A Rapid e-Learning Primer for Technical Communicators

A Rapid e-Learning Primer for Technical Communicators

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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 1 Cheri Lockett Zubak Work Write, Inc. A Rapid E-learning Primer for Technical Communicators Who am I? • Call me Cheri • President of Work Write, Inc. (suburban Philadelphia) • More than 25 years as a user assistance consultant and educator
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 2 What will we cover? • What is rapid e-learning? • Lots of demos (view & deconstruct) • Rapid e-learning tools • Rapid e-learning skills What is rapid e-learning? - Definition - Why is it important?
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 3 What is rapid e-learning? “The ability to produce, deliver, and quantify quality interactive material to learners in a timely and cost effective manner” Bradley Mersereau Contest winner, Articulate.com Rapid e-learning is not an online book, whose purpose is reference
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 4 Rapid e-learning characteristics • Easy, quick authoring • Interactivity • Guided learning experience • Specific goals • Online “Water cooler” learning 75% of the learning taking place in organizations Talking, observing others, trial-and-error, and simply working with other people Informal Learning Pfeiffer, 2006 Informal learning is key
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 5 Risk takers Computer experts Great multitaskers Social Team players Loyal Visual and auditor learners Trial and error learners Understand the importance of failure on the road to success Got Game - Pfeiffer, 2004 Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning – Pfeiffer, 2007 Coming soon: The gamer generation Other influences • Skills development for traditional CBT • Time to market • Working with SMEs to co-author courseware • Web 2.0
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 6 What does rapid e-learning look like? - Example: Demo - Example: Branched Scenario - Example: Video instruction First, a personal story
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 7 Demos and simulations • Demos – a recording of exactly what is happening on the screen • Simulation – allows the learner to interact with a simulated product, perform certain procedures or tasks and get feedback Demos and simulations http://www.debugmode.com/wink/
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 8 Branched scenario • A story (scenario) sets up the problem or issue • The learner makes choices and provided feedback based on those choices Branched scenario http://www.articulate.com/community/showcase.php
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 9 Video instruction • Just what it sounds like! • An expert (shown or just voice) informs, teaches, or entertains on a subject • In the software world, often includes demos Video instruction http://www.ehow.com/video_2970_tie-tie.html
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 10 How is rapid e-learning created? - Processes - Tools Tools you know already • Powerpoint (yes, really!) • HTML (any web editor)
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 11 Demo and simulation tools • Camtasia (TechSmith) • Captivate (Adobe) • Wink (DebugMode - free) Demo and simulation tools http://www.google.com/trends?q=authorware%2Ccamtasia%2Clectora%2Ccaptivate%2Ctoolbook
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 12 Viewer and Flash conversion tools • What do these tools do? – Convert to Flash – Provide navigation – Provide extra tools (e.g., notes) • Examples – Camtasia and Captivate – Adobe Presenter/Breeze (Adobe) – Articulate Studio (Articulate Software) Graphics tools • What tools do you use now? – PaintShop Pro – Fireworks – PhotoShop – PhotoShop Express – SnagIt – GIMP
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 13 Audio tools • Built into capture tools • Sound Forge • Audacity (free) • Hardware (microphone, digital recorder) The process Step 1. Author and assemble
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 14 The process Step 2. Convert to Flash and refine What skills do you already have? • Self-assessment? • Content development • Foundation tools (presentation, graphics) • Instructional design
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 15 What skills might you need to learn? • Self-assessment? • Streamlining content and incorporating other media • Multimedia creation (audio, video) • Story development Some elaborate examples - View - Deconstruct
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 16 More elaborate examples • Combine a variety of methods and technologies – Informational – Branched choices – Quizzes – Demos Dictionary with avatars http://www.vcom3d.com/signsmith.php
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 17 Product overview with story http://www.jingproject.com/ Conversational demo http://www.fogcreek.com/FogBugz/
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 18 E-learning with quizzes http://www.articulate.com/community/showcase.php A new kind of demo http://www.commoncraft.com
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 19 Questions, comments, quandaries? - Q&A Questions, comments, quandaries? • Ask now • Or ask later: – +1 215.357.3453 – workwrite.inc@verizon.net • If you have questions later, send them my way!
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 20 Resources - Web - Print A Few Good Websites Rapid Elearning Blog: http://www.articulate.com/blog/ Presentation Zen Blog: http://www.presentationzen.com E-learning Guild: http://www.elearningguild.com/ E-learning Magazine: http://www.elearning.b2bmediaco.com/ E-learning Technology Blog: http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/ Corporate elearning Strategies Blog: http://elearndev.blogspot.com/ Learning Visions Blog: http://learningvisions.blogspot.com/ Karl Kapp website: http://www.karlkapp.com/ Digitales: http://www.digitales.us/index.php Ten Best Places to Find How-to Videos: http://mashable.com/2007/05/14/video-howtos/ Center for Digital Storytelling: http://www.storycenter.org/index1.html
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  A Rapid e-LearningPrimer for Technical Communicators Presenter: Cheryl Lockett Zubak Copyright 2008, Work Write, Inc. – page 21 A Few Good Books Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft® Office PowerPoint® 2007 to Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate, and Inspire, by Cliff Atkinson (Microsoft Press, 2007) e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning, by Ruth Colvin Clark (Pfeiffer, 2004) Gadgets, Games and Gizmos for Learning: Tools and Techniques for Transferring Know-How from Boomers to Gamers, by Karl Kapp (Pfeiffer, 2007) Got Game: How the Gamer Generation Is Reshaping Business Forever, by John Beck (Pfeiffer, 2004) Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation and Performance, by Jay Cross (Pfeiffer, 2006)