November 2nd, 2009 by Melissa

Online training has revolutionized the learning and training experience as we know it. Not too long ago we were still using windows dos, dial up, computers the size of an entire room, and big floppy disks. Now we live in an age where we have streamline laptops, portable computers that we can take with us. We have internet on our smart phones, and wireless internet connection. The internet has slowly but surely become an indispensible resource that most of us use continually throughout the day. It has been created into a streamline convenient instrument for us to gain minute by minute updates, and enable continuous communication with people all over the world.

So if we are able to take the internet with us, why can’t we take learning portable too? This advanced technology has enabled learning to take place in the home with various online training curriculums, whether it is for higher education, organizational or government training. The variety in courses is vast, making it easy to find credible courses that pertain to the need for any specific individual. Some specialty Colleges have based degrees on the online learning platform, and various content creating or eLearning companies are receiving government grants for organizational training as well as school training to educate them on health and safety via online training.

New advances within online training module’s are state of the art, bringing 3D graphics, interactive courses, quizzes, and videos with sound and picture into the mix, as well as 24/7 mentorship with highly trained instructors who are available at the learner’s disposal to ensure full comprehension is achieved. With so many style options that these courses provide, learners are exposed to different types of training that could enhance productivity, comprehension, and creativity.

Among the revolution of online training in the education systems, Organizational training is receiving revisions as well. Organizational training no longer means outdated, long, and uninteresting training videos that are played in an isolated room. Online modules and interactive curriculum enables employees to gain working experience as they learn new systems and make the mundane training something that is enjoyable and effective.

As efficient and convenient online training has proven to be, an additional bonus to this new method of learning is the varietal topics of courses made available on the web. For students looking for higher education, they have multiple options of language courses, science courses and math courses. For those in the IT industry they have various system training courses that stay current as new updates within systems and platforms are created. Certifications, such as A+, Network +, Security + in the IT industry, as well as driver, helicopter, first aid and safety certifications are just a few certifications that are offered.

Online training truly is changing the way we think about learning and the mundane training that normally is included when we enter into new positions in the workforce, new systems are implemented or those annually required safety or corporate training seminars. Just as computers and the internet has been streamlined and made portable, training and education is following suit.

April 14th, 2009 by Learning Systems

Are some learners more important than others in LMS training and education programs? Most people would answer no. But they’d be mistaken. 

When adopting LMS training and teaching technologies, there is one special person whose mastery of the technology holds more consequence; whose profound understanding of the course content and its form is critical. This is, of course, the person who is delivering the material–the teacher or trainer him/herself.

“Who dares to teach must never cease to learn,” said John Cotton Dana. Good teachers and trainers–especially those who rely heavily on technology for their course content–are constantly learning new ideas and skills in order to evolve with changing times.

An LMS is a big, intricate tool, though the complexity varies from LMS to LMS. If your organization is planning to implement LMS training, you’ll want to consider LMS training courses for your staff.

Look for training classes designed to get technical staff up to speed with new technologies, as well as maintain their knowledge of system and software capabilities for their specific systems. Trainers will learn how to apply the software to tackle engineering problems in specific application areas. Some courses provide both LMS training classes and optional on-site training services. 

LMS use in both companies and schools is currently on the rise. However, though LMSs are commonly used in universities, the standardization of LMSs in high schools is relatively sluggish. Why is this the case?

Lack of school funding and proper LMS training for educators are two reasons. 

For many teachers, the span of time separating today from the day they completed their teaching degree is a long one. And though most teachers are constantly learning as they go, there are some new skills, like managing LMSs or online courses, that they might be lacking compared to teachers fresh out of college. 

This is one major obstacle to the implementation of an LMS in many schools–oftentimes, educators are not well-equipped to use the technology. Training is expensive and often outside the possibilities of a school budget. Many educators are plunged into the stormy waters of unfamiliar technology without a paddle.

And given the benefits that experience with LMS technology provides for learners, it’s paramount that more high schools adopt advanced technology and collaborative learning softwares. Doing so will prepare students not only for more education, but for an increasingly competitive job market that values ICT skills more every day.

In higher education, feedback for LMS use has been mildly positive, though not exactly radiant. This reflects a need for better integration into the classroom, blending with face-to-face instruction, and LMS training for professors. At the beginning of 2008, about 4 million students were taking online courses in universities and other higher education institutions, with many of those courses being hosted on LMSs. And according to the Sloan report, which is based on a poll of academic leaders, students generally appear at least equally satisfied with their online classes as they were with traditional ones. 

But with more educators able to instruct using LMSs in their courses, greater quality and accessibility in course content offered online, and increasingly computer-savvy educators, the feedback is bound to become more positive. 

The ideal is for teachers and trainers to become closely familiar with how LMS training or teaching works as quickly as possible. This involves understanding instructional design as a teaching strategy. Instructional design refers to the practice of creating instructional tools and content to instigate interactions and facilitate learning between students. To facilitate effective online interactions, it’s important to first analyze and understand the different forms of interaction and learning online. 

Capella University is one school that recognizes that teachers might not have the time or means to attend face-to-face workshops. Capella offers Masters, PhD and other graduate programs in teaching online, instructional design for online learning, and curriculum and instruction with a technology focus. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. 

For a wealth of information on classroom technology topics, there are online sources for educators in the form of chatboards and discussion forums. Teachers.net is a great one for discussion boards, such as the Educational Software chatboard, as well as articles and resources related to integrating online courses in the classroom. Other sites offer tips on how to integrate online courseware into a course, and reports from educators who face challenges in their own blended learning environments. 

If you are a courseware system developer seeking a discussion forum to converse about the challenges and strategies involved in courseware creation, there are also many online resources. Some courseware system syndicators host forums where course developers can discuss their ideas, suggestions, etc. Coggno is one such platform, hosting an author-to-author discussion forum for anyone involved in the e-learning industry, or who wants to learn more about LMS training.

March 26th, 2009 by Learning Systems

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a hundred times. During times of recession, achieving and/or maintaining a competitive edge is essential. An economic downturn signals a cut-throat job market where competent employees are suddenly laid off and recent graduates harboring great potential find nowhere to focus their efforts. It’s a job market where if you want a chance in Hades, you’d better have a powerful résumé that rises to the surface of the pile. 

For both companies and students of traditional or LMS-hosted courses, there’s no better time to maximize your knowledge assets by upgrading your skills and business competency. Top companies and professionals understand this, which is why so many companies have chosen in the last year to reinvest in their staff’s skills, through training administered in person or via an LMS. Online training administered by an LMS can be a cost-effective way to gain that critical edge.

March 9th, 2009 by Learning Systems

The best learning systems are those that allow you to discover and develop your skills while actually putting them to use. If you are looking to advance your career as an online course developer, institutions like Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania offer higher education learning systems in instructional design and technology. 

On the other hand, what may benefit you more than anything is  experience by actually creating content using LMSs and platforms such as Coggno. Using online learning system development tools such as video, text, quiz, template and assessment tools, as well as the SCORM publisher, authors have great flexibility and access to a range of robust functions. E-Learning platforms like Coggno allow content developers to easily create, update and distribute courses. 

March 5th, 2009 by Learning Systems

Self-paced. Interactive. Collaborative. These are words we hear a lot in the online learning system community. All well and good, depending on the context–whether it be online courseware, LMS-hosted courses, or traditional learning systems. But then there’s “self-guided,” a reference to a learning style with more dubious implications for young people. Self-discipline and self-guidance are traits we tend to glorify in education, but maybe it’s time we rethink their appeal.

According to Alfie Kohn’s article, “Why Self-Discipline is Overrated: The (Troubling) Theory and Practice of Control from Within,” our idea of self-discipline in learning systems is based on unrealistic conceptions of personality and motivation, as well as controversial assumptions about human nature. He writes that while self-discipline and self-control may have an important place among other desirable traits in young people, their status is inappropriately high compared to the rest. In looking at a whole person, strong self-discipline may even have negative ramifications.

March 4th, 2009 by Learning Systems

The rise of Web 2.0 technologies is consistent with many societal trends, including the shift in education from one-way to two-way learning systems. Whether it’s with online courseware, an LMS-hosted course, or a traditional, face-to-face course, more and more educators are using Web 2.0 in exciting and interactive ways.

The change from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 is from one-way internet usage to a more interactive and democratic web environment. It makes perfect sense that educators dedicated to engaging students and promoting collaboration and critical thinking are integrating Web 2.0 technologies in their learning systems. 

As Web 2.0 is introduced to learning systems, student work and its role in the classroom changes profoundly. When a student’s work is seen, commented on, and collaboratively enriched by a participative audience, the students are able to get caught up in the material. By allowing students to engage in educational “conversations,” guiding only when necessary, educators are able to allow students to solve problems and discuss issues themselves.

February 19th, 2009 by Learning Systems

If you’ve ever designed a website, you’ve probably done some research about how people read web content. Whether you’re designing your own web page or online courseware, it’s important to keep in mind that eyetracking studies have found most people read in an F-shaped pattern: two horizontal stripes followed by a vertical stripe.

Studies show that website and online courseware readers’ eyes most often fixate at the upper left of a page, then hover in that area before going left to right. Only after skimming through the top portion of the page do their eyes typically float further down.

People also tend to read quickly, so keep your sentences short. Online courseware content that corresponds to the movement of the average eye will prove more effective than a design that doesn’t.

February 19th, 2009 by Learning Systems

Whether you’re an online courseware student or a company trainee, your social and professional life is largely dependent on your cell phone. Living without a cell phone has become anomalous in the western world. If you’ve simply chosen not to own one, the people around you are probably baffled or think you’re strange. They assume that you have no social life to speak of.

Some day very soon, I suspect, it will seem bafflingly odd to be without mobile internet access. The inability to read online courseware or check your email while sitting on the subway will be the new technological faux pas. But the lack of web access will probably hold bigger consequences. Our heavy dependence on the internet for everything from online courseware to VoIP communication to world news, will generate new needs when that dependence becomes a mobile one. Of course, conveniences quickly become necessities in a hi-tech world.