Web Tools and Techniques for E-Learning

1. Presented by Jack MassaGuidance Communications Inc. Web Tools and Techniquesfor E-Learning

2. Session Overview • What Makes e-Learning Effective? • Five Key Techniques to Ensure Effectiveness • Two Authoring Tools / Plus

3. What Makes e-Learning Effective? • Upfront Analysis and Planning • Learner-Centered Design • Iterative Development and Testing

4. What Makes e-Learning Effective? Do the Analysis First • What problem are you trying to solve? • Is training the right answer? • What kind of training is appropriate?

5. What Makes e-Learning Effective? Audience Analysis • Who are the Learners? • What is their current knowledge and skill level? • What is their attitude and motivation?

6. What Makes e-Learning Effective? Task Analysis • What Job or Tasks are we Teaching? • What are the Sub-Tasks and Steps to perform each task? • What conceptual knowledge and understanding must the person have to accomplish each task?

7. What Makes e-Learning Effective? For Further Study... Rapid Instructional Design by George M. Piskurich

8. What Makes e-Learning Effective? Effective Design William Horton: 50,000 Years of Instructional Design in a nutshell • Show them • Tell them • Let them try • Repeat Change the order of the steps if needed.

9. What Makes e-Learning Effective? Effective Design Michael W. Allen: Three Priorities for Effective Training: • Ensure that learners are highly motivated to learn. • Guide learners to appropriate content. • Provide meaningful and memorable learning experiences.

10. What Makes e-Learning Effective? Effective Design Michael W. Allen: Effective Design is Learner-Centered, not Content-Centered. Learner-Centered means providing meaningful and memorable learning experiences.

11. What Makes e-Learning Effective? Development and Testing • Most effective approach is rapid prototyping and testing with learners • Paper prototypes not necessary. Working prototypes are better. • “Successive approximation” for success

12. Session Overview • What Makes e-Learning Effective? • Five Key Techniques to Ensure Effectiveness • Two Authoring Tools / Plus

13. Five Techniques Five Techniques for Effective e-Learning • Tell them – Overviews and Concept Pages • Show them – Demonstrations • Let them try – Interactivity • Engage them – Metaphors and Stories • Put them in control – Navigation

14. Five Techniques 1. Tell Them – Overviews and Concept Pages Overview Pages preview each lesson and list the contents. Concept Pages explain or illustrate concepts, facts, or background knowledge.

15. Five Techniques Tips for Overviews and Concept Pages • Keep text short • Illustrate ideas with pictures and diagrams • On Overviews, provide links to all topics

16. Five Techniques 2. Show Them – Demonstrations • Learn by observation of an activity • Example: Animated transaction in a software UI • Example: Audio and text of an effective customer service session • Allow multiple plays • Follow up with questions or other exercises

17. Five Techniques Tips for Demonstrations • Keep it simple • Test the timing of animations on different platforms • Allow muting of audio and always provide text as alternative

18. Five Techniques 3. Let Them Try – Interactivity • Learn by doing. Practice learned skills. • Quizzes • Layered information to teach components • Software UI simulations • Problem-solving scenarios

19. Five Techniques 4. Engage Them – Metaphors and Stories Review, Michael W. Allen: • Ensure that learners are highly motivated to learn. • Provide meaningful and memorable learning experiences.

20. Five Techniques Engage Them – Metaphors and Stories • Increase motivation by relating the content to the learner’s real-world situation • Engage emotions and make learning experiences more compelling and memorable • Humans instinctively respond to and learn from stories

21. Five Techniques Examples of Metaphors and Stories • Simple metaphor – a Roadmap • Superhero Characterization • Life or death – SciFi Scenario • Glamour and intrigue – Email Spy • Real world management training –Lifescape EAP

22. Five Techniques 5. Put Them in Control – Navigation Let learners choose their own paths through the content. • Provide multiple access methods: menu, course map, index, search (Horton) • Links on each page: Next, Previous, Start Lesson, Course Home. • Links on Overview Pages to each topic. • Allow bookmarking if possible

23. Session Overview • What Makes e-Learning Effective? • Five Key Techniques to Ensure Effectiveness • Two Authoring Tools / Plus

24. Tools Authoring Tools Macromedia Dreamweaver • Excellent starter tool • Produces content for Native web browser: HTML and JavaScript • Easy to do animations and show/hide layers • Free extensions for creating quizzes, drag and drop exercises and interfacing to LMS. • Main limitation: browser functionality

25. Tools Authoring Tools Macromedia Flash • Industrial strength e-learning tool • Produces its own application file (SWF) that runs via plug-in in the web browser • Excellent for animations, exercises and simulations • Main limitation: steep learning curve; requires ActionScript coding

26. Tools Authoring Tools Other tools of interest • DemoShield by InstallShield Corporation • RoboDemo by e-Help • Microsoft PowerPoint • Macromedia AuthorWare • Firefly • Macromedia Breeze

27. Questions or Comments !

28. Door Prize!!!

29. My Contact Info... Jack MassaGuidance Communications Inc. 770.621.0526 jack@guidancecom.com www.guidancecom.com