Ardour 4.7 is now available, including a variety of improvements and minor bug fixes. The two most significant changes are: A new dialog that shows a detailed and wide-ranging analysis of the audio file(s) generated by export. It shows waveform, spectral and level distribution views as well as peak and true peak level information and allows for previewing of the exported files. The development of this dialog was sponsored by Harrison Consoles, and represents another great example of their collaborative engagement with the Ardour development process. The greatly improved version of Mackie Control support that we're really excited about. Ardour's support for these devices is now very close to where we want it to be in terms of using the visibly obvious features of most Mackie Control surfaces. We still plan to go deeper into plugin control and more in future releases. The full list of changes is shown below. Download   read more

How is your customer service? What do people say about how they’re treated when they call about a product or service that you offer? When you call someone about a product or service that you need, what has your own experience been? And how can eLearning make a difference? The use of automated systems means that customer service begins before anyone even says, "hello." So when a customer finally talks to a human being, their experience depends on how well your service staff is trained. In this post, we’re examining how eLearning empowers and enhances your customer service training. But first, we’ll look at the vital role that customer service plays in the success of any organization. Even Your CEO is Part of The Customer Service Experience In essence, every person who works for any organization is a potential customer service representative. That may seem like a broad stroke. But think about it: whether you’re talking to the CEO or the custodial staff, you’re talking to a representative of that company. And some companies, like Walt Disney World, are very aware of this. In fact, everyone who works at Walt Disney World - and we mean everyone - goes through Disney’s Traditions training. A large portion of Traditions involves customer service training of the highest standards of excellence. And it works: the Walt Disney World corporation operates at a level of customer service that even other corporations talk about. For the purpose of this post, we’ll focus specifically on the people who staff the front lines of customer service. They’re the folks who answer your phones and talk with your callers and customers. They sell your products and services. They make appointments, take messages, and solve issues. They listen, offer advice, upgrades, and refunds. They take responsibility for issues that very often have nothing to do with them. Within the boundaries of organizational guidelines, policies, and procedures, they work to keep your customers satisfied. They straddle the boundary between the organization and its customers. Consider: while a customer service representative’s loyalty is to the company, they actually often work for the customer. They are the face and/or voice of your company. As far as your customer is concerned, your customer service representative is your company. You talk to customer service personnel when you require a product or service. And you know how important it is for you to have your needs met and your issues resolved. The confidence and empowerment of your frontline service folks are more than just a passing notion or a nice idea: it should be part of the heartbeat of your company. There are those who believe that you cannot teach customer service, that a person is either good at it, or not. And on the surface there’s some truth to that: we all know someone who is not a "people person". For those people, customer service positions are not a match for their abilities, personalities or temperament. And we relegate those people to positions away from the public eye (or ear). But let’s look deeper. Customer support is a fine art. It requires a masterful balance of the interests of the organization with the satisfaction and needs of the customer. And the two are intricately related. It’s a dance. Customer service is a skillset. And anyone can learn - and practice - a skillset. It takes time, experience, practice, and guidance. A good customer service training program prepares your customer service representatives for any potential person — or situation — that they may encounter. An excellent customer service program empowers employees to take what they’ve learned, apply the knowledge, and expand on it. Employees get to create and develop a personal expression of service, without sacrificing the standards of the organization. And this is one of those places where eLearning works its magic. Consider that your representatives are going to be interacting with human beings, whether face-to-face or via phone. Therefore, their training should be a match for the challenges of customer interactions that are unique to your business/industry. However, there are some foundational elements to effective customer service training: Blend instructor-led training with eLearning. Balance the time spent with an instructor with scenario-based video clips, webinars and other interactive media. Feature your best customer service personnel in different real-life interactions with your customers. (By the way, this has the added benefit of acknowledging and validating your best performers.) Scenario-based training allows for real-life application and prepares your employees for the real-world situations that they’ll face. eLearning interactivity can be used to train your customer service team in areas such as: body language, and how they present themselves to the public (including attire and grooming, where relevant); effective interactions by phone; listening for the issues behind the complaint; resolving the issue, rather than simply placating the customer; security and safety.   Employees can also be presented with simulations where they learn to prevent escalation while upholding organizational policies and procedures. And eLearning takes place within the safety of a simulation. In other words, trainees receive the benefits of experiencing real-life situations without compromising their own personal safety, their job security, or the reputation of the organization. With eLearning, even the worst mistakes become some of the best opportunities for both training and development. In addition, you can standardize your training, and track the progress of your trainees. In the meantime, you also provide training that benefits your employees outside of the workplace. After all, customer service is a skillset that has benefits beyond the time-clock. Most importantly, an eLearning-enhanced customer service program creates flexibility, engagement and fun. Another major advantage of eLearning that’s worth reiterating is the ability to capture the legacy knowledge and experience of your best employees. Using video, high performers can contribute ongoingly to your training program. Video also allows you to capture and preserve your best practices and legacy knowledge. And, the use of video goes a long way to standardizing your program, which preserves your knowledge base as well as your organizational and branding message. At the same time, interactivity empowers your employees to develop their individual expression as they train and learn together. As we said earlier, it actually begins before "hello." Various studies show that it takes about 7 seconds to make a first impression. And that first impression is lasting, even permanent. The same is true of customer service. We’ve all experienced customer service of varying levels. Depending on the experience, we may leave ranting, or raving. And it’s the raving we want — those "WOW!" moments — no matter which side of the interactions we’re on. Those are the experiences that have customers coming back for more. And if we do it right, our customers might just bring their friends along with them when they return. Before anyone even says, "hello," your customer service staff could be prepared to deliver a "WOW" moment. For more information on how to harness the power of eLearning in your customer service program, please contact us for a free demo. The post How to Turn Your Customer Service Into A World-Class Support Experience appeared first on KMI Learning.

It’s been an incredibly long but exciting week at Training Magazine’s 2016 Conference. I’ll post some of the great information that I walked away with, but while I am recuperating I figured I’d share a funny article originally published by Allen Interactions. Enjoy! 1. Don’t bore your learners You know—in theory—that this is a good idea, but do you understand how truly important it is? Learners simply cannot learn—it’s not humanly possible—when they are bored. Compare how much time you spend with your SMEs arguing over sentence and paragraph construction versus how much time you spend discussing learner boredom. How much does your ID team worry about learner boredom? 2. Don’t overwhelm your learners If the learning strategy is to keep throwing information at learners with no opportunity to reflect, digest, practice, apply, etc., you’re not actually training anybody. You’re soothing your own conscience that "training was provided," but for the poor kitties going through your learning, it’s an overwhelming nightmare.   3. Don’t let learners get lazy Don’t coddle your learners. If your biggest involvement for learners is the occasional knowledge check question and a Click Next button, well, that’s not actual instructional design you’re practicing. See, the problem is, most people in training think that the goal of training is to… 4. Carry Learners They think the goal is to make sure they are transported across the curriculum. Big mistake. Perhaps you could say it’s a cat-astrophy. (Sorry.) Training is supposed to enable learners to cross (on their own) a performance gap. If your content is useful and necessary, they will use your content to navigate that gap. If they don’t need your content to bridge the gap, well then, that reveals how useful your content truly is. But you can’t carry learners across the gap. They have to make the journey themselves. That means including some form of instructional interactivity. Why is instructional interactivity necessary? If you want learners to perform a skill (sell more, provide better customer service, follow government guidelines) and you don’t give them the opportunity to practice, you’re setting them up to: 5. Fail But keep in mind that instructional interactivity is not… 6. Pointless busywork Sometimes when clients attempt to engage learners, they ask things like, "Can we add a drag and drop here? Can’t we make this more interesting by gamifying this?" As we might say in response to a small feline who has dug up a potted plant: "No. Bad kitty." Adding a drag/drop or gamifying something doesn’t magically increase learner engagement or retention. Smart instructional interactivity analyzes the performance learners must execute and asks, "How close can we get them to actual practice within this training environment?" A few tips on instructional interactivity: 7. Don’t humiliate learners Don’t ask them stupid questions ("Do you want to save this customer relationship?") or force them to select ridiculously obvious multiple-choice questions. Give them real problems to solve—layered with the complexity they would find in the real world. Give them challenges that will translate into job skills. 8. Don’t make learners chase the value Sometimes to "make training more interesting," folks will want to make it like Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune. Learners have to guess at/chase the value back and forth, back and forth. Don’t keep learners guessing. Make them see—up front—how THIS training solves THIS problem. Don’t force them to guess their own conclusions—present the conclusions right in your introduction, and then make the instructional interactivity reflect the problem to be solved. No guessing. No chasing the value. 9. Listen to learner input Meow! Meow! It’s true they aren’t the SMEs…they may not have the knowledge necessary to construct the entire back-end of an e-learning course. But there is value in listening to them describe struggles to perform the behavior. A few things they can answer well: Are there any real consequences to not performing this behavior? Does anybody ever get in trouble for not performing? What are the shortcuts to getting around this behavior? Where do you get stuck when performing this behavior? Does management help you (or hinder you) regarding execution of this behavior? Of course, there are many more questions to ask, but this provides a sample of the value you can get from actual users you cannot get from the most helpful SMEs. Another great reason to gather user input? 10. Learners are watching They watch the training for the organization’s true priorities. If the training focuses on compliance by a certain date with mediocre quizzing, well, that’s a pretty sure bet the training is a CYB (Cover Your Butt) measure, not anything inspired to change behavior. If the training is rolled out with a change management program and supported by management (supported by more than just a "you have to do this" speech), perhaps the training carries some weight in the organization. What do you think your last training rollout says about the value your company places on the training? The (rather traditional) relationship between training and users might be summarized as such: 11. Attack! The Training/Learning Department explodes some new training at learners, demanding their deepest attention and a passing rate of 80%, and the entire experience for them feels very much like being assaulted with yet another information bomb. Don’t get into this antagonistic relationship. The learning experience could be so much better.     You don’t want to pit your audience against learning, forcing them to fight like…well, cats and dogs.    

LearnUpon, the world’s fastest growing learning management system, today announced a new integration with Microsoft Azure Active Directory (AD). LearnUpon customers can now use Microsoft Azure AD to manage user access and enable single sign-on. The integration will make it even easier for learners to access and use their LMS securely. Admins can enjoy a simple step-by-step user interface to configure the integration with Azure AD.   Azure AD supports rich enterprise-class single sign-on with LearnUpon out of the box. The tool provides an easy deployment experience for synchronization with identity systems like Windows Server Active Directory to enable sign-in to multiple applications. LearnUpon customers can integrate with Microsoft AD to provide users with a single common identity that will allow them to access the LMS and other Microsoft applications like Office 365. Users simply login to LearnUpon using their organizational accounts hosted in Microsoft Azure AD.   Single sign-on (SSO) allows learners to move directly from an intranet or corporate network to a personal learning portal without needing to login again. LearnUpon’s SSO functionality enables organizations to deliver a streamlined user experience across platforms.   Commenting on the announcement LearnUpon’s CTO, Des Anderson, said: We are delighted to announce the release of our integration with Microsoft Azure AD. While we continue to broaden our ability to seamlessly integrate with any application of choice, we have seen a significant uptake in Azure AD requirements of late. Its simplicity, security and ease of setup, are an ideal choice for anyone seeking an automatic login across their platforms and applications. Indeed our other SSO/API facilities can provide this functionality but it’s really nice to be able to offer an out-of-box solution for our users!   Read more about LearnUpon in the Azure Active Directory.   Try LearnUpon free for 30 days .learnupon.com Agree to Terms of Service Start my free trial The post LearnUpon announces Microsoft Azure AD integration appeared first on LearnUpon.

[Post by Karla Willems, Account Manager at GeoMetrix Data Systems Inc.] The Brandon Hall Group is focused on helping organizations make the best use of technology to meet their learning and business goals. The analysts at Brandon Hall invite you to participate in its Workforce Management Technology Survey. The first 100 respondents will be eligible for a drawing for a Bose SoundLink® around-ear wireless headphones. To take the survey visit: Workforce Management Technology Survey

As part of a series of moves on the Falmouth Campus Educational Technology have relocated to Tannachie. If you fancy a popping in to say hi, we’d warmly welcome you over for a cup of tea and a catch up.

In this series of articles, the Educational Technology team will be providing an insight into existing practice using technology for learning and teaching at Falmouth University and various projects being undertaken within the sector.Designing a course or module that encompasses and considers activities and aspects beyond your subject is a task that is required of academics. Bringing in elements of digital interactions with your students is expected: students are arriving at University with wide ranging digital practices. The Institution requires that part of your course is delivered in a blended or online fashion.According to the King’s College London/QAA Student Expectations and Perceptions of Higher Education report (Kandiko & Mawer, 2013) students prefer adequate face to face time, and institutions are urged to be cautious in their implementation of technology as a tool to replace face to face interactions. The report also says that "no students mentioned pedagogical uses of digital technologies" and that students perception of technology in their academic lives is simply a means to access information. This is rather a contradiction to what perceptions we have of students when they arrive at University, and to what some researchers of effective pedagogies have said (check out Re-thinking pedagogy for the digital age, Beetham & Sharpe, 2013)When you really think about it though, if technology is used well then it is not viewed as a separate element of the students’ learning journey. If it is used as part of that journey (an embedded, invisible practice) - instead of something that sits alongside or even outside of the delivery of learning - then technology can be a tool to enhance what students are achieving, rather than as an annoyance that limits their attention on subject and forces focus to remain on the process of using it.By following a course design process that facilitates:innovative practice, both digitally and physicallyflexible, seamless transition between the physical and digital spacerecording the learning journey to allow for informed reflectionconstructive alignment of materials, outcomes and assessmentand both physical and digital interactions that transcend their platformit will enhance your practice and your students’ learning.Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/epublicist/8718123610/Course design processes exist in many HEIs (e.g. Oxford Brookes, Northampton, Ulster, Leicester) and are successfully participated in to create some great programmes of study. Most are based around a team based approach that enables the teaching team to work with facilitators, support staff, and students to build a course/module that includes all the elements mentioned above. The great thing about them is that because the processes are not subject specific, a consistent experience can be created. The processes are pure design - it is down to the subject specialists to decide what direction they take. Constructive alignment, interactions (both online and face to face) and assessment can be scaffolded using planning and storyboarding techniques. Materials and delivery are designed alongside librarians, technologists, students and technicians.It’s no secret that the EdTech team have experience in pedagogic design and its integration of technology. We can facilitate the course design processes and are happy to help with the design of your module. Get in touch to learn more.

Writing for medical professionals - particularly physicians and nurses - is difficult. No matter the number of degrees you have or your experience in the clinical field, as an e-learning provider, nine times out of ten you are not "one of them." And 99 times out of 100, your client/subject matter experts (SMEs, to those of us in the trade) will not see you as "one of them." Here are three tips for folks in e-learning - particularly the writers - for upping your medical training cred, delivering smart work, and pleasing your client: Start at the Source. Read and assess the material provided by the client. Does it jibe with what you already know? Does it make sense? Are there gaps in explanations? Can you say with confidence that it’s accurate? You can’t teach it if you don’t know it. Consult Electronic Expertise. Physicians may hate when patients come in armed with Internet printouts, especially those confirming self-diagnoses. In your case, do the research! Dr. Google is a terrific resource. There’s lots of snake oil out there, so look to names you trust - NIH, NCBI, etc. A good keyword search can often take you right where you need to go for answers to your questions. Talk the Talk, and Talk Efficiently. All that reading and research you did? You now know [some/more/a lot] of this stuff. Depend on your SMEs along the way. But keep in mind, they may have patients to round on, ORs to scrub into, etc. The task of SME’ing is likely a task plunked on their shoulders in addition to their normal workload. Don’t waste their time (or yours). Come to your meetings with targeted and informed questions, phrased in accurate medical language. Afraid of blowing pronunciation on a key call? Try howjsay.com! The post Improve your Medical Training Cred appeared first on Enspire.

We humans behave for emotional reasons first, then for rational reasons. It is a fact. Psychology professor, Daniel Kahneman, was awarded the 2002 Nobel Prize for Economics after his studies proved this.With common phrases like "check your emotions at the door", it is no surprise that people stray away from talking about them.The thing is - people crave sharing their emotions - establishing that deep connection. After over a decade of doing this work, Fierce has been opening the dialogue and including emotions with all different people - engineers, retailers, male, female, executives, front line.So how can you incorporate emotions in your workplace? You must ask. When someone brings you an issue, you must ask about their emotions. In our coaching model we understand the critical role emotions play in building relationships and changing behavior. In our 7-step mineral rights model, we pose the question in multiple steps, "What do you feel?" as the coachee identifies what is at stake for him or her if nothing changes. And again, ask when they are picturing themselves on the other side of the issue. Getting to the person’s emotion provides impetus for action. You miss that, you’ve wasted a key part of the process.Stop the conversation from only happening in our heads. Engage the head AND heart.What keeps you from asking about emotions? Where can you start? The post Head & Heart: Emotions Belong in the Workplace appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on Profiles International and explores the impact emotional intelligence can have in the workplace.When people think about organizational culture they are typically referring to the group’s shared norms and values that drive everyday behavior. But that’s only half the story. An organization also thrives on a team’s emotional health. If left unchecked, it is only a matter of time before stress levels hit a critical mass. For today’s leaders, it’s incredible important to not only be aware of, but also manage an individual’s and team’s emotions.Where does your organization measure on the EQ scale?Source: Profiles InternationalThe post Fierce Resource: The Benefits of Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

Today is President’s Day in the United States, which is fitting as we have the political primaries in full swing. In the six years I have worked for Fierce, I have never felt a stronger need for Fierce Conversations to happen on our congressional floor, between our representatives, with our presidential candidates, AND with ourselves. The leaders in our country need to step up. And we do too. My expectation for our country’s leaders is for them to be fierce. This means they must gain the capacity to connect with people - of all different, sometimes competing, viewpoints - on a DEEP level. They must build relationships instead of destroy them. They must bring people together, instead of pushing them apart. They must raise the best solution without making others wrong. And we must expect this of them.This week’s fierce tip is to think for yourself for our country’s sake. Now is the time to reflect on the past and present leaders in your life that you respect and follow. What expectations do you have for our future President?When I write down my short list, it includes:Connect at a deep level and build relationships.Have a vision (and I am not talking about a tagline).Bring more people together than you tear apart.Be open and curious.Do what you say you will.Tell the truth - with heart and skill. It may be painful at first, but it heals.  So: What is your list? What would you add or subtract from mine?The post Fierce Tip of the Week: Think for Yourself, for our Country’s Sake appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

If you watched the Grammy’s on Monday night, you probably heard Taylor Swift’s speech where she said: "I want to say to all the young women out there: There are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame. But if you just focus on the work and you don’t let those people sidetrack you, someday when you get where you’re going you’ll look around and you will know that it was you and the people who love you who put you there."While the Kanye controversy makes that quote extra juicy, there is truth to what she is sharing for leaders. Your job as a leader is to build people up. To give others credit and not worry about the people who are wishing you ill.If you want to grow, here are three things to stay away from.Don’t take credit. This is absolutely critical. If you take credit, people will not want to go above and beyond for you. There is nothing worse than putting your all into a project, and then the leader taking the accolades. Be a leader who highlights the accomplishments of others and openly shares how their wins impact the larger picture.Don’t make it about you. Leadership is about caring for others. If you want to glorify yourself, consider taking on more individual contributor responsibilities. Be a leader who thinks about others more than yourself. Is there an opportunity that you can loop someone into? Where can youDon’t be all talk. People will pay attention to what you do, even more than what you say at times. So do what you say you will do. Follow through on your commitments. If you are not good at doing this, you need to make an action plan. Who can be your accountability partner? Who can help you get better? This is not something to brush under the rug.We learn just as much by remembering what "not to do" as well as what "to do". The post 3 Don’ts for Leaders Who Want to Grow appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on the Harvard Business Review and explores the link between sleep and leadership.Being an effective leader requires a lot of skills, including an ability to be present, communicate effectively, and a strong emotional intelligence. But before we can do all that, we first have to take care of ourselves. That means getting some much needed shut eye.And many of us aren’t getting enough of it. According to the article There’s a Proven Link Between Effective Leadership and Getting Enough Sleep, sleep deficiencies can undermine important forms of leadership behavior and eventually hurt financial performance.What is sleep loss costing you?"Sleep deprivation impairs the ability to focus attention selectively: Research shows that after roughly 17 to 19 hours of wakefulness (say, at 11 PM or 1 AM for someone who got up at 6 AM), individual performance on a range of tasks is equivalent to that of a person with a blood alcohol level of 0.05%. That’s the legal drinking limit in many countries."Read the article. The post Fierce Resource: There’s a Proven Link Between Effective Leadership and Getting Enough Sleep appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

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Most of the day I sit by myself staring at a computer.I believe all people seek connection and purpose. It shocked me that the highest score was about sitting alone at the computer. But that's the reality. Think of all the people at Starbucks, or on a plane or at an airport with their laptops open surrounded by many people and totally alone.  I am a person that needs my alone time, however, I need to be with others as much, a critical balance. The question is, how do we feed the need to connect as leaders in today's work environment? I recommend a book I read years ago.  Clearly you do not have time to read this book.  I challenge you to make time to read a chapter a week- how hard can that be? I also challenge you to buy a PAPER used copy to make it really tactile.  And I challenge you to challenge your staff to do the same, which will help you identify your high potential leaders: Love and Profit: The Art of Caring Leadership, James A. Autry. Here are a few other provocative ideas: Head, Heart & Gutsby David L. Dotlich, Petere C. Cairo and Stephen H. Rhinesmith. In this provocative book, the authors discuss how to move to Whole Leadership. A sample of the book is here. Here's what they describe: Among the qualities that distinguish the best leaders from others are emotional maturity, the capacity to create trust and the flexibility to work with a range of different types of people. In other words, the best leaders have heart, in addition to their other strengths. Effective leaders show tenacity, persistence and the ability to overcome obstacles that get in their way- what is referred to as guts. Of course, a leader who relies primarily on heart or guts is equally ineffective. Most people who achieve senior-level leadership positions in business today, however, are head-oriented individuals; the heart- or guts oriented managers tend to be stigmatized or eliminated before they make it to a top position, or they are relegated to a function best suited to their orientation. The best leaders balance all three. The authors go on to suggest that leaders must identify five boundaries: External, Vertical, Horizontal, Geographical and Personal, all of which move.  I compare this to identifying the very fluid stakeholder roles in a project.  Leading is not possible without a good view of the playing field.  To get things done will require a balance between both strategic and operational work.      The domain of emotional intelligence is one where we can grow our strength through practice any time we want.  It is not hard wired. Gratefulness is  a practice that moves us  to see, connect and have empathy for others which also draws us out of self. Consider some of these thoughts brought to me today by my trusted friend Carroll Nelligan who shared a post with me from DK Brainard titled "Gratitude and Belonging." I've selected some of the nuggets about gratitude:The world is changing, much faster than our ego/personality selves are prepared to deal with. Living creative, connected lives where we get to do more of what we enjoy with more people we enjoy doing it with is the desired outcome now.  The challenge, for many of us, is that we are so habituated to choosing  duty, frustration, and self-abandonment over joy that we find it very hard to believe the Universe will support us if we insist on choosing joy.There’s a leap of faith that must be taken. Soft landings are not guaranteed. Part of the challenge for those of us who are being pinned down by this transformational accelerator beam is that we don’t have a road map. I know I’ve received a stream of assurances from my guides that it’s safe to let go and trust. That not only will I be OK, this is what I’ve been waiting for my whole life. The Universe is answering my prayers, manifesting my vision of an abundant life, setting me free. I don’t have the map. Sorry. I believe what my guides are telling me. Partly because I’ve been here before and it does seem true that after each breakdown, break-up, or breakthrough episode, I always find myself in a better life. Belatedly grateful for the experience    ...it's the egoic mind’s reaction to  contemplating finally letting go of the habitual guilt and shame that motivate most of our choices and daily actions. To the egoic mind, spiritual freedom is tantamount to death. We no longer need those old voices of judgment and shame... realized later, is another form of the perspective I’ve been writing and talking about recently: Forgiveness is imagination in action. Gratitude is actually a form of forgiveness - of self, of others, of the world - because it changes the images in our mind…  Standing in the light takes some resolve...What I’m hearing, when I remember to be still and listen, is that we don’t need a map. We just need to be quiet and listen. And remember to be grateful for the light that is always here, in every moment.

To commemorate the 10 years of Freesound we are organising an event in the framework of the MUTEK festival in Barcelona. The Music Technology Group will have an Artist-in-residence that will create a musical work using Freesound. The result will be presented as part of an event dedicated to Freesound that will take place on March 3rd. The artist has been selected by Mutek festival through an open call. The program of the event is: - Introduction to Freesound and its use in the musical creation - Audition of the work "Paseo BCN" by Andrés Lewin-Richter - Presentation and live session of the artist in residence MUTEK [ES] - Freesound. Work created in real time using some applications created around Freesound. - Chromahelix ­ Live Act (https://soundcloud.com/chromahelix). Electroacoustic ensamble established in Barcelona, that expose the audience to different sound textures, combining soundscapes and minimal rythms. In this performance the audience will be able to interact with Freesound in real time. All the performances will use a surround octophonic system. You are all invited to come to celebrate the 10 years of Freesound. March 3rd, 2016 - 7PM Sala Polivalent Universitat Pompeu Fabra C/ Roc Boronat 138 Barcelona, SPAIN Free admission Organised by: Music Technology Group, Phonos Foundation, MUTEK[ES]

I have ported the famous VST Speek plugin for Linux : VSTSpeek on Ubuntu 12.04 (Renoise host) download it now !! - VSTSpeek for Linux 32 bit - VSTSpeek for Linux 64 bit it’s a Linux native VST and should work with : - Bitwig Studio - Renoise - Tracktion - Ardour - Carla - Energy XT please note that it’s a beta and could be unstable or suffer strange bugs. Note about the key press : Some hosts "steal" the keyboard focus, so you can’t type any words in the text zone. It happens with Ardour 4 for example : and VST effEditKeyUp / onKeyUp (and down)  are not yet implemented ("keypress are not sent to LINUXVST") in Ardour. That’s why i came up with a workaround : click on "Config" button then check "dirty hack". and now you should be able to type the words in the text field. VSTSpeek in Ardour 4

Just the other day, it seems like I held a huge Nokia phone in my hand, telling my friends how amazing it was to be able to play Snake, message my friends, and call anyone in the world.  How things have changed. Just a few years on, the whole world is in our pocket, access to anything and everything, on demand, just as Tesla predicted. By 2018,  more than fifty percent of users will use a tablet or smartphone first for all online activities [1]. Also, its predicted that by this time there will be more than one billion users of wireless Internet. The field of education and corporate training has a responsibility to stay on the cutting edge of these changes in technology. So far, the evidence suggests that we’re moving forward. 85% of organizations now identify just how important mobile is to learning, and are either implementing or planning to implement a mobile training strategy.[2] Clearly, mLearning is changing the game. So now we’re going to look at a few ways that mobile is already transforming the world of corporate learning.

Learning is a two way process. Delegates sign up to be trained, but the trainer needs to be sure that any information imparted is current, relevant and accurate. How many times have you been on a training course and felt that only part of the content was suitable for your needs? Or as a training business, have you missed the opportunity to gain repeat business because learners haven’t felt satisfied?  

While following accessibility guidelines and requirements may have you focusing on features and functionality that you need to avoid, there’s no reason that an accessible course can’t also be engaging and interactive. In this post, we’ll provide some creative ways to include Lectora® features that you may have thought were "off limits" in accessible eLearning.  Initially Hidden Objects Remember that any object that is Initially Hidden when a page loads will not be read by a screen reader. However, you can still use alternative methods and hidden text to simulate many interactive elements, including rollover text and tool tips as well as pop-up messages on the page. The key is to always ensure that a copy of accessible text is available on the page, even if it is not technically visible to a sighted user. Further, always ensure that the layering order is correct in the Title Explorer, which effects the tabbing order on the page and the reading order that assistive technology like screen readers use to announce the objects. Rollover Text and Tool Tips An easy way to create accessible tool tips and rollover text is to continue to use Mouse Enter/Exit actions to show initially hidden text, but ensure that a hidden copy of the text is also on the page as alternative content. For example, to add rollover text to a page, make a copy of the text block and set that to be initially visible (clear the Initially Hidden checkbox) and then consider reducing the font size, matching the font color to the background color of the page, and layering it behind an image. In this way, a learner who is sighted or not using assistive technology will interact with the rollover text, and a learner who is using assistive technology will encounter the accessible version of the text. The accessible text is layered behind the rollover text and is initially visible on the page. Pop-Ups Rather than always asking your learner to open physical pop-ups that open in a new window, you can layer additional content on the page that is only shown when triggered by the learner (for example, when the learner selects a button or hyperlink). You can accomplish this by layering the "pop-up" underneath a shape or image that matches the background of the page, and the hiding the shape/image. To "display" the pop-up, trigger an action to Hide the image or shape. To "close" the pop-up, trigger an action to Show the image or shape. Because the text is initially loaded on the page, a learner using assistive technology can access the "pop-up" message. Just be sure to layer it appropriately in the Title Explorer. The white rectangle is layered over the pop-up. The Learn More button hides the rectangle and the Close button shows it. Take Advantage of Branching Finally, remember that you can always make use of Lectora’s variables to create a branching scenario. Branching allows you to provide alternate content when necessary. For example, you may want to use a non-accessible question type like a Drag and Drop question, and branch learners using assistive technology to an alternate page that uses a Multiple Response question instead. You can accomplish this using variables and conditional actions: On the first page of your course, provide a way for your learner to indicate if he or she is using assistive technology (either with a button, hyperlink or keyboard shortcut). For example, you can provide some text that states: "If you are using assistive technology/software please select the Shift+A key now." Trigger an action to modify a user-defined variable, and set it equal to "true." Add conditional actions to the navigation buttons, links, and keystroke actions in your title to go to a page with alternative and accessible content if the variable is equal to true. Ask the learner to trigger an action that modifies a variable so that you can track if he or she is using assistive technology.   Use the value of the variable to conditionally navigate the learner to accessible pages when necessary.  By using these tips in your eLearning course, you can ensure that your course is accessible AND interactive for all learners. Want to try creating accessible courses yourself in Lectora? Sign up for a free 30-day trial today. For more accessibility reading, check out these posts: Creating Accessible eLearning: What You Need to Know How to Use Lectora to Create Accessible Courses The post Tips and Tricks to Making Accessible Content More Interactive appeared first on .

  In a layman’s term, a classroom must entail some building with desks and a chalkboard where students and their teacher meet to engage on matters of academic interest. Thinking of a classroom in such terms is right but not complete. Over the years, technology has shifted the nature of learning through innovative approaches that include the online classroom. The good part about online classrooms is that they have nearly every advantage that one would expect from a normal classroom plus the extra advantage of convenience. In fact, online classrooms are more engaging, versatile and exciting than the conventional classroom because they bring together learners from multiple backgrounds and experiences.   Interesting Learning Techniques   Usually, online classroom teachers have various options of capturing and retaining the interest of their students. Comparative surveys between online classrooms and the walled classes have established that the online option gives the students more quality think-time because of the unique qualities of the teaching techniques. Naturally, technologically savvy learners are more inclined towards online classroom discussions than face-to-face discussions. Use of videos with impressive graphics helps to spur the interest of the learners in the subject. Besides, the videos aid enhance the understanding of the lesson. The level of concentration is higher than in a conventional setting and the discussions are less likely to veer off the course of the subject like they usually do in a traditional classroom. Overall, this advantage eventually translates into faster learning and long term interest in the subject matter.   The Advantage of Reduced Costs   You do not expect to incur the same cost of learning in an online classroom like you would spend in a conventional learning environment. Online classrooms require lesser logistics and most learning materials are availed for free on the internet. Many people prefer the online option because they spend less money and benefit from a variety of courses. Enrollment, registration and commencement of the courses is easier, faster, cheaper and highly convenient for people who distaste the logistical challenges that are associated with the traditional classrooms. In general, the online classroom offers high quality and convenient learning at very affordable costs. This option encourages people to pursue their career courses without ruining their financial stability.   The Flexibility of Learning from Anywhere   Nothing pleases the modern learner more than the advantage of learning from the comfort of their homes or offices. With online classrooms, you can even learn while holidaying on the beachfront resorts of the Bahamas. Naturally, learning is a continuous process that should never be hindered by the routine of the learner. Online classrooms allow you to explore the delights of technology as you broaden your knowledge on your preferred courses. Corporate executives who wish to study a special course, but have no time to attend a classroom have the option of the online classrooms to help them realize their dreams. Recent technological innovations allow for increased interaction of students and instructors, which helps to enhance the social intelligence of the learners. In every sense, this model of learning is the best solution for the fast-paced modern societies.   The post Exploring the Unique Advantages of Online Classrooms appeared first on Fedena Blog.

Today we’re going to be answering some questions about tracking the source of your leads. This is essential for determining which of your marketing channels are working and which aren’t. If you’re trying to market your product or course via different channels, like social media, videos, blogs, or paid ads, and you don’t know which channels are working, you’re essentially losing money. For example, you might be going all in on social media, but you wouldn’t know that paid ads are a better use of your time and money if you aren’t tracking your leads. In this episode of Teach Online TV, we show you some quick and easy ways to do this. One really quick and easy way to track the source of your leads, especially if you’re running quick experiments, is with Bitly. You simply throw in a link to your product, course, blog, or wherever you’re sending visitors and it will give you back a shortened link. It also tracks how many people are clicking through on that link. So if you’re promoting yourself on different sites, like your social media channels or guest posts, use a Bitly link instead of a regular link to track which channels are sending the most leads. If you sign up for a Bitly account, you will also be able to see where those leads are coming from and data around how many people are clicking through. Another pro is that, because it shortens your link, you can share it easily on sites with character limits, like Twitter or certain forums. If you don’t like Bitly, there are tons of other great URL shorteners out there. Hootsuite has a really good one, and so does Google. Use any of these URL shorteners to measure the performance of the different marketing and growth experiments that you are running.   The post Teach Online TV #03: Tracking The Source Of Your Leads appeared first on Thinkific.

Marketing usually requires lots of work, but one way to quickly build trust, and drive traffic to your site is with Quora. As an expert and instructor of online courses, you have unique insights that you can share on Quora as answers to questions, with links back to your site for further information. Check out the video to find out more about this growth hack. Quora is a question and answer site, so you can go there and find questions that relate to your subject matter or online course and answer them. The key is to answer them with some really valuable information, and not a sale pitch. You need to dive in and actually provide some real advice in your answer but then, at the end of your answer, you can also provide a link to your full course or a blog post on your site for people who want more information. This can be a good source for generating some targeted leads for your courses because people are already searching Quora, or searching Google and being directed to Quora, to answer their questions. They are already interested in the topic so they won’t mind clicking over to your course to find out more. The best part is, the results are immediate. We tried answering a few questions yesterday related to a post we published on building online communities, and we immediately saw a lot of traffic from it. Now if you want to track the success of this, we did a video just recently about Bitly. Check that out and use Bitly links or a URL shortener where you can track the source of leads that come from your Quora post. If you’re using Google analytics, make sure you also put the UTM codes in there. So if you’re using Google analytics and a URL shortener, you can use the UTM code first and then drop it into your URL shortener like Bitly and then post that as part of your Quora post. Give it a shot. Just head over to Quora, search for your topic, find questions related to it, answer them, and then sit back and see if the results come in from those. If they do, it merits more effort, so double down and start doing it on a regular basis.   The post Teach Online TV #04: Marketing Your Course With Quora appeared first on Thinkific.

Organizations that invest in leadership training can retain employees and reduce costly recruitment expenses. Quality leadership is a combination of the right qualities and the right training. Why Leadership Training Is Worth Investing In It is said that effective management has the biggest impact on business success. Managers set the tone for behavioral standards and […] The post Why You Need To Invest In Leadership Training appeared first on PulseLearning.