Want to Learn More About Beta Testing?
Benjamin Martin has published “Beta Testing an Online Course“ in Learning Solutions Magazine. It details his approach to beta testing online courses and provides practical advice for what is a very important stage of e-learning development. If you are creating e-learning, then you are probably involved in beta testing and will find this article helpful. If you are not beta testing your courses, then you should be and this article can help you get started.
You will need to subscribe to Learning Solutions Magazine or have a membership to the e-Learning Guild to read the article in its entirety. However, associate membership is free and in my opinion an absolute must for anyone in the e-learning field.
Interested in Creating an Alternative Reality Games (ARG) for learning?
The elearning Guild’s Learning Solutions e-magazine recently published an article by Brandon Carson, Dolly Joseph, and Enzo Silva tilted “ARGs Leverage Intelligence: Improving Performance through Collaborative Play.”
It is a worthwhile read. It includes some great examples of ARGs and a case study of an ARG implemented by Sun Learning Services (Sun Microsystems). Plus, there is practical advice regarding designing ARGs for learning, who should be on an ARG design team and their roles, and design risks.
FYI: You will need to log-in to the e-Learning Guild to access the e-magazine. If you are not a member, you can join as an Associate Member for free.
Here are few more resources on ARGs and learning:
Alternate Reality at the Smithsonian
Innovative Learning (including examples and design principles)
ARGology.org - ARGs in Education & Training (contains resources for getting started and examples)
Series of video interviews regarding games and learning from Frontline (PBS)
New e-Book From e-Learning Guild
The latest e-Learning Guild e-book has just been released.
98 Tips For Selecting and Working With e-Learning Providers
FYI: All their e-books are free.
It includes 54 Tips for Selecting e-Learning Service Providers, 44 Tips for Working Successfully with e-Learning Service Providers, and an article by Evelyn Jackson, “Improve Outsourced e-Learning Quality with Consistent Standards.”
New e-Book on the Guild - Getting the Most Out of Your Budget
The e-Learning Guild has released its latest e-book, 65 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Budget. And as with all their e-books you can’t beat the price, free. Here the link where you can download it.
http://www.elearningguild.com/content.cfm?selection=doc.1291
I have a couple of tips in there too. I hope they are helpful.
e-Learning Job Search - Online Resources
With turbulent times, shrinking training budgets, and a level of uncertainty, more e-learning professionals are searching for new opportunities. So, what are the best sites to search for an e-learning job? Here are the sites I have found most helpful:
e-Learning Guild - You can search jobs posted on their site and you can post your resume there too. You do need to be a member, but the associate level membership is free.
ASTD - You can search jobs posted on their site and post your resume.
Dice - This site focuses on tech jobs, and e-learning jobs are included. This is definitely a good site to search if your focus is on the development end.
Linked In - Great site for professional networking, but you can also search for a job within the Linked In interface. You can either find positions posted by members or search positions posted on Internet job search engines. The results also include who in your network may be employed by the companies listed.
Indeed - I like this site because it pulls results for many different job search sites, it’s easy to add filters and to create job alerts.
SHRP - The Society for HR Professionals is not my first choice, but worth visiting. Many training departments fall under HR and they post e-learning position on SHRP. You may also post your resume on their site.
Also check you local college ISD programs. Some include job listings on their sites. They may also host networking events or career fairs.
Aside from the above, always network. Networking is the most effective way to find the next opportunity that is right for you. If you know of any other great resources for finding e-learning positions please add it to the comments section. Thanks!
e-Learning Guild’s Next e-Book - Submissions
The e-Learning Guild’s next e-book will be a collection of tips on “doing more with less.” Perfect for today’s tight economy. If you are a Guild member (if not, join) and have tips on leveraging limited resources I encourage adding to what will be a great resource.
Use this link to submit your tips: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=BS0hcK2TKuW2irPxkIQmZQ_3d_3d
If you want to access past e-Learning Guild e-books click here.
