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HTML5 Demos from Apple

June 5, 2010 in Development | No comments

If you’re interested in learning more about what HTML5 can do, you should definitely check out the demos Apple just released. (I shared some demos in my article on HTML5 and elearning but these are… let’s say… better curated than most collections.)

Now, Apple did choose to put up a browser sniffer directing you to download Safari if you don’t happen to be using Safari when you visit. I personally think Safari’s worth using for the anti-aliasing alone, but if you just want a casual glance, go to the developer section instead… The demos are easier to get to and most of them work just fine on Firefox.

And authoring tool vendors, please visit the developer section for the code. I would love for someone to make it easy for me to make really pretty HTML stuff. Just sayin’.

3 AM Update: I have no idea why I’m up this late, but I went back to the demos and the site has changed; now there are browser sniffers on each demo in the developer section, in addition to the one blocking the main section. And in all cases, they don’t just warn you that the demos won’t work… they prevent you from seeing the demos unless you’re using Safari. Way to show that HTML5 is a web standard, Apple.

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Beyond the Hype: Understanding HTML5 and its Potential for e-Learning and mLearning

May 31, 2010 in Articles | No comments

Learning Solutions Magazine just published an article I wrote on HTML5’s potential for elearning/mlearning.

Enjoy! And here’s the permalink (requires free subscription to the magazine).

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Lectora Templates for iPad

April 23, 2010 in Big Picture, Design | No comments

In their April 2010 newsletter, Trivantis announced that they are releasing free templates for developing iPad-delivered courses.

Why in the world would they do that?

Because they can.

More thoughts on the future of elearning delivery… and the technology behind it… very, very soon.

Must get done with spring semester first.

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How Would David Mamet Design Elearning?

March 25, 2010 in Design | No comments

It’s not news that drama, risk, and excitement create more memorable learning experiences than just presenting information. But sometimes, I admit, it’s just hard to figure out how to create drama/risk/excitement. Sometimes things just don’t work and I can’t blame it on a stakeholder, because it didn’t work in my head any more than it worked on the screen.

That’s when I turn to games, movies, and TV for inspiration. Personally, I don’t think what makes for good drama in these disciplines is all that different from what creates truly memorable learning experiences. I’ve seen no evidence that people turn off their BS detectors when they sign into the LMS.

Along that train of thought, here’s a letter from David Mamet to the writers of The Unit, about creating good television. Warning: Strong language abounds.

Enjoy.

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What I’m Missing at Learning Solutions, Part 2

March 24, 2010 in Just For Fun | No comments

Jealous! (Did you know that orange was the color symbolizing jealousy in Shakespeare's day?)

I enjoyed peeking in to the #ls2010 backchannel today! And I realized that yesterday I didn’t even mention anything that wasn’t a concurrent session… lots of stuff going on in the ID Zone sounded really cool, too, but I’m way too tired from my week to make this post any bigger than it’s already shaping up to be. I’m kind of glad I didn’t have to decide what to actually go to. Here are my picks for tomorrow…

The Top 10 Must-Do’s for Developing Successful e-Learning Programs – Having spent the last 3 years building an elearning initiative from the ground up, I have to wonder what I missed. There must be something.

Giving Voice to Your e-Learning - Okay, selfish choice. Since I do a little voiceover work on the side, mainly for elearning, I might figure out a few things about how to market my services in this session. :D

Designing Continuous Learning: Leveraging the Power of a Learning Continuum – Again with the movement away from learning “events”…

McGyver e-Learning: Creating e-Learning with Open-source and Common Tools – Even if you weren’t a proponent of open-source tech (which I am, don’t get me wrong), who could resist something called “McGyver e-Learning”?

The Evolving LMS/LCMS:  Their Role in the World of Learning 2.0 and Social Learning – While I’ve heard of several LMS/LCMSs that support social learning, the ones I have the most experience with definitely don’t fall into that category. It would be nice to get more education there.

Rapid Deployment Leveraging Social Networks and Google Wave – Or maybe it would be better to see some concrete tools and examples along the same lines…

Case Study: Converting a Live Workshp to e-Learning – This just sounds good. Lots of us grapple with converting ILT to elearning and the decisions that must be made in that design process; I’m always interested to see how others do it.

Visual Design Essentials: Practical Techniques for Designing Better Online Courses – I had to reread this description before I “got it” that when the writer says “design” he means “visual design”, and that made me chafe a little (that confusion being something that bosses and clients often fall victim to, as well). Having said that, visual design is important and it’s always something I’m up for learning more about… particularly when it relates directly to what I do.

“Don’t Make Me Think”: Creating Effective e-Learning with User Testing – I reread Steve Krug’s book recently because I hope to step up some of our user testing at work; this session would be relevant. And I like that they’re recognizing how relevant web design/development is to elearning design/development…

New Applications for Mobile Games and Simulations – mLearning has never been a huge interest for me, but I’m currently doing some research on HTML5 and therefore wish I could peek into just about every mlearning session I hear about…

When Worlds Collide: Social Media and the Learning Organization – Again, interested in how social media and collaborative tools can affect learning.

Don’t be shy! Tell me what I missed… even if it’s not listed above.

Edit: I have to say (as if there are people out there who are going to get offended) — there are a few sessions that sound really cool, but I might have caught the same speaker doing what sounds like a similar topic at prior conferences. So I pretty much didn’t list those here. No offense! And from the tweets coming in about Michael Allen’s session, I might be wrong about that anyway. Again, wish I were there…

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What I’m Missing at Learning Solutions, Part 1

March 24, 2010 in Just For Fun | No comments

Jealous!

Looking ahead to the conferences happening this summer, the one I’m probably most sorry to be missing is Learning Solutions Conference and Expo 2010.

But just because I can’t go doesn’t mean I can’t window-shop! So, completely ignoring my word count, here are the sessions I would be trying to decide between if I were in Orlando today:

Using Web Analytics to Track the Use of Formal and Informal Learning – Lots of us try to avoid our LMSs, but then we don’t get good tracking on how many customers we’re serving. Analytics could bridge that gap and I do use Google Analytics for websites I manage… but I don’t know a lot about using it inside a company’s intranet, which it seems like you would have to do.

The Role of Standards in Supporting Innovation in e-Learning – This might be a little basic for me, but I’m really interested in the work that LETSI is doing.

Creating Game-like Engagement without a Game Designer’s Budget – I’m a big believer that it’s the creativity behind the game — and the understanding of what makes a game good — that makes it exciting… not the multimedia. It sounds like this session is aimed at the right ideas.

Assessing e-Learning Results: Fundamentals, Myths, and Special Opportunities – I like that Will Thalheimer focuses on research-based solutions, so I tend to be interested in pretty much anything he has to say.

Project Management for Rapid e-Learning Projects – Project management has always been a challenge for me… not so much because I’m bad at it (hopefully), but more because I’d like to be better so that I could spend less time doing it.

Improving Systems Training by Adding Informal Learning – See comments on Will Thalheimer’s session above.

Distributed Learning: Rethinking Design to Encourage Advanced Performance – I’ve spent a lot of effort over the last year trying to change from designing learning “events” to designing solutions that meet learners’ needs over time. Interested in what Clark Quinn has to say on the topic… his perspective is usually a very interesting one.

Creating Media Like a Pro: Tips and Tricks for Audio and Video Development – And as much as I like to contemplate theory and learning strategy, I’m part of a very small shop and that is just getting its feet wet in video development. Some nitty-gritty tips would be good, and I always pick up good stuff from Diane Elkins’s presentations.

Advanced e-Learning Technology Architecture: Moving Beyond Course Delivery – Again, just interested in how technology supports — and limits — learning delivery.

Creating Value in e-Learning Design through Effective Instructional Feedback – I also usually learn a lot from Allen Interactions’ classes and sessions, though this one might not be much that’s new after taking both of their Elearning Instructional Design classes from ASTD.

On the upside, I guess I don’t actually have to decide between these, since I won’t be there. Did you pick any of these? How were they?

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Beth and the Mermaid

March 19, 2010 in Graphic Design | No comments

A quick look at some new images that have come onto the elearning scene recently*:

"The perfect elearning host" according CS. I concur.

Cheers: Cartoon Solutions has released Beth, a smart-looking, non-Barbie™-proportioned character that’s great for learning agents. I have to admit, though I’ve used their art in the past, sometimes I’ve changed the body proportions to be more realistic. The marketing behind Beth shows that Cartoon Solutions is paying attention to its elearning audience.

She's not bad... she's just drawn that way.

Jeers: Trivantis included a — sorry to say — salaciously drawn mermaid in the Lectora X media library. Can’t say I’ll find much use for this in elearning… even if I needed a mermaid, I wouldn’t opt for Jessica Rabbit’s long-lost oceanic kin. And that’s a pity because elearning is Trivantis’s whole business. That being the case, it’s pretty disappointing to find something this off-the-mark. Hat tip: Marc Shecter.

*Wordpress tells me I started this blog post almost three months ago. I haven’t posted it because I’ve had an issue with Lectora X’s media library on my company’s network… not Trivantis’s fault from what I can tell, but it’s taken some time to get resolved, and I wanted to be able to say that in all fairness, the rest of the media library is at least work-appropriate. It is, and otherwise I’m pretty darn keen on Lectora X’s improvements. :)

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Is Your Life Just One Big RPG?

March 1, 2010 in Big Picture | 2 comments

My husband sent this video to me this week: a recording of Carnegie Mellon professor, author, and former Imagineer Jesse Schell talking about the future, game design, Facebook, and lots more at DICE 2010. There are several ID implications here, but one that speaks to me most initially is about motivation.

As a trainer, I often fell for the idea that if I was giving out prizes, trainees would only value them if they were “valuable”. But in fact, mere measurement does change behavior, and the oddest things can motivate us: achievements in WoW (most of which give nothing), virtual prizes (like clipart of a car that I saw one webinar presenter give out this past week), or simply seeing a full row of green checkmarks because we got 100% on a quiz.

There’s lots of stuff to discuss here. Watch. Tell me what you think.

(Alternately, view in parts on YouTube…)

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Trainlets!

February 19, 2010 in Big Picture | 2 comments

because they're short

because they're short. duh.

At KC-ASTD’s tech conference last fall, I attended a session by Sue Maden and Tony Maden on elearning pieces they’ve created at Burns and McDonnell. Some were Flip videos, some were screencasts, and some were interactive. Each took around 2 minutes. The whole point was to access the information just-in-time, so they weren’t serving them through their LMS.

Sound familiar? It did to me… We started doing something similar at my company this past year. We call them “trainlets”, and I’m going to get skewered in #lrnchat for spreading new terminology in our field, but the name has caught fire at my company, unlike “CBTs”.

I didn’t invent the term, but here’s what it means to me:

  • <5 minutes
  • usually not interactive, but can be
  • probably not delivered through the LMS

Are you doing something similar? What do you call them?

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The E-Learning List

November 2, 2009 in resources | No comments

elearninglist I keep seeing a very cool new resource pop up lately: The E-Learning List. It’s a directory of service providers and resources, so for those of you who have services to provide, get your name out there!

(Even if you aren’t full-service, take a look… I don’t freelance for whole elearning development, but I do freelance voice work, so I just signed up in the Voices and Audio Services category. Maybe someone looking on the site will need an American voice at some point.)

And for those of you who buy elearning services, there are some great resources for you,  too… including a guide to buying elearning services and a guide to writing an RFP for elearning. Check it out!

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Free Today – QuizCreator 3.0

September 10, 2009 in Tools | 2 comments

I’ve never used this software, but Free is one of my favorite words, so I’m going to try it out. It looks like this offer is available until 2 AM Central, 9/11/09.

QC_box_120

You have to download and install it before the offer expires, but according to my reading, you will then have a fully-functioning copy of this software. Here are the limitations, from the enclosed README:

1) No free technical support
2) No free upgrades to future versions
3) Strictly non-commercial usage

Read more and download here, then come back and tell me what you think of it!

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Camtasia for Mac is Here!

August 25, 2009 in Tools | 3 comments

I spent some time tooling around with the newly released Camtasia for Mac this evening, so here’s a quick follow up on my August 9 post.

Techsmith did release a comparison chart between Camtasia Studio (for PC) and Camtasia for Mac, and indeed, the Mac version does have fewer features. But it does a great job, it’s fairly intuitive to use, and I like how it integrates existing Mac functionality (such as font selection).

Most disappointing to me is that there is no closed captioning capability at this point. I’m sure Techsmith is going to bring it up to speed, but of course, no one knows when.

I’m thinking about doing a more complete comparison of the new Camtasia for Mac with other Mac screencasting tools… which ones would you like to see compared?

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It’s Official: I’m Not Going to be a Flash Developer When I Grow Up

August 21, 2009 in Development | No comments

I’m baaack!

My summer semester ended yesterday and it inspired the title of this post. I did a credible job (I hope), but studying Flash coding further has reinforced my belief that if you’re going to use advanced tools, you’re so much better off with an expert developer. After all, you wouldn’t want someone who only dabbles in ID to design the course, would you? (Please say no.)

Honestly, I think I have the brainpower to do the coding, I find a certain amount enjoyable, and I think it’s very beneficial for the designer to understand the basics of the development work. But…

1) I’m never going to be as efficient as a dedicated Flash developer, and…

2) Coding all my own designs might make me lazy about their level of interactivity. And that would be bad.

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Camtasia for Mac is (almost) Here!

August 9, 2009 in Tools | No comments

FINALLY! TechSmith announced a couple of days ago that they will soon release Camtasia for Mac. I’m really looking forward to it; I think their products are generally great and I’ve received superb customer service from the company.

Screenshot of the to-come Camtasia for Mac, by TechSmith

Screenshot of the to-come Camtasia for Mac, by TechSmith

I’m curious whether the Mac version will be as full-featured as the Windows one, though… even after the introductory price of $99 expires, a new license for the Mac version will be just $149, compared to $299 for the Windows version.

If the release doesn’t come with a Windows-to-Mac version comparison, I’ll post my own here as soon as I can… and I’ll post thoughts here regardless!

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Learning Objectives and Salsa Dancing

August 7, 2009 in Design | No comments

salsa

Photo: iStockPhoto

On Tuesday night, my husband and I started Salsa dance lessons.

Starting class, the instructors didn’t state learner-focused performance objectives or list the conditions under which we were expected to perform. Instead, they demonstrated what we would (hypothetically) be able to do once we learned the steps. It was enough beyond what we would cover that day to be motivating, but not so advanced as to be demoralizing.

The guidelines IDs use to create objectives help us communicate clearly, but don’t help us motivate our learners. I’m with Michael Allen that we could do better… why not communicate objectives and simultaneously help our learners visualize what they will be able to accomplish, even what they will become, once they finish our training?

IMO, subject matter and delivery method are largely irrelevant; I’ve seen this same technique used in data entry training.

Your thoughts?

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ILT vs. E-Learning… How Much Do Instructional Design Skills Translate?

August 5, 2009 in Design | 8 comments

I have a friend who is looking for an instructional design job. Up to this point in her career, she has only designed instructor-led training, but she feels that her skills and experience will translate directly to e-learning.

I don’t entirely agree, but since more of my experience is in designing e-learning, I don’t feel like I’m the biggest expert on the differences in what we do.

So I’m asking for your help… what do you think?

I understand that this question is full of gray areas, but please pick a side that you agree with more… and if you’re inclined, I’d love for you to leave a comment to explain why! For the purposes of this poll, assume that no e-learning development skills are being considered; just design skills.

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I’m Not a Doctor, But I Play One in Second Life…

July 28, 2009 in Design | 3 comments

I have a list of examples I’ve encountered in which I think that Second Life is truly serving a functional training purpose.

And even though virtual worlds have been one of the biggest buzz items in the T&D world in the last several years, the list is very short. No doubt, part of my reluctance is because as “tech-savvy” as I am, in SL, my virtual clothes still attach to unusual parts of my virtual body.

However.

I’m adding this to my list.

Photo: Imperial College London

Photo: Imperial College London

Obviously, as a sometime patient I want medical professionals to get as much hands-on practice as possible. If it’s preceded by virtual practice, I say so much the better. And though the article doesn’t mention it, I have to think SL could prove a very useful tool for doctors’ continuing education, as well…

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Choose Your Own Adventure

July 13, 2009 in Design | 1 comment

My mind has been on authoring technology lately. Specifically, how do I work around this tool’s shortcomings, or bend this one to my will?

These problems need attention, but it seemed like a good time to balance things out with a little Choose Your Own Adventure.

Choose Your Own Adventure #22, Tattoo of Death!

Choose Your Own Adventure #22, Tattoo of Death!

CYOA, if you’re not familiar, is a series of young-adult adventure books that allow the user learner reader to make decisions for the main character by turning to different pages in the book. Each decision may lead to success… a new decision… or certain death. They’re incredibly engrossing, and they made many a long, childhood car ride bearable for my sister and me.

I use them to illustrate the concept of branching in an ID class I teach; they’re also a great reminder that creating interactivity requires creativity… not necessarily fancy technology.

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3 Things About Storyboarding That You May Not Have Seen

July 9, 2009 in Development | 2 comments

I’ve had a lot of storyboarding inspiration lately…

1) Notebook, purchased at Muji

2) Pretty amazing example, seen at MoMA:

Storyboard for The Civil Wars: A Tree Is Best Measured When It Is Down, an opera by Robert Wilson.

Storyboard for The Civil Wars: A Tree Is Best Measured When It Is Down, an opera by Robert Wilson. (Photo by Scott Unrein)

3) Video on storyboarding, posted on MinuteBio

I’ve been reflecting on how much these notions of storyboarding really relate to e-learning. Most of the e-learning storyboards I’ve seen focus much less on the visual design than these do, and much more on which words need to appear on screen and which words should be spoken.

I generally do the kind of storyboard that just communicates which words the developer needs to put on which screen, but only in “development”, after the interaction itself has been designed through a prototype. That way Word or PowerPoint or whichever tool I’m using doesn’t force me down a completely linear path; the tool has to accommodate the interaction I’ve designed.

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E-Learning Uncovered: Lectora Version 9

July 6, 2009 in Recommendations | 1 comment

I get asked fairly often whether there is a “book or something” on Lectora, particularly from people just starting out with the software. And until now, the pickings have been slim.

lectora_version_9

Thankfully, Diane Elkins and Desirée Ward, two very talented instructional designers*, have recently released E-Learning Uncovered: Lectora Version 9 (also on Amazon).

The book does an excellent job of teaching the software and the underlying concepts, such as inheritance, SCORM and AICC publishing, and how and when to use variables. It includes useful references, such as a guide the elements in the new Flash Media Library (with further examples on their website). And this is all in less than 250 pages.

The book is ideal for beginner to intermediate users, but power users could pick up some good tips, too. Download a free chapter and check out more resources on their website.

* Full disclosure: I’ve worked with them in the past and most likely will again in the future.

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…And Finally, Learning Agents Part 6: Get Your Own (Using Illustrations)

June 30, 2009 in Design | 1 comment

Illustrations deserve their own discussion; they’re my recommendation because they’re highly editable.

Angela, one of our recent stars. $18 for her files and 100% worth it.

Angela, one of our recent stars. $18 for her files and 100% worth it.

You can use clipart (and if you do, check out Tom Kuhlman’s now-classic post on clipart editing). For learning agents, though, one or two on-screen personas get a lot of focus and need to represent a wide range of behaviors, so clipart may not cut it.

For my money/time, I buy pre-made illustrations. The regular stock photo sites have illustrations, but the best collection I’ve found for learning agents is cartoonsolutions.com.

Most of their characters are elearning-appropriate and they come with various poses and mouths (meant to animate speech, but I also use them as facial expressions). I buy Flash versions and use Illustrator to edit them for stills. Add audio from a popular CSR, and you’re golden.

I’m still looking for more collections — any recommendations?

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Learning Agents Part 5: Get Your Own (Using Photos)

June 29, 2009 in Design | No comments

For small shops, part of the difficulty of creating learning agents is developing media. I prefer using still images (photos and illustrations — more on those tomorrow) rather than animations and video.

Stock image from iStockphoto. Or Fotolia.

Stock image from iStockphoto. Or Fotolia.

Some IDs take their own pictures for greater authenticity, sometimes using coworkers. Some avoid this because of the possibility that it will distract learners (and the possibility that someone will leave — or change appearance — and create rework).

If you prefer stock, here are a few sites where you can get suitable images:

1) istockphoto.com, bigstockphoto.com, and fotolia.com have decent collections, often searchable by model so that you can judge whether all poses you need are available. Lots of their images can be found on any of these sites.

2) narratorfiles.com has larger collections of images, more focused on training purposes.

Do you use stock images or take your own? Why? Favorite sources?

Stay tuned: Get Your Own (Using Illustrations)

For small shops, part of the difficulty of creating learning agents is developing media. I prefer using still images (photos and illustrations — more on those tomorrow) rather than animations and video.

Some IDs take their own pictures for greater authenticity, sometimes using coworkers. Some avoid this because of the possibility that it will distract learners (and the possibility that someone will leave — or change appearance — and create rework).

If you prefer stock, here are a few sites where you can get suitable images:

1) istockphoto.com, bigstockphoto.com, and fotolia.com have decent collections, often searchable by model so that you can judge whether all poses you need are available. Lots of their images can be found on any of these sites.

2) narratorfiles.com has larger collections of images, more focused on training purposes.

Do you use stock images or take your own? Why? Favorite sources?



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Learning Agents Part 4: Another Agent to Learn From

June 27, 2009 in Design | 1 comment

When I was a software trainer, the most common question learners asked was how to remove Clippy/Clippit, Microsoft’s annoyingly interruptive Office Assistant. But he had good qualities. Clippy was a help agent; as such, he was designed to respond to the user’s questions and needs. What if our learning agents also acted as portals for help, in addition to making emotional connections as we’ve discussed this week?

learningagent04

Clippy at his best: responding, not interrupting

Thinking about ways to use an interactive learning agent (searching documentation on the intranet, linking to resources inside the course and on the Internet, providing contact with a trainer and help desk), I realized I’ve implemented these in e-learning before — just not using a persona interface. Tom’s comment this week suggested further uses still — exciting ones that probably involve LMS integration, that inspire me to ask:

Without technological barriers, what would you do?

Stay tuned: Get Your Own Learning Agent

~    ~    ~    ~    ~

“Post” script: Many apologies for the feed weirdness this week. I decided to actually go on vacation while I was on vacation, and I forgot to tell my blogging software. Lo siento, je suis désolé, ani mitzta’eret, ich entschuldige mich. (Yes, I’ve decided this paragraph doesn’t count in my word limit.)

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Learning Agents Part 3: Learning Agents, Done Poorly

June 24, 2009 in Design | No comments

Recently I received a sample e-learning course on preparing for a pandemic. It was primarily presentation of factual content, and it included an on-screen, animated agent with voice narration. It’s a counter-example to the one we saw yesterday. Here are the issues I had with it:

  • The narrator introduces the topic but doesn’t reappear after that first screen (within the first lesson), so she doesn’t provide any sense of continuity.
  • She doesn’t have a name or personality, or any emotional impact on the course.
  • The animation doesn’t add anything compared to just using images; in fact it adds movement, which distracts from the onscreen text.

At least it was short. That sounds facetious, but it’s a virtue that many courses don’t have… particularly when they’re showing off cool toys like animated characters.

Stay tuned: Another Agent To Learn From

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Learning Agents Part 2: Learning Agents, Done Well

June 23, 2009 in Design | 6 comments

The best example I’ve seen of a learning agent in action (Course Demo — free account creation required):

learningagent2

The learning agent from Allen Interactions' anti-terrorism course

The course teaches police officers and dispatchers how to identify and respond to terrorism threats. The initial content presentation is made by a learning agent.

Why I think it’s effective:

1) The agent’s appearance and voice are spot-on authentic; I suspect the developers used a real cop. Good call… I couldn’t see a namby-pamby voice talent impressing this audience.

2) Images and narration are used, which are every bit as effective as video, without the hefty bandwidth requirement. Also, making changes will be much easier than with video.

3) Since it feels like we’re in a classroom, the designers gave the agent good presentation skills. It’s not super-thrilling, but he’s not merely reading his slides to us.

Your thoughts? More examples?

Stay tuned: Learning Agents, Done Poorly

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Learning Agents Part 1: Why Learning Agents?

June 22, 2009 in Design | No comments

It seems like I’m seeing more and more courses with learning agents these days, so all this week, I’ll share some examples and thoughts.learningagent1

Learning agents are characters that reside on the screen and deliver course material, much the way an instructor would in instructor-led training.

They can bring life and energy to a dry, boring topic. They can provide an authoritative look and feel when the audience or material calls for it. Or they can provide a “touchstone” and make the course more personal for learners who otherwise may not enjoy computer-based training.

Have you ever taken or created a course with a learning agent? What was the agent’s purpose? Did using it achieve the goal?

Stay tuned: Learning Agents, Done Well

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How Long Does E-Learning Development Take?

June 19, 2009 in Development | 2 comments

Best way I’ve heard to keep from saying it depends: “That’s like asking how much a house costs.”

However, a realtor would be able to estimate that cost for you based on what you want, and an instructional designer should at least have a starting point to do the same. If you don’t, here is a short document created by Karl M. Kapp, EdD and Maria Plano.

howlong-excerpt

An overview, but the whole document is well worth the read.

It shows both 1) how variable the process is based on main factors, and 2) that it’s time-consuming, no matter what. For those reasons alone, it’s a useful place to start for departments just starting their e-learning efforts. In terms of its accuracy… every shop is different, so you tell me! And which other major variables affect your development times?

Props to the Chicago Lectora User Group for posting this resource on their website.

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Maybe if They Changed the Design Template…

June 18, 2009 in Design | No comments

Read: http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/06/study-powerpoint-animations-are-comprehension-killers.ars

First response: Hunh. I’ve taught people to create build-in animations to simplify presentations and increase retention. I’ve created e-learning following the same principles.

stepthreeprofit

Not the presentation used in the study, one hopes

Second response: Why? I enjoy it more when content is presented gradually, but maybe all-at-once presentation forces more “constructivist” activity, causing greater comprehension and retention…? Is this one more thing to file under “learners like it more when they can be lazy, but they learn better when they’re challenged”?

Third response: I’d like to see the presentations used, and I’d like to see more trials with different variables. Not because I question the results, but because it really flies in the face of our “knowledge”.

Fourth response: Considering the number of questions on the assessment (nine), the difference between the two results is not huge. I’m just surprised it wasn’t strongly in favor of build-ins.

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Alice and Kev

June 18, 2009 in Big Picture | No comments

What an interesting blog idea! Start at the beginning — it’s only about 25 posts right now.

alice and kev

Alice and Kev in their park home

aliceandkev.wordpress.com

It seems to me sometimes that the instructional design community has decided that e-learning is good for knowledge transfer, but not for changing attitudes and behaviors. Why is this? If books and movies and theater can affect our emotions, and therefore affect our attitudes and behaviors, why can’t e-learning?

When I play World of Warcraft, I feel something not only for my fellow human players, but for my pets — who are merely collections of ones and zeroes, nowhere near as interactive as Sims — and when I read Alice and Kev, I feel something for the Sims that connects me to the rest of the human experience. Why do people think e-learning can’t do the same?

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Building Your Portfolio

June 17, 2009 in Jobs | 2 comments

Great post from The Rapid eLearning Blog, on why job-seekers should have an e-learning portfolio.

rapidelearningblog

Here, thoughts to help get it done…

Ideas. Instructional designers generally don’t create because they get thunderbolts of inspiration; they create because they get assignments. A friend of mine who offered her talents pro bono to a local charity now has a portfolio piece and a great client recommendation.

Also, consider redeveloping old work projects — without proprietary info and with the cool ideas your budget/timeline/boss wouldn’t allow the first time.

Software. You know about educational discounts and trials. If those won’t work, record a PowerPoint presentation that simulates branching or invest in one application that you can use to create several kinds of projects.

If you focus more on design than development anyway, partner with a student/out-of-work multimedia developer. Violà, portfolio pieces for both of you!

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