Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning. - Maya Angelou Proper use of audio narration goes a long way in enhancing the effectiveness of an online course. According to the modality principle, put forth by Ruth Colvin Clark and Richard Mayer, using audio to explain on-screen text helps deliver better results by reducing the cognitive load on learners. But, how can you ensure that your eLearning course is effectively narrated? Well, you need to focus on 5 critical aspects to make the best use of audio in your online course. Let us see what they are and why they are important. Hope you find this post interesting. How do you use audio in your eLearning courses. We’d love to know. Related PostsEffective Voice Over in E-learning (Part 1) - An InfographicPrinciples for Effective Practice ExercisesApplying the Coherence Principle to eLearning Courses

Time for the next tech-isode in the "Tech It Up Tuesday" series in which I will share an edtech tool, app, site or other resource that can be utilized in the classroom setting. This week’s edu-goodness actually focuses on some tech-knowledge-y that all educators who create multimedia projects and/or who conduct research with their students could surely use. So here it is: When you need the answers to life’s burning questions or more along the educational lines,  information for a presentation or report, you and your students most likely default to one of the most robust resources that currently exists: The Internet. Because of the continuous evolution of mobile technology, it’s simple to use, fast and in most cases, accurate. And here’s the part where the infamous "but" word enters the equation… Yep, there’s no doubt that we have a wealth resources at our fingertips; however, the real question becomes: Is snagging this stuff for our own purposes legal? What constitutes fair usage of various form of media? Open Educational Resources (OER) to the rescue. By taking a look at the infographic shown below, teachers and students can become more aware of how to locate images, documents and videos that can be edited, remixed and shared without copyright restrictions. Check. It. Out! Props to the Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning for creating and sharing this helpful visual. Classroom Connection: Use the infographic as a how-to guide to search for openly licensed educational resources that can be used in conjunction with digital projects and presentations. Having this knowledge should help to avoid having the copyright police bang down your door!

Join eduWeb Digital Summit 2015 conference which will attract 500+ attendees, from 15 countries and 42 states. eduWeb has established itself as the only conference focusing on your institution's integrated digital marketing presence. Since its beginning nine years ago, eduWeb has consistently seen an increase in the attendance of those working in the areas of: Enrollment management Advancement Marketing communications Web/IT eduWeb prides itself in offering a diverse selection of presentations and pre-conference workshops from leading industry and higher education experts. The program focuses on the integration of mobile, social media, branding and communication content with programming, design and analytics. eduWeb Digital Summit 2015 Tracks Digital Marketing Communications Social Media Technical Design & Development Web Intelligence eduWeb Digital Summit 2015 Tracks Workshops Pre-conference Digital Marketing: Strategy and Tactics to Win in a Mobile World - Bob Johnson, Bob Johnson Consulting Managing the Unmanageable: Web Governance in Higher Education - Mark Greenfield, University at Buffalo The Explosion of Video Marketing: People prefer watching video to reading text, who knew? - Tod Plotkin, Green Buzz Agency Post-conference Closing the Loop: Gathering and Using the Right Data to Evaluate Your Marketing Initiatives, Stephanie Geyer, VP, Web Strategy and Interactive Marketing Services, Ruffalo Noel Levitz New Conversion Science: Proven Methodology to Get More Out of the Traffic You Have Now - Chris Mechanix, WebMechanix The eduWeb Digital Summit 2015 conference will be held at the Westin River North(Chicago, US) in July 27-30, 2015. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Educational technology specialist Jamie Forshey brings some color to the world of classroom technology solutions. Her blog features innovative teaching methods powered by technology. Whether the news of the day is apps, pedagogy or digital media, Forshey has something to add to the conversation. These are the words written by D. Frank Smith, a social media journalist, who recently inked an article entitled The 2015 Honor Roll: EdTech’s Must-Read K-12 IT Blogs for the EdTech K-12 Magazine featuring a brand-new lineup of the top IT bloggers on the web. According to the post, these selections were based on a mix of veterans from years past, fresh picks by the editorial staff and nominations from readers making this honor roll the most diverse ever. I only had one word when I learned that Edutech for Teachers received a shout out on this year’s roster—like wow! OK, that was two! Seriously though, as you might imagine, I was beyond surprised, humbled and, of course, totally psyched to be named as part of such a knowledgeable group of geeky girls and gals—Yay! So, why am I sharing this info? Because this post is really about more than just me. This honor roll consists of a wide range of educators and edtech experts, one that can be utilized to discover and explore a wealth of tech-related content and resources that can be integrated into classroom lessons, activities and projects. And that’s what is most important to me. Besides all of that good stuff, I need to give some major props to everyone who visits this blog! Your support and encouragement inspires me to keep on writing. Muchas gracias! ♥

Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Absolutely-timed Effects in Adobe Captivate 8 This Adobe Captivate 8 tutorial presents the new absolutely-timed effects in Adobe Captivate 8. The post Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Absolutely-timed Effects in Adobe Captivate 8 appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

What You Must Know Before Creating Elearning Courses For Adults #1 Understand Your Goals and Objectives Determine the goals and objectives of the elearning course. Do you want to provide adult learners with information or education or both? Do you aspire to provide them with basic or advanced knowledge and skills with the elearning courses? Do you want the adult learners to acquire knowledge and skills through online methods or a combination of online and face-to-face methods? You want to build an elearning course that fits your goals and objectives for it. For example, if you want to impart advanced education for management executives, then the elearning course should address their specific needs and wants in knowledge and skills. If you want to build an elearning course to change work behavior, attitude and performance, then the elearning course should not just be an information dump. #2 Make It Relevant to the Adult Learners The best elearning courses are relevant, useful and practical for the adult learners who, in turn, will find the subjects fun and engaging. Bored adult learners and boring lectures are the recipe for failure in any learning situation, thus, you should design an elearning course that will be both a learning and engaging venue for adult learners and instructors. Do your research on the following areas to increase the relevancy of the elearning course: Look at the certification or degree requirements for the elearning course Consider the specific subjects that must be included in the elearning course that will impart the required type and level of knowledge and skills for the adult learners upon course completion; and Get feedback from prospective adult learners and instructors about the initial designs. You should ideally design a learner-centric elearning course. #3 Consider the Flow of Learning Let the adult learners learn the knowledge and skills in a controlled pacing instead of letting them learn at a too slow or too fast mode. The adult learners should be able to take in new information and learn from the old information. This allows them to maximize their knowledge and skills learned on the course. #4 Let the Learners Pull Their Own Weight Stop designing elearning courses that push information out because this is akin to spoon-feeding that increases the risks for adult learners learning less than they should in the course. Instead, create elearning courses that let the adult learners pull their own weight and pull the information in. For example, instead of click-and-read screens containing words and images of information, you should give adult learners problems to solve. You should provide the adult learners with the necessary information to solve the problems but avoid spoon-feeding them - create access to more resources that they can learn from on their own. As the adult learners solve the problems, they will pull the information they need. #5 Go for Visual Appeal Bullet points, lengthy paragraphs, and white screens will make zombies out of adult learners. Keep in mind that people are more attracted to vibrant colors, effective layouts, and readable texts, among other visually appealing things. Your elearning course must then encourage and maintain the attention of your adult learners from end to finish. Use evocative images, such as graphs, charts, and cartoons. Break up the texts into easy-to-read parts but be cautious about using too many bullet points. Apply pops of color into the texts and images so that the black-and-white monotony are avoided. #6 Make Navigation User-friendly Elearning adult learners usually have more freedom and control than in the traditional classroom-based method since they can navigate the course on their own. You should design an elearning course that provide adult learners with the right level of freedom and control in navigation - a user-friendly set of navigation controls, if you will. As early as possible, resolve issues with locked navigation. Let the adult learners explore and experiment while also giving them the opportunity it make their own decisions based on set parameters. #7 Encourage Commitment to eLearning The tools of technology used in elearning courses are just that - tools that aid adult learners in acquiring the desired knowledge and skills. You must then incorporate elearning aspects that encourage commitment to learning in general and elearning in particular. Find creative ways to make the course content more relevant to the adult learners. Step away from information dumps and venture into effective education systems. Show the benefits of learning the course. #8 Look for External Inspiration Elearning is also based on traditional education methodologies and approaches but with a notable difference - the virtual learning environment with access to technology including apps. You must then look at the educational methodologies and approaches used in the traditional classroom setting and adapt these to your elearning courses. Think of it as getting the best of both educational worlds. With these 8 tips in mind, your elearning courses should be amongst the best in the industry. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

As Quincy Jones once remarked, "I’ve always thought that a big laugh is a really loud noise from the soul saying, "Ain’t that the truth." That said, Edu-fun Friday is a series devoted to adding some humor to the lives of teachers who visit this blog. After all, there’s nothing better than ending the week on a positive note! Plus, do we have the best topics to provide us with some comic relief or what? So, yeah, I get it. This image doesn’t really apply to the edtech setting—other than it reinforces the obsession the general population has with mobile devices—but with summer vacation rapidly approaching, it’s not only hilarious, but so, so true. I bet if you visit a beach over the next few months, you might even catch a glimpse of these 21st Century tan lines! Maybe even on one of your students, colleagues and/or yourself—ha!

The previous week has been incredible, with more than 15 blogs and 7 info-graphics posted. If you’re looking to catch up on what you might have missed last week, take a few minutes to check out our four most widely shared posts of this week. 1. 3 Good Strategies to Chunk E-learning Content Effectively Are you new to eLearning and want to know the secret of building successful online courses? Well, an important element in the creation of a highly effective eLearning course is efficient content chunking. Now, you might have a few questions such as: What is content chunking? How is it useful? What are the various content chunking strategies used by instructional designers? We have answers to all your questions Click here. Here is a blog which provides insights into the nuts and bolts of content chunking. 2. How to Deliver Engaging Fire Safety Training Course Through E-learning If you want to train a large workforce on fire safety, then eLearning is the best choice. Here is a blog that explains the best method that can be adopted in developing an effective fire safety training course. Click Here to read the blog. 3. Content Design for Mobile Learning Are you adapting your eLearning courses to the mobile device? If yes, it is important to know that mobile content should be designed in a different way than the content for desktop or laptop computers. It is not advisable to deliver "desktop content" on mobile devices. Well, here is a blog Click here that describes a few methods to design mobile learning content. 4. 3 E-learning Design Tips to Keep Your Creativity Flowing It is common knowledge that good eLearning course designers are creative. Often, they go beyond the traditional methods of designing online courses and come out with novel ideas. Here is a blog Click here which shares 3 tips to keep your creativity flowing. 5. How Descriptive is Your ELearning Course Description? The Right and the Wrong! This is an excellent blog Click here which talks about a few ways to write better eLearning course descriptions. You will also see some examples of good and bad ELearning Course Descriptions Hope you find these blogs useful. Do share your views. Related PostsRapid E-learning through Storyline Tool: 5 Infographics Sharing Key Features4 Tips for Developing E-learning Course Using Rapid Authoring ToolsMaking E-learning Courses Mobile: 5 Aspects to Consider - An Infographic

Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Shared Action Enhancements This Adobe Captivate 8 tutorial presents the new enhancements in shared actions and variable parameterization in Adobe Captivate 8. The post Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Shared Action Enhancements appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

With the ever increasing demand for safety at the workplace, training managers are finding it hard to spread the message of safety within the organization. Most often, safety training is regarded as a part of compliance training. However, safety cannot be taught, it needs to be made an integral part of an organization’s culture. How can you use eLearning, which enables anytime, anywhere learning, to deliver effective safety training? Well, you can use funny videos in online courses to provide top-notch safety training to your staff. In this post, I will take you through 4 eLearning design tips and tricks you can use for safety videos. #1. Start with a Message - Your learners need to know why they are watching your video. So, it’s a good idea to begin the video with a message. A message not only gets your point across, but also gives your video a great storyline to begin with. You can also make use of animated characters to create "that extra effect". For example, you could start your video by saying, "We are conducting this training program because we care about your safety, both at work and outside work." This creates a personal connect with your learners. #2. Move onto the Goals - The real reason we do anything is to achieve our goals. So, use your video to emphasize what you want to achieve with this training. Maybe, it’s creating awareness about safety or reducing the number of people injured at the workplace. The more you talk about your goal, the more it resonates among your learners. #3. Statistics to Create Awareness - Statistics are very useful to get your point across, and achievements of the past can be shown statistically. Visual representation of statistics will help ensure better recall in the long run. Statistics depict the change in quantitative terms and highlight important figures. More importantly, statistics help analyze and support data. Here is an example of how statistics can be used to present safety data. #4. End with a Conversational Narration - Now, you can have all the essential graphical elements for a great video. However, all you efforts will go in vain if your narration isn’t conversational in nature. Your narration is the backbone of your video. So, use a friendly tone to narrate the video. An authoritative tone "kills" the mood of your learner. Consider the two examples listed below. Example 1: This video will help you understand the importance of safety at the workplace.  Example 2: The reason we want you to watch this video is we are passionate about your wellbeing.  I’m sure you will agree with me that the second example is more effective as its tone is friendly and personal. So, there you have it! Use these tips and tricks when you make a video on safety for your eLearning course, and your learners will only keep asking for more! For more insights on safety training via eLearning, please subscribe. Related PostsHow to Make Your E-learning Initiative Work4 E-learning Elements to Leave Your Learners Spellbound - An Infographic116 Sure-fire E-learning Tips from the Experts in Online Training

Microlearning: Break it Down, Mix it Up When my dryer suddenly stopped heating a few months ago, I naturally turned to a Google search, hoping I could figure out the problem so I would know if it would be a cheap or expensive fix. Instead I found a YouTube video showing me how to diagnose and repair the problem—microlearning for the DIY crowd. When it comes to employee or consumer training, your audience has come to expect this approach. They want relevant, on-demand information that’s only as long as it needs to be, which is why you might be hearing the word microlearning more often lately. Microlearning: Break it Down, Mix it Up from Allen Communication Learning Services We at Allen Communication think of microlearning a little bit differently. While most people think of microlearning as only super short pieces of training, we think it’s training that’s only as long as it needs to be. Typically this will be shorter than traditional training, but really it’s any sort of course that gives your learners relevant information as briefly as it should be. This approach is often more engaging and effective, making sure your learners pay attention and retain information longer. However, you still have to be careful to not assume brevity automatically creates engagement. Putting many 5-minute segments in sequence may be as tedious or difficult as a single 1-hour piece. This is why varying the types of training you use and deconstructing a linear eLearning curriculum has become such an important complementary tool to microlearning. Μicrolearning breaks down training, deconstructing a longer traditional curriculum into easily consumable behaviors or pieces of information. Making microlearning non-linear deconstructs it further, turning courses into building blocks that can personalize your curriculum to specific learner needs. Ultimately training is all about strategy and design. Traditional training and traditional elements still have their place, but your learner needs may align better with bite-sized courses. It can be overwhelming to think about restructuring a program, but you can start small. Assess which parts of your curriculum are best suited to becoming bite sized. Rebuild just a portion, changing a few courses in your overall training solution. Or begin building new programs with micro elements. You’ll find that many of the techniques used in microlearning to catch attention and educate quickly are already being used in the marketing world and are easily adapted to training. This technique boosts your bottom line by retaining high efficiency with short content development times while still meeting training goals. Just like with my YouTube dryer repair, your busy workers like having accessible, ultra-relevant information. If you can serve up the information they need in a way that makes sense and fits in their day, you can drive higher completions, motivation and engagement. Ultimately, if your needs and goals align better with microlearning, it’s time to take the jump. You need to break down your curriculum to be able to build it back up in a way that’s more personal and more engaging to your learners. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Are you in dilemma whether to outsource the development of online courses or develop in-house? In order to take the right decision, you need to have a good idea of how an eLearning courses is developed and the various components required to create an online course. This helps you determine whether you have the needed resources or capabilities to develop courses in-house. A typical eLearning course development process consists of 5 phases - analysis, design development, implementation and evaluation. You can outsource all eLearning development activities or those in one or more phases, based on your requirements and capabilities. If you develop online courses in-house, you need to resolve issues such as developing the learning content, "blocking" the work of subject-matter experts etc. If you outsource the development of your online course, you can avail the services of experts and "free" the in-house resources for core business activities. Furthermore, outsourcing also helps reduce operating costs. But, it is tough to select the right eLearning vendor. There are many eLearning companies, and you can’t judge their efficiency by their advertisements and websites. Moreover, some websites are misleading. So, to help you overcome this problem, we have compiled this very useful checklist which covers all the aspects you need to consider to zero-in on the right eLearning company. Hope you find this post useful. Do share your views. Related PostsE-learning Outsourcing - Free E-bookA Checklist to Follow Before Signing off Your E-learning Course5 Ways to Make E-learning Interesting - An Infographic

Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Smart Shape Enhancements in Adobe Captivate 8 This Adobe Captivate 8 tutorial presents how to customize the shapes and convert them into buttons and choose different styles to indicate the up, hover, and down states in Adobe Captivate 8. The post Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Smart Shape Enhancements in Adobe Captivate 8 appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

Here it is: Tuesday again—which means it’s time for the next installment of "Tech It Up Tuesday", a series devoted to sharing an edtech tool, app, site or other resource that can be utilized in the classroom setting. This week’s tech-isode takes us back in the day to an oldie but goody: Jeopardy Labs, a free online service that allows users to create customized jeopardy game boards without the use of PowerPoint. Once completed, your game is assigned a unique URL—one that can be posted on a blog, wiki or web site so it can be accessed by anyone with the link. So, here’s how it rolls: There are no fees and registration associated with utilizing Jeopardy Labs nor is an account required; however, in order to be able to edit a template at a later date, the tool does necessitate the creation of a password. After one is entered via the Quick Build mode, you’re ready to roll. It’s just that simple! Just so you know: All jeopardy templates submitted become available on the public domain (i.e. can be found on Google) unless you’re a Jeopardy Labs member. Choosing this option does require an account as well as a $20 fee which includes a lifetime membership of access to pimped out templates, privacy controls and a public list of all templates generated. Not interested in building your own jeopardy templates? Well, that’s cool too. You can also browse the site for additional jeopardy templates created by other contributors. It doesn’t get any better than that! Classroom Connection: Students generally find studying to be more enjoyable—OK, tolerable—when they can do it via an interactive game format. That said, Jeopardy Labs provides a way for teachers to create review games that students can play independently or in a whole class setting. Also, as summer vacation is rapidly approaching, this cool tool would be a great resource to use for a final exam review. Or just incorporate it as a fun learning activity to wrap things up for the year.

The user-friendliness of a software application can be measured by the number of steps needed to perform an activity. This is particularly true for learning management systems (LMSs) as they are used by several users and administrators. An LMS can be considered complicated if the user needs to perform 2 steps to go to the required page or do any LMS activity. We can customize the user side by creating shortcuts on the dashboard. But, what about the administrators’ activities? Let’s take an example of uploading eLearning course on the LMS. To upload a course, certain steps need to be performed by the administrator. As it is an administrative activity, most of the steps are mandatory. One way to simplify the process is to change all the default values in the course creation forms based on common requirements. Still, administrators need to go through the all the steps by clicking the Next/continue buttons in order to complete the uploading process. Moodle is rated high in user and administrator intuitiveness, according to an eLearning Guild report. One of the reasons could be its unique "DRAG and DROP" feature. At CommLab India, we have customized Moodle to use it as our customer portal. E-learning developed for our customers hosted on LMS and shares it for their review. Earlier, we had an older version of Moodle which did not have drag and drop features. Project managers, who uploaded courses, felt that the activity was very complex and time consuming. Recently, we started using the latest version of Moodle, and the project managers felt that it was "80% simpler" when compared to the older version. If you want to upload training material in PDF, PPT, DOC, .Zip, audio, video, image formats eLearning courses (SCORM/AICC compliant) or documents in other formats, on the LMS, you need to just drag and drop the files. The LMS automatically detects the format of document uploaded and configures all the default settings. If you wish to update any settings, you can do so. Otherwise, you can release it to users. It will show the uploading status bar, while the documents are getting uploaded. The drag and drop feature can be used not only to add training material to the LMS, but also to upload other files. For example, you can upload a CSV file containing bulk user accounts. If you want a demo of this feature, please let me know, and I can arrange for the same. Related Posts10 Proven Tips for Efficient LMS Administration - An InfographicLMS Features for Effective Administration 5 Things In LMS Administration You Should Avoid and Why?

Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Natively Import Web Objects in Adobe Captivate 8 This Adobe Captivate 8 tutorial presents how to embed web pages in Adobe Captivate 8 using the native web functionality in Adobe Captivate 8. The post Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Natively Import Web Objects in Adobe Captivate 8 appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

Even though there is always a mind-boggling amount of invaluable info shared on the Discovery Educator Network (DEN), one of the best resources available is the Spotlight on Strategies (S.O.S) series, a must-see DEN favorite designed to provide teachers with simple yet effective instructional practices for using digital content to support student learning. To date, there are 70+ teacher tried and tested strategies featured on the DEN blog and now thanks to Lance Rougeux, Vice President of Learning Communities and Educational Consultants at Discovery Education and all-around DEN tech guru, I will now be featuring these techniques on my space. Two thumbs up to this guy! So, enough of that. Let’s fast forward to the really good stuff… This week’s feature—Get Venn-y with It—is an instructional strategy that improves comprehension skills. Big Idea According to Robert J. Marzano, one high-yield instructional strategy is to helpstudents identify similarities and differences. And Harvey Silver states, in his book Compare and Contrast, that this strategy "strengthens students’ memories by focusing their thinking on analyzing pairs of ideas, enhances their ability to remember key content and improves comprehension by highlighting important details." By using digital resources, educators are able to level the playing field for students who may not have had real life experiences on which to base their reasoning. Now that I have your attention, all you have to do is click here to snag a PDF version of this super cool strategy which includes info related to materials needed, steps for integrating the Get Venn-y with It strategy into lessons, an example and extension activities. Better yet—click here to check out the entire S.O.S. series on the DEN blog! So, there you have it: Another S.O.S. trick to add to your edtech toolbox. Stay tuned for additional ways to activate learning in your classroom… Like what you see? Then take the digital integration challenge by trying to implement the Get Venn-y with It concept and/or one of these additional ideas into a classroom lesson: » Reading Between the Lines » ABC Summary » 6-Word Stories » What Did They Say? » A-E-I-O-U » Snowball Fight » Whittle It Down » Concept Circles » The Envelope Please

Creating functionality for eLearning courses involved writing lengthy action scripts. This was a Herculean task, for learning experts, who had little programming knowledge. But, today, thanks to Articulate Storyline, learning professionals can easily create complex functionality for online courses easily. Wondering which feature of the tool made such a complex task so easy? It’s the Trigger. You can find the triggers panel on the right hand side in Storyline’s interface. It has buttons at the bottom to create, edit, copy, paste, and move the triggers. Click the first button, Create a New Trigger, for a Trigger Wizard to appear. This enables us to create triggers with the help of its built-in actions. These triggers can be described as shortened and simplified versions of complex and lengthy action scripts. The screenshot below shows how a Trigger Wizard looks. For easy understanding of the working and execution of triggers, it is important to understand various types of triggers and the differences between them. There are four types of triggers- Slide triggers, Player triggers, Object triggers, and Layer triggers. 1. Slide triggers  These are the triggers which are generally dependent on the timeline of the slide to execute an action. For example, the trigger executes an action when the timeline starts or ends. In Storyline 2 the trigger can also execute when the timeline reaches a certain point. These triggers are also executed when the user presses a key, when the state of an object changes, and when a particular variable changes. They are listed at the top in the triggers panel, under the Slide Triggers label.  2. Player triggers These triggers are dependent on the built-in navigation buttons to execute an action. So, they are applied to the Next, Previous, and Submit buttons. They are listed at the bottom in the triggers panel, under the Player Triggers label. 3. Object triggers These are the triggers which are dependent on the objects on the slide to execute an action. So, they are applied to shapes, images or pictures. They are executed when the user clicks or hovers the mouse on the triggered object. They are listed in between the Slide Triggers and Player Triggers in the triggers panel, under the Object Triggers label. They are furthered classified by the objects they are triggered to and appear under a label of the object’s name. 4. Layer triggers These triggers are similar to slide triggers; the only difference is that they are dependent on the timeline of the layer to execute an action. They are listed at the top in the triggers panel of the layer, under the Layer Triggers label. You can use an unlimited number of triggers. But, it is advisable to use as few triggers as possible; the more triggers you use, the heavier your file. Hope this blog is helpful. Please share your thoughts. For more tips on eLearning design and development, stay tuned to my blogs. Related PostsRapid E-learning through Storyline Tool: 5 Infographics Sharing Key Features4 Tips for Developing E-learning Course Using Rapid Authoring ToolsHow to Combine Your Adobe Captivate Projects Into Single Course?

Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Creating Responsive Projects with Adobe Captivate 8 This Adobe Captivate 8 tutorial presents how to create a responsive eLearning course using Adobe Captivate 8. The post Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Creating Responsive Projects with Adobe Captivate 8 appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

Do you want to make your eLearning courses visually rich? What are the mistakes we do when it comes to making a course visually rich? Visual designing is not as easy as people think it is, and it’s well known that the most important factor that makes your eLearning course well-received by your target audiences is the visual appearance of course. You cannot judge a book by its cover, but the harsh reality is we do so - looks do matter. As an instructional designer, it is very essential to make the content look visually rich by following the style guide and maintaining clear fonts, using proper colors and appropriate images and ensuring consistency in the placement of images throughout the course. Good, attractive visual designing keeps learners engaged and helps them retain information longer. In this blog, I would like to list some of the common mistakes that we make when it comes to making the course visually rich and how to fix them. Mistake #1: No "balance" between text and images Dumping too much content on the screen will only make your course look clustered and makes the learner confused and overwhelmed. In an eLearning course, the content should be well structured and organized, so that your learner can remember the key points, and we use images to educate not to decorate the screen. As an instructional designer, we need to always ensure that there is a balance between text and images. This not only makes the screen look visually pleasing but also helps the learner to understand the content easily. Using too much of text or too many images does not help retain knowledge. For example, here is a screenshot showing the balance between text and image. Mistake #2: Low-quality images Images are used to explain the content in a simple and effective way, and they create an impact on the learner’s mind, very quickly. You won’t "wow" your learners if low-quality images are used. Moreover, these images might divert the attention of the learners. We need to make sure that we use sharp, clear images and avoid blurred images. Mistake #3: Not using clear fonts Different organizations have different font preferences, and the right font and size need to be used to ensure clarity. Use big and simple fonts because fancy fonts might make the course look more polished but it becomes difficult for your learners to understand. For example, which of these fonts would you prefer? Option 1: Option2: I’m sure that the second option is more appealing to you because it is easy to read. We should use commonly available fonts like Arial, Verdana, Times New Roman etc. because these fonts are available by default in all systems. Mistake #4: Incorrect placement of images Images should be placed in such a way that they grab the attention of the learner. You should not use images just for the sake of using them. Placement of images should serve the purpose of education, not decoration. As an instructional designer, we should never place the image at the bottom right corner because it goes unnoticed, and always place the content and the image in correlation. This makes it easy to compare and analyze. For example, here is a screenshot showing how to place images properly while designing an eLearning course. Mistake #5: Overuse of colors In eLearning, colors are one of the powerful design elements and help convey key points of the course as they improve learners’ focus and also draw their attention to learning. It is advisable NOT to use too many colors as all colors do not help in effective learning. It is better to follow a color theme and remain consistent throughout the course. For example, in the below screenshot we have used two colors - we represented Do’s in green color (this color can be used to state positives, such as dos/ advantages) and Don’ts in red color (this color is ideal to show the negative aspects, such as disadvantages/ limitations/ don’ts of something). Mistake #6: Using the "wrong" type of images Some topics can be presented well with the help of icons instead of real images, while others can be explained using silhouettes or "zoo zoos". For example, if the topic is about hazards, we can use icons in place of images. These symbols are self-explanatory. They are widely-used, and most of us understand what they mean even with the most cursory glance. Don’t use icons just for the sake of using them, and use them only if they are appropriate. Use them carefully to ensure effective learning and the ‘wow’ factor. Using icons makes eLearning courses visually rich, appealing, and iconic. Mistake #7: Not using appealing and attractive GUI Good GUI design is an important part of eLearning, and it helps learners to navigate through the course easily. It’s important that it should be clear, concise, familiar, and consistent. The buttons should be consistent, and we should use icons or text. We may use cool colors, images in the banner, and we can give a shape to the buttons which are visually rich. For example, we have designed a GUI of a new-hire orientation course, for a company which operates off-shore rigs. To make it appealing and attractive, we have incorporated the theme of water and sea. To make it visually rich, we used the image of the sea in the background and water droplets for ‘Next’, ‘Previous’, ‘Play’, and ‘Audio’ buttons. This adds to the visual element and helps the learner connect with the course content. These are some of the common mistakes that I have listed out of my experience. Please do share your views. 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The Action Mapping Benefits In eLearning As eLearning professionals, no matter how hard we try, there are just some eLearning projects that aren't as productive or streamlined as we may have hoped they would be. For one reason or another they become disorganized and chaotic, which leads to missed deadlines, miscommunications, and unmet client expectations. However, there is a technique that can help you to turn even the most challenging eLearning projects into efficient and effective professional experiences. In this article, I'll share the 7 top benefits of using action mapping in eLearning. It sets measurable goals. First and foremost, emplying action mapping in eLearning gives eLearning professionals the opportunity to create goals and objectives that can easily be tracked and measured. If a behavior needs to be changed, there is a measurement method in place that can track it and see if the online training is actually effective, or whether the current eLearning strategy employed needs to be modified in some way. Best of all, the goals created through action mapping in eLearning are very specific, which makes it easier to measure progress and determine whether the eLearning course is hitting its mark. For example, rather than monitoring if an online training course is helping employees to carry out better customer service, thanks to action mapping, an organization is able to see if a specific goal has been achieved, such as a 15% increase in the customer satisfaction rating of the company in the first quarter. It provides learners with a personalized and effective eLearning experience. Action mapping in eLearning is a thorough process that involves a great deal of communication and feedback. eLearning professionals are given the rare opportunity to find out exactly what a client wants or a learner needs before they even begin developing the eLearning course. Rather than trying to guess what goals or objectives need to be met, they have a clear idea of what learners need to achieve, instead of merely what information needs to be acquired. As a result, the eLearning courses that are developed using action mapping in eLearning are more enlightening, engaging, and effective, because eLearning professionals already have a firm grasp of what their audience needs to take away from the eLearning experience. Instead of including an abundance of information that is unnecessary, you can create an eLearning course that is custom tailored to achieve a specific goal. It stresses real world benefits. The learning materials and activities you develop by employing action mapping in eLearning are all about real world benefits and applications. They immerse your employees in a real world situation or challenge that must be overcome through critical thinking and problem solving. In essence, you give them the opportunity to immerse themselves in a real business problem, so that they can learn which key pieces of information must be acquired for later use. They are immediately able to see the real world benefits of the subject matter, which motivates and inspires them to become active participants. It reduces cognitive overload. Action mapping in eLearning focuses on the behaviors that need to be reinforced or modified in accordance to business objectives. Therefore, you can develop eLearning content that is centered around these key corporate objectives, which helps to prevent cognitive overload and boost knowledge retention. Your employees will get the most out of their eLearning experience as, after completing the online training, they will be able to actually apply what they have learned in practice. It allows learners to benefit from their mistakes. A vast majority of the eLearning activities you'll be creating during the design and development process are centered around interactivity and immersion. In fact, one of the most important benefits of applying action mapping in eLearning is that it gives learners the opportunity to grow and learn from their mistakes through the use of scenarios and simulations. As such, they can explore all of the outcomes of their decisions without having to take any real risks. This means that they can benefit from the errors they make and learn how to approach a problem in a different way in order to get better results. It creates an engaging and immersive learning environment for learners. The primary goal of an eLearning course that has been designed through the eLearning action mapping process is to accomplish a business goal. Instead of focusing on all of the information along the way, an instructional design that employees action mapping in eLearning encourages employees to concentrate on what needs to be achieved. In other words, rather than focusing on the path, they are asked to keep their eye on the finish line. This makes the marathon more engaging and enjoyable, because your learners are always aware of what they'll receive when they have completed the race. It identifies problems that are standing in the way of the eLearning process. Undeniably, one of the most significant benefits of using action mapping in eLearning is that you can easily identify the obstacles that are standing in the way of the eLearning process. Action mapping focuses on performance, not just the information that needs to be acquired. As such, you have the opportunity to carefully analyze the current learning gaps of your audience, as well as to figure out why they have existed in the first place. You are able to assess what employees already know, what they need to know, and how you can best deliver the information in order to achieve performance goals. Action mapping in eLearning benefits both employees and organizations by taking an advantage of an eLearning design strategy that identifies performance gaps and narrows them by incorporating into the online training material immersive and interactive eLearning experiences. Consider using the action mapping technique for your next eLearning project, in order to successfully meet the goals of your organization and boost your employees knowledge retention. Now that you know the many benefits that action mapping offers to your eLearning course, read the article How To Integrate Action Mapping in eLearning Courses to find out ways to improve your workflow and streamline the design and development process of your next eLearning deliverable. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Edutech for Teachers salutes the brave men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces and made the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect this great country. Not only do we honor these fallen soldiers, but we would also like to extend much gratitude to those who continue to ensure our nation’s freedom and liberties. All gave some… Some gave all… Take a moment to remember all of our nation’s true heroes on this Memorial Day!

Content Chunking - may be you have never heard of it, or may be you have heard and been wondering how it works and helps develop successful eLearning courses. Chunking is a method of presenting content by splitting it into small pieces or "chunks" to facilitate quick and easy reading and understanding. Effective content chunking goes a long way in designing eLearning courses by reducing cognitive load on the learner. Instructional designers perform this essential exercise, wherein they break long strings of content into bite-sized, absorbable pieces which are easier to remember. Here is an info-graphic which shares the importance of content chunking in eLearning. Hope you find this post interesting. Do share your views. Related PostsLevels of Content Chunking in E-learningContent Chunking for Effective E-learningImportance of Content Chunking for Effective eLearning Development

Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Using Responsive Themes and Theme colors in Adobe Captivate 8 This Adobe Captivate 8 tutorial presents how to use responsive themes and modify the theme colors in Adobe Captivate 8. The post Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Using Responsive Themes and Theme colors in Adobe Captivate 8 appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.