Tools for eLearning Professionals

/in , , /by

7 PDF Tools for eLearning Professional

BY SARAH BRIGHT, IN ELEARNING TOOLS · ONLINE TRAINING SOFTWARE

Sometimes your online course PDF files can get a bit out of hand. Instead of wasting your time and resources on unsuccessful PDF editing, check out these great PDF tools. These tools can help you easily modify, convert, or view any PDF file.

  1. Adobe Reader XI is a free, trusted tool for reliably viewing, printing, and annotating PDF documents. It’s the only PDF file viewer that can open and interact with all types of PDF content, including forms and multimedia.
  2. Nitro Cloud has multiple tools to help create PDFs, as well as convert your PDFs to Word, Excel and PowerPoint. These free and easy to use tools can also help you sign documents and even collaborate in your browser.
  3. Doro PDF Writer may not have all the features that other PDF tools have, but it works great for printing PDF files, as it’s free. While installed as a virtual print driver, you can convert any printable document or image to PDF format. It gives you a few security features such as 128-bit encryption, password protection, and the ability to enable/disable the copy, paste, and print functions for the document. Doro PDF Writer is Windows compatible.
  4. Acrobat XI Pro is packed with smart tools that give you even more power to communicate. With the option to subscribe or buy, you can merge and organize multiple documents, spreadsheets, web pages, and more in a single PDF that’s easy to share. Although it may be a bit costly, Acrobat is the best of the best.
  5. Bullzip PDF Printer is free, Windows compatible PDF printer with up to 10 users for personal and commercial use. Features include PDF printing, graphical user interface, password protection, 128/40-bit encryption, watermark customization, and more.
  6. Some PDF to Text Converter is a free, fast, and accurate way to convert any PDF to text, so you can edit and reuse your content. Without requiring any Adobe product, the extracted content is saved to text files where it can be searched, archived, repurposed and managed.
  7. PDFTK Builder is a free PDF manipulation tool for windows. With this tool you can easily rearrange (reorder, delete, & duplicate) pages in a single document and/or merge pages from multiple documents. In addition, you can add a background to each page in a document (or just the first), rotate pages, and add password protection to your documents.

With these 7 PDF tools, you’ll quickly be on your way to building a great online learning course! Remember, your learning management system must have the ability to upload your files online as well.

video-marketing1

Developing Video Based Learning

/in , , /by

How To Create Engaging Video Based Learning

We have all heard of the catchphrase more than often; visuals speak 1000 words, so videos speak a million or a trillion of words. As learning experts have also rightly pointed out, it’s better to show than to tell the learners. It has been proven by most of the researchers that visually demonstrating a new skill or behavior can be an important component of multi-modal instruction.

As humans, we all like or even love videos. It is estimated there are over 6 billion hours of video that are viewed on YouTube every month, and that is almost an hour for every person on earth.

Though this type of learning is not new, with the advancement of YouTube it has become increasingly popular. In addition, video based learning caters to different learning styles and suits different types of content.

Here are some tips that you can use as an Instructional Designer to create engaging video based learning:

  1. State clear objectives.
    First and foremost, you must have a clear goal in your mind in order to produce a video. In order to do this, you need to have clearly defined objectives for the videos. Setting clear goals is helpful to design the videos effectively, as you will have clear focus and will be able to meet the learning goals.
  2. Keep them short.
    The length of a video is the most important aspect to keep the learners engaged via the videos. You must ensure that the videos are not long; instead, ensure that they are short nuggets. Thus, if you have a lengthy module, you must try to break it up into bite-sized snippets that may range from 1-2 minutes. You need to ensure that the videos that you develop are easily digestible by the learners. Include more visuals than text: You must also ensure that you include more visuals in a video than just plain text. This is from my personal experience, where I feel that a video must not look like a replica of a PowerPoint and include more images; and when I say images, they should appear realistic.
  3. Include voice over in the video.
    This is another important aspect for video based learning, as there is a difference between a video based learning and a classroom training. In a video based learning the learners are left all by themselves, so the text or visuals you include in a video needs a supporting text via audio. In addition, it is also helpful to prepare an audio script for the audio that will accompany the video.
  4. Incorporate captions.
    There are various benefits of adding captions to a video and one of most obvious reason is to allow the learners who have a hearing disability to view the video with ease. Studies show that transcripts increase engagement and that captions increase the completion rate of video from 40% to 80%. There are various video-editing tools that allow you to add captions in your video such as Camtasia Studio. Incorporating captions in a video is also important for the learners who have English as a second language and have some difficulty in understanding what is being spoken, as they can get the captions translated.
  5. Record your screen.
    In case you are developing a video for an application, then it would be good to include a simulation. You can do this by recording the screen to show the things that you may not be able to do it via text or audio only. For example, consider a situation where you want to display to a learner how to save a file in MS Word. So, over here, a simulation or recording would prove to be much helpful, as it would make learning much more enjoyable and memorable. There are various tools that allow you to record your screen, such as Camtasia or Screenr.

These tips can allow you to create enriching and engaging videos, as video is the most powerful tool used for learning. So, the next time you are planning to create video based learning, you must ensure to remember these guidelines.

Reference:

Here is an excellent infographic to show the importance of video based learning: INFOGRAPHIC: Victory Through Video.

This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Building elearning Content For The Modern Learner

/in , /by

How To Build Content For The Modern Learner

We recently collaborated with a client to create microlearning videos based on their pre-existing sales methodology and training materials. The client had a team of experienced instructional designers, subject matter experts, and course creators to script the content prior to our video engagement. We quickly realized what a struggle the team had writing or rewriting good concise learning content.

Seeing this struggle made it clear that other content creators had to be dealing with the same challenges.

Here are 3 challenges the team faced and how we helped improve their content creation process in order to align to the modern learner:

1. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition.

There’s the old “tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them” method. Which we love, but there’s a difference between doing it succinctly and beating a dead horse. The great thing about online learning technology is it puts the learner in control. If they missed something in a video, they can use the play bar to rewind the video and play it back.

Improvement: Be deliberate with your delivery.
To get over this hurdle, you need to get good at editing. Whether it’s you or someone else on your team, read and re-read your content to ensure you’re not saying the same things over and over again. Act as if you have to pay a dime for every word you use.

2. Explaining Everything.

It’s an easy trap to fall into. If you are very close to your content, you may have the tendency to over explain because you know so much.

Improvement: Focus on one learning objective.
If you continuously ask yourself, “What’s the one thing I want someone to get out of this?” as you write AND edit, you will keep yourself on track. Using this method, we are able to omit entire paragraphs in our editing process! Sounds simple, but many people write objectives at the beginning of a project, yet don’t rely on them to guide the process.

3. Giving Little Or No Context.

When teaching a methodology or process, it’s easy to jump right into the “how-to”. And, yes, we said to be succinct and to the point, but you also have to set the stage.

Improvement: Give context.
To ensure content is recalled and remembered, create context for your learners. How can you relate the concept you’re teaching to something they’re familiar with? Short stories and relatable experiences are the best way to set the stage and create context.

The next time you’re challenged with creating a new training initiative in Learning and Development, think about these 3 challenges and try the improvements we implemented. We hope our experience will help increase your training’s effectiveness and shorten your production timeline.

This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

English Language Teaching qualifications

/in , /by

The TEFL / TESOL profession uses a whole range of acronyms. Here’s a guide to some of the more common ones you’re likely to encounter.

EFL English as a Foreign Language
ESL English as a Second Language
TEFL Teaching English as a Foreign Language
TESL Teaching English as a Second Language
TESOL Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Traditionally, TEFL refers to teaching in non-English speaking countries, whereas TESL refers to teaching in English speaking countries, to non-native speakers living or working there. In practice, though, the two terms are often used interchangeably, and both are covered by the all-encompassing TESOL.

Teaching qualifications

CELTA

 Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults

The CELTA is one of the most internationally recognised and accepted entry-level qualifications. The old name for the CELTA was the CTEFLA (Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Adults). There are many other entry-level qualifications.

CELTYL

 Certificate in English Language Teaching to Young Learners

CELTYL is no longer offered. Instead, Cambridge offer the Young Learner Extension to the CELTA, for those who want to specialise in teaching Young Learners.

Delta

 Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults

The Delta is a higher level qualification, usually studied after two or more years of teaching for career progression. The old name for the DELTA was the DTEFLA (Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Adults).

TKT

 Teaching Knowledge Test

The TKT focuses on the core teaching knowledge needed by teachers, whatever your background and teaching experience.

PGCE

 Post Graduate Certificate in Education

PGCE is a UK teaching qualification required to teach in the state sector, and is not specific to language teaching.

IDLTM

 International Diploma in Language Teaching Management

The IDLTM is designed for teachers looking to take on management responsibility.

ICELT

 In-service Certificate in English Language Teaching

Exams

BEC Business English Certificates
BULATS Business Language Testing Service
CAE Certificate in Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced
CELS Certificates in English Language Skills
CPE Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency
FCE First Certificate in English or Cambridge English: First
IELTS International English Language Testing System
KET Key English Test or Cambridge English: Key
PET Preliminary English Test or Cambridge English: Preliminary
TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language
TOEIC Test of English for International Communication
YLE Cambridge Young Learners English Tests

Professional associations

IATEFL International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language
TESOL TESOL International Association
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagramrch. Download it starting July 26, 2011: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasaviz/ NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram">

e-Learning Technologies For Language Teaching

/in , , /by

How To Use E-Learning Technologies To Improve Educational Quality Of Language Teaching

E-Learning or technology in learning has become a buzz in the education industry and today it caters to the needs of modern-day learners. Infusing technologies in classroom learning have added to stimulus and enhanced learner’s interaction within the classroom. E-Learning has a vast presence in almost every field. Language teaching is one such field where technology has taken over and improved the ways of learning.

Take for example, the English language. Teachers today use different techniques like movie-clippings, advertisements, commentaries, dramatics and more. Not only it makes the session much more interesting than the old book style teaching but also keeps the learner attentive during the class. E-learning has also changed the perspective of distance learning. The modernization lets the students be equally interactive like someone present physically.

The Teaching Style Then (Past Trends)

Language teaching has evolved over the centuries. Earlier the language was taught as a subject rather than developing a skill. The methods used then ignored the development of oral proficiency of the learners. To name a few of the methods that were a part of learning processes in the past include:

  • Grammar-Translation Method
  • Bilingual Method
  • Direct Method
  • Audio-Lingual Method
  • Structural Approach
  • Communicative Language Training

Teachers have been in constant search of more effective and better ways of teaching language.

Getting to Know the Current Trends in Language Teaching

Teachers today have realized that the old concept of teachers reigning a class with passive students. Today considering the need of the hour, language teachers today organize a number of conferences and seminars to create a platform where they can keep themselves updated about upcoming ideologies in the language teaching techniques and technologies, keeping themselves professionally updated and equipped with the current trends.

Current trends include a proper blend of edification and e-learning tools.

E-Learning Tools and their Use in Language Teaching

A diverse range of technological tools that can be used by capable teachers to enhance learning and teaching situations. These tools make learning more interesting, interactive, meaningful and stimulating for the students. These tools are powerful as they are capable of bringing a change and reform traditional forms of learning.

Internet, YouTube, Skype, Twitter, Smart-boards, Blogs and Podcasting are some of the successful tools that have changed the way language is taught.

The Teaching Job Sector; How E-Learning has benefited the teaching jobs?

Teaching is considered one of the best jobs and with the development in technology, these have also become one of the most interesting jobs. Online teaching jobs today are gaining fame and people with an added advantage of e-courses certification are an edge above the rest. Also, if you are willing to teach, but have a regular job you can enroll yourself for an online teaching program where you will be required to give classes once or twice a week.

E-learning has let no geographical barriers take away the will to teach or learn. In this era, to grab an e-learning teaching job, you should have an expertise in subject matter and networking.

Analyzing the job market in this industry, today there are a number of jobs that require the knowledge of e-learning. Distance education universities, even corporates and offices conduct e-learning modules to train their employees.

On the Concluding Note

The efforts of teachers and technology combined to improve the quality of education and learning attempts to emphasize a number of advantages. Though the use of e-learning is growing in language teaching, there are still certain drawbacks attached to it. Advancement in E-learning extends further possibilities of learning going beyond traditional way of teaching.

Easy access to materials, flexible space, time and pace of study and immediate feedback are some of the advantages that make language learning a fun thing to go.

Also, introduction to online teaching adds to the enrichment of learning a foreign language. Overall the advantages are numerous. But talking about the other side, there are some drawbacks that can keep the traditional method at an edge. The creation, preparation and uploading of the material is time-consuming and requires the teachers to put in a little extra effort that is required in the traditional methods of teaching.

Tips For eLearning Professionals

/in , , , /by

10 Habits Of Top-Notch eLearning Professionals

What separates the best from the rest? I’m sure that the first word that comes to mind is “talent”. Granted, talent is important; but it is not enough on its own. How often in life haven’t you seen talent being wasted by lack of motivation, focus, and hard work? Unfortunately, or fortunately, talent is not the trait that separates the good from the mediocre. The high achievers of this world share two other characteristics: Determination and will. To stand out from the crowd of eLearning professionals, you need to be determined to succeed. To rise above the rest you need to be in love with what you do, work hard, and really want to make a difference. You also need to start doing what successful professionals do. This is why in this article, I will share 10 habits that separate the successful ones from the mediocre. Building these habits takes time, practicing them over and over again, and figuring out what areas to work hard at without losing focus and faith. But guess what? It is certainly worth the effort.

This is what Top-Notch eLearning Professionals do to stand out from the crowd:

  1. They don’t give up.
    Thomas Edison had famously said “I have not failed; I’ve just found 10.000 ways that won’t work”. Persistence is the key to success; if you are not able to accept that failure is inevitable when working towards your goals, you will not be able to achieve anything more than random successes related to pure luck. Failure comes in many forms, e.g. making mistakes or facing rejection, but not giving up is critical. Failing is always hurtful, but the way you are dealing with it is the deciding factor: Will you allow it to teach you something or prevent you from moving forward? The first choice is what top eLearning professionals go with; they learn from their mistakes, analyze their unpleasant experiences, and use the data to get a little closer to their goals every time. We all make mistakes and we all get rejected at one point or another. Your focus should not be on how to avoid mistakes, but rather on how to use any challenge in your favor, i.e. how to use it to develop your critical thinking and problem solving skills. This is the only way to deal with a mistake: Learn from it
  3. They respect every project they take on, whether they like it or not.
    Top-notch eLearning professionals     are not snobbish about eLearning projects. If you’re getting paid for your work, you need to do your best regardless of the job. There are no unimportant projects or unimportant clients; every single task you take on is equally important. Of course there will be difficult clients, impossible Subject Matter Experts, and boring assignments, but what will separate you from the rest of the pack is professional responsibility. If you absolutely hate a project or a client, maybe it’s better to cut ties with them. But if you decide to take on the particular project, you must respect your work and deliver an exceptional product.
  1. They value time.
    High achieving eLearning professionals don’t waste time. They know that constantly taking breaks from what they are doing will not help them achieve success. They highly value their time, because they know that it is their most treasured asset. Valuing time does not mean overdoing it and burning out, because to deliver a professional work you need to have a clear head and a well rested mind. But poor time management skills will lead to missing deadlines, appointments, useful networking opportunities, and, most likely, your professional credibility. So, make a habit of valuing time, yours and others’ around you, and start by developing your time management skills, now.
  2. They do not procrastinate.
    Speaking of “now”, procrastination and success don’t go hand in hand: On the contrary, procrastination slowly, but very effectively, reduces and ultimately kills motivation, which is the fuel of success. Are you the type who waits for the market to get better? Or for their current project to be completed? Or for their kids to finish school? Maybe you should modify your plans and adjust them to your timetable. But don’t waste time: Create smaller goals, more feasible and realistic. Stop slipping further behind week after week. Move towards your goals taking a smaller step; but keep moving.
  3. They are open to feedback.
    Top-notch eLearning professionals value feedback and reflection, simply because it makes perfect sense. When you work in the learning business, you know that feedback is essential to the learning process. Thus, ignoring any feedback related to your personal development is like saying “there is nothing more I need to learn”. Communicating with other professionals, sharing experiences, and knowing how to accept constructive feedback is essential; it is actually a great way to test your ideas, methods, and future plans. On the other hand, being defensive or taking criticism personally will not only deprive you of the opportunity to learn something new or see a different, often refreshing perspective, but will also isolate you from the eLearning community, which, trust me, will be a fatal mistake.
  4. They never say no to networking.
    Being an active member of the eLearning community is critical, as relationships are the catalyst for success; a fact that high achievers know well. People work with those they know, like, and trust, and how else will you know other people and get them to like and trust you unless you get out there and connect with them? Networking not only is the ultimate way to build and cultivate relationships, but also can offer you new career opportunities, accelerate your professional development, and give you a hand when you have any kind of trouble. Also, it is a great way to be positively influenced by people you admire for their achievements, knowledge, and experience. Networking can offer you great advice that Google cannot give you, assistance that your friends are not able to provide you with, and get you back in the game when you haven’t worked for a while. So, go to eLearning conferences, be active on LinkedIn, and build effective networks with other eLearning professionals on Facebook and Twitter. Connect with, and even model successful people who share your goals and values and see the profound impact this will have on your business and personal life.
  5. They embrace collaboration.
    But there is another kind of relationship top-notch eLearning professionals are very interested in: the one they have with their eLearning team. If you really want to stand out from the crowd, you must realize that success is about people. When you are a part of a team, you need to know what to do best and how to use other people’s talents for what you don’t know that well. Effective collaboration cultivates creativity, promotes forward thinking, and boosts performance. Improve your communication skills if you have to, and learn how to relate to project managers, graphic designers, Instructional Designers, Subject Matter Experts, and programmers at all levels. Fostering your relationships with your team will not only increase its performance, but also boost the effectiveness of your eLearning projects.
  6. They always look for opportunities to learn.
    eLearning professionals know that learning is an ongoing process. Top-notch eLearning professionals are thirstier for knowledge than their own learners are. They grab every opportunity to learn; from their audience, their colleagues, books, blogs, social media, websites, you name it. To stand out from the crowd, to separate yourself from the rest of the pack you need to never stop learning. Always keep your eyes open and focus on everything that grabs your attention. Learn as much as you can about Instructional Design, graphic design, programming, writing, project management, communication skills, teaching skills, and so on; be a perpetual learner and never stop looking for new ideas, methods, and tools. No knowledge is ever wasted.
  7. They push themselves out of their comfort zones.
    High achievers are survivors; they face failures without ever losing sight of their goal. Most importantly, they take risks. Have you ever met a top-notch eLearning professional who was simply a follower, who only tried the same things others did before them, who didn’t push themselves out of their comfort zone? Neither have I. Whatever the result of your risk taking, whether it is a total failure or a total success, examining what happened and what can be learnt will develop your big picture thinking skills and help you gain confidence and maintain a positive outlook, which is more than essential. I’m not suggesting you should suddenly quit your job or take on a project which is way out of your potential. I’m only saying: Push yourself to the limits. Push yourself through doubt and fear. Get deadlines, competition, challenges, and your own goals to push you. Get out of your comfort zone. Only this way you will set yourself up for better projects and success.
  8. They really, really, love their job.
    Highly successful eLearning professionals have a true passion for eLearning; under no circumstances they would invest their time, energy, and resources on anything less than their passion. Think about what you do for a living and ask yourself a simple question: “Would you do it for free?”; if the answer is “Yes!”, you are not only a very lucky person, but also very likely to make a difference and separate yourself from the crowd. In fact, having a true passion for eLearning is the only habit of top-notch eLearning professionals that is incredibly difficult to “build”; you are either feeling it or not. If you find true pleasure in your job, that is if it offers you a great sense of achievement and happiness, you have made the biggest and most important step towards success. It means that no failure can discourage you and no mistake can demotivate you, because you have a passion; and passion is just a free and unlimited fuel.

Now that you know what separates top-notch eLearning professionals from the mediocre ones, you may be interested in learning about what makes an eLearning team a high performance eLearning team. Read the article The Top 7 Qualities Of A High Performance eLearning Team and learn everything you need to know about how to ensure that your team is not only a truly great eLearning professional group, but also 100% dedicated to attaining their shared goals.

This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

E-Learning Technologies In Language Teaching

/in , , , /by

How To Use E-Learning Technologies To Improve Educational Quality Of Language Teaching

E-Learning or technology in learning has become a buzz in the education industry and today it caters to the needs of modern-day learners. Infusing technologies in classroom learning have added to stimulus and enhanced learner’s interaction within the classroom. E-Learning has a vast presence in almost every field. Language teaching is one such field where technology has taken over and improved the ways of learning.

Take for example, the English language. Teachers today use different techniques like movie-clippings, advertisements, commentaries, dramatics and more. Not only it makes the session much more interesting than the old book style teaching but also keeps the learner attentive during the class. E-learning has also changed the perspective of distance learning. The modernization lets the students be equally interactive like someone present physically.

The Teaching Style Then (Past Trends)

Language teaching has evolved over the centuries. Earlier the language was taught as a subject rather than developing a skill. The methods used then ignored the development of oral proficiency of the learners. To name a few of the methods that were a part of learning processes in the past include:

  • Grammar-Translation Method
  • Bilingual Method
  • Direct Method
  • Audio-Lingual Method
  • Structural Approach
  • Communicative Language Training

Teachers have been in constant search of more effective and better ways of teaching language.

Getting to Know the Current Trends in Language Teaching

Teachers today have realized that the old concept of teachers reigning a class with passive students. Today considering the need of the hour, language teachers today organize a number of conferences and seminars to create a platform where they can keep themselves updated about upcoming ideologies in the language teaching techniques and technologies, keeping themselves professionally updated and equipped with the current trends.

Current trends include a proper blend of edification and e-learning tools.

E-Learning Tools and their Use in Language Teaching

A diverse range of technological tools that can be used by capable teachers to enhance learning and teaching situations. These tools make learning more interesting, interactive, meaningful and stimulating for the students. These tools are powerful as they are capable of bringing a change and reform traditional forms of learning.

Internet, YouTube, Skype, Twitter, Smart-boards, Blogs and Podcasting are some of the successful tools that have changed the way language is taught.

The Teaching Job Sector; How E-Learning has benefited the teaching jobs?

Teaching is considered one of the best jobs and with the development in technology, these have also become one of the most interesting jobs. Online teaching jobs today are gaining fame and people with an added advantage of e-courses certification are an edge above the rest. Also, if you are willing to teach, but have a regular job you can enroll yourself for an online teaching program where you will be required to give classes once or twice a week.

E-learning has let no geographical barriers take away the will to teach or learn. In this era, to grab an e-learning teaching job, you should have an expertise in subject matter and networking.

Analysing the job market in this industry, today there are a number of jobs that require the knowledge of e-learning. Distance education universities, even corporates and offices conduct e-learning modules to train their employees.

On the Concluding Note

The efforts of teachers and technology combined to improve the quality of education and learning attempts to emphasize a number of advantages. Though the use of e-learning is growing in language teaching, there are still certain drawbacks attached to it. Advancement in E-learning extends further possibilities of learning going beyond traditional way of teaching.

Easy access to materials, flexible space, time and pace of study and immediate feedback are some of the advantages that make language learning a fun thing to go.

Also, introduction to online teaching adds to the enrichment of learning a foreign language. Overall the advantages are numerous. But talking about the other side, there are some drawbacks that can keep the traditional method at an edge. The creation, preparation and uploading of the material is time-consuming and requires the teachers to put in a little extra effort that is required in the traditional methods of teaching.

Microsoft Dynamics LMS Integration

/in , /by

Why Microsoft Dynamics LMS Integration?

Let us see how Microsoft Dynamics LMS integration combines the power of your CRM with your Learning Management System to streamline your business.

Dynamics CRM On The Up And Up

The success of Microsoft Dynamics CRM has been astounding. In a few short years since entering the market in 2003 as Microsoft CRM, and through various different versions of Microsoft Dynamics all the way up to the Dynamics 2015 version we see today, Microsoft have wrestled a large chunk of the market away from other CRMs, such as Salesforce and SugarCRM, and built a business worth over $2 billion.

With recent moves focusing on increasing the productivity of companies, rather than simply supplying IT systems, Microsoft Dynamics CRM has been given a new home under the Cloud and Enterprise product division as of June this year. With the departure of Kirill Taterinov, who had been head of dynamics since 2007, and the departmental reshuffle which saw Dynamics fall under new jurisdiction, it may seem a lot like Microsoft Dynamics’ future was straying into the realms of uncertainty.

What Next For Dynamics?

However, following the Microsoft Convergence conference in March of this year, which showcased the new and exciting developments in store for the service, it is now clear that its future is indeed very much alive and even more exciting than had previously been thought.

Microsoft Dynamics’ move to Cloud and Enterprise makes a lot of sense within the context of its trajectory of recent years. Part of a series of changes that aim to consolidate the power of sales, marketing, service, and social, this move is integral to transforming Dynamics, together with other applications and services, into a connected set of products which truly help to streamline the business and change the way it operates by increasing productivity across the board.

How Does Your Learning Management System Fit Into This?

Although not part of this new wave of Microsoft developments, Learning Management Systems are fast becoming important and vital part of the growth of an organization for this very reason: they streamline not just training, but the business as a whole. With a strong Learning Management System geographical locations, time zones, and language cease to have so much relevance as self-paced, training is available on-demand and on almost any portable device with the latest mobile learning functionality.

The best corporate Learning Management System like Paradiso LMS from Paradiso Solutions gives the organization the power to ensure that all stakeholders in the company -employees, channel partners, and customers- have instant access to important and up to date training, and that geographical location, disability, or lack of a reliable internet connection are no barriers to the availability of the training.

Integration Is The Way Forward

Just like a robust CRM such as Microsoft Dynamics, an LMS can transform the way an organization works, and there are frequently overlaps in terms of data and functionality. This is why Paradiso Solutions has developed Microsoft Dynamics LMS integration, so that two of the most important applications in constant use at your organization can work together to provide a better, more streamlined experience. Paradiso has already had much success in this area with its Salesforce LMS integration, which works in much the same way, and the integration can easily be adapted to work with Microsoft Dynamics AS, GP or NAV.

Microsoft Dynamics LMS Integration Features

But how does the integration work? How can two applications that serve two different purposes work together? Well, as mentioned, there are a number of overlaps in which data synchronization can serve an important purpose:

  • Single Sign On (SSO).
    Microsoft Dynamics LMS integration has Single Sign On (SSO) built into it, so that after you log into Dynamics your training is available via a tab on the dashboard. No more having to remember loads of different login credentials; Dynamics LMS integration gives you direct access to eLearning content from your CRM.
  • User Information Exchanged.
    When a new user is entered into the CRM, this information is automatically shared with the Learning Management System. Important user data like name, address, social security number, position, department etc. is synched between the two systems. This way you ensure that all data is up to date and current. Likewise learning records can easily be viewed from Microsoft Dynamics and vital information -for example the completion of crucial compliance training- is sent from the Learning Management System to the CRM. This way if employees or partners are yet to complete certain mandatory compliance training, you will automatically know.
  • Advanced Reporting.
    Reporting is a fundamental part of checking not only that certain training goals, learning plans, or milestones are being achieved, but also how effective your training is across the company. Thanks to the Microsoft Dynamics LMS integration the data used for building the reports can come from both your CRM and Learning Management System, increasing their granularity and accuracy and helping to build a more detailed picture of your learners and their progress.

As I already said training from the Learning Management System is accessible via a tab on the Dynamics dashboard. Bringing your Learning Management System and CRM together helps with learner engagement, as learners can go directly to their training without fussing around logging onto other platforms.

Make Your Sales Team The Best They Can Be

Your sales team is what drives the business. Without a strong, clued-up sales team your business can’t grow at its full potential. It is for this reason that sales training is so crucial, and even more important that your CRM and Learning Management System work together. Whereas previously training your sales team relied on instructor-led face to face classes, now your Learning Management System allows you to control what your sales team learns (new products, changes in tactics or company policy etc.), how the training is delivered (classroom-based, gamification, blended learning, and more) and on what device (PC, laptop, tablet, or smartphone). There is now no excuse for not being able to complete training, thanks to the Offline Player which lets learners download training when connected to the internet to be completed at their convenience.

Microsoft Dynamics LMS integration makes a lot of sense and, given that it is a Microsoft product and incorporates Office365, is immediately familiar to anyone who has ever worked with MS Office. Clearly there is cost to bear in mind, especially if your organization is a Subject Matter Expert. At Paradiso we work with you and your organization to determine which features are the best fit for your business, based on factors such as company size and budget. Our solution is tailored to you, and we do all the hard work, development and implementation for you, as well as providing full client training.

This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Mobile Learning Solutions

/in , /by

Custom Mobile Learning Solutions For Your Company

In this article I will outline how custom mobile learning solutions can be used for primary learning (formal training) and informal learning (performance support intervention and social learning) to provide the required performance gain you seek.

The Forgetting Curve

Most of us are familiar with the “Forgetting Curve” that defines the exponential nature of forgetting. As you see from this diagram featuring the “Forgetting Curve”, we forget 80% of what we learned in 30 days!

 

EID_Innovative_eLearning_image_02

It is evident from here that it is not enough to have formal training that happens for a short period of time during the year and is expected to lead the learner from learning to application at work and a behavioral change. Instead, the adopted learning strategy must look beyond formal training and identify approaches to create “learning as a continuum”.

How To Offset The “Forgetting Curve”? Is There A “Recall And Retention” Approach To Offset This?

There are multiple approaches that can be used to offset the “Forgetting Curve”. One of them is to have on-going smaller bytes of learning instead of one large chunk. If these bytes could be delivered in interesting and engaging formats and made available to learners within their work-flow, they will work effectively in helping learn, recall, and retain. Over a period of time, this would lead to the required application at work and the anticipated behavioral change.

Custom mobile learning solutions are a great fit to move from discrete learning events (typically associated with formal training) to learning paths or learning pathways that have additional measures to help learners:

  1. Recall.
  2. Retain.
  3. Reinforce.
  4. Apply.

What Benefits Do Mobile Learning Solutions Provide?

As we know, instead of one big training program, if there are smaller chunks of learning over a period of time we are likely to retain better. While this can certainly be achieved with traditional eLearning approaches as well, mobile learning solutions have a significant edge in achieving this.

Let me begin with a list of the key advantages of custom mobile learning solutions from one my earlier articles, What Are The Benefits Of mLearning? Featuring 5 Killer Examples:

  1. Flexibility to learners.
    At the top of the benefits list is the flexibility mLearning or mobile learning offers. This includes:

    • Flexibility and choice of device to access learning “anytime, anywhere”.
    • Flexibility of learning with more varied formats (videos, podcasts, and so on).
  2. Better completion rates and higher retention.
    The bite-sized or micro-learning approach makes it easier for learners to initiate, complete, and retain learning better.
  3. Collaborative learning.
    Collaborative learning is a great way to engage with peers to share learning experiences and be part of communities of specific practices.
  4. Higher engagement.
    The experiences are more immersive and statistics reveal that more learners complete the courses through mLearning than traditional eLearning.
  5. Multi-device support.
    With multi-device support the same course is available on varied devices ranging from PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
  6. Performance support.
    Mobile learning or mLearning is becoming the preferred approach to provide performance support intervention as mobile devices are an intrinsic part of the learners’ work-flow. Performance support facilitates an easy access to information while at work and increases the probability of usage and retrieval.
  7. Learning path.
    Mobile devices can also be used to update learners on their “learning path” thereby facilitating “learning as a continuum”. With more people depending on phone-based organizers, integrating links in organizers to commence/resume the courses saves time for learners.

Can You Leverage On The Power Of Custom Mobile Learning Solutions For Your Company To Enhance Your Learning Strategy?

My personal experience in working with several organizations globally is that learners very quickly opt for tablets or smartphones for learning. (As highlighted earlier, studies show that more learners complete the courses when they have an option for Tablets or Smartphones). How do we ensure that we leverage on this higher learner engagement for a more effective learning? This is where custom mobile learning solutions find the right fit.

Let me outline how we handle this. We draw inspiration from Dr. Conrad Gottfredson and Bob Mosher’s Five Distinct Moments of Need©. These moments of learning are:

  1. When learning for the first time.
  2. When wanting to learn more.
  3. When trying to apply/remember.
  4. When something goes wrong.
  5. When something changes.

You can use this framework to extend the formal training (for learning needs 1 and 2) and just-in-time Performance Support Tools (for learning needs 3-5). More specifically, looking at the nature of the learning need, you can integrate social learning programs.

What Are The Significant Gains For Organizations If They Opt For Custom Mobile Learning Solutions?

Let’s take a look at a typical Learning and Performance Ecosystem and see what custom mobile learning solutions are possible for your company:

EI Design Learning and Performance Ecosystems1

You can use custom mobile learning solutions to achieve performance gain. The application could be for:

  1. Formal Learning.
    Custom mobile learning courses that are available on tablets and smartphones (similarly, you can offer mobile apps for primary learning).
  2. Performance Support Tools (PSTs).
    That is Performance Support Tools in varied forms like mobile apps, interactive PDFs/eBooks, expert videos, webinars/recorded webinars, whiteboard animations, and webcast/podcasts.
  3. Social Learning.
    That is social learning for collaborative learning, sharing, content curation, and so on.

You can use creative Instructional Design to meet the learner-centricity objective with innovative learning designs delivered on tablets and smartphones (while retaining the flexibility of offering them on PCs and laptops).

Custom mobile learning solutions provide sticky learning through many approaches.

Here are my Top 6:

  • Gamification.
    A gamified interaction to identify time-wasters that would in-turn help team members with effective planning was designed to deploy on smart phones.

 

  • Decision-making – branching scenarios.
    An interactive exercise demonstrating a conflict scenario at workplace where the learners could relate him/herself in the situation and make decisions. This mobile-friendly engaging interaction was designed to ensure sticky learning.
  • Story-based.
    An instance of story-based approach from our multi-device compatible Instructional Design courses.
  • Scenario-based.
    Learners get a chance to walk through and interact with a series of scenarios in this multi-device course to identify and mitigate conflict situations at work place.

Scenario-based

  • Guided exploration.
    An exploratory navigation through instances where learners can choose among a set of options and evaluate what is right and wrong.

Guided_exploration

  • Interactive videos.
    Engaging videos designed for mobile devices that carry the learners through real life situations. The videos are paused at points letting the learners interact and check their understanding.

Over the last 4+ years, we have crafted custom mobile learning solutions of over 400 hours for both formal and informal learning (Performance Support Tools). We have crafted learning strategies that work for both individual learners as well as for collaborative (social) learning. If you have any questions on how you can successfully integrate custom mobile learning solutions for your company, do reach out to me.

This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Online Teaching

/in , , , /by

The 5 Pillars Of Online Teaching And 40 Apps And Tools To Strengthen Each Pillar

Life as an online teacher can get complicated if we get lost in technology, marketing, social media, creating courses, running courses, dealing with email, and growing as an online professional on the cutting-edge of education. However, if we plan smartly from minimalist perspectives, we can employ tools that will work for us and save hours of time and stress.

Remember also that many “Teacherpreneurs” these days adopt Pareto’s principles into their working lives. They try to identify 20% of the most essential parts of the business and improve them to get 80% of their results.

I will identify 5 pillars of the online teaching business; within each pillar you will find a variety of tools to help you smarten up that side of your business.

The 5 Pillars Of Online Teaching

fivepillars

Image created by Sylvia Guinan using Prezi technology.

  1. Website/Blog.
  2. Content Creation Tools.
  3. Course Management Tools.
  4. Personalization Tools.
  5. Marketing Solutions & Social Media.

Let us have a look at how you can strengthen each pillar with the following smart apps and tools:

1. Tools And Apps For Smart Home Pages.

Firstly I would recommend WordPress for your online home because it’s very user-friendly and allows for the integration of magical plugins that make your website work like a dream.

The most important thing to consider is the overall look of your website and blog. You can choose one of the free WordPress themes, which is good and easy, but, if you are of a creative mindset and have a particular vision in mind, you may wish to manipulate the interface yourself. Traditionally we needed professional web designers to do this for us. However, I myself have researched ways of designing one’s interface without coding.

  • Visual Composer.
    Visual Composer is an award-winning drag and drop page builder with front and backend editors. It allows you to intuitively manipulate the look and feel of whatever template you are using. It allows you to add text, images, and buttons to your page or choose pre-defined looks if you want to save even more time. The plugin is very inexpensive and saves a lot of time, money and stress.
  • Prophoto.
    Another more expensive and ambitious solution is ProPhoto, which imports all kinds of themes beyond the WordPress defaults and allows you to design and manipulate to your heart’s content.
  • Social media feather.
    Social sharing buttons are extremely important for online teachers who wish to share their work online. A website shares course descriptions, testimonials, resumes, lessons, and knowledge. The blog is an ongoing educational resource that attracts people to your website. Therefore, you’ve got to maximize sharing potential with the best social sharing buttons. I found that most social sharing buttons have hidden problems. Some pop out and hide your screen when you’re trying to read. Others are limited, ugly or faulty. Smart teachers need smart social sharing buttons. I chose Social Media Feather because they feature “likes” and “shares” simultaneously, integrate with a wide range of social sharing sites, and are very attractive, yet non-imposing. They are speedy, automatic, and light. They are not free, but they save time and headaches. It took me a long time to realize that some free tools are extremely expensive because they eat up your time, brain power, patience, and sanity. This, in a spiraling domino effect, eats up your money before you’ve had time to earn it.

2. Content Creation Tools.

PowerPoint and Prezi are the standards for presentations and eLearning content.

  • PowerPoint is necessary for virtual classrooms and the great thing about it is that you can share your work on Slideshare, which is another indispensable tool for extending your digital footprint.
  • Prezi is a laterally-designed tool that promotes creativity and alternative eLearning design. Although you can’t upload it to your virtual classroom, you can embed it onto blogs, Learning Management Systems, social media, and so on. It can also be used as a tool for showcasing course offerings.

Although PowerPoint and Prezi are must-haves, it’s also good to liven up courses with other forms of multi-media, both for content creation and, later, for viral social media shares.

I like to use:

  • Posters, flyers and lists.
    Tackk, Storify, Smore, Pinterest, Listly, and Pearl Trees.
    You can create lessons with these tools and embed them into course and have your students create their own socially viral content.
  • Video.
    YouTube, Animoto, Go Animate, and TedEd.
    These tools are so powerful in helping you design content and courses that reflect your own online teaching interests and brand your courses with your own teaching approach. Video brings language to life, as does imagery. That’s why multi-media can accelerate learning when a teacher wields web tools with wisdom and foresight.
  • Comics and story boarding tools.
    Comic Life, Pixton, PowToon, Bitstrips, Make Beliefs Comix, Toondoo, and Storybird.
    Again, language is brought to life through comic creation and language learners can be inspired to write stories and create their own characters, situations, and even series of stories in the target language.

Finally, if you want to become a professional eLearning designer you may also decide to invest in more powerful and al-inclusive solutions, such as Articulate Storyline. This level of creation is a specialization that can help you to build courses faster, run them more seamlessly, and set you up as an expert in the nice of materials and course design, so the investment can lead to contracts with major clients in the eLearning business.

3. Platform/Learning Management System/ Video-Conferencing Solution.

User-friendly, intuitive and wildly flexible (with regard to embed codes and social sharing) would define my ideal home for online courses.

You need to be able to put all content into one easily accessible area, have discussion forums, multi-media sharing options, and places where students can access content and class recordings. If you have to spend too much time managing your courses or fixing bugs, then this does not a smart online teacher make.

You can choose to build things on your own website or use a commercial platform for hosting your courses.

4. Personalization Tools.

Technology allows us to personalize our brands, teaching values, courses and social learning ethics more than ever before. It also allows to personalize the individual learner’s experience. How one does this is really up to the imagination, and many tools I’ve already mentioned can do so.

How is that possible?

Well, the tools I’ve already mentioned are what I call “blank canvas”, storytelling tools. You tell the story of your professionalism. Your students tell the stories of their learning journeys through multi-media.

To make personalization even more effective, however, we can put a razor sharp focus on thinking skills, cognitive development, lateral-thinking and planning via mind mapping tools, infographics and the wonderful world of visual intelligence. Translating text into imagery and vice versa.

You can use these tools to plan your work, curricula, brainstorm etc. , and your students can use these tools to become better thinkers, memorizers, more autonomous learners, and more creative people.

Here are some good mind mapping and infographic tools:

iBrainstorm app, Text 2 Mind Map, Spider Scribe, Popplet, MindMaple, Coggle, and iMind.

Here is an article about mind mapping if you want deeper information for your eLearning school.

Infographic tools are Piktochart, Visualize.me, and Ease.ly.

5. Marketing Solutions And Social Media.

I use many of the same multi-media tools for marketing as I do for content creation. First of all, multi-media marketing is creative, tells a story, and show cases the work you do for your students. Can you really advertise multi-media classes on a text status update that no one will ever read?

Some of the flyer tools I shared above were originally for marketing, but I also exploit them for educational purposes.

Here is a promotional video about making the most of webinars that I made using Go animate.

There is also a lot to learn from the Social Media Examineρ on Facebook and directly from the website.

Apart from following the Social Media Examiner, though, let me tell you some things I find effective:

  • I use Canva to create social media images for Facebook etc. This amazingly creative site was built for the purpose and its genius lies in the fact that it sizes images to fit Facebook banners etc. Anyone who has tried to resize banners for social media or create original images will appreciate this.
  • I also find that LinkedIn is a most valuable marketing site that’s underused by online teachers in general. Running a group on LinkedIn and writing regular blog posts on your LinkedIn profile gets you noticed by serious clients, colleagues and organizations.Your LinkedIn profile has its own inbuilt blog generator and dedicated URL, so if you haven’t tried it before, take a look.
  • Hootsuite is a great tool for managing all of your social media accounts in one place and saving time as you promote your work across multiple platforms.
  • Finally, I’ll leave you with Sniply, a very smart tool indeed. It’s a URL shortner that offers a customized call to action message when clicked on. It allows you to promote others and yourself at the same time. Very smart, very social.

Afterthought

Oh, lastly, I must give you some tools to manage all of these tools 😉

To keep track of online projects you can simple use Google Drive, or the massively effective and user-friendly Trello for vast collaborative business projects, or Evernote, another powerhouse of communication and organization.

 

This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

How To Develop An eLearning Project

/in /by

Questions To Ask When Developing An eLearning Project

Here are the 20 questions you need to ask when taking a brief from an eLearning project sponsor:

About The Need

1. What goal is this intervention intended to support?
It’s vital to identify the real underlying purpose of the proposed intervention. In the workplace, learning is usually just a means to an end.

2. At which people is this intervention aimed?
This question establishes the scope of the intervention in terms of target population.

3. What does this target population need to be doing in the future that it may not be doing now if this goal is to be achieved?
This question places the emphasis on performance not on learning, which is vital if you are to design a solution that is focused on changing behavior and not on developing knowledge.

4. Why are they not doing this now? Have they ever done it?
You want to establish as soon as possible whether there really is a learning gap and what other factors could be impacting on performance.

If there really is a learning gap, proceed with the following questions:

About The Learning Requirement

5. What absolutely must learners know in order to meet the performance requirements?
The emphasis here is on the “absolutely must”. Many learning interventions end up as knowledge dumps and cause a great deal of unnecessary pain for the learner. You want to know what the minimum is that people need to know (retain in memory in the long-term) to get started applying the new behaviors.

6. To what additional information must they have access in order to meet the performance requirements?
This complements the previous question because there is likely to be a lot more information to which people need ready access than they need to actually remember. Think resources rather than courses where possible.

7. What “big ideas” (key principles) do they need to understand and buy into in order to meet the performance requirements?
Many learning interventions have at their heart one or more big ideas that cannot simply be presented and applied; the learner needs to buy into them at an emotional level. This includes all compliance courses, which have at their heart a big idea - data security, keeping healthy and safe, protecting customers, etc.

8. What skills do they need to acquire and/or put into practice in order to meet the performance requirements?
If skills are needed then you will have to build in lots of opportunities for practice with informed feedback. Typically we underestimate the time needed to develop skills and devote too much time to instilling knowledge.

About The Learners

9. What prior knowledge, skills, and experience does the target population have with regard to the subject of this intervention?
This is a particularly important question because novices will need much more structure and support than those who are more experienced.

10. What interest is the population likely to have in this learning? How motivated are they likely to be?
If motivation is high, you will be able to get straight on with your intervention. If it’s low, you’ll have a job to do to build enthusiasm.

11. What hopes and fears is this population likely to have with regard to this learning?
Performance cannot be your only focus because learners are human beings with aspirations and anxieties to which you must pay attention.

12. What expectations does this population have in terms of how they learn?
Different organizations, countries, and generations have different learning cultures. You do not have to pander to these if you feel that doing this might get in the way of a successful outcome but you do need to know what you’re up against.

13. What basic skills does this population have/not have that are relevant to this learning (numeracy, literacy, language, computer literacy, etc.)?
These skills are obviously important because they may be pre-requisites or you may have to adapt the design to cope.

14. What other information about this population will help to inform the design?
There will undoubtedly be more you need to know, depending on the nature of the problem. Just don’t waste a lot of time figuring out learning styles; at least not until there’s a reliable model you can trust.

About The Logistics

15. What is the size of the target population?
How is it distributed geographically? These questions will have a big impact on how you deliver your solution.

16. What budget is available to support this intervention (take into account all costs including those incurred by learners)?
Budget is important, but it may not affect the nature of your solution as much as you might think; there are plenty of ways of getting a job done without Hollywood budgets.

17. By when must this intervention be completed? When can it start? For how long can learners be made available for learning?
Time is critical because it will place constraints on many aspects of your solution. But if you cannot respond to tight time constraints you will not be providing a useful service.

18. What human resources do you have available for analysis, design, development, facilitation, marketing, support, etc.? What software and other tools are available to these people?
These questions establish your firepower, who, and what you have supporting you as you proceed with your solution.

19. What equipment is available to the target population to support the intervention?
This matters because it will determine your options in terms of technology-based solutions.

20. What systems and facilities are available to support delivery?
This question might bring out information about Learning Management Systems and other platforms, as well as facilities such as meeting rooms.

Online Collaboration

/in , /by

How To Encourage Online Collaboration Among Online Faculty

The benefits of collaborating and sharing among students in the online classroom have been well documented by practice and research. Students report feeling a greater sense of community, increased understanding of the material and more opportunities for feedback. The drive for online collaboration and information sharing among virtual faculty is not as well recognized and is often difficult due to a sense of isolation from peers. Some online adjunct instructors may not participate in knowledge sharing due to lack of time, concerns about job security, lack of support from administration, or fear of losing status.

In this competitive landscape of online education, the winners will be those colleges that can stand out in cost, delivery, and quality in the eyes of students. One important aspect to achieving quality education is through investing in faculty. Many colleges are recognizing this need and striving to retain quality faculty in hopes of achieving greater student engagement and retention. Faculty that participate in knowledge sharing and best practices also benefit in similar ways as students, which ultimately carries over to improved student outcomes. Some faculty will simply engage in knowledge sharing due to a:

  • Willingness to help others.
  • A desire to exchange information as part of a mutual relationship.
  • Simply for recognition and reward if this is part of their university culture.

How can colleges encourage more online collaboration among their virtual faculty? In order for virtual faculty (especially busy online adjuncts) to feel motivated to engage in knowledge sharing, it is important to involve them in activities that encourage collaboration such as: mentoring relationships, virtual communities, opportunities for scholarship, and the potential for future career growth.

  1. Develop A Mentorship Program.
    Faculty benefit from the exchange of topics and ideas with other instructors, especially those within their own discipline. Newer faculty will especially need additional support on policies and procedures and will benefit from access to a more senior faculty member for questions and advice. Studies such as this one indicate the quality of this mentoring relationship is critical for its ultimate success.
  2. Have A Dedicated Faculty Area.
    Faculty also benefit from interacting with instructors from other disciplines in order to exchange ideas that are more general in nature. An online faculty lounge encourages sharing, especially if it is monitored by a senior faculty member willing to solicit examples of best practices from others as well as keep the discussions ongoing and active. In this article by Puzziferro and Shelton, the importance of engaging faculty by giving them multiple ways to communicate is cited as one of the most important factors to their motivation.
  3. Provide Opportunities For Scholarship.
    One of the most effective ways to encourage online faculty to engage in knowledge sharing is to provide a supportive environment for scholarship. When incentives are available to collaborate on projects or publish work, online faculty are provided with the rare opportunity to share their knowledge beyond the classroom. Research indicates the quality of education increases when full-time faculty engage in scholarship just as it should with part-time instructors as well.
  4. Provide Opportunities For Career Growth.
    Opportunities for career growth also encourage the online adjunct instructor to engage in knowledge sharing. These opportunities might include the chance to participate in course design, mentorship roles or even leadership positions. To find out what your online faculty desires the most, it is best to ask them first. Needs and interests often differ by university. At my institution, we discovered most of our adjunct population desired opportunities for continuing education, but few were interested in serving on university committees. This might be different for your institution, so try polling your instructors to discover how best to meet their needs.

For a comprehensive look at training and retaining online faculty, see the article Best Practices for Training and Retaining Online Adjunct Faculty by Faculty Focus.

This post was first published on eLearning Industry.