training process is to transfer declarative competence gained during learning intervention to the workplace. Trainees return from the best workshops or complete excellent eLearning courses and... nothing changes in their professional activities.  There are many reasons for that, but the most important is lack of support. To make an eLearning process successful we have to take care of eLearners. Their supervisors should make a contract with them. Such a contract should emphasize the importance of eLearning intervention; show that the manager will not only demand new behaviors on the job, but also will support eLearners in improving them. eLearning facilitators (remote trainers) should also help eLearners to reach their learning goals. Summary Availability is the most important issue in eLearning process; if it fails, everything goes wrong. When you are sure that your eLearning course is fully available, you have to double-check for errors. Aesthetics are important when you secure both availability and accurateness of your eLearning course. Interactive elements (both inside and outside of the eLearning course) influence engagement of eLearners. If you want to create an effective eLearning course, you have to support your learners. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Prezi Video Tutorial: Using Templates In Prezi This Prezi Video Tutorial presents Prezi templates. Prezi has an array of uniquely designed templates that are designed to help you organize your presentation. Which template are you going to choose? The post Prezi Video Tutorial: Using Templates In Prezi appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.