Tech4learning

Rapid Intake - Desktop and Web-based Rapid E-learning in Unison

A few months ago, I spent a while researching rapid e-learning authoring tools and found myself having to decide whether I wanted to go down the non-collaborative desktop software route - feature packed - or forego some of the functionality and choose a web-based collaborative authoring tool option.

I choose the former then, but am still longing for an online SaaS solutioin that is not only feature-rich but also affordable for those with modest budgets and smaller target audiences.

I'm still looking but was interested when I stumbled about Rapid Intake who offer two authoring tools in versions for the desktop and for the browser.

ProForm is the desktop version.  This enable non-Flash programmers to create rapid e-learning courses, with all the usual features.

Unison is the browser (web)-based version.  The colloborative element of this version is enhanced with access to Rapid Intake's third product, CleanCourse, which is a very useful online project management and tracking tool for e-learning developers.

Rapid Intake's website is also packed full of useful resources for all rapid e-learning developers, which also reinforces the high level of support options that are offered as standard to all their clients.

The Social Media Handbook

A tip off from Amazon.com led me to order a new book from the UK website, based purely on the title and a very brief synopsis.  So when it arrived, not really sure what I was going to get, I was intrigued by The Social Media Handbook.

It's a large book, just over 500 pages and larger than A4 - more like a musical score in size, or one of those popular "games that trainers play" volumes.  Flicking through the book I saw pages and pages of footnotes and references and some interesting "font" discrepancies in places, alongside a variety of graphics in different "house styles".  Was this the result of a student project?  Then I studied the preface and rear cover and realised this was a true collaborative effort.  To quote directly from the text:

Topic relevant selected content from the highest rated Wiki entries, typeset, printed and shipped, combine the advantages of up-to-date and in-depth knowledge with the convenience of printed books.

So the many short and easy to follow chapters, with their frequent references and links to related sources of information, are in fact pieces of content from other digital sources, interpreted and assimilated into a paperback book.

The "handbook" is really a digest of a wide variety of social media tools.  Starting with a series of "articles", the contributors discuss the main themes of social media from "user generated content" through to blogging, wikis and "crowdsourcing", which was a new on on me.

The following sections highlight some of the most popular and not so well known tools in the categories of Communication, Collaboration and Multimedia, Reviews and Opinions and Entertainment.  For each tool, there is a summary table, followed by what can only be described as Wikipedia-like narrative.

You get quick tours and background information to tools such as Blogger, TypePad and Wordpress; Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn; and Ning, Plaxo and Meetup.com.  You can read up on Wikipedia, Wetpaint and Delicious and learn more about Google Reader and Digg.  Flickr, YouTube and last.fm are also featured, along with Epinions and Yahoo! Answers.  Finally, you can look further into Second Life, The Sims Online and Forterra Systems.

If you're researching social media and their use for learning and development, then this is probably a good starting point.  The contributors have certainly done a lot of the groundwork for you. 

Learning Transfer - More Than A Cameo Role

I've written a few times about my interest in using technology to empower the learning transfer process.  Full-service learning follow-through tools such as Action Plan Mapper and Friday5s offer a powerful solution to the problem of how to ensure that learning is put into practice back in the workplace.

At a more simplistic level, many of us have used e-mail as a way to keep in touch with learners and to either remind them of key points from the training or encourage them to keep plugging away at their action plans.

Last week, I received my first demonstration in the UK of a new e-mail based tool that sends out short single-question scenario-based assessments that encourage each learner to reflect on the learning received and apply that to a specific situation, by responding to say three possible options.

The Cameo tool automatically bounces back an e-mail containing feedback based on the answer given by the learner and within that feedback you can include links to other related resources to provide reinforcement and additional learning opportunities

The easy-to-use interface allows the trainer to set up a series of questions to be automatically sequenced at regular user-defined intervals and sent out to each group based on a trigger date, most usually the date of the classroom course or e-learning module.  The system's database keeps a close eye on the responses received, can chase in a number of ways those that miss a message and reports the overall performance of the group, helping to provide evidence of the levels of participation and learning reinforcement.

A short demonstration helps to show the entire process.

And if, like me, you wondered if an e-mail based system would work given the bulging in-boxes most of us have, apparently one client - with similar concerns - reported an impressive 95% participation rate.

Launched in the US last autumn, a second version of the software is heading our way in a few weeks's time.  Future enhancements, I understand, may include the ability to integrate the tool into your own LMS.

I like the simplicity of the approach, which tackles the issues of retaining knowledge after a training event, the need for application of learning on the job and preparing learners to meet the challenges ahead through scenario-based questioning.  With Blackberries and iPhones in the pockets of some learners, then this platform also provides a form of m-learning.

Notching Up Ning

Ning just got better!

A while ago I posted a review of the new Ning for Dummies book and commented how this book gave lots of useful pointers to using this popular tool to create learning communities.

Well, a few days ago, Ning announced that they had added over 90 app-like widgets to the tool, so-called Ning Apps.  So I thought I'd take a look at some of them to see how they could be used to create further learning opportunities for site members.

In summary, there are five main categories of Ning App:

1. Collaboration
2. Communication
3. E-Commerce
4. Fun and Games
5. Fundraising

I started off by looking at those that concentrated on collaboration.

As well as Google Docs and the many programs that make up the Zoho range, I particularly liked the VoxBox application.  This application produced by a company called Sapplica enables you to:

• Create suggestion topics and solicit suggestions
• Allow community members to add suggestions and rate on suggestions
• Create polls and participate in polls

Staying with polling, there's an app version of PollDaddy, a comprehensive polling and survey tool.

Encouraging community contribution of material found on the web and then appraising it, is facilitated by the NewsShare app, a version of Slinksetwhich allows your network to share and rate what's interesting online. Your members submit, rate and discuss all the new and interesting links they find. The result is a source of all the best news and content from around the web according to your community.

The last app to catch my eye in this category was ClackPoint.  ClackPoint (currently in beta) provides live audio, video and text chat for your social network. Users can call in either directly from the web page, or by using a telephone and entering a PIN (with both US and UK phone numbers).

In the area of communication, there are video-based chat group chat rooms from Zorap and Tokbox, amongst other chat services.

If you run paid-for events for your community, then you might like the EventBee app, which enables you to offer a complete end-to-end event management service.

Now I know that offering games and puzzles on websites can generate a lot of activity, whether or not you regard the games as part of the learning experience.  So if you think the same, there are six pages of apps in this category including both word and number puzzles.  You can even create your own virtual world within your Ning site - SmallWorlds.

Thinking about it, even if you don't have a Ning site, some of these apps and their parent products would offer a good range of e-learning tools.

Online Coaching Support - Side by Side

Now I've long been particularly interested in how technology can be applied to the transfer of learning back into the workplace.  For although the e-learning industry has grown up around the concept of delivering learning, all forms of training have suffered from poor rates of learning transfer.  So regardless of whether your organisation is behind the delivery of content via e-learning or not, there should be room to use systems that reinforce the full learning cycle.

One particular application of technology is to support coaching programmes.  So a new reference to a US-based tool reminded me of a long established UK-based service, so I thought I'd use this posting to highlight both.

Starting closer to home, mye-coach offers a range of featuresto support the organisational coach in keeping on top of their coaching programme and providing the follow-through for each coachee.  As well as offering a written record of coaching conversations, the service offers 165 tools to support all aspects of the coaching process and for coaching in many different areas.  Each tool will either provide a summary of a given topic, a diagnostic instrument, a post-coaching session activity, a knowledge handout or a coach's session guide. 

As an added bonus for visiting their website, the team at mye-coach also offer a range of free coaching resources.

Over in the States, Coach Assistantoffers an online resource that similarly captures a record of the relationship between the coach and their coachee.  But whereas mye-coach looks at the one-to-one aspects of coaching, Coach Assistant also picks up on the sometimes collaborate nature of coaching with a range of features targeting groups of learners working with a facilitator/coach.  You can also upload your own attachments that could provide both educational and follow-up resources for your coachees. 

In some ways both tools are similar in that they are hubs for a wealth of supporting resources.  From my own personal knowledge of mye-coach, this tool very much leans to the true field of coaching, whereas Coach Assistant would look particularly strong in the field of coaching as part of an integrated distance learning approach.

With internal coaching in particular showing itself to be good development option when training expenditure is under pressure, tools such as these will help to leverage this process.

Zentation - the Fusion of YouTube and PowerPoint

In my last posting I commented on how sometimes having two visual channels in use, in particular the video feed of a presenter, alongside their slideshow, can have a detrimental impact on the learner's ability to take in the messages.

So it's not surprising that I'll raise this as a consideration when talking about Zentation - a beta product at the moment - that allows you to synchronise your PowerPoint slides with a YouTube video.  In fact, if you've never thought about this issue or seen an example, then do take a look at the many sample Zentation presentations and judge for yourself.  In particular, after a short while, does your eye gravitate to the video feed of the presenter or do you try to block that out, to just focus on the commentary over the slides?

To use the service you first of all have to upload your video to YouTube. You'll then need to log into Zentation and create a new Account and "Add a New Presentation."  Once you've entered the details of your YouTube video, you next unload your slide and use their ZenSync too to provide precise start timings for each graphic in your presentation.

The service is free is you allow your presentation to remain in the public domain.  Otherwise, for a private presentation, which I'm sure will be the case for many in the corporate learning and development space, you can take out a paid subscription.

Quiet in the Studio, Please!

Once again, my posting features a video-based solution and one that also made me ponder about applying good instructional design (or at least media overload prevention) into video-based learning content.

Instant Video Presenter offers an out-of-the-box kit to enable a subject matter expert to quickly put together a video programme which can be viewed online.  The key element of this "kit" is the green-screen cloth that you pin behind you as you address the camera.  As if you were giving a weather forecast, you can then project whatever image you want onto the green-screen cloth, changing this as required during your "to camera" shots. 

A typical image might be the slides from a PowerPoint slideshow.  You'd need to make sure you kept your text and graphics to one side of each slide, otherwise you'd be in danger of masking your content, of course.

But this is when I started to think about the impact on the learner.  Having recently observed a webinar where the presenter was constantly on the screen, enthusiastically getting his message across, alongside his slides, the participants commented that it was tough to both watch the presenter (whose arms were quite distracting at times) and focus on the slide content.  Of course, I knew this would most likely be the case, as it is a known fact that if your learning content presents two forms of visual media (i.e. a video feed of the presenter and his slides) along with the need to listen, the brain finds it very difficult to process this.  It's much better to have just the slides with a voiceover, as here we are using just one visual channel and one audio channel.

So for me, whereas Instant Video Presenter looks to be a great resource, I think the presenter needs to carefully consider what content they use as their backdrop. 

But do take a look at their great demo video, together with their thoughts on how this kit can be used for employee training.  There is also a free (marketing) "white paper" about the their so-called "learning 3.0", which provides some interesting data and thoughts.  And the pricing is really competitive too, so this solution will not break the bank.

Rapid E-learning - Clearly Articulated

For a developer of a rapid e-learning authoring tool to have an independent publisher commission a book to explain how to use their software is testimony to the market domination of that tool.  To have that book's team of authors led by e-learning development expert, Patti Shank, is proof that this tool can be used to create high quality and instructionally sound content.  And for the book to be over 1,000 pages long and weigh 1.75kg clearly positions this tool as a feature-packed package.

So I was pleased - after quite a few months' delay - to get hold of my copy of Essential Articulate Studio '09.

This book provides a very complete guide to using the four elements that make up the Articulate Studio '09 suite, namely Presenter, Quizmaker, Engage and the Video Encoder.  Each of the different aspects of the software are covered - and I mean "each" - so you won't miss out on anything.  In fact, if the book wasn't so long, I would love to read it cover to cover, as although I've used this tool for over four years now, I know I've only scratched the surface of what it can do.

The first chapter provides a quick overview of the tool, including how to install the software.  The next chapter then goes on to look at the topic of rapid e-learning development, including the preparation required before embarking on a project.

In Chapter Three, the authors introduce the main part of the tool, Presenter, and as well as providing a brief introduction to this part, they also look at what to include as part of your project and good project management techniques.  The next four chapters cover all the elements of this application.

Chapters Eight to Thirteen focus on the Quizmaker software and again begin with some of the background preparation when it comes to creating quizzes and surveys.

From Chapter Fourteen to Twenty Five, the book devotes a lot of pages to individual explanations of the different types of interaction that can be created using the Engage program. 

Chapter Twenty Six brings together the publishing aspects of each of the three main software applications, before the final chapter puts the Video Encoder application through its paces.

The book also includes a CD-ROM that contains a 30-day trial of the software itself, together with a copy of the vendor's own documentation, plus links to some of the support resources on their website.

What I most appreciated about this book was the clear explanations provided at each step and the frequent illustrations.  As a frequent user of Articulate Studio, one of the barriers that has held me back from pushing the tool to its full potential has been the uncertainty about what would happen if, for instance, I tweaked something.  With this book, I don't need to worry about the impact something I do might have - I can see it illustrated for myself.  In particular, thanks to the content of Chapter Seven, I now feel much more confident in customising the player templates.

As well as the step-by-step instructions, the book is full of hints and tips on to get the most from the application.  This is probably the closest the book gets to providing some instructional design coaching.  If anything, given the background of the authors, I was expecting more of a focus on how the software could be used to reinforce sound instructional design techniques, but that's my only "minor" criticism of what is certainly a must-have resource for both novice and experienced Articulate Studio '09 users.

Grow Your Own Social Network

For many of us, our first attempt to create an online social network has been based on pointing our browser to Ning.com and fumbling around seeing what happened when you clicked here or there; and all the time comparing our first efforts to other established networking sites or other Ning-based networks that always looked so much more inviting than ours.  Now I'm the sort of guy who likes to have a sense of where he's going and what's possible, so I was delighted last year to notice that the For Dummies series was planning to tackle this piece of web-based software.

The book finally saw the light of day a few weeks ago and I've been reading it in phases.  My first impressions were so favourable that based on what I had read that week, I encouraged another fledgling Ning site developer to persevere with her endeavours.

After giving you a quick tour of a typical Ning site, the author encourages you to join an existing Ning site so you can explore further before even beginning to think about your own site.  Still from the perspective of a regular site member, you are shown how to get the most from the network you joined, including adding multimedia content, communicating with the other members and interacting with others.

Only when you've truly experienced the potential of a Ning site, does the book go on to show you how to take the plunge and create your own network.

You look at the structure and appearance of your site, before going on to customise your home page and organising your members.  You are shown how to exploit forums, notes and chats, as well as how to manage the different types of multimedia you can use, together with getting the most from membership groups and events.

As your site grows in popularity, the author provides you with guidance on the appointment and management of supporting administrators, before looking at some of the ways you can find new members and promote your network.

A high level but still practical chapter on using Google Analytics to learn more about the performance of your network is followed by tactics to keep your network alive and kicking.

The final section looks at how you can further leverage your Ning site by purchasing some of the site's premium services, how you can overhaul the look and feel with CSS code, use the Language Editor to localise the site for different nationalities and embed so-called OpenSocial Applications into the site.

As always with a For Dummies book, the last "Part of Tens" chapter summarises different ways to make money from your site, add further spice to your network and find tools to help manage the environment.

Overall, this book combines both the mechanics of building a Ning site, with a more general discussion of how to successful establish and nurture a successful social network site.

Video Conferencing - The Next Generation

I've been producing webinars for over four years now, but recently I've been asked to host web-conferencing sessions as a direct replacement for more expensive video conferences.  At times a web-conference has cost less than 25% of the cost of a hardware-based video conference.

So - for once - I was interested in seeing a flyer that fell out of a magazine the other week.

Nefsis offers web-based multi-party video conferencing services that can offer a video wall of attendees, alongside a shared desktop application, document or PowerPoint slideshow.

The all-in pricing starts from £225 per month for 5 concurrent users, enough for a small tutorial class, or £315 per month for 10 users, enough for an interactive webinar audience.  You can get quotes for higher volumes of users.

A variety of screencast demos will give you an idea as to how the service works.