Best Practices You Need To Know For mLearning Development  Rethink Your mLearning Graphic Design. Developing for mobile phones creates some unique design challenges. "It affects everything, from the graphic design, which has to look good on a very small screen, to decisions about what platform to use to deliver the content", says Chris Bush, a project manager on a team that worked with 4-H to create an online knowledge center and mobile-specific learning content for youth in Africa, who often don’t have access to computers and internet connections, but do have cell phones. "Whether you’re building content for delivery on a smartphone or tablet, remember to design for touch", says Laura Silver, VP of Product Management at Trivantis®. "This naturally applies to buttons, which you’ll want to make ‘finger friendly’ - easy to tap with the pad of your fingertip". BranchTrack CEO Sergey Snegirev notes that "thanks to Facebook and just about every website in the world, contemporary phone users love scrolling for new content, so make sure your course has long vertical pages and comfortable font sizes. Lectora® Responsive Course Design™ will take care of fitting your course width and making the rest scrollable". Check it out with a free trial of the new Lectora® Online 3. Shorter Is Better For mLearning Length And File Size. The Instructional Designer on the 4-H project, Craig Rebich, provided another mLearning best practice to keep in mind - brevity is best. "Knowing that people weren’t going to be sitting down at the computer to take an hour-long course, that they were going to be actually out in the field using mobile phones, impacted the eLearning materials we created. We had to consider how to keep things very concise and to the point, to make the training materials really easy to use and flexible". How long is too long? In the early days of mobile phones, content was divided into two-minute segments as a way to quickly and cheaply send content across mobile networks. That’s not as much of a concern from a technical perspective today, but the two-minute mark remains an excellent cutoff point. "By studying the psychological interaction between users, their mobile phones, and learning content, we have found that after about 90 seconds the user begins to lose concentration. True, people watch 30-minute TV episodes on their mobiles but that is a "lying back" style of entertainment. What we want to achieve is the "lean forward"; a more interactive engagement in which the user works alongside the content. A 90- to 120-second duration works", says Gerry Griffin, former director of the London Business School and founder of Skill-Pill. John Blackmon, Chief Technology Officer of Trivantis, also supports brevity for mLearning: "That 500MB HD video that looked so great on the desktop version of your course just takes too long to download on your student’s phone to be useful." Blackmon advises that you "create a much smaller resolution version of the video, or perhaps cut out any unneeded sequences so that it is quick and to the point for your mobile user". Save Yourself The Multiple Device Headache. Lectora Online’s Responsive Course Design makes mLearning development for multiple devices easy. Author once - publish everywhere! Start your free 30-day trial now. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Adobe Captivate 9 Review: From Storyboarding To Responsive eLearning! Adobe states that Captivate 9 can "go seamlessly from storyboarding to responsive eLearning design".  It also boasts an asset store with over 25,000 items and the new Adobe Captivate Draft, which is a storyboarding app for the iPad that allows you to streamline your eLearning design and development process. On top of all these, Captivate 9 includes a variety of upgrades and enhanced features that you won’t find in the previous versions. But is it worth the investment? Let’s delve into the features, pricing, ease of use, and support services that you may want to consider during the decision making process. 6 Standout Features Of Adobe Captivate 9 Adobe Captivate Draft. Adobe Captivate Draft is a free iPad app that can be used in tandem with Adobe Captivate 9, and it gives you the power to transform your storyboard into a fully interactive online course, complete with scenario branching, question slides, and a variety of other multimedia elements. It involves an iPad app, which also means that you can create online courses on the go and share them with online collaborators. In fact, other members of your eLearning team don’t even need to own Adobe Captivate 9 or the app in order to review the contents. After the storyboard is perfected, simply import it into the authoring tool and publish. Device-Aware Delivery. Responsive design is must-have, as so many learners are now accessing eLearning courses on their mobile devices. Adobe Captivate 9 offers you the ability to create just one master course that can adapt to any device. For example, if a learner is accessing the eLearning course on their iPad, the tool will automatically adjust the layout of the page to fit the screen size and resolution. There is no need to design a separate eLearning course for every tablet, phone, or laptop; it’s all done for you. Asset Store. If you’re looking for a tool that features an abundance of games, layouts, interactions, and cutouts, then you should probably move Adobe Captivate 9 to the top of your list. It has a library of over 25,000 free assets that you can use to make your eLearning course more interactive, engaging, and effective for your learners. The library is also updated on a regular basis, which means that you will constantly have fresh content to choose from. Multimedia Integration. There are almost too many interactive elements to mention here. Adobe Captivate 9 offers an impressive selection of multimedia tools, ranging from HD screen capture and screen casting to audio synchronization and scenario branching. It also boasts audio-text captions, text-to-speech capabilities, and pan and zoom support. Adobe Captivate 9 truly excels when it comes to creating interactive eLearning experiences. Branch-Aware Quizzing. Not only does Adobe Captivate 9 offer pretests that assess learner knowledge before they complete an online module or course, but it can also point your learners in the right direction after they complete the pretest so that they can get the most out of their educational experience. After they complete the recommended module, the system then quizzes them again to monitor their progress. The new version also includes Knowledge Check questions to help learners stay on track. Geo-Location Support. This is a feature that you won’t find with many other eLearning tools. Geo-location capabilities give you the power to detect the exact location of your learners so that you can deliver online content that is region-specific. For example, if you plan on localizing your eLearning course for an international market, you can offer them the translated version of the eLearning course immediately. Pricing You can either opt for the monthly subscription or one-time fee pricing model at the Adobe Captivate 9 pricing plans. The subscription option requires a $29.99 monthly fee, as well as an annual commitment that includes an early termination fee. If you’d prefer to purchase the license outright, the price tag is $1,099. However, if you already have Adobe 8 you can upgrade for $449.00. There is also a student and teacher edition that costs $349. Ease Of Use With so many features and functions, one might naturally assume that the Adobe Captivate 9 interface involves a steep learning curve. However, the UI is surprisingly intuitive and user-friendly, but still gives you complete control over every aspect of the eLearning course design. For example, when you are designing online content for multiple devices, you can simply design as you normally would and then use the previewer to get a sneak peek of how the page will look on the device. Publish the eLearning project just once and the tool automatically delivers the best possible display for your learners. Support Adobe has one of the most active online user Captivate communities and an extensive database of help resources, including how-to articles and tutorials that can be an invaluable asset for those who run into any issues along the way, or want to get the most of the tool. Adobe also offers a chat option if your questions aren’t answered on the forums. For more extensive support, Adobe does provide a premier support package that covers phone assistance. Conclusion If you already have an Adobe Captivate subscription, then you will already have access to version 9. In which case, you should definitely consider making the switch, thanks to the wide range of upgrades and new features. On the other hand, if you are new to Adobe, then you may want to try out the product by signing up for the free demo. It will give you a chance to explore the features and functions, so that you are able to discover if it’s a good fit for you. Adobe Captivate 9 is a great tool for eLearning professionals who want a flexible design platform that also happens to be affordable. If you are an iPad user, then the Adobe Captivate Draft feature is a big plus, as it gives you the opportunity to create and collaborate anytime, anywhere. The asset store is another significant perk, especially if you are looking for ready-made interactions and templates for rapid eLearning development. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

How To Motivate Employees To Complete eLearning Courses?  Imagine this: Your manager mentions during a team meeting that some new eLearning courses will be rolled out shortly. Even those already proficient in the skills taught will need to complete it as refresher training. What is your reaction? Would you have to stifle an eye roll, or would you get excited at the learning opportunity? Your level of enthusiasm could depend on a range of things, from the country you live in to the specific factors that motivate you as an individual. In fact, Education First’s latest global research report entitled "Decoding motivation: Global insight into motivational drivers of corporate training" found big differences between countries and their willingness to undertake corporate training. Reportedly, 62 percent of respondents in Brazil and 60 percent in China say employees are very willing to undertake training. This drops dramatically in European countries with Sweden, the UK, and France all coming in at 38%. Interesting stuff. What this tells us is that when it comes to online training, a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t going to cut it. To truly motivate employees and engage them to take eLearning courses, we need to be able to allow them to be active in the experience. Here are 5 top tips from PulseLearning to help motivate employees to complete eLearning courses. Emphasize the "what’s in it for me?" and on-the-job application. Presenting the "what’s in it for me? (WIIFM)" is effective in gaining audience buy-in. To be motivated, employees need to know the real world benefits of the eLearning courses - in particular, how the training relates to them in their daily roles. Present clear learning objectives at the start of the training and reference these throughout. Using scenarios and case studies can be a great way to link content to on-the-job application. You can also provide learners with a set of take-away tools such as job aids or quick-reference guides. Link to skill development and career pathways. A recent global study revealed that 66% of employees say opportunities for professional growth are limited within their organizations. Cultivate a learning culture within your organization and communicate the professional development benefits of completing training. Send out emails or post on your intranet about upcoming training, the benefits, and how it can help transition employees into other roles within the company. Make use of effective interactivity and creative devices. So you’ve inspired your employees about the upcoming training. What you don’t want is your team of motivated employees sitting down to dull, boring eLearning courses. To maintain training motivation, you need to deliver quality eLearning. Effective training presents new skills and knowledge in exciting and engaging formats, which can include videos, podcasts, graphic narratives, and multiple-branching scenarios. Use a variety of mediums and interactivity that involve the learner to actively participate. Gamification, the use of game mechanics in online training, can rouse some healthy competition among learners. Offer opportunities to assess and reflect on what has been learned. You might not initially see a test as a motivating factor; however, assessment tools allow learners to determine how much they have learned. When we do well, we feel good about ourselves and get excited that we have learned new skills. You might include interspersed formative self-reflection activities and learning checks and a summative assessment at the end of the training, if appropriate. Put your learners in control with BYOD and mobile learning. Allow your learners to complete eLearning courses when and where it suits them, on the devices they enjoy using the most. eLearning courses can be designed for access on desktop computers, tablets, and smart phones. If your organization allows employees to "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD), training can be completed in a location where employee feels most comfortable. References: The 2014 TINYpulse Employee Engagement and Organizational Culture Report This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

The particular focus of ICBL 2015 is Education Innovation. ICBL 2015 focuses on the exchange of relevant trends, views and research results as well as the presentation of practical experiences gained while developing and implementing elements of Interactive Collaborative and Blended Learning. ICBL 2015 Topics General Topics in Interactive Computer Aided Blended Learning: New learning models and applications, Collaborative learning environments, Adaptive and intuitive environments, Mobile learning environments and applications, Learning Analytics, Ontologies and e-Learning, Novel Pedagogy, Pedagogical Approaches, Teaching and Learning Methodology: Innovative Research in Pedagogy impacting computer aided blended learning, collaborative learning pedagogical approaches and methods, advanced evaluation and assessment methods, blended learning, e-mentoring and e-tutoring, metrics and performance measurement, Innovative Tools and Environments Facilitating Learning and Global issues: Immersive environments and Virtual Reality in Education, Cloud Based Systems, Mobile Learning (M-learning), Integrating Smart Devices as Collaborative Learning Tools, Virtual and Online Labs and Virtual Classrooms, MOOCs, MOOLs, netbased learning Innovation in Education: hybrid and blended learning, project based learning, integration of social networking and social computing in education and e-learning, critical success factors in distance and online learning, novel interdisciplinary programs and approaches, e-learning success stories and case studies. ICBL 2015 Keynote Speakers Invited speakers: Yacob Astatke, Morgan State University Nia Alexandrov, Barcelona Supercomputing Centre Alejandra Magana, Purdue University, USA Julieta Noguez, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico Luis Neri, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico The International Conference on Interactive Collaborative and Blended Learning (ICBL 2015) will be heldat the Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico City Campus, on December 9 - 11, 2015. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Boosting Your Workforce Performance With Interactive PDFs And eBooks  In 1991, Gloria Gerry pioneered the initial ideas and practices of Performance Support (PS) in her book "Electronic Performance Support Systems". She rightly proposed that the learning strategies of organizations needed to "be reconceived to influence the primary purpose of organization: To perform effectively and efficiently". She also observed that the "information, rules and knowledge" that employees needed in order to "optimize performance" were "spread all over the place" and needed to be "within easy reach". Gerry felt that organizations must "give up the idea that competence must exist within the person and expand [their] view that whenever possible it should be built into the situation". Unfortunately, Gerry’s vision of what PS can do for organizations experienced a short period of attention but this concept did not quite take off (primarily because of high implementation costs). Today, there is a wider acceptance of the fact that use of formal training is not enough to help learners apply the learning on the job. There is a renewed focus on using Performance Support as an integral part of an organization’s learning strategy to push the knowledge acquisition to application. In my own organization and with several customers, we have successfully demonstrated the power of PSTs. In this article, I will outline how you can use interactive PDFs and eBooks as Performance Support Tools. What Are Performance Support Tools Or PSTs?  Performance Support Tools (PSTs) are on-the-job tools that support and guide employees at the precise moment of need. Unlike training, which is characterized by providing information and guidance beforehand, these tools assist employees as they actually do their jobs. These tools are very easy to find, often directly embedded into the learners’ workflow (Learning Hub). They offer active guidance, saving the employees the hassles of "searching" for information and assistance. These solutions enable organizations to provide the right amount of task guidance, support, and productivity benefits to their employees just when they need them. What Are The Available Formats To Develop PSTs? PST formats are limited only by your imagination. Some of the formats we have extensively used are: Interactive PDFs. eBooks. Mobile apps. Kinetic text-based animations. Whiteboard animations. Webcasts/podcasts. Expert videos or webinars. For a deeper understanding of PSTs and why they must be an integral part of an organization’s learning strategy, refer to my article Performance Support Tools: Top 5 Things Your Boss Wants To Know. What Are The Advantages Of Using Interactive PDFs And eBooks?  Interactive PDFs and eBooks enable you to generate high quality PSTs fairly quickly. These are available in multi-device format enabling your learners to use them on their smartphones, tablets, laptops, and PCs. As we all know, the key is quick access to most recent information. These formats enable organizations to make information accessible, searchable, and up-to-date. Availability of these learning aids within the learner’s work-flow significantly increases the probability of usage thereby increasing the application of this learning on the job. How Can Interactive PDFs And eBooks Be Used To Boost Your Workforce Performance? You can boost your workforce performance with interactive PDFs and eBooks by using them to supplement or complement formal training (online or ILT). Essentially, they allow you to make factual, knowledge-based information available to your learners quickly and easily. Typically, they include: Top tips. Best practices. Checklists. Ready reckoners. Glossaries. FAQs. Policies and procedures. Change management: Quick just-in-time updates. They don’t have to be long (in fact, they shouldn’t be) but a short and sharp byte of knowledge when you need it can be invaluable. What Is Unique About eBooks Vis-a-vis Interactive PDFs? Both formats accommodate the same level of design (visually rich text, audio, and video). eBooks also allow SCORM output thereby enabling you to track the usage of the learning aid. Here are a few examples of Interactive PDFs and eBooks: For more details on this example, refer to my article Performance support: Featuring Interactive pdf as a Learning Aid to supplement online learning. I hope this article provides cues on how you can use simple learning aids like Interactive PDFs and eBooks to create a strong Performance Support intervention and enhance the application of learning. This in turn will certainly boost your workforce performance. I have several case studies that reflect a direct impact of Performance Support Tools on the ROI of training. Do contact me for further details. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Top Video Conferencing Systems eLearning Professionals Should Know About On occasions when face-to-face communication is essential, but in-person meetings are out of the question, video conferencing systems are a valuable asset. The challenge is to find the best video conferencing system for your specific eLearning needs and budget, especially when there are so many options available. Here are the top 10 video conferencing systems that every eLearning professional should know about. Google Hangouts Google Hangouts offers a free version that is one of the top video conferencing systems available today. However, if you plan on including more than 20 people in your chat, then you may want to consider their upgraded subscription. Hangouts Pro is just at $9 a month and can accommodate up to 50 users at once. It also boasts other great features, such as email reminders, so that you can boost your attendance rates.  ClickMeeting If you’re looking for a video conferencing system that allows you to brand your virtual meeting space and waiting room, as well as hold moderated Q&A sessions and private chats, then ClickMeeting should be at the top of your list. They offer a 30-day free trial, and plans start at just $30 per month after that. Citrix GoToMeeting This video conferencing system is packed with features, ranging from meeting scheduling and easy-to-create invitations to participant identification and built-in screen sharing capabilities. It is $24 per month up to 5 attendees simultaneously, or $39 per month up to 25. The convenient invitation links are a big plus, as attendees can simply click on the hyperlink to access the chat on any device. Adobe Connect Adobe Connect offers a user-friendly interface and boasts a wide range of features such as breakout rooms, private chats, and slide sharing. You can even carry out polls throughout the eLearning course of your virtual meeting to get immediate feedback, or share documents to work on online projects collaboratively with your team members. Their subscriptions start at $45 per month. They also offer Adobe Connect Webinars for $1250 a year and Adobe Connect Learning for $3500 per year. Skype Premium Skype is one of the most popular free chat tools. However, they also have a paid version, Skype Premium, which is $9.99 per month. Their Premium option features group calls that can accommodate up to 10 users, as well as a screen sharing tool that boosts its collaboration factor. If you already use Skype for one-on-one online meetings and want to add more participants into the mix, then Skype Premium is the natural choice. The low price point also makes it ideal for small businesses or eLearning development teams. eVoice From conference calling to call routing, eVoice provides a wide selection of features that make it a great video conferencing system for eLearning professionals who need an all-in-one solution. Their plans start at $29.99 per month, which includes 1000 minutes of calling and 5 extensions, as well as 15 phone numbers. Their basic packages only cover voice, but their premium subscriptions include video and web conferencing. If you want to convey a more professional image, but simply don’t have the budget to set up a physical office, eVoice is definitely worth considering. Cisco WebEx The free version of WebEx only includes voice calling, but their Premium package features voice conferencing that supports up to 8 users simultaneously. It is $24 per month or $228 annually, and boasts screen sharing tools, document sharing, and a whiteboard where every member of your team or audience can jot down their opinions and ideas. Cisco also offers an Event Center where you can host webinars, and a Training Center that allows you to conduct online training. Join.Me According to their website, 90% of Fortune 500 companies use Join.Me, which comes as no surprise thanks to their user-friendly platform and quick setup process. You just download it onto your computer and start your first meeting in a matter of minutes. They offer a 14-day trial for all of their plans, but also have a free option that features VoIP conferencing. After the trail is over, you can carry on with the plan for just $19.99 per month, which covers phone numbers and video conferencing system. StartMeeting This option is ideally suited for webinars and online presentations, as you can host up to 1,000 users at a time. They also offer a 30-day free trial that gives you the chance to try before you buy. After that, it is $19.95 per month. However, if you want to add in video support, StartMeeting must be paired with a variety of other video conferencing systems, such as Adobe Connect, to add in the video support. Yugma Yugma offers a free version that allows for up to 2 participants and limits the virtual meetings to an hour. They also have 6 different paid plans that start at $24.50 per year. The platform features screen sharing, audio conferencing, private chats, Skype support, and whiteboards that streamline collaboration with your team. You can also poll your audience during the meeting and add annotations. Reach out to team members and boost the collaboration of your online course by using these video conferencing systems in your eLearning strategy. If the platform offers a free trial, then take the opportunity to try out the features and functions to ensure that it’s a good fit for your eLearning needs. Want to learn more about differentiated pricing factors of different video conferencing systems? Read the article The Insider's Guide To Video Conferencing Pricing Models to discover the video conferencing pricing structures that are available today. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Bulk Buy eLearning Courses Vs eLearning On Demand  ROI on the bulk buy license can look pretty appealing, right? Spend £10,000 on a library of 50 eLearning courses for a 200 strong workforce and it could cost as little as £1 per course enrollment! But Learning and Development (L&D) professionals aren’t dumb: They don’t actually expect this to happen. When they calculate the real cost of buying eLearning, usage rates are often very low, and it actually ends up costing more like £100 per course enrollment. Traditionally publishers have been forced to take a sledgehammer approach to pricing because they had no control over what happened after their courses were sold and uploaded to the customer’s Learning Management System. Putting courses in the cloud changes all of that. Now we have the technology to track usage in real time. The metrics that we have in front of us are pioneering and incredibly useful in driving better purchasing decisions. We can look at usage patterns not just across one workforce but across entire industries. We can see which courses are popular, how long courses take to complete, pinpoint weak areas where courses are under-performing, monitor completion rates and spot new trends faster. At Course-Source we use tracking technology and usage data to offer a system that lets Learning and Development departments take up pay-per-use pricing options without ditching the Learning Management System they already have. Learning and Development managers choose the course publishers they like then buy batches of "enrollment units" that can be redeemed for any of the courses their preferred publishers offer. Every time a learner enrolls in a course one unit is automatically redeemed. When units starts to run low, automatic alerts remind the L&D department to top-up. We believe that charging "per enrollment" offers best value for today’s training manager, but the whole area of learning analytics is opening up new opportunities for all of us. Clicking With The Customer  Charlotte Gibbs is Talent and Learning Coordinator at financial services business, Maitland. "Like all large businesses, Maitland experiences seasonal trends in training", explains Charlotte. "At some points of the year people are just too busy to do the courses they want. Other times, like during annual reviews for instance, demand for course access goes up considerably. Using the per-enrollment model allows us to cope with the ebb and flow of corporate learning". "With the traditional license model, we would have to wait until the end of the license to find out how much it actually cost per learning interaction (course enrollment), which was often much higher than expected. The per-enrollment model means we know how much each course enrollment costs and we get exactly what we pay for". Is Enrollment Based Pricing Always Cheaper?  No. Most Learning and Development managers find it's cheaper, but if courses actually are being consumed in the numbers predicted by the bulk buy license seller, then the bulk buy model will probably work out cheaper. Enrollment based pricing makes most sense in the voluntary side of eLearning. When eLearning supports mandatory compliance requirements, and everyone in the company is required to complete the learning, the model may not offer the best pricing. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Why Human Resources Can Help You With Your Audience Analysis  As Christopher Pappas has argued, "the first and arguably most important step of creating a winning eLearning course is finding out as much as possible about your target audience". If you’ve got the money and the time, surveys, focus groups, interviews, observations, and job diaries are all great ways to get to know your audience. Unless you live in an Instructional Design textbook fantasyland, however, you probably won’t be able to pull most of this off. That’s where Human Resources (HR) can help. Think about the kinds of questions you would ask your audience if you did have the time and money: What do employees already know about the topic? Do they care about the topic? Is this really a training issue, or is there something else going on? How will employees apply what they’ve learned on the job? How do employees feel about eLearning? What other kinds of interventions are happening related to the topic? Human Resources representatives and managers can usually give you answers to all of these questions, and you might be shocked at how accurate they are. Good HR professionals know their people and they know the business, so if they don’t have the answers you’re looking for, they can usually point you to the people who do. In addition, Human Resources folks are usually good at seeing connections that you may have missed. Maybe the new training can be incorporated into the upcoming performance reviews. Maybe there’s an up-and-coming leader who could help you out as part of his or her development plan. Maybe there’s a big re-organization coming up that’s going to be announced the same week as you plan to release the training. Maybe there are one or two key managers who need to be won over to make this thing work. Human Resources specializes in these maybes. How To Ask Human Resources To Help You With Your Audience Analysis Respect their time. The reason HR knows so much is that they do so much: Hiring, firing, discipline, compliance, compensation, benefits, organizational development, coaching, succession planning, performance appraisals, and on and on. Don’t just show up and expect them to drop everything to talk to you. Schedule a meeting and provide an agenda (or at least a meaningful description) so they can prepare. Even better, see if you can get on the agenda at an HR staff meeting. That way, you’ll get everyone’s input at once and get them bouncing ideas off each other. Be direct. If what you really want to know is whether or not a particular VP is going to support a course, don’t beat around the bush with vague questions about "leadership support" or "change management culture." Just straight-up ask "Do you think Bill will support this thing?" Respect their confidentiality. Sometimes HR knows something, but they can’t tell you what it is. You’ll just have to trust that if an HR manager says "I wouldn’t release your course during the first week of June", that they have a good reason for it. And hopefully it goes without saying that if Human Resources does share something with you in confidence, you keep your mouth good and shut. Say thanks and return the favor. This is just good manners. If someone took the time to help you out, show your gratitude and stand ready to help them out when they need a hand with something. In some organizations, training is a part of Human Resources. In others, they’re separate departments. Either way, it pays to develop good working relationships with HR representatives and managers. Just remember: Be polite, be direct, and respect boundaries. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

TalentLMS Review: A Super-Easy, Cloud LMS To Train Your Employees, Partners, Or Customers  It’s all in the cloud with TalentLMS. Users can install the platform within a matter of minutes, then quickly upload their learning materials and eLearning course content using any connected device. TalentLMS even provides you with your own domain, which you can fully customize with your own logo and theme. Their site states that you can "make your learning management system look the way you dreamt it", which almost sounds too good to be true for eLearning professionals. Read on to discover if TalentLMS is really the ideal match for your organization. Standout Features Scalability. TalentLMS is ideal for enterprises who need a training platform that can grow along with them. It features building blocks, such as branches and single sign-on, which allow you to expand your training to fit your evolving needs. You can also rely on the fact that all of your sensitive data is safe on their encrypted channels. All-Inclusive Tools. Not only is TalentLMS compliant with both SCORM and TinCan (xAPI), but it can also offers video conferencing, gamification, and course selling tools, as well as notification capabilities to keep your learners informed. This means that you won’t have to worry about finding suitable third-party tools, because it’s all in the platform. Mobile-Friendly. Whether you need to access the system on your tablet or prefer to dive into the design process on your laptop, TalentLMS gives you the opportunity to access your online course anywhere. It supports iPad, iPhone, and Android devices, making it easy to take your eLearning with you wherever you go. Reporting. Being able to track your user’s progress and identify the areas of improvement for your eLearning course is essential, and TalentLMS features both basic and in-depth analytics capabilities. You can keep an eye on everything that’s going on inside your learning management system in a matter of seconds. Video Integration. Embed YouTube videos directly into your eLearning course or integrate a Slideshare presentation to make it more interactive. You can also upload your own videos, virtual presentation, and documents into the system to provide your users with a personalized and full-branded learning experience. Pricing It doesn’t get any better than free! TalentLMS offers a free plan for those who have fewer than 5 users and under 10 courses in their library. They also offer small, basic, plus, and premium subscriptions that feature unlimited course uploads, which are billed annually. The small option is $29 per month and covers up to 25 users, and the basic plan is $99 a month and covers up to 100 users. The plus package is $199 a month for up to 500 users, while the premium option is $349 per month for up to 1000 users. Subscribers also have the ability to pay on a monthly basis at a slightly higher rate, and there are unlimited plans starting at $109 a month. Ease of Use The TalentLMS user interface focuses on "conventions over configurations". In other words, you don’t have to worry about configuring an abundance of settings and can just dive into the design and delivery process for your eLearning course. It also enables you to import your existing learning materials so that you can save time and resources on that front, and it even optimizes all of the online content for your users who are accessing it via a mobile device thanks to its responsive design feature. You simply have to upload one master online course and it will do all the work for you. The User Interface, itself, consists of embedded content tools and a single sidebar. The general overview enables you to conveniently view user progress, or edit your existing eLearning courses and delete units that you no longer need. Support Aside from their online contact form, TalentLMS offers a comprehensive support and knowledge base online. Users can find information regarding billing, certifications, compliance, online courses, gamification, and a wide range of other topics. If you prefer social media support, they have a blog, as well as Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ pages where you can reach them. Conclusion TalentLMS is ideally suited for those who are looking for less frills and more functionality. One of their primary focuses is providing a system that can easily repurpose online content and create eLearning courses that are aesthetically pleasing without sacrificing navigability. If you have SCORM or TinCan files, videos, or presentations already in your library, TalentLMS can save you a great deal of time by enabling you to simply upload them into their platform. The fact that it’s on the cloud is also a major selling point. You just choose the subscription package that is right for you, or even give them a try without paying anything up front by choosing their free option, then start creating amazing and effective eLearning experiences for your audience. Integrate your own logos, colors, and other branding essentials to personalize the eLearning course and bring it in-line with your company’s message. Last, but certainly not least, the price point is spot-on. Even if you need to add more users than the 5 that are included in the "free" plan, the basic option is just $29 a month if you opt for the annual billing, which is one of the lowest LMS subscription rates out there today. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Rapid eLearning Tools: Top 6 Practices  Rapid eLearning tools could be of great help when you need to race with time, simultaneously producing best learning projects. While doing so, it is not meant that you randomly develop some eLearning projects and arrange them in haphazard manner. We actually need to develop rapid learning in a powerful and effective manner providing our audience with maximum learning experience in short time. While developing rapid learning, our focus mainly lies on speed. But, apart from speed, it is also necessary to develop a good base for your learning projects. In this article, we list a few best practices that can direct you towards producing an effective rapid learning. Select The Most Suitable Authoring Tool. Prior starting rapid eLearning, it is important that you choose the correct authoring tool. Some important features that need to be kept in mind while choosing a tool are: It should be able to be used by everyone in your team. It must allow quick prototyping. It must have provisions for creating attractive designs as and when required. It must allow templates formation that may be used in future. It must be compatible with all hand-held devices. Plan Basic Program Structure For Learners. While deciding to create rapid eLearning, you need to plan about the basic structure of your program. Try to make it interactive and eye-catching. Keep those devices in mind for which you are creating rapid eLearning; some good tools allow creating programs for specific devices. After that focus on the information that you are going to share keeping in mind your target audience, i.e. what type of learners you are going to interact with. The next important aspect is the interactivity of your rapid learning. You may consider including a few exercises of assignmentbox, or games by which the learners can apply what they have gained through the project. Keep 3 Tips In Mind While Creating Prototype. Creating an image of the complete idea of your team (prototyping) will help you a lot in collaborating with your clients. While jotting down your idea, you need to follow 3 basic tips: Be quick in creating prototype during the early hours of your project so as to ensure that you and your clients are going in the same direction. There is no need to worry about finishing of prototype, as incorporating others’ suggestions in a finished project becomes really difficult and time consuming. So, try to prepare a rough sketch so that you may end up with creating a finished prototype completely in accordance with your stakeholders. Creating prototypes quite often is really helpful in engaging with your clients to a greater extent. Use Available Templates As Well As Graphics. Using templates and pre-made graphics in your rapid learning will greatly speed up the development process. So if such an authoring tool is used, try to include as many graphics and templates as possible, as this will make it more interactive. Use A Rapid Communicating Tool. Before starting your project, developing a quick viewable workbook will greatly assist in making things understandable. Use proper labeling and page numbers; add details about what graphics will be included, details of the responsible person, and the current status of development of the page. Assess Overall Workflow. After finishing all steps, evaluate the entire workflow of your of your project. This will surely help you analyze what steps were really needed, and which ones were unnecessary. These observations will surely help you while creating future rapid learning projects. Final Words  Following these simple tips, you will be able to create an effective rapid learning that is both attention-grabbing and able to provide large amount information to viewers in short time. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.