Jennifer Valley

Adobe Captivate 9 V. Articulate Storyline 2 V. Trivantis Lectora Inspire 12

2015-10-08T21:52:00.002-06:00

Updated on October 8th 2015 due to new releases, announcements, investigation, and other information provided by readers. Notable new information includes:

Captivate 9
Mac versus Windows
ReviewLink 3
Javascript
Mobile Capabilities

Thank you to everyone who has contacted me or mentioned any errors. Please feel free to comment below if you have comments, suggestions or find errors!

What is your favorite authoring tool?

When it comes to Instructional Design and eLearning course development in corporate America the tool you use is either chosen by your manager or limited because of budget. Are you that manager? What if YOU could choose? What if your boss said to pick or you started a freelance career tomorrow? Let’s take a closer look at authoring tools and (stick with me) by the end of this post you’ll have a better idea.

Authoring tools can be broken down into three basic categories: PowerPoint Add-In, Installed and Cloud Based. PowerPoint Add-Ins are tools, which offer advanced functionality in PowerPoint. Some examples include:

• Adobe Presenter

• Articulate Studio

• Trivantis Snap! By Lectora

An installed tool is one that you install on your computer and acts as a standalone product. These are my personal favorites and include:

• Adobe Captivate

• Articulate Storyline 2

• Techsmith Camtasia Studio

• Trivantis Lectora

The cloud-based tools are those that run as SaaS (Software as a Service) and don’t require an install. Some common examples include:

• Allen Interactions ZebraZapps

• Trivantis Lectora Online

According to an eLearning Guild research survey conducted in 2013 titled “eLearning Authoring Tools 2013: What We’re Using, What we Want” the top three used products are Adobe Captivate, Techsmith Camtasia Studio and Articulate Storyline 2. However, today we are going to compare what I consider to be the “big three” Trivantis Lectora (Publisher and Inspire), Articulate Storyline 2 and Adobe Captivate 9. I’m swapping Techsmith Camtasia Studio with Lectora (Publisher and Inspire) because Camtasia only outputs are scormed videos, which I don’t feel, is a comprehensive enough tool like Lectora is.

The following is a list of characteristics, which I consider most desirable in an authoring tool and how they ranked in comparison.

Disclaimer: Of course, your level of expectation is going to be different from mine so take this as an opinion from an old colleague who’s developed a course or two in her time and be sure to test out the functionality before committing to a specific software. I specifically like an authoring software that is full of enough options that will be useful while maintaining a level of rapid development that's appropriate for most companies expectations of pushing out content. I am also not that fond of Adobe products and find their menus and layout hard to navigate. It's partly to blame because of my lack of formal training. Honestly if you're not a graphic designer or someone who doesn't likes learning Adobe products such as Photoshop you'll probably feel the same way while Adobe veterans will find my complaints to be less relatable.

1 – Below Expectations 2 – At Expectations 3 – Above Expectations

Ease of Use/Development Time

Storyline 2

Storyline 2 is leaps and bounds above the completion when it comes to learning the tool for the first time. Couple the familiar look and feel of ribbon navigation in PowerPoint with a supportive community who shares content regularly and includes the helpful series rightfully called eLearning 101 to help you get started and it is hard not to get going within the first week. The community offers weekly challenges to help build your portfolio or work on your development skills and hosts an eLearning Guru challenge every year calling for users to share the best of the best. You can ask questions in their discuss area but an answer isn't always guaranteed. Everything is easy to navigate but the search feature can be a bit tricky.

New features are slow coming and I've heard of an increase in bug experiences lately. Within the product you have the ability to view content in both linear and branched views which is very handy when creating complex material. Simulations are easy to create, page items can easily be animated, and output is smooth. It has a visible timeline that seems to be a highly desirable trait. This allows viewing of tracks for each item which helps to show when each item appear helping to visualize what your page will look like without constantly previewing it. Need to move forward on a page after a certain number of items are clicked then variables are here to help. Lumping all these factors makes development time drastically less than the competition. Storyline is a Window's only product which can be a pain in the butt for Mac users. You can download a virtual machine and run it from within but you lose some of it's quickness which translates into lower productivity. Storyline includes the ability to add Javascript into a course but has a limit on characters in the actions. It does not coming with any preloaded templates.

For companies concerned about budget the software is currently available for about $1,846.00 however a deal is almost always available lowering the price to $1,398.00. I’d love to see a month-by-month cost for freelancers looking to save a few dollars here or there or the introduction of a online version that could be month to month.

Trivantis Lectora Publisher/Online/Inspire 12

New this year for Trivantis is a community which houses articles, videos, and courses. You can now connect with other users, share content and browse their knowledge base. This is a huge plus in my opinion and moved Lectora higher in my ranking. My previous complaints about training being difficult to find have lost some validity and its now easier to search and filter by keywords. If you’re stuck in the development of your course and need inspiration and support it’s now easier to connect, share and troubleshoot with others. Response it quick and usually happens by a member of Trivantis or a helpful fellow user. They’ve even started a web series called Lectora Live (which I've been in twice now). I still love there Inspiration Wednesday’s and I hope the company continues hosting them because they really helped me excel at learning and growing as a developer within the tool. I still review them if I’m finding myself stuck. The overall design of the website isn’t my aesthetics. I feel like their missing static “need to know” information on some pages and the tiles of information seem a little over sized and aren't broken out into subcategories which means more scrolling to find what you want. Since the site is in it’s infancy stages I know aspects of the site will change and enhance.

The interface within the product is easy enough to pick up after some time. It can be a bit slower going only due to the fact that Lectora offers so much more features then Storyline does. But most items are intuitively found and easy to navigate especially with their wizards (questions, flash objects, etc). It feels familiar with it’s PowerPoint like design because of the ribbon navigation (as of V11) but has an interface that is definitely it's own. You can view content in a title explorer (tree view) or thumbnail view however the thumbnail view doesn't allow for easy editing. Need to move forward on a page after a certain number of items are clicked then variables are here to help. In total there are over 30 preset variables (including LMS based actions for SCORM, xAPI, AICC and CMI) along with the option to create your own. This helps to customize the page and I feel like their variables are set up in the most logical way. The software offers one click solutions to insert objects like page numbering and page titles to speed up the development process. If you want to do anything and everything this is the software for you! Included in the subscription is the ability to upload a maximum of five courses to ReviewLink which is a review and collaboration tool. This tool can also be purchased separately and can now upload courses from Lectora, Captivate and Storyline. Lectora includes the ability to add Javascript into a course and i'm told it can use complex scripts and libraries. Lectora includes templates in colors and output styles like mobile ready.

Lectora is a little on the pricier side by currently charging users about $1,600-1,800 per license. The change in prices comes with the feature to include company driven support. There SaaS version Lectora Online does provide the option of a monthly subscription for $159 or $1290 yearly. Lectora Online offers the same features as Lectora Publisher but also has the capabilties of having more then one developer in the course at once. Lectora is Windows based as well but they do offer the Online version which can be run on either a Windows or Mac.

By upgrading from Lectora Publisher to Lectora Inspire you also get access to Camtasia Studio and Snagit along with the eLearning Brothers library. Camtasia Studio is a highly useful video and audio capture and editing tool while Snagit makes basic to intermediate image editing quick and easy. Within the eLearning Brothers library is templates, games, interactions, scenarios and characters. Everything is single sign on so you don’t have to worry about signing on every time you want to check the content (THANK YOU!) You can also create custom interactions using the interaction builder. For a company looking for the complete package you really can’t go wrong. With the addition of these tools the overall scoring of ease of use, animations, simulations, image, audio and editing goes up and once you've built a project using one or all three you'll understand why.

The Inspire package is almost the SAME price as Publisher right now, with a going rate of $1,600 to $2,400 per license. The change in prices comes with the feature to include company driven support.

Adobe Captivate 9

Adobe’s presence in the eLearning and graphic design community means there are videos, tutorials and articles posted everywhere however, support from the company itself seems to be limited to promotional videos that only highlight features and don't explain things or come with a price. There "community" is an out dated style forum listing where comments go to die and are slow to be addressed. The only things that appears to be updated since 2005 is the ability to rack up points and become part of a leaderboard. Most replies are from other users. When searching for an issue be prepared for things to come up from years and versions past. After most updates are published out, the older content is gone and hidden making it difficult to train new employees on older versions if you don’t upgrade right away. The interaction and sharing now available with Articulate and Trivantis communities make their website seem like an endless Reddit feed instead of a helpful hub of information and people. Adobe includes the ability to add Javascript (added in version 8) using Common JavaScript Interface. I'm not a coder so I've never tested this out. Let me in the comments below if you have and how you feel it performs.

The interface is also slightly reminiscent of PowerPoint but is more of a re-imagining combined with a typical Adobe product. The newest version boasts an "all new, intuitive interface". I didn't see a different immediately going into the product and the feature wasn't highlighted with a movie and included vague wording. I wonder if the avid users noticed a difference. Comment below if you did or didn't please. Items are buried under menus and take some time to get use to especially if you’re not familiar with Adobe. If you’re already familiar with Adobe software your ease of use should be relatively smooth. The software offers the ability to include geocaching activities as well as gesture based interactions which have been buzzwords in the eLearning community. With the newest version they've made enhancements like the ability to use Google Maps to set location parameters. With some of the automated features available and clean outputting, this software is great for people who love Adobe and want a middle of the road level of development capabilities. Captivate has a timeline, which tracks each item however I find manipulation of items difficult. Having this track helps to show when each item appear helping to visualize what your page will look like without constantly previewing it. The software offers a variety of widgets which easily allow you to insert interactions and social learning aspects. While the ability to view content in both linear and branched views is available, it isn’t presented outright. The product includes a few themes to use to start your project.

New in version 9 is Adobe Captivate Draft which is an app available for iPad. The feature "convert(s) your ideas into storyboards complete with eLearning elements such as content and question slides, branching logic, and more. Create storyboards in minutes using the all-new app, and share them for real-time, collaborative reviewing on the cloud; reviewers do not need to have either the app or Adobe Captivate". While it looks easy enough to do I question the number of people storyboarding on an iPad. I've heard the easy of use is a lot harder then it was made out to be in promotional views but haven't had a chance to play with it quite yet. Thoughts anyone? The new version also boasts the ability to import from PowerPoint which was something the other two were already capable of. I'm curious to see how it handles animations because that's where I see a lot of uploads go terribly wrong. Also included is over 30,000 assets in conjunction with eLearning Brothers found when you select the asset button. You can now view LMS content within the product by sending it to scorm.com to be previewed. They've made some enhancements to LMS publishing as well. Stating that Adobe Prime (the company's LMS) and Captivate have a "tight integration".

Adobe offers the lowest price at $999 or in the cloud for $29.99 a month. Captivate is available for both Mac and Windows lovers.

Animations/Actions/Triggers/Effects

Lectora v12 holds the top rank with the ability to do customized animations on objects and the page. Object animations include 16 entrance and exit effects that can be customized. Lectora also offers almost 30 actions that pertain to navigation, manipulation of objects, media, documents and variables along with commands. The logic of setting up these variables makes the most sense to me because you pick the when, where and then what. Lectora v12 also has the ability to complete actions under certain conditions and after a delay. You can place these actions on almost anything within the course. Hands down my favorite is the ability to group actions together to be run at one time. To view all your actions at once there is an action pane which you can use to delete an action or move it's priority. The screen is only accessible by selecting a menu option which is quite different from Storyline 2 and Captivate 9's "already there" interface. Because the level of adaptability is so high, getting the hang of actions especially working on seamless speed and timing maneuvers can be tricky. Lectora includes the mobile animations of swiping,

Storyline 2’s object animations are almost dead ringers for PowerPoint but with a touch more control. They include a total of 16 entrance and exit effects that can be customized. Animations (called Triggers in Storyline 2) equal 23 options that can be added to a page or object in just a few simple steps. The most recent addition of animations coming with the Storyline 2 upgrade is sliders and motion paths, which have added great value and created more possibilities in design. Add the addition of the move trigger and you have a feature, which allows you to inter link motion paths or animations to happen in sequence or simultaneously. The one thing that irks me is how you have to add the triggers. For me it feels backwards. Pick the action, then the slide, when you want it to happen and THEN the object. That's like asking you to select the image to go to the next page now when you click on this button! WHAT? It also doesn't include any mobile ready features like swiping.

Captivate 9 is ahead of the technology front offering HTML5 ready animations include mobile animation gestures. All animations, called effects, are PowerPoint transferable and similar in capabilities. The product already included predefined effects, like straight-line motion, rotation, and glow but now includes responsive motion paths like linear, custom or scribble.

Simulations

Storyline 2’s integrated ability to both record screen captures then edit them into a simulation make it an easy front-runner for this category. By default the program records in a dimension the same size of your course giving you the best quality. This does limit your ability to any other objects (text, image, button) without overlaying it on the page. With one simple change of options, you can choose to output as single video or systematic slides. You can control when the video starts, add or update video controls and crop and trim your video just for starter. For creating an interactive simulation, you have three options called view, try and test. View is a guided experience that explains the actions taken but doesn’t require any interaction with the user. Try allows the user to try or follow along with your steps. The test option doesn’t offer any help and challenges the user to complete the steps on their own. Feedback is integrated and all the aspects are customizable. The edit capabilities are a little stiff and simple which means your recordings need to be as flawless as possible to make sure you have a high quality end product. Like that ever happens! From what I can tell simulations are outputted as Flash objects.

Captivate 9 still includes the integrated ability to record a software simulation within the program. The program records at whatever dimensions you choose and automatically fits to the screen. Simulations show nicely on the web, tablet or phones. However, editing and changing options is not as easy as Storyline 2. But, just like Storyline 2, you can choose the output to the format of a view, try or test. A stand out feature specific of Captivate 9 is the ability to pan within your simulation. You can now capture IOS devices when running Captivate 9 for Mac. From here you can record audio and video of actions taking place on the device and even add gestures. One thing that really bothers me is while creating a simulation there are some annoying system noises that are included in the simulation. One of the nicer aspects is that all three outputs are produced at one time and you can also change the mouse path. Publication is either SWF or HTML5.

Lectora v12’s simulation abilities are sorely lacking. With no wizard or preset actions your left to your own devices to record audio and video, insert actions, images, call outs and feedback and edit on your own. The built in features for audio and video recording are low quality. With all that being said it's still perfectly doable but isn't a face process. Because your having to manually add objects to create the simulation you do however have great control over editing or making changes.

By purchasing the Inspire package, which includes Camtasia, Snagit, and eLearning Brothers library, you gain access to pre-made elements and the interaction builder to help the process. Camtasia offers many of the features you'd need to create a simulation including visual effects, hot spots, animations and even the ability to green screen your subject. There's an easy import to Lectora option which means your simulation is ready to go as soon as your done.

Quizzing

The testing and quizzing area is one place that Lectora v12 truly shines above the rest. Adding and editing a question is easy within the provided wizard and the sheer number of options outweighs the competition. There are nine options, which can interact with the LMS, three that are non-gradable, a slew of survey and form options and a series of flash mini games included with your purchase. The main testing level option includes plenty of features like establishing the passing thresh hold and randomizing questions. Questions can be pooled by placing them into test sections to make selecting from various options possible. You can also choose to retain values if you want learners to retake the test and see their previous selections. You can import multiple questions using a CSV.

Storyline 2 offers eleven grade able options, nine survey options, five free form options, a fill in the blank, and three pre-created pages that show the results. Editing and adding the question can be a bit cumbersome but once you get the hang of it then it’s smooth sailing. For some reason the logic of the wizard doesn't completly make sense here as well. It does offer a question import feature where you can upload questions in a CSV format which can expedite the process.

Captivate 8 only offered nine quiz options in total. Questions can be graded or not graded increasing the total to include nine survey options as well. I found that creating the questions can be a bit cumbersome. Captivate 9 still includes the import feature which can speed up the process. With the newest version you get the ability to create responsive drag and drop questions as well as seven knowledge check questions. With this new feature you can create multi state objects or landing areas to easily tell a learner if the question was incorrect or correct or remediate the learner if the question is answered incorrectly. While this feature is one of the best to come out of this release the actual development is quite time consuming and can be confusing. You can also score interactions with check boxes and text fields within a project when a test or quiz isn't necessary. Questions can be pooled to make selecting from various options possible. You can import questions into the tool but only by creating a GIFT stands for General Import Format Technology. You create questions using plain text and can also be used for Moodle.

Translation

Lectora v12 is by far the front-runner. While the process isn’t as clean and crisp as I would like my previous team and I were able to streamline a process to get our courses to “third party” translators quickly. At one point in time, we had projects flying around in 30 different languages. Each language has its own consideration (special characters are evil!) and possible workarounds however the overall process is easy enough. Your file is output as an RTF which can be shared and edited but certain aspects of the document can't be edited. We found that you had to limit what software you used (WordPad or NotePad only) to edit the document because it would potentially mess with the reloading of the document or overall look of the screen. We couldn't figure out why some items weren't being translated. After further investigation we found white text was being missed on the white background of the document. Doh! As a work around we located and highlight the text an obnoxious neon color that we knew to change during development.

Storyline 2 is only supported for languages that are non-western such as left to right or double byte. This excludes a large number of European and South American languages. Just on this fact alone the capabilities fall quickly to the way side. However, the import and export feature is a lot cleaner and smoother then Lectora's. The content is put into two manageable tables; one for object identification within the system and another showing what's in the actual object like text. White text isn't an issue since it exports on a colored background.

Captivate 9 includes an easy import and export feature that can be managed in Word. The total number of languages supported isn't as long as Lectora either leaving their functionality steps behind. Additionally, the document only captures and supports items that are “project captions and closed captions”.

Mobile Devices

Captivate 9 offers responsive projects that fit for all needs including mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. Added in with the fact that the publishing comes with the option to its own App (PhoneGap). Keeping these two factors in mind, Captivate 9 surpasses all others in the market. With the newest version it comes with enhanced multi device preview include five "breakpoint" that suppose to make development smoother but no word yet if the bugginess has been resolved. The Adobe Edge Inspect (separately downloaded app) allows for multi device preview when sync mobile devices to your network. Output is as one project. These two factors can outweigh the feature if your team is focused on quick and simple design.

As of right now the product does not offer a responsive design interface, a publishing app or player for mobile devices but none of that is needed since content is published into HTML5 which is visible on all platforms including IOS. A limited number of templates are available which can be used to make mobile based projects. Some developers have gone as far as developing apps out of blank projects with an app like navigation and expeirence. Trivantis is planning on offering responsive projects and during the Lectora User Conference in April 2015 launched the rollout. Beta has or is about to concluded on Lectora Online and Publisher/Inspire should be starting soon. Sign up for the Beta to get a sneak peak at the new enhancements as well as submit your comments or concerns while testing.

Storyline 2 also comes with a mobile publishing option to its own player which runs on IOS and Android devices. Storyline doesn't include mobile specific templates or actions but with a certain level of development know how you can create courses that

HTML5 / Browser Compatibility

In my personal experience with Lectora the HTML output is best viewed in Chrome. While the company has in it’s tech specs that Internet Explorer 8 and above is supported, the publishing experience can vary if it's your used browser. Companies that use Internet Explorer 9, 10 and 11 or Chrome will experience few issues and interruptions. All flash objects are published as HTML5 and media is often required to be converted before publishing can even begin. Along with the ability to publish to it’s supported browsers you can also send files to Trivantis CourseMill for easy upload into an LMS. Output can be 508 compliant.

Captivate 9 includes the option to publish to HTML5 (it has been able to do so within the product since version 6). During development you have to keep in mind that many flash based objects can have difficulty in the browser especially media since FLV and SWF’s are not supported. Along with the ability to publish to it’s supported browsers you can also send files to Adobe Connect for easy sharing during online trainings with an instructor. Along with the ability to publish to it’s supported browsers you can also send files to Adobe Prime for easy upload into an LMS. Output can be 508 compliant.

Articulate Storyline 2 offers both Flash and HTML5 output. HTML 5 ouput is limited to IE 9, 10 or 11 and Chrome 43 or later. During development you have to keep in mind that many flash based objects can have difficulty in the browser especially media since FLV and SWF’s are not supported. HTML5 output is only support for the latest version of Chrome and Safari 5.1. There are known issues with markers and data entry fields as well as zooming. Safari seems to be there problem child with the most number of issues listed. Output can be 508 compliant.

Ease of Editing

Going along with the ease of use factor, is Storyline 2’s ability to seamlessly make updates. Just like PowerPoint you can format an object which brings up a menu to make updates.

Lectora v12’s updating is easy. Most objects have secondary menus where it's easy to access their properties and style information.

In Captivate 9 updating items properties is more difficult because it doesn't act or feel like PowerPoint. Once you get into the properties everything is there which can be overwhelming at times when your trying to troubleshoot but also nice since you don't have to look at multiple menus. Edits end up being more of a dreadful part of the project when I use Captivate....

Image

Storyline 2 offers the most comprehensive tools when it comes to editing images inside the tool. With one right click of your mouse you can crop, recolor, add a border, add a shadow, add a reflection, add a glow, adjust brightness, adjust contrast, adjust transparency, blend, and shape or use a preset mode. This is all done while images maintain quality and without having to edit in another software. The software includes the ability to create multiple state objects such as buttons.

With the most recent upgrade to Lectora version 12 the software now includes image handles, cropping, shadow, reflection, and opacity. This is all done while images maintain quality and without having to edit in another software. The software includes the ability to create multiple state objects such as buttons.

With the upgrade to Inspire you get the full capabilities of Snagit. The software has basic to intermediate image editing abilities with multiple output options and offer basic video recording capabilities within the software. While you’re not going to be able to easily retouch a head shot of the VP you should be able to crop a picture, adjust the color balance and save with transparency.

Captivate 9 has the ability to adjust brightness, sharpness, contrast, alpha, hue and saturation. You can also grayscale and invert colors, rotate the image, and crop. It comes as no surprise that the image editing is limited thus the need for including Photoshop, Fireworks or the whole cloud into your deal. The product now includes the ability to create multiple state objects. You can now add an image slideshow and Scaleabe Vector Graphics (SVGs) are supported.

Audio

Lectora v12 offers the ability to record and edit audio within the software. The editing features include cutting, copying, pasting, and trimming clips. You can also fade audio in and out, adjust the volume, insert silence, and add events.

With the upgrade to Inspire you get the full capabilities of Camtasia that has everything a beginner to advance user would ever need including multiple publishing options and filters. Snagit almost offers like audio and video editing capabilities.

Captivate 9 offers the ability to record and edit audio within the software. The editing features include cutting, copying, pasting, trimming clips and adjust volume levels.

Storyline 2 only offers the ability to record and edit audio when creating a simulation. Since both are linked together, you must edit the screen and audio as one.

Video

Lectora v12 offers web cam video recording and Lectora v12 does require all content be sent out in MP4. Video editing is limited but available.

With the upgrade to Inspire you get the full capabilities of Camtasia that has everything a beginner to advance user would ever need including multiple publishing options and an easy to use interface to make creation and editing faster. Snagit almost offers like audio and video editing capabilities.

Storyline 2 offers the ability to record videos during simulation creation only. Simulations must fill up the whole screen.

Captivate 9 offers the ability to record videos during simulation creation only.

Conclusion

If you couldn’t already tell the addition of Trivantis’s community and partnership with eLearning Brothers has greatly changed my opinion. While the content and users begin to build in the community I’ll be keeping a close eye to see who edges ahead. Storyline 2 is still the easiest tool to learn (or at least it was for me!). While it may not have all the bells and whistles of Adobe Captivate or Lectora Publisher and Inspire it’s enough for a company or freelancer to create the basics. For companies with head strong dreams and forward thinkers, Lectora is definitely the way to go. Since the product is so robust the possibilities are as limitless as your imagination and will power. The upgrade to Inspire is almost a no brainer especially now with the addition of the eLearning Brothers template library. Adobe Captivate is great for companies who want to be for the trend setter in the crowd but day to day development is mediocre and without support. It’s also there as the cheapest option for developers on a budget. If you’re an Adobe veteran it’s easy to pick up and start using rather quickly. If not, be prepared for a steep and frustrating learning curve.

To start your free trial or download the software listed in this article visit the following links:

Adobe: www.adobe.com/Captivate

Articulate: https://www.articulate.com/products/storyline-why.php

Trivantis: http://trivantis.com/products/inspire-e-learning-software/

Resources

http://www.elearningguild.com/research/archives/index.cfm?id=170&action=viewonly

http://lectora.com/inspire-e-learning-software/whats-new

http://www.adobe.com/products/captivate.html

https://www.articulate.com/products/Storyline 2-whats-new.php

http://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning-development/lectora-Storyline 2-captivate8-tools-for-elearning

http://elearninguncovered.com/2013/01/e-learning-authoring-tool-comparison/

http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2013/12/03/how-to-choose-an-authoring-tool-for-your-html-elearning-development/comment-page-1/#comment-1847002

http://www.articulate.com/support/storyline/comparing-storylines-flash-html5-and-articulate-mobile-player-output
http://blog.lilybiri.com/
https://forums.adobe.com/community/adobe_captivate

Let's keep the conversation going....What software do you use? Leave me a comment or tweet me (@jvalley0714)

Reviewing Reviewlink 3

2015-10-01T15:14:00.002-06:00

When I first logged into ReviewLink it was sometime in 2012 or 2013. The company I was working for was considering an alternative method to enhance SME participation and ease of use in reviewing course material. We first began to consider using it because of the integration into Lectora. Back in the day, I was usually put in charge of writing standard operating procedures so I started to formulate a way to make it work within our current process. It wasn't hard because developers would publish out to Reviewlink instead of the test server of our LMS, SME's would log onto Reviewlink instead of the LMS, and comments could be created and marked as complete just like what we were doing in Word or PowerPoint. I presented my findings to my superiors but it lost to politics. I heard "it's not broke let's not fix it" and it's going to cost us to much money. We were also going to have to consider hosting the tool since the companies firewall was so strict. At the time we had around 15 developers and Instructional Designers on staff working on any where from 3 to 30 projects at one time. The sheer volume we dealt with on a daily basis meant we needed a large amount of uploads. I still really feel like we could of reduced review time and the total number of back and forth emails. I've seen success stories floating around with crazy hour reductions.

Fast forward to now and it has a monthly or yearly fee with different package sizes to fit everyone's needs. They also pushed the tool out as it's own SaaS making it available for non Lectora users which makes perfect sense because you can now upload Storyline and Captivate content. For companies that work with freelancers or multiple authoring tools you can now have a shared platform outside of your strictly limited LMS to review content! You can also review on the go because Reviewlink is responsive.

I love how if you suggest something they take it into consider. That's probably one of my favorite aspects of Trivantis products. If you ask for it, they'll figure out a way of putting it in, especially if they see the value as well. I feel a lot of pride and excitement when I work in a product where I get to see my suggestions come alive. When we were researching the tool we wanted the ability to comment in multiple languages because a lot of the work we did was in translated content, done! We wanted a way to sort through and pull off comments if needed, they added it. The only thing I see that still could be a great feature is adding callouts. Sometimes it's hard to explain in text where an object is or what it's doing especially if your working in a language your not familiar with. It would be nice to have some basic shapes or even just one that was color coded to your particular feedback. That way instead of reviewing the page in full you can easily pick out what the reviewer is talking about.

All in all the versions just keep getting better and better. I can see the value of adding this into my tool set. If you want to check out ReviewLink they have a free 30 day trial.

Looking Back at a Year in Healthcare eLearning

2015-09-28T15:25:00.001-06:00

I recently left my job in the healthcare L and D field to start a new pursuit and it got me thinking.....was there a difference? My job previously was for a chemical company where most of my courses were manufacturing and safety related. Did I do anything differently or have different struggles? Here's what I found when I looked back at a year (technically year and eight months but who's counting) in healthcare elearning.

The regulations are as crazy as you'd think

I came into a word of Meaningful Use and ICD-10. If you're not in the field you probably won't understand my pain but let me try to break it down for you. If doctors want additional funding for seeing Medicaid and Medicare patient's they had to attest to Meaningful Use to be qualified. This means that every software developer in the nation had to make sure certain features were available and they were certified. Then doctors had to change their daily routines, pull reports and add in this extra amount of work. Then ICD-10 is the coding system doctors will soon have to communicate in. It took a smaller number of codes and turned it into a bigger number of code. Diagnoses are going to have to be more refined. Oh and did I mention they already postponed it because they felt people weren't ready? October is going to be crazy unless another committee decides it should be stalled again. And these were just the major ones. Add in a various number of state to state regulations and governing parties like the CDC and FDA.

Images are easier to find

I went from having a stock library at my disposal to having nothing. Even though we weren't encouraged to add images into our courses (they were for product training so it was mostly images of the software and branding was strict) I went on the hunt any ways. For having to stock up on free resources I found that most websites had a nice variety of free images. A lot of them were vectors but at least they were tastefully done and useable. Side note: I'm a bit obsessed with finding free image sites so I have a whole bunch bookmarked that I'm not afraid to sort through if I need to.

You don't have to know it to be successful

I knew nothing beyond what I had seen in trips to the doctors before starting. I was never a nurse or worked for a similar company. Because I was a fresh slate I had a steaper learning curve but I found that like any field there were common terms and processes that I keep in mind. I'm blessed with the ability to pick up on things easily especially processes and programs so I felt comfortable in a short amount of time. I think that's one of my favorite things about L and D. You don't have to know your subject matter, just the general principals and models and a helpful SME.

Medical staff want it done...right now!

Urgency was even more felt. In my previous position we had a rapid style development where turn around was in days or weeks but it prepared me well for this job. Everyone wanted to see something and see it now. Add that along with how quickly they pushed out new versions of the software and we were playing a never ending game of catch up. That was one thing that irritated the never ending crap out of me. Why push out a product that you can't train on? They had sessions were people could see or have the concepts explained more clearly but it was a one time thing that didn't go into much detail.

Everyone struggles with SME participation

I kind of already knew that everyone struggled with SME participation. Search the internet and you'll see tips trying to help, find stories and and horror stories about what SMEs have done to make a developers day a nightmare. But now I really understand how some problems can be universal.

Did you work creating healthcare elearning? What struggles do/did you face? What are universal struggles we face?

Disclaimer: This is based on my personal experience and is a generalization of my experience. All opinions are my own and may or may not be shared by my previous employers or other members of the field.

5 Reasons Why Anyone Associated to eLearning Should be on Twitter

2015-08-27T13:34:00.000-06:00

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jurgenappelo/7749081714

One of my all time favorite places to chat is on Twitter. Sure you're restricted to 120 characters and so many follows but the benefits definitely outweigh the drawbacks. Here is 5 reasons why I think you should be on Twitter:

1. Friends

I find it easier to make friends on Twitter. People seem to communicate and respond a lot more positively. I might just be lucky enough to have super nice people in my feed but most conversations are meet with enthusiasm and encouragement. It opens a global meeting place to talk about like minded hashtags (more about that later) and funny images or videos. You always seem to have that one friend (or crazy aunt) that likes and retweets everything you do. My favorite way of making friends is by sharing someone's content. It shows that you support them and aren't afraid to broadcast their written word and opinion.

We should be friends! Please tweet me, follow or add me to your list :)

2. Twitter Chats

Twitter chats are a nice offspring of twitter. It allows for like minded people to gather around their twitter feed to have a healthy conversation about that week's topic. I'm horrible at remembering to attend them regularly but I at least like to check and see what the topic is. It feels like people are off put about the process because items flash before your eyes and are gone quickly. I try to always attend using a laptop or PC (for more screen space) and dedicate my time solely to contributing to the conversation. Be sure to check out some of chats available or be a daredevil and manage your own (hump days open)!

#GuildChat (Friday at 11am PT / 2pm ET)
#lrnchat (Thursdays at 8:30-9:30pm ET/5:30-6:30pm PT)
#edchat (Tuesdays from 12 to 1 and 7 to 8 pm Eastern Time)
#edtech (Mondays from 8-9 pm EST)

3. Lists

With the restriction of people you can follow comes the ability to compensate by creating lists. These lists can help you view content from specific people. This is also something I'm trying to get better at but others are using it to the fullest.

4. Hashtags

Twitter can be your own form of Google. With the abundant use of hashtags in posts you can now find curated content by simply searching for it. Find posts and thoughts from companies and individuals. Be sure to include them when you post so others can see it as well. Some of my favorites are:

#elearning
#instructionaldesign
#projectmanagement
#lms
#mlearning

5. Analytics

Twitter provides each user with the unlimited use of their analytics tool. Check to see what your impression rate is, your monthly summary and highlights, and interesting demographic information.

P.S. Sorry I haven't been around lately. I moved to Kentucky a couple weeks ago and was without WiFi for wayyyy to long.

Where have I been?

2015-07-16T14:30:00.002-06:00

I went on a much needed vacation last week and the week before. It was great seeing my family and friends and being able to relax (well sort of). While I was out I took pictures of my adventure and figured I would share them with you.

Vacation is for the birds

Enjoying nature

Visiting interesting land marks

Visiting with some giants

Playing hide and go seek

You can't find me!

Doing some wood work

Relaxing with a (root) beer

Entertaining company

Driving

If you didn't already know I made a contribution to some blogs before I left. Please check out my post for Trivantis on integrating social media into Lectora and my post for ATD on using Lectora variables.

Lectora Live 006 with Yours Truely

2015-06-26T13:49:00.000-06:00

SCORM < 100

2015-06-23T13:19:00.002-06:00

SCORM or Sharable Content Object Reference Model is a technical standard established by the United States Department of Defense in January 1999. The first version was released in January 2000.The standard tells programs how to write their code in order for content to be shared and communicated with other softwares. The most common examples is creating a SCORM output of a course from an authoring tool to be used in the Learning Management System or LMS. Some examples of SCORM objects include the ability to transmit scores, learner names, and bookmark a location within a course.

Side Note: "Less Then 100" is a series I came up with after seeing a couple campaigns talking about tips and tricks under 100 words. I decided to put my own spin on the series and present the definition of common Learning terms and the "need to know" information on each topic.

3 Steps to Becoming an Instructional Designer

2015-05-28T14:26:00.002-06:00

I love talking to people in Instructional Design! We can sit back and chat about experiences and share funny stories about projects that have gone right and terribly WRONG. It’s nice to have someone who understands what you have to go through especially for those who are a team of one.

My favorite conversation to have is how you became an Instructional Designer. Last year I explained my process of becoming an Accidental Instructional Designer. One of the interesting facets of this career path is that no two people share the same story. There are however, the same three steps you can take which will help you become more desirable to employers. Like all other jobs, it boils down to Education, Experience, and Skills. But what specifically? Let's talk it out.

Education

People in learning value education, go figure! The “debate” has been circling around the Internet for some time but the general rule of thumb is that it definitely doesn’t hurt. It seems like most employers want a Bachelors degree either in Business, Communication, Education or Informational Technology. Once you get into the Masters level more specialized degrees are available. On top of a degree, both Bachelor and Masters, certifications are available as well. If you already hold a degree a different disciple then compare your coursework with that of a Instructional Design degree to see where there is gaps.

Here’s a list of degrees and certifications: http://elearningindustry.com/how-to-choose-the-right-online-instructional-design-certificate-program

If you’re not able to continue your education you can invest in professional development courses. A lot of the associations and guilds for the learning community provide opportunities but I find them to be quite spendy. If you have the money and ability then by all means sign up for a membership and courses.

Here’s a list of guilds, communities and associations you can join:

If not, good old Lynda.com has some awesome content. I started paying for a subscription in February and haven’t regretted it yet. They have tons of videos and avenues for you to explore. The content is being updated frequently and you can add your certifications directly to your LinkedIn profile. The ones I feel would be the most helpful are based on theories and technology.

Courses on Lynda.com that I recommend:

On the more basic level is reading articles and watching videos that explain different topics in the field. Watch eLearning authoring tutorials and videos from market leaders and fellow Instructional Designers. Then find some great quality companies that provide helpful content on their blog and check out an article once a day (or 20, I won’t judge).

Blogs I love:

There’s also Twitter chats that happen frequently that you can join. I’ve found that trying to keep up with these conversations can be mind boggling especially if your using a mobile device. Go into the first one knowing that you might feel overwhelmed at times and need to find a process that works best for you. I personally have to be on my laptop and focus all my energy on reading comments and replying.

Here's some hashtags:

#lrnchat

#edchat

#blendchat

#mlearning

#elearning

#gbl (game-based learning)

#edtech

Don't forget to add me into your conversations! https://twitter.com/jvalley0714

Experience

For someone getting into Instructional Design, experience seems to be the hardest category to fill. While some companies are kind enough to work with people looking to start off after getting their degree or switching fields, the opportunities seem to be fewer and farther in between (then say, ones asking for even 1-3 years of experience). You could start a YouTube channel or blogging to gain experience and knowledge writing and speaking about topics but the best way to gain experience is to work on projects for your portfolio.

Read the article here: http://jennifervalley.blogspot.com/2015/04/putting-together-perfect-portfolio.html

An alternative to building up your portfolio is working on short-term projects in your spare time. Quite often I’ll see companies looking for someone to help with a project that only lasts 3-6 months or work that’s on a project-by-project pay. While that doesn’t seem like the best opportunity for people already in full time positions, with the proper planning and dedication it’s a possibility. It could also be just enough to get your foot in the door at a company. You can also offer your services for free to non-profits and look for paid freelance projects on websites like upwork.com and elance.com.

For Instructional Design careers there seems to be three avenues you can choose from; contractor, regular employee and remote worker. I worked as a contractor for the first part of my career and it was a great experience. Most listings will spell out how long the position should last and if there’s a possibly of extensions. Again most of the ones I’ve seen are for 6 months periods but the one I was hired into ended up being over 3 years because of project extensions being renewed. The best place to find these types of jobs are through employment agencies.

If the company is really interested in having on site learning professionals then you’ll see postings for jobs within their learning or training department. These offer the same working conditions as any other typical job and if they’re with the right company can provide plenty of learning experiences and growth. Try your normal searching avenues like Indeed and LinkedIn to see what’s in your area.

This field also includes a sector of positions that are remote or telecommute. These jobs will have you working from home on your own personal computer and software or using company provided technology. The requirements seem to be a bit higher with most requiring a Bachelors degree and five or more years of experience.

Skills

To be a great Instructional Designer you need to go be good at applying the principals and theories of Instructional Design (and other relevant fields), be an excellent project manager and be able to successfully create material using any technology required. The growing trend is for companies to have a training department of one or hire fewer employers who are a jack of all trades. For this reason you should familiarize yourself with the skills needed in applying principals, theories, and models like ADDIE, hone your project management skills, and work up your knowledge and experience on any technology that may be relevant. To start with you should have a good understanding of authoring tools and learning management systems, Microsoft Office or equivalent especially PowerPoint and Word, an audio software, a video software and an image manipulation software.

There are plenty of free software’s out there. As a matter of fact, heres over 350 to get you started: http://jennifervalley.blogspot.com/2015/03/almost-350-free-or-cheaper-tools-and.html

Again, I’d turn to Lynda or Youtube to get you started and certified. The more projects you work on the higher skill level and expertise you can present. You can even carve a niche by offering advice on a particular product and build up your experience that way.

Still have questions or concerns? Add me on LinkedIn so we can further the conversation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifervalley0714

My Archer Gif to You (eLearning Challenge #83)

2015-05-20T08:18:00.000-06:00

http://www.awn.com/news/season-6-teaser-returns-archer-cast-its-roots

Lately my husband and I have really been into the series Archer on FX. It's an adult cartoon about spies and in between missions, office romance and the funny antics the group gets into, it's always a laugh. It's been a really long time since I've binged watch an entire show and I'm proud to say I've watched almost all (if not all) 62 episodes. It's officially started taking over my brain because theres instances during the day where I wish that I could say a line from the show out loud. Well thanks to Articulate's Learning Challenge #83 10 Reaction Gifs For Every E-Learning Challenge I get "to share a collection of reaction gifs for any e-learning topic you like". YAY!

Here is my Archer Gif to you.

1. When the deadline gets moved up on a big project

2. When someone wants to talk to me about work on lunch

3. When the training is going to be implemented in a completely different way then discussed

4. When a meeting goes way to long and without resolve

or

or

5. When management is trying to hype up a project

6. When I'm asked if the project I got the full details on yesterday is ready

7. When trying to explain mobile learning

8. When your idea circles the drain

Anyone else an Archer fan? Check out this BuzzFeed quiz to see which character you are. I'm Pam and proud :)

Audience < 100

2015-05-19T15:05:00.000-06:00

Audience

An audience is the viewers of your eLearning object defined during the analysis stage. During this stage developers should determine key factors like:

Demographics

Education

Level in Company

Location

Skill level

Motivation

Expectations

Accessible Technology

These factors help drive aspects of how you design, develop and deliver your training.

Side Note: < 100 is a series I came up with after seeing a couple campaigns talking about tips and tricks under 100 words. I decided to put my own spin on the series and present the definition of common Learning terms and the "need to know" information on each topic.

Putting Together the Perfect Portfolio

2015-04-16T15:29:00.001-06:00

Putting together the perfect portfolio is an important but daunting task. What will employers/clients want to see? How should I display it? Where am I going to find the time to create something? All are valid concerns with limitless possibilities. I’ve slowly been piecing mine together while reading any articles that provide tips and tricks. This is more of a do what I say then say what I do. Everyone’s portfolio is a work in progress and I’m not an exception. I still planning on doing everything listed in this article, hopefully by the end of the year, and then revisiting it often. Just make sure that along the way you're presenting clean content that represents you! I added a Phase 2 section to each tip which explains how you can go above and beyond to really provide the most value for maintaining a portfolio.

Define your target audience.

The field of L&D is vast, from Instructional Designers to Graphic Designers and Course Developers to Curriculum Developers, but we have all one thing in common. The desire to land the perfect job or client! To do this you need a resume that speaks highly of your experience and performance, a cover letter that explains why you'd be the best person for the job, and a portfolio. The first step in creating a portfolio is to narrow down your target audience and understand their demographics and expectations.

I found that asking myself who’s my ideal employer or what company would be awesome to work for really drilled down how I wanted to employers to see me and be impressed by my portfolio. Keep in mind this ideal employer when creating content or researching topics to use.

Another way of narrowing things down is to figure out the type of employer or client you’re looking to attract. In the training industry, you have companies that fall into many different sectors including (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics):

Architecture and Engineering
Arts and Design
Business and Financial
Community and Social Services
Computers and Information Technology
Construction
Education, Training and Libraries
Entertainment and Sports
Farming, Fishing and Forestry
Food Preparation and Services
Healthcare
Installation, Maintenance and Repair
Legal
Life, Physical and Social Sciences
Management
Math
Media and Communications
Military
Office and Administrative Support
Personal Care and Services
Production
Protective Services
Sales
Transportation and Materials

From there you can understand the demographics and expectations of what may be possible content or presentation styles. Most companies will want to see a range of topics to show that you’re able to work across departments and with different SMEs. However, researching each sector will help you understand the nuances. For example, a college will probably want to see a well-researched topic while k-12 is all about keeping a child’s attention while teaching the basics. Technology companies will want to see technical driven content while restaurants will want product training and customer service. Production companies will want to see standard operating procedures brought to life or training on safety concerns. Of course, not all companies end up in these generalized paths but it’s a good place to start. At the very least I like to recommend that people start by adding three key pieces that address customer service, product training and process training.

Phase 2: Create a stellar example of a super focused course or other training material and feature it as the first things potential employers or clients see. A deep understanding of a relevant topic and a beautifully crafted course shows that you have what it takes to rock whatever they throw at you. Still not sure what to create something about? Try teaching someone about something your passionate about.

Variety IS the spice of life!

Hiring professional aren't looking for the same PowerPoint template with different content over and over, so get creating. Include examples in a variety of medias to show versatility and ability. Try adding at least three examples of these content types:

Web based course
ILT presentation and train the trainer notes
vILT
Webinar
Storyboard
Writing sample
Graphic
Infographic
Voice Sample
Curriculum
Course Description
And for maximum punch a learning campaign

But Jennie, my company won't let me us any content. That's fine! NEVER break copyright infringement or use content without permission. Even web assets and graphics!

Instead offer a vILT or Webinar for free and record your performance or get involved with a podcast or web show. Even something from your personal life like cooking or exercising will give you the experience and example you need. Just make sure you're producing quality content that's edited tastefully and doesn't involve any hot topics like religion or politics (unless that's your target audience). Always play to your strengths and interests and don’t put out content just to fill up the page. Two or three great examples is always better then a whole bunch with sucky content sprinkled in.

Remember, your examples don’t have to be long. A solid three to five pages per course or other content material will do. But be sure each page is unique and showcases something interesting. Also, be sure to mix up what tools you use to create content. Have a course ready to create then download a 30 day free trial if necessary.

Need help finding something to create, try one of these techniques:

Take a look at the eLearning Hero’s Challenges
Explore other people’s portfolio
Recreate a project (if legally you can)
Look for inspiration on Pinterest, Behance or Dribbble

Phase 2: Curate your examples and provide back story, talk about hurdles and highlight your accomplishments. If possible, get permission to include testimonials from clients or co-workers. You can even discuss what model or theory you used to guide the project.

Invest in a place to showcase.

At the very least create or maintain an About.Me, Dribbble, Behance, or LinkedIn account. It's the 21st century and no web presence is....well...it's weird. Use sharing options to upload and create your portfolio. You can also put together a “paper” portfolio which is a PDF consisting of still images of projects with an explanation of the project, hurdles and accomplishments. When sending in your resume you could attach this document for review. Just remember to keep it under 2 MB so it can easily be uploaded or emailed.

To really maximize content distribution and control, invest in a personalized website. For people on a budget check out Wordpress, Blogger, Wix, and Weebly. If you can invest in your own domain name then do it! Unless you have a super rare name the chance of losing your site to another Jane Doe increase by the minute. Use pre-created templates that you can find for free, purchase from Graphic Designer or snag off Etsy. Just add personal touches so you're not the 20th person in a row a large corporation sees with the same exact layout and colors. You can also hire a local graphic designer or web developer. You can also find someone on eLance or Odesk. For people trying to do it yourself; create a style guide, research everything, get a place to store files, and give yourself plenty of time to work through the kinks before publishing.

Phase 2: Start offering your services or blogging on your site to increase traffic and promotion. Involve yourself in social media and communities to meet new colleagues, join in on discussions, take courses and share information. Don’t forget to provide the link to your website in each profile.

Always be authentic and real to you. Employers and clients who understand who you are and what you can accomplish are more likely to make lasting connections and your more likely to receive a job that turns into a career.

What portfolio tips do you have? Leave a comment below or as always catch me on Twitter.

Dealing with Anxiety by Creating a Better Course

2015-04-10T11:49:00.000-06:00

Lately, life has been a little stressful. The alarm clock goes off and it starts. “Am I late? What time is it?”. The kids won’t get ready quick enough. The dog takes forever to poop. You miss a meeting. You’re late to pick up something on your lunch break. Dinner gets over cooked. Your computer crashes. The inbox won’t stop filling up. A deadline moves closer then anticipated. You didn’t get to finish that one last chore before going to bed....

By the end of the day it just all piles up and accumulates in your brain. From there you think, analyze and decipher every last detail. For some this transforms into an anxiety disorder or destructive behavior.

But stress is avoidable.

So, why do all courses talking about stress contain the same crappy graphics and advice? It’s time to take back personal employee development and make better stress and anxiety courses! Here are the things I do and don’t want in a “Dealing with Stress” course.

Don’t throw horrible stock photos of people pulling their hair out or over exaggerating a sigh at me!

Including unrealistic images that try to add comedy, lightheartedness, or perceived phoniness to an otherwise serious subject irks me to no end. The push to remove and replace stock graphic photos has slowly been coming for years (which I’m thankful for!) and this is a perfect example of where not to use them. If you feel the need to add graphics then show the physical affects of stress with a fact filled infographic or "artsy" photo that shows what its like to deal with stress. If you have to include a person then pick a realistic looking portrayal.

Don’t tell me to breath and I don’t want to count to 10.

Unless your audience is filled with yoga enthusiast or meditation experts, learning the art of meditation and breathing in 10 minutes isn’t going to happen. That's why there are people dedicated to these crafts. It takes practice and discipline. In most courses I’ve seen it’s the first piece of advice and honestly the root of the advice is to remove yourself from the situation and give yourself a minute to compose and departmentalize your thoughts. Why can’t you just tell me that?

Do show me how to identify the problem

Knowing exactly what’s eating you will make the next step (analysis) a heck of a lot easier. So take a couple extra minutes to stop, go to a quite room and collect your thoughts. Many psychologists recommend writing out your problems, making a list or writing without thinking and just letting your emotions take over. The typical steps include problem identification, taking part in a deep analysis, and taking corrective action.

Do tell me to get some sleep, eat right and exercise

All three have been proven to keep anxiety at bay and decrease stress levels. A healthy body means a healthy mind (sorry for being so cliché!). One of the great by-products of solitary exercise like running or working out (sans a partner) is that you’re left alone with your thoughts. Sleeping gives you time to determine if the root of your anxiety is worth it or going to return. Providing your body with nutritious foods means that your body is ready and available for mental astuteness.

Do tell me to get distracted

Interacting with others will help keep your mind off stress and more on the conversation or activity. Resist the temptation to continue on your stress path by talking about the problem. It’ll just become a vicious cycle.

Another great distraction is humor. Whether it’s with a friend, watching a funny movie, or catching a few jokes from your favorite stand up comedian. Laughing stimulates your organs, increases your heart rate and blood pressure, and releases extra endorphins which are proven to combat stress and depression!

Laugher makes us feel good. Go outside! With the solitude of nature of you can appreciate the little things and be left alone with your thoughts.

Do use free resources

With the age of the internet has come articles, videos and presentations from leading experts on dealing with stress readily available to the public. Include multimedia in a course by linking to a Youtube Video and having the learner read an excerpt from a notable source. Think local by checking with your community health department to see if they have resources and statistics specific to your area. Maybe an individual will even be able to come in to provide suggestions or consult with employees free of charge for a short time.

Do explain the signs of serious anxiety disorders

Knowing when regular daily stress has turned into something more is really important. Being informed and knowing the danger signs can help start the path of successfully dealing with stress before it piles up into something require. At the very least recommend the individual speak with a professional to determine the severity and proper course of action.

P.S. Sorry if this article came off a little ranty. My journey with stress started in high school. Every time I tried to deal with school, work, family, friends, sports and theater I felt like the world was sitting on top of me. I developed Trichotillomania (which is a form of OCD where you pull out your hair) as a way to cope. As an adult it turned into worrying about money, driving and the probability of freak accidents. I’d freak out if I didn’t have enough of certain things like diapers, food and toilet paper in the house at all times. One day it took a serious turn and I started to have panic attacks. I didn’t know what was going on. All I knew was that it was stressing me out! VICOUS circle. I now understand my triggers and what I need to do to deal with it but it’s still a daily battle. When the stress levels hit an all time high last week (which is why I didn't post) I found myself in search of something on the internet. I find comfort in knowledge and it's actually one way I deal with stress. When I came across cheesy graphics after cheesy graphic and cliche advice I had enough.

Don't forget to comment below with your stress tips and tricks. As always you can find me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. Let's follow each other! I love learning from others :)

You Can't Sit with Us!: On Boarding a New Employee in 3 Steps

2015-03-26T15:14:00.000-06:00

On boarding of a new employee can be both frustrating and daunting and with good reason. Both parties have something to gain and if done incorrectly something to lose. For an employer they want employees who are informed and up and running as soon as possible to effectively help meet objectives. For the employee they want a supportive and informative experience to, you guessed it, get up and running as soon as possible to effectively help meet objectives. So how should your company or learning team approach on boarding? It really boils down to 3 steps.

Pick the right method!

Depending on your companies structure there are four options:

Create a blended training program that balances both times with an instructor or mentor and time on the computer. A great balance! This method helps capture the need for an employee to have personal and supportive care while letting the company be cost effective when content can be shared across multiple channels. One of the most common pit falls is not discussing the expectations at each step. Be sure to document either on a piece of paper or in email format what the employee should be doing in between meetings. Be sure to give enough time for the slower paced learners and extra “nice to haves” for those who can handle a faster pace. To implement this method you’ll need to come up with a schedule, develop presentations, outline a communication schedule and material, and develop courses.

Create a Web Based Training (WBT) program where the learner gains information by accumulating time on the computer. ICK! Can you imagine getting hired in, placed at a computer and just staring at the screen until your first assignment? How impersonal and unsupportive! Be sure to tailor your training so it makes the employee feel included and provide them with a contact or mentor for once their done. To implement this method you’ll need to come up an outline of a communication schedule and material, develop a curriculum, and develop courses.

Create Instructor Led Training (ILT) program where an instructor or mentor works the employee through everything. My personal favorite! If this was cost effective across all channels I would recommend this to each and every person I have a conversation with about on boarding. When it comes down to taking time away from an employee or hiring and full time instructor then you run the risk of losing productivity or working off a budget that isn’t lean. Keep in mind that the person chosen MUST be someone who is personable and can accurately represent your company, brand, and values. Since they are the main delivery of information the lasting impression has to be there otherwise you’re just developing a plan that’s doomed to fail. To implement this method you’ll need to come up with a communication schedule and mateiral, develop a schedule, and develop and design presentations.

Create a virtual Instructor Led Training (vILT) program where a person teaches over the computer. Great compromise! I love this option because it provides the values of Instructor Led Training with less financial overhead. Meetings can be scheduled around the instructors schedule without the need to be in a physical location. This is also a great alternative for employees who work from home or who have teammates that work across the country or globe. To implement this method you’ll need to come up with a communication schedule, develop a schedule, and develop and design presentation.

Come up with an awesome game plan!

The training should be comprehensive taking into consideration both the employee and employers needs. Here are some basics, which can be applied across all methods:

Everyone, no matter how experienced or eager, will be nervous. It’s a physical response to the unknown that we all share and there’s nothing wrong with that. One of the first things I like to do with a new employee is make them feel at home. Show them where the bathroom is, explain how the teams are physically are split up, go over emergency procedures, show them to the lunchroom, and introduce them to teammates. Don’t forget to add in little personal touches like letting them know what bathroom has been christened for #2s (yes, that’s happened to me and yes, I’ve shared that information!)

Always take your content from looking at the big picture to explaining the employee’s relative small part. This gives the new hire an understanding of why something is done that way or how a team works. It also helps to slow down the process of information overload. This is a great time to go over the: who, what, when, where and why of the company, department, and team. Keeping in mind to only provide relevant information (so make sure your instructor doesn’t like to go off on a tangent.)

No matter what method you pick, make it visual and impressive. A person who is engaged and interested in your presentations is more likely to pay attention and retain information. Keep your tone and general message consistent while inserting impacting slides, pages or conversations. This is also the time for the company’s brand to really show through. So work with Marketing or your Branding department to brand the crap out of anything that will be used! Why not use videos? They’re great visuals and can be consumed quickly and easily. Need to explain the company? Why not create a company history documentary styled video that can be shared with new hires and potential customers!

Which brings up a great point; work across channels! Since each employee has an ultimate different ending seat why not create content that can be used and reused. Master courses are great ways to promote a unified look and feel while saving time and development costs. As a special bonus you’ll have the few and far in between chance of bringing every department together to work on the project. This means a company wide needs analysis!

Make them believe in your company by including information about the company’s culture and value. What does your company do really well in the eyes of its employees and customers? Will people be expected to participate in value-based initiatives? But make sure you’re being authentic. No likes a forced culture atmosphere!

Go over the expected behaviors, competencies and metrics that will be used to evaluate and promote. Encourage their desire to develop these skills to the fullest by explaining the rewards of a job well done. But don’t make promises you can’t keep like an expected wage increase unless it’s information shared by HR.

Provide documents to supplement their learning experience. This can also help to streamline work efforts especially in the case of checklists and forms. Be sure to keep the documents visually appealing and branded when necessary. One great example would be a customer persona fact sheet so the new hire can get to know your standard customer and their behaviors.

Don’t forget soft skill training! Not everyone starts off at a company understanding the best way to communicate with co-workers or deal with an angry customer. Providing the training up front means the new hire is more likely to handle the situation as the company wants instead of going off of previous experiences or training.

Don’t rush through the workspace, desk and/or computer set up phase. It’s important for a new hire to feel comfortable in his or her new area. Give them ample time to set up things to their preferences (keeping in mind safety standards or any other regulations that could effect decisions.) If they aren’t sure how to set it up then go through why you choose to set up your station in a particular way or explain the potential pros and cons.

Incorporate them into the team every chance you get. Schedule training around team meetings or call a special meeting just to introduce the new hire. I personally hate the “get to know me” games because they seem so forced and dated. If your team gets a kick out of doing them by all mean include it. Otherwise I suggest having the new hire explain their background then let co-workers ask one burning question. Yes, the new hire will probably be uncomfortable but at least they’ll get a small glimpse into everyone’s personality and not be asked the same question fifty times in two days. To really wow your new hire make sure they have someone to sit with for the first couple days. I’ve seen work friendships flourish and many people thank me for not having to awkwardly join the table (You can’t sit with us!)

Include follow up and touch points! This is by far the most important thing to include in an on boarding training program. Having scheduled follow up meeting and touch points means that both the employee and employer have a chance to praise or offer learning experiences. This also creates a mentor program, which has been shown in countless studies to drive retention. Mentorships are really their own program that can be incorporated into a new hire program so I encourage you to your own research. Would you like to see an article soon discussing the topic? Comment below or catch me on Twitter.

Revisit and Refine OFTEN

Companies, departments and teams evolve. Be sure to revisit the content and refine based on feedback and performance scores. Including a follow up survey to ask how the new employee felt about the program is a great place to start collecting data. I suggest revisiting the training program in 6-month increments if you’re not sure where to start.

My eLearning Toy Box

2015-03-18T10:50:00.001-06:00

At the end of 2013 I came across a series of pictures taken where the artist (Andrew Whyte) took breathtaking photos using lego people on Pinterest (follow me!) (I went back and found a couple and made sure to pin them this time.) I was so inspired that I grabbed my son's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle action figures and my phone and decided to take pictures of them brushing their teeth. I posted the pictures on my personal Facebook page and got a laugh. But this week, I actually got to use them in a fun and creative way. Here's my entry for Articulate eLearning Heroes Challenge #74 - Using Toys for Storytelling in E-Learning.

Challenge

"This week your challenge is to design a short interaction using toys as your primary characters. You can combine toys with photographs, illustrations, or hand-crafted scenes and backgrounds.

The objective this week is to replace your usual e-learning graphics and characters with toys."

Work

I took the pictures and turn them into black and white since the quality was so low. I wasn't that good about taking pictures using proper back lighting and using editing techniques to fighting the yellow tint in 2013. Thank goodness for my introduction to image editing software and Instagram lol I knew that I would need a background for my cover page, a bar code and a picture of all of them together so I went on the hunt for items I could use (see my resource links). I also wanted some custom fonts since the logo is very distinct. I found the perfect pair in Turtles and Cowabunga on DaFont. Using the pictures I previously shot I arranged them into my logical order to try and make a story. From then on it was just adding colors and text onto the screen that fit their character personas.

Result

I created a short storyboarding using PowerPoint that's the start to a children's lesson on brushing your teeth. If I were to turn this into a full blown learning course then I think outlining the steps or having the learner put the pictures in order would be pretty fun.

Download the TMNT ToothBrush PowerPoint

Resources

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dental_office.jpg
http://geek-news.mtv.com/2012/02/01/mtv-geek-exclusive-tons-of-tmnt-toys/
http://www.dafont.com/turtles.font
http://www.dafont.com/cowabunga.font

5 Tips for Creating the Perfect Video (FREE Template Download)

2015-03-12T08:05:00.000-06:00

https://www.flickr.com/photos/catch21/6481937097/

Videos are an important media for learning. With the rise of Youtube, the lowering of attention spans, and the recent push for microlearning it offers content that can easily be shared in a quick and interesting format. Before getting started you should create a video style guide that'll help direct producers, videographers, actors, set staff and editors (or the all in one!) get the correct look and feel the first time and then every time afterwards. Here are my 5 tips (with a free downloadable style guide template!) for creating the perfect video.

Always start by thinking about the broad feelings.How do you want the learners to feel? What message are you trying to get across? How do you want your company to be perceived? Do this by establishing a tone, stage presence, general standard on visuals and production. Strive to understand how elements within the video can effect (both positively and negatively) these feelings.
Go into detail on the things you can control. Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate or your subject gets sick but there are a lot of elements in a video you can and should control. Be sure the logo and colors of the video are compliant with marketing or your brand department. Get approval to use specific colors and state their intended purpose especially highlight colors. Set up standards for the subject’s attire. Know your output size, delivery method, file type and player. Put together a list of approved and unapproved aspects of different elements like: locations, shots, transitions, and text placement.
Put together your steps for pre – production to form a habit.
Be sure the script is ready and has gone through the proper review channels. No one likes unprepared talent or workers. Be sure to provide your subject(s) with a script a few days before and encourage they read through it ahead of time. Reiterate the attire standards a couple days before shooting. Have a shot list ready. Stage the shot to test the lighting, sound and background. Have the subject read the script with the camera on but without formal direction for a base line and hopefully collect bloopers.
Scrutinize the first draft and but not a minute before it's ready.No one likes to be editing something with a person over your shoulder or worrying over every little detail. Let your person in charge of editing sit down with their specifications and create a first draft cut before stepping in. Plenty of producers, writers and actors have said that sleeping on something or waiting for a few days to review will help to make sure you don’t become too close to a project. Be sure to leave enough time to space out the reviews for a fresh mind.
Polish that turd till it shines.Even if the video isn’t Oscar worthy, know when you’re “that’s good, now publish it” point is. Being a perfectionist is something we all strive for but there’s a point where you have to say we’ve done enough and I like it the way that it is. If you have your standards in place and the video meets all or most of your standards then what more can you ask for? Publish it, market it, pat everyone on the back, and start all over again!

Are you new to video creation? Check out Vimeo's Video School, Wistia's Learning Center or Lynda.com for videos on how to create videos.

Want a Free Video Style Guide Template?

Don't forget to follow, share and comment please. Can't get enough of yours truely? Follow me on social media! I post helpful articles I find on the internet Monday thru Friday on Twitter and I have a Pinterest problem ;)

Experience API: Tech Dream or Admin Nightmare?

2015-03-06T15:34:00.000-06:00

Awhile back I added "tin can?" to my potential article topics and surprisingly this week it came up in conversation at my regular job. So naturally I went on the hunt to teach myself. I decided to share my findings and hopefully give you some new or different information. For the longest time I've skipped over articles on Experience API because I wasn't completely sure what it was or how I could use it.

Why not at least have a good idea so I don't sound like a newb in conversations, right?

What is Tin Can?

Experience API (also known as Tin Can, Tin Can API and xAPI) is an elearning language (Application Program Interface (API)) that allows learning content (courses, articles, video, social sharing and more) across multiple channels (social platforms, mobile devices, computers, books) and learning systems (preferably a Learning Record Store (LRS)) to speak to each other and record learning activities (watching, playing, approving, searching, sharing, listening, reading, writing, thinking, building).

If you're already in the eLearning field you'll notice some similarities in comparison to SCORM.

But, the language speaks in a simple syntax of Noun - Verb - Object (usually referred to as "I did this") instead of predefined tags like name, score, and pass/fail. So complex tasks like writing a blog post can become a recorded and scored learning event. It opens up learning experiences to easily include social learning, web based training, instructor lead training, mentoring, just in time learning and informal learning into a program with tracking and reporting. To top it all off, it talks across most devices and platforms and you don't even have to be connected to the internet.

In an article from eLearning Industries (linked below) the comparison was made that Scorm is to Tin Can as DVDs are to Netflix. Love that analogy!

What can an Experience API do that SCORM can't?

It can take your learning outside of the LMS such as web pages, videos or into documents
It records even if your learner switches platforms
It can track games, simulations, team based and real world performance
It tracks how you're doing on a plan or in regards to a certain goal
It listens and records multiple commands instead of just one
It doesn't require constant internet connection
It recognizes mobile applications
It supports advanced technology like gyroscoping, swiping, and geo-caching
It speaks and transfers data from one LRS to another making the idea of a personal learning transcript across companies and jobs possible
It tracks even when not connected to an LMS

Wow, that's a lot of relevant power!

How do you use it?

You'll need content that can be published to Tin Can (Lecorta - Yep, Articulate Storyline - Yes sir or ma'am, Captivate - Right indeedy) and a software that can collect and read the API like a LRS. That's just for starters. Then you can add in all your other types of learning activities into the LRS for communication and tracking.

So, what's the catch?

What can't Tin Can do?

Tin Can requires interpretation of each communication which can be time consuming. Because of the ability to customize it requires planning and discipline when deciding what data is accepted and used. This means a company should hire someone with a decent amount of knowledge and experience (or willing to learning quickly) to implement a smooth process. It also allows for self reporting which can lose validity or truthfulness when reporting.

Ok, I see the catch.....man (or woman) hours

Who should use API?

If you're familiar with trends and statistics in Learning then you'll know that:

Informal makes up 75% of training plans

More than one third of the world's workplace will be mobile by the end of the year

Just in time learning is on the rise

11 out of 20 companies use a cloud based LMS

Microlearning is on the rise

Learning professionals are asking for big data

Learners want personalized training

Anyone using a diverse training program that uses more then two of these trends should consider implementing an Experience API and LRS. Each item listed above links in with a direct impact by switching. But be prepared for the work of building up the training and being able to consitently record the training. Your company will also need an organized and dedicated employee to manage and streamline the API as well. As technology advances and LRS's become able to create, send and interpret the communications using standardized practices the down fall will diminish.

Is Experience APIs the Future?

Maybe. It all sounds great on paper so it's adoption not spreading like wild fire has to say something. From what I've been able to gather the start up is hard and the struggles are real. Companies that choose to adopt an Experience API are adding it as a complimentary way to track what SCORM and a traditional LMS can report instead of choosing to replace.

Resources

http://www.learndash.com/what-is-tin-can-api/
http://elearningindustry.com/introduction-tin-can-api
http://tincanapi.com/overview/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experience_API_%28Tin_Can_API%29
http://elearninginfographics.com/what-is-the-tin-can-api-infographic/
http://i-lovelearning.com/en/tin-can-api/
http://elearningindustry.com/scorm-tin-can-api-difference-dvds-netflix
http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/learning-design-trends-2015/
http://elearninginfographics.com/top-10-elearning-trends-2015-infographic/
http://dailygenius.com/biggest-online-learning-trends/
http://blog.commlabindia.com/lms-hosting/tin-can-and-scorm-differences

ADDIE < 100

2015-02-27T09:30:00.000-06:00

ADDIE Non-Linear Model

Taking hints from the eLearning Uncovered eLearning Tips in 140 character or less Twitter campaign and HubSpot’s In Under 100 Words blog series here is my definition of ADDIE in under 100 words.

ADDIE is an instructional model that stands for the phases of Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate that was first used by Florida State University for the U.S. Army in 1975. During which you collect and analyze data to make informed decisions, design content which supports the analysis, develop robust learning material that will be used for the learning campaign, assist with a successful implementation, and evaluate the effectiveness to provide data and make adjustments for future revisions. In total, the model contains 19 steps which are considered essential. The model can be applied linearly or non-linearly.

ADDIE Linear Model

Do you have an Instructional Design/eLearning/L&D/Media term, model, theory or otherwise used word that you'd like to see in this series? Submit it below or tweet me @jvalley0714

Free (or Cheaper) Tool and Resources for eLearning (February 2015)

2015-02-16T13:37:00.002-06:00

In August 2014 I published my first version of this article which is still view able here. Since then I've been slowing adding to the list as I find new tools and resources that I can afford to implement into my life (items marked with asterisks are tools or resources I use regularly). I think the list has nearly doubled which is crazy (even for an internet and app obsessed person like myself). With my last post reached over 600 people and was shared over 20 times on Google plus alone I felt like another installment was due. I'm thinking about making this a regular series where I randomly update the list when I come across something new or in clumps of a certain number. To reduce the size of this article I didn't go into great detail on each tool or resource. Find me on Twitter or comment below if you want to chat about my experiences.

Other

http://www.onlinecharttool.com/ - Not near Excel….have no fear

http://dictionary.reference.com/ * - Because who doesn’t need help spelling

http://thesaurus.com/ * - To help you pick the right word

http://lite.launchlist.net/ - Check your website before it goes live

http://www.speedtest.net/ - Speed test for your computer

http://www.feedly.com* - Keep all your bookmarks in one place

https://bitly.com/* - Chop your links for easier social sharing
https://www.goodreads.com/* - Need to create a "to read list", set a yearly goal or read reviews?
https://openlibrary.org/ - Free online library
http://evernote.com/skitch/ - Free annotation creator
https://en.gravatar.com/* - Keep your avatar consistent across all sites
https://www.google.com/alerts* - Set Google Alerts to stay up to date on important topics
http://www.zamzar.com/ - File converter
http://calibre-ebook.com/ - Ned help creating an eBook?
http://www.lynda.com/* - Professional development for $25 a month. Uh yes please!

As before, please leave me your suggestions in the comments below or find me on Twitter (@jvalley0714).

When you hate listening to your own voice

2015-02-05T10:16:00.001-06:00

When you hate listening to your own voice, why not do a podcast! A podcast is a series of audio clips produced and shared by a company or individual for easy listening. It's a great way to get your thoughts and voice out there. Only problems is, I hate recording my own voice! Something in the last couple years made listening to my own voice sound like nails on a chalk board. Maybe it's the number of times I've tried and failed to upload a Youtube video or the fact that I do a lot of voice over work for my job.

Today, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and participated in ELH Challenge #67 Podcast: How Do Instructional Designers Get Things Done? We were asked to answer the following questions:

Question 1: What’s your job title? What title do you think really captures your roles and responsibilities?

Question 2: What software tools do you love?

Question 3: What's your workspace setup like?

Question 4: What is your creative or design philosophy?

Question 5: How do you stay fresh and keep building your skills?

Question 6: How do you avoid burnout?

Question 7: How do you save time and boost your efficiency day-to-day?

Question 8: How do you manage your workflow? Do you have a project management tool you love?

Question 9: What books or blogs have been influential to you?

Question 10: What kinds of tasks do you love to do? What gets you excited to sit down at your desk?

Question 11: What do you like to do least? How do you keep yourself motivated to do that stuff?

So, how did I create a podcast?

I used Camtasia to record and edit my audio. I kept my responses unscripted and didn't even talk it out before recording so I could capture a "real" version of myself. I kept editing to a minimum and only trimmed the tracks. I published the content out to MP4 and then uploaded it to my SoundCloud account. I used the SoundCloud embedding tool to place it below. I was so afraid the process was going to be more time consuming or cumbersome that I put off doing this challenge til now. Doing this challenge has opened a whole new way for me to create and share content! I might just have to go back and do Challenge #39 soon. When I can stand listening to my own voice again of course ;)

Have you ever done a Podcast? Do you hate listening to your own voice too? Please don't let me be the only person that does!

4 Steps To Pick The Perfect LMS

2015-01-29T13:35:00.000-06:00

The shift from a traditional or synchronous learner to blended and asynchronous learning is both an exciting and scary place. According to statistics a company who uses eLearning and on the job training generates 26% more revenue per employee. However, the typical budget needed for a small company to get started is $20,000 - $30,000.

So what do you need to get started?

A Learning Management System (LMS), a training manager, Instructional Designer or Training Team, an authoring tool, and a whole lot of passion.

An LMS, what is that? You ask.

A Learning Management System (LMS) is a powerful tool that has seen a rise in use and adaptation. An LMS by definition is a software application that administers, tracks, reports and deliveries educational technology to an individual (learner) on behalf of a company, educational system or other entity. Luckily for you the market for LMS’s in 2014 was well over $2.5 billions dollars and grew over 21% offering more varieties and hopefully just the right fit to it’s end users.

A new term that is being used throughout the Learning community is an LCMS or Learning Content Management System. Similar to an LMS, it still provides the ability to administer, track, report and deliver educational technology to an individual. However, it also acts as a repository for all people within a company to create, store, reuse and manage other learning objects such as job aid’s and videos. This tool essentially combines an LMS with an online file share and document editor and is said to save money and promote consistency.

Other terminology used is an LRS (Learning Record Store) which is mostly used in reference to Tin Can applications and CMS or Course Management System which is an old term used to describe basic storage of learning materials in one centralized location.

So which LMS/LCMS is going to be right for me? Take these four steps to find the right option for you.

1. Know how you want Learners arranged and content presented

Knowing how your company’s organization structure is going to break down and form into curriculum and packages is going to dictate how you set up learners (in most cases). This defines where you align courses and how your learners will interact with the LMS. Have a high-level plan ahead of time to base decisions off and act as a wire frame for your communication with vendors. In most cases, the plan will include how your company’s organizational structure is going to be broken down (all company, department specific, individual assignments) and what types of courses or learning experiences you expect to produce (task, course, video, document, email).

2. Order the following key aspects; Administration, Tracking, Reporting, Delivery, and Other

Administration - The act of supporting, updating, and maintaining an LMS.

Does the interface make sense?
Is there helpful documentation available?
Is it intuitive?
Can I capture the level of detail I need for learners and courses?
Is my content customization?
Is my system configurable?
Does it work well with all browsers?
Does it require single sign on?
Is it safe?
Is it scale able?
Does it support all the types of content I want to upload?

Tracking - The ability to record and review certain aspects of a learner’s performance in an LMS.

How often does the LMS communicate?
How far can completion be broken down?
Does it track student participation or performance?
Can I inform others of poor behavior?

Reporting - The ability to pull tracking and learner information as metrics or numerical values.

Can I pull the best reports to show my companies definition of value in eLearning?
Can I manipulate big data?
Can I manipulate the data without having to export?
Can I send the report to others?

Delivery - The way in which educational technology is given to the individual.

Does it adhere to QTI, IMS, AICC, SCORM, ISO 9000 or Tin Can/Experience API standards?
Do I have the option to become 508 compliant?
Can I deliver mobile content?
Does it support HTML5 or XML?

Other

Does my company want integrated social media options?
Are we going to sell our content (eCommerce)?
Do we need chat/comments?
Is it important that you can interface with other software?
Do you want cloud based?
Am I going to provide "Just in Time" training?
Is there a whiteboard?
Can I integrate apps or widgets?

Knowing which parts of the software take top priority also means that when it comes to testing you will be able to put the important stuff first. Having your plan from step 1 should help guide you in making these decisions so be sure to come up with a good plan first.

3. Take it for a Spin

Nothing puts your mind at ease more than attending a demo, downloading a sandbox or trying something out online. You will not know if you like the interface, does it offers the right number of content options, and does it deliver content how I expected. You won't know until you get your hands dirty. Have content ready like a course, document, video, learner, administrator and curriculum examples. Test, test and test again until you feel comfortable enough with the software.

4. Run the Numbers

Price should not dictate your decision but hey, we are all on a budget. Determine if your company wants to pay an annual fee (once a year), a perpetual license (one and done) or a consumption license (pay per learner or use). The most common types of LMS retailers work off a pay per learner or per use and can cost .50 cents to $10 per transaction depending on volume. It may be important to look at the options of purchasing the whole package versus certain components (a la carte). Be sure to negotiate and take into consideration the cost of maintenance and support as well. Support comes in a large variety of packages but what it boils down to, does this company have my companies back?

So, whom should I pick?

That question has to be 100% decided by you, your team, and/or your company. Here is two lists complied by trusted associations in the Learning and Development community to get you started on your journey of discovery.

http://www.trainingindustry.com/learning-technologies/top-companies-listings/2013/2013-top-20-learning-portals-companies.aspx

http://brandonhall.com/learning-management-systems.php

Do you still want to be a nonconformist?

Then check out some non-traditional examples that may work for you:

SharePoint
Blog/WordPress
Google Groups
Wiki Page

Resources

http://www.slideshare.net/yumproductions/alternatives-to-lms-and-content-development
http://elearnmag.acm.org/featured.cfm?aid=1595447
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_management_system
http://www.knowledgedirectweb.com/elearning-lms-resources/faqs-about-learning-management-systems-lmss/difference-between-learning-management-system-lms-learning-content-management-system-lcms/
http://scorm.com/tincanoverview/what-is-an-lrs-learning-record-store/
http://www.learndash.com/14-interesting-elearning-facts/
http://elearningindustry.com/sharepoint-as-an-lms-really-work
http://talentedlearning.com/3-license-models-of-lms/
http://blog.capterra.com/learning-management-software-costs/
http://www.slideshare.net/KatrinaBaker1/lms-successkatrinabakertech-knowledge2015slideshare
http://bonlinelearning.com.au/blog/lms-customisation-vs-configuration/
http://blog.originlearning.com/5-things-to-look-out-for-while-choosing-an-lms/
http://shareknowledge.com/blog/sharepoint-solutions-5-most-common-learning-management-system-complaints
http://blog.aurionlearning.com/selecting-the-right-learning-management-system-for-your-organisation/
http://www.schoolkeep.com/blog/5-point-checklist-for-choosing-the-right-lms
https://www.td.org/Publications/Newsletters/Learning-Circuits/Learning-Circuits-Archives/2012/07/Narrowing-LMS-Vendor-Selection
http://elearningindustry.com/choosing-a-learning-management-system

What LMS does you/your company use? Did I miss something? Comment below or catch me on Twitter (@jvalley0714)!

Captivate 8 vs. Lectora V12 vs. Storyline 2

2015-01-16T16:43:00.001-06:00

Updated on June 11th 2015 due to new releases, announcements and other information provided by readers. Notable new information includes:

The new Trivantis Community

Updated information on HTML5 output and browser compatibility

I forgot to mention Articulate’s Guru Awards!

Inclusion and comparison of "what you get" when you choose Lectora Inspire (including the NEW eLearning Brother's integration feature)

Trivantis announcement of responsive design and what’s to come

Thank you to everyone who has contacted me or mentioned any errors. Please feel free to comment below if you have comments, suggestions or find errors!

What is your favorite authoring tool?

When it comes to Instructional Design and eLearning course development in corporate America the tool you use is either chosen by your manager or limited because of budget. Are you that manager? What if YOU could choose? What if your boss said to pick or you started a freelance career tomorrow? Let’s take a closer look at authoring tool and (stick with me) by the end of this post you’ll have a better idea.

• Adobe Presenter

• Articulate Presenter

• Trivantis Snap! By Lectora

An installed tool is one that you install on your computer and acts as a standalone product. These are my personal favorites and include:

• Adobe Captivate

• Articulate Storyline 2

• Techsmith Camtasia Studio

• Trivantis Lectora

The cloud-based tools are those that run as SaaS (Software as a Service) and don’t require an install. Some common examples include:

• Allen Interactions ZebraZapps

• Trivantis Lectora Online

According to an eLearning Guild research survey conducted in 2013 titled “eLearning Authoring Tools 2013: What We’re Using, What we Want” the top three used products are Adobe Captivate, Techsmith Camtasia Studio and Articulate Storyline 2. However, today we are going to compare what I consider to be the “big three” Trivantis Lectora (Publisher and Inspire), Articulate Storyline 2 and Adobe Captivate 8. I’m swapping Techsmith Camtasia Studio with Lectora (Publisher and Inspire) because Camtasia only outputs are scormed videos, which I don’t feel, is a comprehensive enough tool like Lectora is.

The following is a list of characteristics, which I consider most desirable in an authoring tool and how they ranked in comparison.

Disclaimer: Of course, your level of expectation is going to be different from mine so take this as an opinion from an old colleague who’s developed a course or two in her time and be sure to test out the functionality before committing to a specific software. I specifically like an authoring software that is full of enough options that will be useful while maintaining a level of rapid development that's appropriate for most companies expectations of pushing out content. I am also not that fond of Adobe products and find their menus and layout hard to navigate. It's partly to blame because of my lack of formal training. Honestly if you're not a graphic designer or someone who likes learning Adobe products such as Photoshop you'll probably feel the same way while Adobe veterans will find my complaints to be less relatable.

1 – Below Expectations 2 – At Expectations 3 – Above Expectations

Ease of Use/Development Time

Storyline 2 is leaps and bounds above the completion when it comes to learning the tool for the first time. Couple the familiar look and feel of ribbon navigation in PowerPoint with a supportive community who shares content regularly and includes the helpful series rightfully called eLearning 101 to help you get started and it is hard not to get going within the first week. The community offers weekly challenges to help build your portfolio or work on your development skills and hosts an eLearning Guru challenge every year calling for users to share the best of the best. Everything is easy to navigate but the search feature can be a bit tricky to navigate. While updates and new features are slow coming, anything released seems to come with minor issues and points of irritation. Within the product you have the ability to view content in both linear and branched views which is very handy when creating complex material. Simulations are easy to create, page items can easily be animated, and output is smooth. It has a visible timeline that seems to be a highly desirable trait. This allows viewing of tracks for each item which helps to show when each item appear helping to visualize what your page will look like without constantly previewing it. Need to move forward on a page after a certain number of items are clicked then variables are here to help. Lumping all these factors makes development time drastically less than the competition. For companies concerned about budget the software is currently available for about $1,846.00 however a deal is almost always available lowering the price to $1,398.00. I’d love to see a month-by-month cost for freelancers looking to save a few dollars here or there.

On May 27h 2015 Trivantis announced something awesome….a community! You can now connect with other users, share content and browse their knowledge base. This is a huge plus in my opinion and moved Lectora higher in my ranking. My previous complaints about training being difficult to find have lost some validity and its now easier to search and filter by keywords. If you’re stuck in the development of your course and need inspiration and support it’s now easier to connect, share and troubleshoot with others. They’ve even started a web series called Lectora Live. I still love there Inspiration Wednesday’s and I hope the company continues hosting them because they really helped me excel at learning and growing as a developer within the tool. I still review them if I’m finding myself stuck. The overall design of the website isn’t my aesthetics. I feel like their missing static “need to know” information on some pages and the tiles of information seem a little over sized and aren't broken out into subcategories which means more scrolling to find what you want. Since the site is in it’s infancy stages I know aspects of the site will change and enhance. I’m excited to see what they can bring to the table and will report back the next time I update this post. The interface within the product is easy enough to pick up after some time. It feels familiar with it’s PowerPoint like design because of the ribbon navigation (as of V11) but has an interface that is definitely it's own. You can view content in a title explorer (tree view) or thumbnail view however the thumbnail view doesn't allow for easy editing. Need to move forward on a page after a certain number of items are clicked then variables are here to help. In addition you can manipulate over 30 LMS variables (AICC and CMI) and content within your course like page titles. This helps to customize the page but does take some time to get use to. If you want to do anything and everything this is the software for you! Most people find it harder to get started on but I think the new addition of the community will bring that era to a close. A lot of the bug issues I described before are being resolved. A big issue seems to be output to Internet Explorer. After being able to switch my development to primarily Chrome based the issues became less apparent. My advice….dump IE and petition IT to require Chrome as your default on all computers. The software offers the ability to insert objects like page numbering and page titles to speed up the development process. Lectora is a little on the pricier side by currently charging users about $1,600-1,800 per license. The change in prices comes with the feature to include company driven support. There SaaS version Lectora Online does provide the option of a monthly subscription for $159.

By upgrading from Lectora Publisher to Lectora Inspire you also get access to Camtasia Studio and Snagit along with the NEW feature (April 22^nd 2015) of additional access to some of the eLearning Brothers library. Within the eLearning Brothers library is templates, games, interactions, scenarios and characters. Everything is single sign on so you don’t have to worry about signing on every time you want to check the content (THANK YOU!) You can also create custom interactions using the interaction builder. Camtasia Studio is a great screen recording and videoing editing tool while Snagit makes screen captures and image manipulation much easier. For a company looking for the complete package you really can’t go wrong. With the addition of these tools the overall scoring of ease of use, animations, simulations, image, audio and editing goes up. The Inspire package does add about $900 on the total pricing bringing it up to about $2,500.00.

Adobe’s presence in the eLearning and graphic design community means there are videos, tutorials and articles posted everywhere however, support from the company itself seems to come with a price. After most updates are published out, the older content is gone and hidden making it difficult to train new employees on older versions if you don’t upgrade right away. The interaction and sharing now available with Articulate and Trivantis communities make their website seem like an endless Reddit feed instead of a helpful hub of information and people. The interface is also slightly reminiscent of PowerPoint but is more of a re-imagining combined with a typical Adobe product. Items are buried under menus and take some time to get use to especially if you’re not familiar with Adobe. If you’re already familiar with Adobe software your ease of use should be relatively smooth. The software offers the ability to include geo caching activities as well as gesture based interactions which have been buzzwords in the eLearning community. With some of the automated features available and clean outputting, this software is great for people who love Adobe and want a middle of the road level of development. Captivate too has a timeline, which tracks each item. While the ability to view content in both line and branched views is available, it isn’t presented outright or able to be left often. Having this track helps to show when each item appear helping to visualize what your page will look like without constantly previewing it. The software offers a variety of widgets which easily allow you to insert interactions and social learning aspects. Adobe offers the lowest price at $999 or in the cloud for $29.99 a month.

Animations

Lectora v12 holds the top rank with the ability to do customized animations on objects and the page. Object animations include16 entrance and exit effects that can be customized. Lectora also offers almost 30 actions that pertain to navigation, manipulation of objects, media, documents and variables along with commands. The logic of setting up these variables makes the most sense to me because you pick the when, where and then what. Lectora v12 also has the ability to complete actions under certain conditions and after a delay. You can place these actions on almost anything within the course. Hands down my favorite is the ability to group actions together to be run at one time. To view all your actions at once there is an action pane which you can delete an action or move it's timing. The screen is only accessible by selecting a menu option which is quite different from Storyline 2 and Captivate 8's "already there" interface. Because the level of adaptability is so high and they aren't easily view-able in one place, getting the hang of actions and working on speed and timing can be tricky (if not down right frustrating) at times.

Storyline 2’s object animations are almost dead ringers for PowerPoint but with a touch more control, for a total of 16 entrance and exit effects that can be customized. Animations (called Triggers in Storyline 2) equal 23 options that can be added to a page or object in just a few simple steps. The most recent addition of animations coming with the Storyline 2 upgrade is sliders and motion paths, which have added great value and created more possibilities in design. Add the addition of the move trigger and you have a feature, which allows you to inter link motion paths or animations to happen in sequence or simultaneously. The one thing that irks me is how you have to add the triggers. For me it feels backwards. Pick the action, then the slide, when you want it to happen and THEN the object. That's like asking you to select the image to go to the next page now when you click on this button! WHAT?

Captivate 8 is ahead of the technology front offering HTML5 ready animations include mobile animation gestures. All animations, called effects, are PowerPoint transferable and similar in capabilities. The product itself boasts, “Predefined effects, like straight-line motion, rotation, and glow” which is one-step behind the other two.

Simulations

Captivate 8’s integrated ability to record a software simulation within the program is a definite bonus. The program records at whatever dimensions you choose and automatically fits to the screen. With the new responsiveness upgrading simulations now show nicely on the web, tablet or phones. However, editing and changing options is not as easy as Storyline 2. But, just like Storyline 2, you can choose the output to the format of a view, try or test. A stand out feature specific to Captivate 8 is the ability to pan within your simulation. One thing that really bothers me is while creating a simulation there are some annoying system noises that are included in the simulation. One of the nicer aspects is that all three outputs are produced at one time and you can also change the mouse path. Publication is either SWF or HTML5.

Quizzing

Captivate 8 only offers nine quiz options in total. Questions can be graded or not graded increasing the total to include nine survey options as well. I found that creating the questions can be a bit cumbersome. Captivate 8 also includes the import feature which can speed up the process. Editing a question is easy and editing at the main quiz/test level is easy as well.

Translation

Lectora v12 is by far the front-runner. While the process isn’t as clean and crisp as I would like my previous team and I were able to streamline a process to get our courses to “third party” translators quickly. At one point in time, we had projects flying around in 30 different languages. Each language has its own consideration (special characters are evil!) and possible work arounds however the overall process is easy enough. You file is output as an RTF which can be shared and edited but certain aspects of the document can't be edited. We found that you had to limit what software you used to edit the document because it would potentially mess with the reloading of the document or overall look of the screen. We couldn't figure out why some items weren't being translated. After further investigation we found white text was being missed on the white background of the document. Doh! As a work around we located and highlight the text an obnoxious neon color that we knew to change during development.

Captivate 8 includes an easy import and export feature that can be managed in Word. The total number of languages supported isn't as long as Lectora either leaving their functionality steps behind. Additionally, the document only captures and supports items that are “project captions and closed captions” which means text only.

Mobile Devices

Captivate 8 offers responsive projects that fit for all needs including mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. Added in with the fact that the publishing comes with the option to its own App (PhoneGap). Keeping these two factors in mind, Captivate 8 surpasses all others in the market. However, with the responsiveness comes the additional responsibility of maintaining your responsive outputs. I'm told that it can be quite buggy. These two factors can outweigh the feature if your team is focused on quick and simple design.

Storyline 2 also comes with a mobile publishing option to its own player which runs on IOS and Android devices.

As of right now the product does not offer responsive design, a publishing app or player for mobile devices. A limited number of templates are available which can be used for mobile viewing but require multiple projects for one course. Trivantis is planning on offering responsive products. During the Lectora User Conference (April 2015) the company shared news of the project. Beta is scheduled to begin in August so I’ll be sure to come back and update my opinion.

HTML5 / Browser Compatibility

In my personal experience with Lectora the HTML output is best viewed in Chrome. While the company has in it’s tech specs that Internet Explorer 8 and above is supported, the publishing experience can vary. Sometimes objects shift slightly which can make alignment a bear. You have the option to embed Youtube videos and web windows, which means you can keep your learner in the course instead of redirecting them. All flash objects are published as HTML5 and media is often required to be converted before publishing can even begin.

Articulate Storyline 2 offers both Flash and HTML5 output. During development you have to keep in mind that many flash based objects can have difficulty in the browser especially media since FLV and SWF’s are not supported. There are known issues with markers and data entry fields as well as zooming. Safari seems to be there problem child with the most number of issues listed.

Captivate 8 includes the option to publish to HTML5 (it has been able to do so within the product since version 6). During development you have to keep in mind that many flash based objects can have difficulty in the browser especially media since FLV and SWF’s are not supported. Along with the ability to publish to it’s supported browsers you can also send files to Adobe Connect for easy sharing during online trainings with an instructor.

Ease of Editing

Going along with the ease of use factor, is Storyline 2’s ability to seamlessly make updates. Editing objects is just like editing within a PowerPoint and within my experience it encounters very few errors when scorming and uploading.

Lectora v12’s updating is easy enough. Editing objects is much like editing within PowerPoint. The scrubber is an excellent tools that lets you know if you could potentially encounter errors. The company has been working to resolve (what I'm calling) needless errors that can cause problems like Lectora shutting down or shutting down the page is objects are missing or variables aren't completely filled out (special shout out to the individual or team who came up with the fix to delete the empty actions!).

In Captivate 8 updating items properties is more difficult because it doesn't act or feel like PowerPoint. Once you get into the properties everything is there which can be overwhelming at times when your trying to troubleshoot but also nice since you don't have to look at multiple menus. Edits end up being more of a dreadful part of the project when I use Captivate....

Image

Captivate 8 has the ability to adjust brightness, sharpness, contrast, alpha, hue and saturation. You can also gray scale and invert colors, rotate the image, and crop. It comes as no surprise that the image editing is limited thus the need for including Photoshop, Fireworks or the whole cloud into your deal.

Audio

With the upgrade to Inspire you get the full capabilities of Camtasia that has everything a beginner to intermediate user would ever need including multiple publishing options and filters.

Captivate 8 offers the ability to record and edit audio within the software. The editing features include cutting, copying, pasting, trimming clips and adjust volume levels.

Storyline 2 only offers the ability to record and edit audio when creating a simulation. Since both are linked together, you must edit the screen and audio as one.

Video

Lectora v12 offers web cam video recording and Lectora v12 does require all content be sent out in MP4. Video editing is limited but available.

With the upgrade to Inspire you get the full capabilities of Camtasia that has everything a beginner to intermediate user would ever need including multiple publishing options and an easy to use interface to make creation and editing faster.

Storyline 2 offers the ability to record videos during simulation creation only.

Captivate 8 offers the ability to record videos during simulation creation only.

Conclusion

If you couldn’t already tell the addition of Trivantis’s community and partnership with eLearning Brothers has greatly changed my opinion. While the content and users begin to build in the community I’ll be keeping a close eye to see who edges ahead. Storyline 2 is still the easiest tool to learn (or at least it was for me!). While it may not have all the bells and whistles of Adobe Captivate or Lectora Publisher and Inspire it’s enough for a company or freelancer to create the basics. For companies with head strong dreams and forward thinkers, Lectora is definitely the way to go. Since the product is so robust the possibilities are as limitless as your imagination and will power. The upgrade to Inspire is almost a no brainer especially now with the addition of the eLearning Brothers template library. Adobe Captivate is great for companies who want a singular product to develop in since it fits nicely into their range of products. It’s also there as the cheapest option for developers on a budget. If you’re an Adobe veteran it’s easy to pick up and start using rather quickly. If not, be prepared for a steep learning curve.

To start your free trial or download the software listed in this article visit the following links:

Adobe: www.adobe.com/Captivate

Articulate: https://www.articulate.com/products/storyline-why.php

Trivantis: http://trivantis.com/products/inspire-e-learning-software/

Resources

http://www.elearningguild.com/research/archives/index.cfm?id=170&action=viewonly

http://lectora.com/inspire-e-learning-software/whats-new

http://www.adobe.com/products/captivate.html

https://www.articulate.com/products/Storyline 2-whats-new.php

http://blog.commlabindia.com/elearning-development/lectora-Storyline 2-captivate8-tools-for-elearning

http://elearninguncovered.com/2013/01/e-learning-authoring-tool-comparison/

http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2013/12/03/how-to-choose-an-authoring-tool-for-your-html-elearning-development/comment-page-1/#comment-1847002

http://www.articulate.com/support/storyline/comparing-storylines-flash-html5-and-articulate-mobile-player-output

Let's keep the conversation going....What software do you use? Leave me a comment or tweet me (@jvalley0714)

How I Upload Articulate Files to Google Drive

2015-01-09T14:04:00.000-06:00

One of the best and easiest ways for me to share content with others is Google Drive (NOT the newest version). It's free and if you don't need to worry about copyright issues it's fast and easy. An important fact to note is that Google Drive (unsurprisingly) works best with Google Chrome browsers. It's also suppose to work on Firefox, Safari (not supported on Windows) and Internet Explorer per Google but expect a higher likeliness of experiencing "bugs".

Here are the steps I follow to upload my Articulate Output for viewing on Google Drive:

1. Create a folder and name it on your Google Drive

A. Go to Create and select the Folder option.

B. When the pop up appears name your folder and select Create.

2. Mark the folder as public

A. Select the folder

B. From the More menu select Share and then Share again

C. Select the Advanced option.

D. From the sharing settings window select Change.... in the who has access section.

E. From the link sharing window select On - Public on web and then Save.

F. Select Done to exit out of sharing settings.

3. Drag my Storyline output files into folder

A. Open the folder by clicking or right clicking and selecting Open

B. Drag your output files into the drop location (I suggest all at once using Control A).

C. When prompted select Upload and share to set your items at the same permission as the folder.

D. Don't convert any document or text and select Start upload

E. Wait for your items to completely upload.

4. Change the Output file

A. Select the Story.html, right click and select rename.

B. In the field enter Index.html.

C. Select Ok.

Please note:
Presenter: rename player.html
Quizmaker: rename quiz.html
Engage: rename engage.html

5. From the web window copy the folder name at the end of the link

6. Enter www.googledrive.com/host/ and then enter in your folder name

7. Quality Check

Would you like to see a demo of this course? Click here

Why I Love the Articulate eLearning Heroes Challenges (2014 Recap)

2015-01-06T16:39:00.002-06:00

When I first discovered the Articulate Community it was July/August of 2014. I had only been exposed to Lectora for most of my career but I wondered what else was out there. I heard the buzz of Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate and it peaked my interest. I downloaded brief trials in previous years but just for curiosity sake and not testing. But I wanted something more! To learn the software, make examples, find a new place to communicate with other professionals and keep me glued to my email and Twitter for the um teenth reason. I kept telling myself "you've been wanting to up your professional development game", "you've been wanting to take a deeper dive into other software" and "these would make great portfolio pieces" but something held me back. One day after reading someone's encouraging comment that boiled down to "You just need to do it" I finally threw my hands in the air and wrote a blog post for an entry. From that moment on the Community and Challenges became my eLearning crack (sorry for the analogy but I can't think of anything better to explain it!).

I think what I love most about the Community is that the knowledge shared always seems to be right when I need it. I seriously thought the members were tapping into my computer for awhile and using my upcoming article ideas spreadsheet for their own use. Some of the other articles seemed to come from left field but still made so much sense. It has opened up my eyes to what I can do and it's helping to build my confidence as a developer. I figured it would be a good idea to share what I have gained from this experience and hopefully inspire someone who hasn't joined the Community or published their first challenge to JUST DO IT! You'll feel welcomed, accomplished and satisfied, I promise.

First:

Challenge: #45 - Audio Recording Tips

Entry: Article

Easiest:

Challenge: #48 - Storyboard Template

Entry: PowerPoint Download

Reason: I already had this lying around so I spruced it up and reviewed it before sending it off to the masses.

Most Challenging:

Challenge: #8 - Create Your Template with Clip Art

Entry: PowerPoint Download

Reason: My brain went way to complicated on the idea. Then the image collection was hard because I tried to find a full set so I wouldn't lose the general look and feel of the food or cooking items. Not to mention editing them when I finally found the right style. I really wish I would of just been able to use a Vector pack but hey it took me out of my comfort zone and I learned a new investigative skill lol

Favorite:

Challenge: #58: Digital Magazines and Interactive E-Learning

Entry: Storyline Demo

Reason: I love taking eLearning and making it "editorial". So many times you still see the zaney PowerPoint graphics or horribly posed stock images. Doing this challenge really made me think like a designer, pay attention to how I presented things, and maintain the feel of a magazine. This entry was the one I spent the most time on but is also one I'm really proud of.

Honorable Mention:

Challenge: #64: Here's How E-Learning Designers Are Using Interactive Charts and Graphs

Entry: Storyline 2 Demo

Reason: I took what I made in the challenge and turned it into a full course I loved it so much! What can I say....I heart Twitter!

Did you participate? What was your favorite? Comment below or find me on Twitter (@jvalley0714)

Blogging for a Year and What's to Come in 2015

2015-01-02T09:18:00.001-06:00

I can't believe I missed my blogiversery. Oh the woes of starting something over Christmas break! As of 12/22 this blog is officially one years old. I want to thank each and every one of you who check out my blog weekly, talk to me on social media or even the one who occasionally wanders in.

I started this blog as a way to learn more about the field of online education/learning and development/corporate training/adult learning/elearning or whatever you call it and ended up making some great friends and allies, learning about new companies and products, and learning new things about eLearning and myself as an Instructional Designer. What more could a girl ask for? I wanted to share some quick stats with you and hope that you share in my excitement.

Total number of views: 9,300+
Total number of posts: 54 (some where not about eLearning and later removed)
Average views per month: 780
Highest number of views in a month: May 2014 with 1,439 views
Traffic Sources:

Audience by Country:

#1 United States
#2 United Kingdom
#3 Australia

Top 3 Posts with the most views:

28 eLearning Heroes Challenges completed
23 Examples added to my Portfolio
Maintained a 1.7 or higher engagement rate on Twitter
Added 800 Twitter Followers
Largest Twitter impressions: October 2014 19,700
Tweeted over 1000 times
Have 222 average daily viewers on Pinterest (in the last 30 days)
With 4,238 impressions on my White and Nerdy (elearning) board (in the last 30 days)

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I will definitely continue to blog through 2015 and I'm hoping to eventually bump up my posting frequency to twice a week. Here are some of my 2015 goals that have to do with my journey in eLearning and this blog:

Build "own" email campaigns (Mailchimp, why are you so intimidating!)
Change blog and social media style/branding (responsive? flat?)
Switch site providers (Wix, Squarespace, Weebly)????
Create and distribute at least one eBook
Do more product reviews
Do book reviews
Finally write this massive article I've been collecting resources and silently thinking about the structure and subject matter of for months!
Incorporate software tips and tricks into a series (this is my chance to start making Youtube videos)!
Dump Blog's Facebook or start engaging on there more
Get a Bachelors degree???
Attend a conference
Clean up Pinterest boards
Guest blog
Submit an article to one of the eLearning magazines
Stay top contributor on my favorite LinkedIn group as much as possible
Publish an article to LinkedIn

What are you planning on doing on our blog or in your life this year? Comment below or catch me on Twitter @jvalley0714

2014 Meeting Tool Match Up

2014-12-18T16:50:00.001-06:00

Does your meeting tool do what you need it to? I was recently asked to review the features of the top three ranking virtual meeting software providers: Citrix Go to Training, WebEx Training Center and Adobe Connect.

The question:

Do we have the right tool?

The Answer:

WebEx Training Center was the obvious choice. It boasts multiple platform sharing, robust video, clear audio and anyone who has used the software can attest to the ease of "passing the ball". In general it had more tools, chat options, and an easier to use whiteboard and polling system. One of the major bonuses is the ability to record, edit and save you meetings within the software in an easily post able format while maintaining quality (MP4). It has the easiest to use Mobile App and is the best in class for use on an iPad. It was the easiest to use, learn and was technically sound.

So the question is, what are you using? Does it do everything you want? Feel free to comment below or tweet me (@jvalley0714).

Jennifer Valley

Adobe Captivate 9 V. Articulate Storyline 2 V. Trivantis Lectora Inspire 12

Reviewing Reviewlink 3

Looking Back at a Year in Healthcare eLearning

The regulations are as crazy as you'd think

Images are easier to find

You don't have to know it to be successful

Medical staff want it done...right now!

Everyone struggles with SME participation

5 Reasons Why Anyone Associated to eLearning Should be on Twitter

1. Friends

2. Twitter Chats

3. Lists

4. Hashtags

5. Analytics

Where have I been?

Lectora Live 006 with Yours Truely

SCORM < 100

3 Steps to Becoming an Instructional Designer

Education

Experience

Skills

My Archer Gif to You (eLearning Challenge #83)

Here is my Archer Gif to you.

1. When the deadline gets moved up on a big project

2. When someone wants to talk to me about work on lunch

3. When the training is going to be implemented in a completely different way then discussed

4. When a meeting goes way to long and without resolve

5. When management is trying to hype up a project

6. When I'm asked if the project I got the full details on yesterday is ready

7. When trying to explain mobile learning

8. When your idea circles the drain

Audience < 100

Audience

Putting Together the Perfect Portfolio

Define your target audience.

Variety IS the spice of life!

Invest in a place to showcase.

Dealing with Anxiety by Creating a Better Course

Don’t throw horrible stock photos of people pulling their hair out or over exaggerating a sigh at me!

Don’t tell me to breath and I don’t want to count to 10.

Do show me how to identify the problem

Do tell me to get some sleep, eat right and exercise

Do tell me to get distracted

Do use free resources

Do explain the signs of serious anxiety disorders

You Can't Sit with Us!: On Boarding a New Employee in 3 Steps

Pick the right method!

Come up with an awesome game plan!

Revisit and Refine OFTEN

My eLearning Toy Box

Challenge

Work

Result

Resources

5 Tips for Creating the Perfect Video (FREE Template Download)

Want a Free Video Style Guide Template?

Experience API: Tech Dream or Admin Nightmare?

What is Tin Can?

What can an Experience API do that SCORM can't?

How do you use it?

What can't Tin Can do?

Who should use API?

Is Experience APIs the Future?

Resources

ADDIE < 100

Free (or Cheaper) Tool and Resources for eLearning (February 2015)

Animation

Audio

Bibliography/Citation

Collaboration/Management Tools

Color

Course Authoring

Documents

Font

Image Manipulation

Image/Icon

Infographics

Inspiration

LMS