eLearning and Conquering the Universe at the Same Time

In a world of ever-changing technology, where a brand-new laptop purchased yesterday is considered practically obsolete by the end of the week, it seems like the younger generation is really able to take it all in stride. They’re little sponges, soaking up everything around them, especially when it comes to anything in the media arena. From watching TV shows like Sesame Street to playing with toys like the LeapFrog apparatus, to playing online games on the computer, they are constantly learning without even realizing it.

When taking this all into consideration, a question pops into my head, “Why does it seem like they’re not learning as quickly and easily in school?” How is it possible that my stepson can rattle off every piece of mad loot he wants to get from his online game—knowing exactly where the loot drops, what stats it will provide his character, and so forth—but yet my questions about what he learned in school that day are met with a blank stare?

A possible answer to this question—can eLearning save the day here, so that a young mind can be educated while conquering the universe at the same time? It’s definitely something to think about. Put simply, is there a way to apply the engaging beliefs that are eLearning and provide this type of training/learning to all ages? Also, is there a way to do this without changing future schooling expectations—the next generation expecting this type of learning to be used throughout their entire school career, from elementary school to graduate school, as the only way to learn?

Maybe the best solution is a blended solution, where there is a little bit of everything to keep it exciting. As opposed to just using a computer as a word processor or as a reward for completing an in-class assignment faster than anyone else, how about using them for eLearning purposes with a twist. Can you imagine an MMORPG used in school that teaches vocabulary, math skills, and global studies all at the same time? For example, envision the learner’s character questing for mad loots, learning new terms along the way, completing math problems and puzzles to successfully complete a quest to get their mad loot, all while traveling around the Earth from country to country learning about culture, history, and so on. I’m sure there are resources available that do something similar to this, but are they subtle enough to “trick” the younger generation into saying “Wow, this is fun” instead of “Ugh, more school.” I think this type of eLearning, added on to the wonderful talent of a school’s administration and staff, would be a great way to renew the desire to learn.

What is HTML 5

In my experience as an eLearning developer, Flash has been the primary development and delivery platform for nearly all motion graphics. In the last few months there has been a lot of discussion over the impending takeover of HTML 5, and how it will impact Flash. Since I wasn't terribly familiar with the features and technology behind HTML 5, I went in search of something to bring me up to speed.

The below infographic was created by the business and technology experts at FOCUS. I found this to be a fantastic resource in understanding the basics of HTML 5. If you already have some familiarity on the subject, the chart also serves as a great browser/feature compatibility guide.

click to enlarge

Scenario Course Tips and Tricks

As the demand for Scenario Based courses increases, we are starting to find more effective and efficient techniques for using our current templates.

After completing my first scenario based course, I have found a few helpful shortcuts that make life a little easier.

When creating a normal course, filling in the lesson name and topic title automatically transfers to the "slide properties" on the articulate tab. When creating a scenario course, all of those text fields on the slides are not needed and therefore deleted, which then also carries onto slide properties (replaces the title with "Slide #"). This requires the designer to manually fill in the slide titles in the slide properties window.

To prevent this long and tedious step, instead of deleting those text fields, just move them up above the slide so they are not visible. This will allow the slide properties to continue to pull the title information, preventing the need for manual entry.

Another trick I have used is for text that appears to have been written on a white board or a notepad. The first thing I did was Google "handwriting fonts", and found one that I liked (I have posted this font on the content wiki). Our standard for animations in a regular course is to fade in/out, very fast. With a scenario course, there is much more leeway with animation options. For text written, I chose to wipe, from left, either fast, or very fast. This gives the appearance the text is being written onto the white board. There were a few instances I had arrows drawn on the whiteboard as well, and would use the wipe entry going in the direction of the arrow (down, up, left, right, and it works for diagonal too).

In addition to the above text trick, it is also important that each line of text have it's own text box, and the animation can either occur after previous, or on click. That way each line appears to write after the one before it, instead of all lines wiping from the left at the same time.

Another very important step is to create your cast of characters. Before you start building your people, make sure you read the transcript, and create a cast list. From there, create each character ahead of time so you can have them ready to insert into your course at the appropriate time. This will keep you consistent from the start.

The last tip I want to discuss today is using the background image. When I first began, I used the office backgrounds like another object on the slide, but I quickly realized that it is much easier to right click the slide to format the background fill, and select that picture from file. This will prevent any issues resizing, or having to constantly "send to back". You can also "Apply to all", preventing you from having to do that to each slide. You can customize certain slides as you go.

Despite the seemingly extra work that is required in a scenario based course, I prefer them over the conventional template. There is much more leeway, allowing the designer to be more creative, and use a variety of animations and tools to keep the audience engaged.

The Quest for Perfection: A Hindrance or a Gift?

In the world of eLearning, a battle is brewing in the consciousness of a select few instructional designers—those who attempt to go the extra distance to ensure perfection but become obsessed with design flaws, consistency abnormalities, and technical glitches. No one is a bigger culprit in exhibiting these tendencies than yours truly. If you’re like me, you carry the perfectionist trait with you in your everyday life, outside of the eLearning, instructional design bubble. It’s simply an inherent attribute—often a shortcoming, a detour, an affliction, if you want to call it that.

Your colleagues and peers may label you a formalist, a fussbudget, a fusspot, an idealist, a nitpicker, a purist, a quibbler, or a stickler, to name a few. (Resource: Thesaurus.com) Perhaps the term “anal retentive” rings a bell; not really a world-class human brand identity. How little these folks know!

So, what is the real reason for our personal quest? It is our makeup; it is what we know; it is what we feel protects us from day to day. For us, seeking perfection is the compulsion to attain ultimate control over our environment, whether work oriented or personal. However, the sad reality is: the harder and faster we chase perfection, the more futile and unproductive it becomes. The thing is: we all want to achieve perfection; it’s knowing and identifying the appropriate time and place to strive for such a goal.

When it comes to our roles as instructional designers, we need to choose our battles carefully. Oftentimes, perfection in the workplace compromises critical deadlines and deliverables, as I have many times encountered, much to my chagrin. Being quality driven in this field is a highly constructive and valuable characteristic, but you have to remember the fine line between perfection in ensuring excellence and precision in the online learning experience and being a perfectionist, which can frequently lead to a myriad of headaches and a counterproductive work ethic.

Then, how can you prevent the hindrance of perfection? Well…it’s different for everyone. For me, it’s constantly reminding myself to keep the pace, move forward, and not dwell on and obsess over the miniscule details for hours on end. It’s forming an internal system of gradual behavior modification, and staying in check from one task to the next. Remember! The development process typically encompasses cyclical reviews by team associates, editorial and quality assurance staff, and stakeholders until final approval is received for official deployment. Fussing about only impedes progress and gets you nowhere.

And stress? Don’t get me started! Stress and panic are your worst enemies in this industry, or in any professional job for that matter. If it truly drives you to perform better, fine, you’re at the top of your game. But if it makes you sweat, forget it! It’s not worth it! Thinking you’re dictating outcomes by displaying frustration is positively exhausting. Take it from me! All we can do is be the best we can be by keeping a cool head and believing in our abilities as competent contributors to this field of online instructional design.

Don’t worry; you’re not the victim of some maniacal personality disorder. You are sane! I think! (Yes…this is your cue to laugh! Ha! Ha! Ha!) Have faith in yourself, take pride in your prowess, trust your quality instincts, and don’t doubt your integrity. Your intentions are there; you have a gift. Just stay focused, manage your time wisely, and follow through with commitments. A simple adaptation in behavior is the key to progress and meeting performance objectives. Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency!

And when all is said and done, stop and ask yourself this: is it the perfectionist in me, or is it me in the perfectionist? If you answer “yes” to the latter, you’ll know you’re being swallowed up and a change is in order. Don’t lose sight! Take the power back! Happy eLearning!

Where to Look for Inspiration

Sometimes creating courses can become rather monotonous. You may be restricted to the same templates and graphics - you're doing the same old stuff you've been doing. Other times you may just be plainly stumped as to how to best animate your content. So what do you do to break out of these ruts?

Well, there are a few different resources that I like to take advantage of when it comes to course development, including:

1. Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Presentation
   
2. learningsolutionsmag.com
3. articulate.com/blog/
4. daveperso.mediaenglishonline.com/
5. articulate.com/rapid-elearning/

Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Presentation is an inspirational book authored by Nancy Duarte, CEO of Duarte Design, which is the company that created the presentation for Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth. Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Presentation describes and illustrates different techniques and ideas for creating killer slides, among other things. I'm partial to the following area of the book: Classifying Diagrams (Pgs 44-57). This area shows different ideas for building charts, diagrams, and processes. Looking at these fresh techniques can squash past used techniques that may have become repetitive in look and feel.

www.learningsolutionsmag.com is also a great resource for inspiration. It's a publication from the eLearning Guild, as of 2002. It's a great source for "practical information on the strategies, tools, technologies, services, and best practices for the management, design, development, and implementation of enterprise-wide e-Learning programs. Learning Solutions Magazine offers feature articles, case studies, reviews, interviews, spotlights, columns, snippets, tips, and news that you can use with confidence while making critical decisions to ensure your organization’s success with e-Learning."

www.articulate.com/blog/ is a blog sponsored by Articulate. Authors of Articulate's blog share techniques, tools, and concepts that you can utilize when creating courses via a coupling of Articulate with MS PowerPoint. Many of the blog posts are even video tutorials, that show you step-by step just how to create some of these cool things.

daveperso.mediaenglishonline.com/ is a blog written and maintained by David Moxon, a Product Specialist for Articulate. His blog focuses on using Articulate products, like Articulate Presenter, Quizmaker and Engage. It is aimed to "provide extra support for doing basic, everyday tasks with Articulate software, perhaps giving a fresh angle on a common theme." You can find some really cool things on this blog, like creating a video hot spot question in Quizmaker, for example.

www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/is another Articulate sponsored blog that shares Articulate related tips and tricks. Articulate's rapid-elearning blog is hosted by Tom Kuhlmann, a 15 year veteran of the training industry. Tom also presently run the community at Articulate.

So, the best part about all of these inspirational resources, with the exception of Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Presentation, is that they are free! Just sign up to receive RSS Feeds or Emails from them. Just when you may be happening to need something new and fresh for you course, an email with just that newness and freshness from one of these resources may show up in your Inbox. So go and check them out before you start your next course - enjoy!


*References:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596522347?ie=UTF8&tag=slideology-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0596522347
http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/
http://www.articulate.com/blog/
http://daveperso.mediaenglishonline.com/
http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/