Audio and/or Text Rollover Tooltips for Articulate Presenter

Love the rollover Flash widget for Articulate Presenter from eLearning Enhanced.  Works like a charm and is a bargain at $25.

Create rollover "hotspots" on your Articulate Presenter slides with this Flash widget. When a learner's mouse hovers over a hotspot, this widget will play an audio file, display a text tooltip, or both! Design your slide as usual in Powerpoint/Articulate Presenter, insert "hotspotRollover.swf" onto each slide on which you want to have rollover audio/text tooltip hotspots, then publish. No Flash experience needed. Define as many hotspots on each slide as you want. Just edit the "hotspots.xml" file in any text editor after you publish your course to define your tooltip text, audio file, size, and position of each hotspot.  Create multiple hotspots per slide and have multiple slides with hotspots in a single presentation.

Make sure you read the "Read Me' file and/or watch the demonstration movies before you use the widget.

Check it out:  http://elearningenhanced.com/products/presenter

IT Manager's Guide to Social Networking - Free eBook

Like it or not, your end users are probably using their computers and mobile devices to access social networking applications like Facebook and Twitter. While valuable tools for networking and keeping in touch, social networking sites can also expose your users to online malware. Download this Internet.com eBook for advice on keeping your users safe, help developing a social networking policy, and tips on how to make the most of social networking tools.

Check it out:  http://www.internet.com/Internetcom/Door/41203/Internet.com-Sign-up-p1-v2?44434

Articulate Presenter Tip and SCREENR web-based recording

I created my first "SCREENR" tutorial last week about adding an interactive PDF to an Articulate Presenter course via web objects. 

The SCREENR program is a web-based recorder with no software to download.  It's simple and works great.  They make it easy to share too with mp4 download capabilities and youtube upload abilities.

Check it out:  http://screenr.com/RYq

Free Webinar: The 7 Deadly Sins of Online Training (and How to Avoid Them)

Date: Tuesday, January 11th, 2011, Time: 9 AM PST/ 12 PM EST

Moderator: James Hilliard, President, Hilly Productions

Speaker: Roger Courville, Principal, 1080 Group

Online training is a completely different ballgame than in-person training. Sure, you don't have to fret about what to wear or if you're trainees are going to smell the onions you ate at lunch, but you do have to worry about how to engage, interact, connect with and understand your audience - all while you can't even see them!  Join Roger Courville, online presentation expert and author of The Virtual Presenter's Handbook, for a webinar on how to plan, design and present like an online training pro.

 

Attend this live webinar to discover how to:

• Avoid the 7 most common online presentation mistakes
• Design dynamic training presentations (no art degree required!)
• Present - and train - like a pro

 Register:  http://learn.gototraining.com/forms/011111-NA-G2T-WBR-L?ID=701000000005Wed

Free Mag - either as a PDF or for iPAD

The best productivity bloggers send tips to Productive Magazine.  You can download the magazine as a PDF or get each issue downloaded to your iPAD.  Of course, you can also view the magazine online.

This month's issue features an article by Michael Hyatt - "How to shave 10 hours off your work week".  A must read!

Check it out:  http://www.productivefirm.com/magazine/

Encrypt a storage device such as USB flash drive

Do you store company or personal data on USB flash drives?  If so, consider using encryption software to keep your data safe.  TrueCrypt is a software system for establishing and maintaining an on-the-fly-encrypted volume (data storage device). On-the-fly encryption means that data is automatically encrypted or decrypted right before it is loaded or saved, without any user intervention. No data stored on an encrypted volume can be read (decrypted) without using the correct password/keyfile(s) or correct encryption keys.

Check it out:  http://www.truecrypt.org/

The 2010 ASTD State of the Industry Report is now available!

ASTD estimates that U.S. organizations spent $125.88 billion on employee learning and development in 2009. This amount reflects direct learning expenditures such as the learning function's staff salaries, administrative learning costs, and non-salary delivery costs (including outsourced activities). Nearly two-thirds of the U.S. total ($78.6 billion) was spent on the internal learning function, such as staff salaries and internal development costs. The remainder ($47.3 billion) was allocated to external services such as workshops, vendors and external events.


These types of informative statistics appear in ASTD's annual State of the Industry Report.

Check it out:  http://www.astd.org/content/research/stateOfIndustry.htm

Becoming a People-Driven Enterprise: How to Turn the Dials in Your Organization and Power Up Your People

Free CLO Webinar: Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010 - 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET

Organizations today must deal with a new business and economic climate that continues to change with unprecedented speed. Concurrently, effectively managing today’s organization is more demanding than ever due to a multigeneration workforce and increasing adoption of social media tools and mobile technologies. In this fast-moving presentation,Amar Dhaliwal, Saba, Senior Vice President, Product Operations Group will discuss the trends influencing the engagement and impact of your people, the key aspects of today’s business environment, and the central roles of creativity and innovation in meeting the challenges faced by institutions of all types and sizes.

Learn where menu and toolbar commands are in Office 2010 and related products

Wondering where your favorite menu and toolbar commands are located in Office 2010?

 Topics include:

• Use an interactive guide to find commands
• Get a printable list of Office 2010 commands and buttons:  Office 2010 menu to ribbon reference workbooks
• Install guides to multiple computers

 Check it out:  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/learn-where-menu-and-toolbar-commands-are-in-office-2010-and-related-products-HA101794130.aspx

A roadmap to SharePoint Server 2007 training

Need training materials for Microsoft Sharepoint 2007?  The Microsoft Office website has a number of online courses as well as shorter PowerPoint versions of courses.  Topics include:

• Work with document libraries
• Work with calendars
• Work with slide libraries
• Work with workflows
• Work with Excel Services

 Check it out:  http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/sharepoint-server-2007-training-courses-HA010235858.aspx

Building Educational Business Games - Free Webinar Dec 15

Wednesday, December 15th at 1:00pm EST - Forio's webinar on "How to Build an Educational Business Simulation or Game."

Reserve your Webinar seat now at: http://cts.vresp.com/c/?Forio/ca3b8e5139/627b6e615c/09a0211e42

 

Expert simulation developer Billy Schoenberg will host a 50 minute webinar using Simulate, a web-based development environment to create simulations using the drag-and-drop design tools.

Topics covered will include how to:

•  Provide faculty summaries of class results for easy review or grading.
• Add faculty control over class scenarios so that the simulation can be used many times
• Create both student and faculty login pages with different views of the simulation 
• Create multi-choice, short answer, and long answer surveys or quizzes within the simulation
• Include facilitator guides, student guides, and videos into the simulation
• Question and Answer session

Captivate Drag and Drop Lite Question Widget

If you need an easy-to-use "true" drag and drop question application for training courses, check out this Captivate widget.  "This amazing widget allows you to create engaging drag and drop questions using any image, caption, highlight box, button, or animation that you add to your Captivate stage."

You must have Captivate 4 or higher to create the interaction BUT you can incorporate the files that it creates in other training applications besides Captivate like Articulate Presenter ( as a web object).

Check it out: http://www.infosemantics.com.au/catalog/widgets/question/wdgt_dragAndDropLite_AS3

Digital storytelling tool including augmented reality

ZooBurst is a digital storytelling tool that lets anyone easily create his or her own 3D pop-up books.  Readers who have a webcam installed on their computer can also experience any ZooBurst book in Augmented Reality.  Sign up for a free account and test it out.

Check it out:  http://www.zooburst.com/index.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpmqs7Yn8VU

Adobe Online Learning Resource Center

The Adobe Online Learning Resource Center is a great resource for online learning documentation.  The site features a number of white papers including step-by-step instructions for Adobe Cativate tasks such as "Using Master Slides in Captivate" and "Adding Adobe Presentations to PDF documents".

Check it out:  http://www.adobe.us/education/resources/hed/instructional/connect/collaborative_teaching/

Largest Houston-Area Training Companies

Creative Interactive Ideas made the Largest Houston-Area Training Companies list (Houston Business Journal).  We've made the list every year since 2007.

Free Webinar: How to Use Video in Effective Social Learning

Date: Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Time: 10:00 AM Pacific / 1:00 PM Eastern

Join Training magazine on Tuesday, November 16 for this complimentary Webinar, sponsored by Saba, and learn to incorporate rich video content into enterprise social learning platforms.

In our personal lives, we increasingly use YouTube, Flickr, and Facebook to share video instantly with friends and family. Yet, most training content in enterprise and academic training is still predominantly "textual" or old-school.

In the one-hour Webinar, join Milind Pansare, expert speaker in the fields of Enterprise 2.0 and Enterprise Web 2.0 technologies, and discover two emerging trends in learning: using video as the medium of choice for learning and the emergent use of enterprise business networking technologies to power social learning.

Register Now

Free Webinar: What Content Consumers are doing Online today and Why it matters in Technical Communication

When: Wednesday, October 27, 2010 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM US/Pacific

Description: In this interactive eSeminar, RJ Jacquez, Senior Product Evangelist from the Technical Communication Group in Adobe Systems, will present key trends in online content consumption (both technical communication and non-technical communication), as well as explore practical ideas for leveraging these trends and for delivering engaging experiences that consumers expect from everything they do in today’s world, including the way they consume technical documentation.

Click HERE for Event Details and Registration

Going global? Check out pre-recorded webinar and articles

I found some great research on developing e-Learning in a global environment and wanted to share it with you.

The Impact of Cultural Differences on Learning and Teaching - What it Means for eLearning - 1-hour recorded webinar, done for Walden University by Dr. Edmundson, explaining how educational and corporate organizations need to accommodate the cultural differences of learners in other countries to be successful.
http://www.waldenu.edu/Media/31878.htm?height=700&width=870

Developing e-Learning Modules Across Languages and Cultures: Lessons Learned
http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/105/developing-e-learning-modules-across-languages-and-cultures-lessons-learned

Learning Beyond Borders by Deanna Hartley - Chief Learning Officer magazine presents an article on going global. International learning leaders are required to grapple with thorny issues, such as the role of local context in content development, solutions to language barriers and finding the right balance between centralized and decentralized learning.

http://www.clomedia.com/features/2009/April/2596/index.php

DO NOT MISS - Meet Dave Anderson (Articulate) for a Houston ASTD-sponsored "jam" session

Thursday, October 28, 2010:  FREE Event: 9am – 12pm
Stewart & Stevenson Training Center
581 Garden Oaks Blvd., Houston, TX 77018
Register:  http://astdhouston.org/en/cev/471
Jam Sessions are an informal user group meeting designed to bring together local Articulate users for some practical tips & tricks training on all things Articulate. Dave will available to answer your questions and show you some quick tips & tricks. If you want to bring your projects, we can look at them together.

This casual and informal event is open to anyone who wants to learn to create more engaging e-learning with Articulate. It is a free event but space is limited to the first 25 people who register.  You do not have to be a member of ASTD to attend.

About the Presenter:  Dave Anderson is an E-Learning designer with more than 13 years of experience in online training. His portfolio includes designing custom E-Learning for NASCAR, Mercedes, Tufts University, Delta and America West Airlines.

As Community Manager at Articulate, he works with Articulate's e-Learning community, helping users get the most from their tools while finding creative ways to build more engaging courses. He also shares e-Learning tips and tricks through his screencasts.

Free webinar: How to Use Video to Increase Learning

Date: Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Time: 10:00 AM Pacific / 1:00 PM Eastern
Sponsored by Training Network Magazine
Video is an effective way for training organizations to capture knowledge from wherever it is in the organization. The training organization is in a unique position to harness this collective knowledge and make it compelling, accessible and reusable by the organization.


In this one-hour Webinar, you will learn:

• How easy it can be to capture an organization's knowledge with video
• How video can be used for formal and informal learning
• Examples of how video is used by best in class organizations
• How video content can be the basis for enterprise collaboration
• What video in the enterprise really looks like

Check it out:  https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/event/description?instance_id=27685

Elearning! Summit Virtual Event - Free! November 4, 2010

Join 1,600+ government, corporate and learning executives to hear the experts share their case studies, technology implementations and best practices at this live virtual event.

The summit is free of charge to industry professionals. No travel. No cost.

 

Check it out:  http://events.unisfair.com/index.jsp?eid=630&seid=31

Wikimedia Commons

Wikimedia Commons is a media file repository (images, sounds and videos) making available public domain and freely-licensed education media content as long as the source and authors are credited.

Check it out:  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

HP Training Manager: How to Turn Training Seen as “Cost” into Training Seen as “Investment”

Interesting interview with VS Girish Kumar - Center Training Manager in Hewlett-Packard’s (HP) Training and Knowledge Management department.

Check it out:  http://tiny.cc/z0rha

A Play Date with the iPad: Real People Experience Apple's New Tablet

According to a research report from Ball State University titled “A Play Date with the iPad,” the iPad is best for leisure activities. It found that content creation is too difficult on the device but ideal for content consumption.


The free white paper is available for download through BSU.
Check it out:  https://www.bsu.edu/webapps2/cmdreports/product_select.asp?product_id=30

Be Safe on the Internet: i-SAFE education

Surviving in this day and age is as much about activities in Cyberspace as it is one’s physical health and safety. Even if you are not a regular online user, the Internet may provide information about you or your family to others in areas such as association Web sites newsletters, extended family Web sites, and public directory services. The bottom line is that everyone needs to be aware of the potentials for Internet safety and security problems, and to determine how to limit personal risk. i-SAFE has created a series of instruction especially for adults who use the Internet.

i-SAFE Inc. is a leading publisher of media literacy and digital citizenship education materials and programming with worldwide distribution channels. Founded in 1998 and supported by the U.S. Congress and various executive agencies of the U.S. government,

 
I found the program, iFifty, to be of particular interest, when teaching my mom about the Internet.  She's almost 80 and is just learning to use the computer. 
 
Access to the program is free.  There are five options with five different users in mind. Those registered as educators with i-SAFE have the greatest access to view the modules because you work closely with students and parents. Those registered as parents and fifty+ have access to either of those modules since many users fit both categories. However, students are limited to the i-MENTOR Training Network. And the Operation i-SHIELD module is reserved for those in law enforcement.
 
Check it out:  http://ilearn.isafe.org/

Knol: A Unit of knowledge

Knol is a Google project that aims to include user-written articles on a range of topics.  A knol is an introductory article about a specific subject. To write a successful knol, focus on the first things a reader would want to know about your topic.  Some Knol pages are opinion papers of one or more authors, and others describe products for sale. Some articles are how-to articles or explain product use.

Check it out: http://knol.google.com/k/

Senior Technical Women:A Profile of Success

Successful women in technology show the same attributes of success, the same human capital, and the same work values as senior level men.  Women hold 24 percent of technology jobs, yet represent half the total workforce.  Here's an interesting white paper from the Anita Borg Institute.  Since 1997, ABI has developed tools and programs designed to help industry, academia and government recruit, retain and develop women technology leaders.

Check it out:  http://anitaborg.org/files/Senior-Technical-Women-A-Profile-of-Success.pdf

Do we really need narration?

Cathy Moore has a good blog article on the need for narration in elearning.  As one person who commented on the article said, it's one to save.

There’s a lot more on this topic at the Learning Circuits blog and in two previous posts on her blog: Addicted to Audio? and Should We Narrate On-Screen Text?

Check it out:  http://tiny.cc/gzo0s

Articulate Presenter Tool: Printable User Slide Notes

Here's another neat tool from eLearning Enhanced - allows students to take notes while in an Articulate Presenter Course.  Purchase and download the Printable User Slide Notes tool ($25) and copy the files in a published Articulate Course.  On the side navigation, you will see a new tab called "My Notes".  The student can enter notes for each page in the course and then print them.  The widget remembers the notes between sessions as well so that the user can leave the course and come back later.  If you want to call the tab something different, edit the art_plugins.xml file.

The widget didn't work with a course on my local drive but once I put the course on a web server and in an LMS, it worked great.

Check it out:  http://elearningenhanced.com/products/printable-user-slide-notes

Working Today - Preparing for Tomorrow: Houston ASTD Conference

I'm speaking at the Working Today - Preparing for Tomorrow - Houston ASTD Conference.  I hope to see you there!
Thursday, September 23,2010 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM CDT

The conference will focus on three critical areas: technology, business development and talent management.  The Keynote speaker is Chester Elton, co-author of The Carrot Principle, who will shares his knowledge, experience on reward, recognition and empowering organizational teams to greatness.  Breakout sessions will feature programs to provide an effective learning environment for professionals to define themselves and support their industries. Special emphasis will be placed on the critical components of technology, business development, talent management, and how integration must take place at both individual and organizational levels.

Check it out:  http://astdhouston.org/en/cev/402

E-Learning Uncovered: Articulate Studio '09

Just got my copy of E-Learning Uncovered: Articulate Studio '09 - I've included a direct link to the book on Amazon's website.  If you are new to Articulate Studio, you will love this book.  It contains step-by-step instructions along with great tips.  If you already use Articulate Studio, you will still find good information including timesaver shortcuts and special information for getting more from the software.  The accompanying website has a good resource page:  http://www.e-learninguncovered.com/resources.html.  The page includes guides for the color schemes and a football game (free) created using Quizmaker.

There are also resources for another book from the same publisher - E-Learning Uncovered: From Concept to Execution.  http://www.e-learninguncovered.com/c2e.html has forms, checklists and a sample chapter from the book.

Autodesk Project Draw

Project Draw is a browser-based diagraming utility that lets you draw to your hearts content, without the need for plugins of any kind.  You can import a DWF file or image.  You can export the file as a DWF, PDF or graphic.


Check it out:  http://draw.labs.autodesk.com/ADDraw/draw.html
 
Instructional video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN60Ob5x7f0&feature=user

Practical Conference on Communication

I'm particpating in the Practical Conference on Commincations - October 7 - 9 in Nashville, Tennessee.  This is a jammed-packed conference that includes a pre-conference workshop on Adobe Captivate 5.

Train SMEs in the Design of Rapid e-Learning Materials

Instructional designer Debbie Richards defines the roles of the subject matter expert (SME) in developing new training systems. She also presents the information design techniques that the SME must be aware of in order to successfully support an e-Learning program under development. If you are an instructional designer or if you’re designing instructions for print or on-line documentation, you’ll find Debbie’s forthright discussion of working with SMEs a useful way to improve your interaction with the people who provide content for documentation and training products.


Check it out:  http://pcoc.stc-etc.org/

PPT Templates and Free PPT Slide Every Week

Slideshop.com has more than 1000 templates for download.  You purchase slides sets which have 10-30 slide templates.  Each set costs about $30 but there's a special 30% on the site now.  Sign up for the newsletter and get a free slide each week.  You can also download a sampler pak with lots of good example.  You can easily customize the templates to work with your corporate branding.

Check it out:  http://slideshop.com/

Hide Articulate Engage Controls

Do you want to hide the title bars and/or navigation controls in Articulate Engage?  There's a widget for that!  Purchase the widget for $10.  While you are on the site, check out the other widgets and the Articulate templates for sale.

1. Edit the XML file provided - http://screenr.com/tWW has detailed instructions for editing.  I created a folder in my working directory to make the next step easier
2. Publish your Articulate course and then put the edited XML file along with the "null.swf" file in the "player" folder of the published directory.
3. Each time you re-publish, make sure you copy the files again since Articulate wipes out the folder when re-publishing.

Check it out:  http://elearningenhanced.com/products/engage-controls

Slide Layout Templates

Get pre-created animated slide templates at a reasonable cost.  Most sets are $29 and include 30 variations of the slide.  Insert the slide into your presentation and update the text.  Slides include animation effects.
Check it out:  http://www.presentationpro.com/power_slides.aspx

Using the iPad in Sales Training: Case Study

"While many e-Learning producers are struggling to understand how the iPad may be useful in online instruction, one sales training team has already been successful in using Apple’s new device in blended instruction in the classroom. Here’s their story."

Check it out:  http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/491/

Comparing Adobe Captivate 4 to Adobe Captivate 5 - Free Webinar

Dr. Allen Partridge, Adobe eLearning Evangelist, will focus on the differences and similarities between Adobe Captivate 4 and Adobe Captivate 5 during this one hour session intended for people with experience using prior versions of Adobe Captivate.
August 4, 2010 - 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM US/Eastern


Check it out:  http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=detail&id=1673710&loc=en_us

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power

View the video documentary of "The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power". 

"In the style of the acclaimed CIVIL WAR series, THE PRIZE tells the epic history of oil - how it has dominated global politics, shaken the world economy, and transformed our century. Shot on location in Azerbaijan, Egypt, England, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Russia, Scotland, Turkey, and the United States, the series features fascinating characters, never-before-seen archival footage, newly filmed segments, and interviews with the people who shaped the oil industry."

Check it out:   http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3602293093015423860#

Articulate Quizmaker Color Scheme Editor

Trying to change the colors in the Articulate Articulate Quizmaker Color Scheme Editor and not sure which element is what?  Here's a reference guide to the screen layout.

Check it out:  http://www.articulate.com/forums/67688-post7.html

BYOL eLearning Conference: HTML5 - What You Need to Know and Why You Should Care

I am presentiong at the BYOL eLearning Conference which will be held November 10-12, 2010 at The Conference Center at Montclair State University, Montclair New Jersey.  My topic is "HTML5 - What You Need to Know and Why You Should Care".

HTML5, the new web markup language is supposed to eliminate the need for the Adobe Flash plugin. What does this mean for e-learning developers? Even though HTML5 is not fully supported in major browsers, there are those that are pushing forward and experimenting with its new features. In this session, we will create HTML5 pages and CSS3 styles. We’ll explore key features along with reasons for learning/using HTML 5 instead of Flash. Don’t be scared away from this session if you don’t know basic HTML and CSS – I’ll show you enough to be dangerous!

This is a great conference with lots of hands-on experience.  You get a lot of value for your time and money.  Hope to see you there.

Check it out:  http://elearning.byol.com/index.php

HTML5 Live and CSS3 Live Courses - Great Value

SitePoint is offering a two-week HTML5 course and three-week CSS3 course for only $19.90.  You can also take each class for a separate price. 
Check it out: http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/07/20/new-courses-html5-and-css3-without-the-hype-just-the-stuff-that-matters/

HTML5 Live with John Allsopp:  $9.95
Starts: 26th July
Sessions: 10 x 1 hour
http://www.sitepoint.com/courses/html5-live/

CSS3 Live with John Allsopp:  $14.95
Starts: 26th July
Sessions: 15 x 1 hour
http://courses.sitepoint.com/css3-live

Secure Passwords Video Explained by Common Craft

Passwords are essential to using the Web and criminals have become very good at guessing them. This video teaches the risks and how to create a secure password and keep it secret.

Check it out:  http://www.commoncraft.com/secure-passwords-video

Leveraging Legacy PowerPoint Training with Adobe Captivate 5 for Beginners

7/21/2010 - 11:30AM-12:30 PM US Eastern Time

This one hour session hosted by Dr. Allen Partridge, Adobe eLearning Evangelist, is intended for Trainers, eLearning Professionals and members of the Academic community who want to learn how to migrate their legacy slide decks to more engaging interactive online content.

http://bit.ly/9SJs1h

The New Adobe e-Learning Suite v2 - Review

Check it out:  http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/489/

Intro to Hot Lava Mobile - Free Webinar

Friday, July 23, 2010 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM EDT

If you’re thinking about developing media-rich, trackable and secure mlearning, mobile surveys, polls, or mobile performance support, attend this Webinar to learn about the features and capabilities of OutStart's Hot Lava Mobile. All registrants will receive a free Mobile download (Hot Lava Mobile Desktop Authoring Component).

Check it out:  https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/678912658

Free Micro eLearning Games

Want to add some fun to your courses?  Download the free Micro eLearning Games.  Change the logo, test questions and passing score in the external text file.

Check it out:  http://www.trainingmagnetwork.com./microgames

Free Document Sharing - Windows Live SkyDrive

With Windows Live SkyDrive, you can:

• Store and share documents from virtually anywhere
• View and edit documents using Microsoft Office Web Apps
• Take advantage of up to 25GB storage

Check it out:  http://workspace.officelive.com/en-us/

Five Emerging LMSs to Watch

Article by Brandon Hall:  these LMS applications include social media functionality.

Check it out:  http://www.clomedia.com/columnists/2010/July/2986/index.php

Human Capital Media Summer School

July 6th — 15th, 2010

"It's time for Summer School! Take a seat at your desk with a pencil and notebook as industry leaders share innovative best practices and techniques on a variety of enterprise learning and talent management topics during 45-minute webinars.

Each day will have three webinars at 11 a.m. CT, 1 p.m. CT, and 3 p.m. CT. Register once to attend all of the webinars. The registration is free of charge."

Check it out:  http://www.clomedia.com/events/summerschool/2010/June/366/index.php

Adobe Captivate 5 and Adobe eLearning Suite 2 are available now!

Check it out:  http://blogs.adobe.com/rjacquez/2010/07/the_wait_is_over_adobe_captiva.html

Animated Explanations

"A website full of animated movies, interactive tutorials and instructional videos, all free for you to view and to embed in your website. Simply select an animated explanation and follow the instructions to integrate it in your site."

Check it out:  http://www.animatedexplanations.com/Animation.aspx?animation=391

Supreme Court Interactive

Interesting information about the Supreme Court - you can take a virtual tour of the building, view interviews with current justices, and view a timeline in 3 different formats (great idea!).
Check it out:  http://supremecourt.c-span.org/Default.aspx

I also found an interesting chart that shows how long the process took for each of the previous 14 nominees.

Check it out:  http://innovation.cqpolitics.com/media/scnom/

And - here are some interactive games and quizzes related to the Supreme Court.  I like Supreme Court Concentration.

Check it out:  http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/educators/interactives.html

Usability of iPad Apps and Websites: Free Nielsen Norman Group Report

This report is based on usability studies with real users, reporting how they actually used a broad variety of iPad apps as well as websites accessed on the iPad. If you are thinking of developing or deploying training to the iPad, this report would be useful.

Check it out:  http://www.nngroup.com/reports/mobile/ipad/ ( 93 page report)
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/ipad.html (summary)

Free Book - E-Learner Survival Guide

This books targets the person taking online courses BUT has lots of good tips to consider when developing courseware. It’s also available through Amazon.

"This broad–reaching collection of essays on e–learning examines accomplishments, new directions, and challenges from many perspectives. The essays are arranged in categories, which include e–learning and e–learners, teaching and instruction, student en-gagement, learning communities, outcomes assessment and institu-tional leadership, all of which relate to learners and programs from college, K–12, career, to corporate training. Of special interest is a focus on successful outcomes for students and programs, and essays on often–overlooked niches of learners, including genera-tional differences (Gamers, Boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y), stay–at–home mothers, working mother e–learners, homeschoolers, bilingual online education and training."

Check it out:  http://zenzebra.net/elearner-survival-guide.pdf

Free Webinar: Avoiding PowerPoint Poison

Avoiding PowerPoint Poison: Instructionally Effective Use of PowerPoint Conversion for eLearning

Wed, Jun 23, 2010 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM CDT

Check it out:  http://www.rapidintake.com/webinar-registration-779996611/

EPA Response to BP Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

The EPA has a special website dedicated to the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  The EPA deployed the ASPECT, a twin engine aircraft designed to assist in the collection of air sampling data as well as photo documentation of environmental incidents.  You can view the ASPECT data in Google Earth - there are links to the data on the site, adownload for the Google Earth program and a document explaining how to use ASPECT Google Earth data to find oil locations.

Check it out:  http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/

YouTube Play: searching with the Guggenheim for the world’s most creative online video

(From the YouTube Blog)
YouTube Play is a collaboration between YouTube and the Guggenheim Museum to unearth and showcase the very best creative video from around the world. They are looking for animation, motion graphics, narrative, non-narrative, or documentary work, music videos and entirely new art forms—creations that really challenge the world’s perceptions of what’s possible with video.

To have your work considered, simply post it on YouTube, and then submit it at youtube.com/play. A jury of experts will decide which works presented at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York on October 21, 2010 with simultaneous presentations at the Guggenheim museums in Berlin, Bilbao, and Venice.

The videos will be on view to the public from October 22 through 24 in New York and on the YouTube Play channel.

Check it out:  http://www.youtube.com/play
 
http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2010/06/youtube-play-searching-with-guggenheim.html

The Rapid Development Tools Intensive: Basic-to-Intermediate Concepts and Techniques

June 10 &11 - $395 for eLearning Guild Members.  This is Part 1 of a two-part Rapid Tools Intensive. Part 2 happens on June 24-25th. Note: there are separate fees for each forum.

This Online Forum will guide you through practical exercises in which you will learn to effectively use different Rapid e-Learning development tools. You will see basic-to-intermediate concepts and skills, and see step-by-step techniques that you can apply to your work.

Check it out:  http://www.elearningguild.com/online-forums/content/1568/june-10--11

About Advertising

Admongo was created by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to teach kids ages 8-12 about advertising and provide them with the skills they need to make informed decisions about ads and the things they buy. Kids learn by playing a game - in either multimedia or HTML format.

Admongo shows kids:

• How to recognize different types of advertisements
• How to read, question and understand advertisements
• Why it is important to be a smart consumer

Check it out:  http://www.admongo.gov/

Hiding unwanted items in Facebook

This is a public service announcement. I have a Facebook account for friends and family networking. I love seeing comments and updates – but I gotta tell you that I don’t care if you harvested goat milk in Farmville or shot down 500 Mafia bad guys. If you feel like me, here’s an easy way to update your news feed so these items don’t show up.

When an unwanted update appears in your News Feed, simply mouse over the update and click the Hide button that appears to the right of the update. Instead of hiding your friend, click the name of the application or game you want to hide - like Farmville. The beautiful thing is, not only does it hide the Farmville update from your friend, it also hides the Farmville updates for anyone else who plays Farmville.

Hours on the Job Drive Habits of Mobile Employees

"The Quarterly iPass Mobile Workforce Report reveals the behaviors of mobile employees, and identifies common characteristics to segment users into five categories: mobile minimalists, mobile minority, mobile majority, mobile masters, and mobile maniacs. The iPass Mobile Workforce Survey conducted as part of the report asked mobile employees what technologies provided a gain or a drain to their productivity, how often they were checking their smartphones during downtime, how often they worked from home, and if mobility influenced their work/life balance."

Check it out:  http://www3.ipass.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Mobile-Workforce-Report-052010.pdf

Back up all of your Presenter ’09 project files

If you need to send all the files for an Articulate project to another developer or to archive your project, including embedded Engage, Quizmaker and other inserted media files (such as Flash movies), you can use the Send to Articulate Presenter feature. 

The Send to Articulate Presenter Package is an often overlooked feature of Articulate Presenter, mainly because it’s not on the Articulate Presenter Ribbon.

1. In PowerPoint 2007, click the Microsoft Office button. Select Send - Articulate Package.
2. The Articulate Presenter Package dialog box opens.
3. Select the location where you want the package to be created.
4. You can also specify optional Package Notes, including the project name, the version number, the author of the project with email and other special instructions.
5. Click Create Package.
6. A dialog box tells you if the package was successfully created, giving you the option to view the folder with the package files.
7. The packaged file is a zip file – besides all the project files, it contains a notes page with the Package Notes. It also includes a list of all the files included in the project.
8. When the other developer receives the ZIP file, they just need to unzip the contents to a folder on their local hard drive.

If all your files are not included in the Articulate Presenter Package, read this article from the Articulate site for help - http://www.articulate.com/support/presenter09/kb/?p=2416

Keep in mind that audio, SWFs, attachments, logos, templates and the Engage/Quizmaker files inserted into your slides (these are not your working files) reside in the PPTA file.

If you created external graphics or custom Flash files, these editable source files are NOT included when the Articulate Package file is created. You will need to manually add these files to the Articulate Package afterwards.

 

Free webinar: Lead Your Learning Organization to Improve Results, Cut Costs and Prepare for the Road Ahead

Date: Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Time: 10:00AM Pacific / 1:00PM Eastern (60 Minute Session)

"In today's challenging economy, companies and training departments are faced with three major challenges: trying to do more with less, preparing for change and planning for recovery. Simply cutting budgets isn't the answer. Learning leaders have a key role in helping their organizations learn to survive, perform and prosper.

This webinar explores Learning Paths, a proven methodology, that enables learning leaders to take an active and more strategic role in ramping up capabilities, addressing competitive challenges and preparing the future workforce."


Check it out:  http://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/topics/show/1804

Free PowerPoint Twitter Tools

The PowerPoint Twitter Tools allow presenters to see and react to tweets in real-time, embedded directly within their presentations, either as a ticker or refreshable comment page. Require only PowerPoint for Windows and Adobe Flash to run.

Check it out: http://www.sapweb20.com/blog/powerpoint-twitter-tools

Hating oil companies isn't a solution: John Hofmeister wants to change the way Americans look at energy - 2010-May-24 - CultureMap Houston

Hating oil companies isn't a solution: John Hofmeister wants to change the way Americans look at energy - 2010-May-24 - CultureMap Houston

Posted using ShareThis

eLearning Suite 2 - Interesting Video

Presenting the humble ukulele: Jake Shimabukuro wows TEDxTokyo

Check it out:  http://bit.ly/a0bTE0

Life on Board a Gulf of Mexico Oil Drilling Platform

"This story was originally published in September 2000, but it offers an insight into a aspect of the Gulf oil spill coverage that's been overlooked in recent coverage: life on board an oil rig -- in this case, Shell Oil's Ursa platform. At the time of original publication it was a brand new, state-of-the-art operation."

Check it out:  http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/39/shell.html

Houston ASTD: Leveraging Technology for Learning

I am presenting at the Houston ASTD Leveraging Technology for Learning conference - Friday, June 25,2010 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM CDT.  My topic is LMS 101- What you need to know.  Hope to see you there!

How can organizations make smart purchasing decisions about learning management systems? Although every implementation is different, there are some common factors to address when evaluating the right LMS for your organization. In this session, Debbie Richards shares her experiences with LMS selection, implementation and deployment. She will compare and contrast large systems to Moodle. She will also address how LMS relates to Web 2.0 (decentralization) and Integrated Talent Management Systems (centralization).

Check it out:  http://astdhouston.org/en/cev/370

Apple, Adobe, and the Flash eLearning Future

Garin Hess, CEO of Rapid Intake posted a very comprehensive article on the Apple vs. Adobe Flash discussion.

Check it out:  http://shoutout.rapidintake.com/2010/05/apple-adobe-and-flash-elearning-future.html

Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action

http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html

Articulate Example - Inserting Engage as a Flash Object in Presenter

David Anderson posted sample files and instructions for inserting Engage as Flash object in Presenter.  Also includes using icons for navigation. 

Check it out:  http://www.articulate.com/forums/articulate-engage/16923-inserting-engage-flash-object-presenter.html

Interactive Map: The Economy Where You Live

Great interactive example with audio instructions.

Check it out:  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111494514

How to Become a Rapid E-learning Pro by Tom Kuhlmann of Articulate

Spend a day with Tom Kuhlmann of Articulate in Baton Rouge, LA. 

For only $99, you get a practical 6 hour session on Becoming a Rapid E-Learning Pro. Sign up before August 23 and use this code RAPIDBLOG.

National ASTD members pay only $89! Use discount code "NATIONAL" when registering online to receive the $40 savings!

PowerPoint slide makeover podcasts

At the Think Outside The Slide channel on YouTube, you will find a bi-weekly slide makeover video podcasts as well as a sample of the short "how-to" videos that are available on the "Think Outside The Slide" website. So far, there are 51 video podcasts - short, sweet and to the point.

Check it out:  http://www.youtube.com/user/ThinkOutsideTheSlide

Soundcloud - Embed addtional audio in course

Here's a nifty tool that you can use to embed audio files (besides the ones that come up on the page) into a course as a web object.

Check it out: http://soundcloud.com/

Watch a demo using Ariculate Presenter:   http://screenr.com/3ZC

Webinar: Visual Learning: The Hidden Code of Visual Language

Webinar - Free to eLearning Guild members:
May 18, 2010
10:30AM to 11:30AM Pacific Time

 Connie Malamed

Author of Visual Language For Designers

 Do you get stuck trying to figure out the best graphics to use in a course or training session? Do you waste coveted screen or slide space with ineffective visuals? Although audiences remember more from visuals than from other mediums, few learning professionals are given guidelines for creating graphics that will impact learning.

This session will provide instructional designers, trainers, SMEs, developers and graphic designers with practical and actionable guidelines for invigorating the learning visuals in their courses and products.

Check it out:  http://www.elearningguild.com/content.cfm?selection=doc.1529
 
If you aren't a member of the eLearning Guild, I would encourage you to check it out.  I consider it one of the best resources - the Thought Leader Webinar Series is just one of the many member benefits.

More Adobe Captivate 5 seminars

Each of the seminars below last about an hour.  You must have an ADOBE ID to view the seminars.

What's new in Adobe Captivate 5
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=register_no_session&id=1607945&loc=en_us

Adobe Captivate 5 for Mac
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=register_no_session&id=1607950&loc=en_us

Getting Started in Adobe Captivate 5
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=register_no_session&id=1607939&loc=en_us

What's New in Adobe eLearning Suite 2
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=register_no_session&id=1609160&loc=en_us

Adobe eLearning Suite 2 for Mac
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=register_no_session&id=1609163&loc=en_us

Getting Started with Adobe eLearning Suite 2
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=register_no_session&id=1609157&loc=en_us

Maintenance: The Forgotten Step

May 2010 T+D

This simple but often forgotten step in the development process can maximize the course shelf life of your e-learning programs.

Free for ASTD members:
Article:  http://www.astd.org/TD/Archives/2010/May/1005_Maintenance.htm

Not an ASTD member?  Buy the article:  http://store.astd.org/Default.aspx?tabid=167&ProductId=21156

Free Podcast:  http://www.astd.org/NR/rdonlyres/DA826AC4-4318-4126-BEA4-8B1145EB61AA/0/MaintenanceTheForgottenStep.mp3

Say Hello to Adobe Captivate 5 and eLearning Suite 2: Now for Mac, too

Upgrade from Captivate 4 - $299.

Check it out:  http://blogs.adobe.com/rjacquez/2010/05/say_hello_to_adobe_captivate_5.html

Tom Kuhlmann on Rapid E-Learning and Design

Tom Kuhlmann is the VP of Community at Articulate and the author of The Rapid eLearning Blog.  Check out this podcast he did on Rapid E-Learning and Design.  You can download portions of the podcast or the entire podcast to share with your development team.

Check it out:  http://www.kineo.com/e-learning-interviews/tom-kuhlmann-on-rapid-elearning-and-design.html

Books mentioned in the podcast include: 

Resources for English as a Second Language

Came across a great website containing tools and resources for English as a second language. For example, the site has 257 free English language quizzes covering grammar, usage and vocabulary for beginner, intermediate and advanced level English students.

Check it out: http://www.usingenglish.com/
I especially liked the reading comprehension test - see how you do.  http://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension/46.html

Easily share and review documents online

crocodoc takes any PDF, Word document, PowerPoint presentation, image, or web page and lets you view and mark it up online. Documents can be shared with others, who can collaboratively highlight or strikeout text, add notes and comments, and make revisions.   Whenever you and friends or colleagues are marking up the same document at the same time, you'll see each other's changes reflected in near real-time.  Save your marked up version of your document as a PDF, in native file format or directly to your Google Docs account.

The free version of the software allows you to do everything except for the option of password-protecting documents, which are uploaded and viewed using bank-grade SSL encryption.   The Pro version of the software costs $36 per year - a real bargain when you compare it to competing products.

Check it out:  http://crocodoc.com/

The story of Stuff

Thinking about Earth Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz3tPxUFGbY

http://storyofstuff.org/

The FreeSound Project

The Freesound Project aims to create a huge collaborative database of audio snippets, samples, recordings, bleeps, ... released under the Creative Commons Sampling Plus License. The Freesound Project provides new and interesting ways of accessing these samples, allowing users to: 

• browse the sounds in new ways using keywords, a "sounds-like" type of browsing and more
• up and download sounds to and from the database, under the same creative commons license
• interact with fellow sound-artists!

Check it out:  http://www.freesound.org/

All you wanted to know about washing your hands

The CDC has a number of resources that you can use for training programs.  For example, I looked for information on "hand washing" and came accross the following:

1. good source of information page -http://www.cdc.gov/cleanhands/
2. video on hand washing that can be downloaded - http://www.cdc.gov/CDCTV/HandsTogether/
3. podcast - http://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=8520
4. e-card to send - http://www2c.cdc.gov/ecards/message/message.asp?cardid=297&category=190
5. poster and brochure
6. link to another good website - http://www.fightbac.org/

A little digging lead me to washup.org (http://www.microbeworld.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=483&Itemid=243l) - with additional videos and a quiz.

Storytelling 101

Need some inspiration for presentations and learning?  Check out this ....

Check it out:  http://www.slideshare.net/ethos3/storytelling-101

I also liked "The Essence of Design for Startups" - http://www.slideshare.net/simplyarun/the-essence-of-design-for-startups

HP's Slate Device Runs The Complete Internet -- Including Flash!

HP's Slate Device Runs The Complete Internet -- Including Flash!

Fire Safety for Wheelchair Users at Work and at Home

The United Spinal Association has developed a free  training program designed to save the lives of individuals with disabilities and mobility impairments during fire emergencies.  The training includes a trainer's guide and a Fire Safety for Wheelchair Users booklet (in English and Spanish) along with a downloadable PowerPoint file.

The training program is a valuable resource to people with disabilities, fire safety and building code officials, emergency plan coordinators, building owners and supervisors, employers and fire marshals.
 
Check it out:  http://www.accessibility-services.com/fire-safety-for-wheelchair-users/

Online Course Review for Courses in Development

Rapid Intake, the guys who gave us ProForm and Unison, announced its new online collaborative course review software, called REVIEW™, that allows any course developer to post a course online and collect and manage course review feedback and comments.

The reason I will use the program is its ability to load courses for review that have been developed with different types of e-Learning programs such as Articulate Presenter, Captivate and other Flash-based training.

The actual review process rocks. Imagine being able to have reviewers make comments on a specific slide without having to pop back and forth between the course and a review document! REVIEW™ tracks feedback notes, threaded comments, attachments, alerts, and more in one centralized location. It even automatically captures information about the reviewer, where the reviewer was in the course when the feedback was submitted, and relevant system information, such as the web browser and operating system

I tested the product by uploading an Articulate Presenter course packed for SCORM 1.2. The course loaded quickly and I was able to access it immediately to make review notes. I also tested a course without any LMS files - the course loaded with no problems and worked as promised.

For REVIEW™ pricing or to start a free trial, visit http://www.rapidintake.com/review.

Official Google Blog: A different kind of company name

Official Google Blog: A different kind of company name

Online Workspaces with Acrobat.com

Easily distribute and collaborate on a set of documents related to a project. No more sending out e-mails with multiple attachments to teams or individuals outside of your firewall.  Sign up for a free account to try it out:  five PDF conversions total, three person web conferencing, online office applications and forum-based support.
Check it out:  http://blogs.adobe.com/acom/2010/03/whats_new_with_acrobat_com_workspaces.html#more

Adobe Creative Suite 5 Launch

On April 12th you can take a first look at Adobe Creative Suite C5 during an exclusive global launch. 

Registration site listed below.  There are lots of sneak preview videos on the site.

Check it out:  http://cs5launch.adobe.com/?PID=3341815

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn28JOsQVbk

Great Technology Tips and Instructions

Recently, I came across a website with lots of good step by step instructions for a variety of software programs – which saved me a lot of time. I found the website searching for help to correct a problem in Microsoft Outlook – I synced Outlook with my phone (the wrong way) resulting in the addition of a duplicated list of contacts. Removing this large list was going to be quite cumbersome if I took the time to delete each one.

I found step-by-step instructions that solved my problem on the Tech-Recipes website. Millions of visitors have received help from the over two thousand step-by-step tutorials found on the site. Most of these were authored by the large community of users that have registered through the site so test the instructions before passing them along.

Check it out: http://www.tech-recipes.com/

Example of IRS E-learning Storyboard

David Anderson's blog has an interesting article about elearning examples - in particular a link to an IRS e-learning storyboard.  Check out the article as well as David's other blog entries.  David works at Articulate.

Check it out:  http://multimedialearning.com/example-of-irs-e-learning-storyboard/

The eff.org article on law enforcement’s use of social media and investigative technique is also interesting.
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/eff-posts-documents-detailing-law-enforcement

Visualizing the Upswing

America recently went on a major shopping spree. Last December we had, as a nation, quite a bit of cash lying around. The following month we found a way to spend it. In fact, we spent some $12 billion more in January than we had saved up.

Check out the series of visual images - may spur some ideas for presentations or training communications.

Check it out:  http://www.fastcompany.com/pics/visualizing-upswing?slide=0

Adobe InDesign 10th Anniversary

Check out the 10th anniversary website and download the book about InDesign.

Check it out:  http://www.indesign10anniversary.com/

Blooms Taxonomy Tutorial (Articulate Engage Examples)

You can use the tutorials on this page and reuse them (open license, attribution please).  The links are swf (Flash) files. You will be prompted to save or open the file most likely. Choose the Flash player to open the file and then you can maximize it for full screen viewing.


Check it out:  http://faculty.ccconline.org/index.php?title=Blooms_Taxonomy_Tutorial_FLASH#Tutorial_References

Global Glossary in Articulate

Do you have a glossary of terms that you’d like to have in every course? When there are additions and edits would you like to change one file and have it update every course?  Check out the blog entry below on the elearning brothers website for step-by-step instructions.

Check it out:  http://elearningbrothers.com/global-glossary-in-articulate/

FREE - Teaching resources from Federal Agencies

More than 1,500 federally supported teaching and learning resources are included from dozens of federal agencies. New sites are added regularly.

Check it out:  http://www.free.ed.gov/index.cfm

iSpring 5.0 Product Family

iSpring 5.0 provides full support of Microsoft Office 2010, including new PowerPoint 2010 features, like new transition effects and control of inserted video playback. The updated iSpring products are Windows 7 and both Office 2010 32-bit and 64-bit compatible.

iSpring products provide PowerPoint to Flash conversion - along with e-Learning components like quizzes and LMS compliance.  They also support embedded audio, video and Flash.  You can customize the player and include YouTube videos.

Check it out:  http://blog.ispringsolutions.com/?p=530

Free Adobe Seminar: The Impact and Trends of Rapid eLearning in Content Development

Tuesday, March 9, at 10:30am (PST)
Have you heard the term "rapid eLearning" but weren't too sure what it meant? Here's your chance to find out how this learning content creation approach can save your company's money and allow you to produce more content.  Join featured guest Claire Schooley, senior analyst at Forrester Research, as she demystifies rapid eLearning and discusses its use in corporate learning.

Schooley will talk about:

• The meaning of rapid eLearning in a learning and development context
• The Adobe® commissioned rapid eLearning study data results from 103 users in North America
• The current use, impact, and long-term benefits of rapid eLearning tools for corporations
• The future state of corporate content development with rapid eLearning

Check it out:  http://tiny.cc/Kjl7R (Register)

Great Blog Article: 10 Things To Know If You Don't Speak English

This blog article has some great tips on using Articulate products with a language other than English.  The blog has lots of great tips and tricks - have found many of them to be very helpful!

Check it out:  http://tiny.cc/lxISG
Also check out:  How to remove the Finish button - http://tiny.cc/J0DG2

A Map of Winter Olympic Medals

Interactive timeline of Winter Olympic medals.

Check it out:  http://2010games.nytimes.com/medals/map.html

Interactive example: The moves they don't want you to see

The Olympic converage has given us some interesting interactive examples.

"While they often seem flawless to most viewers, the top competitors in the women’s figure skating event have all received deductions for underrotating their jumps and most have been penalized at some point for entering a lutz jump on the wrong edge. These errors are often difficult to discern, even to the most avid fans, so the technical panel of judges can use video replay to determine if these violations have occurred. Below are explanations of the mistakes and a look at how often the top skaters in the Olympic women’s figure skating event have been affected."

check it out: http://tiny.cc/m895M

Interactive Example: World's fastest track awaits sliders at Whistler

An in-depth look at the Whistler Sliding Center, where bobsled, luge and skeleton athletes are expected to set speed records.


Check it out: http://tiny.cc/1dHtH

PhotoShop 20th Anniversary Webcast

Registration is closed but there will be a webcast of the event.

"For 20 years, the world has used industry-leading Adobe Photoshop software to transform creative inspiration into nearly everything we see, from magazine covers to medical devices to city skylines. That's why, every day, Adobe is inspired to create the innovative technologies that build more speed, intelligence, and magic into each new Photoshop product-so you can continue to turn your creative vision into reality.

Adobe is kicking off a year-long celebration of Photoshop's 20th anniversary starting with an Adobe and National Association of Photoshop Professionals star-studded celebration, live at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco, February 18th, 7:30pm.

The evening is hosted by NAPP Founder Scott Kelby and Adobe Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Creative Solutions Business Unit, Johnny Loiacono, with the NAPP Photoshop Guys--Dave Cross and Matt Kloskowski, plus Adobe Photoshop star Russell Brown, and other important members of the Adobe team.

Local Adobe User Groups and ACPs are invited to join as they take the stage for this history-making, fun-filled night packed with amazing Photoshop tricks, incredible tips, and a celebration of the program that changed and shaped popular culture forever. Plus, you will get an exclusive sneak peek at the future of Photoshop."
Check it out:  http://www.photoshopuser.com/photoshop20th

Go to M.I.T. for free - Academic Earth

I watched "Understanding Computers and the Internet" - downloaded the video lectures, transcript, slides and jargon doc to my computer.  Very cool. 

"On the new site Academic Earth you can watch lectures on physics from M.I.T., or catch a Yale history course on the origins of World War I, or see a U.C. Berkeley professor cradle a brain while she talks about human anatomy."  American Public Media

"It's been years since I was in school, and I've got few fond memories of going to class. But Academic Earth is unexpectedly irresistible. It's like Hulu, but for nerds."  Slate

Check it out:  http://academicearth.org/

HP Idealab

HP IdeaLab offers a sneak preview at some of the Web services and other emerging technologies from HP researchers and engineers around the world. You’ll find demos, downloads, descriptions and videos with information and instructions on each of the featured technologies.

Check it out:  http://www.hp.com/idealab/us/en/

Google Labs: Browser Size

What it does: Overlays a template onto any Web site, showing what percentage of the online population will be able to view what area.

Why it's cool: Because it works on visible browser area, not screen resolution, it gives developers and designers an accurate, instant understanding of which key elements are getting lost.

Check it out:  http://browsersize.googlelabs.com/

Adobe Flash Pro CS5 includes Packager for iPhone

Adobe® Flash® Professional CS5 will include a Packager for iPhone that will let you publish ActionScript 3 projects to run as native applications for iPhone. These applications can be delivered to iPhone users through the Apple App Store.

Check it out:  http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flashcs5/appsfor_iphone/

Here's a blog dedicated to Adobe CS5 sneaks and peeks - http://cs5.org/

Apple's iPad: What does it offer for e-Learning?

Plus:  Potential new platform for mobile learning, for social networking, and for content creation in Weblogs and wikis.

Minus:  The absence of a camera and the continued lack of support for Flash.

Check it out:  http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/370/

Mark Cuban's perspective:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35161216/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

Build custom courses ... on the fly

Attended “Using Cloudbooks and the Semantic Web to Power Learning” at ASTD TechKnowledge yesterday. The speaker showed how the semantic web technology is being implemented at the Library of Congress for professional development activities. Lots of food for thought … The Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program provides primary source-based staff development to teachers across the country.

Check it out: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/.  Click the link on the right side “Build and Deliver”. Pick a couple of the learning objects. In the box on the right side, you’ll see an estimate of how long the course would take to deliver with your selected learning objects. Click Continue. Pick your choice of deliver – either PDF or HTML. If you choose HTML, you’ll get a course with SCORM files included. Pretty cool. While on the LOC site, check out some of the other resources.

Also see my blog entry on the semantic web - http://cre8iveii.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-is-semantic-web.html

Power to the People - Bloomfire

I visited the Bloomfire booth at the ASTD Technology conference - and can't wait to try out their product. Bloomfire is a collaborative learning portal for internal company use. It's not launched yet - but you can get a sneak preview by sending the team a request.

Unlike an LMS where you post structured courses, Bloomfire allows SMEs to post a document, webcast, video etc. to share with others. You can contact the author, ask questions and/or start a discussion thread. There are good back-end metrics to track course activity and performance. Thinking this might be a good way to get a pulse of the popularity of course topics and learning needs.


Check it out: http://www.bloomfire.com/

A discussion of the benefits and pitfalls of screen recording as an instructional tool

Interesting free seminar coming up from Adobe:
A discussion of the benefits and pitfalls of screen recording as an instructional tool
12.30 - 13.30 EST, February 10, 2010
http://bit.ly/6iFrRZ - to register
We'll investigate the relative theories ranging from the classic Clark/Meyers psychology based recommendations, to the emerging trends toward experiential learning and ask important questions about whether audiences are actually changing?
What Do You Need to Participate?
Online live seminars are scheduled events simulcast over the web via Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro. You'll need a computer with a browser, Adobe Flash player and Internet connection. Voice-Over IP will broadcast over your computer if you have audio. Alternatively, audio is available via telephone. Access details will be provided once you register.

Make older programs run in Windows Vista or Windows 7

After struggling for a couple of days trying to get an old copy of Macromedia Dreamweaver Extension Manager to install an old version of CourseBuilder on a Windows 7 machine, I came across this article in the Microsoft help system.

“Most programs written for Windows Vista also work in this version of Windows, but some older programs might run poorly or not at all. If a program written for an earlier version of Windows doesn't run correctly, you can try changing the compatibility settings for the program, either manually or by using the Program Compatibility troubleshooter.”

Check it out: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Make-older-programs-run-in-this-version-of-Windows

Wild and Wacky Friday: Cool iPhone/iTouch applications

Search for these applications in iTunes:
Louvre Museum: From the most important museum in Paris. According to Lifehacker, this “amazingly slick free app provides a virtual tour of its galleries and lets users check out the works of everyone from DaVinci to Michelangelo. The app gets you up close and personal with paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, and even the French Crown Jewels.”

TED: TEDTalks need no introduction. They’re perhaps the most popular video lectures on the web, featuring talks by “the world’s leading thinkers and doers.” Now you can access these talks on your mobile phone too.

Brain Tuner — presents you with 20 to 100 math problems and asks you whether the solutions provided are right or wrong. It times you and presents a score based on accuracy

MedlinePlus Interactive Health Tutorials

MedlinePlus will direct you to information to help answer health questions. MedlinePlus has extensive information about drugs, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, interactive patient tutorials, and latest health news.

Using animated graphics, each tutorial explains a procedure or condition in easy-to-read language. You can also listen to the tutorial. Formats are interactive tutorial, self-running tutorial and text summary (PDF).


Check out out:  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorial.html

Beta Testing an Online Course

From Learning Solutions Magazine:  Beta Testing is a key step in creating insanely great e-Learning applications. Often overlooked or omitted out of concern for budget and schedule, it is actually simple and cheap to do, and when planned with care, it takes little time to execute. Done before development is 100% complete, it ensures faultless releases. Here’s a step-by-step guide from an experienced developer.

Check it out:  http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/299/beta-testing-an-online-course

ASTD TechKnowledge® 2010 - Going Green

I am going to ASTD TechKnowledge® 2010 in Las Vegas next week.  This year, ASTD is "going green" with paperless session materials (handouts) for concurrent education sessions.  Options were PDF, Kindle, iPhone and other mobile devices.  I used the Kindle option - mobi file loaded easily.  Very cool.

If you can't make the conference, ASTD is offering a "virtual" version at a reasonable cost.

Check it out:  http://www.tk2010.astd.org/

Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation Scholarship Program

The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program is an opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines to receive a full scholarship and be gainfully employed upon degree completion.  "The program is excellent because it pays for everything," said JoAnn Wright "It's a great opportunity for students, and a motivator for educating the scientists, technicians and engineers our Army needs."

The DoD pays all expenses, including internships, until the student graduates and starts work with the target organization.
Students pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics may be eligible for the program. Besides the free tuition and other educational benefits, cash awards are anywhere from $25,000 to $41,000 a year depending on an applicants' situation. "There is even a health insurance allowance," Wright said.
Check it out:  http://smart.asee.org/

Flexible screen technology

The Army is looking into flexible screens to be used in mission planning and rehearsal, land navigation and to provide the Warfighter with the most up-to-date information before departing for a mission.

"Our goal is to move this flexible display technology forward with cutting-edge research, and hopefully to see this made available for use in Soldier equipment," said U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command spokesman Robert DiMichele.
"The best application would allow Soldiers to connect to a computer database and download information necessary to complete the mission," DiMichele said. "Then the Soldier would disconnect, and retain the information on the device, fold or roll it up and pack it away. These screens could also be worn on the forearm of a military uniform for easy access while in the midst of battle."


Check it out:  http://flexdisplay.asu.edu/

What movitates us - how we can use that knowledge to work smarter and live better

The book focuses on what motivates workers - including the three elements of true motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
Check it out:  http://www.danpink.com/drive

iTouch Learning Applications

Got an iTouch over the holidays to check out Learning applications - and what it takes to develop them for the iTouch/iPhone platform. Jane Hart published a list of learning apps for iPhone and iPod Touch. I am checking them out - they are listed below. Will let you know which ones I like - and whether or not I think the iTouch will be a viable platform for Learning development.
 
Check it out:  http://c4lpt.co.uk/iTouchLearning/topapps.html

Training: Fitness Trends

One of my New Year's resolutions is to stay on task with the New Year’s resolutions I have set!    Training Peaks has free interactive web based training and nutrition log to help individuals achieve their goals. The personal edition is free. Track progress by recording exercise on the computer, iPhone, Blackberry or other smart phone. And if you have a compatible GPS, HR or power device, upload your file.

Check it out:  http://home.trainingpeaks.com/