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I will not be posting to the blog from August 31st through September 3rd and will resume on September 4th.
| instructional design | online training content development | accessibility |
| section 508 | interactivity | learning activities |
| elearning podcasts | usability | CSS Flash XHTML |
| semantic markup |
Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series 
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series
e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series
SyberWorks Learning Management System
I found this on Jane Hart's Blog.....
A Free AJAX Online Spell-checker
| instructional design | online training content development | accessibility |
| section 508 | interactivity | learning activities |
| elearning podcasts | usability | CSS Flash XHTML |
| semantic markup |
Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series
e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series
SyberWorks Learning Management System
Improving Learner Motivation Through Enhanced Instructional Design by Dennis Margueratt
Abstract:
"The purpose of this thesis was to examine the relationship between the instructional design methodology used to design and develop a distance learning product and learner motivation......."
| instructional design | online training content development | accessibility |
| section 508 | interactivity | learning activities |
| elearning podcasts | usability | CSS Flash XHTML |
| semantic markup |
Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series
e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series
SyberWorks Learning Management System
You'd think that something as important and standard as a preloader would be simple in the latest version of Flash. Not only is preloading pretty much undocumented - probably because there are so many ways to do it - the information both in books and on the internet is fairly sparse. So far, I've found at least four different techniques and none of them to my liking. What's even more daunting is to find out how it's implemented - with classes.
Now I've been using Flash since version 2 and I'm pretty fluent in AS 2.0, but this whole business about classes in CS3, although it's slowly sinking in, is a bit much. Instead of a few lines of code, now I need a whole separate .as file as a document class for my Flash file?!? Try teaching that to first time Flash users! Anyhow, I thought I'd share what I found, so you could pass it along.
First there's this post over at BIT-101 entitled: Preloaders in AS3. For something a little more straightforward, you can try Koen De Weggheleire's solution, which doesn't require a class, but isn't all that flexible either: Preloader in Flash CS3 - Actionscript 3.0 way. Weggheleire follows up with another tutorial on a different technique, this time with a class: More About Preloading in Flash CS3. This approach is promising and easy to tweak. Finally, there's ProgressBar Component of Flash CS3, by Flep. This technique utilizes the Progress Bar Component included in Flash CS3.
Actually, preloading has never been an exact science and everybody has different approaches to the whole thing. I just think Adobe could've implemented it better in this release.
| instructional design | online training content development | accessibility |
| section 508 | interactivity | learning activities |
| elearning podcasts | usability | CSS Flash XHTML |
| semantic markup |
Al Lemieux
Senior Designer
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series
e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series
SyberWorks Learning Management System
The next episode of the e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series is up! This week's words are "Chunk and Chunking".
On the e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series, there are three ways to comment on each episode. You may post a message to the blog; leave a web-based voicemail by clicking the button in the upper right-hand corner; or call in and leave a message about each show. You may find each weekly episode and its accompanying transcript on the e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series page located in the media center of the SyberWorks web site.
Press Release:
The e-Learning Lingo Podcast #14: "Chunk and Chunking"
Blog:
e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series Blog
| instructional design | online training content development | accessibility |
| section 508 | interactivity | learning activities |
| elearning podcasts | usability | CSS Flash XHTML |
| semantic markup |
Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series
e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series
SyberWorks Learning Management System
Google has already been trying to promote its web-based alternative to Microspoft Office Products called Google Docs and Spreadsheets. The Wall Street Journal now reports that because of a alliance announced in 2005 with Sun Microsystems, Google has started to offer free downloads of the Sun software, specifically StarOffice software "as part of its Google Pack, a set of products that Google selects and distributes through their web site."
Google Begins to Distribute Sun's StarOffice Software by Don Clark, Wall Street Journal, 8/16/2007
| instructional design | online training content development | accessibility |
| section 508 | interactivity | learning activities |
| elearning podcasts | usability | CSS Flash XHTML |
| semantic markup |
Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series
e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series
SyberWorks Learning Management System
Here is the latest article in the SyberWorks Media Center:
How does podcasting fit into a company’s training programs?
By Dave Boggs, CEO of SyberWorks, Inc.
Now that the buzz surrounding podcasting has subsided some, what is the place of podcasting in today’s learning arsenal? It’s a very good question. By now, most learning professionals have heard of podcasts in one way or another. They may have learned about them from buying their children’s’ iPods. Or they themselves may have been among the small minority of early experimenters who have used them in their courses and training. Or perhaps somewhere in between.
Apple really did a great job coining the terms “podcast” and “podcasting.” In some ways, these terms have become as widely used as when we say “Kleenex” instead of “tissue,” or “Xerox/Xeroxing” instead of “making reproductions on a copy machine.” A podcast is really just a type of digital media file which plays audio in a browser or on a portable device.
But podcasting has gone high-profile! Which do you think sounds
better when you’re at an e-Learning conference surrounded by other
learning and training professionals?:
• “Why John, we have been using podcasts for a while now in our online training programs, how about you?”
• “Why John, we have been using audio for a while now in our online training programs, how about you?”
As many people know, the two most popular podcast formats are mp3 files and m4a files. If you are an Apple enthusiast, you will say Apple’s m4a file is really the only true podcast audio file, but when most people talk about podcasts or podcasting they are referring to mp3 files as well. And it just so happens that the mp3 file format is more widely used and supported.
In the last few months, a couple of academic papers and studies have questioned the learning effectiveness of podcasts. While most students, learners, companies, training managers, and instructors seem enthusiastic about using and applying this technology, other factors can inhibit their effectiveness and use. For example, the podcast medium (by nature) is one-sided, because most learners are listening to only part of a lecture—an explanation or briefing—which is not an interactive activity in and of itself.
Creating a podcast also requires decent equipment, extra software, and knowledge of how to record and edit audio files. So podcast creation is a skill many e-Learning developers may not have. It also helps to have your own voice talent or (if you are doing video podcasting) access to professional models. Let’s face it, your company’s subject-matter expert may be the most knowledgeable person in the entire industry on XYZ circuits, but they may not present very well in audio or video.
Additional factors, relating to the type of information in the
podcasts, can complicate their execution and deployment. For example,
the:
• Type of audience (such as field personnel who use mobile devices exclusively).
• Level of security needed (such as secure RSS).
• Delivery methods required (such as product briefings via Blackberry).
Most training project managers understand that such factors translate into additional money that will be needed to develop their training.
At this point, you’re probably thinking, “Dave, you’re pretty down
on podcasts!” And that is not true! I am proud to say that SyberWorks
has three different podcast series:
• The SyberWorks e-Leaning Podcast Series.
• The SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series.
• The e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series.
In our e-Learning development division, we produce all types of audio and video for our clients as well.
But now, you are saying, “Okay Dave, but can podcasts work with a learning management system (LMS)? A good LMS can track and manage all types of web content: audio, video, podcasts, synchronous or asynchronous e-Learning, instructor-lead training, web conferencing, study helps, or traditional offline training. The SyberWorks LMS tracks and manages all of these types of web content, and more.
So where might podcasting fit, in your own e-Learning environment? I see podcasting as one of many items in the tool box that supports your online training and overall training objectives. It can be used as a study-help aid, or as a performance-support tool that can be integrated into online courses and larger training programs. Finally, podcasts should be developed and integrated with the same level of diligence and care that is used to create any other study-help materials, performance-support information, or learner evaluations. Okay, so that should settle it, I really do think podcasts and podcasting have a place in e-Learning, and in your company’s training programs.
Press Release:
New SyberWorks Media Center Article: “How does podcasting fit into a company’s training programs?”
Article:
How does podcasting fit into a company's training programs?
| instructional design | online training content development | accessibility |
| section 508 | interactivity | learning activities |
| elearning podcasts | usability | CSS Flash XHTML |
| semantic markup |
Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series
e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series
SyberWorks Learning Management System
Prior to Flash CS3, captioning video was a difficult chore. Using an external .flv file as the video source, you couldn't really synch things appropriately because of the way the video would load, the bandwidth, and other issues. Cueing the right caption via ActionScript by targeting cue points was also a difficulty. In essence, captioning pre-CS3 was a hassle.
Enter CS3 and the FLVPlaybackCaptioning component. Using the FLVPlayback component in conjunction with this component and an external XML file is all that is needed now to provide users with captions. The XML file is a special type called a Timed Text (TT) XML document. What's so special about this file is a few key phrases that tell Flash where a caption begins and ends.
Once you have the XML file set up, you simple call that file as the source for the captions in the Properties panel. The FLVPlayback components skin should be set to one that accomodates captions. There are other techniques available, but this is so straightforward - it's a no brainer.
Tom Green adequately explains the procedure in this article: Captions for Video with Flash CS3.
| instructional design | online training content development | accessibility |
| section 508 | interactivity | learning activities |
| elearning podcasts | usability | CSS Flash XHTML |
| semantic markup |
Al Lemieux
Senior Designer
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series
e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series
SyberWorks Learning Management System
The next episode of the e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series is up! This week's word is "Dashboard".
On the e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series, there are three ways to comment on each episode. You may post a message to the blog; leave a web-based voicemail by clicking the button in the upper right-hand corner; or call in and leave a message about each show. You may find each weekly episode and its accompanying transcript on the e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series page located in the media center of the SyberWorks web site.
Press Release:
The e-Learning Lingo Podcast #13: "Dashboard"
Blog:
e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series Blog
| instructional design | online training content development | accessibility |
| section 508 | interactivity | learning activities |
| elearning podcasts | usability | CSS Flash XHTML |
| semantic markup |
Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series
e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series
SyberWorks Learning Management System
Personally, I liked economics, but this seems like a fun way to learn it!
Helping students stay the course by Hiawatha Bray
".....Lots of college professors use computer games as teaching aids. But Econ 201 is a game: The entire course is an online adventure. Your success in helping the aliens survive and repair their ship will determine your final grade. There are no classroom lectures, no textbooks to read. All the class materials are found within the game, even the regular quizzes and the final exam."
| instructional design | online training content development | accessibility |
| section 508 | interactivity | learning activities |
| elearning podcasts | usability | CSS Flash XHTML |
| semantic markup |
Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series
e-Learning Lingo Podcast Series
SyberWorks Learning Management System
