How to record videos like Salman Khan?

I don't think that there is anyone who doesn't know Khan Academy, at least there shouldn't be. Nevertheless not everyone knows that there is nothing difficult in setting up the tools to do this.

It's Loud Out There. Be Louder. John Biggs at Blog Forum Gdansk

John Biggs (East Coast Editor of TechCrunch presented 4 Step Method about successful international blogging. 

At the beginning John presented universal rules for successful blogging that are: write specifically about what you're good at and gain traction inside your country and be passionate about what are you blogging about.

Geat example of engaging elearning - Tobacco Body

At school we were shown black smoker lungs. That shocking view was to prevent all of us from starting to smoke. Few years later we knew that it was quite a good way to socialize, but after some years we have become, in the worst case, social smokers.

Time goes by and black lungs are probably not enough so The Cancer Society in Filnand figured out that engaging elearning might be good way to teach about all what is bad in smoking.

From e-learning perspective the most important things are:

1. Minimalistic approach to the design. 
2. No request for sign up/in 
3. Amazing usability. The only thing that you have to do is to click specific body parts, move the trigger back and forth and read descriptions.
4. Mobile support 

Try it below:

Color in e-learning design

Courtesy of NowSourcing, Inc

Color	Positives	Negatives
Gray	Elegance, humility, respect, reverence, stability, subtlety, timelessness, wisdom	Anachronism, boredom, decay, decrepitude, dullness, dust, pollution, urban sprawl
Red	Passion, strength, energy, fire, love, sex, excitement, speed, heat, leadership, masculinity, power	Danger, fire, gaudiness, blood, war, anger, revolution, radicalism, aggression, stop
Blue	Seas, skies, peace, unity, harmony, tranquility, calmness, coolness, confidence, water, ice, loyalty, conservatism, dependability, cleanliness, technology, winter	Depression, coldness, idealism, obscenity, ice, tackiness, winter
Green	Nature, spring, fertility, youth, environment, wealth, money (US), good luck, vigor, generosity, go, grass	Aggression, inexperience, envy, misfortune, jealousy, money, illness, greed
Yellow	Sunlight, joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, wealth (gold), summer, hope, air	Cowardice, illness (quarantine), hazards, dishonesty, avarice, sissification, weakness
Purple	Sensuality, spirituality, creativity, wealth, royalty, nobility, ceremony, mystery, wisdom, enlightenment	Arrogance, flamboyance, gaudiness, mourning, profanity, exaggeration, confusion
Orange	Buddhism, energy, balance, heat, fire, enthusiasm, flamboyance, playfulness	Aggression, arrogance, flamboyance, gaudiness, overemotion, warning, danger, fire
White	Reverence, purity, snow, peace, innocence, cleanliness, simplicity, security, humility, marriage, sterility, winter	Coldness, sterility, clinicism, surrender, cowardice, fearfulness, winter, unimaginative
Black	Modernity, power, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, style	Evil, death, fear, anonymity, anger, sadness, remorse, mourning, unhappiness, mystery
Brown	Calm, depth, natural organisms, nature, richness, rusticism, stability, tradition	Anachronism, boorishness, dirt, dullness, filth, heaviness, poverty, roughness

How to generate good ideas?

How to Generate Good Ideas from Column Five on Vimeo.

How are good ideas generated? They aren’t simply lying around like seashells on a beach waiting for us to pick them up nor are they so random. Good ideas are the result of the focused action that takes place in our brains. With a bit of stretching the laws of physics and a lot of imagination, we set out to craft a story about how all those bits and pieces that pass through our brains can become good ideas.

Percentage Calculator - nice tool for math teachers with embed option

Percentage Calculator is a tool that lets you do a simple calculation: how many percent of X is Y? The tool is pretty straightforward. All you need to do is fill in two fields and the third one will be calculated for you. Other than being helpful with learning percentages and fractions, Percentage Calculator is handy in many different situations. For example, you may calculate an amount of income tax. That is pretty much all you need to know.

Percentage Calculator is a tool that is meant to be used for two purposes: for solving and learning percentages. The former is obvious: many people need a simple tool that will tell them what is x% of y or how many % of foo is bar. It is so simple that there are literally dozens of sites that do it (mine is way cooler, though :-) ).

The other goal of the site - to help kids learn percentages - is a bit trickier. I designed the calculator with a few ideas in mind:

1. In a 3-field formula user inputs any 2 of the 3 numbers. The third one is calculated for him. 
2. Calculations are done dynamically as user types in his numbers. There is no need to click on a submit button. This way a student sees what is going on as he/she "constructs" the sentence. Also, it is a very quick process (press a single key and see a new result), thus encourages the student to keep experimenting. 
3. There are four forms-sentences that user can fill in: x% of y is z, z is x% of y, fraction z / y is the same as x% and z is q% decrease/increase from y. While the student fills in one form, all the others are completed for him - this way he/she sees that these sentences are in fact the same (or almost the same in the case of 4th sentence). 
4. Few more related formulas are shown, to further show how provided numbers "work" with each other. 
5. The tool can be easily customized embedded on external websites - it is a good way to add an interactive element to otherwise static online lectures, right?

Gamification of Education Infographic

Adobe eLearning Suite 6 - Where to start

Click to see more details

New Adobe eLearning Suite 6 is quite a big environment to grasp right after installation, but at the same time is not so difficult to start creating elearning content. First of all, click on the chart above to get the big picture of how the suite is build. After this I recommend to go through few of the videos linked below.

New in Adobe eLearning Suite 6 - What's New in Adobe eLearning Suite 6
Rapidly develop eLearning and HTML5-based mLearning content. Create HD-quality product demos. Liven up courses with actors and smart interactions. Combine multiple modules, including pre-test and post-test quizzes, into a single course. Track SWF, PDF, and HTML5 content.

New in Adobe eLearning Suite 6 - What Is Adobe eLearning Suite 6
Adobe eLearning Suite 6 software is an integrated toolbox for creating eLearning and HTML5-based mLearning content. Get the best tools for application simulation, product demos, digital imaging, rich animations, and audio production. Accelerate development with rapid prototyping, roundtripping workflows, and out-of-the-box assets like actors and smart interactions. Publish to SCORM- and AICC-compliant LMSs and easily track SWF, PDF, and HTML5 content.

New in Adobe eLearning Suite 6 - Be More Productive
Develop eLearning and HTML5-based mLearning content faster with a complete toolset of applications, out-of-the-box assets, and integrated workflows. Publish to desktop, web, LMSs, and mobile devices including Apple iPad. Effortlessly track SWF, PDF, and HTML5 content.

New in Adobe eLearning Suite 6 - Get the Best Results Using World-Class Tools
Give full rein to your imagination using world-class tools for creating application simulations, product demos, digital imaging, rich animations, and audio production. Liven up courses with out-of-the-box assets like actors, themes, smart shapes, and interactive elements.

Adobe eLearning Suite 6 - first impression

Finally after whole weekend of mountain biking (few pics at the end) I've found some time to explore new Adobe eLearning Suite that I have received from Adobe. (Thank you).

First of all if you are not familiar with eLearning Suite, but have heard about Adobe products, this one is slightly different. It's not focused on Photoshop, Flash or Dreamweaver but use cutting edge Adobe Captivate 6 as a core and the rest of package as tools supporting and feeding into Captivate.

So the whole package consists of:

• Adobe Captivate
• Adobe Flash
• Adobe Photoshop Extended
• Adobe Dreamweaver
• Adobe Audition
• Adobe Acrobat X 
• and Adobe Bridge

What is really amazing for me is the power of working with all the media (animations, graphics, audio files) without the need of working on separate files or projects. With this package you have a tool chain that allows you to go in and out when working on particular training. But let's start where we should start.

The installation 
The whole installation went pretty easy, the only thing that you need is around 9GB of hard drive space, 30 min of time, and maybe a backup of all your projects. (BTW: There are 2 kinds of people. One that makes backups and the other that will)

After some time you have fully functional package that is ready to convert your creativity into best e-learning projects.

PS. Promised pictures:

Learners won't eat sh... Quality Assurance is a must

As discussing different aproaches to training delivery all people go to the methodology of analyzing, designing and developing training. Few discuss that implementation and evaluation steps are also important. Really very few think know and care about Kirkpatrick steps.
Unfortunately not many people really and systematically care about quality of courses that are being delivered as they are and then learners complain that all of the training is just clickthrough.

Areas of quality assurance:
1. Course Overview and Introduction
1.1 Instructions make clear how to get started and where to find various course components.
1.2 Students are introduced to the purpose and structure of the course.
1.3 Etiquette expectations (sometimes called “netiquette”) for online discussions, email, and other forms of communication are stated clearly.
1.4 Course and/or institutional policies with which the student is expected to comply are clearly stated, or a link to current policies is provided.
1.5 Prerequisite knowledge in the discipline and/or any required competencies are clearly stated.
1.6 Minimum technical skills expected of the student are clearly stated.
1.7 The self-introduction by the instructor is appropriate and available online.
1.8 Students are asked to introduce themselves to the class.

2. Learning Objectives
2.1 The course learning objectives describe outcomes that are measurable.
2.2 The module/unit learning objectives describe outcomes that are measurable and consistent with the course-level objectives.
2.3 All learning objectives are stated clearly and written from the students’ perspective.
2.4 Instructions to students on how to meet the learning objectives are adequate and stated clearly.
2.5 The learning objectives are appropriately designed for the level of the course.

3. Assessment and Measurement
3.1 The types of assessments selected measure the stated learning objectives and are consistent with course activities and resources.
3.2 The course grading policy is stated clearly.
3.3 Specific and descriptive criteria are provided for the evaluation of students’ work and participation and are tied to the course grading policy.
3.4 The assessment instruments selected are sequenced, varied, and appropriate to the student work being assessed.
3.5 Students have multiple opportunities to measure their own learning progress.

4. Instructional Materials
4.1 The instructional materials contribute to the achievement of the stated course and module/unit learning objectives.
4.2 The purpose of instructional materials and how the materials are to be used for learning activities are clearly explained.
4.3 All resources and materials used in the course are appropriately cited.
4.4 The instructional materials are current.
4.5 The instructional materials present a variety of perspectives on the course content.
4.6 The distinction between required and optional materials is clearly explained.

5. Learner Interaction and Engagement
5.1 The learning activities promote the achievement of the stated learning objectives.
5.2 Learning activities provide opportunities for interaction that support active learning.
5.3 The instructor’s plan for classroom response time and feedback on assignments is clearly stated.
5.4 The requirements for student interaction are clearly articulated.

6. Course Technology
6.1 The tools and media support the course learning objectives.
6.2 Course tools and media support student engagement and guide the student to become an active learner.
6.3 Navigation throughout the online components of the course is logical, consistent, and efficient.
6.4 Students can readily access the technologies required in the course.
6.5 The course technologies are current.

7. Learner Support
7.1 The course instructions articulate or link to a clear description of the technical support offered and how to access it.
7.2 Course instructions articulate or link to the institution’s accessibility policies and services.
7.3 Course instructions articulate or link to an explanation of how the institution’s academic support services and resources can help students succeed in the course and how students can access the services.
7.4 Course instructions articulate or link to an explanation of how the institution’s student support services can help students succeed and how students can access the services.

8. Accessibility
8.1 The course employs accessible technologies and provides guidance on how to obtain accommodation.
8.2 The course contains equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content.
8.3 The course design facilitates readability and minimizes distractions.
8.4 The course design accommodates the use of assistive technologies.

10 eLearning design rules you must follow to succeed

1. Design is not painting pretty pictures; it is about telling stories.
2. Design is going from complex to simple.
3. Use graphics to educate, not decorate
4. Ensure multimedia is adding value, not Vegas.
5. Instructional design and creative design go hand-in-hand.
6. Be wise: "Life is abut using the whole box of crayons" and lots of white space.
7. Make a list of the top 5 ideas you need to teach in your eLearning project.
8. Color is to learning as water is to ocean. It cannot be one without the other.
9. Eliminate bullet points - your learners will thank you for it.
10. Always review and revise your designs and make it simple, short and precise, without any unnecessary information. 

What elearning specialists can learn from Apple conference?

The Apple WWDC is a conference organized by Apple that gives developers an in-depth look at the latest in iOS and OS X. Each year there are 100+ sesseions led by Apple engineers and other professionals in order to share knowledge. From e-learning and educational point of view there was a lot going on so I'd like to share with you the most interesting presentations. Enjoy!

Use of E-learning in the Developing of the Key Competences - free ebook

I've just found a monograph that has been edited by Eugenia Smyrnova-Trybulska and published in Katowice last year. It gathers very interesting package of different publications, case studies and research results focused on Use of e-learning during deveopment of key comptetnces.

Ken Robinson: What knowing the limits of knowledge has to do with finding the frontiers of creativity.

Ken Robinson: In our culture, not to know is to be at fault socially… People pretend to know lots of things they don’t know. Because the worst thing to do is appear to be uninformed about something, to not have an opinion… We should know the limits of our knowledge and understand what we don’t know, and be willing to explore things we don’t know without feeling embarrassed of not knowing about them.