eLearning: Make it Mobile Friendly!

Mobile eLearning seems nearly limitless!  It can happen anywhere at anytime. But is “what’s happening” truly engaging and memorable? It will be if you remember these tips!

1. Clean and Concise

Remember- mobile learners are already being inundated with external distractions. Rather than add one more, make your eLearning a little safe haven. Don’t make them sort through clutter or unnecessary information. Embrace white space, make navigation simple and avoid cognitive overload.

2. Screen Space Is Gold

Screen space is your prime real estate. Reduce image size. Substitute large blocks of text with bullets. Avoid graphics, text, and graphs that require excessive screen scrolling.

3. Compress and Link

Mobile learning is often limited by bandwidth. Images that show up instantly on a laptop can take much longer on smartphones. Optimize all of your multi-media elements. Compress large files and/or include links to external sites that can be accessed later.

4. One Touch Navigation

For navigation, opt for an icon with a drop down list. This minimizes space without sacrificing navigation. Make them clear and easy to tap. Use hot spot graphics or buttons instead of hyperlinks. Remember the the mobile learner is often operating with one finger.

5. Audio Autocracy

Audio can be challenging for mobile learners, thanks to those external distractions. If learners don’t have headphones, they aren’t going to reap the rewards of your audio. So give them complete control of the audio playback, including muting, pausing, and adjusting volume. Include subtitles when possible.

6. Make Sure You’ve “One” Them Over

Mobile learning dictates small doses. That’s why it works well as a moment of need support tool or  knowledge refresher. Learning courses must be bite-sized and easy to swallow. Think one learning objective; one goal, or topic for each mobile-friendly online course. Break complex […]

eLearning: Make it Mobile Friendly!2020-02-18T14:18:48+00:00

Illumen Mention in Book “Immersive Learning”

Illumen is excited to have a shout out in the book Immersive Learning: Designing for Authentic Practice by Koreen Olbrish Pagano.

Book Overview from Amazon (Click here to purchase):

Numerous studies have shown the same results: Virtual practice is often as effective―or more so―as real-life practice. Why is this? Immediacy of feedback―corrective feedback at the time of error―plus the ability to control the training environments to ensure the most common or most difficult scenarios are experienced and navigated by learners. The most useful training allows learners to actually practice skills in a safe environment.

In immersive learning, you can control what experiences learners have, the feedback they receive, and the opportunities they have to see both short-term and long-term consequences. Imagine the possibilities that new technologies can bring for training design! Doctors, salespeople, managers, emergency first responders―all can benefit from technology-enabled training. But how do you do it?Immersive Learning walks you through the process of designing and building immersive learning environments using the framework of the familiar ADDIE model. In this book, you will learn how to:

  • Discover a framework for thinking in terms of immersive learning design.
  • Outline the process of designing for immersion.
  • See real examples of organizations that have applied these principles to solve learning and performance challenges.

Pagano’s book covers the depth of immersive learning through engaging information and examples. It’s practices are sure to increase ROI and enhance learner understanding, retention, and performance.

Illumen Mention in Book “Immersive Learning”2018-06-07T13:45:14+00:00

Illumen and the Chicago eLearning & Technology Showcase 2013

cltsIllumen Group is proud to announce our sponsorship of the Chicago eLearning & Technology Showcase this year. This event, with more than 30 contributing speakers is setting the bar for eLearning based events.

This year, the Showcase celebrates the evolution of adult learning and performance, with an emphasis on the role of new media and interactive methods in business and institutional training. The Showcase provides a full day of educational sessions for all levels of experience. More than 30 speakers will explore all aspects of elearning—instructional design, development tools, media resources, virtual classrooms, social and interactive applications, mobile learning, rapid elearning, and more. Attendees will have an opportunity to create their own schedules from a variety of topics or follow one of four Showcase Tracks, including Simulations & Social Media, eLearning Tools & LMS, Online Design, and Management of eLearning.

More information about the event and registration can be found at the Chicago eLearning & Technology Website.

Illumen will be at the event showcasing our eLearning applications and offering information on the process and development of technology and learning based solutions. We hope to see you all there.

Illumen and the Chicago eLearning & Technology Showcase 20132018-06-07T13:45:16+00:00

eLearning Trick 103 – Testing SCORM Compliant Modules

We feel, and hope you agree, that waking up at 2 in the morning to handle a learning module issue is not always as fun as it sounds. To keep our phones quite at 2am, we always check our modules to make sure the required compliance is working properly.

Whether it is a custom HTML/HTML5 or Flash based course or a course built from one of the many packages available (Storyline, Captivate, Lectora, etc.), it is always important to test SCORM, AICC, and the new Tin Can API compliant modules and make sure they work properly. This includes, for a SCORM compliant module for instance, the ZIP file and manifest are prepared properly, the  calls and gets are initializing the module and pulling in data and sending out data  (user info, location/bookmark, completion, status, attempts, language, suspended data), and that the data is configured the way you need (setting the user as complete/incomplete, passed, and/or sending specific score information).

By the time we test a module, we have documented our client’s requirements. We will use this as a checklist. We have several Learning Management Systems (LMS) available to us for testing, usually including our client’s LMS, which is the best way to make sure there are no problems. If you need a quick and free way to test your modules we recommend SCORM Cloud.

SCORM Cloud is a fantastic magical site that lets your module run the gauntlet. Use this site to upload your module (SCORM, AICC, or Tin Can API) and find out how well it works…or doesn’t. You can launch your module, use it as your learner would, check the state of the data, adjust properties to fit the final LMS configuration, and re-upload your […]

eLearning Trick 103 – Testing SCORM Compliant Modules2018-06-07T13:45:16+00:00

Examples of eLearning

We are often asked, “Can you give us a few examples of eLearning and eMarketing projects?”. The terms ‘eLearning’ and ‘eMarketing’ cover a wide variety of types of projects. We have many people who need our services, and they all search for us in different ways. We often see:

  • Computer-Based Training (CBT)
  • Interactive Training
  • Mulitmedia Training or Multimedia Presentation
  • Virtual Product
  • Marketing Showcase
  • Online Training Program
  • Course, Class, Curriculum
  • Electronically Supported Learning and Teaching
  • CME Modules
  • Classroom 2.0
  • Learning Content
  • Learning Management System (LMS)

Not only are there many ways to say it, there are many more types of projects. Below are a series of examples of eLearning and eMarketing projects:

New and existing warehouse employees required training and refresher courses for all aspects of their day-to-day job tasks. These tasks included using a RF scanner and its software to properly catalog incoming products, locate and shelve products, comprehend new orders, locate and box products, prepare inventory reports, and prepare products for shipping. Employees also had to learn the process for handling exceptions to their general processes, such as incorrect inventory, products too high or large to gather for packaging, and damaged products or boxes.

Illumen developed a custom LMS and seven training modules for certification within each role.
With a high turnover in employees, and thus, an increasing amount of time, energy, and cost was being spent on training live in store with a manager.

Illumen developed a plan focused on building the level of experience both in making drinks and food by providing preparatory steps […]

Examples of eLearning2018-06-07T13:45:18+00:00

eLearning User Interface Basics

The user interface design you use in your eLearning modules are key to your user’s ability to see, read, interact, navigate, and in the end, comprehend your content. The user interface (often called a UI) also refers to the elements of design, or the “look and feel” of the project. We have all used custom based modules, as well as PowerPoint, Articulate, Captivate, and Lectora (to name a few) based modules and have seen the way they use user interfaces to guide the user through the content using a menu or next button. This basic, or 101 level introduction of eLearning user interfaces will look at what is often used and why.

Let’s first take a look at an interface that has elements that we often see. Take a little time looking at the design below. Pay attention to the content, the navigation, and other components. We will break them down shortly.

elearning_design_screens_full
[…]

eLearning User Interface Basics2018-06-07T13:45:21+00:00

Testing is Not Just a Measure of Learning, it Can Drive Learning

Testing = Learning

In what seems likely to be an “ah ha” moment for education development, researchers at Purdue University’s Department of Psychological Sciences, explored the possibility that testing isn’t just an assessment of learning, but is a component that facilitates learning just like studying – but better.*

“Practicing retrieval (testing) produces greater gains in meaningful learning than elaborative studying with concept mapping.*”

In an article published last month in Science magazine, a total of 200 students studied texts on topics from different science disciplines. One group engaged in elaborative studying by creating concept maps – diagrams that illustrate the complicated connections and relationships in the material. The second group read the texts and then practiced retrieval (unassisted recall of material). The students returned to the lab a week later for the actual assessment of long-term learning. The group that studied by practicing retrieval showed a 50% improvement in long-term retention scores above and beyond the group that studied by creating concept maps.

“Retrieval practice enhances learning by retrieval-specific mechanisms rather than by elaborative study processes.*”

[…]

Testing is Not Just a Measure of Learning, it Can Drive Learning2018-06-07T13:45:24+00:00

Creating Games-That-Teach

Fifty to 60% of the project inquiries we’ve received over the past year have included questions about Games-That-Teach. There exists both a curiosity about what’s possible and angst over their perceived complexity and application.

What are Games-That-Teach? Part of what creates angst is the broad definition of what a GTT is. Also known as Game-Based Learning, the simple definition, “a learning-based activity that challenges a participant to a contest or task with an outcome that is both measurable and comparable,” is broad enough to encompass many content delivery formats. These games are often used to help audiences better understand information, improve performance, manage situations, think critically, problem solve and make decisions.

GTTs generally fall into one of three categories – Edutainment, Training Simulators, and Serious Games. They may be as sophisticated as a virtual reality environment like World of Warcraft (over 11.5 million unique players worldwide) and the popular FarmVille (over 82.4 million unique players worldwide), or as basic as Tic-Tac-Toe or Scrabble. It is the element of challenge that differentiates games from other content delivery tools.

Do Games Work? Here’s where you can relax a bit. Despite being around since 1962, there’s little empirical evidence that digital games as a whole are better at teaching than other, more conventional content delivery formats. Again, the variety and complexity of game types combined with the huge differences in the goals and objectives they seek to achieve and a limited ability to collect meaningful performance metrics conspires to keep the value of game’s contributions to learning enveloped in a haze. We think we see a form but the edges are fuzzy. The reason we think games are effective in the learning environment is that they clearly […]

Creating Games-That-Teach2018-06-07T13:45:24+00:00

20 Common Terms and Definitions Found in E-Learning – Part I

When dealing with training, education, and marketing solutions, it doesn’t take long before we start hearing words we may not know. Below is a list of 20 common terms and definitions.

  1. Analytics
    Refers to the analysis and derivation of data into usable information or statistics. Analytics are often presented visually or numerically and are used to understand your audience, where they are succeeding, where they are failing, your site’s use, and any other number of variables.
  2. Animation
    Animation can be broken into two areas. First, it can be presented as 2d or 3d, and in a realistic or stylized representation of objects, people, and places. They take place over time and are often used to visually describe a story, a     theory, an idea, a process, a feature, or a benefit. Second, animation can be used within a user interface to lead the user’s eye to focus on something specific or guide them to the next section within a course. The iPhone is a good example of this.
  3. Avatar
    A virtual representation of a user. Avatars take on many styles such as cartoons, real photos, and even an image of a favorite sport, hobby, pet, or event. Avatars can help users customize their experience and interact with others.

    4. […]

20 Common Terms and Definitions Found in E-Learning – Part I2018-06-07T13:45:25+00:00
© 2022 Illumen Group | All Rights Reserved
Go to Top