The Boggs e-Learning Chronicle

e-Learning Course Development Tip

Below is the next installment our intermittent series of best practices and tips regarding Custom Online Course Development.

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Use a disciplined planning approach to design that includes paper prototyping, outlines, and storyboarding:

The course content must be organized so that it can effectively map into the learner’s mind.  Paper prototyping, outlines, and storyboards are great tools to use when putting together an online course.  When you use paper prototyping, outlines, or storyboarding, it puts the information into different mediums and gives you another way to assemble the order of the data.  These techniques help drive course designers and developers to think through the execution of the course.

Dave Boggs, SyberWorks

e-Learning and the Phenomena of Podcasting

As I am sure you have heard, Podcasting is one of the newest vehicles for publishing audio content.  For those who are not familiar with it, Podcasting is making audio files (most commonly in MP3 format) available on-line in a way that allows software to automatically download the files for listening at the user's convenience.

Recently published results of the Duke University Podcasting experiment,  the upswing in use of RSS technology, and other factors has fueled the exploration of using podcasts in e-learning.   Not surprisingly, podcasting has become one of the latest "hot" topics bandied about by many e-learning pundits.

Below are some podcasting resources for you to check out:

The Education Podcast Network

Podcasting Resources for Educators & Students

The E-Learning Centre's Reference Section on Podcasting

Duke University's Podcast Site

Podcasting News

Dave Boggs, CEO, SyberWorks, Inc.

Feedback mechanisms in learning management systems

Harrie Passier and Johan Jeuring, faculty in the Computer Science Department at the Open University of the Netherlands has a 5 page article on Ontology Based Feedback Generation In Design-Oriented E-Learning Systems.  The piece is a conceptual primer on feedback in e-learning systems.

Feedback can be gathered from many points within a learning management system.  Some mechanisms for gathering feedback in learning management systems may include Help Desk, Threaded Discussion Groups, Messaging (including broadcast email), Chat, and Web Conferencing and Collaboration.  Surveys can also a great way to get feedback from students, instructors, administrators or any other group desired.

Dave Boggs, CEO, SyberWorks, Inc.

e-Learning Course Development News Items

For all the e-learning course developers out there, Macromedia announces its new Flash Platform: http://www.macromedia.com/platform/

Alias, makers of Maya, announce Sketchbook Pro 2: http://www.alias.com/glb/eng/products-services/product_details.jsp?productId=1900006

Sketchbook Pro 2 is high-quality paint and drawing application designed specifically for use with Tablet PC or digitized pen tablets.

Dave Boggs, SyberWorks, Inc.

Competency Management and Learning Management Systems

The Georgia Department of Labor has a descent primer on Using Competencies in HR Strategies available in the public domain.  The PPT presentation looks at:

• competencies and their characteristics,
• how to develop competency profiles,
• measuring performance,
• job person matching,
• hire vs. train decisions,
• problem solving using competency models,
• key issues in HR strategies, staffing, recruiting, selecting, and development and,
• key issues and strategies in retention.

These are all important aspects to consider within the context of accessing learning management systems to identify what functionality they should provide to meet the needs of your company's e-Learning initiative.

Dave Boggs, SyberWorks, Inc.

Three New e-learning titles

75 e-Learning Activities : Making Online Learning Interactive
Ryan Watkins
ISBN: 0-7879-7585-0
Hardcover
352 pages
March 2005

Managing E-Learning Strategies:
Design, Delivery, Implementation and Evaluation
Badrul Khan; George Washington University, USA Our Price:    $76.46 US   List Price: $84.95
ISBN:    1-59140-634-X
Imprint:    InfoSci
Number of pages:    Hard Cover; 424 pages 
Copyright:    2005

Security in eLearning

Edgar R. Weippl, Edgar R. Wieppl
Format: Hardcover
Pub. Date: July 2005

Dave Boggs, SyberWorks, Inc.

Brainstorming & TRIZ Tools for use in Online Content Development

TRIZ expert, Brian Campbell has a good PDF on the similarities of Brainstorming and TRIZ tools.  “TRIZ" is the acronym for the “Theory of Inventive Problem Solving” in Russian.  They are helpful techniques to employ within the context of on-line course development.

Dave Boggs, SyberWorks, Inc.

elearning course development interactivity guidelines

Yesterday on ASTD's  Learning Circuits Blog, there was a discussion of about the best practices in regards to the level of interactivity suggested in on-line course development.

The CEO's and the writer's observations have their roots in the user interface engineering principles developed by Jacob Neilsen, known as the father of User Interface Engineering field. 

In addition, a well known rule of thumb in elearning course development is the 5 minute 3 screens rule which essentially means that meaningful interaction must occur within those parameters.

Dave Boggs, SyberWorks, Inc.

UK & Upcoming Labor Shortage

Well, finally we have a great spring day with temperatures from 65 to 78 degrees! Tomorrow is the first day of summer & the temperatures are scheduled to go way up.  We are grateful for the nice weather and as Mark Twain always said, ‘if you don’t like the weather in New England, wait 5 minutes’.

As a follow up from a previous post about the upcoming labor shortage, here is a posting about the UK’s Labor Shortage where the Chartered Institute of Personal Development is recommending training existing employees, to avoid predicted skill shortages and wage inflation.

Dave Boggs, SyberWorks, Inc.

e-Learning gaining on traditional types of learning

Hello, and Happy Friday!

In an article published in e-Marketer on a study done by Feedback Research, most online adults who have looked into online education feel it is just as good or better than traditional, face-to-face learning.

"The survey was conducted in April and May 2005 among almost 500 US adults who had visited distance education Web sites. Solid majorities felt that online education was at least equal to traditional schools, with 67% saying the overall quality of the education was equal, and 68% feeling the quality of the degree is just as good.

A survey from the Sloan Consortium conducted late last year among Chief Academic Officers of degree-granting institutions of higher education in the US indicated that educators are not quite as enthusiastic about online education as prospective students, but most also see it as at least as good. Only 11% of educators surveyed said that online education is superior to any degree than face-to-face learning, but over 50% felt the two types of learning were even. Over 38% deemed online learning inferior to face-to-face learning. "

The entire article can be found at http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?1003450 and is only available until online up until June 25th.

Hope you all have a great Father's Day weekend! Dave Boggs, SyberWorks