This guest post is contributed by Joy Paley who is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and a writer on accredited online colleges for the Guide to Online Schools.

Sure, online education suffers from scam artists who steal people’s money in exchange for worthless pieces of paper. That doesn’t mean that you can’t find a reputable, valuable online program—you just have to do some research first. From the course style to financial aid, take a good long look at any college you are seriously considering, as well as your own needs, before you jump into any online program.

1. Is this college or program accredited?
   Accreditation is sort of like Consumer Reports, but for college programs. In accreditation, third party agencies evaluate a school or program’s curriculum, teachers, and overall merit, and only if they meet certain standards will the school receive accreditation.
   National and regional accreditation are two types of accreditation that are awarded to an entire school or institution. You can check the Department of Education’s database of accredited colleges to see if your school has these credentials. Programmatic accreditation may be important for you if you’re pursuing a particular type of degree, say nursing or business, where certification by a professional group is helpful. You can check the Bureau of Labor Statistics website for your desired career, to see if programmatic accreditation is necessary for your job.
2. Does it participate in the Department of Education’s federal financial aid program?
   If you’re interested in getting any of the federal government’s money to help pay for your education, in the form of grants, subsidized, and unsubsidized loans, your school has to participate in the Department of Education’s financial aid program. Ask the school’s financial aid officer if you’re unsure, and make sure you fill out the FAFSA 6-8 months before you enroll.
3. Does it offer merit or need based financial aid?
   Besides money from the government and private lenders, you may be eligible for grants or other scholarships through your school. See if they decide financial aid packages based on merit or need: if you’re a stellar student, merit will be better for you; if you’re facing financial hardship, a need-based package is probably a better bet.
4. What type of online classes does it offer?
   Not all online classes are created equally. In fact, there are four distinct types, ranging in their flexibility and time commitment. Some are self-paced, meaning students work through the syllabus independently, without due dates. Others have due dates, but give you flexibility about when you log on to watch lectures or do assignments. Synchronous classes require students to get online at certain times, to chat with professors or peers. Finally, hybrid classes have some in-person requirements at a nearby college, while still keeping some of their curriculum online.
5. How much professor/peer interaction will it have?
   A truly great online program will give students full access to professors and peers, in the same way that a traditional program would. See how closely students work with their instructors—a  very interactive program will have video chats, instant messaging, and frequent emailing between professors and students.
6. Can I really make this commitment?
   Online college can offer a very flexible alternative to regular school, for people who need to continue working or taking care of other obligations. Be realistic with the time commitment you can make, however, and don’t overload yourself with course work that you can’t realistically complete. Is it possible to work full time and go to school full time? Yes. Is it enjoyable or easily managed? Probably not. 
7. Does it have everything I want?
   If you’re going to the local college near you, you probably have to accept whatever major or price tag they have to offer. Prospective online students should remember that with online school, you don’t have to settle. You’re not hindered by geographical location, so you can find a program with the specific focus you want, the right type of classes, and with a good price tag. You just have to look around.

This guest post is contributed by Mark Davies who regularly writes on the topics of Online Masters Degree.  He welcomes your comments at his email id: markdavies247@gmail.com

For a few years now, it’s been all about Web 2.0, the new and current avatar of the evolving face of the Internet. This version is more interactive, it allows you to voice your opinion and be heard, and it lets you take an active part rather than just be a passive bystander. It’s a great tool for communication because you can reach the far ends of the world with just a computer and an Internet connection, and it makes the commonest of men as famous as kings and queens.

While we all know that Web 2.0 can be used for marketing and entertainment purposes, we’re still unaware of how it can be used as a training tool. Corporations spend millions of dollars in training their employees and getting them to adapt to their ways of doing things. With Web 2.0 tools, training becomes easier and more personalized. Also, these tools lend themselves to customization and sustenance. The advantages of Web 2.0 as a training tool include:

• Information can be tailored to the needs of any organization. With Web 2.0 tools, it’s easy to adapt any training material and tweak it to suit your company and the kind of employees you need to train.  
• From the sheer volume of information, it’s easy to assimilate only what you really need by filtering out unnecessary content and retaining what’s necessary to your training needs. 
• Information and tools are accessible from any location and are not confined to any physical area or place. This means that training can be conducted anywhere, and at very short notice too. 
• New information can be added as and when available to the training module by keeping tabs on your sources through RSS readers and aggregators.
• There is a wide cross section of tools available to make the training more effective – audio, video and text combine to form multimedia presentations that pack a more effective punch than just the written or spoken word alone.

However, in spite of all these advantages, Web 2.0 tools for training work only when:

• There are ways to authenticate and validate information from multiple sources that contradict each other. 
• There is no fear of technology in those being trained 
• There are adequate safeguards to protect the information from being stolen or being tampered with.
• There are ways to deal with and overcome the failure of technology when it happens. The danger of keeping all your data online is that technology could let you down in more ways than one when you need it the most.

If organizations can find ways to maximize the potential of Web 2.0 tools for training and minimize their disadvantages, that’s when these tools live up to their billing.

This guest post is contributed by Alvina Lopez who regularly writes on the topics of accredited online schools.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: alvina.lopez @gmail.com

In today’s society, we can obtain a lot more than just music and movies online – we can even achieve an education. Being in charge of making sure that students have the opportunity to actively practice what they are learning, an Instructional Designer is responsible for designing and developing learning experiences. Simply pouring heaps of content into PowerPoint slides and Word documents and asking students to read it all does not create an interactive experience. As An Instructional Designer, one is responsible for knowing how people learn, and is in charge of creating ideas on how to help individuals learn better. The simple function of an Instructional Designer is to create learning and facilitate practicing.

However before they can do so, the audience for the course must be known. Once you know who you’re talking to and what their skill levels are, then you can begin the extensive task of actually putting the training program together. As you begin, you must never forget the importance of organization. If you cannot easily navigate your way to the information needed, it cannot be expected of the students. An easy way of keeping things in order is by creating an outline.

When you are creating an online world designed to give students a realm where they can find engaging learning activities, it is important to think outside the box. The stereotypical thought of e-learning is that students just sit at their computers to take an online class. But that is not so, thanks to the boom of technology. In fact, our society has witnessed over the last half decade that online learning can be much more than simply studying on a laptop. Today’s e-learning tools go beyond computers and extend into the realm of MP3 players, podcasts, blogs and more.

While students can still take online classes on their laptops, they can also download podcasts of a course’s lecture to their phones or MP3 players to review wherever and whenever they have time. Flexibility is important as it can take away some of past limitations.

A professor’s blog is a great place for posting a course syllabus, any necessary assignment changes, or other important information such as due dates. In addition, by providing each student with their fellow classmates contact information (e-mail and cell phone number), study groups can be arranged fast and effortlessly. These sessions can allow students the chance to answer any questions they may have about the material they are studying.

Something important when you are learning is being able to check your own progress along the way. Having access to ongoing grades for each course a student is taking can enhance their effort and impact how they study their subjects. For example, maybe you didn’t know you needed to spend more time on Math than Science. With self-checks on progress, you will know where your weaknesses lie so that you work on strengthening them.

Another great tool for e-learning is about availability. Students need to be able to communicate with their professors on a regular basis. This can be achieved through instant messages or over the phone. No matter which outlet is used, that communication must take place.

There are multiple different e-learning tools out there. Some may only fit a certain criteria, so it is important to know all of the resources you have to work with. In the end, it is all about learning and practicing.

This guest post is contributed by Brian Jenkins who has been writing for BrainTrack.com for two years. He writes about a wide variety of topics related to education and jobs.

What do professors who teach online courses really think about teaching online? It depends on who you ask. Scott Brady, geography professor at Chico State, and Jay Halfond, Dean of Metropolitan College & Extended Education and Associate Professor of Administrative Sciences, have different views about online education.

Scott Brady, who has taught at least one online course every semester for nine years, stated, “You come up will all these things as a teacher, like whether you’re going to tell a joke at the five-minute mark, or whether you’re going to ask a certain student something. I don’t know if I can put that into an online environment. I can’t bring everything to an online course that I can with a traditional course.”

Regarding online teaching, Halfond, who taught both online and traditional courses for several years, said, “[With online classes] it is easier to make thoughtful, substantiative contributions, much more so than in the classroom, where you might get 30 seconds to talk. It encourages students to think more deliberately and write better.”

A study performed by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities – Sloan National Commission on Online Learning included interviews of administrative and faculty members. The study showed that 64% of faculty felt that it takes “somewhat more” or “a lot more” effort to teach an online course compared to teaching a face-to-face class. The report, Online Learning as a Strategic Asset, includes the results of 231 interviews of administrators, faculty, and students at 45 public institutions located across the nation and more than 10,700 comments from faculty members that teach a variety of subjects.

According to the above mentioned report, a large majority of the instructors stated their primary motivation to teach online was to “meet student needs for flexible access” or because it offers the “best way to reach particular students.”

According to the study, many faculty members were dissatisfied with the support services and the incentives provided by public universities. Faculty members ranked seven of eight support dimensions as below average, including support for course development, course delivery, and students; intellectual property policies; recognition in tenure and promotion; and incentives for creating and delivering online classes. The only support structure rates as average was technical infrastructure.

In Volume II of the report, which is available at the same website, the majority of faculty members with online teaching or development experience stated that the learning outcomes of online classes are as good or better than face-to-face instruction. Also, over 85% percent of faculty members with online course development experience stated it takes “somewhat more” or “a lot more” effort than traditional classes.

According to Janet Poley, President of the American Distance Education Consortium, tenured colleagues or department chairs, in some cases, advise professors to stop teaching online if they want to get on a tenure track. “Because the perception is that if the online teaching is going to take more time than face-to-face, what they should be doing is teaching face-to-face and getting their research projects started,” Poley said. “If the incentives aren’t matched up administratively, then you’re going to have people who at a minimum are frustrated.”

Online learning is increasingly popular, so colleges and universities will have to figure out a way to meet the needs of professors.

This guest post is contributed by Carrie Oakley, who writes on the topic of online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: carrie.oakley1983@gmail.com

It’s an issue that’s being dogged by controversy after the other; what with state-run public schools being up in arms against the funds that are allotted to virtual charter schools because they’re not limited to admitting students from one district alone and with for-profit organizations supplying learning materials and online curriculum, allegations of corporate profiteering are rampant in the online K12 schooling environment. But even with all these controversies, K12 online schools offer various benefits for middle and high school students:

• Those who live in small towns and don’t have access to quality public schools stand to gain the most because they’re provided with access not just to the right study materials and lessons, but also because they have qualified teachers to guide and instruct them and because they get to interact with students from various geographical locations. Students find that the experience broadens their horizons and allows them to see beyond the perspective and periphery of their hometowns. 
• For parents who prefer to homeschool their children but have no clue as to how to set an organized study schedule or buy the right homeschooling material, online charter schools are a boon because they provide students with a computer, Internet connection, and various other materials needed to learn online. The moms only have to supervise their kids as they engage in reading, writing, arithmetic and various other activities. 
• The curriculum is more practical in nature and may involve varied activities that are not offered in regular high schools. So your repertoire is wide and your skill sets varied. 
• Schedules are flexible and lessons can be completed at the students’ pace instead of the student having to keep pace with the school – this works out well for students who are skilled in other aspects like sports, music or the arts and devote most of their time to practice and competitions. 
• If the student is dedicated, he or she can finish high school in less time than it takes at regular schools. Online schools offer a fast track route to your high school diploma if you’re dedicated and determined to get there earlier. 
• Although the lack of face-to-face interaction between teacher and student and the lack of camaraderie and communication with fellow students is often cited as a reason to eschew online education in the K12 environment, in some ways, this turns out to be a boon rather than a bane. Students are spared of peer pressure and are at less risk of developing habits that could derail their education and turn them onto the wrong path.

Online K12 schools are here to stay, and for students who are not averse to treading a new path, they’re a good alternative to your usual public school.

This guest post is contributed by Angelita Williams, who writes for online college courses.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: angelita.williams7@gmail.com

E-learning has picked up speed in university settings with the advent and rapid expansion of online courses over the last 10 years, as well as the use of e-learning platforms like Blackboard to supplement traditional courses. Virtual university libraries emerged as the next logical step to aid college students in the e-learning process. The idea of universities’ virtual libraries making e-books and research articles available to students online is nothing new. But until now, the virtual university library has primarily been a supplemental thing the cherry on top of a physical library where real volumes of real bound books sit in neatly organized rows. What’s new is the idea of eliminating physical books from libraries entirely and moving all or at least the lion’s share of books and research articles online.

I read an interesting article in USA Today recently that explores how the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Applied Engineering and Technology Library lays claim to being perhaps the first university library to make its on-site collection available only online. You’ve probably heard of people going paperless with their bills. In this case, the library has gone bookless. You heard it right you won’t find any bound books sitting in this university library. This virtual library isn’t shrimpy either. Students have access to 425,000 e-books and 18,000 electronic journal articles from this bookless library.

The reason an accomplishment like this is possible is due to the fact that today’s modern students are well acclimatized to reading books and conducting research online. The introduction of products like the Kindle and Nook have facilitated a move to reading books online for leisure. Online degree programs are continuing their push toward making textbooks available online along with everything else. It only makes sense that you can find complete library resources online and even instant message librarians for help.

The article also discusses how some university libraries have greatly reduced the number of bound books they have on their shelves, instead investing in collecting more online books and materials. Many physical books have been moved to off-site storage at these libraries, where they are available on request. In addition, many university libraries are beginning to devote less space to books and more space for study and meeting space.

Is UT San Antonio’s bookless library a sign of things to come? This remains to be seen.

This guest post is contributed by Roger Elmore, who writes on the topics of hospitality management schools.  He welcomes your comments at his email Id: rogerelmore24@gmail.com

Recent technological advancements have allowed eLearning developers to track learners’ eye movements as they complete various tasks within a specific lesson or course module. This technology can be extremely useful in two areas: 1) long-term development of courses and 2) short-term/real-time feedback for instructors. Essentially, this technology could greatly improve educators’ ability to improve how eLearning practices can best serve students.

The potential comes from a current trend in research to find new ways to evaluate students’ engagement with eLearning material. One specific project that seems to be breaking new ground in this area is AdELE (adaptive elearning with eye-tracking). Those behind AdELE say that such technology could improve both the teaching process and the learning process. Authors of another recent research paper, titled “Eye-tracking Users’ Behavior in Relation to Cognitive Style within an E-Learning Environment” agree, especially in regard to the way technology could help users personalize their eLearning experience, saying that there are “two implications in the design of e-learning and hypermedia applications: a) the psychometric tool and theory are both suitable for identifying types of users and b) the [Cognitive Styles Analysis] reveals differences in information processing and may be used as a personalization parameter.”

Results of general research concerning eye movement among those who learn via different cognitive styles can significantly help eLearning developers to create more efficient courses in the long term. By reevaluating and constantly updating courses, educators can ensure that their content and methods are benefitting students. After analyzing the eye positions and movement as well as score results of a particular test group, developers could filter from their content the less relevant material. Additionally, they could help create customizable applications within each module that allow different kinds of learners to select how the information is presented in order to best meet their particular learning style.

Furthermore, with this technology, instructors could monitor how their students process the information and work through the course. For example, the data concerning students’ eye movements could be stored in each student’s account, so that the instructor and student could make adjustments to the course as needed. If a student’s data suggests that he or she has recently been tired while studying, the student could schedule a different study period. If a recent set of scores are low, the instructor could check to see how the student looked at the course material and reassign it or present it in a new form in order to help the student. Of course, such an application would have to be used with care, otherwise the instructor could find him or herself wading through files of raw data rather than interacting with students.

This guest post is contributed by David Gardner, CEO of VenueGen.

3D environments can be incredibly engaging, interactive and cost effective when supported by the right technology and functionality. For several years now, trainers, business professionals and educators have been experimenting with 3D technologies and techniques, and much has been learned. Following is a listing of important tips for any successful 3D e-learning, training or collaborative experience.

1. Provide a Road Map
   Just as in real life, it is important that your attendees are provided with specific details on the location of the event and how to get there. It’s important to provide attendees with basic steps on how to login to your meeting and how to move around in the world they are using. The first problem that new users in 3D environments tend to face is navigation. How do I get my avatar where I need to be or sit down at that table? Non-gamers have a hard time walking around using arrow keys and tend to collide with things. Having attendees appear already in their seats can minimize many issues. Likewise, flying, teleporting and using portals within a virtual world is also very cool but not the kind of things people want to figure out when late for a meeting or class.  Try to look for 3D platforms where navigation and set up is simple, takes minutes.
2. Make it Real
   Realism is an important part of fidelity that addresses how life-like the 3D experience appears.  For example, do avatars move in a natural and convincing way? Do they make eye contact when they look at each other? Do their lips move appropriately while speaking? The key to an immersive movie viewing experience is the suspension of disbelief. We have all watched low budget movies with poor and unconvincing graphics and sets. No matter how great the dialogue or story line, you probably struggled to “get into” the movie. The attendee’s mind should have minimal obstacles in accepting the virtual venue and other attendees as reasonable likenesses of what is being simulated. If others appear as flat cartoons incapable of neck movement or the ability to walk without “ice skating”, then the business professional or student is constantly being reminded that the environment is not real. Realism is important because it helps the virtual world to “get out of the way” so that attendees can focus on the goals of the gathering.
3. Don’t Forget the Props
   As any good teacher knows, the more visuals you have the better. The best 3D worlds are those that allow users to mouse click directly on the object, person or content with which they want to interact with and provide the ability to clearly read content from anywhere in a virtual environment. The best interface for viewing content involves two capabilities: first, users should be able to zoom their focus in on content without actually having to move their avatar closer to it.  A second important capability for viewing very small content is an in-venue floating window. This technique forces the selected content to enlarge and float in reading position within the 3D environment.  
4. Offer an Alternative for Sound
   Many users do not have a headset or are behind firewalls that do not allow them to connect to the Voice Over IP channel required for most virtual worlds. The best dial-in solution is one that turns the attendee’s telephone receiver into a VoIP headset, for all practical purposes, and usually is offered as part of a virtual world training package.
5. Out-of-World Experience
   Make sure your materials are working correctly not only within the virtual world, but outside of it as well. Browsing the Internet and viewing web-base applications is a requirement for most 3D virtual training and meeting platforms. Platforms that have taken the time to integrate the operating system’s native browser into their 3D engine will have much better compatibility and provide a more consistent viewing experience for virtual attendees.  

This guest post is contributed by Tim Handorf, who writes on the topics of top online colleges.  He welcomes your comments at his email Id: tim.handorf.20@googlemail.com

While the fusing of two unrelated works of art is not particularly new, an emerging trend in the world of books is what’s been dubbed the “literary mash-up”. The whole idea seems somewhat absurd, but these books sell. And they sell well. Today’s most current trend in mash-up basically takes a work of literature from the established Western canon, and then injects it with a pop cultural artifact.

The first of these mash-ups was an appropriation of Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice. The novel was re-envisioned as “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” which, as the title suggests, is imbued with elements of zombie fiction. The latest installment in the Austen mash-up series is a prequel entitled “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls,” which was just released two months ago. Others in this milieu include the upcoming Android Karenina and the already released “Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters“.

The original author of the Pride and Prejudice book, Seth-Grahame Smith, was inspired by fan boy characters, and the other books, I suspect, take several leaves out of the fan fiction oeuvre. In fact, the Quirk Classics book series is essentially well-written fan fiction published in book form and widely disseminated. Again, fan fiction is nothing new, but the phenomenon has now spawned an almost exclusively Internet following.

What does this all mean for e-learning, then? While e-learning researcher Rebecca W. Black suggests that there are several English Language Learning (ELL) possibilities within fan fiction itself, I firmly believe that fan fiction can be seen as an important extension of e-learning in general.

What is interesting about e-learning, aside from the online platform that grants wider accessibility, is the fact that it actively seeks new ways to teach old ideas. What an e-learning educator can take away from literary mash-ups is this: Teaching a concept can sometimes best be accomplished by appropriating something the student can understand—in this case, zombies or sea monsters—and melding it with the new concept. This inspires confidence in the learner, perhaps even interest. Interest breeds passion, and passion is a feeling that is sorely needed in education, both online and traditional. Why? Because with passion, a student does not simply learn one lesson. Rather, she learns the ultimate lesson, a lesson that continually educates—the love of learning.

This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topic of degrees online. She welcomes your comments at her e-mail id: anna.miller009@gmail.com

E-learning is a relatively new entrant to the field of education, but with the way technology is taking off and advancing today, it’s no surprise that e-learning is making rapid inroads into traditional academia. Today, the emphasis is on learning, not on the media or vehicle that allows, supports and promotes it. And with all the forms of technology that support e-learning – computers, laptops, mobile phones, and even MP3 players – it’s no wonder that e-learning is poised to create history in the world of academics.

Although e-learning is advantageous to anyone who wants to learn, there are some people who benefit more than others:

• Those who are pressed for time: Busy entrepreneurs who go back to school to earn their graduate degree benefit because they can learn on the go, whenever they have time rather than when they’re able to access their study resources. Moms who juggle homes and lessons can look over their lessons when they have a few minutes to spare rather than have to set aside hours to learn from boring and old-fashioned books. 
• Those who are limited by location: It’s a typical case of the mountain coming to Mohammed if because Mohammed cannot go to the mountain – when you’re constrained by distance, the best way to learn is through technology. You don’t have to make extreme sacrifices and relocate to where education is being offered; rather, learning is delivered directly to your hands, thanks to mobile technology. 
• Those who are tech-savvy: Although most people would consider the fact that e-learning requires you to understand and be able to use technology with some degree of comfort, I would say that for people who are tech savvy, it offers a convenient and sophisticated way to continue to learn. They’re not hampered by books and other traditional study material; rather, with content being pushed to their phones and other handheld devices, they’re more at home with learning using smart devices. 
• Those who want to set their own pace: E-learning allows you to customize the way you learn. You don’t have to worry about the rest of your class or be afraid that you cannot keep up. Rather, you can dictate the pace of your lessons and learn according to your own timetable.

Today, applications and software platforms are being created for the dedicated purpose of fostering e-learning. And as time goes by, there will be more standardization and uniformity across the technology that runs e-learning, thus allowing more people to join this bandwagon and broaden their horizons.

Hello all,

We are trying to consolidate the blogs of Indian learning professionals and companies from various sources. You can view the consolidated list on the following page:

http://elearningplanet.com/library/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=216

Please post a comment if we missed the blog(s) of an Indian learning professional or company. We are readily available to update this list as and when new bloggers enter into the blogosphere.

Regards,

E-Learning Planet Team

Two weeks ago, we shared our plans to launch a free and effective online learning platform for e-learning professionals. We are glad to launch the beta version of this online learning platform.

Click here to know more information in this regard.

Hello all,

I have been collecting a list of popular Instructional Design (ID) certificate courses and programs in the US, UK, and India. I have included a partial list of these courses and programs in the Planet’s Library.

Please click here to view the list.

I also invite you to share information on ID courses and programs that are not included in my list. Thank you.

This post is the continuation of my earlier post, Tips for Gathering Source Contents from SMEs_Part 2.

In this post, I will share information on tools or softwares that an Instructional Designer (ID) could use when gathering source contents from the Subject Matter Expert (SME).

Here are the possible instances which  an ID might come across when gathering source contents from the SME, and the tools that can be used in each of those instances:

Instance 1

The SME  provides all the source contents in the form of Microsoft Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, PDF documents, blog posts, and Web site articles. Therefore, an ID does not require additional sessions to gather source contents from the SME.

The ID and the SME can use the following tools in this instance:

• If the ID and the SME belong to different organizations, they can use free FTP tools like File Zilla for uploading and downloading files from a common FTP site.  
• If the ID and the SME are from the same organization, they can use the file server like Microsoft Office SharePoint Server or other file servers being used in their organization. 

Instance 2

In addition to standard documents and presentations, an ID, especially for developing courses on software applications, requires source contents that include screen grabs with relevant audio being spoken by the SME. Therefore, the ID need to attend one-to-one sessions with the SME to gather required source contents.

The ID and the SME can use the following tools in this instance:

• If the ID and the SME are from the same organization, the SME can share his or her desktop screen with the ID by using tools such as Microsoft NetMeeting and Microsoft Office Communicator. The ID can place his or her laptop closer to the SME’s laptop or desktop, enable the in-built microphone in the laptop, and use tools such as TechSmith Camtasia and Adobe Captivate to record screen grabs and audio being spoken by the SME.
• If the ID and the SME belong to different organizations, they can arrange one-to-one sessions through effective Web conferencing tools like WebEx and use the screen sharing, conferencing, and recording features in those tools.

This brings to the end of the series of posts on effectively gathering source contents from the SME. Thanks for visiting these posts and watch out the ‘Blog’ section frequently for more interesting posts

This post is the continuation of my earlier post, Tips for Gathering Source Contents from SMEs_Part 1.

Here are the different challenges, which an Instructional Designer (ID) might face when gathering source contents from the Subject Matter Expert (SME), and the best practices for effectively managing those challenges:

Challenge 1

The SME may be located in other countries or remote locations.

Here are the best practices for managing challenge 1:

• An ID must establish a good rapport with the SME before stepping into the input gathering phase.
• The ID and the SME, who are based in the same office location, can arrange for a face-to-face introductory session. If the SME is based in remote office location, the ID can arrange for a one-to-one introductory session with the SME through teleconference or video conference.
  • The introductory session must be supported with a presentation that emphasizes on how the SME and his/her source contents play a vital role to the success of an e-learning course.
  • The presentation must also include essential information such as the roles and responsibilities of the SME, and the modes of communication with the ID.

Challenge 2

The ID receives a number of documents, links, and presentations from the SME, especially for courses on software applications.

Here is the best practice for managing chellenge 2:

• It is the best practice to convey details such as the word count for a particular topic or page in an e-learning course template to the SME. Thus, the probability of receiving extensive source contents for a particular topic from the SME is less. This approach will also reduce the additional efforts of an ID for analyzing and comprehending all the supporting documents and presentations.

Challenge 3

The SME, especially for engineering and complex subjects, seldom has documents and presentations related to the course. Therefore, an ID needs to have a separate teleconference session or other interactive sessions with the SME for gathering required source contents. 

Here are the best practice for managing challenge 3:

• The ID can establish an interactive session with the SME to develop the training plan of an e-learning course. This traning plan should include the following essential details:
  • Training objectives
  • Target audience profile
  • Prerequisite knowledge of the learner
  • Titles of the topics to be included in the course
  • Key points or key content areas to be included in each topic.
• The ID can then request the SME to provide source contents that map to the traning plan. 

These are some of the essential best practices for effectively managing challenges that occur when gathering source contents from the SME. This brings to the end of this post. In my next post related to this topic, I will share information on tools that an ID can use to dynamically gather source contents from the SME. Watch out the ‘Blog’ section frequently!

Gathering effective and precise source contents from Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) has always been a challenging task for Instructional Designers (IDs). Majority of SMEs provide good source content.  Rarely, IDs face one or more of the following challenges when gathering the source contents from SMEs:

• SMEs, especially for engineering and complex subjects, seldom have documents and presentations  related to the course. Therefore, IDs need to have a separate teleconference session or other interactive sessions with SMEs for gathering required source contents.
• IDs receive a number of documents, links, and presentations from SMEs, especially for courses on software applications.
• SMEs may be located in other countries or remote locations.

Thus, IDs put in additional efforts for attending unplanned sessions, analyzing, and comprehending all the supporting documents and presentations. As a result, there is a considerable impact on the budget and planned efforts for developing an e-learning course.

I am going to share the best practices for overcoming the aforementioned challenges. Keep visiting the ‘Blog’ section for a series of posts related to gathering the source contents from SMEs efficiently.

Click here to view the official demonstration Website of Moodle Content Management System (CMS).

This website allows you to try the most recent and stable version of Moodle, and to explore courses which demonstrate important Moodle features.

Click here to view a useful blog that includes videos and presentations on virtual environments and worlds.

Click here to view an article that describes 15 ways to promote e-learning programs.

Click  here to view an interesting tool for estimating the ROI from an e-learning project.

Click here to view an interesting tool for estimating the project cost of an e-learning project.

Click here to view a useful post that lists the best practices for using Webex for online collaboration.

Let me share with an informative blog post on interactvity in e-learning. I always recommend to view this post when someone asks me for basic information on interactivity strategies.

Click here to view the post.

Click here to view a useful post on adding an Articulate Engage Interaction within another.

Each interaction type in Articulate Engage has its own specifications in terms of the sizes for images and videos. Here is a useful information on the maximum sizes for images and videos. Thanks to Gabe Anderson for sharing these details in his blog. 

Hi all,

I just viewed a useful post on creating engaging assessments by using Articulate Engage.  Its really worth sharing, and thus you have this post right now.

Click here to view the post. 

Hi all,

Recently, I read an useful article on how to encourage learners to take e-Learning courses. I am sure this article will be more meaningful for organizations that have planned to implement e-Learning for their training purpose.

Click here to view the article.

I just read Tony Karrer’s interesting article on e-Learning 2.0. He describes the basics concepts of e-Learning 2.0, and compares it with e-Learning 1.0 and 1.3

I found it very useful. Hope you will also admire his article!

Click here to view the article.

Let me share with a Web site that contains a plenty of useful information on the different phases of instructional design.

Click here to view it!

Let me share with an informative post from Rupa’s blog. She used the Microsoft product demo to provide several guidelines for developing effective product demos. Hope you will also find it useful.

Click here to view Rupa’s post!   

Let me share with an informative URL that contains a list of international Instructional Designers with their qualification and other contact details. 

Click here to view the list!

A number of debates are conducted all across the Globe regarding the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. Meanwhile, let me share with a Wiki page that includes the details of Bloom’s Taxonomy and its  revisions. This Wiki page also includes a Web link to download the Microsoft Office PowerPoint Quiz that enables you to test your Bloom’s Taxonomy knowledge. Hope you will find this post useful!

Click here to view the Wiki page!

Thanks to Christy Tucker for referring an interesting presentation by Karl Kapp. The presentation emphasizes on how to develop an engaging MS PowerPoint presentation. In the presentation, Karl Kapp shows some examples of bad PowerPoint slides. Then, he follows up with his suggestions on how to present the slides in an engaging manner to the audience.

Here are his words that impressed me the most:
“We cannot blame the tool. Study after study shows that good design, regardless of the technology, is what that makes good learning. In the end, it’s the design and not the tool that impacts learning.”

Great words, isn’t?

Click here to view the presentation!

Graphic Designers shall consider the following essential parameters while developing or reviewing the media of an e-Learning course by using Macromedia Flash:

• Document properties: This includes verifying standardized document properties, such as document size, frame rate, publish settings, and other properties.
• Naming conventions: This includes verifying the standardized naming conventions of a graphic element, file, layer, symbol, and library.
• Font specifications: This includes verifying standardized font specifications, such as the font face, size, and color.
• Alignment: This includes verifying alignment in page title, frame content, and graphic element.
• White spacing: This includes verifying unnecessary white spaces between characters, lines, and paragraphs.
• Library management: This includes verifying whether the library is managed using folders and ensuring that the unused elements are deleted from the library.

Apart from considering the aforementioned parameters, Graphic Designers shall also check for:

• Typo errors
• Content verification by cross checking with the source content
• Consistent usage of graphic elements
• Masking problems
• Audio synchronization

During the input collection process or during the storyboard development stage, an Instructional Designer (ID) might require content-related clarifications from the Subject Matter Expert (SME).

Here are a few instances in which an ID shall raise content-related queries or issues to the SME.

1) Missing contents: It is recommended to raise the SME query for contents that do not have required information.

For example, consider that there is an abbreviated term called ‘ICT’ without any expansion in the SME’s source content. In such a case, the ID shall raise the following query to the SME:
“This course has a term called ‘ICT’ without any expansion. Please provide the expansion for the same.”

It is to be noted that this query can be raised only after a thorough exploration on the abbreviated term (like search in Internet or in other resources) at the ID end. Then, the ID shall inform the SME with the following note:
“This course has a term called ‘ICT’ without any expansion. From an article relevant to this course, I found the expansion of the term ‘ICT’ to be ‘Information and Communication Technology’. Please confirm if it is correct.”

2) Complex, ambiguous, and lengthier sentences: It is advisable to make a note to the SME on sentences that are complex, lengthier, and ambiguous.

For example, the content provided by the SME may contain complex, ambiguous, and lengthier sentences. While junking them into precise or shorter sentences, there is a possibility of content loss. In such cases, the ID shall inform the SME with the following note:
“This sentence looks complex and ambiguous. However, I have tried to make it precise and shorter. Please let me know if I can proceed with my sentence formation. Alternatively, please provide a simpler sentence for content clarity.”

3) Redundant or irrelevant sentences: It is better to make a note to the SME on redundant or irrelevant sentences in the source content.

For example, the source content may contain information that is redundant or irrelevant to the context. In such cases, the ID shall make the following prior notification to the SME on the deletion of redundant or irrelevant information:
“This sentence looks redundant or irrelevant to the context. Please let me know if I can remove this particular sentence.”

Hope the aforementioned tips for interacting with the SME on content-related issues are sufficient for a novice. However, I will update this post if I acquire any additional information.

Here is my pick of the day.

Let me share with an interesting article that I read recently. This article covers the basics of virtual classroom, its features, challenges, and other related information. I am sure it will be useful to you!

Click here to view the article.

Here is an informative Web site that might keep your life engaged forever.

http://www.quiknet.com/tcsmith/mags.htm 

This Web site has a list of 195 e-Learning magazines and related resources. Hope it will be useful to you!

Online Education Database (OEDb) has released a list of top 100 education blogs. You can view the list by clicking the following URL:

http://oedb.org/library/features/top-100-education-blogs

Here is a list of elements that shall be included in the e-Learning course template.

• Header or session title: It should display the session name.
• Frame title: It should display the frame title.
  
• Pagination information: It should provide information on the current frame number and the total number of frames in the session.
• Glossary button: It should provide the list of terms, definitions, and relevant description.
• Help button: It should provide assistance in operating and navigating through the session.
• Exit button: It should enable the learner to exit the session. It is appreciable to include a dialog box with an instruction like “Are you sure you want to exit?” when the exit button is clicked.
• Slider bar: It should enable the learner to navigate the frame contents either forward or backward.
• Audio ON or OFF button: It should enable the learner to play or mute the audio.
• Audio transcript button: It should display the contents read in the audio.
• Previous button: It should navigate to the previous frame.
• Next button: It should navigate to the next frame.
• Play or pause button: It should enable the learner to play or pause the execution of a frame.
• Template instruction bar: It should provide information on the template navigation instruction (for example, ‘Click Next to proceed‘, ‘Click Exit to exit the session‘, ‘Follow the instructions in OST‘, and so on) or the status of frame execution (for example, ‘Frame execution in progress‘) to the learner.
• Notes button: It should display a scribbling pad. The learner can type his or her notes, save, and print the same.
• Search button: It should enable the learner to search for his or her required terms and explanation.
• References or learning aids button: It should display all the reference materials and other learning aids related to the session.
• FAQ button: It should display the session’s frequently asked questions and their respective answers.

The aforementioned elements are some of the frequently used elements in the e-Learning course template. You can choose the elements based on the target audience and your client’s requirements. I will update this post if I acquire any additional information. Hence, I suggest you to visit this post frequently.

Let me share my knowledge on developing the course design strategy document.

The course design strategy document is developed before developing the storyboard and it gives an overall idea on the strategies to be incorporated in the courseware. Strategies here corresponds to both the instructional design and graphic strategies. It will be useful for both the client as well as the e-Learning team, which develops the courseware.

I suggest you can consider the following attributes or parameters or details for developing an efficient course design strategy document.

• Client name
• Course name
• Course objective
• Course complexity level (in terms of Bloom’s Taxonomy)
• Course language
• Target audience
• Instructional strategies
• Graphic strategies
• Course flow

Let me emphasize the key instructional and graphic strategies to be populated into the course design strategy document.

Instructional strategies

Instructional strategies shall include the following details:

• Instructional theory to be adopted in the courseware
• Inclusion of the course guide (if planned)
• Usage of interactivities, such as roll over, point and click, select an option, text entry, drag and drop, and tool tip
• Assessment types with details, such as where the questions will come into existence  (within the content frames, after the content frames, as a separate module, and so on)

Graphic strategies

Graphic strategies shall include the following details:

• Level of graphics, such as 2-D or 3-D, screen grabs, and animations
• Inclusion of audio with details on the gender of voice
• Navigation details (linear or non linear navigation)

Note

It is better if you could include the reasons for incorporating the aforementioned instructional and graphic strategies.

Hope the aforementioned tips for developing the course design strategy document are sufficient for a novice. However, I will update this post if I acquire any additional information.

Here are my favourite groups or forums on e-Learning and Instructional Design. I will keep you updated with my favourite groups or forums through this post. Hence, I suggest you to view this post frequently.

• http://groups.msn.com/InstructionalDesignersForum/
• http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Instructional_Designers_Forum/
• http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/idindia/
• http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/instructional_designers/
• http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/eLearningDev/
• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Instructional_Designers_World/
• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/InstructionalDesign/
• http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/SCORM_Implementation_Group/
• http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/instructionaldesigners2/