Are you having trouble developing your eLearning quickly? Have you found that the bottleneck involves your Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)? Here are some ideas to help speed up projects by involving Subject Matter Experts throughout the entire eLearning development process. You’ve jumped through hoops to get an eLearning project scheduled with your busy team and they are all ready to run, but your Subject Matter Expert hasn’t yet come up with the content. Or, you’ve busted your bones turning around a great eLearning project in record time only to be left with your team waiting idly to get the review back from your Subject Matter Expert. Sound familiar? If you’ve been in the eLearning industry for even a short amount of time, you’re probably nodding knowingly. If Subject Matter Experts are holding you up, this article will give you some ideas on how you can speed up production by involving them more effectively. 1. Empower Subject Matter Experts to add content directly inside your authoring tool Allowing your Subject Matter Expert to create courses themselves can help you save time and keep costs down. If you are concerned about instructional and design standards, there are eLearning tools that let you easily create courses from a Master Theme (template). Since these themes are already designed and developed, Subject Matter Experts have the structure needed to produce high-quality eLearning that is consistent with your other courses. This will help you create more projects quickly and reduce the costs associated with hiring additional staff. Later, during reviews and iterations, instead of having to copy and paste new content or amendments, ask your Subject Matter Expert to add it directly to the course themselves. This saves you from having to repeat the work that they have already done. Cloud-based tools, such as Elucidat, help make the process easy. Simply give your Subject Matter Expert access to edit the course and they can jump online from their own computer. There’s no need for you to package the files up and send them via email, nor is there a need to manage multiple versions of the course. All changes are automatically saved and synchronized so anyone working on the project is always using the latest version. 2. Keep Subject Matter Experts in the loop throughout the entire project Instead of just bringing Subject Matter Experts in when you need them, involve them early so you can make sure they clearly understand your eLearning development process, your project goals and your objectives. Early collaboration can help your Subject Matter Expert buy in to what you’re developing. By involving Subject Matter Experts early, they will feel more like a part of the team. This will make it easier to keep communication channels open and avoid any mistakes. 3. Embrace online collaboration Subject Matter Experts are busy people with full-time jobs. You’ll often run into delays when you’re waiting for your Subject Matter Expert to review your projects. To keep costs under control, you should try to remove any bottlenecks. It can be particularly challenging when you have two or more Subject Matter Experts working on one project. To ensure you keep everyone on track, make sure you use tools with inbuilt review and feedback functionality so you can track changes and monitor version control. If you’re still asking stakeholders to review eLearning in a Word document with screenshots, you’re wasting valuable time and money. This process is difficult to track and manage. Instead of relying on email and Word docs, use online tools to collaborate, review and share feedback in real time. Related: Why online collaboration is the answer to your team’s efficiency problem Final Suggestions To Help You Better Involve Subject Matter Experts Make sure everyone reviewing the project has access to the most up-to-date version. The best way to do this is to use an eLearning tool that automatically updates and keeps the project current. Use a tool that tracks and manages review cycles and changes. For example, Elucidat has an easy-to-use comment tool that lets Subject Matter Experts add notes for the rest of the team. You can quickly see what changes or additions have been made and who made those changes. Use a tool that lets you sign off on changes inside the project itself. This makes it easy to keep the updates and changes together in one place. Stay on top of the latest eLearning ideas, trends and technologies by subscribing to the Elucidat weekly newsletter. Join the conversation about this article on Twitter Tweets about https://blog.elucidat.com/are-subject-matter-experts-slowing-down-your-elearning-production-process/ The post Are Subject Matter Experts Slowing Down Your Elearning Production Process? appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Are you frustrated by the amount of time it takes to create and modify elearning? If you’re fed up with your lengthy delivery times and cumbersome processes, this article is for you. Steve Penfold shares three ideas on how you can create a nimble elearning team that can react effectively to fast-changing business environments. The rate at which the business landscape changes today is as rapid as it’s ever been. Global competition, informed customers, ever-changing technology, and a fluctuating economy are all powerful forces that push and pull at business markets, changing them continually. L&D teams need to be nimble to respond to these changing business needs. But how can you create a quality elearning product in this dynamic environment? Here are three ways to ensure that your L&D team is well placed to respond quickly to changing demand. 1. Extend your L&D team—and use everybody Your organization is probably chock-full of people who know how to do their jobs well and have tips and stories about the best way to accomplish the tasks they do, i.e., Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Wouldn’t it be great if all of these SMEs were capable of creating elearning to share their expertise? Wouldn’t you love to include them as part of the L&D development team? The truth is, you can, and you should. Modern elearning authoring tools, such as Elucidat, give non-technical team members the ability to enter materials (knowledge, tips, anecdotes, etc.) into template-driven interactive screens for online deployment. The templates in these authoring tools keep content authors on track by providing placeholders for text and images to be entered. Interactivity that may be part of a template, such as a popup text, an image panel, or a drag and drop functionality, can appear automatically as part of that screen template, removing the need for technical expertise. Empowering SMEs to create content also minimizes production bottlenecks and content errors that can occur in a more segregated and protracted SME/production team development model. 2. Embrace online collaboration Quick, accurate communication is vital in a nimble development process. Without this, miscommunication (and missed communication) can cause bottlenecks or content errors. Inbuilt collaboration mechanisms in the form of review and comment panels on each content screen can make for a streamlined review and comment process. Here are four benefits of inbuilt collaboration in your authoring tool: Gives concurrent, online, multi-reviewer access to course deliverables Provides a simple way of giving project feedback that everyone uses Allows reviewers to see what others have already recommended Allows the developer to see what recommendations have been requested and exactly where they should be made (directly inside in the authoring environment) 3. Use the right tools In addition to using a simple-to-use elearning authoring tool, being nimble comes from leveraging additional tools to help get the job done. I have compiled a list of tools you can use for your elearning projects. Most tools listed here have free trials and are available for the PC, Mac, or web-based browsers. Tools for taking screenshots Sometimes, it’s necessary to show your learners an image of a computer screen or a video of a screen interaction sequence. If you need this functionality, consider these tools. Snagit: This is a really powerful tool for screen-capture videos and static screen images. Screenr: This is a web-based screen-recording tool, so no downloads, which can be handy if IT won’t let you install software! Very powerful for its price tag—free! PrtScn: If you just want a static image of a computer screen, use your PrtScn keyboard key. Use the Alt + PrtScn key combination to capture the active window rather than the entire desktop. PrtScn copies an image to the Windows clipboard. From there, you can paste it onto a PowerPoint slide and export the slide as a PNG or JPG file. Tools for designing graphics Here are some sites to get images and inspiration for your elearning layouts: Canva: I like Canva for graphical layout inspiration or making title page-style graphics. PowerPoint: Recent versions of PowerPoint have powerful and flexible graphics capability. Here’s one example. The Internet is full of others. Free Images: This website can be a source of royalty-free and free images. Unsplash: Another source for royalty-free and free photographic images. Easelly: If you’re looking for infographic inspiration and a tool to help create them, this is a useful site. Tools for designing mock-ups These are useful if you’re looking to design a webpage, user interface, or mobile app-style piece of content. They let you quickly draw a wire-frame (lower detail) design for discussion and idea sharing. Balsamiq Cacoo Tools for capturing and editing audio Audio can be very powerful in elearning, for example to provide your audience with different stakeholder perspectives, provide information via a simulated phone call, or just to provide workplace sound effects to immerse the learner and contextualize the learning. Audacity: This is the go-to tool for most non-professional sound recordists. Twisted Wave: This is a very simple sound recorder. Its advantage is that it’s web-based, so no downloads or installs. Tools for editing video You can use common mobile devices to capture quality video, but trimming or getting the video into a format you can use in your elearning authoring or editing tool can be tricky. These tools can help with this problem. Video Cutter: This web-based tool is useful for chopping segments out of a video or trimming it. Any Video Converter: This is really useful for converting video and audio from one format to another, perhaps so you can import it into another tool or project that doesn’t support the video’s native format. Conclusion The pressure is on your L&D to create elearning faster than ever before. You are also required to make changes and adapt to business needs quickly. By involving more of your team, embracing online collaboration, and using more effective tools, you can give yourself—and your L&D team—the ability to be nimble and meet the challenges that lie ahead. The post 3 ideas to help you build a nimble elearning team that can react effectively to changing business needs appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Instructional Designers design instructions, right? So, why not free up your learning experts to concentrate on what they’re good at? How? Simple: give them tools so they no longer need to be highly technical or experienced in eLearning. Are your Instructional Designers… spending too much time repeating tasks like GUI (Graphical User Interface) design, setting up templates, or fixing bugs screen-by-screen? If this is happening, it’s likely that your Instructional Designers are struggling too much with the technical side of eLearning. How can you take the "technical" out of "Instructional" Design and let your team get on with what they’re good at? Read on to find out. In the beginning My first job as an Instructional Designer in an eLearning role required me to be experienced in designing instructional material as well as the technical infrastructure (we used "Authorware"). It was as much a technical role as it was an Instructional Design role. I was essentially a "solutions architect". I needed to spend six months getting fully up to speed with the tool (it was a lot like Photoshop; I needed to put in the hours to get really good at it), and even then, most of my time was spent working out technical issues rather than working on the design and implementation of great learning. Clearly, this wasn’t very productive. Rapid elearning tools With the onset of "rapid" tools, designers and writers could become developers, too; first with form-based tools and then with WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) tools that let you build screens on the fly exactly as the end user sees them. Designers got faster, needing only days to understand the tools and weeks to become proficient. These desktop tools are great for experienced designers who understand both web design and Instructional Design. But many people whose skills we need and want on our teams don’t have the experience or confidence to switch to eLearning. These people typically include: Classroom trainers. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Writers and content people. Learning and Development professionals. I’ve spent most of my career working closely alongside these stakeholders to design great courses from their content. But, time after time, these stakeholders struggled to understand the eLearning tools and could never become great eLearning designers. Why? Three Reasons: The barrier to entry with the toolset was too high - they found learning the tools challenging. They became fixated on the look and feel - spending hours making the screen look pretty instead of concentrating on designing challenges, interactions, and stories that would bring the learning to life. They became frustrated, because they spent so much time tweaking things to fix bugs or make the content consistent. Modern elearning tools Modern eLearning tools can help to remove these challenges. These tools have stripped back the technical tasks and simplified the workflow so that even people who have no technical experience can create and deliver eLearning quickly. By making it easier to learn and use eLearning tools, you can empower more of your learning experts to get involved in delivering eLearning quickly and easily. Here are three benefits of modern eLearning tools: Build once, develop many. Instead of investing hours of time and money on technical IDs that craft designs each and every time, build master courses and reuse elements across multiple projects. Ask your technical team members to build a course master (template) that your Instructional Designers can use repeatedly for all of their courses. "Master courses" offer full brand and structural control so you can set the interface with all the navigation, branding, and layout features you don’t want the IDs to worry about. For example: buttons, logos, color schemes, and menus. Easy to use, no training required. Instead of spending weeks training IDs on hard-to-pick-up software, use tools that are simple and intuitive for beginners (like Elucidat). Simple tools enable point-and-click course creation and editing. Don’t let your learning professionals waste time assembling each layout screen by screen. This is inefficient. Instead, use tools that let you build from ready-made courses where team members can just click and edit. Multi-device compatible. Instead of spending hours worrying about how your courses look on different tablet and mobile devices, modern tools take care of scaling automatically. For example, Elucidat scales content and lets you preview your content on phone, tablet, and PC screens as you build it. See how your course looks on different device sizes and tweak as you go. Free up your Instructional Designers from the technical stuff by choosing a solution that takes care of responsive delays automatically for all device types. Final thoughts Choose a tool that empowers Instructional Designers to focus on content rather than technical stuff. This will remove a lot of the sticking points that Instructional Designers experience when they start creating eLearning content. By involving more of your Learning and Development team in the eLearning production process, you will be able to create more high quality eLearning for less. Stay on top of the latest elearning ideas, trends, and technologies by subscribing to the Elucidat weekly newsletter. The post You Don’t Need "Technical" Instructional Designers. Here’s Why. appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

The King is dead, long live the King! As HTML5 jockeys for Flash’s coveted top spot as eLearning darling, we take a look at what the inevitable demise of Flash means for eLearning professionals. It’s been five years since Steve Jobs wrote Thoughts on Flash, an open letter setting out the reasons why Apple would not be supporting Adobe Flash technology in their products. The most critical of those products would be the iPad, which was blazing the trail in tablet technology. Since the publication of Steve’s letter, even Adobe has abandoned mobile development for Flash, and it seems the end is now finally nigh for Flash, with TechCrunch posting their Farewell to Flash article. The article sets out what a Flash-free world will mean for us all. What’s Up With Flash? Way back, when I worked with a well-known agency on the South Coast of England, our insightful CEO fought hard against the advent of Flash into the industry, citing security and accessibility issues. At my last company, a blue chip Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), we had fierce debates about whether to make the switch to HTML5 despite our clients’ lack of enthusiasm for the new technology, and we had to convince a few clients that we could be more agile in our eLearning development if we made the shift early. In reality, we in the eLearning industry have always worked with HTML, given the problems of deploying in Flash: Clunky - long load times, doesn’t render text clearly. Doesn’t satisfy accessibility criteria. Requires a plug-in (possibly the biggest headache in sectors where learners do not administrate their work PCs). Shackles learners to desktops when mobile is more expedient (think anytime, anywhere learning). Hinders agile project management due to time-consuming bug fixes, updates, and maintenance. Why Do We Like HTML5? The eLearning industry has been waiting for tools that would allow us to build in HTML with all the interactions we liked in Flash. With HTML5 and JavaScript now maturing, pretty much anything we once did with Flash is achievable using these media. What’s more, the results are often better and are generally slicker than they were with Flash. HTML5 is conducive to the direction eLearning and content consumption are heading, and it will positively affect learners’ experiences. It also requires less bandwidth than Flash to run, making it much more efficient for the battery life of learners’ mobile devices. The switch to HTML5 also helps decrease development time. How You Can Prepare For A Flash-Free World Here are a few guidelines to help you prepare for the demise of Flash: Consider adopting eLearning development tools that allow you to build and deploy easily in HTML5, rather than forcing you to convert. Tools such as the cloud-based Elucidat are built on HTML5 technology to let you focus on creating beautiful, interactive user experiences for learners on mobile as well as desktop devices (something Flash could never support). If speed is your priority, look out for tools that provide pre-built themes and screen types, which have already been coded by professionals and adhere to the very latest industry and design standards and best practices. If your learning makes use of video, you avoid Flash, the limitations of which include high levels of energy consumption (not good on mobile devices) and potential security risks. Conclusion: A Few Points To Keep In Mind In this article, we’ve broadly described why the advent of HTML5 in eLearning is to be applauded. However, there are one or two points to bear in mind when deploying eLearning in HTML5: HTML5 is not supported by some legacy browsers. I know it’s hard to imagine, but for reasons that can be quite complex, some organizations may still be using older browsers in which HTM5 won’t run. The final demise of XP and -along with it- IE6 has fast tracked many of the organizations still clinging to their old browsers. But, it’s worth doing a quick tech spec of your environment into so you can ensure compatibility with HTML5 eLearning products. If 100% of eLearning in your company takes place on desktop machines, and your existing toolset is Flash-based, it may not be worth your while to switch right now. HTML5 comes into its own on mobile devices, where it uses less energy resources and is supported across all platforms. Whatever your conclusion happens to be; it does seem inevitable that Flash will soon be confined to the annals of history. So, you may want to start thinking beyond its funeral and start considering your insurance package for the future of eLearning development. Stay on top of the latest eLearning ideas, trends and technologies by subscribing to the Elucidat weekly newsletter. The post Flash: Is It Time We Mourn Its Demise In Elearning? appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Simulation-based elearning provides learners the opportunity to safely explore and practice applications before actually working on them. Here are three ideas to help you create effective simulation-based elearning material. Marina Arshavskiy: Simulations and games can make learning fun! In most simulators and games, the objective is to win. To win, learners naturally need to discover and learn the "system" in order to beat it. This approach to learning can be much more enjoyable than boring slideshows and videos. In this article, Marina covers the different types of game-based learning and which tools can be used to build this interactive content. Read Marina’s ideas on simulation and game-based learning  Arunima Majumdar: The value of simulations when creating elearning solutions for application training Traditional approaches to application training generally involved text-based handouts in classroom settings. While the learners may gain theoretical knowledge with this method, they end up lacking hands on experience. This is where simulation elearning can better prepare the learner and help them master the application or program before they actually use it. Read Arunima’s take on the value of simulations for application training Jae Curtis: Your simulation training needs to be adaptive. Here’s how you do it. In this article, Jae explains why adaptive simulation can create better learning retention. By adapting the simulation to the learner’s level of understanding and experience, the learner can receive a more personal and applicable elearning experience. Read Jae’s ideas on making your elearning simulators adaptive Try these simulation-based elearning ideas in your next projectClick To Tweet The post Can these simulation-based elearning ideas help you? appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Elearning Superstars is a curated list of inspiring elearning examples, published every Tuesday. Subscribe to get weekly updates via email. This week we have some great elearning by Pearson Education, Video Arts, and Filtered. Showcase your elearning: Have you created a great piece of elearning that you’re really proud of? Showcase your elearning here to win awards and get published on Elearning Superstars. Pearson Education: The Maths Factor helps thousands of children learn mathematics Video Arts: A library of interactive video courses designed for effective self-study Filtered: Personalized online training teaches knowledge works technical skills The post Elearning inspiration: Pearson Education, Video Arts, Filtered appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Too many instructional designers are creating content that meets design standards, but bores learners. Steve Penfold believes this type of average elearning is significantly impacting information retention. He shares three ways you can add a bit of spice to your courses and in turn, help learners retain more information. Stop sending your learners to sleep Are the instructional design techniques and materials you’re using keep learners engaged? Let’s look at three instructional design tips that can make your elearning more engaging, and therefore easier to consume and absorb. 1. Use Branching to Give Your Audience Control Any quality elearning authoring tool will provide you with the ability to create branching paths through your learning material, i.e., giving the learner options to take different routes through content screens. This is in contrast to a rigid linear path that starts at screen one and moves sequentially through to the last content screen. Here are two examples of how simple branching can be applied in elearning: The Branching Scenario Imagine that a business scenario is presented to a learner; then The learner is offered three possible options that he or she thinks the scenario’s protagonist should take next; then When one of the options is selected, the learner is taken to a sequence of screens that shows how the chosen option plays out—perhaps good, perhaps bad; then The learner is taken back to the scenario so that another option can be selected and explored. Multiple Viewpoints Imagine that a new procedure that is being implemented across your organisation is presented to a learner; then The learner has the option of seeing the impact of that procedure from various up- and down-stream stakeholders in the organisation; then When one of the stakeholders is selected, a series of screens is presented to the learner showing the impact of that procedure on that stakeholder—why it’s important to the stakeholder, how it applies to the stakeholder, and how it ripples across the organisation; then Once that perspective screen sequence is finished, the learner is routed back to the initial procedure screen so that another perspective can be explored. The engagement in these two examples comes from the learner having some control and being able to explore the content in a way that is meaningful for him or her. Imagine how boring these examples would be if the learner was simply told to do this or don’t do that on a linear series of screens. Related: Joe Burns shares how to design and create non-linear (branching) content Cathy Moore explains branching scenarios 2. Use Relevant, High-quality Images to Better Communicate Your Ideas Visit Elearning Superstars and take a look at the world-class elearning on showcase. Despite the diverse nature of the examples you’ll see, you’ll notice that one thing they share is quality graphics that help support learning objectives. There’s no magic formula about what will, or won’t, make certain images work in your context, but consider these guidelines. Images that you use should: Support the learning or learner directly, e.g., a demonstration or labelled graphic, or indirectly, e.g., nurtures or guides the learner using emotion or a visual cue. Images in your learning are like words; if they don’t support the learning, don’t use them. Be placed meaningfully close to any text that relates to them. Be aligned with other elements on the screen, e.g., top of the image aligned with the top of the text. Use a consistent treatment across the course, e.g., have consistent styles, backgrounds, textures, color-casts or borders, and be of consistent high quality. Not contravene copyright. Make sure you understand any copyright restrictions on images you use. Just because an image download site says their images are copyright or royalty free, that might only be for certain purposes—and your commercial project may not be one of them! Here are a few sites that you might want to look at for images or inspiration: eLearning Art eLearning Brothers Free images Deposit Photos 123RF 3. Use Clickable Images to Make Navigation Easier Think back to the branching example I mentioned earlier in this post, where a learner could explore other stakeholders’ views on a new procedure. One way to achieve this would be to have a series of photographs of faces, each representing a different stakeholder, maybe a manager, a couple of peers, and a customer or two. Each face could have a button or hyperlink underneath it inviting the learner to select it to see that person’s perspective. This technique is powerful because it shows the learner that the procedure has a ripple effect beyond them just having to do it, and it shows different aspects and tells a story about the procedure—and who doesn’t love a story? But an even better approach would be to allow the learner to select the photo directly, rather than use a button or hyperlink. There are two reasons: Fewer objects on the screen means less clutter, which is always a good thing; and The learner has a more direct route, both physically and metaphorically, between the face (the thing he or she selected) and the perspective (more information about that thing). By adopting a "learners can click on that object to see more about it" graphical navigational metaphor, you’ll simplify your user interface and create a more intuitive, immersive environment for your learners. Related: Out My Window is a great example of elearning that uses clickable images In Conclusion Too many elearning websites and platforms take raw content and just present it to learners. Is it any wonder that learners don’t remember or act on the messages they contain? By using the approaches in this article, you’ll immerse your learners in a more engaging experience, and your learning objectives will more likely be met. Stay on top of the latest eLearning ideas, trends, and technologies by subscribing to the Elucidat weekly newsletter. The post 3 Ways to Spice Up Your Average Elearning, Fast appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Are you looking for ways to create innovative eLearning? In this article, Li Whybrow shares five tools that can help you create innovative elearning that engages and delights your learners. Can These Tools Help You Create Innovative eLearning That Keeps Learners Engaged? Plenty of tools can help you develop your eLearning faster, but do you know which tools can help you create innovative eLearning? You know, eLearning that makes your learners’ eyes pop and keeps them engaged. But Wait - What Do I Mean By "Innovative"? Let’s be clear, innovative tools and innovative eLearning are not the same. Before I get started, here’s the premise for this article: the tools I review here are neither complex nor cool, but they are simple to use. When I say "innovative", I’m taking about the output; the eLearning. Instead of creating boring click-through, page-turn eLearning designs, the tools I list here will help you create engaging and stimulating eLearning that your learners will love. Related: Is your eLearning boring? Spice it up with these 3 innovative eLearning ideas Create Better Presentations With Prezi eLearning should be interactive. People learn best when they are doing, but it’s also appropriate to show them first before you ask them to have a go. Therefore, presenting information should form a key part of your eLearning design. The lo-fi method presents information as text. This is good for eLearning that is online and depends on a slow Internet connection. The hi-fi approach, such as video, is good for offline viewing or viewing on a mobile device. As a rule of thumb, try to present information in small chunks, with narrative where possible. Follow the mantra of a picture tells a thousand words. You don’t have to be Botticelli, just a few sketches or a diagram can be a powerful way to present concepts or demonstrate a process or flow. 1. Prezi You may be familiar with PowerPoint and Keynote for presentations, but have you considered Prezi? Prezi lets you create animations that are different from those you use with other presentation software. By using panning and zooming features, you can demonstrate concepts that are "inside" one another. For example, think about the anatomy of the body and how you might want to zoom in on parts of the body. Embed Prezi presentations into your eLearning, but make sure your end users have internet access when viewing your course. Otherwise they won’t be able to see it. I like Prezi, because it helps me design information intuitively in chunks. It forces me to keep presentations short and specific. Show Your Audience How Something Is Done With Screenr And Jing A key part of eLearning design is showing your audience so they can see how something is done, e.g. showing them how to use software or use a system. People learn best by seeing someone demonstrating, so being able to capture your screen at the same time you provide a narrative (text or audio) is better than simply telling using text. If you want to get started with screencasts, try out Screenr and Jing. 2. Screenr and 3. Jing Screenr and Jing are web-based screen recorders. Both are easy to use -just click and record- and let you capture anything happening on your screen. Each tool limits your recording time to five minutes at a go, which is good enough, because anything longer than that isn’t recommended for eLearning. Both tools help you to produce eLearning that is succinct. Note: it’s worth creating a script before you record. I like to practice a run-through so I don’t end up having any delays or awkward transitions that might make my material appear amateurish. How Jing works https://1481d.wpc.azureedge.net/801481D/origin.assets.techsmith.com/Videos/ua-tutorials-jing/take-first-capture.mp4   Both tools output a SWF file (Flash), so be aware that they will need to be embedded in a web page or imported into eLearning software that can render them in HTML. This will ensure your audience can access the videos on their iPad or iPhone devices. Design Better Looking eLearning With Aviary And Elucidat  It may seem obvious, but you want to make your eLearning look good so it keeps learners engaged. One way to do this is to wrap it in a clean and beautiful design that uses graphics to convey meaning and concepts. I use Aviary and Elucidat to design great eLearning. 4. Aviary Aviary is a photo editing platform that is quick and easy to use and can make the dullest of images look professional and engaging. It includes plenty of features, such as overlays, highlights, shadows, tints, and fades. It also lets you choose from a range of artistic impressions. For example, you can use Aviary to take a photo shoot of some colleagues and then render the images into a comic style effect to create compelling visual stories and scenarios. Aviary can be downloaded as an app or integrated as an image-editing component in eLearning authoring tools, such as Elucidat. This is really cool, because it gives you the ability to edit images directly inside your authoring tool without having to switch applications. 5. Elucidat Elucidat is an eLearning authoring tool that lets you select ready-built themes that you can apply quickly and easily to all of your eLearning courses. Choose from dozens of pre-built templates that let you swap in your own content and images or design your own templates from scratch. It both cases, Elucidat automatically renders the published file so it looks great on both desktop and mobile devices. Remember to choose images that are relevant to your learners. Places, faces, and situations are best represented in images. For example, if you are providing orientation eLearning, make sure you include actual images of your building or office. Securing royalty-free or copyrighted images can be costly and may not be relevant to your context. Elucidat comes packaged with thousands of pieces of artwork and images from eLearningart.com. If you can create your own images, they can help you make your eLearning more innovative. Conclusion: Innovate More With These Tools Innovative eLearning is the kind that breaks the mold or rethinks traditional design for the purpose of improving the eLearning experience. I have mentioned a few tools here that can help you take your first steps toward creating more innovative eLearning. Try them out, and if you have any other tools you recommend, share your experiences in the comments section below. Stay on top of the latest eLearning ideas, trends, and technologies by subscribing to the Elucidat weekly newsletter. The post 5 Tools To Help You Create Innovative eLearning That Keeps Learners Engaged appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Elearning Superstars is a curated list of inspiring elearning examples, published every Tuesday. Subscribe to get weekly updates via email. This week we have some great elearning by Jurys Inn, Vaillant, and Titleist. Showcase your elearning: Have you created a great piece of elearning that you’re really proud of? Showcase your elearning here to win awards and get published on Elearning Superstars. Jurys Inn: Learning portal awarded silver in the ‘Best LMS Implementation’ Vaillant Learning Portal: Family business revolutionizes its approach to training with successful blend of elearning Titleist: 716 Irons product training The post Elearning inspiration: Jurys Inn, Vaillant, Titleist appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Keeping up with the latest trends and technologies is a must for any elearning professional. We’ve compiled a list of our 10 favorite elearning blogs. Tweet us @elucidat to let us know which one you like the best, or if we’ve missed one from the list. 1) ElearningIndustry.com Christopher Pappas (@cpappas) is the founder of The eLearning Industry’s Network. ElearningIndustry.com is the most reviewed publication in the elearning industry. What we like: Lots of great content. Over 1,200 articles in the last year. Good mix of topics; anything from gamification to elearning trends. Large network of authors. You get lots of different perspectives on the topics covered. Our favorite blog posts from ElearningIndustry.com: 5 Killer Examples of Gamified Elearning Top 8 ELearning and EdTech Trends for 2015 12 Tips To Create Effective eLearning Storyboards 2) The eLearning Coach The eLearning Coach is written by elearning professional Connie Malamed (@elearningcoach). Connie has a Master’s Degree in Instructional Design & Technology and has many years of experience in the elearning industry. In her blog, she shares strategies, content, product reviews, and resources to help you better understand, design, and develop online learning. What we like: Podcasts: Connie produces online podcasts with special guests from the industry. They’re easy to listen to and offer plenty of ideas and tips. Mobile app: Instructional Design Guru is an application available on both Android and Apple devices. The app has over 470 key term definitions that can help enhance your knowledge of instructional design. Our favorite blog posts from The eLearning Coach: Instructional design needs a new name! 8 learning design trends to watch in 2015 Best practices in blended learning 3) E-Learning 24/7 Blog E-Learning 24/7 is written by Craig Weiss (@diegoinstudio). Craig is an elearning analyst, consultant, and advisor who provides services to buyers and suppliers in the elearning industry. In his blog, Craig talks about the truths and realities of elearning with a special focus on Learning Management Systems (LMS). What we like: Many useful articles on Learning Management Systems. Plenty of content and its easy to navigate around. Our favorite blog posts from E-Learning 24/7: Top 10 NextGen LMSs for 2015-16 Top Six E-Learning Tools for 2015 Creating an E-Learning Strategy That Works 4) E-Learning Provocateur Ryan Tracey (@ryantracey), an elearning manager from Australia, is the founder of E-learning Provocateur. Ryan holds a Master’s degree in Learning Sciences and Technology and is the Editorial Board Member for eLearn Magazine. His blog "provokes deeper thinking" in the elearning space. What we like: Honest and personal. Ryan shares his personal opinions on a variety of hot elearning topics. Our favorite blog posts from E-Learning Provocateur: The dark side of gamification A framework for content curation 5 papers every learning professional should read 5) Technology Enhanced Learning Blog David Hopkins (@hopkinsdavid), an elearning consultant from the UK, writes the Technology Enhanced Learning Blog. He is the author of three elearning books, including The Really Useful #EdTechBook. In his blog, he shares his thoughts and experiences with using technology in higher education. What we like: Regularly updated with new ideas and opinions. Educational content with a personal touch. Information about the learning conferences he attends. Our favorite blog posts from Technology Enhanced learning Blog: How Twitter can be used for informal personal learning? What makes a good online learning experience? How do you measure the ‘success’ of a MOOC? 6) Jane Hart’s blog on modernizing workplace learning Jane Hart (@c4lpt) is a well-regarded international speaker and writer on modern approaches to workplace learning. She’s been advising businesses for over 20 years and is currently focusing on new ways to approach workplace learning. Jane Hart’s blog on modernizing workplace learning is one of the most socially shared learning and development blogs in the world. What we like: Huge database of articles on all kinds of learning topics. Clean, crisp, and easy to read. "Top 100 tools for learning" is a great resource that is updated every year. Our favorite blog posts from Jane hart’s Blog: The difference between social learning and social collaboration The Modern Workplace Learning Landscape: more than telling people what to learn From "knowledge worker" to "learning worker": what this means for an organization 7) E-Learning Acupuncture The E-Learning Acupuncture Blog is written by Eric Tremblay (@elearn4u). Eric shares his experiences and random thoughts about elearning, distance education, and educational technology.  What we like: Valuable content on higher education elearning. Our favorite blog posts from E-Learning Acupuncture Blog: Active learning in the online classroom: examples and ideas How to deal with the overloaded SME Do you answer email? Student academic question in online courses 8) Cathy Moore Cathy Moore (@catmoore) writes a blog called Let’s save the world from boring training. Cathy is an internationally recognized training designer. She shares her ideas and experience to help her readers develop action-packed learning materials for working adults. What we like: Cathy’s ideas challenge readers. Large database of elearning content and samples. Our favorite blog posts from Cathy Moore: How to respond to learning-style believers Don’t fall for these adult learning myths Training design books and how-to information 9) Bozarthzone Bozarthzone, by Jane Bozarth (@janebozarth), is a blog that shares ideas on how to create and outsource inexpensive elearning solutions. Jane is an experienced elearning and instructional design professional. What we like: Jane’s been blogging for over 10 years. Her blog posts are informative and easy to read. Elearning expert - popular conference speaker at learning events all over North America. Monthly "Nuts and Bolts" segment in Learning Solutions Magazine. Our favorite blog posts from Bozarthzone: Social Media for Learning, Part 1: Extending, Including, Supporting Causing Serendipity What Does Learning Look Like? This. 10) Allison Rossett Dr. Allison Rossett’s (@arossett) consults in the learning and technology industries. Allison draws on her many years experience to fresh elearning ideas, trends and interviews. She currently serves on the Board for the Elearning Guild and Chief Learning Officer magazine. What we like: A number of publications by Dr. Allison Rossett are available on the blog. Blog articles are very thorough and informative. Our favorite blog posts from Dr. Allison Rossett’s Blog: Trending in Workplace Learning 2015… Invisibilizing Workplace Learning The Future of Learning Technology Keep up with the latest trends and technologies by following our 10 favorite elearning blogsClick To Tweet The post Top 10 Elearning Blogs: Follow these blogs for fresh elearning ideas appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Gamification in elearning enables learners to rehearse real-life scenarios and challenges in a safe environment. Here are seven of our favorite gamified elearning examples. Duolingo: Reinventing language elearning on an epic scale Duolingo is a language learning platform used by more than 70 million people worldwide. Gamification has been built into every lesson to make learning another language fun and addictive. Gamification features: Currency (lingot) that can be earned through a variety of activities. Point systems and leaderboards. A trumpet fanfare marks the end of each successfully-completed round, providing a sense of accomplishment. Each stage becomes live when you complete the previous level. Invite friends through Facebook to collaborate with and/or compete against. Voting: Users can vote on the best translations submitted by other users. Learn more about Duolingo’s elearning experience  McDonalds: Till training game City & Guilds Kineo and McDonald’s have joined forced to create a till (cash register) training game that is addictive, purposeful, and fun. The game uses a simulation of the new till system to test learners on how they deliver the customer experience. Gamification features: Very realistic simulation of the new till system presented in a gaming-style environment. Built-in systems for scoring, leveling up, bonuses, lifelines, and challenges. Sound effects and customer voices. Dynamic feedback - the choices the learner makes are evaluated in real time. Learners know every decision is important. Read about the cash register training game developed by City & Guilds Kineo and McDonald’s LIFESAVER: Crisis Simulator LIFESAVER is a simulator that uses interactivity and live-action film to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). It’s free and available on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Gamification features: Game-based and experiential design. Timed decision-making activities. Strong storyboarding and scripting. Real time game-style progress stats and points. Formative feedback at each decision level. Learn more about the Crisis Simulator, developed by Unit9 Production. City Witness: Medieval Swansea Medieval Swansea is an interactive historical game that enables learners to take on the role of detective to solve a mystery. Gamification features: Scenario driven by interactive challenges and quests. Story-based. Narrative stages and character witnesses. Progression - a dynamic map shows player-learners what stage they are at and what’s left to do. Dynamic polling. Vote on solving the mystery and see how other players are voting. Opportunities to gather points and bonuses, unlocking the next stage. Read more about this elearning example, developed by Make Sense Design and City Witness Train4TradeSkills: Virtual Reality House The Virtual Reality House allows trainees, such as plumbers, to practice their skills in a fully immersive virtual reality simulation. This provides a safe environment to learn and build confidence before entering the profession in the real world. Gamification features: Full simulation virtual reality environment. Scenario-based approach makes the training very realistic. Learn by "doing". Step-by-step training process - planning, costing, and installation. Gaming style hand-held console/nunchuck is available that works wirelessly with the online system to improve the virtual experience. Learn more about the Virtual Reality House Heineken: Capability Academy Not satisfied with gamified elearning alone, Heineken has created a real physical board game to go with its blended solution from Brightwave. Gamification features: Progression - A tube-type map keeps play-learners abreast of their progress and shows them where they are headed. A dynamic leaderboard shows how you and others are doing. Compete with others and show off your success. Learners answer questions in challenges to earn points Earn points as you progress through the learning to climb the leaderboard. Top scoring learners or teams earn prizes. The system provides feedback for challenges taken and gives an overall ranking in terms of real competencies. Find out more about Heineken’s "Capability Academy" game Noble Prize: The Blood Typing Game Nobel Media uses gamification to apply a consequence-style feedback approach to The Blood Typing Game. For example, if you get the blood transfusion wrong, your patient will react badly! This consequence-style approach is a fun and effective way to learn. Gamification features: Plenty of interactions - drag and drop with the mouse, click to test, etc. User-driven - you can select routes through the tasks, retake tasks and pause to go to the tutorials to swot up before continuing. Good use of sound effects, which add to the experience rather than being a distraction. Learn more about the blood typing game produced by Nobel Media 7 innovative ways to use gamification in your elearningClick To Tweet This article was originally published on Elearning Superstars. The post 7 innovative ways to use gamification in your elearning appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Elearning Superstars is a curated list of inspiring elearning examples, published every Tuesday. Subscribe to get weekly updates via email. This week we have some great elearning by The Royal Yachting Association, Thresh Indian Dance, and Open University. Showcase your elearning: Have you created a great piece of elearning that you’re really proud of? Showcase your elearning here to win awards and get published on Elearning Superstars. The Royal Yachting Association: Short Range Certificate won two Gold awards at the E-Learning Awards 2014 Thresh: Dancing for the Gods is an interactive website dedicated to India’s oldest and most-loved classical dance forms Open University: To Lie Or Not To Lie invites users to think about their moral responses to different types of lies Draw inspiration from these product training examples (Levi’s, MeterPro, Titleist) The best elearning examples from September 2015 The post Elearning inspiration: The Royal Yachting Association, Thresh Indian Dance, Open University appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Stuck for elearning ideas on how to design your elearning course? Let’s revisit some old principles of Instructional Design and draw inspiration from my favorite elearning examples. When I started out in elearning, someone passed me Gagné’s book, which outlines nine principles for designing instruction. Through the course of my career, I’ve regularly revisited these nine steps to double-check my course designs. I find it a great place to start to think differently about my elearning and get new elearning ideas. In this article, I’ll break down the nine steps and look at how you can apply them to your elearning course. 1. Grab attention First impressions are lasting. Catching your learners’ attention is crucial for keeping them engaged. Think about how movies, stories, and books often begin with something really compelling. You can apply this principle to the design of your elearning course in a number of ways. Here are some techniques to get you started: Consider opening your course with a "splash" animation or a short video to introduce the subject. Pose a thought-provoking question connected to the topic. Tell a story that resonates with your audience. State a surprising fact that will provoke interest and a desire to learn more. Stuck for ideas? Draw inspiration from these examples: Mi Vida Loca: BBC helps you learn Spanish with interactive TV mini series Broken Co-worker: A great example for its creative use of video, interactive scenarios and comic book elearning 2. Set objective(s) Frame the objectives within a context that your learners can understand and identify with. There are two ways you can do this: Firstly, you can set out objectives as questions by inviting the learner to reflect. For example, "How can you identify potential breaches of information security?" or "What would you do if your identity were stolen?" Or you can set out objectives as a challenge. For example, "Your task is to identify potential data breaches and to prevent Mr. Jones’s identity being stolen!" Explain objectives in terms of what the learner can get out of the course. Always make it about what’s in it for them. Here is a couple of great examples of elearning with clear objectives: Information Security Best Practices BBC: Finance for Non-Financial Managers 3. Stimulate prior knowledge Encourage learners to apply knowledge and skills they already have by designing activities within their frame of reference. If you build on what they already know, they are in a better position to retain new information or skills presented. For example, imagine you are developing a course on information security compliance. If your learners are sales people, you should make the scenario about the consequences of losing customer data. This makes the information relevant to them. Or, let’s say the elearning course is for your contact center staff; make the scenario about the consequences for them if their personal data were to be stolen. Here are some ideas to help you implement this design principle: Set a quiz, placement test, or pre-test at the start of the elearning course to test your learners’ prior knowledge. Help learners to build on that baseline of knowledge. Present a difficult problem for your learners to solve. Then, as their existing knowledge isn’t adequate to solve the problem, present new information and skills in the context of the problem. This makes the new information relevant to the learner. Stuck for ideas? Draw inspiration from these examples: Filtered: Personalized online training aimed specifically at knowledge workers Duolingo: Reinventing language learning on an epic scale 4. Present information Elearning isn’t the same as learning from a hardcover book. People find reading lots of text on a screen difficult, so it’s important to get creative. Here are some innovative ways to get creative with your elearning: Storytelling Work course content into a narrative that your learners can relate to. Think about the characters in the narrative: Do they do a similar job to your learners? Do they face the same problems and issues? How can you demonstrate solutions and good practice through telling their stories? Take a look at these great examples to help stimulate your storytelling creativity: Medieval Swansea: City Witness use storytelling in an interactive elearning game US Army: Overcome cultural differences as a US Army sergeant in Afghanistan Gamification Pepper your elearning with challenges, rewards, and other gaming elements. Read this article to discover more about what makes good gamified elearning. Draw inspiration from these examples: Heineken: Capability Academy Connect Group: The Golden Rules Interactive Video Use video to set challenges and to present feedback and information. Consider using it in your branching scenarios. Here are some interactive video examples to give you inspiration: Lost IPO’s: Scenario-based elearning with interactive video LIFESAVER: A ‘crisis simulator’ teaching CPR in a new way Utility Warehouse: New starter training 5. Guide learners Include support for your learners. Try some of these techniques: Hints and tips. If something needs further explanation, place clickable elements on the screen to help learners understand concepts. Permanent navigation. Make sure that your navigational elements are clearly separate from your content. For example, "back", "next", and "more" buttons should be clearly separate from your content. Use a "home" button or a menu that gives learners a way to get back to the course contents from wherever they are. Progress indicators. Provide learners with a way to see how far they are through the course. This can be a simple progress bar or a dynamic menu that shows which topic or screen the learner is on. Draw inspiration from this example: EF Education First: Englishtown is an online English course 6. Elicit performance Encourage your learners to apply their skills and knowledge quickly. Don’t rely on an overwhelming end-of-course test. Provide simulations. The best way to get learners to practice is to provide a "safe" environment for them to make mistakes. Simulation elearning gives learners a way to quickly learn by doing. Check their knowledge. Build in questions throughout the course. Quick tests help break up the content and give learners ways to apply what they’ve learned and to get feedback on how they are doing. Draw inspiration from this example: Train4TradeSkills: Virtual Reality House 7. Provide feedback At regular intervals, break up your content with activities that offer feedback on how your learners are doing. Try some of the following techniques: Branching navigation. Pose a challenge to your learners, with real consequences. For example, if they choose one solution, the course takes them in one direction with one set of results. If they choose another solution, they go in another direction. Second attempt. When learners answer incorrectly, give them a hint and allow a second attempt. Provide the correct answer and explanation. This gives learners a chance to learn from their errors. Here is a great example of elearning that provides feedback to learners: Family of Heroes: see situations from one another’s perspective 8. Assess performance Provide an offline activity or an online assessment to measure the learners’ performance against the objectives of the course. But, be sure that you don’t include any new information or skills that were not covered in the course. Related: Codecademy does a great job of assessing performances via online assessments. 9. Enhance retention and transfer You will need to think outside of the elearning course for techniques to enhance retention. Consider the following techniques: Offline activities. Provide practice activities that learners can apply in their job roles. Make sure you prepare managers to work with them so they can provide on-the-job feedback and support. Set up cohort forums. Create a forum or online group for the people who take your course to continue asking questions and discussing the topics. Job aids. Checklists or quick-reference documents can be used to outline the key take-always. Learners love these resources because they can easily refer back to them in the future. Draw inspiration from this example: IPA: Foundation Certification in Advertising Stay on top of the latest elearning ideas, trends, and technologies by subscribing to the Elucidat weekly newsletter. The post Stuck For Elearning Ideas? Learn How To Think Differently About Your Elearning appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

The most challenging relationships in your elearning team will no doubt be with your busy Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Here are five articles with some great ideas to help you better manage your working relationships with SMEs. Shauna LeBlanc Vaughan: Words matter: 3 words to avoid when consulting with Subject Matter Experts When consulting with Subject Matter Experts, it’s best not to use words like "you", "no" and "problem/issue". Instead, try using more positive and productive dialog in your communications. In this article, Shauna provides some alternatives words and explains how they can improve the elearning your team is creating. Read more about Shauna’s three words to avoid Christopher Pappas: Working with Subject Matter Experts: The ultimate guide In this article,  Christopher Pappas shares several key points on how to build a respectful working relationship with SMEs. Applying a few of his tips will help facilitate your elearning design and development process. He also discusses why he believes "Active Listening" is the number one skill required to work smoothly with SMEs. Read The Ultimate Guide on working with SMEs Brent Schlenker: Subject Matter Experts: The heroes of the training world The perfect learning ecosystem involves a strong relationship between learning professionals, SMEs, and learners. In this article, Brent explains why your success as an elearning developer is tied directly to the SMEs willingness and ability to share what they know. Therefore, take the time to engage, interact and build that relationship early on. Learn more about why Brent thinks SME’s are the heroes of the training world Steve Penfold: Poor management of Subject Matter Experts is slowing down your elearning production process In this article, Steve Penfold shows you how to manage SMEs so you never miss another deadline. Learn how to better manage your SMEs Li Whybrow: Are Subject Matter Experts Slowing Down Your Elearning Production Process? Are your Subject Matter Experts slowing you down? In this article, Li shares ideas on how to speed up projects by involving SMEs throughout the entire elearning development process. Read Li’s tips on speeding up the elearning development process   Are your SMEs slowing you down? Here are 5 ideas to help you work effectively with SMEsClick To Tweet   The post 5 experts share ideas on how to work effectively with SMEs appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Here are three elearning examples that have been developed using our Elucidat authoring tool. Draw inspiration from these examples and contact us to learn how Elucidat can help you create something similar. Titleist: 716 Irons Product Training This product training program from Titleist was developed in Elucidat by Learning Evolution. It helped to launch five new product categories in the Titleist Iron Clubs range. The training explains the features of each club and shows how the clubs can give you more distance. Features: Creative design-led program that mixes web design elements to create visually vibrant elearning. Easy to use and not over-engineered. It’s a simple solution that’s fits it’s purpose. Good use of interactive questions at key points to pose knowledge challenges about the content. Good use of high-end, bespoke imagery in the backgrounds and content. Read more: Titleist: 716 Irons Product Training Open University: Choose Health This interactive module uses fictional case studies to raise questions about what good healthcare is. The elearning was created in Elucidat by Made Sense Design. Features: Strong visual design has good proximity of content and uses contrast well. One page layout with scrolling navigation structure is designed for tablets to enable a visual journey. Multi-device capability: tablets, phones, desktops. Good mixture of media with use of illustrations and photographic imagery. Interactive case studies set out the issues and invite the learner to explore a range of solutions, each leading to the next part of the story. Read more: Open University: Choose Health City Witness: Medieval Swansea Medieval Swansea is an interactive historical game that enables learners to take on the role of detective to solve a mystery. This elearning was created in Elucidat by Make Sense Design. Features: Works well on all platforms and devices. Fully responsive with great displays. Interactive challenges take learners on quests to solve a medieval mystery. Progression - a dynamic map shows learners what stage they are at and what’s left to do. Continuous feedback available at each stage of the investigation. Dynamic polling. Vote on solving the mystery and see how other players are voting. Effective use of a scoring system. Many opportunities to gather points and bonuses to unlock the next stage. Read more: Medieval Swansea: City Witness use Elucidat to develop an interactive game Three inspiring elearning examples made with ElucidatClick To Tweet   The post Titleist, Medieval Swansea, and Open University used Elucidat to create these elearning courses appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Levi’s, MeterPro, and Titleist have pushed the barriers to create some innovative product training elearning. Their employees have benefited from the hands-on interaction and gamification features that were built into the product training experience. Levi’s: Lost in Denim (customer care elearning) This example from Levi’s integrates elearning and learning management systems. This allows staff to take a realistic journey through the world of Levi Strauss. Key product training features include: Scenario-driven. Learners are challenged to respond to different situations within their day-to-day roles and given the opportunity to make mistakes in a safe environment. Quizzes with feedback to see how their decisions affect customer interactions. 11 different language versions available for staff in 21 countries Learn more about Levi’s product training elearning MeterPro: Product Training Developed by Brightwave, this elearning example is a training tool to support Alere’s testing platform, meterPro. This elearning uses scenarios and hands-on activities to increase speed to competency.  Other features include: Functionality to learn about the product and practice common procedures in a risk-free environment. Multi functional - good for both Alere staff and customer education. Allows sales staff to support customers and demonstrate the benefits and simplicity without handling an actual unit. Read more about the meterPro elearning example developed by Brightwave. Titleist: 716 Irons Product Training This product training program was developed in conjunction with the launch of five new product categories in the Titleist Iron Clubs range. The training explains the features of the clubs and why they will give you more distance with the most forgiveness. Key features of this elearning include: Creative design-led programme, mixing design elements from the web to create visually vibrant elearning Easy to use and not over-engineered: a simple solution that’s fit for purpose Good use of interactive questions at key points to pose knowledge challenges about the content Read more on Titleist’s elearning developed by Learning Evolution Product training: 3 creative elearning examples from Levi’s, MeterPro, TitleistClick To Tweet The post Product training: 3 creative elearning examples from Levi’s, MeterPro, Titleist appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Elearning Superstars is a curated list of inspiring elearning examples, published every Tuesday. Subscribe to get weekly updates via email. This week we have some great elearning by Sponge UK and City & Guilds Kineo. We also compiled a list of six MOOC examples from companies that are disrupting traditional learning platforms. Showcase your elearning: Have you created a great piece of elearning that you’re really proud of? Showcase your elearning here to win awards and get published on Elearning Superstars. Sponge UK: "1st Past The Post" Election Game City & Guilds Kineo: EssentialsPlus is an off-the-shelf elearning solution 6 examples of how MOOCs are changing the the way learning is being delivered to students The post Elearning inspiration: Sponge UK, City & Guilds Kineo, and MOOCs appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Seven learning professionals share some great ideas on how to create effective blended learning. Roberta Gogos: Why Blended Learning Is Better In this article, Roberta compares blended learning to classroom learning and elearning. She discusses how choosing a blended strategy may offer many advantages including a more engaged learner. Read more: Why Blended Learning Is Better Christopher Pappas: 7 Tips To Create an Effective Blended eLearning Strategy Blended elearning integrates both synchronous and asynchronous design strategies. These strategies can offer your learners a diverse and effective elearning experience. In this article, Christopher shares his ideas on how to create an effective blended elearning strategy. Read more: 7 Tips To Create an Effective Blended eLearning Strategy John O’Brien: Blended Learning 2.0 John discusses blended learning in the present day or what he calls "Blend 2.0." This type of learning incorporates emerging web technologies with instructor-led or classroom training. Read more: Blended Learning 2.0 Mark Rose: Why Blended Learning Is Ultimately Best For Corporate Training There are many benefits to using a blended learning approach for corporate training. Mark explains why blended learning is best for corporate training. Read more: Why Blended Learning Is Ultimately Best For Corporate Training Arunima Majumdar: 5 Common Problems Of Organizational Blended Learning And How To Overcome Them There are five common problems when implementing blended learning solutions. Arunima explains these issues and provides a number of ways you can overcome them. Read more: 5 Common Problems Of Organizational Blended Learning And How To Overcome Them   Elham Arabi: Using Learning Activities to Optimize Blended Learning Elham provides some tips and strategies on how to use blended learning in your everyday learning activities. Read more: Using Learning Activities to Optimize Blended Learning   Pinelopi Zaka: Blended elearning - An ecological framework Pinelopi Zaka shares her investigation into how blended teaching and learning is implemented in schools. Watch the video:   7 ideas to help you create effective blended learningClick To Tweet   The post 7 ideas to help you create effective blended learning appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

You don’t have to be in the defense industry to benefit from simulation-based elearning. In this article, Li Whybrow looks at three companies that are applying simulation-based elearning to achieve very different training outcomes. Draw inspiration from these three simulation-based elearning examples For some time, the bread and butter staple for elearning agencies involved converting people’s classroom training into elearning. But, this missed the true potential of this powerful learning tool. When I started out as an instructional designer, I recognized that computer-based training provided the solution to the very thing that was missing in the classroom: a space for individuals to practice skills and knowledge in a safe environment. When simulated practice was first introduced into elearning, it offered a game changer for many innovative organizations that looked to improve the performance of their team. Let’s take a look at three examples of simulation elearning from three different sectors: healthcare, skills, and financial. I’ll show you how these organisations collaborate with elearning providers and use new technologies to bring innovative learning solutions to their audiences. 1. AIIMS uses video-based simulation in their surgical training (Healthcare) The All India Institute of Medical Sciences set out to train surgeons in a complex surgical procedure - Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting - by encouraging learners to explore an experimental approach in a risk-free environment. They created web-based elearning solution, featuring a video of the actual surgery, shot using a head-mounted camera in the operating room, and covering a series of surgical procedures. The video serves both as a reference point in creating the training and as a valuable asset in the training itself. The elearning product comprises realistic 2D and 3D simulations with a ‘Show Me’ option that lets learners view an animated demonstration of each step in the procedure. A ‘Try Me’ option allows them to select the right surgical tools and to perform the surgical procedures. Guided hints help learners rectify mistakes and provide them with feedback. Visit Elearning Superstars: AIIMS’s simulated surgical training 2. Train4TradeSkills uses virtual reality to teach trade trainees (Skills) The Virtual Reality House gives trade trainees, such as plumbers, a virtual place to practice their skills in a ‘walled garden’ setting. It provides a safe environment to make mistakes and build confidence and competence before embarking on the workshop-based practical training element of their course. The instructional approach is built on the premise that the more practice you have, the more confident you become. The elearning provider’s own i3D engine is built on the Unity 3D framework. It allows rapid development of simulated interactive training scenarios that are cross-platform compatible. The elearning can be run from most machines including standard desktop Mac and Windows systems and hand-held mobile devices. The modular design of the elearning makes it easy to scale courses and to tailor them to the requirements of the end users. The complexity of the scenario can be altered for beginners and advanced learners (think changing a washer to installing a whole plumbing system). This flexible, non-linear instructional design and engineering solution lets learners create their own learning pathways. But the real innovation is the simulated environment in which learners can test solutions safely and go back and fix any faults. Visit Elearning Superstars: Train4TradeSkills’s Virtual Reality House 3. Llyods Banking Group uses integrated systems software training in their induction program (Financial) Lloyds Bank’s induction program is a superb example of how vendors can work together in partnership to create a really innovative elearning solution. Elearning agency Brightwave and simulation software provider Assima worked on this induction program for the banking firm Lloyds Banking Group. When contact center staff begin their careers with the bank, there is a need to spend a long time getting to know the system that the organization uses for handling customer calls. Staff must understand the complexity of the regulations and good practice regarding handling sensitive customer data and verification of customers. This can’t be done using live customer data, so Assima provided a fully simulated ‘clone’ of the system using synthetic data provided by the LBG. This was integrated into Brightwave’s elearning software to create a rich, scenario driven, learning programme. Visit Elearning Superstars: Lloyds Bank induction program Stay on top of the latest elearning ideas, trends, and technologies by subscribing to the Elucidat weekly newsletter. The post Simulation-based elearning: Three companies that have applied elearning in very different ways. appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

New technologies are changing the way you deliver learning. In this article, Steve Penfold reviews five leading elearning authoring tools. Compare each tool based on ease of use, themes and designs, feature set, and price. I think it’s fair to say that no one, not even professional elearning development houses, creates elearning without the use of authoring tools these days. More sophisticated shops might have created their own bespoke authoring tools to help them build their special brand of magic more quickly, but even these will fall back to commercially available tools when the job calls for it. But which of these commercially available elearning authoring tools is best? I think you already know the answer to that. It depends. Things like the platforms you want to publish to, how much you’re prepared to spend, how much technical expertise you have, how quickly you need to develop your courseware, and whether you need to do something a bit tricky—like animating objects around the screen—will inform your decision. Let’s review five elearning authoring tools and comment on each in respect to their: Ease of use Themes and design Best features and benefits Pricing and plans 1. Elucidat Elucidat is a web-based product that uses a themed page-template editor that is pretty straight-forward to use. For most users it’s a simple matter of selecting a look and feel theme, then choosing a sequence of page types (e.g., hotspot, drag and drop, sequence builds, text and graphic…) that you want to house your content. In its simplest form, you just have to add text and media to the pages. Any interactivity associated with a particular page type is pre-built into it, so there’s no coding to do, although some page types may require you to make a few simple adjustments via the friendly user interface to customize how an interaction behaves (e.g., specifying where, and how big, you want hotspots to be.) Themes and designs Out of the box, Elucidat has dozens of themes to choose from. A theme in Elucidat is a color-branded set of interactive screen types, a bit like souped-up PowerPoint slide masters and layouts. You can easily make your own color adjustments to most aspects of them. For the more technically savvy, entirely new themes (including completely customized interactivity types) can be created using HTML, CSS, and Javascript via the built-in HTML editor. The Elucidat Youtube channel has lots of information and tutorials on themes and tweaking page types. Best features and benefits Very easy to use for non-technical content authors but can be heavily customized by techies. Teams can be restricted to certain themes for consistent look and feel. Responsive output (content adjusts to different screen sizes) is easy to control. Role-based collaboration allows authors and reviewers to work together over the web. Built-in image library. Built-in badge assignment can be easily implemented based on user progress/activity. Pricing and plans $2,400 USD per year 14 day free trial 2. Adobe Captivate (v9) Captivate is a desktop application available for both Windows and Mac. It’s one of the most powerful authoring tools in this list, but it comes with a steeper learning curve. That said, you don’t have to have significant technical ability to create some very clever interactivity. Most of the ‘scripting’ happens via a wizard-style interface that guides you through the process by allowing you to make selections from provided lists of commands. This Lynda excerpt gives a pretty good example. Themes and designs Captivate doesn’t have many themes to choose from by default, but you have easy and powerful customization options for the ones that are there, and you can create your own from the ground up. Conceptually, the themes are similar to PowerPoint, with color palettes and slide masters defining the look and feel. Because Captivate is a desktop application, sharing themes and master slides to ensure consistency across multiple projects or installations on other computers can be a bit tricky and is a manual process. Best features and benefits Powerful responsive output options. Output can be location aware, i.e., you can hook into a device’s geo-location capability. Interactivity in the output can recognize common mobile-device gestures (e.g., pinch and zoom, swipe.) Accelerometer based interaction types. Very powerful action (scripting) capability. Define groups of actions that can be shared on multiple objects. Pricing and plans $1,099 USD lifetime license 30 day free trial 3. Articulate Storyline (v2) Articulate Storyline is a Windows desktop application that leverages a PowerPoint look and feel. It has a modest learning curve considering the flexibility that it offers—especially if you know your way around PowerPoint. There’s a very active and welcoming online community for Storyline. If something can be done, you’ll quickly find someone to tell you how—either an Articulate employee or an enthusiast. Themes and designs Like PowerPoint, general page themes are controlled via the project colors and slide masters, but these can be changed at will and on a page-by-page basis by the author. This makes it very flexible, but a bit tricky to control consistent branding over multiple courses and Storyline installations. Most end-user interactivity is achieved through the use of triggers, which fire when a screen object is tapped, clicked, rolled-over, etc. When one of these user-actions is detected, other screen objects can be shown or hidden, auto page navigations can be invoked, variables can be adjusted, or media can be started/paused. No coding is required, with these authoring actions being entered via a friendly selection interface. Here’s a good overview video that shows what’s possible. Best features and benefits Very active online community. Reasonably powerful show me/try me/test me software simulation elearning capability. Good flexibility and power for the modest learning curve. Output will run on desktop, Android, and iOS devices, but it isn’t responsive—it just shrinks the screen. Pricing and plans $1,398 USD per perpetual license 30 day free trial There’s often a bonus on offer. At the time of writing, a license comes with eight character packs (each high-quality character in 145 poses), and Articulate Replay, which enables you to create screencasts that combine your screen and webcam. 4. SHIFT SHIFT is a web-based elearning authoring tool that doesn’t seem quite as intuitive as some of the others in this list—at least to me. It’s not hard, but might take a little bit of getting used to, especially if you’re new to these types of tools. It does have some really powerful features and integrated tools, however. There’s a series of videos on Vimeo about various aspects of SHIFT, but this one gives a good overview. Themes and designs SHIFT allows you to build up courses in a Unit > Topic > Screen hierarchy, where the screens can be one of around 250 different layouts. Each layout is responsive and has any interactivity (e.g., hotspot, drag and drop, photo carousel…) built in. Like most of the other template-based tools in the list, you’re shielded from any scripting, but that means that you generally have to use the functionality that’s provided in the layouts as is. One differentiator is SHIFT’s lip-synched avatars. The gender- and ethnically-diverse avatars use a text-to-speech generator, and lip-synch and move to your supplied text. The text-to-speech voices aren’t too bad, and the avatars are photo-realish, but purists may prefer live-actor video. The upside of the avatars is that if you need to change something after the production’s finished, it’s easy to fix, whereas you’d have to reshoot live video. Another design feature that’s a bit unique is a built-in scenario generator that allows you to place and pose avatars in a 2d-world setting and have them enact/demonstrate some interaction. One final built-in design feature is the 20 game templates that allow learners to progress through the game by meaningfully interacting with screen elements (e.g., answer a question correctly.) A bit like the avatars, this could be a great feature depending on your needs, but could also be a bit cheesy if forced or mismatched to the audience. Best features and benefits Extensive graphics library. Avatars that lip-synch with audio. 2d world simulation creator. Game templates/layouts. Pricing and plans $1,200 USD per year 15 day free trial 5. Lectora Inspire (v12) Lectora is an elder statesman in this arena. It’s been around a long time, with Inspire being version 12. It’s another Windows desktop authoring tool that is quite powerful and assumes that you’ll want to do some scripting to get the most flexible interactivity. Like others of this ilk, it comes with a steeper learning curve than some of the other tools in the list. If you watched the video about Captivate’s actions, you’ll see that Inspire’s are along the same lines. Themes and designs When you start an Inspire project, you’re prompted as to whether you want it to be desktop or mobile. This could be a problem if you want learners to be able to access your content on a wide range of devices. Lectora might have work-arounds that simulate a responsive output, something most of the other tools listed here do automatically, but it would certainly need some Javascript programming and a sound technical knowledge of what Inspire’s doing under the hood to make it happen. Once you choose a platform, you can create a blank project, import from PowerPoint, or use a wizard to create the usual Course > Lesson > Screen hierarchy. Inspire comes with a ton of screen templates that can be tweaked. Some aspects may be changeable via the development interface, but other aspects (e.g., button up and down states) may require you to use a graphics package to replace existing images (this could require some manual file copying.) Inspire also comes with access to additional templates from eLearning Brothers, and it has free bundled graphics libraries from eLearning Brothers, too, that give you a good range of graphic assets. Best features and benefits Flexible scripting capability. Free access to eLearning Brothers graphics libraries. Extended eLearning Brothers screen template library. Bundled with SnagIt and Camtasia for state-of-the-art screen capture. Powerful online reviewer collaboration using ReviewLink (included with one year maintenance contract option.) Pricing and plans $1,595 USD per year 30 day free trial In conclusion There’s a lot of overlap in the functionality of the tools shown here, but their nuances and pricing, and your appetite to learn new skills, will determine which one will fill your needs best. Have you investigated other authoring tools that do something different than the ones listed here? Or have you done your own homework and committed to a product? What are your authoring tool experiences? Share them in the comments section below. The post 5 Elearning Authoring Tools: Comparison and Review appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Measuring training is hard. In this article, Li Whybrow will show you how new technologies can help you measure elearning performance using Kirkpatrick’s four-level evaluation model. The Way You Measure eLearning Performance Is Changing Analyzing the performance of your eLearning will help show that the investment in eLearning is paying off. It’s your job to measure the metrics and interpret the results so you can find ways to improve the performance of your eLearning. Here is how you can measure eLearning performance using Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model. Kirkpatrick’s Training Evaluation Model For over half a century, most learning professionals have measured training using Kirkpatrick’s four-level evaluation model: In summary, the four levels are: Level 1 measures the reactions of learners: What did they think about the training? Level 2 measures learning: What was increase in knowledge or capability? Level 3 measures behavior: What was the extent of behavior and capability improvement? Level 4 measures results: What was the effect on the business? In The Past… Level 1 was easy to measure. You might be in a classroom or conduct face to face training where the use of a simple survey was a good way to gauge learners’ responses to the training program. But at Level 2 and beyond, evaluation becomes complicated. For years eLearning managers have tried to build evaluation into the eLearning process. Most without much success. But in 2015 you are in luck. New eLearning tools are making it easier than ever to measure Level 2 and beyond. Build Evaluation Into The eLearning Process Organizations can now develop and manage their own eLearning using new eLearning authoring tools. If you’re moving your eLearning in-house, here are some ways to build evaluation into your eLearning roadmap. Level 1: Reactions of students Modern authoring tools have inbuilt analytic tools that help you evaluate learners’ responses to eLearning. For example, you can use Elucidat to quickly create surveys into your design. Use the feedback to evaluate Level 1: Track learners to find areas where you can improve the learning experience. Use this insight to quickly change and test different variations of your eLearning. Share learner tracking data with other software systems. Here’s a quick project analysis screenshot taken inside Elucidat: Level 2: Learning Use pre- and post-tests to evaluate what learners get out of your eLearning. For example, before you start training, create a pre-assessment survey that asks learners to assess their capabilities in relation to the eLearning topic you’re about to teach (on a scale from 1-5). This will provide benchmark data on how well learners think they know the content. After they’ve completed the eLearning, provide a post-assessment survey. Now you can compare the pre-assessment data with post-assessment data to determine if the training had a positive impact. Level 3: Behavior change Level 3 evaluates how much new knowledge or skills a learner has learned and then applied in their role or job. Some behavior change can be quantified. For example, if the training is for customer service, you can measure how many complaint calls are made before and after the training. In other cases, where the behavior change is not easily quantifiable, you need to gather data through observation and analysis. The best way to do this is to have a supervisor or manager work closely with learners to assess their behavior and capabilities both before and after the training. Level 4: Results/effects on the business Level 4 involves evaluating the extent to which the eLearning has contributed to your desired business outcomes. What you are measuring in this stage is the impact of the eLearning, rather than measuring learners’ performance. This takes time, as you won’t necessarily see benefits immediately. If you have brought eLearning design and development in-house, you’ll be in a better position measure this performance metric. For example, you might be able to directly see the impact of the new sales training on the sales figures for the quarter. Final takeaway As the role of learning inside organizations changes, so does the way you evaluate eLearning. With more and more pressure to demonstrate the positive impact eLearning is having on your business, it’s important to use a tool that lets you measure key performance metrics (and Kirkpatrick’s four levels). Stay on top of the latest eLearning ideas, trends, and technologies by subscribing to the Elucidat weekly newsletter. The post How To Measure Elearning Performance: The New Way To Build Evaluation Into Elearning appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Elearning Superstars is a curated list of inspiring elearning examples, published every Tuesday. Subscribe to get weekly updates via email. This week we have some great elearning by Sky UK and Plan International. We also compiled a list of our eight favorite induction training elearning examples. Showcase your elearning: Have you created a great piece of elearning that you’re really proud of? Showcase your elearning here to win awards and get published on Elearning Superstars. Sky’s Global LMS trains 36,000 people Why we like it: Provides an automatic roll out of structured learning plans for each job role within the business. Contains search engine functionality, face to face session workflows and reporting. Looks great on a range of devices. Plan Academy is a learning community created by Plan International Why we like it: Through a partnership with Lingos, it utilizes volunteers from the elearning industry to design and build content. The platform has an inbuilt forum to facilitate discussion. Good demonstration of resource management. You can quickly search and download files such as reports, briefing notes, toolkits, handbooks, job aids etc. 8 induction training examples: Sky, ING Direct, Toyota, and more… Need more inspiration? Head over to Elearning Superstars for more examples of great eLearning programs that are motivating the modern learner. The post Elearning inspiration: Sky’s Global LMS, Plan Academy platform, 8 induction elearning examples appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Here’s a list of the best elearning events and conferences that you should consider attending in 2016. Schedule these into your calendar now so you don’t miss out. 1. Learning Technologies (February 3-4) Learning Technologies is Europe’s leading showcase of technology used to support learning at work. Co-located with Learning & Skills, the showcase will feature 150 free L&D seminars, 250 exhibitors and two exhibition halls packed with the latest learning technologies. Why attend this event: See the latest advances in workplace learning and learning technology Experience how learning technologies are influencing how and what we learn at work Meet the leading learning providers currently shaping the way we learn and develop corporate skills Network with more than 7,500 learning and development professionals Event details: February 3-4, 2016 at Olympia London - London UK FREE exhibition entry - register here Visit LearningTechnologies.co.uk and follow @LT15uk on Twitter 2. Learning Solutions (March 16-18) Learning Solutions 2016 is all about sharing ways you can leverage technology to enhance learning and performance. Choose from over 100 sessions covering elearning best practices, how-tos, case studies, and emerging trends to help you create more engaging and effective learning experiences. Learning & Performance Ecosystem Conference is co-located with Learning Solutions 2016 and features 20+ sessions that dive into four major components: people, processes, content, and technology. Event details: March 16-18th, 2016 at Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista - Orlando, FL USA $1,695.00 - Register here  (Includes Learning & Performance Ecosystem 2016) Visit Learning Solutions Conference website and follow @LSCon on Twitter for more infomation 3. ATD International Conference(May 22-25) ATD 2016 is the premier event for training and development professionals, with more than 10,500 attendees from over 80 countries. Why should you attend: Largest conference in the field providing the most choices for your development 300 top rated educational sessions World-renowned speakers Networking with like-minded peers from around the world World-class expo. Event details: May 22-25th, 2016 at Denver Convention Center, Colorado USA $1,650 - Register here Visit atdconference.org and follow @ATD on Twitter for more information 4. mLearnCon: Mobile Learning Conference (June 8-10) mLearnCon is North America’s leading mobile learning conference and expo. The expo focuses on the growth of mobile technologies and the way these technologies integrate into learning strategies. mLearnCon offers you the proven approaches, relevant information, and knowledgeable community to help you succeed with mobile learning. As a bonus, the Performance Support Symposium will be co-located with mLearnCon. This expo is included in the price but does require a separate registration. Event details: June 8-10th, 2016 at JW Marriott Austin - Austin, Texas USA Registration opening soon (price TBA) Visit mLearnCon and follow @mLearnCon on Twitter for more information 5. Learning Technologies Summer Forum (June 14) The Learning Technologies Summer Forum show is designed to further develop the key learning themes from January’s conference. Explore sessions and new technologies you may have missed in January, as well as new content that will be available at this show. Event details: June 14th, 2016 at Olympia London - London UK FREE exhibition entry - register here Visit LearningTechnologies.co.uk and follow @LT15uk on Twitter for more information 6. DevLearn Conference (September 30 - October 2) If you are responsible for or engaged in the use of learning technologies in your organization, then you need to be at DevLearn. Event details: November 16-18th, 2016 at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Registration opening next year (price TBA) Visit DevLearn and follow @DevLearn on Twitter for more information   6 elearning events you cannot afford to miss in 2016Click To Tweet   The post Elearning Events in 2016: Six events you cannot afford to miss appeared first on Elucidat Blog.

Are you struggling to engage and motivate your learners? Gamification in elearning has been a hot topic in recent years. In this article, Steve Penfold shares four reasons why gamification in elearning is so powerful. We all love games. The feeling of accomplishment, of improving, of beating an opponent, and the feedback and rewards that you get are the sorts of things that keep you coming back for more. Gamification is the application of these same gaming-mechanics to non-game activities, with the aim of getting you to participate and engage in a desired way. For example, think about how frequent flyer programs work. There’s something deep within us that likes to make the progress from silver status to gold status. L & D teams are hooking into this psychology in order to make their initiatives more engaging and effective. Here are five reasons why you should consider using gamification in your elearning. 1. Gamification can motivate learners Sixty two percent of learners indicated that they would be more motivated to learn if leaderboards and colleague competition were elements in their learning. Many elearning tools have now built gamified elements into their platforms. For example, Elucidat let’s build achievements and badges into your elearning to incentivise and motivate learners. Learners are also motivated by competing against themselves. You can motivate learners by asking them to improve on past scores in order to earn a "badge" that indicates progression. 2. Gamification can be used to personalize learning experiences The best games let participants make choices that influence outcomes. In elearning, this can be achieved by giving the learners choices to investigate parts of a course that are most meaningful to them. For example, you can use a branching scenario that enables learners to invoke different outcomes based on the choices they make. These mechanisms make the experience more personal to the learner. This simple Fraud Prevention branching scenario demonstrates what I means. It gives learners the power to control their destiny. 3. Gamification makes it easy to give learners feedback The most engaging games quickly show the consequences of your actions: make a move and you soon know if it was a good one or if you need to take a different approach next time. The ways that a feedback cycle can be implemented are limited only by your imagination (and what your audience needs to learn!), but the engagement principle is the same. Don’t be afraid to stretch learners in the choices they have to make! It’s not bad for learners to make mistakes, as long as your feedback guides them to make better decisions next time. 4. Learners love game-like activities People love to engage with games. In one poll, over 75% of people played online games moderately to fairly often. In fact, 80% of respondents said that they felt they’d be more productive if their university or work environment were more game-like. What is that telling you? Gamification isn’t just about making something fun. Instead, it’s about incentivizing people to engage and actively participate in your learning. In conclusion Games are everywhere. You have likely been motivated by points, badges, leaderboards, and other game mechanics in the past. So why not try using the same powerful levers to motivate your learners towards better learning outcomes? The post Why gamification in elearning is important (4 reasons) appeared first on Elucidat Blog.