Calculating eLearning ROI   Studies show that companies are still skeptical about the value of free online courses. Today 70% of employers do not trust the credibility of their completion. Is your CEO among them? As executives watch eLearning budgets grow, they need clear evidence showing that eLearning programs can really help performance. Learning and Development managers try to find killer arguments in defense of eLearning. What do they do and why do they fail to convince the executives? How Do We Measure eLearning Effectiveness? Employees’ feedback. Often Learning and Development departments collect feedback from the employees to understand how well the training was perceived. Did they feel that the course was a valuable experience? Did they like the topic, the material, the way it was presented? The employees’ opinion is definitely valuable but it has nothing to do with the real and tangible impact of eLearning on business goals evaluation. Control questionnaires and tests. How much has the trainees’ knowledge increased as a result of the training? It’s important to measure this, but again, the fact that the employees know what to do does not guarantee that they will apply this knowledge. Control groups. After the online course completion the staff who did not take the course is used as a control group. The production results of the two groups are compared in order to find any correlations. The use of this approach appears to be reasonable only for the simple and short-termed processes (e.g. lead response time, number of solved tickets, etc.). While most of business processes are much more complex, the control group method proves to be insufficient. HR metrics. Sometimes the level of employee retention, satisfaction and loyalty may be considered as a result of successful eLearning. But the other factors such as salary, career opportunities, corporate culture, etc. can turn out to be much more important for the people. Why Calculate eLearning ROI?  The truth is that at the C-level, it’s all about quarterly and annual revenue and earnings. Most importantly, managers at this level are first and foremost focused on a "hard dollar" measurement. In other words, they need to know the return-on-investment rate which will provide them with quantitative results and enable decision making. Like any other cost center in the company, Learning and Development department has to show that it delivers real tangible benefit to the organization. If it can't demonstrate such value, then it is likely to not get support within the company.   Know The Costs  Personnel. Includes cost of people (both internal and external consultants) that will be needed to build the program. Don’t forget to value the time of staff who is involved in the process while also playing other (non-eLearning) roles. eLearning Technology. eLearning is largely a technology driven process. Often, organizations need to tailor a newly acquired technology to assimilate it into the company's existing IT infrastructure. According to Bersin by Deloitte, there are over 500 Learning Management System vendors on the market. Their price may vary greatly so each company can find a solution at a reasonable price starting at $5 per employee per month. eLearning Content. The costs should also include content development (in case when some unique content needs to be created), or ready-made content acquisition costs. Measure The Value  Eliminated travel and lodging costs. These costs are the biggest reason why the large corporations implement eLearning. Also, they are a major component of any ROI calculation, and eLearning can dramatically reduce such costs. Decreased instructor costs. No matter whether the training is led by a famous coach or a company staff member, it is always much cheaper to have the trainer record the lecture once than speak in person at each location for many times. Decreased employees’ work time spending. eLearning offers employees the flexibility to learn anywhere and anytime: on their way from home to work, as well as on weekends and vacations. Typically, the time a person must spend being trained is reduced by about 40% using eLearning. Flexibility. Just answer the question: How many employees don't learn (how to follow a new process or how to operate a new tool) because of a rigid learning schedule, and what does it cost the company as a result? Personalized learning. Individuals can learn at their own speed, due to personalized learning, which is more efficient in delivering content. For instance, the IBM eLearning program for managers enabled the participants to learn 5 times more material through eLearning - without increasing the time spent on training. These are the common eLearning costs and benefits. Still, you can find a lot of company-specific metrics: Manufacturing performance, software proficiency, personnel assessment, etc. In Any Unclear Situation Go Calculate ROI  This is the example of eLearning project ROI calculation for one of the Eduson.tv clients (a financial organization). You can use this template or create a new one for your company. Download here an excel model to calculate ROI for your company. There are also some free eLearning ROI calculators which can be useful for evaluating online training performance: www.caelearning.com www.bridgefront.com www.aadm.com Complete the fields in order to calculate and compare the costs of online and instructor-led training. So, What Should Learning And Development Managers Do?  For each dollar budgeted for corporate training, 80% goes to administrative overhead, and just 20% goes to the core instructional design process. You need to identify the "black holes" that consume your training budget and get rid of them. In conclusion, it is important to understand that eLearning is not only an attractive solution in terms of economic downturn, but it is also an efficient and cost-effective solution when employees need to be quickly educated on relevant knowledge and skills, in spite of their location and time zone. By accurately calculating the cost of a training program, eLearning professionals will be able to easily justify the investment in the program and decide if eLearning is ultimately a viable solution. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

D4Learning 2015 is the International Conference on Innovations with Digital Learning for Inclusion (D4L). D4Learning 2015 is held in collaboration with the European Distance and e-Learning Network (EDEN), and EDENs conference series of Open Classroom with focus on distance education and new technologies in school level education and training. The D4Learning 2015 conference serves as a forum for the discussion and exchange of information on the research, development, and applications on all topics related to the use of digital technology for inclusion. The D4L International Conference on Innovations with Digital Learning aims at becoming a biannual meeting place for presenting and discussing new educational environments, affordances of digital tools for including education through digital technology, and best practices and case studies on innovative technology-based learning strategies or pedagogies to achieve this goal. The D4L conference on digital innovation learning through digital technology aims to give an overview of the state of the art as well as upcoming trends, and to promote discussion about the pedagogical potential of new learning and educational technologies in the academic, educational and corporate world. D4Learning 2015 Keynote Speakers Professor Alan Tait is Director, International Development and Teacher Education at the Open University (OU), UK. Prior to this he was Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) responsible for the strategic and operational oversight of the University's undergraduate and postgraduate courses, packs, programmes and qualifications, together with acting as Planning and Resource Officer for the seven faculties. Alan Tait previously held the position as Dean of the Faculty of Education and Language Studies at the OU. His academic career has been in practitioner and scholarly support of distance and e-learning. He was Chair of the European Distance and E-Learning Network (EDEN) NAP Steering Committee 2002-2005, and he served as President of ICDE associate member, EDEN, from 2007-2010. Prior to this, he was Editor of the journal Open Learning from 1989-1998, joint Series Editor of the Routledge Series Studies in Distance Education and Co-Director of the Cambridge International Conference on Open and Distance Learning. Terry Anderson Professor & Canada Research Chair in Distance Education Research interest: social software use in distance education As a Canadian Research Chair he is involved in a variety of research, teaching and service activities. His activities include research carried out at Technology Enhanced Learning Research Institute of the Athabasca University, the Canadian Institute for Distance Education Research (CIDER). All references and/or full text of most of his research and professional publications are available from AUSpace the Athabasca University archive. Dr. Alan Bruce is the director of Universal Learning Systems - an international consultancy firm specializing in research, education, training and project management. He has lectured in universities in France, England and Ireland and worked in policy research for the European Commission in Brussels. He was also responsible for national initiatives in professional development in the disability sector in collaboration with a number of Irish universities. As a long-standing member of the European Distance and E-Learning Network, the Irish Institute of Training and Development, the Institute of Guidance Counselors and the California Scholarship Federation. He has lectured and published widely on the social impact of disability, labor market policy, innovative education, distance learning, social inclusion, conflict transformation, strategic change and managing diversity. D4Learning 2015 will be held at the University College Nordjylland (Aalborf, Denmark) on November 17 - 20, 2015. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

eLearning And The Struggle Of Balancing Structure And Freedom Have you ever thought about how structure has helped you grow and develop throughout every stage of your life? As a young child, your parents set mealtimes, naptimes and bedtimes that you adhered to. When you started school, structure became an even more important aspect of your life. Because of the way most adults experienced childhood, they tend to respond well to structure. Structure is a vital aspect of everyday life. Without it, nothing would get done. However, structure doesn’t typically stimulate creativity. True, governments, businesses, schools, and workplaces can’t operate smoothly without structure. But, neither can they flourish without imaginations that are alive and well. Life shouldn’t be all about structure and rigidity; there must also be room for the imagination to soar. Nothing will free the imagination quicker than a break from one’s day-to-day schedule. Today, there is a constant struggle to balance structure and freedom - especially in the realm of organizational learning. Some find that learning is fostered more effectively in an organized environment. Organized learning is great, but it’s not the only form of learning, and it doesn’t always inspire creativity. The solution is eLearning: eLearning is ideal for companies that desire to train up disciplined employees with wild imaginations. eLearning Draws The Line Between Structure And Freedom In the 21st Century, we’ve observed many examples of imaginative thinking in the business realm paying off in huge dividends. For example, social media websites and marketplaces like Etsy are producers of structured freedom, as they let people share fresh ideas in productive settings. More than likely, it was not masterminds that dreamed these companies up; it was regular people with extraordinary imaginations. Wouldn’t you love to have a workplace full of employees who are free to come up with creative ideas that could turn into new products and services? eLearning can help your workforce get to where you want it to be. eLearning platforms benefit a company’s employees by combining a structured environment where training and information sharing can occur, and a communications center where reflective conversation is welcomed and encouraged. eLearning Platforms Guarantee Structure Not all eLearning systems are the same. Some require on-site hardware installation. Because the implementation of these types of eLearning systems is somewhat inconvenient, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms are much more popular. A SaaS eLearning system can be accessed by any device with a connection to the Internet, from any location, at any time. Because they save time and money and reduce stress, SaaS eLearning systems are the most popular type of online learning platform. While there are significant differences between Learning Management Systems (LMSs), there are also similarities. Here are a few features that most eLearning systems share: Calendars. Calendars allow users and administrators to schedule meetings, events, and trainings. Enrollment forms. This handy feature enables administrators to see who is signed up for certain programs. Grading/attendance systems. With grading and attendance systems, administrators/trainers can ensure learners attend mandatory courses and turn in assignments on time. Import/export options. This feature gives users and administrators the ability to easily import and export curriculum. An eLearning platform with these features offers a structurally sound environment that is conducive to comprehensive education. At the same time, a Learning Management System can create a learning environment that frees the imagination and gives users a sense of independence. eLearning Systems Free Τhe Imagination  Business owners whose companies are growing like wildfire often build strong workforces by use of eLearning systems. What these leaders are discovering is that online learning forces employees to engage with others, which gets their creative juices flowing. Online learners must access communication networks that invite discussions through social learning options like forums, blogs, real time chat, and personal profiles. This type of social interaction within a structured setting facilitates imaginative thinking. An eLearning system is a remarkable way to loosen up the often-rigid structure of learning. Because eLearning platforms allow users to think freely and share their ideas with others in creative ways, learners are positioned to become innovators that make lasting contributions to their workplaces. With a flexible, easy to use, ever-changing Learning Management System, companies are able to give their employees the structure and freedom they need. Structure and freedom is a combination that advances education. eLearning systems ensure it. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Best Of DevLearn DemoFest Webinar: 14 eLearning Examples To Help You Get New Ideas For Your Work Last week at DevLearn 2015 Conference & Expo, dozens of conference participants shared their latest learning projects at DevLearn DemoFest, the industry showcase of technology innovations for learning and performance. During DemoFest, DevLearn attendees had the opportunity to see a wide variety of projects that provided solutions to common learning and performance challenges, and to learn about the tools, technologies, and processes that members of The eLearning Guild community used to build these projects. Awards were given in 14 categories. See some of the award-winning projects shown last week at DevLearn DemoFest and get some new ideas to apply to your own work during the free Best of DevLearn DemoFest Webinar on October 21 at 10:00 AM PT. During this 90-minute webinar you will explore projects from the following categories: Best Academic Solution Best Blended Learning Solution Best Business Process Solution Best Game-based Solution Best Immersive/Simulation Solution Best Mobile Solution Best Onboarding/Employee Orientation Solution Best Performance Support Solution Best Sales Training Solution Best Alternative Solution Best Student Solution Best Vendor  Solution Best Non-Vendor Solution Weejee Learning Award Register today and see award-winning projects from the industry’s leading event in action! Register now at http://bit.ly/1OVVLQd. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

How To Be A Successful Webinar Host Connecting with your audience through a webinar goes beyond the capabilities of social media, your website, or your professional blog. It breathes life into your eLearning content, it generates trust between you and your attendees, and it offers you the opportunity to create new connections and form prosperous professional relationships. Needless to say, being the host of your own webinar means that you have complete control over its flow and outcome. But is this something you can do? Would you be able to deliver engaging eLearning content and interact with your audience at the same time? Could you stimulate their curiosity, inspire them, and maintain their interest up to the last minute? Of course you could. In this article, I will share 7 tips on how to be a successful webinar host so that you can be sure that you feel relaxed and highly professional while you deliver a flawless, entertaining, and stimulating webinar. Pay attention to the sound. Audio is undoubtedly the most important element of your webinar. To make sure that everything goes smoothly, keep in mind the following tips: Choose the right location.  Find a quiet or, even better, a sound proof room to record. Furthermore, consider not using a wireless internet connection; instead use a land line, to avoid technical problems. Have a technical assistant.  Speaking of technical problems, keep in mind that during your webinar you need to be focused on delivering your content. Have an assistant who knows how to handle technical issues, if they occur, in real time. Use the right microphone.  Don’t rely on the built-in microphones in your laptop or desktop computer; use external mics. If your webinar includes multiple speakers, equip yourself with a high quality speakerphone. Practice, practice, practice. Don’t underestimate the power of practicing multiple times before going live; practice makes perfect. To make sure that your voice overs are effective, you will need to make sure that you remove every "uhm" and "err" from your vocabulary, and practicing will help you gain more speaker confidence. Ask for feedback as often as possible. Have someone to listen to you and offer you their honest opinion. Ask them to share one thing you did well and one you can improve. Is your vocal pace ok? Are you speaking clearly? How about your tone? Is it friendly or too serious and flat? Ask them to listen again and again while timing you, to make sure that you don’t end up having to rush through your last slides. Furthermore, consider recording yourself and reviewing the footage to see what is working and what is not. Start with a story. What is the best way to introduce yourself? Certainly not reading a long bio or a slide that lists your agenda; these are ways to rather ensure that you lose your listeners’ interest. Narrate a story; sharing your story and explaining what brought you there will establish trust and develop an emotional connection between you and your audience. Just remember to keep your story brief, personalize it with a few suspense elements, and conclude with a strong ending. A great trick is to also smile while you’re telling your story, as it helps elevate your voice; your listeners will be able to feel your enthusiasm about the online deliverable. Grab and hold your audience’s attention. The average attention span of a typical audience is about 10 minutes. Webinar audiences are worse; you are competing for their attention with their computer screens, their always open social media accounts, and their email inboxes. This is why it is important to not only grab their attention, but also hold it. Limit the text in your slides and avoid overloading them with bullet points. Instead, get your audience involved with an interesting mix of interactive questions, mini challenges and tasks, rich images, compelling videos, and even music. Maintain a conversational tone. Remember that you are talking to real people, not to a machine. Personalize your webinar by: Imagining that you’re speaking to a friend or colleague.  If you have, say, 150 attendees listening, you are actually having 150 one-to-one conversations. This may sound overwhelming, so try to visualize a friendly face you are talking to. Breaking your presentation up by using Q&A.  Q&As are a great way to maintain interactivity. No one wants to listen to one person talking endlessly, no matter how smooth is their voice. Addressing your audience by using "you" in your sentences.  Don’t say "Today I’m going to be sharing…"; instead say "Today you will learn…". Don’t ask "Does anyone out there have a question?"; instead ask "Would you want to ask me something?". Utilizing the word "you" makes your audience feel more engaged. Using humor.  Don’t be afraid to throw in a funny comment; just be sure that your humor is politically correct and relevant. Use interesting real facts and examples to support your message. Hearing real life experiences and thinking of how to apply the same solutions to one’s life is one of the most effective ways to learn. Filling your webinars with multiple boring graphs and figures will not captivate your audience; using real world scenarios, case studies, and examples will. Real success stories, research, and beautiful infographics that back up information are great ways to support your message and help it get across. Explain why certain strategies work and others don’t using real facts and make sure that your audience will want to remember everything you are talking about. Remember that your voice is the connection. Of course you will need to make pauses while you’re talking. Use them, but keep them short; don’t allow more than 2 or 3 seconds of silence, otherwise your audience might think that they have lost their sound. And if you are to be silent, let your listeners know. For instance, when you want to give them some time to read something, tell them "I will now let you read a few lines about…". Webinars are here to stay. Follow these tips on how to be a successful webinar host and be sure that not only you have complete control over this indispensable eLearning tool, but also your audience keeps coming back for more. Now that you know how to be a successful webinar host, you may be interested in learning more about eLearning narration. Read the article 7 eLearning Script Writing Tips To Perfect Your eLearning Course Narrative and discover some invaluable tips that can help you create an eLearning course narrative that is powerful and polished. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

AAACE 2015 theme is "Evolutions and Revolutions in Adult Learning!" AAACE 2015 encompasses the vision and mission of AAACE. AAACE is dedicated to the belief that lifelong learning contributes to human fulfillment and positive social change. To that end, we provide leadership for the field of adult and continuing education by expanding opportunities for adult growth and development; unifying adult educators; fostering the development and dissemination of theory, research, information, and best practices; promoting identity and standards for the profession; and advocating relevant public policy and social change initiatives. This year, our AAACE 2015 conference sessions provide an opportunity for reflections on the past, acknowledgement of the present, and promises for the future. Evolutions and Revolutions in Adult Learning! is about the adventures, and diverse practices, by which we help adults acquire the knowledge, skills and values needed to lead productive and satisfying lives. Held in conjunction with the AAACE Conference is the 2015 International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame induction. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Hall of Fame honors leaders in the fields of continuing education and adult learning, and serves as a record of inspiration for the next generation of continuing education leaders. The 64th Annual Conference of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE 2015) will be held at the Renaissance Oklahoma City Convention Center Hotel and Spa on November 17-20, 2015. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Draw Inspiration From These 3 Simulation Based eLearning Examples  For some time, the bread and butter staple for eLearning agencies involved converting people’s classroom training into eLearning. But, this missed the true potential of this powerful learning tool. When I started out as an Instructional Designer, I recognized that computer based training provided the solution to the very thing that was missing in the classroom: A space for individuals to practice skills and knowledge in a safe environment. When simulated practice was first introduced into eLearning, it offered a game changer for many innovative organizations that looked to improve the performance of their team. Let's take a look at three examples of simulation based eLearning from 3 different sectors: Healthcare, skills, and financial. I'll show you how these organizations collaborate with eLearning providers and use new technologies to bring innovative learning solutions to their audiences. 1. AIIMS uses video-based simulation in their surgical training (Healthcare). The All India Institute of Medical Sciences set out to train surgeons in a complex surgical procedure -Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting- by encouraging learners to explore an experimental approach in a risk-free environment. They created web based eLearning solution, featuring a video of the actual surgery, shot using a head-mounted camera in the operating room, and covering a series of surgical procedures. The video serves both as a reference point in creating the training and as a valuable asset in the training itself. The eLearning product comprises realistic 2D and 3D simulations with a "Show Me" option that lets learners view an animated demonstration of each step in the procedure. A "Try Me" option allows them to select the right surgical tools and to perform the surgical procedures. Guided hints help learners rectify mistakes and provide them with feedback. Visit eLearning Superstars: AIIMS's simulated surgical training 2. Train4TradeSkills uses virtual reality to teach trade trainees (Skills).  The Virtual Reality House gives trade trainees, such as plumbers, a virtual place to practice their skills in a "walled garden" setting. It provides a safe environment to make mistakes and build confidence and competence before embarking on the workshop-based practical training element of their course. The instructional approach is built on the premise that the more practice you have, the more confident you become. The eLearning provider’s own i3D engine is built on the Unity 3D framework. It allows rapid development of simulated interactive training scenarios that are cross-platform compatible. The eLearning can be run from most machines including standard desktop Mac and Windows systems and hand-held mobile devices. The modular design of the eLearning makes it easy to scale courses and to tailor them to the requirements of the end users. The complexity of the scenario can be altered for beginners and advanced learners (think changing a washer to installing a whole plumbing system). This flexible, non-linear Instructional Design and engineering solution lets learners create their own learning pathways. But the real innovation is the simulated environment in which learners can test solutions safely and go back and fix any faults. Visit eLearning Superstars: Train4TradeSkills's Virtual Reality House 3. Llyods Banking Group uses integrated systems software training in their induction program (Financial). Lloyds Bank's induction program is a superb example of how vendors can work together in partnership to create a really innovative eLearning solution. eLearning agency Brightwave and simulation software provider Assima worked on this induction program for the banking firm Lloyds Banking Group. When contact center staff begin their careers with the bank, there is a need to spend a long time getting to know the system that the organization uses for handling customer calls. Staff must understand the complexity of the regulations and good practice regarding handling sensitive customer data and verification of customers. This can’t be done using live customer data, so Assima provided a fully simulated "clone" of the system using synthetic data provided by the LBG. This was integrated into Brightwave’s eLearning software to create a rich, scenario driven, learning program. Visit eLearning Superstars: Lloyds Bank induction program Stay on top of the latest eLearning ideas, trends, and technologies by subscribing to the Elucidat weekly newsletter. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

NGL2015 theme is " Formal and Informal Learning with the Support of Technology" NGL015 will discuss and examine issues regarding the consequences of the digital revolution within education and learning. NGL2015 is aimed at everyone involved with education - researchers, educators, developers. NGL is primarily about the development of pedagogy that drives technical development, and a central issue is how we can use the available technology to address and solve pedagogical challenges. We welcome the attendance of researchers, teachers and developers from higher education; in addition, we would now like to include individuals from compulsory and upper-secondary school. By doing so, we believe that NGL2015 will broaden its diversity, content and focus. The 3d Next Generation Learning Conference (NGL2015) will be hosted by Dalarna University (Falun, Sweden) on November 18 - 19, 2015. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Using Moodle For Business And What You Should Be Aware Of  In trying to think of an appropriate analogy for Moodle and business, I got to thinking "Why do so many companies choose Moodle?". It’s an open source and free, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t costs associated with it. Clearly the key word here is "free", but when you have a training budget in your hands and you choose something which needs a high degree of customization and resources, it almost seems counterintuitive not to enlist the help of a company that knows what it’s doing. What this article aims to do is give those that are looking into Moodle as a possibility, or are poised to commit to it, a bit more information to help them make the right choice for their company. There are a lot of things to be aware of when looking at Moodle, aspects that are often missed whilst blindly following the Pied Piper of the eLearning industry down a potentially very costly rabbit hole. We all love a bargain. We love it even more when things are free. Going to the opening of a new bar and getting a free beer is one thing, but downloading Moodle as a free, fully-functional Learning Management System? Sadly it falls into the category of too good to be true. Moodle is more like getting a free pet monkey. He (or she; I’m told monkeys can be female too) may be what you always wanted, and you are psyched you got him for free, but did monkey care costs really come into your mind when you got him? Firstly, he needs toys and clothes (or plugins and UI customization if you will). Secondly, he will need someone to look after him when you aren’t there (technical support) and, lastly, he needs somewhere to live (storage and server space). I think I chose the monkey analogy because I’ve always felt my life would be better with one, but then, as soon as I started thinking seriously about it, it seemed ridiculous and very expensive, much to my disappointment. Blinded by the prospect of getting something for no cost, many organizations make the mistake of jumping on Moodle because it’s billed as free, and not considering a) any hidden costs or b) other alternatives. 6 Points You Should Be Aware Of When Using Moodle For Business  The bad news is the hidden costs are many and, for the most part, undetectable until you have committed. The good news is that even more numerous than hidden costs are the alternative corporate Learning Management Systems available. What follows is a list of a number of features that corporate trainers should be aware of with Moodle when they are looking into using Moodle for business. 1. Moodle is not a turnkey solution.  Free and open source it may be, but for corporations new to the Moodle party what you get when you download the source code is the basis for a great product, but not the product itself. 2. Moodle was built for education, not for business.  Moodle was actually not originally designed as an Learning Management System but a Content Management System (CMS), so it’s key to know exactly what you are buying. Moodle was created to be a companion for teachers and students in the education industry, and has far more educational clients than corporate. The needs of businesses and corporate training differ greatly from those of schools and universities, so before you even start looking at Moodle or any other Learning Management System you should be sure of your requirements. 3. Training is not provided.  Within the eLearning industry Moodle’s documentation is well-known to be lacking. There are a number of free (free like a beer) online resources which you can use to learn more about how Moodle works, but past that Moodle don’t offer any tech support. They did all the hard work so that part is in our hands. The best Learning Management System providers, like Paradiso Solutions, provide full system onboarding and training plus telephone support and access to the "Customer Portal", where you can find PDFs, documents, videos and other reference material. 4. Moodle customizations.  This is where the costs really start to pile up. In order to take Moodle from its raw downloaded form to what companies need -a functioning, personalized Learning Management System- it is going to take investment. Here you have two options: Go for it yourself.  Hire Moodle developers or use your own in-house team to create a workable Learning Management System. Engage with the experts. Work with a Learning Management System provider like Paradiso Solutions who can take your requirements, objectives, and brand, and create for you a tailored Learning Management System. Clearly this is a difficult choice for some; many clients of Learning Management System vendors are disgruntled Moodle customers who bit off more Moodle than they could chew and ended up spending thousands on a system they weren’t happy with. If you choose the former option and go at it yourself, then it is highly important to hire developers whose area of expertise is Moodle. 5. No automatic updates. Part of a contract with a learning provider includes a clause which guarantees that they will take care of any system updates, bug fixes, and maintenance you run into. If you were to opt for the solo path and develop Moodle in house, you would be responsible for all of this, as well as keeping abreast of the latest industry trends. 6. Server space and hosting. This is another area which is often overlooked, and where lies a veritable snake pit of hidden costs. When you download Moodle, you need to store it somewhere. If you are a smaller company with few users this may not be a problem, however if you are a large company with various users spread across different countries then things may get heavy, in more ways than one. Paradiso LMS is cloud based Learning Management System and SaaS built on Moodle code. While devoid of any truly divine powers, it does have a magical place in the cloud to store your system and all of its associated data. This SaaS option frees up much more time for your organization to concentrate on more important things than managing Moodle technicalities; like creating great learning content and tracking learner progress and development. Paradiso LMS is built on Moodle, and much of what makes it great comes from the original Moodle code. However if you are an organization with a training budget you need to know of all of the options available to you before you commit. To speak to one of our advisors about Paradiso LMS, or to organize a free demo, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by following this link to contact us. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Using Gamification In eLearning  Let’s first understand what gamification is and how it is different from playing games. In one of my earlier articles on gamification, Top 6 Benefits Of Gamification In eLearning, I had highlighted both these aspects as follows: Gamification is about more than just playing games (in fact, sometimes it does not involve playing games at all). It can be defined as the concept of applying game-design thinking to non game applications. Wikipedia defines gamification as "the use of game thinking and game mechanics in non-game contexts to engage users in solving problems". What Are The Benefits Of Gamification In eLearning?  Again, I will recap from my article the key benefits of gamification: Better learning experience. The learner can experience "fun" during the game and still learn if the level of engagement is high. A good gamification strategy with high levels of engagement will lead to an increase in recall and retention. Better learning environment. Gamification in eLearning provides an effective, informal learning environment, and helps learners practice real life situations and challenges in a safe environment. This leads to a more engaged learning experience that facilitates better knowledge retention. Instant feedback. It provides instant feedback so that learners know what they know or what they should know. This too facilitates better learner engagement and thereby better recall and retention. Prompting behavioral change. Points, badges, and leaderboards would surely make training awesome. However, gamification is about a lot more than just those surface level benefits. Gamification can drive strong behavioral change especially when combined with the scientific principles of repeated retrieval and spaced repetition. Can be applied for most learning needs. Gamification can be used to fulfill most learning needs including induction and onboarding, product sales, customer support, soft skills, awareness creation, and compliance. Impact on bottom line. On account of all these aspects that touch and impact learners (better learning experience, higher recall and retention, catalyzing behavioral change, and so on), it can create a significant performance gain for organizations. Does Gamification Really Help Learners Recall Or Retain Information Better?  The answer is an emphatic "yes." This is summarized very effectively in the following statement (as per Wikipedia): "Gamification techniques strive to leverage people’s natural desires for socializing, learning, mastery, competition, achievement, status, self-expression, altruism, or closure. Gamification strategies include use of rewards for players who accomplish desired tasks or competition to engage players. Types of rewards include points, achievement badges or levels, the filling of a progress bar, or providing the user with virtual currency. Making the rewards for accomplishing tasks visible to other players or providing leaderboards are further ways of encouraging players to compete." How Can You Ensure Success Of Gamification In eLearning?  Success of gamification in eLearning is driven by the power of the concept that it is based on. An effective gamification concept is one that: Captures (and retains) learners’ attention. Challenges them. Engages and entertains them. Teaches them. Gamification In eLearning: 6 Killer Examples  While gamification has been applied in several domains, our focus has been on its application in serious learning. The games that we design are therefore geared to meet definite learning outcomes. Our gamification strategies broadly map to: Complete gamification, wherein: Tasks or concepts that are overlaid on the learning content but are not related to the content. Contextual tasks or concepts that are overlaid on the learning content. Partial gamification (notably in inline checks and end of course assessments) In this article, I will share 6 examples that will illustrate how gamification (full or partial) can be applied to your key training needs in: Induction programs. Professional skills enhancement. Compliance. Soft skills enhancement. Behavioral change. Gamify assessments for traditional eLearning courses (partial gamification). Complete Gamification Example 1: Induction Program. The gamification concept: We chose the 100 days induction cum onboarding plan to map to a theme of a mission that needed learners to clear various levels within the stipulated time. It also had leaderboards to enable them to assess how they are faring against the other team members. Reference: You can also refer to my earlier article What Are The Benefits Of mLearning? Featuring 5 Killer Examples, where this example was featured. Example 2: Professional Skills Enhancement (account management fundamentals for project managers and account managers).   The gamification concept: An avatar based gamification approach. The highlights of this approach were: Creation of different learner paths. Alignment of the learning and gamification path to the proficiency of learners. Presentation of a mix of questions in each path (mapping to real-life challenges commensurate with the proficiency level of the learners). Non availability of learning aids of theory (lifeline) for higher proficiency learners to make the challenge tougher. (The complexity and the nature of the challenges posed to the learners tested their cognitive proficiency to tackle the situation at hand, thereby resulting in immersive learning.) EI Design Gamification Professional Skills Enhancement Reference: You can also refer to my earlier article Gamification in learning through an avatar-based serious game concept, where this example was featured. The article provides further insights on the concept and its application. Example 3: Compliance.  The gamification concept: We created a simulation based, task oriented gamification course, which was interactive and engrossing. The game scenario was mapped to the context of risk management and the incremental learning was provided at each stage of the game as the learners took the challenges and overcame them. To achieve this, we incorporated a real work environment (visually), an element of challenge (bonuses and bombs), rewards for success (caps, badges), and learning through activities including elements of surprise and delight. We provided the learners the choice to seek support while performing the assigned task like in a real life scenario mapping to actual human behavior in such situations. This ensured a true simulated environment to encourage application of knowledge through performance. Reference: You can also refer to my earlier article Gamification in Compliance, where this example was featured. The article provides further insights on the concept and its application. Example 4: Rewards And Recognition. The gamification concept: This too uses an avatar based approach. The learners go through a series of gamified activities that map to the required qualities of a given reward category. The activities simulate and reinforce the qualities the individuals have to maintain to win. The scores lead them to gaining the reward. This approach also features leaderboards. Partial Gamification: Features Gamified Activities Or Gamified Assessments  Here are a couple of examples that show how partial gamification techniques can be applied to a traditional eLearning course. This simple value addition can make a standard eLearning course more fun and engaging. Of the two examples of partial gamification techniques featured here, the first one shows a gamified activity while the second one shows a gamified assessment. Example 5: Soft skills / time management - A gamified activity on time wasters.  Example 6: A gamified assessment.  This can be used to enhance learner engagement in any traditional eLearning course. The power of gamification in eLearning that is aligned to learning outcomes is clearly evident in these 6 examples. I hope this article was useful in helping you understand how you can use gamification in eLearning for almost all of your training needs. At EI Design, we have a very mature gamification practice and we can help you in transforming your traditional eLearning approaches to more immersive gamified approaches. Do reach out to me for pointers on these. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.