Regardless of our age, playing with simulators (e.g. stock market investment, driving or flight simulators) and games (Starcraft, Hearts of Iron, World of Warcraft) always puts us on the path to learning and experiencing new things. That is because if our objective is to “win” the game, then we need to explore and learn the “system” in order to beat it. That is exactly what Game-Based Learning (GBL) is all about. In this article, I will cover the types of game-based learning as well as the benefits of simulations and games. In addition, I will mention some of the tools that can be used to build eLearning games and simulations. Lastly, I will discuss how you can incorporate “gamification” into your eLearning content. Simulations And Games: Types Of Game-Based Learning Many different types of game-based learning have evolved over the years, each having a different audience and its own unique objective. Here are some alternate gaming styles to consider when designing game-based learning … [Read more...] about Simulations And Games: How to Make ELearning Fun and Engaging
The ELearning Course Designer’s Blog
Succession Planning: Keys To Successful Outcomes
Succession planning is a systematic effort by an organization or agency to ensure leadership continuity in critical positions. It is a proactive practice that helps to identify and develop leaders for key positions. In this article, we will briefly cover the succession planning process as well as some of the options for succession planning. We will also discuss transparency and the pros and cons of being transparent about your succession plan. Keys To Successful Succession Planning Britain’s Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) defines succession planning very succinctly as: “…the process of identifying and developing potential future leaders or senior managers, as well as individuals to fill other business-critical positions, either in the short- or the long-term.” It does not matter, therefore, which line of business you are in –government, education, health care, not-for-profit charity–, you need to plan for succession; because if you do not, … [Read more...] about Succession Planning: Keys To Successful Outcomes
Personalized eLearning: A Customized Approach To Accelerated eLearning
Today's world is far different than the one our parents and grandparents grew up and lived in. The age of "standardization" and "One-size-fits-all" no longer applies. Today, especially where technology is so ubiquitous in every aspect of our lives, "personalization" has become very important - be it in manufacturing, services or retail business. Personalization is needed to make a product or service more endearing to the target audience, and this is especially true for eLearning. As a result, the concept of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) is becoming more relevant in today's academic world. What is Personalized ELearning? The concept of "Personalization" can easily be understood from taking a closer look at some of the existing digital technologies that all of us use. For instance, from the browser that you use to roam the Internet, to the email and messaging systems that you use to stay connected with friends and family, to the digital boxes you use to watch TV shows and movies … [Read more...] about Personalized eLearning: A Customized Approach To Accelerated eLearning
Can Experiential Learning Be Applied To eLearning?
Experiential learning is a process that allows learners to develop knowledge and skills from their own experience rather than from formal training courses. Experiential learning encompasses a variety of interactive and participative hands-on activities and is much more effective than traditional learning approaches. This article is the first in a series about Experiential Learning. Check it out and learn some of the critical elements of Experiential Learning and the reasons why Experiential Learning is important. What Is Experiential Learning? Way back in 350 BCE, a Greek philosopher, thinker, mathematician, astrologer, historian and analyst, wrote: "...for the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them." Even prior to that, the Chinese philosopher, Confucius, wrote: I hear and I forget I see and I remember I do, and I understand! Based on that, one might say that Confucius and Aristotle actually planted the seeds of Experiential … [Read more...] about Can Experiential Learning Be Applied To eLearning?
Social Media Tools – Taking Informal Learning To New Heights
In today's Internet-driven world, more and more knowledge workers prefer to have a say in how the company facilitates their learning. With so much of the world's workforce connected to Social Media, that's where most workers are turning to informally seek their knowledge. In this article, I will cover informal learning and how Social Media tools can be used in learning. I will also cover the points that need to be considered to ensure effective learning through Social Media tools. This is the age of the "knowledge worker" - there's no question about it! Companies, both big and small, invest vastly in delivering workers the knowledge they require to do their jobs successfully. The more knowledge a worker assimilates, and the quicker he/she absorbs it, the more competitive and profitable will he/she become for the company. Informal Learning - Not a New Concept While companies spend a huge part of their personnel development budget on "formal" learning, such as training … [Read more...] about Social Media Tools – Taking Informal Learning To New Heights
ELearning Development- The Agile Way!
Since the word "eLearning" was first used at a Computer Based Training (CBT) systems seminar back in 1999, a number of structured design methodologies (ADDIE, SAM) have been used to develop eLearning content. As far as methodologies go, you will be hard-pressed to find two eLearning project managers (PMs) who agree upon which methodology is "right" and which is "wrong". The fact is that many of those "iterative" models, where content is developed using a cycle of repeated processes, have proved immensely resilient over the years in projects that produced high-quality content. However, now, there is a new kid in town. "Agile" (has been around for several years!), and eLearning sponsors and PM's are taking notice of it! What Is Agile eLearning development? To really understand what Agile eLearning development is all about, let's have a brief primer of what an existing iterative model - ADDIE - does. Developed in 1975, at the Florida State University primarily for IT project … [Read more...] about ELearning Development- The Agile Way!