A Great New Rapid e-Learning Authoring Tool

Once upon a time, you were limited to rapid e_learning tools that could cost you a pretty penny. The cost factor restricted many instructional designers from building a home e-Learning development studio. It is important that instructional designers have these tools available away from the workplace to sharpen their skills and keep their portfolios updated.

Anyway, enough chit-chat. Trivantis, the makers of Lectora, have a new product with a mere $99 price tag. Hey! Don't take my word for it. Check it out for yourself:




Here is the link to the website:
http://www.trivantis.com/snap/rapid-e-learning-software-for-a-PowerPoint-presentation-in-Flash

Using Games to Teach

Here is a game that teaches time management. Try it out and see how well you manage your time. Then, as an instructional designer, think about how games can be incorporated in the course content.

Play
More Free Sim Games!

Taking Training Beyond the Traditional Slideshow

Have you ever sat through a training course that had rich content only to be lost in never ending PowerPoint slides? In essence, there were too many slides jammed with too much text. We use to call it "death by PowerPoint." Now do not get me wrong. I really like PowerPoint. It still provides the basic foundation for some of our most fascinating e-Learning creations. And, PowerPoint 2007 is the bomb. But, as a professional instructional designer, I am always looking for inspiration to take my courses to the next level. This is especially true when developing courses to be delivered in a virtual classroom with a live Instructor.

I was very inspired by what PREZI has to offer. But, don't take my word for it. Check out these two videos below. The first video was created by a satisfied user. I thought it would be a great introduction to the official Prezi intro video.





OK, I couldn't just stop at introducing you to this unique Web 2.0 tool. I found a great video created by a devoted user sharing 5 reasons you should use Prezi. I liked this video because the author rightfully compared Prezi to concept mapping and explained the benefits of the tool so well. At the end of this video, he shares potential challenges, which really won't be challenges at all for instructional designers or seasoned training professionals. He also shares some good advice. Check it out:



To learn more, go to http://prezi.com/explore/

Lifestream Blog Reviews SmallWorlds

If you have been reading my previous blog postings featuring Web 2.0 tools that will support role-playing in the virtual learning environment, then you will not be surprised by this posting.  I discovered Mark Krynsky's blog posting about SmallWorlds and thought that other learning professionals would find the information useful.  His posting includes a well done YouTube video demonstrating the lifestream functions included in SmallWorlds.  I just ask one favor!  Read the post, view the video and share your ideas of how you might use these features in a learning environment. 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MARK'S BLOG POSTING:

Citation:

Screenshot of blog captured August 4, 2010, from http://lifestreamblog.com/small-worlds-brings-innovative-lifestreaming-to-the-virtual-world/

BP14_Acrobat.com_Meetings

My excitement about Acrobat.com can be attributed to the web-conferencing function available on the same platform with the file collaborative tools discussed in the previous post BP13. The web-conferencing function available with your the Acrobat.com account is actually Adobe Connect Now product. We actually use Adobe Connect at an enterprise level at the office where I am currently contracted to work. The platform is absolutely wonderful because we actually hold regular meetings with more than 10 attendees on web cams at one time.

Well, with your FREE Adobe Connect account you can host a meeting with two (2) other people on web cams at the same time. If you upgrade your account to the next level, 5 people can be visible on web cams in a virtual meeting. And, upgrading to a premium account will allow you to train up to 20 people on web cams in a virtual environment.

Take a look at the following pictures to see the functions available to the meeting facilitator and view the interface.

BP13_Acrobat.com_Files

As mentioned in the BP12 posting, Acrobat.com is a collaborative portal made available by Adobe. Clicking on New gives you access to Buzzword, Presentation and Tables.  These are the type of files that can be created and shared with others for team collaboration. 

When I clicked on Buzzword, a new word processor document opened. I was able to type in the document as expected, add an image and add a table.   I also added comments and a link.

The saved document can be exported as a PDF, Word and other file types as shown in the photo below.

 Presentations can be created using Acrobat.com using a nice selection of very professional looking templates.  Again, others with access to the workspace where the presentation is stored can collaborate within Acrobat.com to make individual contributions.

 Acrobat.com is currently offering access to a beta version of Tables, a collaborative spreadsheet function.  I recommend taking the four “Getting Started” videos available to get a sense of the full functionality of this tool.

 

BP12_Acrobat.com

Previous blog posts examined Web 2.0 tools that would support role-playing in the virtual classroom. In this post, Acrobat.com is being introduced as a potential virtual classroom platform to facilitate the learning experience as part of my Action Research Project: http://web.me.com/jacqjones/JJonesActionResearch/Welcome.html

Your Acrobat.com account is a portal of tools with the the following collaborative capabilities:
• Set-up and manage a personal online workspace
• Store and share documents
• Convert files to PDF online
• Create rich documents in online workspace
• Collect, update and analyze data
• Manage projects
• Deliver live presentations
• Facilitate learning live to on-camera participants

And, it is FREE! Finding one resource that offers a personal and collaborative workspace that includes live web-conferencing almost seemed too good to be true. I couldn’t help thinking, “This is going to be perfect for my Action Research project.”

After setting up my FREE account, I received two emails. The first email was to verify my email address. The second email contained the URL for my own private meeting room using the Adobe Connect Now platform. So, I logged into the Acrobat.com website and discovered that the interface includes two types of collaborative workspaces– FILES and MEETINGS. Once you logon, the FILES collaborative workspace is displayed as the default launch page.

I really like that the getting started tutorials are available in your workspace for immediate access.

The first thing I did was download the “10 cool things you can do with Acrobat.com” PDF document that was displayed in my Acrobat.com workspace. Now, I have started watching the Adobe video tutorials and will share what I have learned in the next two blog postings. In the meantime, feel free to go to www.Acrobat.com to check it out.