Innovative Uses of Mobile Devices in Health Sciences
CellScope
Here are a couple of great and innovative uses of mobile devices I stumbled upon on SmartPlanet,com. Not only do these innovations increase the ability to provide better healthcare in the developing world, but also has great potential in mobile learning (m-learning).
You can read more about the CellScope at UC Berkeley News.
Visit Tapan Parikh’s page to learn about the social media and mobile technology projects in which he is involved.
Flash Tutorials on Screenr
As a Adobe Flash addict, I am always on the lookout for tutorials and new tips and tricks that can make Flash development easier. Every now and then I peruse Screenr.com for Flash tutorials. Because screencasts on Screenr have a five minute limit, they are usually very succinct, which is what I like. They are also easy to search if you do a site search (flash site:screenr.com). Below are a few I found. I threw in one of my own too.
FYI: If you are interested in creating screeencasts, Screenr is easy to use and free. Thank you Articulate for offering this free tool. Also, if you are looking for Articulate tuts, they have plenty of those too.
To see the remaining tutorials for the paddle game, visit @paulkeenan59’s Screenr page.
Had to throw the last one in with the release of the iPad looming (feh).
If you are creating Flash tutorials on Screenr, please feel free to add a link to it in the comments section. Thanks!
Development Tools - Should I Cut Out the Middle Guy?
Back when I first started developing e-learning courses, I used Macromedia’s Authorware. For more interactive elements, I used Flash and imported the SWFs into Authorware. Over the years, I have used ToolBook, Trainersoft, and even Dreamweaver with Coursebuilder. Almost every course involved using Flash for interactive elements (animations, games, quizzes, simulations, video, etc.). It has gotten to a point where some of my courses are all developed in Flash and the e-learning authoring tools (DHTML) have been used more as a “shell” that decompiles it as a SCORM package. I really prefer the robust ability of creating courses in Flash and only use the DHTML e-learning authoring tools for their ability to make the course SCORM or AICC compliant.
So, do I really need to continue using these authoring tools? No, I can skip the middle man and produce entire courses in Flash. These courses can be published as SCORM or AICC compliant courses. This includes the learning interactions that are easily added as components. The learning interactions can be used for multiple types of quiz questions that will be tracked by a learning management system (LMS).
Here is a tutorial on How to Add Basic SCORM code to a Flash Movie from Pipwerks.
And from Adobe, Creating e-Learning Content, which includes configuring learning interactions and tracking to a SCORM or AICC compliant LMS.
Granted, many authoring tools provide a great deal of ease when adding content, navigation and quizzes, but the interactions they include within these tools are limited. For me, if I am already developing so much of the course in Flash, I might as well use the Flash learning interactions for the quiz questions and publish the entire Flash file as a SCORM compliant course. I will note that I will keep Captivate in my toolbox, as it is more effective for developing software/application simulations than building them from scratch in Flash. Of course any sims developed in Captivate (also SWF files) can easily be included, or launched from, a course developed with Flash.
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.
Cloud Apps Page Added
While recently reviewing my “best of” posts, I also looked at its top keywords. Seeing cloud computing ranked as the highest keyword inspired me to add a bit more about the Cloud. So I have decided to add a cloud application page.
The Cloud App page is a compilation of free cloud applications. Many of these are useful online learning tools. So far, I have listed 20 apps, but there are many more out there which I hope to add as I encounter them. Please feel free to recommend your favorite free cloud app and I will add it to the list.
Hanukkah e-Learning Wish List
My kids are making their wish list for Hanukkah, which inspired me to make my own. I do not necessarily expect to receive any of these things, but if Hanukkah Harry reads this blog, which he may, their is a chance he will grant at least a few.
- Adobe CS4 eLearning Suite - I am still working with CS3.
- High end microphone - It will come in very handy for adding audio to courses, plus it will look great on my desk.
- OutStart Trainer - I am currently using another DHTML editor in which I am not enthralled at all.
- The not yet released, possibly mythological, Apple Tablet - It does not exist yet, but I am willing to take a rain check in case it ever does.
- m-Learning development tool that produces courses compatible with ALL mobile platforms.
- DevLearn 2010 conference - It has been quite a while since any budget has allowed me to attend a conference.
- Supreme knowledge of ActionScript - To know it to a point that there is nothing I cannot do with Flash (that’s on me isn’t it?).
- Open access to all social media for the workers of the world - I am lucky to have access to such things as LinkedIn and Twitter, but not all do. Some organizations block social media sites from their staff. I wish this to end.
If you have your own wish list, please share it in the comments section or add a link if it is on your blog. Of course it does not have to be a Hanukkah list, it can be for whatever holiday you celebrate.
Free and Easy Chart Creation Tool
Here is a free, practical tool for creating charts.
ChartGo.com provides an incredibly easy to use web-based tool for creating charts, including bar, pie, line and area charts. You can quickly create a chart, save it, and add it to a course, website or blog. They also provide numerous avenues of sharing your chart (URL, e-mail link to chart, social bookmarking, Twitter, etc.).
If you want something more sophisticated, stick with Excel. If you want something you can create in a matter of minutes, this is the tool for you. Here is an example of a chart I made.
Here are some more examples of the types of charts you can make.
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.
