What is HTML 5?
I have been hearing more and more about HTML 5 during the past year. It has received A LOT more attention in the last week since YouTube released an HTML 5 Beta program. So, what is HTML 5?
HTML5 is the next major revision of HTML. It is currently still a draft, but expected in 2012 (W3C Candidate Recommendation status). Here are some of the improvements that will be found in HTML 5:
- There will be new tags that make it much easier to embed applications and handle interactive elements.
- Offline data storage.
- Ability for visitors to edit sections of web pages.
- New HTML elements that better describe content.
- Improved web form handling and validation.
- Numerous APIs
- Will it compete with Flash?
For more information on the improvements that will be found in HTML 5, visit “5 Exciting Things to Look Forward to in HTML 5, ”HTML5 and the Future of the Web” and “HTML 5 Differences from HTML 4.”
Here are a few places where you can see examples of HTML 5 in use today:
If you want to learn more about HTML 5, here is also a video from Google. Be forewarned, it is 42 minutes long.
If anyone has additional info on HTML 5 to share or if you have examples, please add them to the comments section.
Interactive Surfaces (Multitouch) at the Museum
This weekend I visited the Maryland Science Center and was very impressed with an interactive table that had a computer screen projected onto it. Navigation was controlled by tilting the table and you could zoom in on objects by twisting the table. See the video below to see the interactive table screen in action. Forgive the quality of the video, lighting was not in my favor.
Here are some more interactive surfaces being used at museums around the world.
Emakhosini Museum, South Africa
The Adventure Science Center in Nashville, Tennessee
Australian Museum
Coimbra’s Science Museum, Portugal
Here is also an interesting video by Adobe on the future of multitouch.
Pecha-Kucha
Perhaps I have been living under a rock, but until today I have not heard of Pecha-Kucha. I am not a big fan of PowerPoint mostly because of the abusive use of the tool itself. After all, PowerPoint does not bore people to death, presenters (or e-Learning designers) WITH PowerPoint do. Upon being introduced to the term Pecha-Kucha, I Googled it and was intrigued by the concept.
In a nutshell, it is a presentation that contains 20 images each displayed for 20 seconds (20×20). It was originally designed to reign in presenters who needed to be more concise in their presentation. Here are some examples. The first explains the concept further. You can also learn more about it at http://www.pecha-kucha.org.
Another good example of Pecha-Kucha is Failure by Bob Berkebile.
Oh, Pecha-Kucha is a Japanese term meaning chatter. It is pronounced “peh-CHAK-cha,” here is a video that helps with the pronunciation.
A Peek at Astronaut Training
Here is a video that gives us a glance at astronaut training including NASA’s use of virtual reality.
To read more about Cady’s training, read the CNN article “Training Day for Astronaut-mom Cady Coleman.”
Reflecting on 2009’s Posts - Big Question
December’s Big Question at the Learning Circuits blog is “What did you learn about learning in 2009,” but they also suggest looking at your top 2009 posts for “aha moments.” So, here are my top ten 2009 posts according my blog’s best of list found through eLearningLearning. I have simply added my thoughts next to each.
- Flash Accessibility (508 Compliance) I was surprised to see 508 Compliance top the list. It is good to see it is an important topic to many readers, as it should be. What I learned is that with effort Flash courses can be accessible.
- Storyboard Templates and Resources Storyboard posts showed up twice (#2 and #4). It is not only a practical tool that many people value, but the post opened up opportunities for me to see how others use storyboards.
- Adobe FlashTutorials In my opinion, Flash is the best tool an e-learning designer can possess, but it does have a steep learning curve. And there is no end to that learning curve. As long as I am using Flash, there will be something new to learn.
- It Came From Hollywood - Storyboarding See #2.
- Where Organizations Go Wrong With e-Learning This was chance for me to gripe about the crazy, frustrating things I have seen.
- Using Gagne’s 9 Events of Learning in e-Learning My favorite post among the list! Gagne works for me and I love sharing ways the events can be applied.
- Perceived Advantages and Disadvantages We should all be cognisant of how non-elearning designers see online learning.
- Interested in Creating an Alternative Reality Games (ARG) for learning? Can’t go wrong with games and learning. They go together all too well.
- Quick Explanation of Google Wave - Video I, like others, was just trying to figure it out. FYI: I did get an invite shortly afterwards.
- Overview of Kirkpatrick’s 4 Levels of Evaluation Everyone wants to evaluate their courses as soon as they have the time.
I cannot speak about what I learned without mentioning that in 2009 my employer (Provident Bank) was acquired another bank. In 2009, I learned that I was extremely lucky to have been part of, and to have learned from, such a cohesive, talented and very effective team of trainers. Although it did not make the top 10, this was the most meaningful post for me - Farewell to a Great Corporate University.
Adobe Design Achievement Awards
Adobe has announced it is now accepting submissions for the 2010 Adobe Design Achievement Awards. These awards celebrates higher education students who are creating amazing art with Adobe technology. Here is Adobe’s description:
The Adobe® Design Achievement Awards celebrate student achievement reflecting the powerful convergence of technology and the creative arts. The competition - which showcases individual and group projects created with industry-leading Adobe creative software - honors the most talented and promising student graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, animators, digital filmmakers, developers and computer artists from the world’s top institutions of higher education.
To learn more about the awards go to http://adaa.adobe.com.
Video on SixthSense Technology
Here is a great video about the potential of sixth sense technology. It will be very exciting to see this technology take hold and certainly exciting to think about all the potential it will have in e-learning.
This was presented at TEDtalks, which after seeing this, I will be watching more often.
Wanna Read Some e-Learning Horror Stories?
Over at the PLS Online Course Development blog they have been posting e-learning horror stories and they have had some doozies so far. These stories are not only entertaining, but also valuable ways to learn directly from the witnesses of such ghoulish e-learning events.
Christy from the PLS Online Course Development blog was nice enough to include my horror story, but worked her magic and transformed it into a poem in the style of Poe’s “The Raven.” Thanks!
You can read the poem here. And read their other horror stories here.
Here is the original of my horror story. Although it may be more funny than scary, it was a horror to me went it happened.
Seven years ago, when e-learning was still new to my company, I launched an online course. My company, which provided health care to military personnel from North Carolina to Maine, had service centers throughout its footprint. Of course geographical distance was no obstacle to me, for I was a Distance Educator. Well, actually they called me an e-Learning Designer, but just the same.
As always, I marketed the online course. I included the title of the online course, who should take the online course, what they will learn
from the online course, the benefits of taking the online course, and how to access and launch the online course.Several days later, while sitting in my cubicle in Baltimore, someone came a tapping. As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my cubicle door. Why is a co-worker from the far reaches of our Virginia service center here at my door?
She said, “I am here for my ONLINE COURSE.”
My Top 10 e-Learning Tools
Jane Hart is gathering top ten lists for e-learning tools. Thus far, 203 people in the e-learning field have submitted their list. I have posted my e-learning toolkit in the past, but not what I necessarily consider my “top e-learning tools.” So, here are my top 10 e-learning tools. They are not stand alone e-learning tools, but together allow me the ability to create effective e-learning courses. I have included how and why I use these tools.
- Adobe Flash - An essential tool for creating highly interactive elements, including animation, games, immersive learning simulations, and almost anything else you want if you can manage writing or finding the actionscript.
- Adobe Fireworks - It is my choice for editing graphics because it is user-friendly to non-graphic artists like me. And it worked very well with my Macromedia Flash when I was getting started in e-learning… old habits are hard to break.
- Adobe Captivate - Fantastic for creating simulations (software sims and branching sims), plus it does a good job recording audio for your sims. Being able to add quizzes and publish SCORM/AICC compliant courses is a big plus too.
- DHTML authoring tool - My preference is OutStart Trainer (TrainerSoft). Being able to create SCORM/AICC compliant courses that imports Flash SWF files and plays well with the LMS makes my ability to implement e-learning much easier.
- WordPress - I am using it right now to get my blog posts out. Writing my blog is a great way share, learn, and connect with others in the e-learning field. It gets me out of my e-learning vacuum.
- Adobe Dreamweaver - Still the best tool for creating web pages (I occasionally have to do that) and jerry-rigging the HTML in courses.
- Windows MovieMaker - Editing videos prior to using them in courses.
- Twitter - Another way for me to share, learn, and connect with others in the e-learning field. I expect either it or Yammer to play a larger role for informal learning at my company.
- Notepad - Editing XML, which is extremely useful in working with DHTML courses and sometimes Flash courses.
- SnagIt - Extremely helpful when making software sims or getting screenshots for courses.
Learn About Tomorrow’s Lunar Impact
Tomorrow NASA has a planned impact with the Moon. Here are a few resources to learn more about the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission, which if successful will identify water on the Moon.
And here are some LCROSS resources directly from NASA:
Good luck NASA, if there’s H2O up there, you’ll find it!
