The Technology of Learning

Understanding s508 & WCAG 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Mon, 08 May 2017 22:35:00 +0000

Decoding Terminology

Accessibility is a vastly important element of proper design and development of eLearning, training, and other content. However, unless you are deeply entrenched and familiar with the various and different standards and guidelines for accessibility conformance, discussion of this topic can be somewhat confusing.

This article aims to provide a brief overview, baseline foundation, and general understanding of US Federal s508 and global WCAG 2.0 accessibility conformance standards.

Brief History of s508

Seal of US Congress

Based on US Congress's 1998 amendment of the Rehabilitation Act, section 508 requires access to electronic media, website content, and other information technology in US federal agencies. Compliance to section 508, or "s508", of this law means federal agencies must ensure all of these technologies are accessible to employees and the public in general, with no "undue burden". See more in-depth info at https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-section-508-standards/background.

s508 came with its own recommendations, definitions, and standards on how to accomplish this accessibility. Generally speaking, s508 compliance aimed at US Federal agencies, groups, and entities. Despite this federal-only focus, s508 gained recognition as an accessibility standard throughout many global, corporate and other non-federal entities.

WCAG

Wikipedia does an excellent job summarizing this:

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are part of a series of web accessibility guidelines published by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the main international standards organization for the Internet. They are a set of guidelines that specify how to make content accessible, primarily for people with disabilities—but also for all user agents, including highly limited devices, such as mobile phones.

W3C WAI-AA WCAG 2.0 logo

For a primer or refresher on what the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) is review the W3 Org website and its associated entries on this subject.

https://www.w3.org/WAI/

In addition to finding out more about the Initiative itself, there are many tutorials, announcements, and other facts to help developers create accessible content.

Level-up

The current standard guideline is WCAG 2.0 and has three levels of conformance (A, AA, AAA).
W3C explains these levels of conformance further (https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/#conformance-reqs):

Level A: For Level A conformance (the minimum level of conformance), the Web page satisfies all the Level A Success Criteria, or a conforming alternate version is provided.
Level AA: For Level AA conformance, the Web page satisfies all the Level A and Level AA Success Criteria, or a Level AA conforming alternate version is provided.
Level AAA: For Level AAA conformance, the Web page satisfies all the Level A, Level AA and Level AAA Success Criteria, or a Level AAA conforming alternate version is provided.

W3C also offers this guide on "How to Meet WCAG 2.0", located here https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/.

s508 Reboot

Early in 2017, s508 standards received a major update and refresh that incorporates, "the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 by reference and applying Level A and Level AA Success Criteria and Conformance Requirements to websites, as well as to non-web electronic documents and software".

The new rule adopts seventeen WCAG 2.0 success criteria, but 22 of the 38 existing A-level and AA-level criteria were already covered by existing Section 508 guidelines. The rule requires adherence to the new standards twelve months from its date of publication in the federal register.
- Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Content_Accessibility_Guidelines)

In short, the federal s508 now aligns itself with the more global standard, WCAG 2.0.

Accessibility Checkers and Tools

To help us create accessibility conformant content, W3 Org offers a decent list of available tools for developers to use to check the content for accessibility compliance, located at https://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/tools/.

I will dig-deeper into many of the accessibility checker tools found here at the W3 Org website, as well as other tools, extensions, checkers, in later entry.

Summary

Developing and designing accessibility conformant content can be challenging, indeed. Add confusion between terms, standards, and guidelines to this and discussions can quickly become convoluted. Until recently, the two standards were not synonymous, nor congruous.

However this changed with the recent change and refresh to section 508 to better align with global WCAG 2.0 standards. Now we can discuss content meeting (current) s508 standards, while ensuring those WCAG 2.0 standards are also addressed...meaning, we can now discuss apples-to-apples, when talking about accessibility.

VR for eLearning

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 05:28:00 +0000

My Precious

Those of us in the eLearning industry find ourselves continually looking to technology advancements as potential tools to enhance, augment, or otherwise improve learner experience. Among these exciting innovations, VR - virtual reality - has many of us very excited.

In Skyword's, "What You Need to Know about the Latest Trends in Virtual Reality Technology", Nicola Brown sums up the current whirlwind of VR trends quite well:

The biggest headsets on the scene right now are Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR (built-in VR), Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard (phone-based VR) and Microsoft Hololens (AR). But these are just the ones you've likely already heard of. There's also Razer OSVR, Fove VR, Vrvana, Zeiss VR One, Avegant Glyph, and Freefly VR. It's already too hard to keep up.

Indeed it is. Using Google's technology as a metaphor, we've gone from Cardboard to a Daydream. But what can eLearning do with VR? How can we leverage these technologies in meaningful ways for our learners?

A Cautionary Tale

Certainly, the eLearning industry has always welcomed and embraced new and incoming technology: serious games; gamification; JIT; badges; microlearning ... as soon as a new technology is discovered, we find ways to utilize it for our learning audience.

But we must also be realistic.

While we can trumpet the latest-and-greatest of these shiny baubles, extolling how earth-shatteringly vital their use can be for our learners, at the end of the day we could possibly find ourselves creating content similar to that of nigh-on two decades ago.

The reality of our industry is that while we love cool, new toys...buuuuut, we aren't always allowed to play with them as soon or as much as we think (or feel) we should.

Fail Fast; Fail Often Sometimes

Ok, so I know we are supposed to fail fast and often, at least according to our modern agile-like standards. However, I don't think we need to keep failing...especially when it feels like we've been here before.

In the hopes that VR will not fall into this same hole-of-obscurity as AR (Augmented Reality) did almost a decade ago. I offer a few suggestion on how we might set ourselves up for success with VR, adapted these from Forbes, "Top 10 Trends For Digital Transformation In 2017" by contributor, Daniel Newman.

Adaptability is more vital to success than ever:

The eLearning and training industry must be open to new ideas and concepts, especially from those outside our industry: video games, streaming video services (a.k.a., Netflix), and even Silicon Valley. Anywhere that showcases success should be our templates and roadmaps on how to engage our learners.

Conversely, we should not hang-on to antiquated notions that do not serve the best interest of our learners (cough...LMS...cough).

User/learner experience is tantamount:

Despite whatever milieu we choose for our learners - Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, or even PDF document - we should continually ensure the focus in on learner engagement.

Innovation must be accepted and incorporated rapidly:

While we - in eLearning - tend to adopt new trends and coolness, many times our stakeholders and/or or clients do not share this same adventurous spirit. If we are to ensure success for our learners, we and our decision-makers need to embrace change and new ideas.

Embrace early-adopter learners:

While this one sounds like the one above, there is a distinct difference. For those learners utilizing cutting-edge tech, offer some small reward to them with new learning/training made specifically for that tech, even if it's only something small. There are a couple of reasons I suggest this: first, it keeps in-line with engaging our learners by providing content in that space; additionally, doing so demonstrates innovation to our learners, stakeholders, and/or clients.

The Chosen One?

So where does this leave us?

Will VR propel eLearning forward towards even greater innovation

Maybe. If we are careful and don't let this fantastic medium slip into obscurity, we may just be able to leverage it, and many other tools, in ways we've never considered heretofore.

Will VR gets us closer to Star Trekkian Holodecks?
We can only hope. And pray. 😊

How do you see VR unfolding and/maturing in eLearning? What can we do to ensure its success?

Share your thoughts and insights in the comments below.

Lessons Learned - Focus on Learning DemoFest 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 19:56:00 +0000

The 2016 FoL DemoFest in Austin, TX was fantastic. There was an undercurrent of enthusiasm that permeated both the presentations as well as the P2P interactions - specifically in emerging technology, such as 360 videos and VR. It was a great experience to see the different things that people brought to their projects, and feel their excitement about what they had created.

Feel free to try my demo on your devices. Access the demo using this link:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19826707/games/nekronomicon/index.html.

Background

Splash screen from my DemoFest 2016 entry

My project, NekroNomIcon: Story-Driven Mobile Game Developed with iSpring, was primarily focused on the following items:

Creating a unique experience, based on and exclusively driven-by a specific story
Showcasing what can be accomplished using iSpring as a development tool
Pushing the limits of both iSpring and the associated tech (hardware, HTML5, etc.)

For my story, I chose thematic elements from Sam Raimi's Evil Dead franchise, focusing primarily on the character, Ash, and his interaction with an evil book. While we sometimes focus on the arbitrary instead: slides; quizzes; pre-/post-tests; objectives, why not take a cue from film and games? Let story drive the media and content and flesh-out the experience.

NekroNomIcon is a game experience driven by its fictional story. Investigate a book that’s intent on raising an army that is both Evil & Dead and stay alive!

Design & Development

From start to finish, I used iSpring to develop this project. iSpring has several elements and ready-made experiences already built into the tool. Given my focus on story, the real challenge was more about ensuring that these interactions matched and aligned themselves with the story.

From the available Visuals, I was determined that my demo should utilize the Book interaction. You know...since the NekroNomIcon is an evil book.

DnD Quiz

Rather than testing retention or knowledge, I decided to leverage iSpring's Quiz functionality to provide a more gamified experience. Using a drag-and-drop quiz question allows the participant to experiment with outcomes by mix-and-matching the on-screen "magic words."

iSpring's impressive Simulation tool adds a quantifiable level of coolness to any project. However, was a challenge to find a way its unique presentation fit within the scope of my particular story.

Interactive branching with iSpring's Simulation tool

After much experimentation, I settled on using the Simulation to provide my audience an entertaining FAQ section on the creation of my demo. I feel that this use was a successful marriage between its intricate branching functionality and my particular sense of humor (such as it is).

Judging by the general reaction from participants, many of whom chuckled out loud (..."COL'd"?...), this decision was a success.

What Worked

Broadly speaking, NekroNomIcon was a smashing success - there were few, if any, major technical hiccups. As many of you know: technology has a way of not working, right when you need it the most. However, I was fortunate that the demonstration went very smoothly (this time...lol).

Additionally, the various interactive elements from iSpring provided added value to both the demo and its core story.

The use of thematically cohesive visuals also helped to cement the experience. I chose to flex my 3D skills by including various still images of custom 3D models I created. Additionally, I leveraged iSpring's Web Object to include a small window which allowed participants to 'play with' the 3D model itself.

Try it for yourself:

Ash Close & Personal by Michael Sheyahshe on Sketchfab

This solution uses a 3rd-party website called, Sketchfab. While there are other methods to allow participants to directly manipulate 3D models in real-time (i.e., ThreeJS, Unity3D, WebGL, etc.), using Sketchfab was the fastest and most robust. For DemoFest, I needed to be sure the 3D displayed correctly and was able to be controlled across many devices - Sketchfab successfully fulfilled this need.

Finally, the understated hero of NekroNomIcon was iSpring's ability to easily create branching within the simple PowerPoint slides. eLearning professionals all know how important branching can be to our industry, our content, and our audience. However, we sometimes take for granted what it will take to create such branching, especially from a programmatic (code) point-of-view.

The iSpring Presentation Explorer is easy to use and allows custom branching at both the slide-level and to/from iSpring interactions. This is tremendous time-saver for projects like mine that critically depend on branching for core functionality.

From a participant perspective, it was fantastic to see how many individuals got the homage to the Evil Dead/Army of Darkness references. Many came to the NekroNomIcon demo solely for the thematic element. That's a rewarding experience; this demo was made for those people.

What Didn't Work

Like any project - especially ones crafted personal passion - experimentation is both key and potentially excruciating. As film editors can tell you: there is way more on the cutting-room floor than will ever see thelight of day.

Metaphors aside, there were many things I wanted to include in the NekroNomIcon demo, but was unable to do so for various reasons.

A wall round of Hogan's Alley. (source: Wikipedia)

Borrowing from element of surprise, I tested a Hogan's Alley (video game)-esque pop-up/shooter. While I feel this type of interaction may have lent more excitement to the demo, I was only able to partially bring this concept to life within iSpring's current constraints. Close, but not quite. It is possible that, with more time for testing, I could successfully create this element. However, the idea was scrapped for the 2016 DemoFest.

Similarly, iSpring has a wonderful Timeline interaction, which I'd hoped to showcase at DemoFest. While this tool is very easy to create and implement, it is text-dependent and, thus, not appropriate for the lightning-fast pace of DemoFest. Thus, it too was dismissed.

Additionally, while iSpring effectively handled the heavy-lifting of Responsive Design - meaning the entire demo worked across several devices - there were certain visual limitations, specifically from handheld devices (such as my Android phone). Responsive Design has become tantamount to standard design in our industry. iSpring handled this expertly across all the devices I used/tested.

Yet, given its PowerPoint origin, my demo stayed at landscape mode despite device rotation. This made some elements near-microscopic, from a standard visual point-of-view. I'm certain this could have been overcome with a snippet of code or an included library. Again: due to time and resource limits, I chose to toss the idea and move on.

Take-Aways

This was a one (hu)man show--meaning I was the designers, developer, coder, QA, and client, all rolled into one (fantastic-looking) package. The majority of the shortcomings to NekroNomIcon can be squarely place on my shoulders.

Yet the real successes - I feel - are more subtle than the functionality of the demo itself.

I created something unique; something that focused as much on the inherent story, as the play-ability of the demo itself.
I was able to take 'standard' eLearning elements (quizzing, branching, etc.) and use them in ways that supported this.
I not only saw what iSpring can do, as-is, but also:

How far it can be pushed.
What is possible.
I can only imagine the possibilities with additional coding.

Having my project accepted to DemoFest was an honor. Being able to flex some creative muscles was even better. Best yet? I now have an additional development tool (iSpring) for interactive content in my arsenal.

I look forward to my next opportunity to create a demo like NekroNomIcon.

Cool Technology for Education

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:41:00 +0000

An important part of what I do is to continue to seek out innovative ways to support and augment education and learning. Below are some technical innovations that stand out in terms of what they could possibly to do enhance learning and overall user experience.

Augmented Reality ("AR") - My interest in AR was first piqued some time ago, when I read some articles in Computer Graphics World ("At Home with Augmented Reality" by Barbara Robertson and, later, "Play Ball" by Karen Moltenbrey) that showcased Augmented Reality as innovation.

Why it's cool

Augmented Reality enhances users perception of reality, usually in a visual sense, but can possibly be extended to auditory information. Augmented Reality provides real-time context and information layer(s) on top of the real world view and becomes interactive and digitally usable.

Augmented Reality can be used to create immersive environments and simulations. the AR provides live, direct and/or indirect view of real-world elements 'augmented' by virtual computer-generated imagery (CGI), AR is often mentioned in context with 3D models or assets. Deservedly, much attention is given to ARs potential to allow users augmented experiences using their mobile devices (smart phones or other devices). The analogy: an overlay or information layer placed on top of existent reality. See Augmented Business Cards & GE's Smartgrid page to try it yourself (you will need to print out icon on website).

This type of interface could benefit any learning environment, but could potentially offer an entirely new dimension to exhibits and museums, where 'real' space is a premium commodity. Additionally, think of all the ways users to could implement and interact with educational resources, using their own mobile devices. While the coolness factor is high on this, its educational value has barely been tapped. For a quick overview of AR use in education, see Brett E. Shelton's Augmented Reality and Education: Current Projects and the Potential for Classroom Learning.

Multitouch touchscreen displays -

Why it's cool:

Multitouch ("MT") devices can allow multiple inputs simultaneously on a visual display surface and provides users direct, interactive computer control. From an educational perspective, imagine if learners could have interactive kiosks where multiple users could interact with a simulation, exercise, or other training material.

Like augmented reality mentioned above, this type of interface could benefit any learning environment, but could provide an excellent resource to exhibits and museums, where 'real' space is a premium commodity. Consider of the possibilities of combining the two into a truly immersive experience, where users can not directly interact with assets, but can also be provided an added layer of information and/or experience on top of existing real-world elements.

Additionally, the MTs can be custom-built allowing for a variety implementations, depending on use of space (see Maximum PC article on how to build a multitouch surface, for example) or purchased as commercial off the shelf (like, the ones from PQ Labs).

Cost Effective 'Smartboard-like' interface - using Wii-mote, a projector, and an IR emitter, Johnny Lee, a Researcher at Microsoft Applied Sciences division, allows individuals to create a low-cast interactive white board. Johnny Lee outlines this project and others at his website: http://www.johnnylee.net/projects/wii/.

Why it's cool:

Similar to the MTs above, the user interactivity alone makes this a noteworthy item. While, the sheer fact that you can turn any surface (that you can project on) into an interactive whiteboard surface, the real value is that innovations like this open up possibilities for other use. What else can we do with Wii-like technology? Also on his website, Lee outlines other immersive uses for this innovation, including adding a truly three-dimensional perspective (i.e., 'depth') to simulations and video games, which looks even more promising.

Bottom line...

Really, from an educational value, these innovations could offer a myriad of uses and added dimensions of learning for users. In many cases above, instead of simply being a passive participant in the learning process, the user or learner actively shapes their own educational experience. With this, the user potentially gains empirical knowledge of the information at hand. These technical innovations could especially benefit eLearning environments and/or presentations, exhibits, or other educational elements at museums, or other entities where real-world space is limited. Additionally, the use of personal mobile devices in some of these innovations make these an important asset to enhance user learning experience.

It may not be as cool as what we see in The Matrix - where individuals are so completely immersed into a different reality that it becomes more 'real' than real-life - or Minority Report - where users directly manipulate digital projections in mid-air - but it's a very good start, especially for education.

Charts and Graphs Training

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:45:00 +0000

aNm is testing document file deliver using Scribd.

Scribd is an online resource to house and deploy documents created in PDF, MS Word, and MS PowerPoint format. Scribd uses its iPaper technology to allow individuals to publish documents in an online viewer that uses Flash player to deliver the content.

iPaper standardizes all document formats into one viewer that can be seamlessly integrated into webpages. Recognizing the value of this technology, Scribd released the Scribd Platform, which allows any website to use iPaper to display their documents." (Scribd website.)

Below is one of aNm's training documents.

Charts & Graphs for Presentation by caddo1975

Digitization Training

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0000

Digitization Training from Michael Sheyahshe

MS Publisher Training

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:50:00 +0000

MS Publisher Training from Michael Sheyahshe

Randomizing Questions in an Existing MS Word File

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:14:00 +0000

NOTE: These instructions are for MS Word 2003; while the same process can be used for Word 2007, the menu choices are a little different.

Begin by highlighting the text needing randomized.
Text must be contiguous in order to be randomized later. Any additional text, such as manual page headers, will need to be removed temporarily.
Next click Table > Convert > Text to Table
A new window, "Convert Text to Table,' will appear.
Ensure that the following settings are set at their default:

Table size - "Number of columns" set to 1
NOTE: While we will add another column later, it is important to maintain the information as-is; thus, we choose only one column for now.
AutoFit behavior - "Fixed column width" is checked
Table style: (none) - Choose Paragraph from the "Separate text at" section
NOTE: This will allow MS Word to create an individual table cell for each question and individual answer. However, we will correct this in the next few steps.

A new table will be created containing the text.
NOTE: Some cleanup may be necessary at this point; delete any empty rows created by this process.

Highlight the cells containing the questions and their respective answers only.
Right-click the highlighted area and select Merge Cells.
The questions and their subsequent answers will now be contained in one cell.
Repeat these steps until all sections are contained in their respective cells.
Highlight the entire column containing the questions and answers.
From the menu, choose Table > Insert > Columns to the Left.
Save the Word document as your original order (i.e., "original_file.doc", etc.)

In this new column, insert a randomly generated list, starting from the number 1 to however many questions we have to randomize.

Such a list can be produced at websites such as http://www.random.org/lists/.

Highlight the randomized list and COPY it to your Clipboard.
Once you have a randomly-generated numerical list, highlight the new column and Paste the number list to this column.
NOTE: If the new column has two sets of numbers, as shown here, be sure to highlight the column and turn OFF the Numbering format.
Now, we use the numbered list to randomize all the questions.
Highlight the entire table and choose Table > Sort from the menu.
In the new menu, choose the following:
Sort by: Column 1
Type: Number
Ascending (order)
Click OK.

The table will now be randomized, as its numerical order has been sorted, based on a randomized list. This left-handed column can now be used as the questions' order.
NOTE: Using this method will allow text to retain its 'hidden text' feature, which contains the correct answer key. Otherwise, this hidden text is lost.

The table/cell borders may now be hidden, pending overall design choice.

The questions can now be randomized over and over, simply by:

Opening the original file (with the blank column)
Pasting a randomly-generated numerical list in the left
Sorting the entire table by this new list

Overcoming SWF issues in Authorware 7

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:35:00 +0000

As many blogs and forum postings online have demonstrated, Authorware 7.02 does not play well with Adobe Macromedia Flash Player 8 and above. One potential fix for this is to adjust your ActiveX files in AW7; however this can be tedious, at best, and the end-users will need to have the latest version of Flash Player in order to help remedy this (though, not impossible, it’s not always feasible, depending on audience).

Another fix includes setting your Flash publishing presets down to Flash 7 or lower, yet this can create potential problems, especially if you plan to import any external video into Flash for playback.

The main reason for this is that the codec used by Flash 8 Video Encoder (the stand-alone client and the embedded codec used inside a Flash project to import the video on to the stage), On2 VP6, only works with Flash 8, in many cases – especially if you plan to use the FLV Playback utility. Thus, dialing Flash back to an earlier version does not work and will not function inside an Authorware project. While the SWF may play inside the Authorware preview mode, it will not work once the project is packaged and deployed to the clients.

There is however a simple and affordable (translation: free) solution to this problem is employing a third-party video encoder/converter to change the video file to a SWF file that Authorware will accept. Cinemaforge is freeware, available from C-Net’s download.com, which will convert video into SWF that can be used in AW7 deployments. Like many other media converters, Cinemaforge allows you to customize the video and audio settings, depending on the quality and filesize you wish AW7 to play.

While this may not be a perfect solution, it is an effective one…especially as a fix for a product that has a severely limited shelf-life (as Authorware is no newer versions will be released or supported by Adobe).

MS PowerPoint Training

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:52:00 +0000

Introduction to PowerPoint 2007 from Michael Sheyahshe

MS Access Training

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:16:00 +0000

MS Access Training from Michael Sheyahshe

MS Excel Training 01

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:38:00 +0000

MS Excel Training 01 from Michael Sheyahshe

MS Excel Training 02

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:34:00 +0000

MS Excel Training 02 from Michael Sheyahshe

MS Outlook 2007 Training

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:41:00 +0000

MS Outlook Training 2007 from Michael Sheyahshe

OVERVIEW: Effectively Using Virtual Simulations

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:46:00 +0000

Government Technology reports about the emerging use of virtual simulations (read that: "video games") for effective training in the Public Health arena.

The article ("Virtual Worlds Help Public Safety Officials Practice for Real-Life Threats") outlines simulation use by California Department of Health Services, in conjunction with the University of California-Davis Health System; U.S. Department of Defense; Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center; Duke University School of Medicine; the Emergency Management Training, Analysis and Simulation Center (EMTASC); and Virginia Emergency Response Team Exercise.

In short, the article outlines how more and more institutions are implementing virtual 3D simulations to help facilitate and supplement effective training and education with Public Health in mind.

See the article at: http://www.govtech.com/gt/261426?topic=117677.

MS Word Advanced Training - Slides

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:09:00 +0000

MS Word Advanced Training from Michael Sheyahshe

MS Word Intermediate Training - Slides

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:07:00 +0000

MS Word Intermediate Training from Michael Sheyahshe

MS Word Basics Training - Slides

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:48:00 +0000

MS Word Basics Training from Michael Sheyahshe

Draft: Overview of Simulation Workflow Model

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:49:00 +0000

I recently drafted a document to give an idea of the (very) basic overall process involved in a simulation project. While I gloss over many of the more detailed processes the document provides insight into the mechanics of SIM creation, in simple terms. This document is focused towards an academic environment, but could easily be modified for other fields.

Feel free to enhance and improve this document with your comments.

Pre-production (5% of total Project)

Simulation Concept

In the initial stage, SMEs will meet to define a basic outline (vision) of the simulated environment. SMEs may include faculty, specialized trainers, staff, or others.

Overall Vision

SMEs will meet and establish an idea of what the sim does. There are several elements that must be hammered out before any progress can begin. Such elements include:

identify best resource for sim

tabletop

case study

scenario

other

basic idea of the overall scenario

“nutshell” version of expectations

number of levels

gameplay description

strategy

“interactive” movie

shooter

puzzles

hybrid

sim environment description

delivery mode

CD-ROM

downloaded via internet

“in-house” only (i.e., training room with moderator / instructor)

audience identification

students

faculty

trainers

nurses

first responders

emergency managers

Project Timeline (Milestones)

Based on the Vision, a rough project Timeline can be generated to define the work and establish Milestones.

Sim Concept Document

After SMEs establish Vision, a Sim Concept Document will be created that outlines the Vision and any initial concept art sketches or other images, if applicable. This document will be distributed for comment / revision among the SMEs and will represent the working “blueprint” for the overall sim.

Sim Concept Document contents the following sections:

Mission / scenario

Sim features

Brief Overview (Genre, Target Audience, Time)

Basic concepts (Gameplay: characters, “bosses,” puzzles, controls, etc.)

Mini games brief description

Levels brief description

Production (30% of total Project)

Overall Production of the sim will require a large portion of the project’s timeline. From an artistic / creative aspect, all assets (characters, models, environments, etc.) within the game must be created or otherwise acquired. From a technical standpoint, there are many considerations, including programming language, presentation mode, graphical choice, and creation / acquisition of audio files, animation sequences, and user interface must be occur during this time.

Analysis & Design

Analysis & Design elements:

Graphical Considerations; creation of

game characters

assets, environments

objects

user interface

Technical Considerations (2d, 3d, graphics engine, user interface, delivery mode, etc.)

In Game Text

SMEs will need to develop overall script, dialogue, and/or narrative elements for game. This includes any specific curriculum, technical terms, or other supplemental material(s) to include. A final version of In Game Text will be implemented in the Development phase.

Conceptual Design:

Foundations (Features, Essence of the Gameplay, Characters, Gameplay Elements, AI)

User Interface (Navigational Chart, Functional Requirements, Objects of the User Interface)

Graphics and Video (Graphics and Animations, Animated Insertions)

Sounds and Music (General Description, Sound Effects, Music)

Conversion of plot / case study / tabletop exercise

Level Description

Technical Design:

Technical Specification

Platform and OS (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.)

Code Objects

Data, Related to Data Objects

Data Formats

Graphical Engine

Technical Description of the Graphical Elements

Sounds and Music

Development (40% of total Project)

Final Design Elements

This milestone includes all final artwork concepts to be approved before its implementation:

environment concept art

concept art of environment objects for the game

concept art of main characters and NPC (non-player characters)

In Game Text Implementation

At this stage all game text should be provided and approved by SMEs for implementation into Sim.

Testing (20% of total Project)

Testing takes up a large portion of the overall Project timeline. This is due to the constant testing and revision of code, technical aspects (see above), and implementation to delivery mode.

Initial Programming Code Tests

Code will be tested for viability and critical bugs.

Alpha Version

Alpha version implements 1 or more typical playable, full-functional levels with a full set of animations and effects. Non-critical bugs and errors allowed. Alpha versions of the sim will be distributed to all SMEs for commentary.

Beta Version

Beta version implements all full-functional levels of the sim. Non-critical bugs and errors allowed. Beta versions of the sim will be distributed to a selected test group for feedback before Final Release.

Final Release (5% of total Project)

Finished product release to established delivery mode.

Tips on PowerPoint Presentations from Microsoft

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:08:00 +0000

Like cell phones and emails, PowerPoint presentations are something we all use (or, at least, we're exposed to...even in a corporate setting). However, just like cell phones and emails, not everyone follows proper etiquette when using PowerPoint.
The good people at Microsoft website have provide the following Ten Commandments to remember and follow when creating and using presentation slides. In addition to these, keep in mind an old, but excellent adage: K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple Stoopid.

Please see the Microsoft website for the complete article.

Hold up your end with compelling material.
While this seems pretty simple, almost all of us have witnessed presentations where things get dry PDQ. As presenters, we sometimes forget that - while we may want to know every crook and nanny of a particular subject - others many not be as interested as we are. So, keep the audience engage with relevant iconographic representations.

Keep it simple.
This, above all others, should be the Cardinal Commandment for presentations. Certainly, an hour-long presentation containing only one slide (that only gives the presenter's name and title) would be of little value to the audience; so, too, is providing too much information. Know your audience and customize your slides to pique their interest, not bore them.

Minimize numbers in slides.
There is a time and place for everything -- so I've been told. So, while there are certain situations that call for 35 slides of equations and number charts, it is best to keep extensive data at a minimum. Keep in mind that presentations are a visual medium, primarily. If numbers and extensive mathematical data is absolutely needed, try using visual representations instead (this can be done in Excel with little technical expertise).

Don't parrot PowerPoint.
Very few audiences like to be insulted. If the information is projected on a 10 ft screen in front of the audience, there is no need to read a paragraph verbatim to the audience. Use bullet points to highlight central theses of your arguments and expositions. In addition to not offering insult to your audience, you are providing them with abridged and easily-consumable nuggets of knowledge to jot down or take with them.

Time your remarks.
Moderators silently wish that the presenter will not go over their allotted time. Unless they have given the presentation several times, ad nauseum , few presenters know exactly how long their presentation will run. The answer is to practice the presentation beforehand and note the slide timings.

Give it a rest.
Pacing is one of the most important elements of presentations. Look at your presentation from a thematic viewpoint. Break up longer topics (lasting more than 5 slides or so) with a transitional slide, which will give your audience a brief moment to absorb all the information presented. This transitional slide can be a summation of main points or even anecdotal in nature.

Use vibrant colors.
We are no longer limited by technology to monochromatic color themes. Use colors that contrast well, to catch attention. (Ex. use brightly colored text font on darker background colors.) Don't overboard...no one wants their retinas singed.

Import other images and graphics.
As a visual medium, images and graphics represent the meat and potatoes of presentations. Use these elements in ways that best represent the overall theme of your presentation. However, do not overuse them, as they can detract from the overall message (ask yourself: does have a red-and-blue flashing police car lights really add something to my message?). In addition, only use images and graphs that you (*the presenter) have the right to use (ones you've created yourself or those that you've been given explicit permission to use).

Distribute handouts at the end — not during the presentation.
This one is a toss-up. If you feel your audience needs to make notes during your presentation -- especially if you have done a good job of only using bulleted information and provide quite a bit of supplemental and anecdotal information -- go ahead and give handouts for them to use. However, if it is more important to have the audience's undivided attention, use handouts after you present.

Edit ruthlessly before presenting.
Nothing subtracts from your authority on a particular subject than tiny typos, such as using their instead of they're and (my wife's favorite) using it's where its should be used. Use spell-checker and your common sense equally and your presentation will reek of authority.

These rules are not limited to just PowerPoint presentations and can apply to almost any presentation of materials, even online learning management systems, CD-ROMs, and websites. Always keep in mind: keep things simple and your audience will appreciate you (and your information) even more.

Moodle: A Viable Option for Learning Management Systems (LMS)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 17:00:00 +0000

Moodle is Right Price

Like the majority of departments across the world, there are budgetary constraints to follow. Within this limit, the challenge becomes how to best provide information, training, and courses to our audience as well as how to make the interactive vehicle (online interface) as "usable" as possible.

Certainly, there are large enterprise-level systems, like BlackBoard, that do a great job...but what if you do not have the funds to procure this? What options do you have to provide information for your users?

Enter Moodle: a free to use open source Learning Management System ("LMS"), which can be customized in any way. Here is the official word from the Moodle website (which they call a "CMS"):

"Moodle is a course management system (CMS) - a free, Open Source software package designed using sound pedagogical principles, to help educators create effective online learning communities. You can download and use it on any computer you have handy (including webhosts), yet it can scale from a single-teacher site to a 50,000-student University."

And they're not joking...currently there are a myriad of websites--both in the US and worldwide--that employ Moodle as their information vehicle. Check out the long list of Moodle Sites in the US.
While there will always be better--and probably more expensive--solutions to providing an LMS for your audience, it is nice to know that there is always something (free) that can fit into any fiscal budget.

Check out Moodle and see if it might be a viable solution for your Instructional Design or Learning Technology needs.

Notes from Stanford Simulation Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:25:00 +0000

Attending SUMMIT

In August 2006, I was fortunate enough to attend a special event by the Stanford University Medical Media and Information Technologies group, "Designing Case Based Learning for Virtual Worlds."

There were many presentations from various leaders in the field of simulation and virtual learning as well as much discussion over SecondLife, OLIVE™, There, Half-Life2, and other simulation engines.

From an Instructional Design perspective, there were several elements from this workshop that struck a chord, which I will share here.

We have much to learn from the corporate sector: game and simulation engines (like those listed above and other MMORPGs) offer much interaction and learning incentive (you must learn how to play, in order to play). It is important to keep the audience - and their tastes / enjoyment - in mind when creating virtual simulations.
A learning environment can be created from anything...or nothing...if need be: with several demonstrations of how various Universities and academics utilized Second Life and There (both free virtual communities), it becomes clear that educators and trainers must continually strive to engage their audience and that this can be done within ANY setting...including newer technological advances, like these social networks.
Most importantly, there is the need for debriefing and evaluation in serious games / simulations: while we can create "awesome sims" or spectacular learning technology, there must be a measure in place to offer feedback and instruction to users. Using debriefing methods allows for the traditional didactic methods (i.e., instructor-led), while still embracing newer communication and technology.

In short, while we now have even greater teaching / training tools than ever before (simulations, instructional technology, etc.), there will always be a specific need for subject matter experts, instructors, and trainers to reinforce the learning with the human element.

Podcasts for Remote Field Training

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 20:36:00 +0000

Podcasts for Good

In March 2006, I proposed to initiate the use of Podcast episodes for use in providing training and educational curriculum remotely to individuals "in the field." This idea was based on article from Digital Video Magazine (March 2006), "Using iPods to Distribute Corporate Video to Employees" by Nate Caplin, who uses Podcasts to push out media to "20,000 employees at over 400 locations in 11 states." Using the Podcasts allows individuals in the field access to their entire library of media without having to log on to computer terminal each time.

In addition, this idea reminded me of the movie, Demolition Man (1993), where the police use portable training devices to handle long-forgotten criminals.

(If you don't remember that part of the film, I'm sure the movie is running somewhere on a cable channel right now...or you can view a snippet of this part at YouTube)

Below is the basic overview of my presentation:

"Podcasting" the Future: Utilizing Current Technology for Instant "Field" Training

Goal 1: To demonstrate how "podcasts" may affect they way in which we think about asynchronous content delivery.
Goal 2: To investigate an overall procedure to effectively utilize this existing technology.
Goal 3: Basic principles of Podcast production.
Basic Overview:
- The Big Picture: Podcasting seems destined for the long haul, given its continued popularity in an ever-changing medium.
- As we consider ways to broaden our client base, we must consider those individuals in rural and remote settings.
- Libraries, Community Colleges, & Tech Centers could serve as informational "docking centers" to download latest information.
- May also serve to strengthen relations with various local entities (fire, state, Tribal, etc.)
iPod's importance: "As of April 2007, the iPod had sold over 100 million units worldwide,[1] making it the best-selling digital audio player series in history." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipod)
Introduction to RSS, XML, and how users can subscribe to Podcast feeds.
Using online Podcasts directories and iTunes for these subscriptions
DV Magazine article.
Demo Man clip.
Technical requirements to create Podcasts.
Possible uses for education and training.

How to Create Narrated PowerPoint Slideshow

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 17:46:00 +0000

NOTE: These instructions are for Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003.

Creating narrated PowerPoint files is relatively simple and easy to do. The great thing about using narrated slides is that they can be used in a number of formats to enrich and enhance their educational / training value; they can be, for instance, converted to Flash video for interactive learning modes.

Here is a simple set of instructions on how to record narrations. While this may not work on every computer (especially if you are not the administrator of the machine), the basic creation structure remains the same.

Narrated PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint allows individuals to add additional voice-over audio files embedded in each slide in the slide show. Here are instructions on how to create a narrated slide show.

Open your PowerPoint file.
Be sure to save it to a location you are familiar with (MY DOCUMENTS or DESKTOP, perhaps)
From the PowerPoint menu, select: SLIDE SHOW > RECORD NARRATION
A pop-up window, labeled "Record Narration" will appear that will allow you to manage the audio settings, change the quality, and check the microphone.
On this pop-up, click: SET MICROPHONE LEVEL
Another pop-up window, labeled "Microphone Check," will appear with a moving green bar that indicates audio coming into the microphone.
The green bar on the "Microphone Check" window should now be moving when you speak.
Click OK on the "Microphone Check" window.
Click OK on the "Record Narration" window.
Begin recording your show.

Additional NOTES on recording:

Please keep in mind the following points when recording your Narrated PowerPoint.
Begin speaking in a clear and slow manner during recording.
Allow time before and after mouse clicks (between slide transitions) before speaking.
If you need to take a break during recording, simply RIGHT-CLICK the screen and chose "Pause Narration"
After you have finished recording, please SAVE the timings. These will be needed to tell PowerPoint when to transition to the next slide. To edit a particular slide’s narration.

Chose the slide by clicking on the slide image in the PowerPoint main interface.
Follow the instructions above to begin recording as normal.
When you click OK to begin recording, a pop-up will display asking you whether you want to begin recording on the selected slide or on the very first slide. Click “Current Slide” and begin recording.
After recording, slides, including recorded narration for that particular slide, can be moved up or down in sequential order of the PowerPoint show, if needed.

Flash: Around the World in 80 Megs

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Sheyahshe) — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 17:10:00 +0000

Why use Flash for video presentation?

Well, of course, Flash Video (based on some Sorenson technology) looks great. But, beyond that, Flash Player, a needed codec for viewing data created using Adobe Flash seems to be present on (virtually) most every computer in the world.

Of course, there is some debate as to the actual number and percentage of computers in the world that can view Flash content. While the data is a bit dated, here is an online resource that accurately discusses using Flash media:
"Which Internet Video Format Should I Use?"

Some important highlights from this article talk about Flash Player being bundled with Windows XP (as well as WinXP SP2), but that there are occasional issues - given that Flash runs on ActiveX controls, which XP can be particular about - and that statistics can be misleading (see the links the provide for more information).

Despite this, Flash player is easily downloaded and can mostly likely be found on most any computer a user might encounter. Thus, utilizing Flash for content delivery seems to be a safe bet on many levels.