Wicked, Cool Example of Augmented Reality

It is not every day I use "wicked" as an adjective, but this calls for its use. While attending the  Enterprise Learning Conference & Expo today, I saw an example of the use of augmented reality as created by BMW. The video clip shown during the "Next Generation of Learning Systems" session is the same clip as the one found on YouTube and embedded below. I promise it will wow you and even if you are not a New Englander, like me, you will still say is "wicked cool."

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9KPJlA5yds]

A Few Things of Interest: #Storyboarding & #LearningStyles

Several things of interest I recently wandered upon that I would like to share.

Kevin Thorn, a.k.a. Nugget Head, recently published an article in eLearn Magazine, The Art of Storyboarding, that is a very worthwhile read. Storyboarding is a crucial skill to have in our elearning world and Kevin offers great insight on its uses and value in elearning design along with a bit about the history of storyboarding.

Also, NPR had a story regarding the myth of learning styles that is worth a listen. Although this is probably not news to many in the world of ISD, it did get many instructional designers on twitter (my PLN) discussing, and paying more attention to, the subject. Give it a listen below. It also sheds light on some teaching methods that do work.

http://www.npr.org/v2/?i=139973743&m=140029338&t=audio

Be Prepared for Hurricane Irene

With Hurricane Irene on its way towards the east coast (U.S.) I thought I would share the following online learning courses that may be of assistance to those in its path.

Are You Prepared? - 72hours.org

Be Red Cross Ready - American Red Cross

Hurricane Preparedness - Propane Exceptional Energy

To all those potentially affected by the hurricane, please be careful, prepare as well as you can, and be safe.

Jeff

Introducing Right Click Rick

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For quite a while I have been teaching a computer basics class in addition to developing online courses. The class is a traditional classroom course focusing mostly on basic PC and Outlook skills. Participants vary greatly in skill level and I encounter a fair number of people not familiar with what many would consider common computer tasks. Realizing many of these tasks potentially save computer users a lot of time and aggravation, I decided to also share these online via very brief video tutorials within the organization's Intranet. The tutorials have been well received and I have decided to also make similar tutorials available to the general public.

I am happy to announce Right Click Rick's blog. The blog is already off to a running start with Windows 7 and Office 2010 tutorials, all of which are very accessible and very free. By also having a strong social media presence, I hope to provide as much ease of access as possible for anyone wanting to learn a few new computer tips and tricks.

I appreciate you taking the time to visit www.rightclickrick.com or any of his SoMe pages which are linked below.









Please feel free to link, like, or follow any of the above, which I always greatly appreciate. You can also access the tutorial's embed codes on the Screenr page or the YouTube page.

Jeff - How I make e-learning fun!

This Month's #LCBQ - Fun

This month's Big Question at the Learning Circuits blog is "How do you make e-learning fun?"

Before listing my ideas regarding e-learning fun, I do want to note that just because it's fun does not necessarily mean learning objectives are being met, that it is relevant to participants' learning needs, that it will motivate learners, etc. However, incorporating elements that are fun will keep the learner's attention, make it an enjoyable experience and hopefully get people talking the course up to others. For me, one of the greatest compliments is when people say, "the course was fun and I learned a lot too." FYI: If you are looking for a good way to engage and motive learners, in addition to making them fun, take a look at the ARCS Model and Gagne's Nine Events of Learning.

Back to the Big Question, here is how I make e-learning fun:

• Add humor. When appropriate of course and never, ever offensive.


• Add fun characters. I like to use numerous characters to break up any monotony, add conversations and even increase attention by creating tension between characters.


• Incorporate games into courses or make the entire course a game itself.


• Silliness is a great way to get the audience's attention and focus on specific content you want to be memorable.


• Incorporate interaction between audience members. Perhaps pose fun questions or topics they can discuss and make sure they know it is OK to have a fun, lighthearted discussion. Incorporating social media can help make this happen.

In regards to when to make e-learning fun, I try my best to make it fun whenever I can pull it off. Some topics do not easily lend themselves to being fun and if it is something emotionally sensitive then I keep it serious as not to offend. The same goes for topics that the audience and/or stakeholders take very, very seriously and do not want misinterpreted as something to be taken lightly.

Don't forget to add your two bits to the Big Question or tweet your comments using the #LCBQ hashtag.

Happy 4th of July- Free US History eLearning

As we celebrate the 4th of July here in the USA, I would like to thank France for their help and also share some of the e-learning courses found on the Free e-Learning page related to our history.

Abraham Lincoln’s Crossroads - National Constitution Center

An Overview of American History (video) - Digital History

Arirang*An Interactive Classroom on the Korean American Experience

Constitutional Timeline - National Constitution Center

Flash Flood: Hurricane Katrina’s Inundation of New Orleans - The Times-Picayune

Native Words, Native Warriors (Codetalkers) - NMAI

The First Thanksgiving - Plimoth.org

The Supreme Court - CSPAN

U.S. History Timeline - Digital History

WASP: Women With Wings in WWII - NPR

We Choose the Moon

Which Founder Are You? - National Constitution Center

The White House - CSPAN

One Small Step - NASA

NASA 50 Years - NASA

Happy 4th of July everyone!