theParagon

Online Education is Here

Guest Speaker: Jennifer De Vries (Senior Analyst)

E-Learning Defined: Delivering logically sequenced content through a digital medium in order to meet skill or knowlege objective(s).

Why use E-Learning

• Geographically dispersed audience
• No time to get everyone together
• Large number of people to train
• Shift work or other scheduling issues
• Continuous Change (great for training small changes in a product or a process)
• High turnover or rapid growth (instead of a person, you may want to put together an electronic version of what you are trying to say)

Discussion Questions

Do you face any of these situations in your organization?

• Trainees live far away
• Diffulculty scheduling training time
• large number of people to train
• need to train people NOW!!!
• Lots of change, need to keep everyone in sync
• New people come in all the time

Roles/Task

• Authoring - Creating the courses
• Delevering - Getting the courses to the people who need them
• Tracking - Reporting on course usage and completion

E-Learning Technology Model

• Users (always at the top)
  • Learning Management System
    • Course A
    • Course B
    • Course C
    • Course D
    • Course E

Scorm is the XML wrapper (the standard)

AICC - airline industry’s (older - not used very much anymore)

Two Types of Courses

Asynchronous (Self-Paced)

• Web-based Training Courses (HTML)
• Demos and Simulations
• Digital Video
• Slides with audio (PowerPint Converions)

Synchronous (Scheduled) (ie. broadcasted)

• Web Conference (WebEx)
• Other collaborative Technologies

Scheduled vs. Self-Paced

Scheduled

• Session occurs at a specific time
• Use real-time polling & chat for interaction
  • Gage response & comprehension
  • Benefits from participant questions
  • discussion
• Demonstrations and applications sharing
• Can do breakouts

Self-Paced

• Participant takes on their own time
• Should include interactions, such as quizzes, assessments and surveys
• may include collaborative elements, like discussion boards, email to expert
• Recorded scheduled sessions become self-paced.

Web Based Training Example 1

• ChristianCourses.com (hosted by Gospelcom)
• Another off of ChristianCourses.com Zany Kids

Web-Based Training Authoring Tools

• Most places will offer a 10 day trial version.
• Make sure they are accessible for people with disabilities and people on different platforms.
• ReadyGo
• SumTotal Toolbook
• Trivantis Lectora (Section 508 compliant)
• Outstart TrainerSoft
• macromedia Authorware (within E-Learning Suite)
  • Tom King is their eLearning expert
• Learn.com Coursemaker Studio

PowerPoint Conversion Example

• Articulate (speakers favorite)
• Impactica
• Macromedia Breeze (http://www.macromedia.com/software/breeze/)
• Presentation Pro Powerconverter
• PowerPoint to Flash converter
  • What about Flash animation and functions that may be developed in the Flash app.
  • You can be careful of “SlideWhipping” your users.
  • How long can you really sit and watch a slideshow?
  • Should be less than an hour long.
• Microsoft Producer (can also do audio)

Demo/Simulation Tools

Demo

• Techsmith Camtasia
• Macromedia RoboDemo (speakers personal favorite)

Simulation

• Outstart SoftSim
• Knowledge Impact Firefly

Web Conference Tools

• iLinc
• Interwise (best pricing model)
• Horizon Wimba
• Lotus Sametime
• Macromedia Breeze Live (Macromedia doesn’t have a huge focus on E-learning)
• Microsoft PlaceWare
• WebEx

Learning Management System

• LMS by Gyrus (example that was shown)
• There are a lot of free ones currently out there.
• Moodle (Open Source) - Interglobal uses this and is trying to get Gospelcom to use this.

Different LMS

• Saba
• SumTotal Docent
• Learn.com learn Center
• GeoLearning GeoMaestro
• Blackboard - Taylor University uses them
• WebCT
• Pathlore/DKSystems

Truth or Myth?

• You need a LMS to deliver an e-learning course (False)
• E-Learning is not as good as classroom training (this is a myth)
  • learning retention is better
  • lots of studies show this is better
  • Reason for its success - User Directed
• E-Learning eliminates the relational aspect of learning (this is a myth)
  • even more untrue when you blend it with traditional learning.
• E-Learning is expensive to develop (this is a myth)
  • It can be expensive but there are many ways to develop quick and effective.
• E-Learning can be fun and engaging (True)

Guidelines for Getting Started

• Do what’s best for the audience
  • Tech Savviness
  • Environment and time
  • Client Configuration
• Use a medium that’s relatively familiar to you
• Choose the topic thoughtfully
• Take courses in that medium before creating your own
• Use interactions frequently and appropriately
• Tests and trial runs are important
• Don’t go it alone, ask for help

Free E-Learning Resources

• Learningcircuits.org
• Elearningguild.com
• Masie.com
• Bersin.com (an anylist firm - they have a free newsletter)
• Geolearning.com (also have a free newsletter)

posted on September 18, 2004 | 11:24 PM EST