Archive for May, 2009

Adobe Flash SWF Scenarios Inside Quizzes

Saturday, May 30th, 2009

e-Learning design and development typically includes the design of assessments (or quizzes). While working on an online compliance and business ethics course with the SME, I decided to bring work-related scenarios directly onto the quiz question screens.

The result worked great! The learners reviewed the scenario by clicking the back and forward buttons on the Adobe Flash SWF file, and then the learners chose the one best answer… all on the same screen. Our budget did not include audio nor video, but the engaging Flash interactions really added to the learners’ experience (per their course evaluations).

Click to view the quiz demo.

Click to view the quiz demo.

For the original client, I developed the course and the quizzes in SumTotalSystem’s ToolBook Instructor. However, for the past two years, I’ve been using Articulate Studio’s suite of tools (Presenter, Engage, and Quizmaker). I also use Adobe Flash and Adobe Captivate to create additional animated, engaging elements to import into Articulate Presenter’s course player.

So, while a recent project was out for review with the client, I decided to have some fun! What would the old ToolBook Instructor quiz look like as an Articulate Quizmaker ‘09 assessment?

Curious? So was I, and I’m fairly pleased with the result. Click the image on the left to view the quiz demo in a new browser window.

In the learners’ eyes, assessments can be (a) intimidating, (b) dry, and (c) downright painful to complete. When we design and develop engaging online courses, it’s nice to know we can carry those same elements into quizzes.

An engaged, excited learner is “Always Learning”, like me, and will gain improved performance and increased knowledge as a result. That should translate to the business’s goals and objectives, improving its performance as well.

I love what I do. Thanks for reading!

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All the Top e-Learning News | elearning.alltop.com

Monday, May 25th, 2009

top elearning news

Guy Kawasaki (The Art of the Start) has a venture called Alltop.com, and through Cammy Bean’s tweet on Twitter, I learned that Alltop.com has added the e-learning category at:

http://elearning.alltop.com

What is this? It’s all the top news about e-learning! In one place, on one Web page.

Twitter

You can follow me, Cammy, and Guy:

@jenisecook

@cammybean

@GuyKawasaki

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Captivate: Rollover Slidelet vs. Rollover Image

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

Helpful Hints from the LinkedIn Captivate Group.

The exchange below took place in the Adobe Captivate Group on LinkedIn.com, and I found it very helpful. I’m blogging it so it’s a reference I can refer back to, but if you find it helps you, too, even better!

<<>>

Can anyone tell me the difference between a Rollover Slidelet and a Rollover Image? They appear to do the same thing.

Thanks! Paula Butts
Training Design Specialist at Circles

<<>>

Hello Paula.

In looking through the Adobe Resource Center I found the following definitions. See http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Captivate/3.0/index.html

Rollover slidelet:
Area on a slide that respond to the mouse action by displaying a slidelet–a slide within a slide that has almost all the functionality of a regular slide.

Rollover images:
A rollover image consists of an image and a rollover area (the “hot” area). A rollover image appears when the user moves the mouse over the “hot” area.

Hope this helps.

Bruce E Richards
Research and Instructional Design Coordinator at Missouri State University

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The ’slide within a slide’ is the key aspect of a slidelet for me. A slidelet has it’s own timeline, separate from the main slide. I’ve used slidelets when I want to have a seaparet SWF file run as part of a rollover.

David Kelly, CPLP
VP, Director of Training at Carver Federal Savings Bank

<<>>

This is timely:
http://blogs.adobe.com/captivate/2009/04/get_ready_to_wear_that_creativ_1.html

Steve Wilhite
Senior Technical Curriculum Developer at iRise


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Medical e-Learning: Michel Taillet | Video of the Month 200905

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

The Medical/Health Care Field and e-Learning

It’s been a busy, first part of 2009. While searching for a Video of the Month on YouTube (yea, I know, I haven’t posted a video since January… hence this post), I found an amazing video. Currently, I am working on two freelance contracts for e-learning development in the health care sector. So, the video below resonated with me, especially because the message comes from the C-Level.

HANABI Company and Dokeos Studio worked with CEO Michel Taillet and his company to produce e-learning for medical professionals.

This video is 5 minutes 14 seconds long, and very much worth listening to, carefully.

I’m still searching for a link to HANABI, but you can read more about Dokeos; they’re in Europe.

However, if you’re in the U.S., I recommend you contact my client DLC Solutions as they, too, offer e-learning delivery solutions to the health care sector. Just tell Ezra Wolfe that Jenise Cook referred you. :)

I’m “Always Learning” about what others are doing, and so are the medical/health care sectors!

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