How To Create Personal Learning Paths In eLearning A personal learning path is a learner-centered eLearning approach that emphasizes learner-specific goals and objectives, as well as preferences. It also refers to the path that a learner elects on their own, such as which eLearning activities and exercises they choose to participate in during the eLearning experience. Each eLearning activity gives them a better understanding of the topic, and gives eLearning professionals the opportunity to pinpoint the individual’s learning style and needs. Personal learning paths give learners control over their own eLearning experience, so that they can more effectively acquire and retain knowledge and skills that will help them in the real world. 7 Tips To Create Personal Learning Paths In eLearning Consider the overall learning goals. Even when creating personal learning paths for each individual learner, the goals and objectives of the eLearning course must still be an integral part of the eLearning experience. The key to creating a successful personal learning path strategy is to develop a plan that seamlessly blends the eLearning course essentials with the needs and wants of each learner. In addition to the individualized goals and objectives they set for themselves, they must also walk away from the eLearning experience with the key subject matter. Empowerment is key. For a personal learning path to be truly successful, online learners must feel as though they are in control of their eLearning experience. This can be achieved by allowing them to choose which eLearning activities they complete next, how they receive the eLearning content, and even which eLearning assessments they will take. For example, you can offer them the chance to test their knowledge via online scenarios, multiple choice exams, or essay online assessments. The key is to make them feel like they have a direct say in the learning process, rather than telling them how, what, and when they are going to learn. Stress the importance of online self-assessments. In addition to the mandatory eLearning assessments that learners must complete throughout the eLearning course, it’s also important to offer them online self-assessments that they can take on their own. Provide them with one or two quizzes or simulations that enable them to test their own progress and knowledge comprehension. Include a self-grading rubric or answer sheet that offers them the opportunity to correct their mistakes and receive the right information. Also, don’t forget to make them aware of the fact that you are there to offer support, should they need it. Create periodic milestones. Periodic milestones give learners the chance to check their progress along the way and ensure that they are on the proper path. In fact, it’s a great idea to make weekly checklists that your online learners can follow in order to stay on-track and up to date. If you want to give your learners more control, simply create one list of mandatory online assignments, exercises, and assessments, and then another that features optional tasks. You can even use project management online platforms to keep them organized, or integrate the checklists right into the homepage of the eLearning course. Cater to multiple different learning styles. Not all of your online learners have the same personal preferences or learning styles. This is why it’s important to integrate a wide range of online activities and exercises into your eLearning course, so that your learners have the ability to choose what works best for them. Auditory learners can listen to virtual lectures or podcasts, while visual learners can watch eLearning videos and view image-rich content. Those who prefer to read their way through an eLearning course can opt for text-based modules. Variety gives every learner the opportunity to benefit from the eLearning course and create a learning path that is ideally suited for their needs. Offer immediate constructive feedback. Even though a personal learning path is, well, personal, learners still need some form of direction and feedback. If they complete an online assessment, you must let them know what they need to correct as soon as possible so that they do not memorize incorrect information or pick up unfavorable learning behaviors. They key is to give them the constructive criticism they require, while still allowing them to learn from their mistakes. Likewise, you should also solicit their feedback so that you can fine tune your eLearning strategy and ensure that every learner is getting the personal support they need. Learning pathways offer invaluable data. A personal learning path in eLearning offers online learners a wide range of advantages. However, eLearning professionals can also use them to discover more about their audience and eLearning course design. For example, if you closely examine the learning path of a single learner, you can find out what online activities they prefer, how they are progressing, how they like to receive their information, and if the individual eLearning exercises are successful. Thanks to the analytics and tracking abilities of modern learning management systems, you can view all of this with the click of a button. In many respects, personal learning paths in eLearning give us the rare chance to see learning behaviors, first hand, so that we can improve our eLearning strategy moving forward. Allowing your learners to embark on their own personal learning paths can make your eLearning course even more meaningful and powerful. Use these 7 tips to successfully integrate personalized paths into your next eLearning experience and empower your audience to take control of the learning process. Now that you know about personal learning paths in eLearning, read the article 8 Tips To Use Personal Experiences In eLearning Course Design to learn how you can incorporate personal experiences into your eLearning course design so that learners can benefit from the wisdom and know-how you have to offer. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

How To Create eLearning For Modern Learners: 5 Tips For eLearning Professionals The bad news? Modern learners’ attention span and desire for in depth analysis is increasingly diminishing. You now have only a few seconds to grab their attention before they click away or their mind wanders off. The good news? The methods for grabbing learners' attention and making the key points easily accessible and digestible are nothing new. They are called effective learning techniques. The critical difference between modern learners and the rest? Modern learners literally despise waiting for information; therefore, you shouldn’t make them wait. And here is how to create eLearning that appeals to modern learners’ personalities and learning preferences: Engage them ASAP As already mentioned, the first thing you need to have in mind when trying to capture your modern learners’ attention is this: Don’t make them wait. This means you have to make your point right away, otherwise they will get distracted and you’ll lose them. What’s your point? The learning objectives of the eLearning course. Instead of starting your eLearning course by listing them, present them in a way that make them relevant to your modern learners audience. Grab their attention by explaining exactly how the eLearning course will improve their individual performance and how it will benefit their personal or professional lives. In addition, make it brief; modern learners don’t have time to lose, so tell them what they need, and want to know and nothing more. This goes for the rest of eLearning course too; use bite sized chunks of eLearning content to get your message across, include only the most relevant data, and consider using infographics which are very popular among modern learners, as they make information very easy to grasp. Motivate them to achieve performance goals Modern learners are achievement driven; thus, they are highly interested in improving their performance to achieve success. They don’t mind working hard, as long as it pays off, that is, as long as their work has a purpose. To achieve this, you need to offer them meaningful eLearning experiences that encourage them and allow them to develop and practice creative thinking, problem solving, and decision making skills. Make clear that the eLearning course aims to help them grow; use performance goals to provide them with opportunities to practice their newly acquired behaviors and link what they are learning to real world scenarios. And don’t forget to offer your audience gratification; use a reward and recognition system that allows them to know that they are making progress. This way they will see the value of the eLearning course and become active participants throughout the eLearning process. Let them control their pace of learning Not only modern learners don’t have time to waste, but they also want things to go their way; this is why you need to allow them to decide when and where they can take the eLearning course, assigning them full control over their learning pace. Avoid creating eLearning environments that require a lot of seat time. Instead, design mobile learning courses that your learners can take on the go. Encourage a BYOD policy where each member of your audience can use their own device, whether it is a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, a phablet, etc., and learn within a familiar, comfortable environment. Furthermore, make sure that the Learning Management System you are using can accommodate a responsive web design, so your eLearning course can adapt to any screen size it’s being viewed on. Make their eLearning experience informal and fun. This audience is mostly composed of people who are used to expressing themselves in Tweets of 140 characters, and read blogs to learn new things; formal language, therefore, can alienate and disengage them. Consider using a conversational tone in your eLearning courses to attract modern learners: Avoid slang, of course, but keep things simple with an informal, more personalized, style. In addition, gamification is an excellent tool when designing eLearning for modern learners, as this generation is highly competitive, thirsty for recognition and rewards, and loves to play games. Can you think of another audience to embrace more the benefits of gamification? Show them, don’t tell them. Finally, forget PowerPoint if you want to attract modern learners. To engage them in your eLearning content you need to offer them interactive online activities that require them to think, act, and try out alternative solutions. Follow the "Don’t tell them, show them" approach: Use demonstration videos which allow your audience to sit back and see how things work, simulations that offer them the opportunity to practice their skills in a risk free environment, and eLearning scenarios that offer real life benefits. The more your learners are encouraged to put what they are learning into use, the more eager and motivated they will be to learn. The traditional linear way of delivering content may not meet the exact needs of modern learners. It's time to understand what modern learners expect from a paperless class. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

5 Facts About Gamification For Serious Learning That Will Impress Your Boss   In this article, I will share 5 facts about gamification for serious learning through a series of questions and answers. I am sure these pointers will help you in evaluating and embracing gamification soon. Q1. What is gamification? Gamification is an alternate approach (to traditional eLearning) to provide engaging, immersive, and effective learning experiences to your learners. By using gaming principles, elements, and innovative strategies, learners can be engaged and encouraged to apply this learning at work. It provides an effective informal learning environment and helps learners practice real life situations and challenges in a safe environment. Typical components of gamification-based learning courses are shown here. Q2. What are the advantages of using gamification vis-a-vis traditional eLearning? Unlike traditional eLearning, gamification: Evokes friendly competition. Brings in a spirit of achievement. Enhances user engagement and can be used as a behavior change tool. Encourages learners to progress through the content, motivates action, influences behavior, and drives innovation. You can refer to my article Benefits Of Gamification In eLearning for more details. Q3. How does gamification impact learning? There are several aspects of learning, notably its retention, and eventual application on the job that can be influenced by gamification. Specifically: Gamification puts scientific principles of repeated retrieval and spaced repetition to good effect and brings about a remarkable change in behavior. Games can be "fun" for the learner but still have a significant impact on learning. (The player can experience "fun" during the game and still experience "learning" during gameplay if the level of engagement is high.) Playing games with high levels of engagement leads to an increase in retention. The diagram shown here reaffirms the power of gamification in learning. Q4. Can gamification be applied to any training or is it successful when used in certain kinds of trainings? We have an established practice featuring "gamification for serious learning" and have worked on gamifying diverse concepts like: Professional skills training. Product training. Soft skills. Induction and on-boarding. Compliance. Social collaboration - featuring Performance Support Tools. So far, we have not faced a challenge in arriving at a suitable gamified approach to varied training needs. You can refer to my article 6 Killer Examples On Gamification In eLearning that illustrates the use of gamification for diverse training needs. Q5. Can gamified trainings meet specific learning outcomes like the traditional online/ILT programs? Certainly. Our gamification approach is aligned to meet specific learning outcomes (gamification for serious learning). We achieve this through the following: We apply game mechanics in a non-game situation. We provide immersive learning and a safe environment to handle the challenges of a real-life situation. All our solutions feature "serious game-based" concepts wherein the game objectives are aligned to the learning objectives. We offer a gamification platform to train learners through: Approach 1: An overall gamified concept. Approach 2: Partial gamification techniques. Approach 1: Complete Gamification. The entire learning is driven by interactive scenarios in which the learners progress through a series of challenges (that map to each level in the game). Specifically: Learners may be provided with an option to refer to the content at any time in the game as a lifeline. Their responses to the challenges based on the scenarios they encounter will promote them to the subsequent levels to eventually master the concept and meet the learning objectives. We specialize in building up an engaging gaming experience through multiple levels. This helps us ensure better retention of learning plus test the learners’ application of the learning. Approach 2: Partial Gamification Techniques. This approach can be used to introduce gamification to an organization and can be applied to enhance both online as well as ILT trainings. We use two components to introduce Gamified elements to a traditional eLearning course or ILT program: 1. Identify key check points (knowledge checks) and quizzes (assessments) and integrate game mechanics in knowledge checks and assessments. 2. Add gamified activities. I hope this article helps demystify the gamification concept and provides insight on its benefits. More significantly, it guides you on how you can apply it in your organization and see its impact on your learners. At EI Design, we have a large practice on gamification for serious learning and if you have any specific queries, do contact me. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

How To Apply The Redundancy Principle In eLearning The Redundancy Principle suggests that learners have difficulty focusing on the key takeaways of the eLearning course when multimedia presentations are accompanied by a word for word text script. In short, they are so busy trying to read, listen, and watch the images at the same time that they are unable to collect the information they need from any of the sources. As an unfortunate result, learning goals may not be achieved and cognitive overload is likely to occur. On the other hand, eLearning courses that pair audio with visuals or text with visuals are more effective, as learners are not forced to choose how they will receive the information. When The Redundancy Principle Is Recommended There are some instances, however, that the Redundancy Principle may not be applicable. Here are some of the most common exceptions to the redundancy rule: The online presentation lacks visual imagery. When the online presentation contains no images, graphics, or diagrams, there can be both audio and text on the screen. This is primarily due to the fact that online learners will not be forced to choose between the visuals or the text. Leaners have ample time to absorb the eLearning content. If learners have plenty of time to absorb the information that is being presented on the screen, then it is acceptable to include both text and audio narration. Just make sure that they have a gap between screens to effectively absorb the information. Localized eLearning courses or hard of hearing audiences. In case some learners are unable to physically hear the narration or cannot understand the language, it is best to pair verbatim text with audio. This rule can also apply to eLearning courses wherein the narrator may be difficult to understand. 4 Tips For Applying The Redundancy Principle In eLearning Give your online learners control over the audio and text. Rather than deciding for your online learners, why not give them control over whether they listen to the audio or read the text. Include captions that can be turned on or off, as well as audio that can be muted. This is also ideal for mobile learners who need to be able to adjust the volume of the eLearning course when they are in public spaces, such as crowded break rooms. There are times when slipping on a pair of headphones simply isn’t an option, and opting for text over audio may be the best bet. Use text to highlight the key points. Text and audio can go hand in hand, if used properly. Rather than repeating the audio verbatim, you can use text to simply highlight the key points of the eLearning course. This draws your learners’ attention to the core concepts and ideas, without overwhelming them with too much information. When you do this, the text becomes a support tool for the audio instead of conflicting with it. There is also another way to integrate text with audio, which is offering your audience helpful tips that are not mentioned in the narration. Just make sure that you offer these tips after the audio has ended or include "in between" screens that give them a chance to read the tips without having to focus on the audio component. Omit navigation instructions from your audio. The navigation icons are already on the screen. Therefore, you do not need to repeat them in the audio narration. There is a caveat to this, however. Your navigation icons or buttons should be clearly visible on the screen so that your online learners don’t have to search for them after the audio has ended. There is nothing more frustrating than wanting to move onto the next page of the eLearning course, only to discover that you can’t find the navigation button amid all of the images and text. If you aren’t including any text on the screen and are steering clear of navigation icons, then you probably should bend the rule a bit by verbally explaining how your learners should proceed. With that being said, keep in mind that this may exclude your on-the-go learners who have the audio muted. Create two versions to cater for different learning needs. Some online learners prefer reading their way through an eLearning course while others may enjoy listening to the eLearning content. You also have online learners who are more visual, by nature, and need images and graphics to immerse themselves in the eLearning experience. For this very reason, you may want to consider creating at least two different versions of the eLearning course to cater for different learning needs. This doesn’t have to involve a total redesign. In fact, you can simply include a static image in your audio-based eLearning course so that they devote their full attention to listening. You do have to make sure, however, that your learners can pick and choose whichever version best suits their needs, and that you don’t create an eLearning course that limits accessibility for those who have special learning needs or disabilities. While repetition can help your learners commit information to long-term memory, redundancy can have the opposite effect. Use these 4 Redundancy Principle tips to create memorable eLearning courses that boost knowledge retention, rather than overwhelming your learners' mental processes. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

FETC 2016 will be the epicenter for breakthrough education technology solutions. There's simply no better place than FETC to get up-close and hands-on with today's most innovative technologies and applications. From 3D printing to robotics, and from assessment solutions to educational software, FETC’s Expo Hall will host more than 500 leading manufacturers — each featuring the latest technologies and newest products on the market. Plus, you can explore special areas built in and around the Expo Hall, allowing you to see, feel and experience the latest education technology firsthand. You’ll be blown away by the hands-on demos and all the ideas you'll take home with you! Don't miss this opportunity to meet face-to-face with suppliers, ask questions, and see the latest products and services in action. FETC 2016 offers a wealth of information for all education professionals: Superintendents Principals and Vice Principals Technology-using Educators District-level Leaders Curriculum Designers Media Specialists Technology Directors/Technologists Instructional Support Staff Non-instructional Support Staff FETC 2016 Focus Areas Communication and Collaboration Presentations address how educators can manage and utilize technology to communicate with colleagues, parents, students and the broader community, as well as to create mutually beneficial school-community partnerships using a variety of communication tools including Web portals, wikis, websites, email and electronic notifications. These presentations also showcase how educators are utilizing technology to incorporate global activities that connect students internationally through project-based learning, e-pals, online projects, virtual communication, multi-cultural application development and on-site visits. Digital Teaching Tools and Game-Based Learning Presentations address electronic content and digitized materials for students, as well as instructional technologies and digital toolkit enabling instructors to customize learning materials, introduce content and engage students with Web 2.0 creativity tools. Presenters will demonstrate how to leverage growing online resources, Web tools and burgeoning digital knowledge base. Educational Policy and Leadership Presentations focus on educational policy and the use of technology as a strategic tool for school improvement and transformation, including: state/federal technology grants, data-driven decision making, teacher evaluation tools, how to make purchasing and budgeting decisions, facilities management, and implications of the national standards. Presentation topics will also feature data and communications for instructional information processing and reporting, including Web development, dashboards, databases and student information systems. Emerging Technologies and Maker Tools Presentations explore how to incorporate emergent technologies, nascent digital tools and technological resources to enhance education and the learning environment as well as to solve educational issues. These initiatives represent the most innovative thinking in the application of technology and technology strategy in education and are highly regarded models of adoption in the education technology community. Instructional Design Presentations address how educators and students are using available technologies to expand their learning environment beyond the classroom and engage all learners. Presenters will share practical strategies used by effective faculty to plan, integrate curriculum and manage technology in their classrooms. You’ll also learn how educators and students are using the online and hybrid learning environments to promote high academic performance. Mobile Learning Presentations spotlight how educators and learners utilize tablets, eReaders, Netbooks, laptops, smartphones, iPads and other mobile devices to enhance the learning environment, deliver curriculum and content using an untethered method to foster student engagement, and build learning communities. Best practices shared will highlight effective teacher technology integration training and just-in-time technology solutions to common problems. Online and Blended Learning Presentations describe methods of teaching and learning in which the online delivery of content is facilitated by various technologies including video, voice, audio, online collaboration tools and correspondence over the Internet. Highlighting technologies that offer a great deal of flexibility in when, where and how education is distributed, presentations feature ways to improve interactive communication, assessment, feedback, support and content delivery whether it is synchronous or asynchronous. Professional Development Presentations include a variety of specialized training, formal education or advanced professional learning to help administrators, teachers and other educators improve their professional knowledge, competence, skill and effectiveness. Presenters will demonstrate effective professional development programs including furthering education and knowledge in a teacher's subject area, funding models, delivery methods, action research, mentoring structures, specialized techniques, certification approaches, technological utilization and training procedures. Technology Infrastructure Presentations focus on the use of technology infrastructure to support the management of information systems and learning environments such as desktop virtualization, implementation of 1:1 computing, solutions to bandwidth issues, implementation of wireless environments and the roll out of mobile devices. Presentations can also focus on campus safety and security (i.e. cyberbullying and security within social networking, as well as campus-wide security issues). STEM Excellence Awards STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. The FETC STEM Excellence Awards recognize excellence and innovation in the field of STEM education at the primary, middle and high school levels, with winners selected from each level. STEM Excellence Awards applications will be evaluated based on the use of Interdisciplinary Curriculum, Collaboration, Design, Problem Solving and the STEM Experiences offered. The FETC STEM Advisory Board will select three finalists in each grade level. All finalists will be invited to and recognized at FETC 2016, with the winners announced live during the Thursday morning keynote. Each school will present their exemplar program in the STEM Theater at FETC LIVE on Thursday. The 36th Annual National Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC 2016) will be held at the Orange County Convention Center on January 12 - 15, 2016. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Changing The Face Of Education And Fun With An Interactive Play Platform  During early years, children obtain an understanding of skills that provide the foundation for later learning. Schools, play areas in malls, hospitals, family centers, etc. are incorporating technology for various purposes like education, entertainment, edutainment, and fitness. Technology applied for such purposes in these sectors evidently requires interactivity as a main element, which generates children’s participation, which is important for participative learning. Low attention span of kids requires use of specialized systems and interactive content for their total engagement. MotionMagix™ is a revolutionary next generation interactive play platform that specifically addresses children learning and plays with endless possibilities! Interactive Floors and Interactive Walls can convert any space into an unforgettable, involved, learning-rich, fun-filled experience. "MotionMagix™ interactive floor has proven to be a healthy way to blend mental and physical activity unlike other traditional methods. It improves collaboration, participation, and cognitive skills in children." says a teacher at JumpStart-India, a school which was an early adopter of this new age system. We at MotionMagix have developed a wide variety of technologies and games specifically for learning, play, and fitness. Children tend to intuitively play games, and in turn learn while having loads of fun. Our recent research amongst teachers and parents, suggests that children's access to good play provision can: Give them the opportunity to mix with other children, interact, and collaborate. Promote their imagination, independence, and creativity. Offer opportunities for children of all abilities and backgrounds to play together. Provide opportunities for developing social skills and learning. Build resilience through risk taking, challenge, problem solving, and dealing with new and novel situations. Improve and maintain their physical and mental health. This is the beginning of a new age where technology enabled learning has a potential to grow to a great extent. There is lot of research that goes behind creating simplified experiences that engage children. We are proud to be a part of this revolution. Kid Playing With Interactive Floor Games Technology provides innumerable tools that teachers can use in and out of the classroom to enhance student learning. Chris Gathers teaches kindergarten in Fredonia, Kansas. He once said "A kindergarten teacher shares best practices and examples of exciting activities she does using technology to enhance learning in her kindergarten classroom". He also stated "Technology is one of the biggest and most exciting changes I have seen during my teaching career". Not only him, but most of the teachers will accept that the technology is playing a predominant role in education. At the age of 4-6 years, we’ve struggled to learn A-B-Cs. But now the time has come for our next generation to breeze through out of it. Schools are getting incredible progress in their teaching after the youngsters begin using the technology. By seeing this progress, many schools are now approving new technology for every kindergartner. MotionMagix™ technology can create large Interactive Wall and Interactive Floor surfaces with mere projectors or any other display technology. Interactive Floors and Interactive Walls created with MotionMagix™ can convert any space into an unforgettable fun-filled experience, thus validating its ease and usability to suit any situation. With such an engaging technology kids will learn with enthusiasm. The themes and games that MotionMagix™ offers are fun in nature, so kids will pay more attention to learn something new in a new way. Kid Playing With Interactive Floor Games What could be better than engaging than in a good game that is used well? A game will lead to deeper learning! When it comes to the modern-day kindergarten class, questions like "does a classroom have enough technology" and "should it have any at all" are more easily asked than answered. Young children's brains and bodies grow best when all of their senses are engaged. A math-based game, like Digit Burst and Math Catch among others, provides that sensory engagement on a physical as well mental level. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

How To Plan For An Effective Blended Learning Planning for an effective blended learning program requires a good deal of preparation. Let us see a few tips in which we can achieve this objective. Emphasize on identifying clear learning objectives. Like any other training program, it is very important in blended learning to identify the right course goals and objectives before you start creating the content. The objectives serve the purpose of a roadmap and help you in understanding where the learning is headed and what topics you need to cover to successfully achieve the course objectives. Prepare a comprehensive course outline to guide the learners. Having a proper outline and syllabus for your blended learning program will provide multiple benefits for your learners. The learners can make use of the outline to keep a track of their learning. Ask yourself all the probable questions - what skills you expect your learners to develop by the end of the program, what information should be included in the course, etc. On the other hand, the developer or the facilitator of the program can ensure that the course is progressing on the right track and at the desired stride. Determine the level of interactivities for greater engagement. The best part about developing a blended learning program is that you have complete control over determining how engaging you want your course to be. This would again depend on two factors - the first is how much of the learning would take place online and how much of it would be self-paced activities. While opting for a blended learning strategy, you could choose from a variety of tools and delivery methods to impart instructions to your learners. These tools also come with a host of interactive elements that make learning all the more fun and engaging. Plan your group activities to enhance the learning curve. Collaborating with the group is absolutely necessary when planning for an effective blended learning program. When the learners exchange their ideas, experiences, skills, and perspectives, it creates an enhanced knowledge sharing environment which benefits one and all in the study group.  For instance, you could ask the group to log into an online chat forum to discuss a particular topic or question. They will get an opportunity to share their views through a social media platform which will further enhance their motivation and learning curve. Determine how learners should communicate with facilitators. While developing a blended learning program, you must make sure that the learners are aware of how they should communicate with their facilitator regarding any question or concern they may have related to the topic. This will make them feel they have a strong support system to rely at times of need. At the same time, you must also determine ways in which you could gather feedback from the program participants. Put down a list of links and resources for future reference. Since a part of your blended learning program is conducted online, it is good to offer your learners a list of valuable resources that they can refer post the session. For instance, you can point them to links and other web resources which they can refer in order to delve deeper into the topic. Determine which assessment strategy works best to track progress. Like every learning program, a blended learning program too is incomplete without a proper assessment strategy in place. As a developer, you need to determine how you would test the knowledge of the participants at the end of each module, whether it should be through a quiz, or a summary that they need to complete, or even engaging themselves in a lively discussion through different web forums. Assessments strategies help the participants to mark their improvement areas and use the knowledge and skills gained from the program in their daily job roles. It is true that planning an effective blended learning is slightly complex, but if you have great organization skills and can let your creative juices flow, then your blended learning program is sure to be a great success. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

How To Create Better eLearning Beginnings  People make split-second judgments about an eLearning course. If your program gets off to a slow start, learners won’t continue. Let’s look at how to design programs with great beginnings that get your learners off to a good start. 1. Set Objectives. A good beginning informs learners about the program’s objectives. Rather than listing learning objectives, try to grab their attention and make them care about the subject. There is a number of ways to do this: A wake-up call: Instead of throwing bottles in the regular garbage, have you considered recycling? A challenge: Can you help Dave save money?  A target or goal: Can you achieve a 90% success rating? Through these approaches, the learner engages with the program, understanding what is going to be required of them and, crucially, what they will get out of it. Take a look at the example below: You can see the scenario draws the learner into the topic. The goal is to help a fictional character increase his investment, and the challenge is set quickly and simply. Here’s another example: Here you can see that objectives are communicated as challenges: the learner is invited to become actively involved and to explore each one further. 2. Describe What’s In It For The Learner. A question or call-to-action is a great way to entice learners at the start of your eLearning. They can be encouraged to take a specific action and offered something irresistible as a reward for completion. I particularly like to use thought-provoking challenges where learners compete against the clock. Here’s a great example of an opening scene that invites learners to take up a challenge: In this example, the five-minute time limit helps to create a sense of urgency and competition. 3. Challenge Preconceptions. A good beginning presents compelling information that challenges learners’ preconceptions. For example, take a look at this opening used in Joanna Kurpieska’s Global Food Waste: I love the way Joanna uses full-screen, impactful graphics that pose interactive, myth-busting questions. They pack a punch and help challenge preconceptions about food waste. Here’s another example: Here learners are presented with a compelling fact and then challenged to recognize how much they actually know about the topic. Challenging preconceptions is a fun way to get learners engaged in finding out more about a topic. If they get it right, they get an instant reward -a sense of achievement- and want to go on to see how much more they know. Alternatively, if they get it wrong, they have discovered a surprising fact that challenges their preconceptions and entices them to go on to learn more. Here’s the response screen: Final Thoughts  A good beginning motivates learners and gives them a reason to engage further with the program. If you want to catch and keep the attention of your learners, you should consider applying these ideas to the start of your eLearning programs. 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.

Using Educational Technologies to Improve Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Program Overview Using Educational Technologies to Improve Learning and Teaching in Higher Education program is designed to provide participants with theoretical and practical skills of using emerging technologies either in Higher Education or in Vocational Learning. Participants will learn about internet search tools, social media tools, mobile learning, learning management systems, use of audio and video, open educational resources, gaming technologies among others. The focus will be on providing a comprehensive overview of what constitutes such technologies and how they can best be pedagogically integrated to enrich students’ learning experience both in the class as well as outside of the classroom. Participants will have an opportunity to discuss trends, limitations, and challenges of using these technologies, as well as engage in hands-on activities. Concepts related to learning design, building learning communities, assessment, etc. in light of recent technological and development will be addressed. Who should attend Using Educational Technologies to Improve Learning and Teaching in Higher Education program is addressed at Deans of Schools/ Colleges, Heads of Departments, Faculty members and Teaching Staff interested in expanding their portfolio of pedagogical strategies through the adoption of emerging technologies for teaching and learning, in order to improve students’ learning experience by enabling richer engagement with content and interaction with faculty and peers. The program may also be of interest to directors and staff working in Teaching and Learning Centers or those involved in planning, selecting and acquiring educational technology solutions. Main Topics Covered First day Introduction to latest trends and developments in educational technology Pedagogical implications for integrating technology in higher education Fundamentals of internet searching and browsing Introduction to web-based technologies The changes in the web and what they mean for teaching and learning online Basics of Web 2.0, social media tools, and e-portfolios Second day The 7Cs of Learning Design framework, including the following elements: How to ruin a course Course features activity Course view map Activity profile Resource audit Synchronous and asynchronous online tools and their place in teaching & learning Storyboard Evaluation rubric Third day Audio, video and their role in learning online Learning management systems Open Educational Resources and MOOCs Mobile learning Rethinking engaging students and conducting assessment using educational technologies Looking ahead: up and coming technologies Personal reflections and planning for experimentation and self-development Using Educational Technologies to Improve Learning and Teaching in Higher Education program will be held at the Hotel Novotel Deira City Center (Dubai, UAE) on January 12-14, 2015. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Welcome To The New Genre Of Learning We first stumbled upon the English alphabets nursery rhyme videos (video-based learning for preschoolers) on YouTube when we started deliberating on some preeminent ways to teach our preschool child the English alphabets. My instructional design professional milieu provided me an opportunity to appraise these videos more deeply as a cognitive alternative to the contemporary book-based learning approach. The videos offered a valiant alternative to the reclining and somewhat boring conventional approach, and were an instant hit with my three-year old. The next few months, we basked in the ecstasy of his buoyant and chirpy voice resonating the alphabet rhymes all around the house! Needless to say, the objective of teaching the English alphabets was edaciously achieved without much ado from our end. While video-based learning may not be a new phenomenon, it has recently started gaining momentous and accentuated pitch and resolution in the learning and development domain. What makes it increasingly trendy is its ardent approach of blending instructional strategy with the assorted range of technology and delivery options. The change in the trend of electronic learning resources that peeks out today is the fact that customized animations and videos, which were earlier only a part of the entire package bundle of the electronic learning resources, are now being beheld as one of the independent packaged bundles in themselves. This change in the trend is largely been nurtured on account of two primary developments in the educational technology domain: first the increased cogency of social media proliferation and social blogging in the everyday life of a learner, and second, the advent of smart phones and the increased verity of mobile learning. Reasons for Eminence So, what makes video-based learning so eminent? Anna Pitts, an online researcher at the Graduate Recruitment Bureau, remarks: "Studies have shown that we rely heavily on our senses to process information when learning and engaging more than one sense when teaching can help information processing. Using multiple senses allows more cognitive connections and associations to be made with a concept." Image Courtesy: http://www.soundtherapyperth.com/benefits/capd.php Video-based learning has the ability to comprehend to different learning styles seamlessly. Videos in general easily cater to the visual and auditory learning styles almost immaculately and simultaneously, and offer an exceptional combination to engage the two prominent senses of the learners, visual and auditory. So do most of the conventional page-turner online modules with text and audio. What differentiates video-based learning is its ability to not just engage, but galvanize the cognitive schema of the learner better and faster. Contrary to the conventional page turners, in video-based learning, the schema of the learner is compelled to work faster due to the high frequency of changing onscreen sensory ambiance blended with the meticulous auditory permutation. It’s an open secret that faster working schema revitalizes learning, and in essence, video-based learning resources find a replenished zenith in terms of learning and retention. Madhury Dubey, author of "Effective E-learning: Design, Development and Delivery", cites that this ubiquitous eminence of video-based learning is also driven by the striking shift of learners from content consumers to content creators. One key factor that has contributed to the increasing popularity of video-based learning is that videos act as an impeccable channel, a single source to deliver learning both synchronously and asynchronously. With a plethora of mobile learning applications, such as Explain Everything, available across different mobile platforms (both android and iOS), video-based learning has struck an unprecedented cord with teachers/trainers as well as mobile learners. Some other reasons for this fervent proliferation of video-based learning include: Ease of rapid development and deployment across multiple platforms and devices. With all the advancements in educational technology today, we have a plethora of options to make the video-based modules device and platform independent. Coherence with subject matters of almost all dimensions and depths. In addition to conceptual animations and recorded lectures, video-based learning modules are considered best for highly technical and complex subjects such as engineering, surgery, military academia, and even flight training. Assurance of a face-to-face human texture. Salman Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, remarked that when he started creating and posting math tutorials on YouTube for his cousins, they preferred him on YouTube over him in person. The Right Instructional Strategy Mix Not all videos may have the stamina and fortitude required to make the learning experience congruent enough to achieve the desired learning objectives seamlessly. Without meeting this end, a video discourse may well be stripped off the real objective and run the risk of being diluted and adulterated to a mere storyline. Similar to any course/learning discourse, video-based learning objects must also imbibe and weave the right kind of instructional mix to enable a long-term learning roadmap and high-end retention. A creative pursuit of blending the joy and surprise emotions of the viewers/learners is an essential mix to gain the attention of the learners in any video discourse; this being more demanding compared to conventional page turners. Given that videos essentially may lack the frequent interactive elements (although Khan Academy does provide inbuilt interactive elements in some of their video tutorials), holding the attention of the viewers/learners and keeping them involved becomes an ingrained challenge, which the instructional designer must address unconditionally throughout a video discourse. Harvard Business Review claims that "People seem to have an unconscious aversion to being persuaded," and this may inspire vital intellectual nourishment for the instructional designer creating any video-based discourse. That the risk of persuasion stands higher in a video discourse is evident from the fact that unlike conventional courses, any form of noise (visual, auditory, technical, or instructional) in videos is far more distracting. To put it simply, any degree of redundancy, superfluity, repetition, or information overload may result in persuasion and distraction, and the essence of learning being lost. As a corollary, the timeline of a video discourse must be consciously and instructionally plumped to pedantically encapsulate the subject matter and the learner needs. To synopsize, video-based learning, carefully orchestrated and conflated with the apposite instructional strategy mix, now seems to be the new pitch and resolution of learning, at least for some time in future. Our Nascent Experience Working with the Educational Technology Center of one of our clients, a premier university in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, our team recently developed a pilot series of video-based courses (VBC) on highly technical engineering subjects. The subject matter on these VBCs sprawled across the entire curriculum of some selected courses being taught in the university. Upon release, the VBCs became an instant hit with the students on the campus. Apart from other factors contributing to the grand success of this endeavor, the release time was of paramount importance. These VBCs were envisaged as supplements to the actual classroom lectures that the students were required to attend. The release date of the VBCs was positioned close to the semester exams, and the VBCs were expeditiously drawn as important revision resources for the students. The other important aspect claiming the success of the VBCs was the punctilious selection of the subject matter experts - the best faculties of the university for the selected subjects. The students were able to connect with and acclaim the "face-to-face" persona of their favorite professors as the "lead actors" in the VBCs. What made the VBCs even more cogent and lucid was the prudently schematized instructional design in terms of chunking and aligning the VBCs with the entire curriculum. The duration and content relevance factors played equivocally, ensuring that adept and adequate practice sessions were included with each VBC, wherever required. Looking at the grand success of this pilot initiative, the university has now decided to embark on developing similar VBCs across the entire gamut of subjects and courses being taught there as their departments’ upcoming engagements. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.