“A Simple Numerical Philippic”, or “How I was Infographicked into Submission” October 6, 2009

Not long ago, as just a wee kid, I was a cynic about anything related to statistics. Now, how life has changed. New graphics software and programs make presenting numbers a teaching moment to behold, make information easy to digest, and tell a story that even a non-believer could understand.

Add clarity to your training by presenting the story, the trends, and the facts behind the numbers using graphics the right way. Randy Krum’s blog, Cool Infographics is a great starting point to learning how to translate the digits into something the learner can explore and understand.

(FYI: This entry title is a hat-tip to Simon and Garfunkel)

Discount Software for Learning Developers and Students August 15, 2009

If you are a student, faculty, or instructor at an accredited institution of learning, you may qualify to buy software at reduced prices, sometimes as much as 70% off. 

This is great news if, like me, you are headed back to school to enhance or change your career, or if your children require software for school.  Many e-Learning and graphic design tools are for sale online, including most, if not all major Adobe products.

My research did not find Articulate’s products for sale at any of the popular academic software sites.  Articulate’s website discussion board indicates that academic discounts may be offered through Articulate directly for purchases of multiple licenses, so consider contacting Articulate as a group if you are taking a class that would require their products.  Trivantis’s website indicates that they offer discounts for academic institutions and government organizations through a GSA schedule, but does not indicate discount pricing for individual students.

In general, supplies are usually limited to one unit of an application per person, and you must provide proof that you (or your child) is enrolled at an accredited institution.

Some of my favorite sites include:

• Academic Superstore (also see their GradWare site)
• JourneyEd

A quick online search will list more sites.  University bookstores also participate in academic software discounts, but I found better prices, and more choices, online than at the campus bookstore. 

As always, remember to do your homework before purchasing software from any online source to ensure quality service and timely delivery, especially if you need to receive a particular product before the start of class.

Inspirational e-Games February 9, 2009

“e-Games” is my spur-of-the-moment expression.  Perhaps “video game” is what was really meant.  Anyway, I found a set of fun cognitive games at Lumosity, a site developed by San Francisco-based Lumos Labs, to sharpen your cognitive skills.

Flash-based games like Monster Garden flash images of childish monsters on the screen, after which you create a path for the little girl to follow to a garden plant.  Then there’s Word Bubbles, a game in which you must create as many real words as you can think of that begin with a given 3-letter combination, while a buzzer ticks down to zero. 

Each of the games at Lumosity exercise one or more cognitive abilities simultaneously.  The system keeps score during the game, and calculates a Brain Performance Index (BPI) score.  As you improve with each game, the games become gradually more challenging.  The system keeps track of your progress over multiple sessions using charts to help you see your own mental improvement over time. 

Lumosity’s program begins with the basic course, a set of games that exercise each cognitive skill in the system.  After completing the basics, you can sign up for any of the advanced courses, such as Speed Boost, Memory Boost, Basic Training: High School Version (with SAT/ACT prep exercises), and Advanced Attention Training (currently in development, targeting symptoms of ADD).

At first glance, Lumosity’s site is simple to navigate and friendly for any user.  Users sign up for monthly or annual membership, but there is a 7-day free trial. 

Overall, the games are fun, engaging, and inspirational for any e-learning developer.

Examples of E-Learning Courses November 14, 2007

For this month’s blog, I’m actually writing a “note-to-self” that I’m sharing with the world.  We all need to take a look aound every once in a while and see what the other gals and guys are doing.  Here’s a list of places to look for sample eLearning courses:

Allen Interactions - Requires a login

Kidzonline

Kathy Moore’s E-Learning Page - I just found this in an eLearning Guild message board, and it has lots of neat examples.

 Want to share a favorite?  Submit a comment.

PowerPoints: e-Learning Tools Better Articulated August 13, 2007

So I woke up this morning, excited to see the replies to my last post, and…nothing. Not one. Is everyone actually so tied to PowerPoint that no other method deserves mention? I asked my ISD co-worker today. He responded by showing me his way cool-(oops, that is a little too colloquial, isn’t it?)-he responded by showing me his wicked cool CBT/WBT course developed with PowerPoint and Articulate, including Articulate Engage. I was amazed. If it were not for researching and reviewing Articulate, I would have thought that the course had been developed in Flash. Informative, interactive, and engaging, my coworker made the course Section 508 compliant using tools in the system that appear much easer than if he had used Flash.

Articulate Engage and its sister products give the instructional designer the power to develop his/her own Flash objects such as buttons with mouse-over animation, easy animations, quizzes, and a web-friendly Flash presenter. I found a lot more interactivity and ease of use than with Breeze (that coming from a Breeze fan, pun not intended).

Be aware, though, that the robust character of Articulate comes with a learning curve, but a manageable one. Start with a ready-made presentation, download the Articulate demo versions, and go to town playing with the features.

Real Training Opportunities in Virtual Worlds May 18, 2007

Several years ago, a co-worker of mine introduced me to one of her favorite pastimes: playing a game called Everquest.  Everquest is an internet-based 3-D videogame, where users create their own online 3-D persona, and traverse a fantasy world, interacting with other players, and computer-generated characters along the way. 

Everquest is just one of many MMORGs, massive multiplayer online role playing games, that bring users from around the world together in a single 3-D space.  Much more than just a cool interface that gives Generation Y more playtime, virtual worlds allow users to communicate and collaborate in a more realistic environment.

Virtual worlds offer a number of interactive benefits:

• They create rich interactive environments where users can see and interact in a simulated environment

• They offer user collaboration and computer interaction features

• They can be designed simulate any environment, provided you have the where-with-all to design it.

A few tools to investigate VW technology include:

• Second Life – one of the most popular VM tools out there

• Moodle – online e-tool for posting assignments, quizzes, etc.

• Sloodle – a platform that can turn a moodle into a 3-D virtual classroom

• There.com – social virtual world for teens, modeling the interactive capability of VW technology

• Planeshift – a MMORG fantasy game and another example of VW technology