For well over a decade the Sharable Content Object Reference Model, or SCORM as it’s affectionately known, has been the standard for tracking eLearning. SCORM is established and trusted but limited, which has given rise to a new standard, Experience API or Tin Can API (The name depends on who you ask, but refers to the same thing). While very similar in function, it is important to note that Tin Can API is not SCORM with a new name, nor is Tin Can simply an upgrade. Tin Can API changes the fundamental way in which learning data is recorded, stored, and used. However, before we talk about what makes Tin Can different from SCORM, let’s quickly recap what we these standards are. SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) is a set of technical specifications and guidelines designed to create a standard for which course creators and learning management systems can communicate. SCORM reports Meta level data about track completion, time, pass/fail, and a single score. To learn more feel free to read the overview (http://adlnet.gov/adl-research/scorm/) by SCORM’s creator Advanced Distribution Learning. Experience API/Tin Can API is a set of guidelines for a system which generates an activity statement for learning. The statement is written in format and can be applied to any type of learning, such as "I read InfoPro’s description on xAPI". The statements are stored in a Learning Record Store (LRS) which is interoperable and can share that information with a Learning Management System (LMS), another LRS, or a third party reporting system. ADL provides an overview (http://adlnet.gov/adl-research/performance-tracking-analysis/experience-api/) as well as background and technical specifications. Now, both Tin Can and SCORM are methods for recording data but Tin Can differs greatly in 4 areas. 1. Data Collection: Type and Method Tin Can collects the same information as SCORM, and then so much more. SCORM was designed to communicate only metadata about if the course was opened, if it was finished, and a single test score. Tin Can collects this data as well as any other piece of information desired. Tin Can is capable of this not because it’s an upgraded SCORM but because Tin Can’s activity statement system a completely different method of recording learning information. 2. Learning Record Stores Coupled with the Activity statement methodology of recording learning, where Tin Can sends the information greatly differs from SCORM. Instead of sending collected information straight to an LMS as SCORM does, Tin Can sends information to a Learning Record Store (LRS), a database of activity statements. That information then can be shared with an LMS for integration much the same as SCORM, or sent to another LRS to share worker information across organizations, or with a third party analysis tool. This fundamental shift in where the information is stored makes a huge difference and frees the learning information for new uses. 3. Interoperability Another major distinction between SCORM and Tin Can is their ability to work in various capacities. SCORM was developed with the intent of Web Based Training , in a controlled environment, and because of this struggles to work with mobile learning and new technologies. Today’s learning world involves desktops, tablets, phones, simulators and more, each running their own operating system. The interoperability of Tin Can is completely different from SCORM because Tin Can is system agnostic. It doesn’t matter what the system, Tin Can simply records an activity statement and sends it to an LRS. 4. On the Job Learning, and other informal learning Finally, the fundamental shift in how Tin Can records learning opens up a new possibility of recording on the job and informal training. SCORM reports if a learner takes an online course assigned by a LMS , limiting the system to formal Web based training, whereas Tin Can records any type of activity statement. Attending a lecture, writing a grant proposal, reading a business book, and any other learning action can be added to the learning record store producing a complete picture of learning; formal, on the job, and from peers. Tin Can is more than SCORM’s update, it is a paradigm shift in learning management unlocking the possibility to harness data. Instead of trying to make decisions based upon only a couple data points, Tin Can empowers well informed decision making, and that, is why Tin Can is so much more than a new SCORM. About the author:Marketing Coordinator for the US, Robert focuses on exploring and creating impactful material. He has a passion for researching and sharing L&D topics, with a particular interest in learning strategy, mobile technology and anything innovative that changes the way we think about learning. The post 4 Reasons Tin Can API (xAPI) Is NOT Just a New Version of SCORM appeared first on .

Executive Presence by Sylvia Ann Hewlett is a guide for leaders seeking to achieve the top level of success in their respective fields. While actual talent, training, and proven abilities are important factors in whether someone is successful or not, there are also some intangible qualities that all people who have achieved success have managed to perfect. These qualities are just as essential to master, yet many people are oblivious to their importance. Executive presence (EP) is the unknown quality that some people appear to have and others do not. Luckily, most of the elements of EP can be learned. The three main pillars of executive presence are: Gravitas: All aspects of a person’s behavior. Leaders with strong gravitas exude confidence, decisiveness, integrity, emotional intelligence, reputation, and vision. Communication: How a person talks, including formal presentation skills. Top communication traits include superior speaking skills, the ability to command a room, forcefulness, the ability to read people, a sense of humor, and body language. Appearance: How a person looks. It is important for leaders to be well groomed, be physically fit, and wear simple, stylish clothing. To learn more, please visit http://www.bizsum.com

Many professionals will tell you to avoid humor when designing your eLearning course, as it is a delicate matter: What a learner may find hilarious, another might find upsetting or even deeply offensive. However, there are so many proven benefits of adding a few funny elements to your eLearning projects, that giving it a try is certainly worth it. In this article, I will show you how to use humor to make your eLearning courses more engaging and memorable, without jeopardizing their quality. Let’s say you found the perfect way to use humor in your eLearning courses. But how about your stakeholders? What happens if you suggest using a little bit of humor and your client or Subject Matter Expert replies "This course is no laughing matter"? Well, to persuade them about your idea you can always point out the many benefits of using humor in eLearning. Here are some strong arguments you can use to convince them: 1. Humor is engaging. A healthy, positive sense of humor engages your audience, as it keeps their attention, helps them relax, and makes them more open to the eLearning course material. 2. Humor humanizes. Funny elements remind your learners that there are people behind this eLearning course, not robots. 3. Humor boosts both motivation and memory retention. And this is strict science: Comedy activates the release of dopamine in the brain, and high dopamine levels increase motivation and enhance activity in the long-term memory. 4. Humor increases productivity. The more upbeat your learners will feel, the more passion they will develop for what they are learning. Of course, to reap these benefits you need to use humor effectively; there is a very fine line between a funny eLearning course and an offensive eLearning course. In this article, I’ll share all the dos and don’ts of using humor in eLearning, so that you can make sure that the elements of fun and laughter you are adding to your eLearning course help you create truly engaging, inspiring, and memorable eLearning experiences. 5 Effective Ways To Use Humor In eLearning 1. Know your audience. Being professional with your humor is mandatory. The purpose of your eLearning course is to educate, not entertain; thus elements of humor should be only used to enhance the learning process. To ensure you are appropriate and to the point, get to now your audience before you even begin thinking about jokes. What are their ages and their professional / educational backgrounds? What are the subjects they are interested in? The more you know about your audience, the more you can relate to them and the more successful your parodies and puns will be. Also, make absolutely sure that you keep your humor directly connected to the eLearning content; humor that has nothing to do with your eLearning course content simply distracts learners from the subject matter and hinders learning. 2. Pay attention to details. Details make people connect with a story. They also entice your learners and keep them interested, as generalizations are rarely engaging or amusing. 3. Know where to use humor throughout the eLearning course. There are some points in your eLearning course where humor is more effective and its integration becomes more powerful and meaningful. For instance, as humor relieves tension, adding funny elements to a test, after an online assignment, or before an important exam could provide a brief break and reduce stress. 4. Keep jokes relevant. Humor can be a very valuable learning tool, as long as it is relevant to your eLearning course. If your jokes don’t relate to the topic, no matter how funny they are, your learners will remember the laugh, but not what they should be learning. 5. Ask for a second opinion. If you are not 100% sure that your jokes support their true purpose, ask a friend or preferably a trusted colleague for their honest opinion. If they tell you that your funny elements aren’t truly funny or, worse, they’re offensive, don’t risk including them into your eLearning course. What To Avoid When Using Humor In eLearning 1. Don’t be inappropriate. Humor is very subjective, so be very careful when using it. For example, consider avoiding it when dealing with business etiquette rules or workplace safety issues. 2. Don’t be offensive. Being aware of cultural differences is key when using humor in eLearning, as relying on common perceptions of stereotypes may prove to be a fatal mistake. This is especially important when localizing your eLearning courses, where different cultures among learners can make a humorous example very offensive in some parts of the world. 3. Don’t repeat yourself. You know what’s funny? Original jokes. Hearing the same joke twice is never funny, especially when it’s not hilarious in the first place. Avoid repeating yourself and think of alternative "gags" when your learners need to retake an online module. 4. Don’t overdo it. Overusing humor in your eLearning course will not only distract your learners and make them lose focus on your eLearning course objectives, but also make you seem unprofessional. Forcing a sense of humor, not being selective with jokes, and bombarding your audience with funny elements will only make your deliverable annoying, so make sure that you are being selective when you come up with something that sounds funny. Now that you know how to use humor in eLearning, you may be interested in learning another way to make sure that your online learners find your next eLearning course interesting, inspiring, and highly engaging. Read the article 11 Tips To Encourage Positive Attitude In eLearning and discover how encouraging positive attitudes increase the motivation levels of your audience, as it helps them focus and absorb information quicker and more effectively than any other technique! The post Using Humor In eLearning: What To Do And What To Avoid appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

In our previous installment of this series we suggested 6 of the most essential tools for online employee training, focusing mainly on the kind of tools that you’ll need for content creation-related tasks. In this post we’ll suggest tools that can help you with designing and managing your courses. 7. Excel Excel as a tool for online training you might ask? Well, while Excel excels (pun intended) in accounting and business finance tasks, it’s also a great all around solution for all kinds of list-keeping, statistical calculation, numeric analysis and all kinds of information organization. It might not be as good as a database (such as MS Access or SQL Server) or a statistics package (such as SPSS) for some of these tasks, but it’s good enough, way more intuitive to use, and very easy to begin with. What’s not to like? So, what would Excel be useful for in your case? Well, reporting for one. While TalentLMS comes with great reporting facilities out of the box, and you can built your own specialized ones, Excel allows you to really go to town with analyzing your data. Using its powerful built-in functions and plethora of available plot types, you can easily create different reports and visualizations and highlight different trends. In a larger enterprise setting, having your training data in Excel format will come handy when you need to share them with your management, marketing or accounting teams, who in most probability, are heavy spreadsheet users. But how do you do get your LMS data into Excel in the first place? Thankfully, TalentLMS designers have already thought of that, and have made almost any kind of listing in your LMS -whether it is user information, grades, course attendances, or any other training related information- available for export in an Excel compatible format. In smaller organizations, where fewer people are responsible for all aspects of the training program, including budgeting, Excel can help you track down training-related expenses, course effectiveness (e.g. by tracking grades vs other job performance metrics), and even organize time schedules (for instructor shifts, ILT courses, etc.). It’s also an invaluable finance tool for businesses that sell eLearning courses, but of course you already knew that. Excel comes as part of the MS Office suite, which, depending on where you live, can be quite expensive, going for around $229.99 as an one time purchase or $6.99 per month as part of a subscription to Microsoft’s Office 365 program. There are however several alternatives that are (almost) just as capable, including Apple’s Numbers for OS X ($9.99), Google’s web-based Sheets (free), and the Calc spreadsheet that’s part of the open source Apache OpenOffice suite. 8. Mind Mapping In the previous installment we’ve covered several programs to help you write your course and embellish it with multimedia. But what about designing it in the first place? The brainstorming and organizing part — coming up with ideas for a course, determining the correct order to present your material, thinking of what to include and what not to include, can be just as hard as actually getting down to write it. Thankfully, there are several classes of applications available that can help you with these tasks. Some of the most effective programs for that are the so-called "mind mapping" applications, which are tools to help you dump your raw brain contents, to organize them in the way that makes most sense, and to facilitate mental associations that will help you expand your ideas. Mind mapping applications are based on a form of conceptual diagrams ("mind maps") that begin with a single core concept and expand to associated ideas and concepts, which themselves can branch out to secondary ideas and so on. Mind maps are especially effective in generating, visualizing and structuring ideas, and have been used since the seventies to aid in information organization, problem solving and creative writing. Today you can find tons of mind mapping applications for all major computing platforms (including iOS and Android). For Windows, there’s the excellent Xmind (which is also available for OS X and Linux versions) and SimpleMind. For OS X, we suggest MindNode Pro and iThoughtsX. There are also several web-based mind mapping solutions, including bubbl.us and the quite more polished Coggle. 9. Project management Designing, creating, deploying and running an eLearning course is not that different than any other IT project. If you’re assigned with such a task, project management software can help you keep track of the whole process, especially if it involves multiple courses and many people (content creators, instructors, department heads, vendors, etc.) in a large organization. If you haven’t used such programs before, project management software are tools to help you plan, organize and schedule complicated (or simple, for that matter) projects, covering everything from cost estimation and resource allocation, to task scheduling, quality assurance and progress tracking. Essentially the sky (and your time) is the limit, as there are Project Management programs that range from basic to extremely deep and all-covering. Depending on the scale of your training program you can go with a lighter or a heavier approach with regards to project management. If you’re just starting out, we suggest you take it easy and manage your eLearning deployment in broad strokes, unless you have actual proof that you need to micro-manage and schedule every last part of your training program. This time we won’t suggest separate programs for Windows and Mac users, as nowadays the most popular project management options are all web-based. Our best picks would be: Asana, a very capable project management and collaboration tool, which handles actionable tasks, scheduling, bug tracking, file sharing, notifications, team chat, etc with aplomb. Zoho Projects is another capable project planing and coordination tool, that has all the features you’d expect, and also offers some unique features, like wiki pages and built-in integration with Google Apps. Basecamp is and old and proven solution, now in its third re-incarnation, that’s considered one of the leading project management tools. It’s very easy and intuitive to use, and comes with discussions, To Do lists, file management, document sharing and scheduling. You can’t really go bad with either of these options, and they all come in the form of subscription services with plans starting at around around $20/month. 10. Stock service When it comes of putting together content for your courses, a good stock service will save you tons of time, and make your lessons look far more professional. In case you’re not familiar with the term, "stock" is media industry speak for all kinds of ready-made multimedia assets such as photos, videos, clip-art and music, that you can just buy and incorporate to your courses. The stock industry has grown considerably along with the internet, so unless your course covers a very niche technical topic, you’ll be able to find high quality graphics, music and animations that match your needs. Some of the best known such services include Corbis, iStock, Shutterstock and Getty Images. While you might be tempted to use random images off of the internet for your illustration needs, it can get you into legal trouble as most of the images you find online will be copyrighted. That said, if you don’t have a budget for stock assets, there are several places you can find quality material that is either copyright free or offered with a permissive free license. Flickr’s Creative Commons image search is a good place to look for such pictures, as is Wikimedia Commons and archive.org. Anything else? And with this, we conclude our listing of the 10 most used and useful online employee training tools. Is there anything you think we’ve missed? Some essential tool you can’t live without that we left out? Let us, and your fellow TalentLMS users, know in the comments. Until next week, stay warm and keep on eLearning! The post The Top 10 Most Used Online Employee Training Tools: Part 2 appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

Ready or not, the holiday season is upon us and Christmas is just around the corner. If you’re in the thick of the annual gift-buying frenzy, we’re here to help. After an annual survey of the Expand team, we’re back with another list of ideas for your favorite tech lovers. For the Designer iPad Pro At first glance, the iPad Pro just looks like a giant iPad. We can’t help but laugh as we’ve watched our tech devices get smaller and thinner, only to turn around and get bigger. (Looking at you, iPhone.) The iPad Pro is practically a different device with a different audience and a different purpose. With its huge screen, higher resolution and greater processing power than any iPad before it, the Pro is ideal for the design professional. Adding the $99 Apple Pencil makes it even more artist-friendly. Where to get it: Apple.com, Apple Store or certified Apple retailers |$799 for 32MB with Wifi For the Movie Lover TV Sometimes, you just want a new TV. But television isn’t as simple a category as it once was, so it pays to do your research. There are TVs that have built-in streaming and gaming capability, and there are others that just have a really, really good picture. Both can run the gamut in price. Different reviewers will have different opinions, too, so make sure you read more than one source. Get started here and here. Where to get one: We’ll assume you know where you’d want to buy a tv, but bear in mind that price and availability will vary by brand and unit. For the kids Toy Drone No matter your stance on drone ownership, toy drones are at the top of many kids’ Christmas lists this year. It made the Expand team’s list for the second year in a row. There are many to choose from within a reasonable price range and availability at your local big box store, but like any piece of technology, do some research before deciding which one to get. Our dev team’s favorite is the Syma Quadcopter. Where to get it: You can get the Syma X5C on Amazon for under $50. For Kids of All Ages Raspberry Pi 2 If you, like me, wondered what on earth this was, you can read more about Raspberry Pi here. It’s described as "a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse" that’s powerful enough to do most everything you’re used to doing with a computer. It was created to be an educational tool to teach kids how to use programming languages like Python. Kids are encouraged to share their creations on the company’s website. Anyone, from kids to computer hobbyists, could have a lot of fun with this nifty little computer. Where to get it: Raspberry Pi 2 (and prior models) are available through the website for $35. If You’re Not Techy, but are Buying a Gift for Someone Who Is Laptop Bag or other accessories If you have a tech geek on your gift list, you may hesitate to research and buy the latest newfangled contraption. But every tech product needs accessories and peripherals, and those can make great gifts that are truly needed, appreciated and easier to buy. A laptop bag is just an example. Laptops shrink in size every year, so there may be someone on your list who’s schlepping a bag to work every day that’s twice the size of the laptop they use. Find out how big their laptop is and look for something streamlined, but sturdy. Where to get it: Zappos has a great selection of bags ranging from fashionable to functional and everything in between. Plus, they have fast, free shipping and free returns. For the photographer Sony Alpha 7r ii Sony describes their new professional camera as "...taking image resolution, sensitivity and speedy response to new heights. The Fast Hybrid AF system’s dense extra-wide focal plane phase-detection AF coverage keeps a subject in sharp focus entirely throughout the frame, while 5-axis image stabilization reduces blur which otherwise tends to affect handheld shots. High resolution is further enhanced by 4K movie recording featuring full pixel readout without pixel binning." If you know someone on your list would find that exciting, and you have the extra cash lying around, you can buy one of these fancy cameras for around $3000. Where to get it: Sony includes a list of on-and-offline retailers on their website. For the History Buff Letters of Note (book) Published last year, Letters of Note began as a Twitter account of the same name. Curated by Shaun Usher, the book contains a collection of letters written by notable people in history. A second addition, More Letters of Note, is set to arrive in the U.S. in 2016. Where to get it: The first edition of Letters of Note is available on Amazon for around $25. For the Philanthropist Charity Choice Gift Certificates Charity Choice allows you to give the gift of a charitable donation. Buy a gift card, and your recipient can choose from an extensive list of participating charities to send the funds. As the purchaser, you are able to designate the amount of the gift card and it’s fully tax deductible. Where to get it: Gift cards can be purchased directly from the Charity Choice website.  If you need more ideas, be sure to check out last year’s list. Many of the items on that list are still very relevant for this year’s gifting season! What’s at the top of your list this year? photo credit: PICT2453 via photopin (license)

Get some fast inspiration for your elearning with our quick fire elearning tips, we’ve got a bumper two part post with 99 tips for you to dig into whenever you need an elearning boost.Clicking on each tip will take you to a full blog post with more details on how to make your elearning more effective. This is part one with the first 50 tips, part two is coming up tomorrow with the remaining 49. Increase engagement 1 Learning is more effective when people care, emotional engagement is key to improving elearning results. 2 Make elearning scenarios real to drive home compliance training. 3 Spread stories liberally throughout your content to create compelling elearning. 4 Adding movement with a cinemagraph promotes more engagement. 5 Design learning experiences that reflect the learner’s reality. 6 Delight, entertain and excite with your elearning for the best results. 7 Add emotional outcomes to your learning objectives in a design brief. 8 Include your stakeholders early in the elearning design process to encourage more engagement. 9 Explain how line managers will benefit from your elearning to get them on board. 10 Use empathetic listening to put yourselves in the learner’s shoes. Multi-device elearning 11 Use responsive design to make one elearning course available on many devices. 12 Appeal to a varied workforce profile with multi-device learning. 13 Make the most of B.Y.O.D. policy by providing just in time learning. 14 Empower learners by explaining the benefits to them of the training. 15 Use mobile learning for performance support to make sure the information is easy to find. 16 Give your staff a better opportunity for self paced learning by offering courses on mobile devices. Social learning 17 Don’t hijack your staff’s social learning, relinquish control and reap the benefits. 18 Use existing social networks to encourage social learning that supports your elearning. 19 Ask how your staff are already using social learning before adding it to your strategy. Elearning games 20 "Practice playing games if you want to be successful at game design for learning" - Karl Kapp 21 Provide a safe environment for employees to experience a new technology or system with a simulation. 22 Use timed elearning games to promote quick decision making. Extend your elearning 23 Extend your elearning beyond a basic course to maximise it’s effectiveness. 24 Preboard your new employees to get the most out of induction. 25 Encourage cross-training, staff taking courses designed for other roles, to improve collaboration. 26 Think about what you can bring to your elearning from your outside experience. 27 Add valuable audio to your elearning, heighten emotions or create a lasting impression with sound. 28 Analyse the business problem before applying a technology solution. Analyse your elearning 29 Don’t overwhelm staff with too many options, target your elearning modules to their location. 30 Identify potential leaders by offering leadership training to all employees. 31 Tracking employee performance and tailoring elearning to fit helps reduce cost per hire. 32 Target your compliance elearning on a job role to ensure maximum effectiveness. 33 Be an evangelist for your elearning programme to increase its profile. 34 Set goals for your elearning based on your business objectives. 35 Incentivise your elearning to encourage staff to complete it. Use feedback from learners 36 Listen to feedback from your learners and put it into action. 37 Borrow ecommerce techniques to make it easier for staff to find relevant training. 38 "Make sure your LMS is responsive, as learners use whatever device they have to access training." Karla Anker - LMS Support Coordinator, SpongeUK. 39 Don’t offer too much choice, refine the course options for your learners. 40 Get everyone involved with Q&A, collective responsibility is the best way to maintain standards. 41 Evaluate the ROI of your elearning to identify the benefits and opportunities for the future. 42 Talk to the learners, not their managers, when designing elearning. More quick elearning tips 43 Use video in your induction programme to promote the corporate culture. 44 Use the flexibility of elearning to consistently and quickly deal with business change. 45 Create a group board on Pinterest to coordinate ideas between members of an elearning design team. 46 Be aware of the positive impact you can have with your elearning. 47 Focus on relevance in your compliance training, explain the benefits for your learners. 48 Communicate clearly so there’s less chance of misinterpretation. 49 Choose the right authoring tool for your needs to limit the costs of your elearning. 50 Make the sections within your elearning wholly relevant to one subject to increase their effectiveness. Part two of the 99 quick fire elearning tips will be published tomorrow. Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post 99 quick fire elearning tips - Part 1 appeared first on Sponge UK.

Part two of our bumper post of 99 quick fire elearning tips includes advice on emerging technology, accessibility, elearning games and more. Each tip links to a full blog post on that subject, click through to find out more ways to improve your next elearning programme. This is part two with the remaining 49 tips, don’t forget to check out part 1 for the first 50. Access and accessibility 51 Make it easy to find your elearning courses, 40% of learners can’t find what they need. 52 Don’t overload your new employees with information during their induction. 53 Use complete, descriptive alt tags to ensure everyone can understand the media in your course. 54 Be flexible when offering access to a course, 59% of new learners want to learn on the way to work. 55 Use clear and concise instructional text, guide a learner so they don’t get frustrated with your course. 56 Make your learning available to all staff to democratise the training process. 57 Ensure your content can be accessed with only a keyboard. 58 Use the correct HTML tags for headings and buttons to make training more accessible for screen reader users. 59 Factor in all the learning content when translating your elearning, including video and audio. Elearning games 60 Use a serious game in your compliance elearning to build engagement. 61 Use recognisable risks and consequences in elearning games to help decision making. 62 Introduce collaboration to your elearning game to improve decision making. 63 Games can offer benefits that no other type of learning can offer for compliance training. 64 Use elearning games to help focus on the learner performance. 65 Build depth into your elearning games to ensure engagement with the learner. 66 Use a game to allow staff to experience real risks and real consequences without any punishment for failing. 67 Create reusable graphics elements and objects to make building games more efficient. 68 Tell people what they’re going to be learning in an elearning game before they play it and debrief them afterwards. Tools and technology 69 Keep your elearning authoring tool up to date to get the most out of its features. 70 Use SaaS-based apps to collaborate more effectively with your L&D team. 71 Keep up with emerging technology like virtual reality and apply it when it’s suitable. 72 Look at the learning problem first, then find technology which solves that problem, not the other way around. 73 Augmented reality is already being used for training, think about how you could apply it. 74 Choose an authoring tool that supports accessible content. 75 Use Storyline’s built in maths-based actions to create a countdown timer. 76 Choose your authoring tool wisely if you need to update content yourselves. Creating elearning 77 Keep your elearning authoring tool up-to-date to get the most out of its features. 78 "Make your content challenging, not your language" - take Cathy Moore’s advice when creating content for non-native English speakers. 79 Understand the time scale of a project and make sure your design decisions reflect what’s possible within that period. 80 Opt for shapes over images where possible in templates so you can easily restyle for a new project. 81 Learners want relevance, make sure your content connects to your staff’s role. 82 Put your template through rigorous testing to ensure creating the final course goes smoothly. 83 Create realistic scenarios for new starters so they can experience aspects of the role before starting. 84 Focus on the most important learning objectives. 85 Link out to content that changes often so you don’t need to constantly update the course itself. 86 Use believable and relevant stories to make an emotional connection with your learners. 87 Use interactive video to keep learners actively engaged with your content. Multi-device 88 Adopt a multi-device learning approach to keep your elearning current. 89 Create a responsive, multi-device course to help future proof your elearning. More elearning tips 90 Use leadership elearning to offer a cost effective productivity boost 91 Give your elearning course a brand to turn it into a campaign. 92 Market your elearning like you would a product to build an elearning culture. 93 Explain the benefits of the learning to your staff, nothing is more motivating than personal benefits. 94 Give a consistent induction to all employees with a bespoke elearning module. 95 Build informative elearning that makes people feel like part of a team to promote inclusion for remote workers. 96 Showcase the best parts of a business with your induction elearning. 97 Think about how your elearning can be used to train external staff within your supply chain. 98 Provide specific compliance training that is relevant to a learner’s department and job role. 99 Link your elearning evaluation to the KPIs of the business. Don’t forget part one of the 99 quick fire elearning tips. Discuss a project Subscribe to our newsletter The post 99 quick fire elearning tips - Part 2 appeared first on Sponge UK.

3 Ways To Strengthen Your Corporate Culture by Empowering Employees. Our latest blog as published via ATD.org Here’s a question for you: What motivates you to go the extra mile in your role? In a recent study, 20% of the 200,000 employees surveyed worldwide across 500 organizations answered ‘camaraderie and peer motivation’1. Surprisingly, ‘money and benefits’ didn’t […] The post How to Empower Employees to Give Their Best appeared first on PulseLearning.

Do. Or do not. There is no try. The famous words of Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back are as familiar to the movie-going public as Shakespeare’s "To be, or not to be." These quotes are also the two that teachers are most likely to put up as posters in a classroom. If J.J. Abrams has anything to say about it, students’ love for Star Wars will soon rival that of their teachers. Star Wars is a worldwide phenomenon, a franchise that has spawned millions of fans, and those fans have created content far beyond the movies (people love their R2D2). In December 2015, the release of The Force Awakens will build a bridge between people who saw the original trilogy (including the prequels) and fans of a new trilogy. If the movie becomes as successful as everyone thinks (which it will), then new fans will thirst for more. It’s More than Just Pop Culture Now, incorporating a teacher’s interests in a classroom setting is nothing revolutionary. I mean, teachers do this all the time with variable amounts of success. But the difference with Star Wars is that there is already a plethora of content available to teachers. The wealth of information and resources is vast. The best part is that a lot of this content is already gathered neatly for you. Let me show you the ways. History Repeats Itself As Star Wars fans, you know that while George Lucas is a creative individual, he developed a lot of the mythology from actual historical events. So as a History or Social Studies teacher, inserting Star Wars into your curriculum seems like a logical step. For example, the famous Order 66, or the event which killed off the Jedis in Revenge of the Sith (sorry, SPOILERS for RoTS), was inspired by the Night of the Long Knives, a pivotal event during the Nazi occupation of Germany. The Night of the Long Knives is covered in the World War II section of high school curricula. This event and more are covered in detail on www.starwarsintheclassroom.com. "To Thine Own Force, Be True." That’s Social Studies and History covered, but what about other courses? For English Language Arts, Shakespeare and Star Wars blend pretty fluidly. In the words of Dave Zehr, an English teacher: "When I teach Hamlet, I share the concept of what a tragic hero is for a Shakespearean audience: someone of great stature and importance in the culture, who exhibits a tragic flaw that leads inevitable [sic] to his or her fall from grace…No one exhibits this more strongly than Anakin Skywalker." Ian Doescher recognizes this too. To help Star Wars-loving students understand Shakespeare, he wrote William Shakespeare’s Star Wars, which is an excellent primer for blending Yoda and the bard. Teachers and educators should check out Dave Zehr’s podcast, "Coffee with Kenobi," for some expert analysis on the saga itself, which you can then share with your students. Start with the episode featuring Craig Dickinson, a sixth-grade teacher who has incorporated Star Wars into his classroom. Or you can just listen to it because you’re a fan who has already bought your midnight passes for December 18th. Like I have.

The 15 images in this presentation are photos I took of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia a few winters ago.  I was amazed by the beauty of the old fashioned traditions like the image above with burlap and cotton bolls as ornamentation for the Christmas wreath.  This is one of my products on TeachersPayTeachers. The purpose of […]