0 tweets   tweet   This year, DevLearn 2013, one of the most popular conferences in e-Learning industry is held in Las Vegas, NV October 23-25. This event is well known for announcing the most exciting trends in the industry. iSpring is always eager to contribute to learning innovations and is excited to introduce iSpring Presenter 7 at the expo. iSpring Presenter 7 is a must-have tool for e-Learning professionals to create mobile-friendly courses with quizzes in minutes. The HTML5 output of iSpring Presenter 7 ensures that e-learners will get a convenient access to courses and tests from their device of choice: mobiles, tablets, desktops or iPads. To learn more about these and many others options of Presenter 7 check out our recent blog post, or come by iSpring’s Booth #504 at the expo. We are fired up to see you. DevLearn’13 is definitely a place to be this October. See you in Las Vegas!

0 tweets   tweet   This was iSpring’s 5 year anniversary at DevLearn. We had mixed feelings about this! Joy and happiness. Not surprisingly, comparing year after year, we can attest to the fact that we have become a proud fixture at DevLearn. Las Vegas, as usual, has a dizzying array of sights, attractions and simply put, it’s just fun to come to Vegas. DevLearn 2013 was our opportunity to unveil our new robust tool for eLearning authoring, iSpring Presenter 7. One of the 11th commandments is arguably, either you disrupt the marketplace or the marketplace disrupts you. Presenter 7 is a new, hot game changer - and it actually works. For those of you who are deeply immersed in this ecosystem I hope that cracks a smile. Ok. One more interesting serendipitous point. We never knew that Russian branded nesting dolls were so cool. I know things can sell like hotcakes but branded nesting dolls? We thoroughly enjoyed offering these dolls, gratis of course, to our preferred clients.  The committee of "they" says that Oreos are the most addictive. Unscientifically speaking of course… I am really not sure anymore, branded nesting dolls might now be the new addictive Oreos. Our awesome eLearning brothers who painted the whole event orange became one more Las Vegas sight that day. Jokes and jocularity aside! We are proud that our products let people create mobile-ready courses and speed up their day-to-day tasks and thus "spring" their business to life. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon. What do you think?

5 tweets   tweet   You are an e-Learning aficionado. You live, eat and breathe e-Learning. While drinking your first cup of coffee or as you navigate the morning rush hour highways - you are asking yourself the common denominator question: how can my courses effectively engage my students  and do it in an ADD world? Have you investigated QR codes? Those postage stamp size bar codes that you see a  lot of people scanning with their smartphones. Nothing new.  We all know that.  QR codes have been around for a while.  What seems clearly interesting is that process of consolidation of complex QR code initiatives seems to be occurring. Clear call to action QR codes, linking to edge to edge formatted information on your cell phone is gaining traction. Here are some points to ponder: Students scan a QR code and quick link to your information anytime, anywhere It’s Fred Flintstone simple You can assign homework with QR codes Link to practice quizzes and other enrichment files Provide answers to assignments so students can check their work Provide quick access to students’ ePortfolios, lesson plans, etc. Not sure if it will help you do a Cirque de Soleil backflip though?! QR CODES ON CAMPUS Students are always busy, next month is a decade away - they are in a rush: copying down a link, typing in a URL, browsing. That’s too involving. Scan a QR code and sprint ahead with the task at hand. Remember, the smartphone is a lean forward device. QR Codes, when used on campus, can do a lot of things for you: Inform students of university events Help them stay updated with university clubs Organize groups of people and ensure that they stay in touch with each other And speaking about combining QR codes and LMS. These possibilities are also appealing: Offer virtual school tours Promote campus-wide events Put QR codes on historical campus buildings to give some cool facts Place QR Codes on books in the library so that students can scan and read a book review, or watch ascreen adaptation QR CODES BEYOND THE CAMPUS WALLS Stop overstretching yourself! Encourage students to get more information with your hands down. For example, visiting a museum, plan a "scavenger hunt" using QR Codes: Place codes at key locations for students to scan. Direct students to videos and online pages to provide more details. Offer hints about where the next clue lies. Today everyone carries the Internet in their pockets. Thus, to get to their minds, first you should get into their pockets. And QR codes can actually help you with it. Just imagine how anxious you are to hear "B" if you already heard "A"! Do you have a wish list?  What would you like to see in our products?

3 tweets   tweet   Whether you served as a veteran, know a veteran, or simply enjoy the benefits protected by our veterans, Veterans Day is a time for reflection. Anyone who has ever donned the military uniform has embraced the spirit that requires sacrifice, selfless service and the will to go the extra mile, or in some cases, the last mile. It surely was a member of our Armed Forces who said: "I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees." This nobility of spirit inspires us all to ask: What is my true inner voice - is it me-centered or other-centered? After returning from the frontlines, many veterans continue to care about, and for, others, much in the same way they took care of their buddies fighting next to them. One example is Greg Gadson, whose inspirational example gives us a brand new impression of tenacity and perseverance. Greg Gadson, a bilateral above-the-knee amputee, served in the U.S. Army for 20 years as an active duty field artillery officer in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 2007 Gadson lost both of his legs when his car was hit by a roadside bomb. But it didn’t break him; it barely broke his stride. Gadson never allowed such a devastating injury squash the desire he had to make a difference. Moreover, now his love of life inspires thousands of people: Gadson, who managed not to lose himself or his way, after bearing all crosses, has become a professional motivational speaker. His ‘fight past the last mile’ locker room pep talk to the NY Giants inspired an attitude of gratitude and provided the ‘goods’ to win the Super Bowl that year. Another shining example of persistence and tenacity is former Army Captain Tom Aiello, who suffered spinal cord injuries while serving on active duty. He started MARCH Marketing to help organizations working with military veterans. MARCH supports charities such as Rebuilding Together and Hire Patriots. "I am constantly in awe of the Wounded Warriors and veterans we help," said Aiello. "Whether we make their home accessible or get them a job, they exhibit profound humility in the wake of their deep personal sacrifice.  It’s that character that inspires me to always strive to do more to help my fellow veterans." About to post this blog and we received this great insight… This is piercing wisdom… Rick Zanotti, president of RELATE Corporation says, "It’s much more than a ‘thank you’ what we owe our veterans. The sacrifices they make willingly with us in mind is something that is priceless. Whether you agree with the mission or the war, you can only respect the sacrifices and sense of duty shown by these fine men and women." Thank a Veteran on Veterans Day!  

8 tweets   tweet   We hear it all the time: "Learning should be fun!". And we agree, it should and is, if and only, if you think like your eLearners.  We all want our courses to be engaging, immersive and  results oriented. So let’s share some thoughts. What do many think is "fun"? "Let’s use a Jeopardy-style game for the quiz." "Let’s have them explore a haunted museum, clicking on silly things to learn more." "We should have a funny-looking wizard using his wand to magically create information on the learning screen." "How about a talking frog?" Is this really funny and engaging? Well maybe funny and silly but definitely not engaging.  As the popular teenage phrase goes, "Not so much". They want something really cool, fresh, attention-grabbing and challenging! So, how do you help them enjoy the process and embrace a fail without fear attitude?  First, figure out what does it really mean to be engaging. What is really engaging? Humans process information through emotional attachments. These attachments can elicit sky high dopamine (‘I like it" hormone) levels, thus motivating them to process information and make decisions.  Emotional attachments are the fuel that you must have to frame and drive a call to action. Here are some helpful tips. Motivation First of all ask yourself "Why should they want it?" and focus on that. It’s never a bad idea to say "why" 5 times.  Don’t believe it?  Try it. What is your task at hand and why should they want it.  Now,  why are you doing it? Go ahead… Why. Why. Why. Why. Why. By the time you asked yourself why for the third time some interesting ideas might have sparked. Wayne Gretzky once said, "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been."  Isn’t that what you do on a daily basis - determining the intersection of what you want to say and what your students are interested in. So, thinking like your student is the crimp in your effectiveness hour glass. More about Dopamine Dopamine, also known as "I like it hormone", helps your learners become more engaged and even possibly thrilled to succeed. Mastering a topic and accomplishing a task elicits a feeling of well being and a desire to do more.  Don’t shout and talk at your students, talk with them and be their guide and concierge. A mental handshake opens the mind to expression and a willingness to learn.  Everyone knows that the brain is a lot like a parachute - it doesn’t work unless it’s open.  Story-build as you story-tell.  A compelling story, a thought provoking statistic, a mind bending question - this can create stickiness and indelibly impression in one’s mind.  Again, story- build as you story- tell Call to action Kinesthetic, hands-on, "Learn by doing" definitely helps. Work with them and picture yourself with your hand on their shoulder inspiring them, not talking at them with so called motivating direction. It’s an art and a science.  We all know this first hand.  Lastly, keep it simple. Maybe we should say the word simple 5 times too.  The purity of purpose is simplicity. What do you think?  

1 tweets   tweet   You definitely don’t want everybody to yawn watching your presentation, do you? Then give your whole material a treatment to make it cool and catchy! Below you’ll find a couple of pretty effective medicines: 1. Different formats pill Plain text throughout the whole presentation is not very entertaining, right? Moreover everybody has the preferred method of perception. Of course you can’t please everyone, but you can make your course more interesting for each learner by giving information in different formats: enrich your courses with images and videos. Don’t make your learners suffer from your unrequited love for text. 2. Interesting facts mixture We’re not so lucky to always speak on interesting topics. The number of boring themes is more than infinity. And we always have to take it up a notch to squeeze something out of it. The easiest and at the same time the worst way to present information is to simply bombard the learners with facts. Find some creative way instead: we all learn best through storytelling. So weave a story around the facts or tell some funny case from your personal experience (we all know about empathy). Such examples help to drive your point home. 3. Humor injection When properly used, humor can juice up even the most boring topic. But be very careful with posology and method of administration: too much humor is just as bad as no humor. Funny videos and catchy images are great but if they aren’t contributing anything to your learning goals, then they are like lipstick on a pig. 4. Anti-jargon antibiotic Even if you are the most democratic teacher and you want your learners to be relaxed with you, some of their slang is not appropriate anyway. But it’s not only about slang and jargon: avoid "business speak" or a tone that sounds trite, pretentious and confusing. Otherwise yawning is assured. 5.Personal address tablet Of course the motivation has to come from within. But don’t hold your breath on its appearing of nothing. Never forget reviewing your courses and presentations from your learners’ point of view. Make sure all of these have a personal impact. Students should feel that you care of them and of what they feel about your course. Try to present the content as inviting and human, and, no matter what topic your course is about, present things with a personal tone by using words like "we" and "us". We’re looking forward to hearing your opinion.

3 tweets   tweet   Gamification is steadily winning more and more popularity. But you are a serious person and you don’t have time for games. Maybe it’s time to revise your opinion? Playing games is cool! (PacMan, Angry Birds - does it sound familiar? You must’ve liked it!) If you haven’t, take a look at top HR-experts who already use game elements in employees training. And you can’t ignore millions of people who prefer Xbox or PlayStation to boring textbooks. If games seem so attractive to so many people why not to implement game-like mechanics in your e-Learning course? "What’s in it for me?" First of all you’ll become an insider by replacing "Learn by doing" with "Learn by playing". Secondly your learners will be really interested in what you hit over the fence. But there’s something more to come. 1. Engagement With the gamification approach you can really boost your learners’ engagement. It’s always funny to compete, even with oneself. Gambling together with competitiveness is a strong and effective combination to make students interested in the topic. A wish to show off and to beat everyone makes even a small darts competition a matter of life and death. Imagine what it can make to your e-course! 2. Endorphin The best way to make people remember something is to connect their experience with positive emotions. When learning turns into a game-like competition endorphin’s assured! To raise motivation even more fill your course with follow-ups to encourage your learners no matter if they win or lose. But think outside the box: "Good for you" and "Shame on you" won’t work out! 3. Results Here are some bare facts: recent studies found that people trained on video games learned more facts, attained a higher skill level and retained information longer than those who learned in less interactive way. Thus gamification is not just entertaining but also very effective. If you want to kill two birds with one stone gamification is the option: gamified courses result both in engagement and high knowledge. In other words, the engagement in the game leads to learning. So if you look for a new way of improvement pay attention to gamification. Your learners will definitely love it! And you’ll probably love the process of gamified courses creation. Just imagine: some people can only dream about playing games at work, and you are welcome to do it! Enjoy! We are looking forward to hearing from you!

3 tweets   tweet   Just imagine! Only in Q4 2013 Apple sold over 14 million iPads! Of course no one doubts success and popularity of this device, but is it actually useful? Like everything else, iPads have both pros and cons. But most of bloggers and e-Learning experts are rather optimistic in relation to iPads. Just take a look at this list of advantages: Loyalty. Everybody loves iPads. They have already become a lifestyle for the whole generation. Paperless technology. Today’s students don’t have to carry anything but iPads with them to keep in touch and to have access to their e-lectures. And have you heard? Now iPads are considered to be eco-friendly as they "save tons of trees". Interest. It allows teachers to give lectures in a cutting edge way thus keeping learners engaged. Portability. Well, that’s obvious: iPad is portable. And mobility matters a deal in the modern world - you snooze, you lose. Ease of distribution. Apple has sold 170 million iPads since it launched in April 2010. So a number of people you theoretically can share your courses with are enormous. And the only thing you need for this is the Internet. Another valuable option pointed out by Ashley Wainwright is care for people: "There are many apps for students with cognitive disabilities. It is really useful for students who have problems with communication skills". It’s simply impossible to argue with all this: care for people, care for ecology… Sounds really cool! But iPads appeared to have detractors. Well, nothing’s perfect, right? So what’s wrong with iPads? Lack of multitasking. Multiple tasks can’t be opened side by side. However, not everybody thinks it’s bad: "It may be good for keeping your students focused on the one thing they are supposed to be doing" - says Ashley Wainwright. No USB or SD card slot. Without access to the Internet data transfer is becoming a challenge for a proud owner of iPad. Inconvenient keyboard. They say it’s not a pleasant experience to use iPad touch-screen keyboard when you are going to do a lot of typing. No Flash support. By far it’s the most controversial missing feature of an iPad. According to Alan Samuel, here we face with "Flash vs. HTML5" opposition. But there is a solution for this problem. Did you know that there are 475 000 iPad apps? It is nearly a half of the 1 million total apps available in the App Store! Impressive? One of them is iSpring Mobile Player that allows viewing presentations and e-courses on iPads even offline. Thus, despite all the cons iPads are already here. And crossover interest for iPads is constantly growing. Education is also actively adopting iPads - watch this video and you’ll see that soon we probably won’t be able to dispense with these devices. Andy Daub is sure that the iPad has already left its mark on the computing industry and it is undeniably here to stay. "The pros of owning a device definitely outweigh the cons, but only as a supplemental tool". So perhaps it’s beyond iPad’s power to replace PCs but maybe it’s just not supposed to. However, iPads have already brought under our minds! Bottom line? You decide! All depends on whom you want to reach and what result you are aiming at.

1 tweets   tweet   We are glad to congratulate you on Thanksgiving and to wish you happy holidays! Hopefully you enjoy your day and a turkey, of course! And we also hope that this year you’ve got many things to be thankful for! As for us, we, at iSpring, are thankful for customers like you. Thank you for being by our side! Saying "thank you" we officially promise to do our best to meet your expectations and to make our products even better! Happy Thanksgiving! We wish the next year to be even more plentiful for you! And don’t forget to thank your loved ones! 

2 tweets   tweet   Fortunately, holidays last not for one day. Once the turkey is eaten, there are still a lot of pleasant purchases and not very pleasant lines on Black Friday ahead. You didn’t manage to buy something you dreamed of on Black Friday? Well, maybe it’s for the better. You didn’t have to stay in line for hours. And… Cyber Monday is coming. So, cool discounts are still here. Plus: It’s easier and faster to shop online. If you were busy with family and missed the in-store sales, Cyber Monday gives you one more opportunity to take advantage of discounts. You can easily compare prices on different websites. You can shop in your pajamas, from work, or while waiting for the plumber. You don’t need a babysitter. Moreover, temptations are not in sight, and it’s hard to overspend as you are not being infected by twinkle-eyed crowd. What else? Read here. We, at iSpring, also want your holidays to last longer. That’s why our Black Friday Special is not the last this holiday season. Cyber Monday special is at hand!

4 tweets   tweet   To be, or not to be, that is the question. The question for those who considering adopting e-Learning instead of traditional learning process. And, as it usually finds out, there is nothing in between. Learning experts are clearly divided into two camps. To shock e-Learning fans let’s start with those who is not very excited about this kind of education. "How come?" - you ask. E-Learning is fun, cool and engaging! Well, let’s see what negative can be dug out about it. For example, experienced learning consultant Clive Shepherd thinks that e-Learning is just a delivery channel for traditional learning content. "However, e-Learning is a medium which opens up possibilities that would be impossible to deliver using traditional means" - he says, giving e-Learning at least a small chance for existence. Meanwhile Set Hughes, a young lecturer and blogger (who’s probably supposed to like new technologies), doesn’t see any perspectives for e-Learning. He is convinced that there are some things that need to remain the same. And education is one of them. Now it’s time to concentrate on a positive side of the matter. Dr. David Guralnick, President of the International e-Learning Association (IELA), votes for e-Learning because it: enables people to practice tasks in realistic situations, is more engaging and more effective, enables students to extend their reach "far beyond the classroom", allowing them to talk to people from all over the world, expanding their perspectives and networks. No matter how different experts’ opinions are, the science agrees with Dr. Guralnick and speaks in favor of e-Learning. Study conducted by Petra University found that students who took their class online performed better than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction. Of course e-Learning, just like everything else, has both pros and cons. But to make the most out of it, concentrate on your content quality. To build high-rated presentations use professional e-Learning authoring tools. One of them is iSpring Presenter. It allows enriching courses with various multimedia and quizzes - that is really helpful for students to better memorize the content and be quick to grasp. E-Learning is already acknowledged by the world’s leading companies and learning experts. If it’s not on your list yet, remember that it’s always better to keep up with the latest trends as you work with the most forward-minded audience that will definitely love any technical innovations.

7 tweets   tweet   Are you still looking for a powerful e-Learning authoring tool? Or you have already found a perfect one? Search of excellence didn’t last long for Richard Foster, as he discovered exciting possibilities of iSpring Presenter 7. Being a dental lecturer, he finds this compelling program just perfect to create media-rich video tutorials for his learners. He also has his personal website, The Toothful Exchange, created as a way of providing his dental assisting and dental hygiene students with the access to some of the instructional media that he has created over the years. Here is Richard Foster’s story of using iSpring tools: "I started using iSpring Pro a couple of months ago and incorporated the use of iSpring Presenter 7 upon its recent release. I use the iSpring products to provide presentation of all course material in an online orofacial anatomy course at a local community college. I find that the iSpring products are easy to use and allow me to incorporate existing PowerPoint files into material that can be presented in the same manner as I would present within a face-to-face class. Some of the aspects that I like about using iSpring: the ability to record the audio on a given slide the use of PowerPoint animations, such as hidden text or images to enter the presentation where wanted; the animations are well synced with audio created in iSpring if you don’t  know how to develop Flash presentations, iSpring allows easy creation of a complete Flash file it allows users to have control over the presentation it gives the ability to add questions after material is covered and the results can be sent to my email users can view notes if desired when the development of the presentation is completed, the packaging of the presentation for web accessibility is easily performed by iSpring Overall the use of iSpring Presenter 7 allows me to check user knowledge through the creation of quizzes. Results are emailed to me so that no additional logging into a learning management system like BlackBoard or Moodle is needed." Richard Foster Dental Director at Guilford Technical Community College in North Carolina. www.the-toothful-exchange.com Did you have a chance to use iSpring Presenter? Test-drive iSpring Presenter 7 for free and share your thoughts with us! We are looking forward to hearing from you.

9 tweets   tweet   Content compatibility with different LMS’s is an ever-present question for those who works in e-Learning. Which LMS is better? Will it support all SCORM reporting options? We have already found answers to all these questions for you: Informetica LMS and iSpring is a perfect combination. iSpring-generated packages in SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 are perfectly supported by Informetica. Informetica is a powerful LMS that provides everything you need to create an effective training experience for your entire learner population from a single web-based system. With multiple levels of flexibility, the Informetica LMS ensures a smooth transition to the online learning experience, enabling all users to train wherever they are - in the office, at home, or on the road - at a pace that suits them best. Informetica will manage your learner registrations, training events and completion, as well as store supporting records for your users who must meet compliancy training with the least amount of effort. Course creation, delivery and tracking just got easier with the proven compatibility of iSpring Authoring Tools and the Informetica Learning Management System. You won’t waste time establishing integration between content and an LMS due to this perfect combo. Instead you can spend your time polishing up your presentation. We, at iSpring, are constantly performing tests on the most popular learning systems’ compatibility. Be sure that iSpring-generated content is perfectly integrated with all SCORM and AICC compatible LMS’s. If your LMS doesn’t work with iSpring courses, please contact us and we will check it.

7 tweets   tweet   Determined to create a superb presentation? Then you’re probably looking for inspiration. We’ve got everything you need: powerful authoring tools and eye-catching demos to be inspired by. Take advantage of the both. Plus now we’ve got even more captivating demo presentations. You’re welcome to take a look at the newest ones. They were created by A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc., a leading international supplier of on-demand software for medical education. Being true professionals in the sphere, A.D.A.M. developers have generated media-rich e-Learning courses that represent all authoring options provided by iSpring: check out all the multimedia, voice overs, transitions and built-in interactive quizzes. "I’m one of the iSpring developers for A.D.A.M. Been using it since version 7 has been in beta and I LOVE IT! Hope to see new features and wish you guys success! It’s an awesome tool." - Mike Cerantola, Production Manager - Flash/HTML5 e-Learning, A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix We’re sure that this demo, designed by medical professionals, will not only impress you with its look, but will also awake a keen interest in Anatomy! Enjoy! Liked it? View all iSpring Presenter demos -> We’re looking forward to hearing from you about YOUR awesome presentations!

6 tweets   tweet   On the threshold of Christmas and New Year we usually sum up what we have achieved, analyze and promise ourselves that the next year we will definitely bring all our wildest dreams to life! Of course you will! Just relax with it for a moment, let it go, get yourself a cup of cocoa and make a short journey into the year 2013 according to iSpring. So, let’s see what we’ve got… 1. How about a release of a new iSpring 7.0 product line? That was definitely a great event for both us and our customers. We did our best to meet your expectations. Now creation of media-rich e-Learning courses, online presentations, quizzes and surveys has become as easy as that. To test it out download iSpring newest tool FREE Trial. 2. PowerPoint went mobile due to the brand new PPT to HTML5 technology featured in iSpring 7 for the first time. Let your learners take presentations wherever they go with iSpring Mobile Player. Even poor Internet connection is not a problem anymore - view a course on an iPad even offline! How’s that? 3. Plus now we’ve got even better environment to create even better products for you! That’s all thanks to our recent move to a new office, where we all have already settled down. 4. Last but not least, we are glad to introduce you Clay Moore, our new Director of Sales for the US and Canada, a seasoned sales leader in the areas of e-Learning, Training, Technology, Business and Education. Of course there are many good people in the world but we want best of the best to work at iSpring! So we are continuing working on that. That is how we spent 2013. Enjoy the upcoming Holidays and iSpring greetings!=) The Holidays are coming! Of course we’re all excited! Whatever you’re aspiring Undoubtedly you’ll find it! This time is simply magical No one could even argue You all are so exceptional! iSpring is here to serve you! Have an amazing Holiday season and stay with iSpring! Happy holidays!

3 tweets   tweet   We are proud to share the amazing news: iSpring Presenter earned one more Brandon Hall Gold Award for Best Advance in Content Authoring Technology. iSpring software has been loved by our users since the very 2007. In 2010 iSpring Presenter won Brandon Hall Gold Award for the first time. And now, 2013 Gold Award joins its "counterpart". Our customers can be sure that their e-Learning content is created in one of a kind e-Learning authoring tool! We’ll continue perfecting our products and keeping up with the latest trends in technology and e-Learning to meet all your expectations: the sky is the only limit! Hopefully two Gold Awards for iSpring Presenter is just the beginning. Thank you Brandon Hall! We highly appreciate to be acknowledged by the leading industry experts and we are thankful to all our clients from all over the world. Thank you for being with us! Here is the official press-release: iSpring Earns Gold in 2013 Brandon Hall Group Excellence in Technology Awards.

0 tweets   tweet   This is a modest collection of treasured tips on how to combine colors properly and create a compelling palette for your presentation. Let’s imagine. You are to create an awesome presentation. What’s your first thought? It’s probably something like "I should find a superb content!" And you’re right. But there is something just as important as the content - the color. To choose the right one you don’t need to be an ink matcher, just read this article! Not to speak at random, we rely on iSpring table-top book - Slide:ology by Nancy Duarte. "The color sets a tone and helps establish what the audience will expect. It helps communicate what type of journey you will be taking the viewers on" - Nancy Duarte considers. Pick the colors that clearly represent these three things: The audience. Once you have a clear image of your audience you can determine the color that will appeal to it or won’t resonate with it. The industry. There’s a range of clichés associated with different areas and industries. To stand out in your field review color schemes used by your competitors and choose something different. Also avoid colors that are negative in your industry. For example red should be avoided for a financial institution, but would be okay for a blood bank. Your company. No matter if your brand is modern or conservative, the color should represent the essence of your company. Curiously enough Isaac Newton’s discovery can help you with your presentation. Don’t be surprised! Sir Isaac Newton color wheel is an irreplaceable piece of knowledge for a presentation’s creator. The wheel uses three primary colors, red, yellow and blue, spaced evenly apart. Blending those colors creates the full color wheel. Now it’s time for high spot. Here are some general ways of color combination. Enjoy! Monochromatic Use different variations of the same color. Adding a bit of white, black or grey will create a nice contrast. However don’t forget that when shown on the projector, similar colors can be really hard to recognize. Analogous To create a harmonious color scheme select colors that lie next to each other in the wheel. Depending on where exactly they lie they can provide either warm or cool feeling. Complementary Choose colors from the opposite sides of the wheel since they are the most contrasting and can create a really powerful look. Split Complementary It is a variation of the complementary scheme. The difference is that you choose not the opposite color but two colors that lie on either side of it. Triadic To form a vivid look pick three colors equally spaced around the color wheel. Pick either tints or shades of those colors to create unusual variations. Tetradic Two pairs of complementary colors can be used at once. This scheme works better if you select one dominant color and use the tints of others to support the main one. Looking for more multicolored inspiration? Another way to be inspired is to watch cool presentations created by professionals. Inspiration is waiting for you in iSpring colorful demos. Now when you’re inspired and aware of all these tricks, you can use them in practice. Download iSpring Presenter 7 FREE trial and try out all of them with this powerful award-winning tool! We are looking forward to hearing from you! This article is based on the book "Slide:ology" by Nancy Duarte.

7 tweets   tweet   Flipped education is a hot topic since the story of successful flipping at Clintondale High School went public. The very idea of a flipped classroom turns the whole learning process upside down. Homework is not done at home anymore. Students watch teachers’ lectures at home and do the so-called "homework" in class. Teachers record video lessons for students to take at home on their smartphones and tablets or in the school’s computer classroom. In class, they do projects, exercises or lab experiments in small groups receiving constant guidance from the teacher. By the way, you’re also welcome to watch the video on Flipped Education. Everything new, different or unordinary is usually criticized. At the same time flipped education is quite another matter: the only controversial point about it is a way of implementing. So, few if any doubts if it’s worth it or not. Which is not surprising as the results of deploying flipped education are just fantastic! One has only to take a look at this striking example. The Clintondale High School had been designated as among the worst 5 percent in Michigan. That year, more than half of ninth graders had failed science, and almost had half failed math. To change the situation for the better, Clintondale’s ninth-grade teachers decided to flip their classes. The results were dramatic: the failure rate in English dropped from 52 percent to 19 percent; in math, it dropped from 44 percent to 13 percent; in science, from 41 percent to 19 percent; and in social studies, from 28 percent to 9 percent. In 2011, Clintondale flipped completely — every grade, every class. With flipping, failure rate dropped from approximately 30% to under 10%. Graduation rates rose dramatically, and are now over 90 percent. College attendance went from 63 percent in 2010 to 80 percent in 2012. Flipping a classroom changes several things. One is what students do at home. The school uses videos, audio files and readings as homework. Many students do not ask questions in class, worried they will look dumb. But they can watch a video over and over to get things right without a fear. Flipped classroom frees up class time for hands-on work. Students learn by doing and asking questions. Instead of presenting the information in class and having students work on projects at home, where they don’t necessarily have support, in class, one-on-one or in small groups, teachers can help and guide them through the learning process. Students can also help each other, which benefits both the advanced and less advanced learners. Flipping also changes the distribution of teacher time. In a traditional class, the teacher engages with the students who ask questions — but it’s those who don’t ask who need the most attention. Now it’s a lot harder for students to hide. The teacher can see pretty much where every student’s understanding is and how to help them. Thanks to highly positive feedback flipped education gains popularity and has a fair chance for existence. However it’s never just black and white. Don’t lose your head inspired by breathtaking statistics. First of all make sure that this is the right thing to do in your case - both for you and your learners. What do you think? This blog post is based on articles devoted to Flipped Education by Tina Rosenberg, the Pulitzer Prize winner.

1 tweets   tweet   At the moment iSpring is optimizing the product line. Starting March 1st, iSpring Converter will no longer be available. We will continue to fully support Converter users till the end of 2014. Shortly iSpring Converter will be entirely replaced with iSpring Pro. You are welcome to upgrade your Converter license or to get license of iSpring Pro or iSpring Presenter right now! Only till January 31st you can do it at an exclusively discounted price. Contact us for details. Both iSpring Pro and iSpring Presenter include all of iSpring Converter capabilities and provide even wider options for e-Learning authoring. Take a look at this comparison chart and decide which tool is the best bet for you! Features iSpring Converter iSpring Pro iSpring Presenter Convert PowerPoint to HTML5 + + + Design presentations for all platforms and devices + + Add video and audio narrations + + Advanced, fully customizable player + + Create interactive quizzes and surveys + These robust iSpring tools are available at an unheard-of discount till January 31st only! iSpring Pro HTML5 and Flash presentations with narrations in PowerPoint Download FREE Trial -> iSpring Presenter Courses and video lectures with interactive quizzes in HTML5 Download FREE Trial ->

2 tweets   tweet   Tell us who inspired your love of learning! One lucky Facebook poster will win a 6-month subscription to iSpring Rocket. Was it a parent who made a special meal on nights before big exams? Or a teacher who wrote "Excellent work!" at the top of your essay? Or perhaps it was Carl Sagan, the American astronomer and astrophysicist who ignited a passion and wonder in so many through his books and TV series. POST your source of inspiration on our iSpring Facebook page and SHARE our question for others on your own Facebook page. Everyone who posts an answer and then shares the question will be entered to win a 6-month subscription to iSpring Rocket. "Our passion for learning … is our tool for survival." — Carl Sagan. One more tool for survival is a robust solution for e-Learning authoring — iSpring Rocket. Launch your PowerPoint presentations to a new level: with iSpring Rocket you can quickly create mobile-ready e-Learning courses. Add quizzes, narrations, and publish your course from PowerPoint to the iSpring Hosted LMS  with just one click. Invite people to take your course and track detailed results. Propel your PowerPoint content into inspiring e-Learning content with iSpring Rocket! Test drive iSpring Rocket for FREE -> Enter the contest, POST, SHARE & YOU COULD BE THE LUCKY WINNER of iSpring Rocket! Hurry, there’s not much time left! The winner will be selected on Friday, January 31, 2014.

6 tweets   tweet   It’s never too late to learn. And business is no exception. Corporate training and onboarding can really give a kickstart to your business. And iSpring can help you with that. Of course iSpring is famous for its’ high-end PowerPoint-based e-Learning software, but it also can be successfully used in business. Effective attention-grabbing courses for staff training and professional business presentations for expos and exhibitions are made in no time with iSpring. And that can become a valuable addition to your HR and marketing. So, how can iSpring be used in business? Let’s take a look. Corporate training and onboarding Here’s what you can do with iSpring to boost your corporate communications: create compelling content: courses, video presentations, learning games, quizzes and surveys easily master iSpring user-friendly interface and become a guru of e-Learning authoring publish your content to a destination of your choice view your courses and quizzes on any device: desktop, laptop, tablets and smartphones track detailed statistics on quiz results, manage both learners and content "We needed both to conduct corporate training and attest the employees in a rather short period of time. We managed to do it with the help of iSpring QuizMaker 7. We designed an educative quiz that helped learners to collect the information, arrange it and instantly correct their mistakes instead of just testing them. We’ve reached the point where the employees studied the new high-technology product in 20-30 minutes. They also had an access to their results and mistakes and clearly demonstrated the actual level of knowledge" - Ivan, Business Coach at Portalux Sales and Promotion Even a novice can easily create professionally-looking commercial slide deck or a Flash banner with iSpring. iSpring supports both HTML5 and Flash formats that allows easily upload iSpring-created promos to your corporate website. It will be available on any device and will work for you 24/7. With iSpring you can: enrich your presentation with voice overs and video narrations - tell the world about your product in a new, entertaining way fully customize the presentation player according to your corporate style view your presentation on any device including iPads and iPhones, and more! As a result - bright and eye-catching business presentation, just like this one: As an example we have created this banner in PowerPoint and converted it to a combined Flash + HTML5 format with iSpring Presenter 7. It took us about 10 minutes. Got inspired? Download iSpring Presenter FREE Trial and create your own Flash banner or any kind of interactive marketing material. Here is a short article on how to create a Flash banner with iSpring -> We are looking forward to hearing from you!

4 tweets   tweet   We’re always curious about what other people think. Anticipating your curiosity we’re here to share some of our clients’ reviews. Here is just a couple of remarkable examples. iSpring is loved by thousands of people from all over the world for its versatile set of features and ease of use. Take a look at these people and their experience with iSpring software and be inspired! Seamless PowerPoint to HTML5 conversion "I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had developed a modern version of their software that uses HTML5 vs. Flash. I downloaded the free trial from their site, installed it, and opened my PowerPoint presentation. The ease of use of this plug-in is impeccable, I simply navigated to the iSpring tab and clicked "Publish". I was then presented with a variety of options to choose from in terms of how I would like the presentation to look. iSpring provides you with the ability to have a slide overview sidebar with optional notes for each slide." - Matthew May You will find the full review by Matthew May with a couple of cool iSpring-created presentations here. Extremely easy-to-use "In the past, it would take hundreds of hours of studying computer programming and game design to create the kind of software I’m able to build in PowerPoint. iSpring software opens the world of computer programming to people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to. The button for converting a presentation is streamlined into Microsoft PowerPoint so I can easily create Flash whenever I’m ready. Once the file is finished converting, I can immediately upload it on a website or use it on my computer for class." - Elliott Hindman Funny zombie game-like presentations created by Elliot Hindman and the full review are waiting for you on Eliott Hidman’s website. Now when you know how people use iSpring to reach their goals you can test out iSpring software by yourself. You are welcome to test drive iSpring. Remember to share your experience with us! We are looking forward to hearing from you!

1 tweets   tweet   We are glad to congratulate you on the most romantic holiday of the year! Happy Valentine’s Day! We wish you a wonderful Valentine’s Day filled with love and romance! Spend it with your loved ones and don’t be afraid to show how you really feel about them! By the way we’re here to help you express your feelings! You’re very welcome to use Free iSpring Romantic Templates -> This set of lovely free PowerPoint templates will help you to easily create unique greeting e-cards and slideshows with your message of love. Create your own unique Valentine’s Day card with iSpring! Express your feelings in your own way! Love and be loved! And remember: iSpring loves you! Let the love be with you!

4 tweets   tweet   "Eyes are the windows to the soul." There’s more than a bit of truth to this old saying. When you speak to your audience, you want to project honesty, sincerity, and earnestness, and eye contact is essential for all of these. Any professional TV studio will have a person on hand whose job is to hold cue cards for the presenter in line-of-sight with the camera so the illusion of eye contact with the audience is maintained. With iSpring’s Narration Editor, you can achieve the same result in your own studio single-handedly! Working on a laptop with a built-in camera? Simply drag the Notes section to the top of the screen and start recording! Wherever your camera is, that’s where your notes (and thus your eyes) should be. There’s another way you can engage your viewers by interacting directly with your content. To get attention to a certain content item you can gesticulate just like a weatherman to show you viewers what on this slide is worth their attention most of all. Do you have any pro camera tips for your fellow presenters? Leave them in the comments below! Happy narrating!