If you haven’t yet adopted Twitter as one of your go-to places for professional development and/or sharing pertinent info with coworkers, students and parents, you really don’t know what you’re missing! And it’s not just the latest celebrity drama! Seriously, despite the 140 character minimum, tweets—articles, thoughts, opinions, inspiration, quotes, images and more—allow like-minded individuals (you and me) to connect, collaborate, discuss, exchange and even debate all sorts of ideas with virtual colleagues. Whether it’s best practices, instructional strategies, the latest and greatest tech tools or an innovative project, invaluable information is just a hastag away! Check out the infographic below for an A-Z list of ways educators can utilize one of the most popular social media platforms on the edtech scene to make meaningful connections with others. Click here for a larger version of this infographic. A shout out to eLearning Infographics for creating and sharing this useful info!

Airline industry is highly regulated in almost every function - security protocol, routine maintenance, standard operating procedures and many more.Any breach of procedures could result in costly mistakes and fatal accidents. For that, they need to be trained and well informed. This can be achieved in two measures. An effective training content that is regularly updated based on the changes in technology or operating procedures. For the purpose, eLearning provides a viable option to ensure employees are trained quickly and within short notice. Assigning and tracking training efficiently to minimize duplication of efforts and enabling evaluation of training effectiveness. An LMS becomes an important medium to facilitate this process. A good and well-developed course might become ineffective if it is not delivered to the right audience at the right time. This is where the efficient use of the Learning Management System (LMS) becomes crucial. In a paper titled, "Deployment of eLearning in the Airline Industry", Dr. Bratengeyer et al point out that airlines tend to implement LMS in one area selectively instead of implementing it enterprise-wide. This actually results in duplication of work and provides low ROI. (Reference: Bratengeyer, E., Albrecht, C. C., Airways, E., & Schwarz, C. H. Deployment of eLearning in the Airline Industry) Apart from delivering and tracking training, one has to measure the effectiveness of training as well. Most LMSs have means to track training and generate reports that enable measuring of training effectiveness. However, very often, the capabilities inherent in an LMS are not capitalized adequately due to various reasons. In order to make the best use of an LMS you need to ensure the following. Dedicated project team to supervise LMS administration In many instances, managers or stakeholders hold multiple responsibilities alongside LMS administration. When a manager, whose primary role is something else, is given the responsibilities of LMS administration, the supervision and administration may not be as thorough as required. Naturally, this would reflect on how the LMS is utilized and managed. Lower user-registrations and low course completion rates are some of the results that one notices. Most often, the causes could be issues such as login- problems, technology glitches and minor interface or navigation matters, which can be easily avoided when handled by a dedicated project team. An LMS has a huge potential and can contribute immensely in making the training program effective provided there is a dedicated project team that supervises and manages LMS administration. It is not a part-time job, and in the cases of large enterprises, a 24 X 7 effort. Experienced technology professionals who can customize and maintain LMS An LMS comes with some standard settings which may or may not be relevant to the organization. On the other hand, it may come with some other settings or options that could actually prove to be very helpful to the organization. How does one evaluate what one needs and what one does not require? Having experienced technology professionals who have worked with multiple LMSs and understand how the system works would be very useful. They can customize the LMS based on the unique requirements of an organization. This way, one gets better ROI on their LMS investment. Involvement of SMEs, training managers and stakeholders in LMS administration One does require a dedicated LMS administration staff, which can be as small as one person or big with a team of 5-6 individuals depending on how small or large an organization is. However, they have to be ably supported by SMEs, training managers and other stakeholders who have an important role to play in managing training through LMS. For example, SMEs need to keep track of the training content and ensure that it stays updated at all times. Training managers need to make sure that courses are assigned to the right people and that the course are completed within the specified duration. Clear vision about role of LMS in the overall training strategy Anders Halskov-Jensen, who has a background as an air traffic controller shares his thoughts in ICAO training report and makes a pertinent point.He saysit is important that training managers review their training programs periodically and not shy away from making changes and letting go of redundant practices. Just because we have always done it in a particular way does not justify that we continue doing it. In this regard, the options and reports provided by an LMS can be of immense value. We can use them to assess training as well as plan future training programs. Therefore, it is important that we have good clarity about our training strategy and how the LMS fits in. Definitive efforts to popularize eLearning amongst staff Lastly, it is important that employees are clearly shown the benefits of online learning. Online courses can be made compulsory to ensure higher registrations and course completions. But, a more lasting impact will be seen if the staff understands how the medium is better when compared to the existing methods. Its advantages in terms of convenience, freedom of choice and interactivities can be highlighted. Having a dedicated team to manage the LMS also ensures that discussion boards, messages and training events are regularly monitored and updated. These forums can be used to communicate with the employees and keep them abreast of developments in their field. Having a well-administered LMS would ensure good and proficient training deployment. It would also help in managing and monitoring training that could be helpful in designing future training programs. What do you say? Related Posts5 Things In LMS Administration You Should Avoid and Why?Myths and Realities about LMS AdministrationShould LMS Administration be done In-House or Outsourced?

Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Positioning Objects in Responsive Adobe Captivate 8 Projects This Adobe Captivate 8 tutorial presents how to position objects in responsive Adobe Captivate 8 projects. The post Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Positioning Objects in Responsive Adobe Captivate 8 Projects appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

Places To Get Answers To Your eLearning Questions How do I get started with eLearning? What kind of mobile content are other developers creating? Where can I find tips for creating a branching scenario? You can find answers to all these questions online, from the eLearning community. Your fellow eLearning developers are talking about what they know best—course development, design, and how to create courses that get results—which they’re all sharing on the internet. You just have to know where to look! Here are 5 places to get answers to your eLearning questions: LinkedIn Join a few eLearning groups on LinkedIn to get answers to many of your questions. You’ll see everything from software preferences, how-tos on a particular authoring tool, and job postings. A few good groups to start with are eLearning Industry,  The eLearning Guild, Chief Learning Officer magazine, Association for Talent Development (ATD), E-Learning 2.0, and The Official Lectora Users’ Group. An eLearning Community Get involved in an eLearning community, like the Trivantis Community. You can ask questions in the community forum, or join discussions that have already started with other eLearning developers. Wondering what other developers are creating lately? Check out what cool stuff they’re sharing in the community. SMEs Make the most of meetings with your subject matter experts (SMEs). Since they’re the ultimate experts on the course content, you’ll save a lot of time by asking questions early in the development process. Find out how to ask the right SME questions in this post: Before the Build: Working with Subject Matter Experts and Asking the Right Questions. Twitter Follow companies, instructional designers, and thought leaders in the eLearning industry on Twitter. These people are constantly sharing the latest articles and news—as it happens. So, if you want to be the first to know, your Twitter feed will keep you informed. A few accounts I follow are @cpappas,  @dpelkins, @eLearningBros, @Lectora, @eLearningCoach, @JaneBozarth, @hjarche, and of course @eLearnIndustry. eLearning Webinars Sign up for some eLearning webinars from the eLearning Guild or Trivantis. Many webinars are recorded and then posted online so that anyone who missed the webinar can see what they missed. You can also check out Rick Zanotti’s eLearn Chat videos to see what top influencers in the eLearning and training industry have to say. Want more eLearning tips like these? Subscribe to the Everything eLearning Blog. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

E-learning - a learning medium that has radically altered the L&D landscape. The online training format has opened new vistas in corporate training, by enabling firms to deliver training, anytime, anywhere, at low cost. Therefore, it did not come as a surprise when Ambient Insight reported that the global market for eLearning solutions has reached a whopping $107 billion, by 2015. How can you make the best use of this immensely popular learning methodology? What does it take to unleash the power of eLearning to deliver top-notch training to your workforce? Well, to find out, download the eBook 116 Proven E-learning Design and Development Tips. This wonderful eBook is the product of 15 years of experience in providing online training solutions. The free resource provides valuable insights into all aspects of eLearning and contains sure-fire tips and tricks of the trade which go long way in harnessing the full potential of the training format. It enables you to do the following and much more. Design first-rate online courses that create learner delight Translate eLearning courses into the native languages of your staff, in an efficient and cost-effective manner Utilize rapid eLearning to develop top-notch courses Unleash the power of the mobile device to impart first-rate training Make the best use of your LMS So, download the eBook now! Related PostsHow to Make Your E-learning Initiative Work5 Important Things To Consider For Creating Good E-learning Course - An InfographicInstructional Design Tips for Product Training Courses

Hey, tech gurus! It’s Tuesday, which means I’m ready to share another segment 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 feature, the Breaking News Generator, is a quick and simple yet effective interactive resource that will give students the opportunity to create their own version of a screenshot from a newscast in a fun and interactive way. And in just six user friendly steps to be exact. All you have to do is let your group loose on the Classtools.net web site, access the Breaking News Generator and insert the text required on the template shown below: Once the image is generated, users have the following options: Download the png file, snag the URL containing the finished product and/or tweet it out to social media. Check out an example of how the super cool Breaking News Generator can be utilized in a history course to provide factual info about a person or event being studied in class. Seeing is believing, right? Classroom Connection: If you really think about it, the Breaking News Generator can be integrated into the curriculum in a myriad of ways as any topic could be the subject of a newscast—World War II, genetics, a character from a novel in Language Arts or a math theorem to name a few. I know it’s cliche, but the possibilities for using this tool really are endless. Besides requiring students to summarize and share knowledge about a particular theme, it’s an excellent way to incorporate a simple tech tool into a lesson or project. And the best part? There’s more where this one came from! So, if you think the Breaking News Generator is a nifty application, then be sure to check out additional interactive resources on the Classtools.net web site. A shout out to history teacher Russel Tarr for developing and sharing these way cool and very useful applications for educators!

Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Creating Responsive Projects with Adobe Captivate 8 This Adobe Captivate 8 tutorial presents how to preview and publish your courses in Adobe Captivate 8. The post Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Responsive Preview and Publish Options in Adobe Captivate 8 appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

The ultimate goal of an instructional designer is to give a wonderful learning experience to the learner. However, at the end, it only matters what knowledge the learner has acquired from the course and how he is applying it in his daily tasks. E.L. Thorndike, an educational psychologist, has come up with three laws of learning in the 20th century. These laws, when implemented, help learners to learn more effectively. In this blog, I will discuss a few laws that can be applied to eLearning for effective results. Law 1: Willingness A learner would only learn when he is willing to or ready to learn. So, as an instructional designer, it is very important to motivate the learner and create interest in him to take up the course. To achieve this, we need to set clear "learning objectives" which give a clear picture of the course. You can also include "What’s in it for me?", so that the learner can understand what he would gain if he takes up the course. Law 2: Practice  It is a well-known fact that the more you practice the more you remember. A learner remembers more when he practices. We can include "assessments", "quizzes", and "puzzles" to help the learner recall and remember what he has learned. These exercises are a great way to reinforce the learner’s knowledge. When creating such activities, we should make sure that they are aligned with the learning objectives. This also helps assess how far the learner has achieved the objectives. Law 3: Feedback A learner would be more interested if the learning is pleasant and has a positive impact on him. So, it is very essential to provide a positive and motivating feedback to the learner, whenever needed. Giving "rewards" or "certificates" at every level would be very helpful. While providing feedback for assessments or activities, it is very important to clearly explain why the option is correct when the right option is selected and why it is wrong when the wrong option is selected. This helps in reinforcing the learner’s knowledge and motivating him. Law 4: Visualization  Learners tend to remember more when they see than when they hear. Presenting concepts with explanatory images is a great way to make the learner remember the concept. A visually appealing course gives a great learning experience to the learner and helps him retain information for a long period of time. Law 5: Emotion Connecting with a learner at an emotional level would give him a great learning experience. This also helps him remember concepts for a long time. In order to connect with the learner emotionally, we can create "scenarios" that relate to their real life situations. We can also give a situation and ask the learner what he would do if he were in that situation. This kind of activities improves the decision making skills and thinking skills of a learner. By following these laws of learning, you can ensure a good learning experience to your learners. Hope you find this blog informative. Do share your views on this post. Related PostsApplication of Learning Cycle in Designing E-Learning CoursesHow to Create a Customized E-Learning Course? Step 2 - Instructional Design Process4 E-learning Elements to Leave Your Learners Spellbound - An Infographic

6 Selection Criteria To Consider When Searching For The Best Instructional Design PhD Degree You’ve spent years earning your Instructional Design degrees and now it’s time to search for the PhD program that will offer you the opportunity to pursue a high-level career in the world of online education. But how do you find the best Instructional Design PhD Degree that offers you the benefits and outcomes you’re looking for? Below you’ll find a variety of tips that can help you choose the ideal for you Instructional Design PhD program. Research the program’s structure. As PhD programs offer a more advanced and in depth education, they often involve a number of different components. Residencies, thesis or dissertations and end-of-term exams are just a few of the most common curriculum elements you should expect. However, every program has different requirements. As such, you should speak with the admissions coordinator to find out about the program’s structure, as well as how the online courses are delivered.  Will you be receiving your instruction primarily through virtual lectures and online videos, or are there a number of live online classes you will be expected to attend? You need to ensure that the structure of the eLearning course is in-line with your preferred learning style, and that it won’t conflict with other commitments of yours. For instance, if you work full-time and have a busy schedule, you may want to opt for an asynchronous eLearning program that requires very little face-to-face instruction or internships. Inquire about the residency requirements. Although Online Instructional Design PhD programs are supposed to be held at a distance, certain online Instructional Design PhD programs may also require that you complete a residency, which involves face-to-face classes that are held periodically. While some may ask you to attend in-person classes once every semester, others can make it mandatory to come in every month. This can be a major consideration when choosing the best online Instructional Design PhD program for you, especially if you don’t live near the university’s physical location. Therefore, you should inquire about the residency requirements, where the events are held, how often, and if there are any alternatives ways to skip them, such as online chats or virtual classroom sessions. In addition to the program’s residency requirements, you may also want to look into their internship opportunities. Verify whether you will get the chance to gain real world experience by interning, how long the internship will be and where it will be held. Verify whether there is a thesis component to the program. Most of the Instructional Design PhD programs have a thesis or dissertation component. If the program you have in mind does require a thesis, find out what exactly it consists of and how it will be reviewed. Given that a thesis or dissertation is often a prerequisite for graduating, you will probably want to ask about the thesis requirements up front so that you can prepare in time. Look up reviews and online references for faculty members. Most candidates who are pursuing their Instructional Design PhD degrees will look up reviews and ratings for the academic institution under consideration, but searching for references about faculty members can offer a great deal of insight into your search. Find out if they have been published in any notable journals or magazines, and whether they have any areas of expertise that may be in-line with your career objectives. See if there are reviews about them left by past program participants in order to determine if they can offer you the experience and guidance to help you achieve your academic goals. Seek out accredited schools. When employers are looking at your resume, a PhD earned from an accredited school will typically carry more weight than one that is not. Choosing an accredited school also ensures that you are more likely to get a high quality education that meets all academic standards. There are three different types of accreditation: regional, national and specialized. If you are unsure about whether an academic institution on your list is accredited, ask the admissions coordinator or do some online research to check if the university is listed on any accreditation databases. Determine whether the particular program is going to prepare you for desired career outcomes. The education you will be receiving during the PhD program must have practical, real world application, or else it really doesn’t hold any value. As such, it’s important to find a program that is going to prepare you for your desired career path. Regardless of whether you want eventually become a Dean of distance education at a prestigious university or a VP of eLearning for K-12 programs, the program you choose should provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to achieve your goal. To get the best possible education, ensure that every aspect of the program offers you the experience you need to achieve your career outcome. The faculty members, online curriculum and eLearning course structure are all pivotal to not only receiving your PhD degree, but also landing the job that you’ve always wanted. After all, you’ve worked so hard to take your Instructional Design education to the highest level and enrolling in a program that prepares you for real world challenges and situations, can help to ensure your future success. These tips can help you to find the best Instructional Design PhD program that broadens your understanding of eLearning methodologies and technologies. Whether you are pursuing a career in Instructional Design research or as a Director of Education at an online university, earning a PhD opens up a wealth of opportunities in the eLearning industry. Read the article How To Choose The Right PhD Program to find out more tips about how to choose the most suitable for you Ph.D. You will also find a list of some of the Universities you may want to consider. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." - Ludwig Wittgenstein It is common knowledge that information is conveyed effectively when it is delivered in the native languages of its recipients. Therefore, it did not come as a surprise when Common Sense Advisory reported that Fortune 500 organizations which expanded their translation budgets are 1.5 times more likely than their peers to report an increase in total revenue. One of the key components of the translation expenditure incurred by multinational organizations is the amount spent on rendering their online courses into the native languages of their learners. This is because eLearning is used extensively by these firms. According to Docebo, large and affirmed companies are the primary buyers of eLearning products and services. They account for more than 30% of the online training market clientele, purchasing eLearning solutions worth nearly $17 billion. So, how can firms maximize the ROI on eLearning translations? Let us see. Hope you find this post interesting. How do you translate your eLearning courses? We’d love to know Related Posts3 Things to Consider while Translating Your E-learning Course - An Infographic5 Proven Tips for Better E-learning Translations - An Infographic4 Steps That Simplifies E-learning Translation and Localization Process - An Infographic

Camtasia Studio 8 Tutorial: How do I use the Canvas in-depth? This Camtasia Studio 8 Tutorial presents in-depth how to use the Canvas. Specifically, it covers the following topics: 0:20 - What is the canvas? 0:30 - Understanding the canvas and scaling 1:15 - What will end up in my produced video? 1:25 - Interacting with the canvas 1:30 - Direct manipulation 2:05 - Center by snapping 2:25 - Rotating an image or video 2:40 - Zooming in and out of the canvas 3:30 - Arranging media on the timeline 3:55 - Proceed to "Timeline In-Depth" tutorial or leave feedback The post Camtasia Studio 8 Tutorial: How do I use the Canvas in-depth? appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

So, why just use technology, when you can build it, right? But first—students need the programming know-how… And that begins with you! Whether you choose to embrace the concept or not, it’s becoming more and more important to equip students with coding skills. Having this knowledge not only strengthens general skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, but it will become invaluable in their future as a wide range of industries are eager to hire individuals with programming abilities. Furthermore, this field that is projected to have 1,000,000 more jobs than there are qualified people to fill them by the year 2020! Seriously! That said—here’s a cool inforgraphic denoting 10 reasons to teach students how to code. A shout out to Brian Aspinall for giving me the green light to share his work (illustrated by the sketchnote guru Sylvia Duckworth) on my space! Classroom Connection: The founders of Google, Microsoft and Facebook all started their journeys with just one line of code. Like these successful entrepreneurs, our students should have the opportunity to create the technology of the future, not just use it! And by the way—I realize that coding sounds intimidating to some, but if your students can type, they can code! And you know what? You can even learn, too! It’s summer! Time to relax and recharge the batteries indeed, but it’s also time to gear up for another year of making a difference in the lives of our students. Why not make a plan to incorporate some coding into your classroom activities!

The Art Of Grabbing Compliance Learners’ Attention Remember the last adventure movie you watched? We’re pretty confident that the first two minutes involved all-out action, with rapid-fire camerawork that seemed to make the action even more frantic. Why did the director do this? Because it set up expectations on your part that the remainder of the movie would be equally rewarding and action-packed. It’s the oldest trick in the book: get people’s attention as quickly as you can, if you want them to listen to you. At Interactive Services we specialize in developing compliance learning programs that engage from the first minute - maximizing the likelihood of getting across your key messages. This is important in any learning program - but particularly in cases where the core content is relatively mundane. In training that’s centered on legislation, compliance or policy, for example, the learner may sometimes be tempted to see the program as a box ticking exercise. Here are 3 key tips to ensure your audience is fully focused throughout the training program. Make it Interactive. Whether in a classroom or eLearning, simply reading or presenting content can fail to grab your learners’ attention. Instead, try to get learners to engage with the content. Make sure that the interaction is meaningful and related to their job in some way and that reflects their role. And rather than giving them a list of bullets to click on in an eLearning course, put the learners in a role play where they are asked to react to a situation and state what they would do next. For example, in your Anti-Money Laundering course, ask the learners to help identify the red flags in a transaction that could indicate money-laundering. Test to see if the learners can do the right thing in the right way, and report the situation appropriately. Focus on Key Points. Companies can be tempted to put everything into the course content - especially when it relates to legislation. It’s understandable. They’re worried that they won’t be covered if someone hasn’t been trained on every aspect of the legislation. But to hold learners’ attention, it's much more impactful to cover the critical points - and show them how to find the detail they need. Focus ruthlessly on what they need to know, what they have to do differently, and what they need to do right now. The emphasis should be on getting someone to do something differently - not simply acknowledge they’ve read something. For example, you can ask a learner to read a policy, but you can’t expect them to remember every word. In your Anti-Money Laundering course, present the learner with a question about dealing with a customer who cannot provide appropriate identification documentation. The question should be hard enough that the learner is forced to open the policy document and find the right answer. That way, you teach the behavior of referring to the policy when in doubt. Keep it Visual. A picture is worth a thousand words - particularly when it comes to learning. But it's not a matter of using ANY picture - you need to look for images that are truly inspirational. If you're running an AML legislative training course, a typical image that is often used is of a washing line with money pegged to it. But if this image has been seen many times before, then the learner will feel that "there’s nothing new going on here". In the age of Instagram, where anyone is capable of taking really great pictures, make sure you invest enough time in getting your pictorial element correct. Use imagery that makes the audience sit up and take notice. For example, avoid the clichés and pick images that resonate. Money laundering impacts individuals, companies and communities. Images that reflect this -an employee being fired, a negative newspaper headline, a community suffering high crime- will show your learners that AML is a vital part of their role. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin Learner engagement is vital to the success of an eLearning course. Involving your learners in online training courses using different activities like games goes a long way in making the courses learner-friendly and engaging. Gamification is the process of including game-based mechanics in non-gaming contexts such as education, work and training etc. The main idea of creating/ using gamification in eLearning courses is to create an interactive and competitive environment which facilitates better comprehension of the subject-matter and retention of knowledge. Here is an info-graphic which lists 5 advantages of developing game-based eLearning courses. Hope you find this post useful. Do share your views. Related PostsWant to Create Winning E-learning Courses? 6 Tips - An InfographicTop 5 Blogs on the Best Practices in Instructional Design How Effective is it to Use Gaming Interactivities in E-learning?

Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Gesture Support for Adobe Captivate 8 Courses This Adobe Captivate 8 tutorial presents how to leverage the instinctive gestures that allow learners to tap, scroll, pinch, and swipe their way through courses. The post Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Gesture Support for Adobe Captivate 8 Courses appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

"People expect to be bored by eLearning - let’s show them it doesn’t have to be like that!" - Cammy Bean How can you develop a top-notch online course that enthralls your people? What are the aspects you need to focus on to create learner delight? Well, before you commence the development of your online course, you need to ask yourself 5 important questions. Here is an info-graphic that lists them and explains why you need to find the right answers to the questions. Hope you find this post interesting. How do you create eLearning courses? We would love to know. Related PostsRapid E-learning through Storyline Tool: 5 Infographics Sharing Key Features5 Ways to Make E-learning Interesting - An InfographicAssessment Strategy for M-learning

ICFET 2015 is the premier forum for the presentation of technological advances and research results in the fields of Information and Knowledge Management. The idea of  ICFET 2015 is for the scientists, scholars, engineers and students from the Universities all around the world and the industry to present ongoing research activities, and hence to foster research relations between the Universities and the industry. ICFET 2015 Keynote Speakers Prof. Chen-Huei Chou, College of Charleston, SC, USA Prof. Liansheng Tan, Department of Computer Science Central China Normal University，Wuhan 430079，PR. China Prof. D P Sharma, AMIT, AMU MOEFDRE under UNDP & Faculty Ambassador (AI) under IBM’s Cloud Computing Offering -USA The 2015 International Conference on Frontiers of Educational Technologies (ICFET 2015) will be held at the Shanghai Yalong International Hotel (Shangai, China) on July 29-30, 2015. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

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 am now featuring some of 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 spotlight—MVP—is an instructional strategy that reinforces the concept of identifying main idea and supporting details, a super important set of comprehension skills. Big Idea The purpose of this strategy is for students to analyze information to determine the MVP or Most Valuable Point within song lyrics. Dividing a song into verses enables students to analyze smaller pieces of a song and dive deeper for specific information.  By brainstorming and discussing important ideas in a small group setting, students will strengthen skills in the areas of listening, speaking, writing, and summarizing.   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 MVP strategy into lessons, an example, a graphic organizer for use during instruction and extension activities. There’s even a video overview you can check out here. Pretty cool, eh? And last but certainly not least, here’s a visual to get those wheels turning… 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 MVP strategy 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 » Get Venn-y with It!

Camtasia Studio 8 Tutorial: How to use the timeline in-depth This Camtasia Studio 8 Tutorial presents in-depth how to use the Timeline. Specifically, it covers the following topics: 0:30 - What are digital videos? 0:40 - What do I see on the Camtasia Studio 8 canvas? 0:45 - What do I see on the Camtasia Studio 8 timeline? 1:10 - Unlimited tracks 1:25 - The importance of the order of media on the timeline 2:15 - Combined video and audio 2:30 - Separating video and audio 2:50 - Animation keyframes - video and cursor 3:15 - Cutting or deleting a selection from the timeline 4:00 - Copying and pasting on the timeline 4:40 - Some quick tips for easier work on the timeline 5:25 - Share your feedback The post Camtasia Studio 8 Tutorial: How to use the timeline in-depth appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

As instructional designers, we are so often caught up with our content, and in our desire to create wired, out-of-the-box instructional approaches, we end up creating a mess for the learner. So, when do you know where to stop? Easy. The answer lies within you! - You need to stop; when your course or strategy goes beyond the comprehension of the learner. The whole point of eLearning is to make learning simple! Let’s have a look at three ways to keep eLearning simple and awesome! Awesome Way Number 1 - Focus on What Matters: Never forget the people who access your online course - your learners. If they are not on your mind while designing the course, then your course is going to be a big dud, and you will have a hard time explaining what went wrong to your stakeholders. Always! Always! Think about your learners. After all, they are the ones who decide whether or not your course is a success! Awesome Way Number 2 - Do Not Go Overboard: This is perhaps the hardest task of an instructional designer. Going overboard is like second nature for a designer. Being passionate about your instructional approach is great. However, it should not be at the cost of missing project timelines and cost! There are times when you will fight it hard to restrict yourself and breakout into your old pattern, but remember creativity is born in constraints, and sometimes, we need to think above and beyond the course. Awesome Way Number 3 - Simplicity At its Best: Be it visuals or text, keep it simple. Don’t have too much or too little on the screen. Lesser the clutter the better. Use apt and not abstract images. You need to remember that the whole point of using an image is to support the text to drive the point home and not confuse the learner. The same goes for narration, it is very easy to dump all the nice-to-know information in the audio narration, but a wordy narration kills your eLearning course. So, keep it simple because less is more! These are the three awesome ways to keep eLearning course simple. If you have more awesome ways feel free to post a comment. Related Posts3 Interesting Ways to Design Elearning Intro Pages - Infographic3 Tips to Instructional Designers for Effective E-learning - An Infographic4 E-learning Elements to Leave Your Learners Spellbound - An Infographic

What eLearning Professionals Should Know About Working Memory It’s not infrequent the term working memory to be used by many interchangeably with short-term memory. However, there is a clear distinction among the two of them. Short-term memory is a temporary storage area, an anti-chamber to receive and welcome new information coming from our senses. Working memory, on the other hand, is the mechanism that manipulates information temporary located in the short-term memory and either discards it or facilitates its transition to the long-term memory. eLearning content should be based on strategies that enhance this transition in order to guarantee that learning has actually taken place. The aim of this article is to present the most important of these strategies. When we are trying to learn something new, this new piece of information is temporarily stored in the short-term memory. Working memory operating there, either encodes it in order to be transferred and stored in the long term memory or if there is no sufficient time or learner’s interest, new information comes and replaces the existing one, before the encoding and transferring process to the long-term memory takes place. Information can also simply decay over time and be erased from the working memory. In fact, according to Goldstein (2010), working memory can only store information about 10 to 15 seconds. The exception to this rule is if the information is actively applied or rehearsed, in which case it is eventually moved to the permanent storage of long-term memory. It also takes a great deal of mental effort to keep data in the working memory for any length of time, which can lead to cognitive overload. An overloaded working memory equates to reduced cognitive function and knowledge retention, which means that eLearning professionals must keep its limitations in mind to give their learners the most beneficial virtual learning environment. When considering how working memory functions in order to improve the online training experience, instructional designers should have two things in mind: how to manage working memory’s limited capacity and working memory strategies that will facilitate the transition of information from short-term to long-term memory. 6 Strategies eLearning Professionals Should Follow To Manage Working Memory’s Limited Capacity As working memory operates within short-term memory, it has a limited capacity and duration. Due to this fact, when there is much incoming information, working memory tries to retain only the meaningful one and discard all the rest to make room for more incoming information.  Based on this there are certain strategies eLearning professionals should follow in order to manage working memory’s limited capacity. Present new concepts starting from simplest to most complex. If you are working with subject matter that may be more complex or new concepts that the learner is not yet familiar with, it’s a good idea to start with the easier concepts first and then work your way up to the more challenging subject matter. This enables learners to easier assign a meaning to new information and, therefore, transfer it to the long-term memory, creating a foundation upon which they can build their comprehension for more challenging aspects of the eLearning course. When a more complicated concept "comes" later on, it can be related to something that has already been mastered, and this minimizes the possibility of being discarded. On the other hand, if you present a complex concept first, as working memory has neither a point of reference, nor the time to process it, there is an increased probability to discard it. The use of visual aids such as flowcharts and graphics to show the relationship between new and existing knowledge can facilitate this process. Limit the number of distractions. Don’t overload the working memory with clutter. The working memory may be a powerful tool, but it’s also a delicate one. For example, if you include a variety of irrelevant graphics and images in your eLearning course, or create lengthy blocks of text that don’t clearly highlight the key takeaways, then the working memory is not going to be able to function at optimal efficiency. Instead, it will be distracted by all of the clutter and chaos on the page, which means that it cannot properly digest the subject matter. When designing your eLearning course make sure that every element within it ties into the learning goals and objectives. Limit the amount of clutter by removing unnecessary animations, audio, video, and narration, as these elements will only place undue stress on the working memory. Provide opportunities for practice. Increase retention by reviewing early and often. Working memory is a two-way communication system. Not only does it transfers new information to the long-term memory, but it also retrieves already acquired information in order to be able to evaluate the new one. When our working memory recalls information it helps to reinforce knowledge retention. This is why it’s essential to integrate activities that ask learners to summarize the information they have learned throughout the eLearning course. Begin the eLearning unit with an overview of what to be learned in order to provide an overall structure of the eLearning course; then, have them put key concepts of the eLearning content in their own words throughout the eLearning course. Ask them to create a weekly blog post that explores the subjects discussed during the week, or have them complete assessments after each section. This not only prevents cognitive overload, as they have several opportunities to review the information, but also strengthens working memory when it needs to make associations of new and existing knowledge. Chunking. Working memory only provides a small space in which information can be stored. Usually it can only hold about four to five pieces of new information at any given time, which means that learners are only able to handle a limited amount of new data before experiencing cognitive overload. Research has shown that the capacity of the working memory also depends on the type of information received. For example, it has been proved that we tend to remember more digits than letters, shorter than longer words, etc. One useful technique to deal with the limited capacity issue of the working memory is chunking. Instead of presenting spare concepts, you can create lessons that are more easily digestible by chunking information into groups that involve similar concepts or ideas. By doing so, the entire group of concepts occupies a single position in working memory and not multiple ones. This not only multiples the amount of information that can pass through the working memory, but also the amount of information that can get transferred to the long-term memory for permanent storage. Present information in meaningful and easily digestible ways. Breaking the lesson into smaller parts, is a good practice that also facilitates working memory to process the information. This is due to the fact that our minds can remember shorter words more effectively than longer sentences. Create individual learning units that feature a learning goal or objective and give your learners the opportunity to pause in between lessons so that they can fully absorb the knowledge they have gathered. The use of bullet points is an effective way to present eLearning content with key concepts to be assimilated, rather that longer sentences that working memory may discard. Include assignments that activate long term memory schemata. While working memory has a limited capacity, this is not the case with long-term memory. Working memory strives to retrieve background information we know about a particular topic by accessing information stored within our long term memory schemata, which are highly complex structures that help us to alleviate cognitive overwhelm. Every attempt to link the new information just arrived in short-term memory to our existing cognitive schemata is beneficial to learning, as it enhances the functions of the working memory in order to transfer this new piece of knowledge to the long-term memory as well, either by adding additional information to an existing schema, or by altering the existing schema according to the new information received. The fist process is known as association, though the second as accommodation. In terms of eLearning, when you incorporate activities that encourage the learner to access their long term memory banks, such as scenarios or simulations that feature previously learned concepts, you significantly boost knowledge retention as you support and make it easier for the working memory to link new information to already existing schemata stored in our long-term memory. These have been a few tips to help you create effective eLearning courses that optimize the working memory functions without overwhelming your learners’ cognitive abilities. This allows the information to flow from this temporary storage space to their long term memory and stay there for the rest of their lives. Interested in learning more about memory? The article Memory: Types, Facts And Myths features the types of memory you’ll want to bear in mind when developing eLearning courses. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

One of our clients wanted to train his sales people on products. Most of the inputs that we receive from our stakeholders are all textual information either in the form of MS-Word documents or PowerPoint presentations. It is difficult for the learner to retain the information and too much of on-screen text will overload the learner. What do you do when a large amount of text is given to you? What can you do to reduce a lot of information? As instructional designers, we should first analyze the content, and then, identify the training needs. The eLearning content should be given based on the learner’s proficiency and provide explanatory feedback which helps them develop and sharpen their skills. Adding scenarios can help the learner to solve real world problems without facing the consequences. In this blog, I’ll share 3 things to do before designing pharmaceutical sales training. 1. Identify Goals The very first thing you should do is identify the goals. What is it you want your trainees to learn from your module? What are the skills they need to develop in order to perform their everyday work? How can they become better sales representatives? We suggest adding a "What’s in it for Me?" slide which contains a series of questions that motivate the learner to think whether this is what they are looking for in the module. 2. Add Motivators As an instructional designer, it is important to evaluate the success of the eLearning program. The best way to make courses more engaging and exciting is to include thought provoking questions which prompt the learner to think. We decided to have a teaser in the form of "Do You Know?" and "Can You Recall?". We have accompanied the question with explanatory feedback which informs the learner if their answer is correct or incorrect. Feedback for the correct answer re-iterates the answer, and feedback for an incorrect response provides the correct answer. 3. Focus on Content The ultimate goal of your eLearning course is to help your learners become well-versed with the content, so that they can use new skills on the job. We suggest a clinical application slide in the course. It includes a scenario wherein a sales representative will have a communication with the doctor. We have created a few situations that sales representative might face in a clinic. The scenario enhances their scientific, communication skills in clinic, and also improves the ability to handle queries and objections. By keeping these 3 things in mind while designing pharmaceutical sales training courses, you can design a highly effective course for medico-sales personnel. Hope you find this post useful. Do share your views. Related PostsE-learning to Meet the Sales Training Needs of Pharmaceutical Firms - An Infographic7 Tips for Creating Winning Sales Training Program for the Gen- Y5 Types of Training for Sales Representatives of Pharmaceutical Firms - An Infographic

Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Responsive Quizzes in Adobe Captivate 8 This Adobe Captivate 8 tutorial presents how to create responsive quizzes with Adobe Captivate 8. The post Adobe Captivate 8 Tutorial: Responsive Quizzes in Adobe Captivate 8 appeared first on VivaeLearning: The Best Free Video Tutorials Online.

The e-Affordances In eLearning Explained by Dr. William Cope and Dr. Mary Kalantzis in their Coursera eLearning Ecology course, an e-affordance refers to whether the technology you use can enable new learning and assessment opportunities and experiences. Here are the 7 e-affordances: Ubiquitous learning. Ubiquitous learning makes it easier for learners to access content from any computer or mobile device, online or offline, anywhere and anytime. Historically, knowledge and information has been restricted by class and privilege, but creating a networked learning environment opens up access to validated knowledge and a plethora of facts. Can your learners learn anywhere and anytime using their preferred device? Can they work offline (with some of the content at least)? Are there open resources they can go to, as well as the required resources of the course? Can they draw on a learning network of experts and resources? Active knowledge making. Making new connections between pieces of information in order to create new meanings is part of the learning process. Learners build upon existing knowledge and/or on what they already know, so it helps if there are a variety of activities that are both process and product orientated. Is the content learned step-by-step in a structured sequence or holistically? What can learners create, develop, or do with the content? Is it possible to make connections between key points? Do you provide a mix of challenging and easy tasks? Multimodal meaning. Text, media, sound, and data resources are easier to create more than ever. Multimodal resources add interest and break up the style of learning. If the content is presented in multiple ways it ensures that you not only can choose your preferred medium, but also have concepts reinforced along the way. Does the course offer multimodal resources? Do learners have an opportunity to create and submit assignments multi-modally? Are there opportunities for both print and visual learning? Do the resources comply with universal learning principles? Recursive feedback. Recursive feedback is an important way for learners to check their progress. Receiving timely and relevant feedback has always been part of any course but now most obviously received as part of an online activity. It helps you think about what you are doing, your successes and failures, and how you can improve. Does the learner receive feedback immediately or do they have to wait? Is there an opportunity for peer feedback or is it all teacher-centric? Is the feedback relevant and related to the task? Can the learner track their own progress in a meaningful way? Collaborative intelligence. Whether it's to participate in a forum or to collaborate on a resource together, online social activities provide support and teamwork opportunities. Working with others in a collaboration space also stimulates more food for thought. Does your course lend itself to a forum or an online project space? Or both? Do learners need to answer focus questions? Or is there an activity prompt? Is the collaboration activity an asynchronous or synchronous event? Can it be both? Is there a shared goal? Metacognition. Thinking about thinking is a valuable activity for online learners. It helps you reflect on what you have learned and where you are going. It helps you determine areas of weakness as well as strengths and it helps you think about what questions to ask. What kind of metacognition activities is available for your learners? Does the course lend itself to self-assessment surveys, quizzes, or learning journals? Is there a standard model that learners can check their work against? Is there an opportunity to discuss their thoughts with others? Differentiated learning. Differentiated learning is also more possible now than ever before. It refers to personalizing learning experiences or tailoring a course to a learner’s needs and interests. After all, not everyone learns in the same way. Is your course learner-centered? Is there a survey or assessment of individual learning needs? Is there relevant advice and support along the way? Can learners choose either a slow-paced or fast-paced option? Or one suited to their level? It’s worth thinking about what elements you need to design and run an effective online course, so that learners don’t miss out on new ways of learning. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.