Learning Developments

MAY 10, 2012

Since delving into learning content development a few years ago, I've been continually impressed with Microsoft PowerPoint's capabilities. It has awesome enhancements for photos and graphics, it has rich animation building capabilities, and it has a super easy user interface. Those are just a few reasons I like it. But I do e-learning development and the tool I am using most often these days is Adobe Captivate.

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PowerPoint Captivate Adobe Captivate PNG 55

Learning Developments

MAY 4, 2012

I've been in the software industry for a long time and I've never seen the perfect product. As I've been reading all the hype on Articulate Storyline this week, I am reminding myself of that. It looks like a great product. But a game-changer.not likely. A software tool is not a game-changer but a community of practitioners can be. I agree with R.J. Jacquez when he lists Articulate community as his number one reason to appreciate Articulate Storyline.

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Articulate Lesson Lectora Community 50

Learning Developments

MAY 3, 2012

I first heard about SCORM when I was working for a software company that created collaborative learning tools for higher education. We were using Microsoft Word to create SCORM compatible content. This was back in 2006 and I remember a lot of folks did not understand the value of converting content to SCORM because it seemed so outdated and there were much more current development projects that needed to get done.

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SCORM LMS vendor Microsoft 50

Learning Developments

OCTOBER 10, 2011

Articulate Quizmaker is a great tool for quickly creating professional looking quizzes. It also contains the concept of a blank slide that can be put any where in a quiz and used for any type of learning, feedback, or reinforcement of learning concepts. I show an example of how to use blank slides for creating rich feedback in Quizmaker in my guest blog post for Integrated Learning Services Crafting Feedback in Articulate.

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Quizmaker Articulate Slides Quiz 47

Learning Developments

OCTOBER 4, 2011

Some times you just need a little animation to spice up an e-learning module. Adobe Captivate 5.5 offers an easy way to create text animations that will catch the eye. These animations can be used to let a user know when a module has been completed or when a perfect score is attained. Or, just use them to draw the learners attention. Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

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Adobe Captivate Captivate Adobe Flash Player 44

Learning Developments

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

I love the progress mobile technology has made in the past 2 years. However, I've always thought the big limiters to mobile computing are the screen size and a clumsy interface to input data. Tiny videos, images, and small text on web pages are just not ideal for those of us past our teenage years. And my goodness, how many times have I had to retype another tweet because my "i" became a "k" when my finger was slightly off the correct letter.

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Project Mobile Augmented Reality Apple 44

Learning Developments

SEPTEMBER 1, 2011

I got my Google+ invite back in July (Thanks Derek) but it's been quite a busy summer so I put off getting to know Google+ until now. Being the big Google/Android fan I am, this is long overdue. In this post I write up my first impressions. You can get to Google+ by going to [link]. My first reaction after getting into it was very reserved. I found myself making lots of comparisons to Facebook.

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Social Networks Google Facebook Social Network 44

Learning Developments

AUGUST 24, 2011

I've been using Lectora for almost three years now. Lectora allows developers to take a snippet of code and reuse it on all your pages. This saves time and maintenance costs. You may want that code to work differently on some of the pages. Ideally, you'd still only have that code in one place but set up an exception for how to do this. I show an example of how to do this in my guest blog post for Integrated Learning Services Creating a Smart Next Button in Lectora.

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Lectora Create Integrate Cost 47

Learning Developments

DECEMBER 5, 2008

I'm starting this blog for the following reasons: To learn by teaching To get feedback on topics of interest To discover ways in which blogs can be used for eLearning (especially in the work place) To get experience with writing To provide an additional avenue for networking with others in the eLearning field I had previously developed a personal blog which was mainly about my kids and accomplishments in life.

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Blogging Write Blog Social Networks Facebook 40

Learning Developments

DECEMBER 5, 2008

Do you ever feel like you need to reboot your brain? Feel like you've got several errant processes running and you need to reset them? I felt like that this week. Unfortunately for us humans rebooting is not that simple. We can't just flip a switch and reset everything. However, I do think we can look at the processes in our lives that are out of control and deal with them one by one.

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Social Networks Lotus Learning Objects Social Network 40

Learning Developments

DECEMBER 5, 2008

I've been reading a good bit about different aspects of the eLearning environment. There's a lot of bloggers out there talking about incorporating Learning/Web 2.0 into workplace learning. I'm a big fan of the informal learning opportunities Web 2.0 helps create. However, my organization is just getting its feet wet with online learning so the immediate chore is to get the LMS going and start offering formal classes online.

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Environment eLearning Web Classes 40

Learning Developments

DECEMBER 15, 2008

I hope you didn't read the title of this post and hoped that I had found the end all perfect task management tool. I've had no luck in that department yet. Has anybody found the perfect task list management tool? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess the answer to that question is "no". I've been looking for ways of managing my work flow and I've been hoping task management software will help out.

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Tagging Calendar Project Software 40

Learning Developments

DECEMBER 19, 2008

So I've started my Remember the Milk experiment. This will be my list for all work related tasks. Click here for an introduction to RTM if you are unfamilar with it. I have set up my RTM environment as follows: General - Miscellaneous tasks (e.g. Install new computer memory) Maybe/Someday - Miscellaneous tasks that are low on the priority list and are not currently essential for my work Personal - Tasks that are not related to work but I may need to do at work; I actually have 2 RTM accounts

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PeopleSoft Jing Tagging Project 40

Learning Developments

JANUARY 2, 2009

After about three months of active blog reading I've finally caught up on my RSS feeds. When I first started subscribing to blogs I found so many interesting topics that I wanted to read everything. Time quickly became a frustrating factor. Now I want to share a couple of ways I've been able to manage the information overload that is common when subscribing to many blogs.

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RSS Information Overload Write Blog Learning 2.0 40

Learning Developments

JANUARY 23, 2009

I've been working with Lectora and Captivate to create my eLearning content (see Jan 13th I'm not yet Captivated by Lectora ). In that post I identified three possible techniques for passing the score/results from Captivate back to Lectora for processing: Use the e-mail command in Captivate and overwrite the JavaScript function for sending the mail.

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Lectora Captivate Simulations Apache 40

Learning Developments

JANUARY 26, 2009

Tony Karrer has created a web site called eLearning Learning that collects postings from a variety of eLearning professionals' blogs and organizes them in one place. Learning Developments is now featured there. Tony describes his site as follows: "eLearning Learning is a community that tries to collect and organize the best information on the web that will help you learn and stay current on eLearning." eLearning Learning can be a good place to search for eLearning specific information that ha

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Learning Developments

JANUARY 30, 2009

I work out in a gym most mornings before work. As I work out I'm always observing those around me (and no, not in the creepy way). I take pleasure when I see a person who started out as a timid newbie at the gym turn into a more healthy person who enjoys working out. For example I've noticed a swimmer that could hardly swim a lap that now does long workouts back and forth across the pool like she's been doing it all her life.

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PowerPoint Community Track Job 40

Learning Developments

FEBRUARY 5, 2009

e-Learning is an important consideration in education for several reasons: Implimented correctly, it can reduce some of the costs associated with education It allows schools to educate people they could not previously (e.g. people that work for a living, people geographically dispersed, etc.) Many students communicate better in a web based environment than in the traditional classroom.

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Blended Learning Social Networks Virtual Classroom Benefits 49

Learning Developments

MAY 5, 2009

I came across an interesting video from IEEE Spectrum Online that explains a robot used for video conferencing. You can think of this humanoid robot as the answer to the question "what do I do when I want to video conference with someone but I need to be mobile and let that person follow me around?" It's a pretty cool concept. (Blissfully ignoring cost) I see this being useful in the training world.

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Learning Developments

JUNE 25, 2009

I'm working on a template that will be used for all my online self-paced training. There is an issue that is nagging at me. Where do I put the navigation buttons? I've already decided that the learning audience I'm developing for needs to have crystal clear navigation where buttons include text labels so that it is very obvious how to go back to the start page, exit, get help, or go to the previous and next pages.

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Templates Issue Content Learner 40

Learning Developments

JANUARY 15, 2009

I'm still wiggling my way through the ins and outs of Lectora. The Lectora support team has been very helpful. I've discovered some things I'd like to share. Limitations on built-in preview. Up to a certain point, the built in preview functionality works great. But once you start doing advanced techniques such as using flash to set Lectora variables, the preview will not work.

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Lectora Apache HTML Server 40

Learning Developments

MARCH 13, 2009

I have completed developing my first course in Lectora and it is ready to run inside the LMS. The LMS I am using is Saba. This is important to note because each LMS handles SCORM content slightly differently and some SCORM related settings must be adjusted appropriately. For this course, I am not requiring a passing score for an assessment. Instead, I am requiring the learner to have simply completed a series of simulations and a non-binding assessment at the end.

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Lectora Score Saba LMS 40

Learning Developments

MARCH 11, 2009

As my organization selects an LMS and gears up for web based training, I've been looking at a variety of authoring tools for online training. I was naive enough to think that tool existed that would have everything I want. I imagined something similar to Microsoft Word or PowerPoint that was designed for eLearning. Such a tool does not exist yet. I'm sure this is due to the complexity of web based learning content, the variety of requirements out there, and the market size of eLearning.

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Authoring Tools Authoring Lectora Quizmaker 40

Learning Developments

MARCH 4, 2009

I was asked to give a Web 2.0 workshop yesterday for a group of school technology coordinators. Web 2.0 is a huge topic to try to cover in an afternoon. This is especially true when you discuss the benefits and caveats of using this technology in the classroom. As I was talking about how students are using social network sites like Facebook , I found myself wondering exactly how we determine who our "friends" are.

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Social Networks Information Overload Photo Social Network 40

Learning Developments

JANUARY 21, 2009

I've spent some time over the last couple of months researching authoring tools that fit eLearning development needs. I whittled the list down to a few core tools. I like Articulate because of its ease of use and integration with PowerPoint. I think more people will be able to participate in the authoring process by using a tool like Articulate. Nice job Articulate.

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Authoring Tools Simulations Lectora 40

Learning Developments

DECEMBER 11, 2008

I have a vision of what mobile devices will be like in the future. I suspect universities, airports, and coffee shops will deliberately put up white walls in certain areas to serve as projection screens for mobile devices. Who wants to look at a tiny two inch screen when they can project on a wall. I've always pictured this day as far off in the future but now I'm ready to believe that we could be there in as little as five years.

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Learning Developments

DECEMBER 9, 2008

The organization I work for has never formally offered web based training. My role is to help start up a web based training program. One of the tasks I've been working on is selecting a tool kit for creating the content. My goals for selecting a content authoring product are as follows: Ability to easily import from existing course materials made in Word and PowerPoint Ability to export to SCORM 1.2/2004 Ability to create simulations Ability to use UI templates or global “skins” Must be easy to

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Authoring Tools Simulations Lectora Wimba 40

Learning Developments

JULY 17, 2009

As a web developer learning Flash has been on my radar for quite some time. Now as an e-Learning training developer knowing Flash will allow me to do better quality training interactions with learners. So I'm off and up and learning. I thought I would share some of my thoughts about my progress towards learning Flash. First, I started with a good online resource that shows instructional videos and allows the learner to work through sample files.

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Flash Brain ActionScript Examples 40

Learning Developments

SEPTEMBER 16, 2009

I'm writing a storyboard for a course I'm designing. Although I'm more of a web developer than an instructional designer I'm stepping in to fill a need at my company. I am a little bummed that it takes time away from the development side of things. However, I really enjoy using my creativity to come up with a way to teach a topic that is engaging and helps the learner make memory connections to the content.

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Storyboard Write Blog PowerPoint Templates 40

Learning Developments

JUNE 29, 2009

How can you use Lectora to convert kilobytes to megabytes? On the surface this seems like a basic question not worth expanding on. However, the solution in Lectora involves using variables in a creative way so I thought I'd share my thoughts. I'm also testing the waters with a morning cup of Joe today. I had stopped drinking coffee because it made me a little edgy but it's so good I'm reverting back today.

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Lectora Convert Open Association 47

Learning Developments

JULY 2, 2009

I've learned over time that it is important for me to take time to view what I'm doing from different perspectives. Often we developers get caught up in the micro-perspective of what we do. After all, focusing on what happens after the user clicks a button is what I get paid to do. However, when we wear many hats (like both instructional design and development) we are better served to think about things holistically.

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Learning Environment Virtual Classroom Social Networks Wiki 53

Learning Developments

MARCH 25, 2009

I signed up for Twitter to see what all the buzz is about. I've been using it about a week and I still don't quite get it. Well that's not entirely true. I do get how it can be a useful tool to communicate and share ideas. I don't yet get why it is hyped as much as it is. I don't see it being much different than the status updates that already exist in networks like Facebook and Linked In.

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Twitter Social Networks Social Network Facebook 40

Learning Developments

MARCH 17, 2009

I've started reading Creating Successful E-learning by Michael Allen. It is an interesting read so far and Allen's thinking seems to be very pragmatic. A thought hit me while reading the book that maybe I've given too much attention to the storyboard in my course development process. I'm even thinking I don't need a separate storyboard step since the course itself serves as the storyboard.

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Storyboard Learning Objects Learning Objectives Version 40

Learning Developments

JANUARY 13, 2009

I'm putting together a self-paced web-based training course for how to order textbooks using a PeopleSoft application. I'm using Lectora to develop a SCORM package that will eventually be imported and used in the LMS. The course will contain several simulations I am creating in Captivate 3. So far I've found Lectora to be a good course development tool.

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Lectora Captivate PeopleSoft Quizmaker 40

Learning Developments

SEPTEMBER 24, 2009

I led a storyboard review meeting with several of the stakeholders of a "using e-mail" project I am working on. The feedback was very good and was a reminder as to why you review the storyboard before starting development. I had split the course into two sections: 1) e-mail policies and legal concerns; and 2) simple etiquette. As seems to happen in many of the review meetings I have, the discussion didn't go in the direction I thought it would.

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Storyboard Policies Slides Project 40

Learning Developments

OCTOBER 2, 2009

I'm making a second effort at Twitter. I've got too much information coming at me right now so I haven't been all that excited about adding tweets to my daily dashboard. I'm already behind on my RSS feeds and can barely get to Facebook at the end of each day. So adding Twitter seems like a complication I don't need. However, since I'm keen on studying how people learn and share information on-line, I'm redoubling my efforts to find value.

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Social Networks Twitter RSS Facebook 40

Learning Developments

NOVEMBER 11, 2009

Social networking and online self-paced will merge into social self-paced training. I am convinced of this. After all, online self-paced training is content just like a YouTube video, a picture on flickr , a blog posting, or anything else. It can and should be commented on, rated, and shared. In my posting on the Is Social Media Making You Think from the ILS blog I talk about how e-learning professionals need to be thinking about how to include social media in their e-learning strategy.

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