December 30th, 2009 by Learning Systems

Between convenient LMS training and more disability-friendly jobs, it’s becoming easier for adults with disabilities to find work.  Ergonomics, the science of designing technology according to human needs, has led to useful and exciting developments–not only for people with disabilities, but for everyone.

Of the 17 million disabled people who are of working age in the U.S., 12 million are unemployed. Most of these people–about 80%–report a desire to work. However, many obstacles stand in their way–including the disability itself, which can lead to a feeling of helplessness or depression. Too often, negative experiences of rejection in applying for jobs as well as other factors lead people with disabilities to focus on what they can’t do, rather than what they can. 

If you are someone with a disability looking for a job, consider a few tips. First, don’t be discouraged. Remember that especially during times like these, all job-seekers are having a tough time of it.

Assess your abilities. What activities are you good at, and what are you able to do without interference from your disability? Create a list of job possibilities based on your own unique abilities. 

When seeking a job, some employers will require an interview. Take advantage of these to gain valuable interview practice–even if you’re not very interested in the position. 

Look for the “Positive about disabled people” icon on job ads to ensure that your work environment will be well-equipped and wheelchair accessible, and/or willing to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate disabled persons. 

Contact government agencies that serve people with disabilities. There is a great deal of assistance available out there–both financial and practical. If you are in the U.S., contact a state employment office or an office of the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation to assist you with your job hunt and placement. 

Unfortunately, sometimes people with disabilities do not seek employment for fear of losing their financial assistance. To overcome this trap, try volunteering or working part-time. Gaining below a certain level of income will not affect your disability benefits. When you feel confident enough to take the next step, you can increase your hours, become full-time, and let go of your financial assistance.

Lastly, you may consider furthering your education or training. Although most disabled people have many abilities, many haven’t received formal training or education in a job skill. Therefore, employers are less likely to consider them as job candidates. 

An increasing number of schools and vocational training courses offer LMS online and other special programs for people with disabilities. As the world becomes more technologically advanced, education and employment available for people with disabilities are multiplying. Furthermore, for many of these positions and training programs, disabilities are viewed in a new light–as advantages. 

A recent MSNBC article by contributor Chris Tachibana touched on precisely this topic. 

“A new movement helps hone unique traits of disorder into valuable skills,” says Tachibana. He writes about Ron Brix, a man with Asperger Syndrome (a form of autism) whose success as a computer system developer was linked directly to his disability. His job required intense attention to detail, single-minded focus, and a willingness to work on something until it was perfect.

Online job and vocational training programs are also convenient for people with disabilities. Using an LMS or LCMS to customize a company’s or institution’s training program, the possibilities are endless in catering to a wide range of needs and learning styles. 

December 9th, 2009 by Learning Systems

For organizations seeking business development training, not just any LMS will be the right fit. Every LMS or LCMS offers its own training development toolkit and courses to cover a wide spectrum of organizational needs. Organizations often require training for managers and staff for new business development strategies.

For example, Lean Six Sigma is a business development strategy that doesn’t necessarily run on its own; it requires training and preparation to effectively help organizations achieve their production goals. 

Coggno’s E-Learning Marketplace includes a range of business training modules, including courses for business development strategies and certification programs. QuantumSix, the business training giant responsible for Lean Six Sigma, uses Coggno’s LMS to deploy its online training. 

What exactly is Six Sigma? Originally developed by Motorola, many businesses use it today as their business management strategy. According to Jiju Antony (”Pros and cons of Six Sigma: an academic perspective”, May 2008) the objective of Six Sigma is to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects (errors) and minimizing variability in manufacturing and business processes. Six Sigma uses statistical and other quality management methods to create a special infrastructure of experts (Black Belts, Green Belts, etc.) within the organization. Each Six Sigma project employed by an organization includes a defined sequence of steps and includes quantified targets.

The basic goal of the Six Sigma methodology is the implementation of a measurement-based strategy. This strategy focuses on improving processes through the application of  Six Sigma improvement projects.

Quantum Six (Q6) is a niche global firm that offers expertise in Business Process Management and Procurement. Its services include consulting, training development, and writing support. Q6 helps companies streamline processes and drive their financial savings.

Organizations can find quality tools in Coggno’s LMS for developing project initiation and prioritization, change management skills, financial validation of project benefits, and executive sponsorship and responsibilities.

How does Quantum Six help organizations use Lean Six Sigma? Quantum Six helps organizations who want to deploy Lean Six Sigma but aren’t sure how to do it or where to start, or who have attempted Lean Six Sigma deployment within their organization but are not achieving expected results. Another reason an organization might use Q6 is that they have established a Lean Six Sigma program that is now in need of revitalization or a boost to a new performance level. 

Q6 is just one of many business training developers that use Coggno’s LMS to upload course content for free and publicize it on Coggno’s marketplace. Course developers also have the option to syndicate their modules, thereby reaching a broader audience and having a better chance at selling their online training. 

Coggno provides course creators with all the tools necessary to create a unique and customized course, including an easy-to-use text editor, assessment, quiz and video tools, screen recording and interactive, Flash-based applications. Using Coggno’s LMS, course developers maintain control over both the creation and deployment of their training modules. 

October 21st, 2009 by Learning Systems

Coggno’s LMS Training Marketplace has just become a more interactive and convenient place to visit. Visiting the site, one first notices that the layout of the Marketplace has been completely redesigned. Does layout matter? you may ask. 

When searching for just about anything worth purchasing, layout can be a deciding factor in whether or not customers can find what they are looking for.

For example, say you’re in the market for a new pair of shoes. A shoe store that offers a wide variety of shoes and a simple way of browsing its selection will be more successful than a store whose shoes are piled on a sales rack, or a store lacking in sales representatives, or without a very good shoe selection in the first place.

In the same way, an LMS course provider that lists available learning content in a way that is clear, convenient and easy to browse will be likelier to facilitate connections between courseware authors and individuals seeking courseware.

With this goal of effecting more connections in mind, Coggno has recently announced the launching of its newly redesigned Training Marketplace. Coggno’s new Training Marketplace will highlight courses and enhance their presence and optimization on the web, as well as display graphics for each course.

In the new Marketplace, each learning content creator (Author) can create a short video describing the course, themselves and their expertise. In addition, on the main page of the Marketplace will be a featured video of a particular instructor. These new features on the Marketplace will allow browsers to better understand course content and determine whether or not the course is the right fit for their needs. It will also give Authors a chance to reach out to users, giving them a space to introduce potential learners to their course content; which is the product of their expertise.

As I mentioned, the layout itself of the Training Marketplace has also changed. Once upon a time, Coggno’s former Marketplace page displayed course titles and a short description in order according to their date of uploading.

However, on Coggno’s new Training Marketplace, visitors can browse the available courses and training modules by category. The new Marketplace is designed to be more intuitive, user-friendly, and convenient for users. 

The greater ease in searching for courses combined with more opportunities for Authors to be seen and heard make the new Marketplace an exciting improvement on the Coggno site. 

For those who aren’t familiar with the idea of a courseware marketplace, Coggno’s Training Marketplace is basically a meeting point for creators of learning content and those who wish to acquire it. The Marketplace showcases courses covering a range of training topics, including those created by top e-learning authors like SilkWeb. 

Coggno’s LMS allows users to create and deliver customized training solutions. Users can make training their own, with the option to display their logo as well as a unique color scheme.  Course authors are also able to upload and deliver training for in-house purposes or syndicate their learning content for a wider audience.

And since Coggno uses a pay-per-use business model, it is easy to load and reload learning content as required for relevant, up-to-date training. The model allows organizations and individuals to gain the skills and knowledge they desire when they need it, within a period of time that they themselves determine.

With Coggno’s new Training Marketplace up and running, learners and content Authors are able to leverage robust LMS tools combined with a smartly designed meeting place for the transfer of online courses.

October 14th, 2009 by Learning Systems

With less-than-sparkling federal test results making the headlines, the call for public education reform–including better salaries for educators, more federal funding, and the inclusion of more technology such as online course options and LMSs–has become more urgent.

Surprisingly, while education should be and typically is a “recession-proof” area of work, it has not proven to be so in the U.S. during this crisis. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. economy lost 273,000 jobs last month. Of those lost jobs, 29,000 were in state and local education, making the total losses in that category over the past five months 143,000.

Obviously, this reflects a huge change in U.S. educational standards. These standards are ingrained in our cultural heritage and go back to the 19th century, when the U.S. owed its success to the quality and high standards of its education. In the beginning of the 20th century, even more advancement was seen in the U.S. when the “high school revolution” took place. And in the later half of the 20th century, the U.S. established a competitive position in higher education. 

However, American educational success was greatly based on the quality of its public schools. These days, state governments, who are responsible for their own public education systems, are in dire straits. And at a time when practically any federal government spending is viewed in a negative light, it’s time for schools to start thinking out of the box.

The need for cost-effective and efficient online tools like LMSs to help educators boost student performance is revealed in the recent math test results.

According to new standardized test results, New York’s state elementary math achievement has fallen for the first time in nearly ten years. This year’s fourth grade test results from federally funded National Assessment of Educational Progress reveal that New York’s scaled scores dropped two points from 2007. The state’s latest average score is 241, on a scale of zero to 500. (National scores have stayed flat, at 239.)

The results came as a bit of an embarrassment to some Albany officials, as it was apparent that even though federal tests of fourth-graders showed no gains in New York from 2007, the state’s own tests show steady improvement.  

A major obstacle to overcome is not only how to boost student achievement in math across the board, but to bridge the continued discrepancy between the performance of white students and their black and Hispanic peers.

And the problem isn’t limited to New York. The NAEP (National Assessment of Education Progress (often referred to as “the nation’s report card”) reported that fourth graders have made no learning gains since the last time the NAEP math test was administered in 2007. Despite years of state and federal education reform efforts, less than four out of every 10 U.S. fourth and eighth graders are proficient in mathematics.

As U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a statement, these results underscore the need for “reforms that will accelerate student achievement.” 

Reforms will require funding, but we can’t afford another fruitless and costly scheme like No Child Left Behind. In fact, it can be done cheaply. If we want our students to graduate with the math skills necessary to compete in an international economy that is increasingly dependent on technology, technology like LMSs and Web 2.0 tools needs to become an integral part of our education system.

September 16th, 2009 by Learning Systems

Successful compliance and management training has the power to save organizations a significant amount of time and money. And when organizations adopt e-learning solutions through a pay-per-use LMS such as Coggno, the costs of training itself are significantly less than those of commercial LMS licenses and traditional training methods. For this reason and others, more organizations are finding online training solutions to meet compliance and management training needs.

Now, you may be thinking that a pay-per-use LMS sounds like a good idea, but you also wonder, how does it work? 

If you are a first time courseware developer, you may be unfamiliar with the process of course creation, payment, and other nitty gritty. This blog entry will be devoted to those processes.

To create your training, compliance, or other content for placement on the Coggno Marketplace, first you’ll need to become a Coggno member. Doing so is easy; simply register as a Course Creator (Author) by logging onto the https://www.coggno.com/account/signup, review the terms of use, and voilà! You’re ready to begin migrating or creating content on Coggno.com.

As a content creator, how does payment work? You’ll be paid every time an organization or individual purchases a license to use the learning content you’ve authored. You’ll be paid for each license, or seat, that is purchased. 

But how much? That depends on you. You can charge whatever you like, whatever price you deem appropriate. Prices range from $10 to $450 per license, according to what you decide to charge, and the standard in your field. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind your audience. Is the content geared toward an audience of individuals or corporations, which are inclined to purchase multiple licenses?

Another option is to consider creating course content of varying lengths, and charging accordingly. Learners may be interested in trying out a course at a lower price point before investing in a more substantial one at a higher price point. Using the volume discounting options available in the pricing interface, you are also able to syndicate any of your content, sharing a percentage of your revenue with the web publishers on whose website your content is advertised. 

Payments arrive on time twice per month, in the form of a check. You can check your balance anytime, under the accounting tab on your account. Your personal information will be kept confidential, and will be used solely for the purpose of transferring your funds to you.

So what’s the catch? Coggno retains $5 or 10% (whichever is greater) of the sales you make on your content. And if you sequence a number of courses in a package of courses, the minimum is 10% or $10. However, using Coggno’s LMS tools and publishing your content is free. Until you make a sale, the small percentage of the sale that Coggno retains doesn’t exist. In other words, until you make money on your content, Coggno doesn’t either.

Do you need special technical skills? No. The Coggno creation format is easy to navigate and self-explanatory. However, if you do run into trouble along the way, Coggno’s customer service representatives are available online to help you out.

Check out the Coggno Marketplace, an open resource connecting organizations that need e-learning and assessment content with the authors of that content. With more organizations taking advantage of e-learning modules for compliance and other training needs, the time is right to try your hand at course content creation.

July 10th, 2009 by Learning Systems

It’s something many LMS students often lament; depending on their position, they may need to undergo compliance training. However, greater complaints down the line can be prevented if compliance training is completed in a serious and effective way.

Compliance training may cover issues ranging from sexual harassment prevention, workplace safety, cultural sensitivity, or respect in the workplace. Oftentimes, to someone taking mandatory compliance training, a topic may feel like common sense, or not worth his or her time. This common attitude towards required training can lead to learning content skimming, skipping of entire sections, and ultimately, guessing on exams and retaking quizzes until the correct answers are guessed.

Students’ lack of interest in a training topic is often due to a bland training course, as well as the sheer fact that the course is mandatory. This lack of interest can lead to students’ failure to process the learning content, and to spend the time required to truly learn the material. But gaps in employee understanding on key issues (such as those listed above) which compliance training covers can end with trouble down the road. For this reason, supervisors are smart to ensure that trainees are completing course material correctly, and spending the appropriate amount of time on each section.

Coggno’s Activities feature helps solve this problem that is so common to online training. Coggno now offers supervisors, educators, and all LMS administrators its Activities tool to aid the administrative responsibility of overseeing and guiding students in their learning process. The feature provides training administrators with a simple tool to track, in real time, the online course activities of students through a tab in the Coggno LMS interface.

Not only does the Activities feature help supervisors ensure that employees are succeeding in a training program, but it saves organizations valuable time and energy in the future. Organizations can avoid conflict and protect employees. And productivity is always increased when employees are well educated on workplace issues that are meant to facilitate communication and prevent clashes.

The Activities feature serves a very practical purpose: tracking student progress. Using the feature, administrators can track student progress and activities to find out where each one is exceeding, and in what areas extra attention may be needed. 

The Activities feature can also help educators who want to integrate Web 2.0 tools into a classroom, but may feel uncomfortable doing so. Although many schools do not permit the use of Web 2.0 technologies like social networking sites, podcasts and wikis in the classroom, more schools and their educators are embracing them. In fact, how to effectively use collaborative technologies and LMSs is a topic now included in many IT courses for educators.

Unfortunately, online education tools for children and teenagers are sometimes avoided because of supervision issues. In some cases, mishandling and/or lack of supervision of online programs can even become a source of litigation against educators and schools.Because of the hazards involved with including Web 2.0 technologies in many LMS and classroom learning systems, educators who use them must take extra precautions, supervising the use of these technologies to ensure that students stay on track.

Educators can find creative ways for students to remain within the confines of an online activity, such as navigating a site while students observe. However, using LMS online tools like Activities, educators can concentrate on the learning content and effective teaching, rather than policing internet use.

June 12th, 2009 by Learning Systems

When adopting or creating LMS online courses, imagine yourself as a student. The whole idea of online courses is centered around convenience and usability for all learners.

Convenience is crucial in the online education world. Students can access an LMS course from any computer, without requiring special software. Course assignments, tests, and activities can be completed at a student’s leisure, any time of day and anywhere. With the growing number of places providing Wi-Fi–and various projects throughout the country that are working to create city-wide free internet–LMS online courses are optimally flexible to learners’ busy schedules.

LMS providers like Coggno offer a range of user-friendly tools. Students can watch videos, simulations and screen recordings. They can complete comprehensive tests and assessments interacting with a simple interface. Using Web 2.0 programs like discussion forums, blogs, and wikis, students can interact with each other and develop a sense of group dynamic and community, which is often key to learners’ success.

These are just a few possibilities that your LMS online course may provide students. But what about special learners such as the visually-impaired? For visually impaired students, many of the exciting features available in an LMS online course can be tweaked.

Ergonomics, the science of designing technology according to human needs, has led to useful and fascinating developments not only for people with disabilities, but for everyone. The ease with which people interact with an LMS can be facilitated by ergonomic accessories.

Various kinds of keyboards that make life easier for users include expanded, miniature, and chorded (with one key per digit per hand) keyboards. There are also large print keyboards with high contrast colors, such as black on yellow. Sticky keys, Clicklock and Togglekeys (two Microsoft Windows features) are still other assistive technologies that make online learning more accessible to all people.

A computer system used to artificially create human speech is called a speech synthesizer, and can be implemented in software or hardware. A text-to-speech (TTS) system turns normal language into speech.

Though many computer operating systems have included speech synthesizers since the 1980s, and despite their increasingly mainstream status, TTS systems have a long way to go in terms of sophistication. Clarity of voice is generally the measure of a synthesizer’s quality, but other challenges the programs face include the task of keeping up with the world’s growing vocabulary—new words, names and places.

The ability to verbally communicate with a program adds a new dimension to an online course experience, and may be the key to accessing and interacting with an LMS online course for visually-impaired people.

Other exciting LMS features for visually-impaired people are audio tools like Coggno’s Apple Podcast Producer. Podcasts are another increasingly mainstream medium, because of their convenience, sharing ease, and the creativity they allow. Podcasts can be used in an LMS online course to provide and reinforce learning material; record lectures, interviews, and discussions; and act as announcements, updates and reminders for LMS students.

Podcasts are easy to create, produce and share, and learners do not need an iPod to listen to them. Podcasts are normally in the form of mp3 files, meaning they’re accessible to all learners. Indeed, accessibility for people with disabilities means accessibility for everyone. The greater variety of features you use on in your LMS online course, the greater ease with which your students learn.

June 5th, 2009 by Learning Systems

LMS online exam preparation classes are effective and serve a practical purpose: helping people start their path on a new career without interfering much with their lives. 

For those who have already completed a program or degree in their fields, taking the big test–be it a board exam or other standardized test–can be an enormous cause of stress. Oftentimes institutions offer preparation courses and set up group study sessions, but these aren’t for everyone.

When I study, I require two things. First, I need my own space. I need to at least have the illusion (even if there are other people in the room) that I am alone, or at least that my thoughts will be able to follow their own track without interruption. I need to be able to talk to myself, to take long pauses and concentrate on one point, going over it in my head, over and over. 

The second thing I need in order to study for an exam is a means to practice. This is where LMS online prep courses come in. Class notes and old tests are imperative; I am myself an avid note-taker. But they only serve to a certain point. What I really is solid review and an outside source that objectively understands the relevant information for the exam. And then practice.

Exam preparation may take some time, but what it doesn’t require shelling out a lot of money. Many LMS online exam prep courses are an appealing option not only for the low cost, but for other reasons as well. 

Preparing for an exam can be done online at your own pace, in a timeframe that you yourself set, and at times of the day when you choose. Online courses provide practice, refresher and review assignments, and supplementary activities. Some also offer online tutorial support.

Online courses are a low-cost, convenient and practical form of getting certified or simply knowledgeable in a field. And some typical concerns about eLearning–for example, a lack of face-to-face dynamic and teacher-student relationship–become irrelevant in online exam prep classes. This is to say, who really needs that personal touch when studying for a major exam is mostly something you need individual time and practice for?

Another helpful factor in LMS online prep courses is that you can begin any time you choose. And now may be the right time for you to get started. Whether you’re beginning a new career or switching careers, you always hold the power to reassess your circumstances and plan new and exciting career goals. Succeeding on a major test with the help of LMS online exam prep may be your ticket to the future job you’ve always wanted.