Tech4learning

E-learning 2.0

It was with great interest that I started to read this new book.

Not only because I used to work for the publisher's sister company in Europe, but because this was one of the first books I'd seen focusing on e-learning 2.0.

If you buy this book, get it for the good up-to-date chapter (3) on what constitutes e-learning today, including synchronous (live) e-learning and some comprehensive coverage on the "new" phenomenon of rapid e-learning and when you might use it versus the more "traditional" forms of e-learning.  It must be mentioned that the author runs a company that sells a rapid e-learning authoring tool, but although the examples in the book do reference this product, overall, there is little "hard sell".

Buy it for its reference to the concept of social networking in the business world and among adults (chapter 4) and its discussion about podcasting (chapter 5); also for the first specific coverage I've seen in a book about the use of m-learning within the corporate learning arena (chapter 6).

Chapters 7 and 8 focus on what makes a successful e-learning course and if you're using a rapid e-learning authoring tool, then the clearly presented discussions about all manner of design issues will provide a crash course in creating an effective course.

Chapter 9 brings the book to a close with another "first" for an e-learning book - a good attempt at demystifying the world of standards and integration, in which AICC, SCORM 1.2 and 2004 are clearly and simply explained.  I also welcomed the author's realistic take on the subject of reusable learning objects and her honest view - shared by me and others - that there are probably few real good situations where a "pure" learning object strategy would make sense.

Although I enjoyed reading this book, I did struggle with my first reading of chapter 2, in which the author explains the stages that an organisation will go through with an e-learning strategy.  The discussions here seem to align e-learning with website development, which I've never really seen myself, but that's not to say there weren't some good observations.

There is one section though - the author's review of audio within e-learning courses - where I have to use my own 15-plus years of experience to provide an alternative viewpoint to her comment that you should "think twice about deploying audio for your courses".  And I can only speak from my own experience, but from my days of deploying e-learning to over 70,000 staff at a large retail bank (where staff openly requested courses with audio, over those without);through consulting into large multinational organisations; working with two Brandon Hall award-winning e-learning development houses where audio was used throughout every title; to my more recent projects of rejuvenating Captivate-authored software training modules by re-purposing them with audio narration, I can testify that audio does make a very positive difference to an e-learning module. 

This doesn't mean (and here I agree with the author) the narrator reading word for word what is presented on the screen.  Instead the narration should only be reinforced with short bullet points or appropriate graphics.  With in-house rapid e-learning projects, including the voice of the subject matter expert can add the authority and credibility that some learners need to "trust" the content. 

In response to the comment that audio adds considerably to the production times, with my own rapid e-learning projects, it generally take two hours to record an hour of final audio and less than half that time again to perform any edits.  I'm currently able to produce a finished hour of content with audio in about 6 to 8 hours, which is less than half the time mentioned in the book.

But that aside - and thanks for bearing with me and my own personal opinions above - this is a good book for anyone new to e-learning and who's looking for up-to-date messages, which are lacking in the other books on the subject, many of which are now dated in terms of their messages.

On-mobile Learning

The title of the posting came to me in a flash - and having Googled the term and not found any other mention of this phrase, if it ever takes off, you heard it first here, folks! After all, if we have online learning, why can't we have on-mobile learning?  Of course, the jury is still out on whether mobile learning will take off,  As there are so many platforms in use, e.g. Blackberry, Apple iPhone, Windows Mobile and Symbian, course developers are struggling to determine which to support.

But various content providers are beginning to make their materials available for deployment on one or more of these platforms and it was interesting to see the launch of an "on-mobile" library from OnPoint Digital. 

Now I've been keeping an eye on OnPoint Digital, but because of their US-focus, I've not really been able to mention them on this blog.  For instance, their flagship CellCast dial-in service - to the best of my knowledge - will only prove (cost) effective Stateside.  It's worth pointing out that UK-based custom e-learning developer, Saffron Interactive, has also considerable experience in this area too, with it's i-Cast service.

With their new CellCast Mobile Library, OnPoint Digital have partnered with many of the aforementioned providers to offer their mobile learning content through an e-commerce portal site.

Content has been sourced from 50 Lessons, SkillSoft, Soundview Executive Book Summaries to name probably the best-known.  You can browse their catalogue, now numbering over 500 titles, before previewing and making your selection; then purchasing it for downloading to a mobile device or (and I'm guessing again this is more for American users) listening to podcasts via a mobile phone call.

The subject matter includes leadership and management skills, sales and marketing, as well as IT skills (in particular how to get the most from your Blackberry - a good use of mobile learning) and other personal effectiveness topics.  The content is available as video clips, podcasts and even animated slideshows, which I've covered before as a possible m-learning format.

The content can be run through all the main platforms, although you may need to download and install a "widget" to be able to playback the object.

With initiatives like this, hopefully on-mobile learning will be given a good chance to develop.

Virtual Training - Walking the Talk Online

Now it's rare for me to post a piece about a particular training provider, as the focus of this blog is on the tools you can use to deliver corporate learning and development solutions using learning technologies.

But today I learned about a particular provider, TMA World, whose newly promoted blended learning offer, via an informative video piece, provides a clear example of how we should be using webinars, together with e-learning modules and podcasts to deliver technology-driven blends.

Over the last four years, I've worked on similar programmes that delivered training in international leadership and teamworking using the same tools that a virtual/remote team would (or in some cases, should) use on a day-to-day basis. 

I've long felt that the best way to teach remote working skills is not with everyone in the same face-to-face classroom.  We need to take people out of their comfort zone and I've seen first hand how trainees learn from their first faltering web-conference session experience and build confidence over time to finally deliver a confident performance in the final programme webinar.

TMA are experts in their content field and I hope we can learn from how they are using web-conferencing alongside other media types to challenge any myths that remain that the virtual classroom cannot match a more traditional workshop.

And On Line 5 We Have...

If I was Stateside, this posting would probably be longer, but when you want to record a telephone call in the UK, and at least one party does not have access to Skype (or another VoIP service) and you don't want them to have to dial a number in the United States, then - as far as my research has uncovered - there aren't many options.

I've been looking for ways to have subject matter experts, with busy schedules and no access to suitable recording technology - assuming they had the inclination to fiddle around with any such devices - to record podcast interviews or voiceover narrations for e-learning modules.  If your organisation uses any form of digital dictation service (and you can export the recorded audio files in the correct format for your authoring tool), then that's a good option.

There's also the problem of many IT departments probiting the use of any form of VoIP service.

So whilst acknowledging this last issue, I did note a service called CallBurner.  This service allows you to record Skype-to-Skype phone calls.  You can record them to the MP3 or WAV formats, which are by far the most popular audio file types for both podcasting and rapid e-learning narration.

But what if your caller doesn't have access to Skype or can't use it from where they are located? Well, it is possible to add a "landline" number to your Skype account, called SkypeIn, so they could call that, provided you were using a Skype phone your end.  I'd work from home that day, if I was also barred from using the service at work.  You could also call them on their number (the so-called SkypeOut service).

As well as recording the full conversation, you can also have each side of the call put onto separate tracks.

If you can record Skype-to-Skype, then the service is free.  Otherwise, after a free trial period, you'll have to pay an annual fee of €50.

I'll continue to look for services similar to those in the USA, where your caller can dial a local-call or freephone number and directly record their commentary to a website, which then e-mails you the file containing their audio.

Igniting PowerPoint

I've recently mentioned the fact that it's now possible to create podcasts based on narrated PowerPoint presentations.  Since first commenting on this, I've stumbled on another great tool in this market place. 

Scate Ignite 4 is a very versatile product that can convert all manner of resources into web-based and mobile learning objects.

It comes in three versions, from a straightforward, but nonetheless comprehensive home package, through to a SCORM compliant corporate version, complete with simulations and assessments.

Some very useful demos - created in the tool, of course - help to show off the various features.

When it comes to deploying the podcasts or e-learning modules, then it's easy to post these to their sister igniteCAST hosting service.

Pod My PowerPoint

What I like about the world of learning technologies is once you start to explore one particular avenue, lots of more opportunities open up.

A while back, I was talking about - and receiving comments on - converting PowerPoint presentations into m-learning.  This then drifted into whether presentations could be converted into a podcasting format.

Well, over the last two days or so, I've uncovered two more options.

Firstly, I hadn't realised that you could use the popular screen-caputure/simulations tool, Camtasia, to create podcasts that not only include the slides and audio, but could potentially include a video feed of the speaker.

This instructional video clip shows you how to go about doing this, whilst this one shows you how to produce the result into a podcasting format.

The one draw-back I can see at the moment is on the emphasis on creating podcasts for the Apple iPod/iPhone range and for Windows Mobile devices, or audio-only versions for other players.  Given there is no common mobile devices platform at the moment and many of us have no control over the mobile media players that our audience own, I'd be reluctant to adopt one production method that was limited in its output formats.

This quest led me to uncover another solution - SnapKast.  What I really like about this solution is that it does exactly what I want it to do.  It enables me to take PowerPoint presentation, narrate it and podcast it to the widest range of portable media players possible, as it exports in the nearly universal MPEG4 format. 

But something was still niggling me.  How could I deliver SnapKast podcasts to BlackBerry devices, as they've not been that good at handling video formats?  Turns out this problem will soon begin to fade away, as BlackBerry have literally just released their latest model, the BlackBerry Storm, that really matches up to the iPhone and - good for me - can play video using the MPEG4 format, amongst others.  In the UK, so far anyway, only Vodafone seems to be offering this version, but let's hope its availability increases further - and corporates can find the budget to upgrade their workforces.

Articulate 2009

As a previous user of the Articulate Studio suite of rapid e-learning tools, I was delighted to see that they've just launched an upgraded version.  For me - and countless other of their "fans" - this tool has always been simple to use and can quickly transform a PowerPoint slideshow into a piece of effective e-learning.

With hindsight now - and with reference to the wealth of new features just added - it could be said that the previous version stopped just short of being able to emulate other rapid e-learning tools, especially those that didn't require a PowerPoint file as the starting point.

To a large degree this limitation has been removed with a host of new capabilities, including:

• The ability to add on-screen annotations outside of any already built into the PowerPoint slides
• The option to create branching scenarios, so popular in e-learning courses and a standard feature of many of the competitor authoring tools
• Cleaner imported images
• A complete overhaul of the quiz authoring tool, bringing much more sophisticated testing options
• Greater opportunities to create simulations with enhancements to the Engage interactivity-creation tool

One of the most interesting and valuable new additions to the suite is the Video Encoder program, which - from experience - will save many hours converting video clips from other formats into the FLV format required by the software.

I was also very excited to see a move into the m-learning space, with the option to publish your content for viewing on Flash Lite 3 enabled phones, although the availability of these is probably too limited to offer a viable delivery platform for the time being.  Staying with m-learning, it's also now possible to export the narration track to an MP3 format for use in a podcast.

Behind the scenes for authors there are many more time-saving features and a tightening up of the user interface.

Overall, what was already a leading rapid e-learning authoring tool has nudged itself forward up the league tables and still represents an excellent all-round tool.

Portable PowerPoint

In previous postings about m-learning, I've sometimes mentioned a sales training solution I have seen that was delivered via an iPod.  And I've also posted a few times on the subject of rapid e-learning, the most popular form of this being the conversion of an existing PowerPoint slideshow into a piece of web-based e-learning.

A comment on my last posting about m-learning got me thinking about how a narrated PowerPoint presentation could find its way onto an iPod.  Logically I knew this to be possible, but whilst looking around to confirm a couple of the questions I had, I discovered that a self-contained solution already existed - at least in beta form.

authorSTREAM offer a free service to post narrated PowerPoint slideshows to both YouTube and for downloading to Ipods.  They also allow you to create RSS feeds, so that your PowerPoint slides can be fed to iPods via iTunes, or from a website, so creating a video podcasting solution.  The video below describes the iPod feature in more detail.

Uploaded on authorSTREAM by DaveGrewal

So with this solution, you could offer trainees post-workshop narrated reminders from your workshops, or even use it beforehand, to deliver one or two preparatory "modules".  It's worth pointing out that you can make your submissions private, so that only those "in the know" can find them.

To me this looks like a great rapid m-learning development solution.  Of course, you'll not be able to make the session as interactive as you would with one of the full-blown rapid e-learning authoring tools, such as Articulate, but nevertheless, you could create a useful set of portable resources this way.

Liberated Podcasting

I was browsing through the new 2008 edition of Podcasting for Dummiesand noticed mention of a company called LibSyn or Liberated Syndication who offer an all-in-one podcasting service.

The site offers both an easy way to get started with podcasting and a directory of podcasts from other users, although it's worth pointing out that you don't have to allow the whole world to listen to your broadcasts.  Of course, it's worth listening to a few for ideas and for searching out podcasts that might offer the same content as yours.

The podcast creation process - which you can try-out for nothing in their "sandbox" area - is simple:

1. Set-up your podcast by configuring some basic settings.
2. Upload your media files.
3. Post your show, which also sorts out the all-important RSS feed.

You can choose from different templates for your "home page" on the site, which is where you display your podcasts.  Here you can add so-called "Show Notes" where you can describe your podcast - important if you're using podcast episodes as part of a training programme.  The web-page is in the form of a blog, so you can activate comments too - great if you want to encourage debates about your content.

The pricing for their services is very good too.  You can have a basic package for just $5 per month.  This gives you 100MB of space on their servers.  But you never need pay more than $30 per month for 800B.

What I particularly thought was valuable if you are posting a series of podcasts to support a programme was their approach to archiving.  After one month, your podcast episode is moved from what they they call a "fast" server to a slower one.  They argue (not unreasonably) that after a month, anyone who has yet to listen, can wait a bit longer for the download to occur.  Budget-wise, you are only paying for the "high" speed access, so you never actually lose your older episodes - just they take longer to retrieve - and your paid-for storage space is reserved for your very lastest episodes.

Look Lively!

I've not returned to the theme of using virtual words for corporate training solutions for a while and I'm still firmly sitting on the fence with this one - still waiting to see some real examples of solutions delivered in this way and to an audience of average PC users in a typical corporate setting.

But I noticed the other day that Google has entered this area of Web 2.0, with a new program called Lively that enables you to create your own virtual room. Given how Google likes to make things easier for everyone, I thought I'd give it a go.

It certainly was easier to create my first room than I thought, although I still can't get to grip with moving objects such as pieces of furniture around my virtual home. Things have tended to end up where they last fell - and not upside down! But given that I'd only ever been able to walk/fly around some of the set-piece scenes in Second Life, I was thrilled to have been able to build a rudimentary virtual home.

My room is below. You'll need a Google account to enter and download the Lively software.

In this video from Google, they make it look so much easier...but I was impressed nevertheless.

You can make your rooms private too, which would be preferable if you're going to try it out with a corporate training audience. The challenge, as always, will be to find the best use of this environment.