China, one of the world’s fastest growing major economy, as well as one of the world’s most tech- savvy economy’s is putting a halt to incorporating eLearning in schools across China .  By 2020, the Chinese government has planned to roll out digital learning in the schools country wide. However, until that date arrives, professors and teachers are skeptic of the idea of eLearning in the classrooms. This is because of culture. Let’s rewind a few steps back for those who are not familiar with the Chinese culture.  Chinese parents as well as professors put a lot of pressure on students to succeed on national exams. Thus, students are boggled down with homework and studying.  In addition, the culture views the internet as entertainment rather than opportunity to gain additional knowledge and resources. Mr. Zhou,the chairman and chief executive officer of the Vancouver, Canada-based China Education Resources, states that, “Unlike American students, who have time to socialize with their friends after school, Chinese students typically spend their after-school hours studying and may have only 15 minutes to relax”. Therefore, if a student does have 15 minutes to relax, he/she will use the Internet as a way to socialize or de-stress, not for education.

How will China and the Chinese culture gain trust in eLearning in the next eight years? Andrew S. Torris , deputy superintendent of the Pudong Campus Shanghai American School in Shanghai, believes” There’s a real push in China right now for the Chinese to get kids from the rising middle class and upper class into U.S. universities. That push could prompt some Chinese families to enroll their children in online courses provided by schools or companies based in the United States.”  Although Mr. Torris may think marketing well renowned U.S. Universities will do the trick , I personally believe it will require a change in the Chinese tradition followed by strong believers in eLearning.

-Jacqueline Barnes

Then, a few weeks back Apple announced that iTunes U was going a step further in to the authoring game by releasing iBooks Author Tool and iBooks2. The discussion immediately kicked off on Twitter as to whether iTunes U had just become an LMS. I couldn’t resist checking it out so I downloaded it and wrote a book called ‘How to get started with online learning‘. You can download it from the itunes Store to your ipad for free – go on, you know you want to!

Anyway, long story short, it was a lot of fun creating the book, mucking around with their template, and making it look professional. Well, as much as my limited design skills allowed! But that’s the point I guess, anyone can now write a book and put it in the iTunes store, for a price if they like. Then the question inevitably arises, is that a good thing? Or is it something we should be concerned about? Will it get harder to sort through the quantity to find the quality? Will the written word have no value if anyone write and we don’t know the potential bias in the author’s perspective? I saw Koreen Olbrish discussing this topic the day after the Apple announcement with fellow twitter friends which prompted this thought-provoking blog post from her: New tools, same old problems: curation and media literacy.

At this stage, I don’t think what Apple have created is an LMS. Despite being able to add assessment questions in to your book, anyone who uses an LMS knows it’s all about the reporting and that part is not as granular as I know our clients like it.

As for the argument about everyone becoming an author, I can only think that this exact cry went up at the dawn of the Internet, websites and blogging. People freely  spouting opinion as fact, but with the added confirmation of being officially ‘published’ might be a scary thought. But then, going way back, isn’t that what history books are in a sense? Isn’t that why you can read one account of an event and it just doesn’t match up to another person’s,even though they might have been right next to each other? Our observations are clouded by the multitude of very unique experiences that we have collected throughout our lives and that alone makes it difficult, if not impossible, to be objective. At the end of the day it’s still up to us to moderate what we think is a quality read and it’s up to us to use the complex networks of online communities that we belong to, to support those who we respect, admire, trust and believe. Not to mention enjoy reading :)

Interested to hear your thoughts on the iBooks Author tool and what it means to writing as a an artform to you…

@Schnicker 

In this month’s newsletter:

• Apple Unleashes 2 New Products - another company who are always busily getting new products out the door
• Notable Litmos Newbies - I love it when we can talk about some of the wonderful organizations that are becoming new Litmos customers

Finally – how much do you Love Your LMS? If you have 2 minutes to spare we would really appreciate your help in writing a Litmos review!

Apple Unleashes 2 New Products

Last week’s announcement by Apple about the release of the new iBooks 2 for iPad and the iBooks Author tool definitely got the eLearning community talking! Questions like ‘Did Apple just create an LMS?’  were buzzing around and whether they are kicking iTunes U up a notch to compete in the eLearning market, rather than just sticking to their ‘distinguished colleges’ focus.

Well, I was curious too so I jumped in and started playing around with iBooks Author and there’s no doubt about it, it’s cool. I created a book (available for free its called How to get started with online learning) in less than a day and published it to the iTunes Store, and I admit I only scratched the surface of the potential applications that this authoring tool has. However, I think that LMS vendors and eLearning people can rest assured this is not an LMS. There are reporting limitations which I don’t think can be worked around, especially when I consider our own customers and how fundamental reporting functions are to their entire online program.

I’m sure Apple’s objective will be revealed in time, but for now I encourage anyone interested in writing a book to give iBooks Author a try, just because it’s fun!

Notable Litmos Newbies

Last month we had quite a few notable household brand names come on board with Litmos. In fact, Taylormade, Adidas & Ashworth Golf were some of those great names joining us at the beginning of December and they offered up this fantastic comment for our website: 

“Litmos has given our brands the platform to tell all of our product stories and train retail associates in this one-stop shop. The ease of use for the end-user as well as content uploading has given us efficiencies in training that we have been looking for.”  

Matt Nuthal – Retail Marketing Manager, TaylorMade-adidas & Ashworth Golf Company.

While I’m name-dropping ;) I should mention we also had G4S plc - aka the world’s largest security company with operations in more than 125 countries – become a Litmos customer, which created quite a bit of buzz around the office, as you might imagine.

If you would like to send us a quote or a case study on how you are using Litmos in your organization, we’d be happy to put it up on our blog, out in this newsletter, or up in lights on our website! Just send your comment or case study to me at: nicole@litmos.com

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Well, that’s it from me for now. I’ll be at the ASTD’s Tech Knowledge conference in Las Vegas today (Wednesday, January 25th) so if you see me in the expo hall please do stop me and say hello, I’d love to chat!

@Schnicker ]]> http://www.litmos.com/hi-tech/january-newsletter-lets-connect/feed/ 0 http://www.litmos.com/hi-tech/january-newsletter-lets-connect/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/litmos/~3/zB3Avs4doSg/ http://www.litmos.com/hi-tech/astds-tech-knowledge-is-next-week/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:00:14 +0000 Nicole Fougere http://www.litmos.com/?p=2179
The ASTD’s Tech Knowledge conference is fast approaching next week on Jan 25 – 27 at the Rio resort in Las Vegas. It’s not too late to get a ticket, or just come along to stop by the expo and check out the vendors. I will be there on Wednesday 25th, so let me know if you would like to meet up to talk about the Litmos LMS or just have some general chit-chat – I’d love to meet you!

@Schnicker

According to recent studies, our brains love learning online. Columbia neuroscientist, Betsy Sparrow, states, “We are becoming symbiotic with our computer tools”. There is no fact in denying that people today are constantly glued to their computer, Smartphone, tablet, or other electronic gadget. Although some may argue that it is a bit excessive, being one with our computer tools allows our brains to become like online memory banks. Within seconds, we can work through a problem with the help of the Internet; which in turn allows our brains to offload some information, and create more room in our brain to focus on areas of other interest.  Studies have shown that the action of “googling”, “may actually engage a greater extent of neural circuitry” than paper-based complex reasoning, states neuroscientist Gary Small. In addition, the use of emoticons can increase learning. As humans, we pick up on each and every emotional cue, even the slightest smile. Thus, the use of emoticons and avatars in programs can affect our emotional sensitivity and improve our learning capability.

Lastly, we thrive on recognition and rewards, causing the “badge” phenomenon to become a real concern for some people.  You only have to hang out with someone who uses FourSquare or take a look a Badgeville’s success to know this is true. The phenomenon replaces real rewards with virtual rewards that provide a status and reputation. Although this does not motivate everyone, virtual rewards can be seen of more worth than physical rewards to some individuals. Therefore, causing more people to be involved and participate in online learning to acquire badges.

My advice? I suggest you to continue googling and using the web for assistance to your questions and problems, you never know what new knowledge you may stumble upon! Oh and keep a look out for some cool new features coming soon to Litmos as we acknowledge the importance of rewards and incentives in online learning..

What is something new you learned this week online?

- Jacqueline Barnes

Among other things, this means that you are going to see the green Litmos team buzzing about at the eLearning Guild’s ‘Big 3′ conferences:

1. Learning Solutions 2012 in Orlando, Florida from March 21 – 23
2. mLearnCon 2012 in San Jose, California from June 19 – 21
3. DevLearn 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada from October 31 – November 2

Our sponsorship of the eLearning Guild is a gesture that shows just how serious we are about supporting the growth of our eLearning industry and our ongoing commitment to pushing the boundaries of the technology being produced within it.

@Schnicker 

It is 7 o’clock in the morning and I jump out of bed and reach for my smart phone to log into my college’s online web portal to check my grades. I had studied religiously all week and had taken my exam the previous day. Although I felt confident and on top of the world yesterday, I now sit anxiously biting my nails as I punch in my user ID and password.

Several months ago this was my reality, a very determined college student wanting to excel in all of her coursework. As a person who has grown up in the millennial generation, I had the opportunity to experience eLearning firsthand throughout college.  With today’s culture of people always wanting immediate results and quick turn arounds, I too wanted to be efficient in my courses. Thus, throughout my college career I enrolled in numerous online courses and used eLearning websites. With eLearning I was able to immerse myself in additional courses on top of my regular load and study at my convenience.  Additionally, online courses do not require time or money spent on commuting and are typically less costly.  I was also able to discuss assignments, future exams, and ask for help with my professors and fellow classmates all with a click of a button. The eLearning websites are formatted in an organized manner with assignments and tasks filed and labeled under each course heading, making it user friendly to any new student. As a user or creator of eLearning I am also doing my part in contributing to reducing my carbon footprint by submitting and receiving documents electronically.

Although eLearning has its perks, it also comes with disadvantages.  For any user, eLearning can be useful when helping one to achieve their goals; however, as a user it lacks face-to-face communication like traditional courses.  This will require individuals to work and solve problems more independently, have self discipline, and maintain self-motivation. However, I believe that is a very small price to pay to be successful!

All in all, from my personal experience, I can conclude that the benefits from using eLearning outweigh any slightest hesitations one may have when getting started. eLearning websites are easy to navigate and environmentally friendly, while also allowing the individual the opportunity to maintain a balance of work, school, and life!

- Jacqueline Barnes

Jacqueline is a recent college graduate from Saint Mary’s College with a fresh, firsthand perspective on the value and effectiveness of eLearning. With a BS in Business Administration and a member of the Sigma Beta Delta Business Honors Society, Jacqueline joins Litmos providing passion, commitment, and support to the team. She enjoys helping others, eating cupcakes, and traveling the world.

We’re excited to have more hands on deck, but also about the new energy coming in to the team because that means fresh ideas and new perspective, and that equals endless possibilities!

@Schnicker

As the year draws in to a close, it’s a great time for us to reflect on how Litmos has grown as a product in 2011: the course library, a brand new user interface, custom domains, more account customization, dashboard activity feeds, massive Litmos mobile improvements, and so much more. But we’ve also grown as a company experiencing a huge amount of change moving the office from New Zealand up to San Francisco, and through the expansion of our core team to include our first US colleague, Sales Manager Ayoob Syed. Plus, this week we are excited to have another new face joining the team! Read on below to find out who that is.But just because the year is ending, doesn’t mean the excitement should stop. We want to end this year with a bang by rolling out a couple more great enhancements today that we’re sure you’ll like.

HOT NEW FEATURES coming to your favorite LMS today

• eCommerce Shopping cart - learners can now purchase multiple courses in a single transaction – read more in this blog post

• SCORM modules now available on Litmos mobile - I know a few people who have been waiting very patiently for this one, so today’s the day to celebrate!
• Salesforce Single Sign On integration - this is the first of many that we have on our to-do list. More info coming to the blog today…

We don’t like to think you might have missed something from an earlier month so here’s a quick recap of major additions in the last few months:

November

• New eCommerce option Payment Express - if you don’t want to use PayPal anymore, you can now sell your courses using your own merchant account.

October

• Custom Domains - further customize your account with your own url

Also, this may be useful to know – if at any time you’re curious to know about any recent development, you can just go to our Help Guide and check out the Litmos System Updates.

Litmos welcomes Jacqueline Barnes

The secret is out! We have just secured the wonderful Jacqueline Barnes as the new addition to the Litmos crew. Meaning, our team just got a whole lot more awesome! Jacqueline is a recent college graduate from Saint Mary’s College with a fresh, firsthand perspective on the value and effectiveness of eLearning. She comes to us with a BS in Business Administration in hand, and as a member of the Sigma Beta Delta Business Honors Society. Jacqueline is bringing a big dose of passion, commitment, and support to the Litmos team, not to mention she is devoted to helping others, eating cupcakes, and traveling the world. We hope she’ll share some of her wisdom – and cupcakes! Jacqueline is joining me in the Marketing team to blog, tweet, brainstorm and support our fabulous customers. We’re super happy to have her and wish her all the best for this new role in 2012!

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Last but most definitely not least, to all of our customers, friends and supporters – THANK YOU from the Litmos Team. We wish you all a safe time with your friends and families over these holidays, and all of our best wishes for a prosperous, healthy and fun new year in 2012.

Peace!
Nicole
@Schnicker ]]> http://www.litmos.com/lms/december-newsletter-thank-you-for-being-you-2/feed/ 0 http://www.litmos.com/lms/december-newsletter-thank-you-for-being-you-2/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/litmos/~3/SwFdR93lhB8/ http://www.litmos.com/ecommerce/introducing-the-litmos-course-shopping-cart/#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:28:33 +0000 Nicole Fougere http://www.litmos.com/?p=2045 Now, not only can you now take payment via your own merchant account, as of this week it’s now possible for your learners to purchase more than one course at a time! The Litmos shopping cart has now been integrated in to your own eCommerce course listing page to enable courses to be added to a cart, then purchased as a bundle.

We haven’t changed the look and feel of the course listing page much because we want there to be consistency in what your learners see, but it is now set up so that a learner can click in to a course description, add the course to their cart, and continue browsing for more courses before checking out.

@Schnicker