Books Not Recommended by Members of #lrnchat
Last Thursday, #lrnchat’s topic was “book talk” and question five was great fun. The question posed was “What are book titles you hope never to see?” Here is a list of just some of the responses. They are not just very amusing, they are also a great reflection on so much of what we should avoid, or at least rethink, in our industry.
Dave_Ferguson: “I Can Haz Smarts: Lolcats Guyd to Learnin Stylz”
JaneBozarth: “More Levels for Evaluation by Autopsy”
sillym0nkey: Rapid Oganizational Change
kelly_smith01: I’m OK, You’re my SME?
trchandler: “Mandated Learning Made Easy”
billcush: ADDIE for Dummies
Quinnovator: “Adapting Learning: Learning Styles, Generational Differences, and Brain-Based Learning”
susannahrl: How to outsource all eLearning design and development in 3 easy steps
Quinnovator: “Content and a Quiz: your guide to meaningful change”
moehlert: @lrnchat Compliance Training for Fun and Profit
sillym0nkey: how to bring back ppt lectures to the classroom
trchandler: “How to Squeeze More Bullet Points into your Presentations”
Quinnovator: “The LMS: your complete learning solution”
mpetersell: “101 versions of jeopardy for learning”
odguru: How to keep them guessing: Butchering the socratic method to make people feel dumb
Dave_Ferguson: Management Secrets of Donald Rumsfeld (a new musical)
kasey428: The Audio Book of Advanced Calculus
minutebio: “Incorporating Informal Learning into Your LMS”
jsuzcampos: Speak When Spoken To: Your Guide to Lively Classroom Discussion
mbr1online: Death by PowerPoint: A Manual
Dave_Ferguson Are you not a fan of lateral thinking or is it interpretive dance that annoys you?
Quinnovator: “Investing in Organizational Learning: The Cost Center Approach”
Dave_Ferguson: Take It to the River: How Hammurabi the CEO Dealt with Naysayers and Nitpickers.
TriciaRansom: The Complete Guide to Standard Clip Art
Dave_Ferguson: “How to Rail against Social Media while Maintaining Eight Twitter IDs, or, Easy Self-RTs”
kasey428: Improve the Classroom Experience: Adding Motion to Your PowerPoints!
Quinnovator: “Social Schmocial: Why Formal Is the only Real Learning”
NYChase: The Client is Always Right.
sillym0nkey: How to use smile sheets effectively
TriciaRansom: More Time in Training = More Learning
mbr1online: Idiot’s Guide to Organizing Your Files and Catching Up on Email while Watching Webinars.
trchandler: “Class Evaluation Questions that Guarantee a Raise”
minutebio: ”Google Wave and How it Will Change Learning”
Want to see the books that ARE recommended? See the book list from the early #lrnchat and the full transcripts can be found on the #lrnchat page.
An important note: If you have not participated in #lrnchat (online chat via Twitter), you are really missing a great experience. It is great fun and a chance to interact, learn and share with many great instructional designers. They have both an early and a late version every Thursday. The schedule and helpful information on participating is available on the #lrnchat blog. See you next Thursday!
My e-Learning Don’ts
Here is a list I compiled of things I think should NOT be done when designing e-learning courses. I believe the following are counter to adult learning theory, sound e-learning design and they just down-right irk me. They are not in any particular order.
Don’t:
- Turn off navigation until a screen’s audio is done. Not only do most people read quicker than narration and may choose to move on, it is just plain wrong to deny learners user control.
- Have audio without close caption or at least equivalent content on screen. This is not just a 508 compliance (accessibility) issue, it is also possible that some computers won’t have audio capabilities. For example, this was the case at a bank I worked for where tellers did not have sound on their PCs.
- Force navigation. You know those courses that you can only go in a linear direction using the dreaded next button and they don’t even give you access to a menu, ugh! Didn’t I mention user control earlier?
- Neglect to include orientation. Let me know if I am on page 1 of 10 or 1 of 100. However, if you have page 1 of 100 written anywhere in your course you have even bigger issues to resolve.
- Call a course interactive when all it has is a bunch of pop-ups. There is more to creating an interactive course than adding pop-ups and rollovers. Here is a good resource if you are looking for ideas on how to make your course more interactive - Schone’s “Engaging Interactions for eLearning.”
- Make courses that look like it’s PowerPoint. I know PowerPoint is sometimes used as an authorig tool, but at least use it to create engaging, interactive courses that do not resemble PowerPoint slide decks that you just uploaded to Captivate or Articulate. Need tips on bringing PowerPoint to life? Try the Rapid eLearning blog.
- Leave out feedback for review and assessment questions. Providing feedback is a chance to correct misconceptions, reinforce learning, etc.
- List objectives like they are written in your course design plan. Of course it is good to include objectives, but write them in a way that is more conversational and spark interest.
- Use graphics that have absolutely nothing to do with the learning at hand. See the eLearning Coach for some tips on using graphics.
- Make a course mandatory if it absolutely does not have to be mandatory. Let the learners learn for learning sake.
If you have additional e-learning don’ts, please share them in the comments section.
Make a Quiz on the Cloud (ProProfs Quiz Maker)
There is a new addition to the Free Cloud Apps page, it’s ProProfs Quiz Maker. Quiz Maker is a quick and easy way to build a quiz that is hosted on the cloud. No software needed, it is completely web-based. You can easily post a link to your quiz from a blog or web page. It also has the functionality to tweet a link or add to Facebook or MySpace. Proprofs was gracious enough to give me a complimentary account (full disclosure) to test drive it. Here is a link to a simple quiz I made to test some of the features and so you can see some of what it does - Take my Rhode Island History quiz.
Although you can embed the quiz in blogs and sites, it uses iFrames, which does not play nice with my WordPress blog, otherwise I would have done so here. I was told they are working on a new widget with additional customizations for embedding the quizzes, which is expected later this week. However, it is very easy to post a link to your quizzes (like above) or share via social media.
Here is what I like about Quiz Maker:
- It is extremely user-friendly.
- It is on the Cloud, so users have access anywhere, whether taking a quiz or building one.
- You can add images, video, and links to each question.
- You can add feedback.
- They offer a free version.
- You can track participation, including each user’s answers and quiz stats. I was impressed with how easy it was to view participants’ answers and overall quiz stats. I wish most learning management systems (LMS) made this same task so easy. FYI: Tracking is not included with the free account.
- According to a representative from ProProfs they are currently working on SCORM compatibility, so integration with an LMS is on the horizon.
What I wish it had:
- If you update/edit a quiz the stats are reset to zero. So, once you have a quiz made, make sure it is the absolute final version.
- More question types. They have multiple choice, fill in the blank and essays, but it would be great if they had some more interactive options like hot spots, drag and drop or matching, etc. Hopefully they will expand the question types in the future.
- I am splitting hairs, but I would like to see the fill in the blank allow the blank to be placed anywhere in the sentence. Unless I missed something, it appears the blank could only be placed at the end of a sentence.
- I would have liked to be able to also add graphics, video and links to the feedback.
Regarding the free version, you cannot add the creator’s name to the certificate and it is only an ad free trial for seven days, then ads will be posted. Also the tracking and stats features are not included in the free account after seven days. You can view the comparisons of pricing plans here, including what you do and don’t get with the free account. FYI: They do have a very reasonably priced plan for educational users.
All in all, if you are looking to create and share simple quizzes with the benefits of doing so on the Cloud, it is worth your time. I will emphasize the word “simple” because if you are looking for more interactive question types (e.g. hot spots, drag and drop, graded sims, etc.), you will probably need to utilize more robust e-learning authoring tools to do so.
If you are interested in taking Quiz Maker for a spin, here is the link again - ProProfs Quiz Maker.
Google App Inventor - Make Apps/m-Learning
Google is releasing App Inventor for Android. You can find it listed at Google Labs and can learn more about it at http://appinventor.googlelabs.com/about.
There is obvious potential for m-learning, including quizzes, educational games, mini-courses, informal learning.. really the sky is the limit. If development is as easy as they claim, then we can focus even more on design and are not as limited by the complexity of app development. The App Inventor uses Open Blocks, which is distributed by MIT’s Scheller Teacher Education Program. Please note, the apps are for Androids and I will assume they will not be supported across all smart phones, which is a hindrance in developing m-learning.
According to the site, they will be granting access to interested users in the coming weeks. I have put in my request and will let everyone know if/when it is granted. All that is needed is a Google account to sign up.
Here is a video Google provides showing the development of a very simple app.
Google also provides descriptions of examples that have been developed.
Why Do We Have an LMS?
Warning, this is a bit of a rant written mostly for my own need in sorting through how I really feel about learning management systems (LMSs). If you work with the average LMS you probably understand.
I have worked numerous different LMSs, some good and some not so good. I don’t think I have used any considered “user-friendly” on either the admin or the user end. Currently, I am getting to know another LMS and trying to be patient with its quirks and illogical design. To give it some credit it is not much quirkier, or designed much worse, than most other LMSs (most are drek). As in the past, once I get used to the peculiarities of the system I am sure I will begin to tolerate it and even be able to do what is needed. However, learning to get it to do what you want it to does take quite a bit of hair pulling and shouting many nasty phrases at it. I also have received great deal of help from my coworkers who also work with the system, in which I am extremely grateful. If you are reading this, thank you.
Now, why the heck do we even use these things? Here are the crazy reasons we keep hearing in the corporate training world.
- “Auditors are going to ask for reports showing everyone took the compliance courses.”
- “We need to give assessments and see that learning occurred.”
- “We need a way for staff to enroll in classroom training.”
- “So staff can access their transcripts.”
- “We have to track EVERYTHING!”
Some of these reasons are valid to a point, but do we really need a cumbersome LMS for all this? First off, we do not need to track everything. We should be more concerned that staff are learning and applying what they learned than if they have the word “completed” next to their name. In the case of assessments it may demonstrate learning, but not the application of what was learned or the results of its application. It is very important that learning occurred, but please do not assume they did anything with it. As far as classroom enrollment and transcripts, I am confident there are cheaper, easier alternatives for those tasks.
Yes, there is some practicality in the fore-mentioned list and I am not naive enough to think we can simply write off the LMS so quickly. And yeah, I know the auditors want to see a report that has the word “completed” next to each person’s name. However, in my perfect world we can offer courses that are accessible outside the LMS and our audience take courses because of their thirst to learn not to get the word “completed” placed next to their name.
For the record, I see the value in having an LMS, but I also see its limitations, hindrances, and how it can be when overused. I guess you could say I have a love-hate relationship with it.
What value do you see in an LMS or what do you see as reasons we do not need one?
Thank you for allowing me to vent on this subject. I have to get back to completing a bulk enrollment and then run a couple of reports.
Happy 4th of July! A Few Gems from the Free e-Learning Page
In the spirit of our birthday here in the colonies, I thought I would compile some of the U.S. history gems from my Free e-Learning page:
An Overview of American History (video) - Digital History
Arirang*An Interactive Classroom on the Korean American Experience
Flash Flood: Hurricane Katrina’s Inundation of New Orleans - The Times-Picayune
Native Words, Native Warriors (Codetalkers) - NMAI
Pennsylvania Civil War Trails (Google Earth)
The First Thanksgiving - Plimoth.org
The Supreme Court - CSPAN
U.S. History Timeline - Digital History
WASP: Women With Wings in WWII - NPR
Which Founder Are You? - National Constitution Center
The White House - CSPAN
And from the K-12 list:
Census in Schools Quiz - DoodleDoo
Electoral College - Disney Education
Name That Founding Father - Colonial Williamsburg
National Postal Museum Activity Zone
I hope everyone is having a great 4th of July!
What I Would Like to Say About HTML5 and Flash
There has been plenty of buzz about HTML5 and it being a “Flash killer.” I think HTML5 has great potential and will be a welcomed improvement to the web, but it is still in its infancy and does not show any signs of being able to compete with Flash anytime time soon. I think some of the confusion comes from the fact that it currently has the ability of embedding video and audio, which makes it a viable alternative regarding those commonly used features. However, if you have looked at animation and interactivity in HTML5 it does not compete with Flash at all. Here are some examples and another, which support my argument. FYI: My intent is not to demean these examples. They are good considering what the creators had to work with, a working DRAFT of HTML5 and are a sign of better things in the years to come. So, will HTML5 compete with Flash in the future, maybe but keep in mind it has a very steep climb and Flash will not be standing still waiting. I do think HTML5’s edge will be that Flash is not on all mobile devices including the iPhone and its larger version, the iPad. I also think the appearance of the iPad has greatly increased the buzz on HTML5 and may boost its demand.
Something that has also been confusing is its availability. Yes, a working draft is available today and browsers are starting to support it. However, the W3C candidate recommendation stage is expected in 2012 and will reach W3C recommendation in 2022, possibly later. No, that is not a typo, it does say 2022. See more on the estimated timeline here and also here. We will see advances and improvements over the next few years, but they will still be working drafts.
It will be very interesting in how e-learning authoring tools adopt and adapt to HTML5. I am sure many are exploring that now. As far as web development, Dreamweaver is already offering an extension so you can start exploring it now. The video below provides information on Dreamweaver and HTML5 along with an opinion on the “HTML5 and Flash” issue.
Bottom line, don’t put all your hopes in something that has yet delivered. Learn about it, keep an eye on it, even play around with the working drafts if you have the time and patience. Right now Flash is the best and most powerful tool in an e-learning developer’s toolbox and HTML5’s current draft can’t touch it. Will that change? Maybe, maybe not, but if it does it will be quite a while before HTML5 is a true competitor for Flash. Until HTML5 offers the same level of quality as Flash I will stick with Flash and still recommend it for any e-learning developer’s toolbox.
What’s New in Captivate 5? Twitter, That’s What!
During #LrnChat it was mentioned that Captivate 5 will include integration with Twitter. I think this is good news and a good start for incorporating social media in asynchronous courses. Yes, I do think using social media tools directly for informal learning is a better option in many, if not most situations, but if a “blended” solution is needed then incorporating Twitter into Captivate is now an option. Here is Adobe’s description from their new features page:
In-context learner collaboration via Twitter
Leverage the Twitter widget from Adobe to create courses that let learners collaborate with one another as well as the author by just logging into their Twitter account. They can ask questions, get answers, and access pre-existing discussions. - Adobe.com
Another new feature that catches my eye is hosting, tracking and reporting integration through Acrobat.com
Hosting and collaboration via Acrobat.com
Host published or in-progress eLearning projects on Acrobat.com, an Adobe CS Live online service, and share them with learners and reviewers, who can access them from virtually anywhere. - Adobe.com
Tracking and reporting
Satisfy basic evaluation needs at no extra cost by tracking and reporting key performance metrics, such as average score and pass or fail rates, without having to invest in a Learning Management System. - Adobe.com
Keep in mind it is not nearly as robust as what you will get from loading the course to your LMS, but it may work for those without an LMS and limited reporting needs.
You can read about other top new features along with some video previews here.
Looking for THE SCORM Resource?
Yesterday I attended a SCORM webinar provided by Advance Distributed Learning (ADL). If you do not know the ADL, they are a part of the U.S. Department of Defense and are the producers of SCORM. At the conclusion of the webinar they gave a tour of some of the available resources on their site. These include SCORM documentation, past webinar slides, and content examples, including the files from a Flash example. which you will find listed as “Plug-In Technologies Content Example.” They also provide a test suite. FYI: All of the above are free to download.
If you are working with SCORM on any level, ADLnet.gov is a great “go-to” resource. For additional SCORM resources, I have collected more at http://delicious.com/MinuteBio/scorm
Do you have any great SCORM resources? Please share in the comments section, thanks.
Development Tools I Would Learn If I Were You - June’s Big Question
June’s Big Question over at the Learning Circuits blog is regarding tools one should “…learn today in order to be a valuable eLearning professional in 2015.”
So you know my perspective, since my start in e-learning I have always been both a designer and developer. Although my degree is in instructional design I have worked in corporate training departments where I am responsible for both. This is not unusual in corporate environments, especially among small to mid-size companies. In my instructional design graduate program, UMBC, I took several courses that focused on development, but they really only scratched the surface. They provided just enough to make us dangerous with HTML, Flash, Photoshop and Authorware. Most of which gave me a good baseline for further developing my e-learning development skills. No, I do not use Authorware now, but it is hard to predict what will be an essential tool 10 years down the road. Five years is tough to predict too, but I will attempt it anyway.
A pertinent point is that you can learn any number of development tools, but when you get to a new position your employer may have tools already available that they prefer you use or they may have you determine what tools to use. I have experienced both situations. One thing you can count on, if they already have an LMS you are stuck with it unless they already had plans to change the LMS and you are the sucker, I mean expert, who is to select and implement a new one.
So back to the big question, I would recommend the following types of tools, and examples where appropriate, that you should “…learn today in order to be a valuable eLearning professional in 2015.”
Social/informal learning: Microblogging (e.g. Yammer or Twitter), blogs, social bookmarking (e.g. Delicious), virtual worlds (e.g. Second Life).
Games: We are already seeing more and more games in e-learning and I think that will increase even more in the next five years. For me, I use Flash to develop games, but whether it is Flash or other game development tools get to know how to use them.
Learning Management System (LMS): I would get familiar with the features of an LMS, how they function, how companies’ use them and where they are going. I believe they will still be very present in corporate training in 2015, but will integrate more informal learning tools along with mobile learning, virtual worlds and alternative reality games (ARG).
SCORM: Learn at least the basics of SCORM including how to make basic edits to a SCORM manifest. Because the LMS will still be present in corporate training, like it or not, SCORM will still be very needed in 2015.
Graphics editing: There is a good chance you will need to create and/or edit graphics for your courses (e.g. Photoshop or Fireworks). If you are lucky enough to have a graphic artist on staff, it is still good to know the basics and be able to “speak their language.”
e-Learning web-based training (WBT) development tool: This will most likely be your “go to” tool for developing asynchronous online courses and/or assessments (OutStart Trainer, Articulate, ToolBook, etc., etc., etc.,). Keep in mind some may be DHTML output, others create Flash SWFs. By 2015, I am sure many will create HTML5 files too.
Flash: Yes, Flash is still very much alive and well in e-learning and because it is so embedded in our industry and there is nothing at this time that can provide the rich interactive elements that it provides, I do not see it being “dead” in our field anytime soon. The fact is HTML5 is not there yet and if it ever does get there it will probably be more than 5 years before it is at the level of quality and ease of development that Flash currently provides. However, see my comments under HTML/HTML5.
HTML/HTML5: Learning HTML will come in very handy, especially if your WBT tool creates DHTML files, which you may need to edit at times. As far as HTML5, it is not officially released yet nor is at a point where it can be used to create the level of interactive content you should expect in e-learning courses. However, years from now it may be much more practical and creating HTML5 content will probably be best done via Adobe Dreamweaver. So, learn Dreamweaver now and as HTML5 emerges keep up to date with how to use Dreamweaver to create HTML5 content.
Here are few resources for learning more about e-learning tools and how to developing your skills in using them:
- eLearningLearning, which aggregates many useful e-learning blogs including many discussions on development tools.
- Social bookmarks is always a great way to find useful resources. Here are some of my bookmarks - development_tools, cloud, games, flash_tutorial, SCORM, HTML, HTML5.
- Learning Tools Zone (C4LPT) has a very expansive list of learning tools.
- Once you determine the tools you want to use, search out the application’s development center and blogs that focus on the tool. For example, the Captivate blog or their development center, Articulate’s Rapid eLearning Blog and Word of Mouth Blog, etc.
- Try the tools that interest you. Many tools have trial periods or are free. Give them a try along with any tutorials available.
- The best resource is talk to people in the field who are developing e-learning. Ask them about the tools they use, how they use each, their recommendations on getting started with the tools and what they think with be valuable to you in 2015.
