By Fred Green

We've come a long way in a short amount of time. The internet's remarkable growth and the increased affordability of technology and access have combined to usher in the age of elearning. Today, the idea of sharing information and conducting educational projects online isn't exotic or futuristic. It's commonplace. Elearning is now a key component in the educational and business worlds.

The ability to connect to the Internet in an efficient and affordable way was a necessary precondition for the elearning explosion, but it wasn't sufficient. One missing link remained. The right software. Hardware will only get you so far! Without the right programming, elearning wouldn't have become the force it now is.

Fortunately, developers filled that gap with some quality products. It quickly became possible to conduct multiparty webinars online, providing live training opportunities that rivaled their traditional offline counterparts. Meanwhile, other educational software tools made it possible to conduct asynchronous online education, as well. These LMS systems represented a significant leap forward in the realm of online educational software.

Today, things are getting even more interesting-and powerful. The right elearning software can handle both of those tasks readily with one set of tools. In the business training sector, we're also witnessing the development and implementation of high-quality blended elearning programs that go even farther in terms of their potential use, creating a seamless top to bottom training and education system that has outward-facing benefits in terms of customer loyalty and service.

Gains in the elearning field have made the process incredibly popular. Entire university-level courses of study are now available online. Businesses are using blended elearning software to replace traditional training methods. Analysts maintain that elearning is now a $35 billion per year industry and there's no reason to think that number will do anything but go up. The efficiency and efficacy of elearning makes it a growing area of interest even in a recessionary economy.

Are you using elearning software to improve your educational efforts or business training? If not, now is the time to jump on the bandwagon. Elearning software is now capable of performing all necessary functions effectively and inexpensively.

Get Your FREE eZ-Web Meeting, and FREE eZ-Contact at www.eLearningZoon.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fred_Green http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Advantages-of-High-Quality-E-Learning-Software&id=2429663

 

Is it eLearning or e-Learning?

A recent (August 12, 2009) search on Google Trends shows that worldwide, eLearning (without the hyphen) took the lead on e-Learning in late 2008. Seems like people are dropping the dash.


Figure 1. Worldwide search volume for eLearning and e-Learning.


The same search in Canada indicates that we've had a preference for eLearning for quite a while. I guess Canadians are ahead of the times.

Figure 2. Canadian search volume for eLearning and e-Learning.

The eLearning Guild has a collection of free eBooks available for download. More importantly, you can download these eBooks without registering to their Web site or newsletter.  Some sample titles include:

• The eLearning Guild's Handbook of e-Learning Strategy
• The eLearning Guild's Handbook on Synchronous e-Learning
• 65 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your e-Learning Budget

You can access these eBooks at the following address: http://www.elearningguild.com/content.cfm?selection=doc.545

Enjoy

Did you come across this article searching for the term Moddle but really meant Moodle?

If you did, then chances are you've heard of Moodle and are trying to figure out what the heck it is. And while doing so, you misspelled it as Moddle. If you want to learn more about Moodle, you can visit their Web site OR BETTER YET, you can stop searching and contact Dual Code.

Dual Code hosts Moodle and has packages starting at $89/month. Their fully hosted solution is provided to you as a subscription-based service (SaaS), which alleviates your burden of purchasing, installing, configuring and maintaining the hardware equipment or software application. All of Dual Code's packages include a free 14-day trial and:

• Free installation and configuration
• No-charge ongoing maintenance
• Secure, private database
• Technical support
• Daily backups
• 24/7 monitoring
• 99% uptime guarantee
• Risk-free cancellation policy

So, instead of spending countless hours trying to download, install, and learn how Moddle works, visit Dual Code's Web site at www.dualcode.com and sign up for your free trial.

The CSTD (Canadian Society for Training and Development) is hosting a 1-hour Webinar on Thursday, September 24, 1:00pm titled "Maybe You Shouldn't Do That! Research-Validated Practices for Designing eLearning".

The cost is $25 for CSTD members and $40 for non-members (plus GST).

Abstract: Do digital natives and immigrants really exist? Should you convert all of your online learning to games? In what types of learning situations is eLearning likely to be effective? What personnel challenges does eLearning present? Should you feel guilty about not measuring the ROI of your learning program? Academic and third-party research on learning suggest answers—and they might surprise you. This fast-paced session presents a number of research-validated answers in the context of your on-the-job challenges—and suggests ways that you can seek out similar information on your own.

For more information or to register, click here.

Many eLearning vendors use the terms synchronous and asynchronous when describing their offering. What is the difference between asynchronous and synchronous learning anyway?

Synchronous means that an instructor is present when the course is delivered, even though the course might be delivered remotely over the Internet. Web conferencing solutions such as Webex or GoToMeeting are synchronous.

Asynchronous means that the instructor does not need to be present, thereby allowing students to learn anytime, at their convenience. Solutions that allow you to deliver pre-recorded courses such as Dual Code's Corporate University is asynchronous.

Dual Code has just released a white paper titled "Online Training for Franchisors & Retail Chains". This white paper presents best practices and "how to" information to help franchise systems and retail chains develop a successful online training program.

Although this paper focuses on franchise systems, many of the principles such as the benefits of an online Corporate University and characteristics of adult learners apply to any industry.

This eLearning white paper is available as a free download here:  www.dualcode.com/whitepaper.htm. No registration or email address is required!

By Catherine Franz

Pre-note: In this article, teleclass is an example used to illustrate one type of eLearning market. The tips work the same for other eLearning programs, including, but not limited to, teleseminars and ecourses.

In the mid-1990s, the teleclass format began and was named, distance learning. During these early years, learning institutions, particularly universities, were chief users of this format. Mainly due to the large equipment investment needed at that time. Now, due to technology changes and cost reduction, people can give and attend ePrograms without leaving their chair or selling their first child. No parking challenges, auto expenses, or travel time required. Another benefit to learning by phone is that your listening skills will reach new heights quickly.

In 2003, technology allowed a single conference line to expand from 30 to 150 participants per line. Affordable conference lines were previously only available in certain states, Florida and Nevada. Now other states, like New York, are jumping in on this bandwagon with affordable rates.

Currently, a 24/7 conference line, is available to rent around $600 a year. An alternative is to rent the line by the hour. This can range between $10 to $20 per hour depending on the service features desired. You can also share a line with one or two others to reduce your cost. I recommend finding line-share partners who are in other time zones, it makes sharing easier.

Zero-cost teleconference lines at available at www.mrconference.com and by other vendors. Most of these services have flaws that range from automatic disconnect if no voice is detected every 8 to 10 minutes, to being blocked from entering the call because of overstressed lines. I recommend the leader dialing in 5 to 10 minutes early to secure the line, however, this doesn't mean that all participants may not experience over trafficked busy signals.

Actually, teleprograms will not take the place of "being there" for all people. The skills and experience of the teleclass leader or host can also make or break the learning experience. There are just as many teleclass leader styles as people. If you have never experienced a teleclass, I recommend attending four or five before deciding if the format is or isn't for you.

15 Tips To Help Promote Your eLearning Programs

1. If you produce your own eNewsletter, electronic newsletter, or eZine, electronic magazine, or printed newsletter, add an eLearning announcement section.

2. Contact other newsletter editors and ask to have your program announced in their issue. You can swap ad space, your ad for their ad, exchange ad space for participation, offer a commission option, purchase the ad, or pay per click-through. I don't recommend paying for click-throughs unless excellent tracking systems are in place. In order to attract, make sure their target market and yours match.

3. You can also use pay-per-click through search engines like Google’s AdWord program. If you go this route, I suggest you purchase an ad analyzer software (about $100) or a service (average $19.95/month) to maximize time and reduce mistakes.

4. Place notices all over your web site -- especially your main page -- about the program. Remember: posting announcement notices is actually passive marketing. You will still need to pull visitors to the site.

5. Write and distribute Internet articles on the same subject. Unable to write, hire a ghostwriter. Allow four to twelve weeks for this process to begin pulling visitors to your website. The number of articles distributed will proportionally be your return. My low end measurement has been: 1 article = 10 visitors or more = 8 new eNewsletter subscribers = 1 sale. High end: 1 article = 350 new visitors = 125 new subscribers = 10 sales. This is now one of the top five Internet promotion building attractions.

6. Since ePrograms don't require people to be physically present, attendance is now open internationally. Thus, you will want to distribute information about your eLearning opportunity globally. Find places in other English-speaking countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. If you speak a foreign language, you can even offer the same program in that language. Spanish speaking ePrograms are in high demand.

7. Mention your eProgram on other ePrograms you attend. You can slip it in with a question or when presenting your personal information to the class.

8. Add a promotional paragraph about the program to all your outgoing e-mails, called signatures in Outlook. Choose HTML design in your software and add a picture of the leader/host along with a link to where someone can register or find out additional information.

9. Join market-rich discussion lists, billboards, or chat rooms. If direct solicitation isn't permitted, sell gently through your signature or indirect questions.

10. Write a press release for each eProgram. Become a member of PR Web www.prweb.com/. Membership is free. This number one website attracts a very high percentage of media personnel.

11. Accumulate a list of all the local newspapers that offer free community event announcements. Inquire into their deadline and submission requirements. You will also want to ask how can may confirm receipt of your information. They don't intentionally leave information out, however, they move at a fast pace and things do get lost in the shuffle. Special note: Most community list ads are for fr*e* events.

Use a three-ring binder to record the advertising information. You can also save the information in your e-mail software, like Outlook, and your Internet browser software, in a separate "Community newspaper" section. However, if the hard drive crashes, make sure the information safe. Due to the value of this information and the amount of time you spent accumulating it, you still may want to keep updated printouts just in case. Even a backup diskette in the binder. Having a paper version also helps when the computer is off or you need to transport the information. This is also a great item to delegate to a virtual assistant.

12. Add your announcement to your telephone answering script. Change it whenever you are offering a new eProgram. Give instructions as to how to register -- and it’s important to make this as easy as possible for them. Don't forget some marketing tidbits of "what’s in it for them (WIIFM)" to register and do it now.

13. Use free ePrograms or offers to provide a taste and attract participants to register for longer paid programs. Offers can include: ebooks, ecourses, special reports, or even a professional white papers. Offering a transcription of the program or an audio copy is another great offer.

14. List your class in teleclass directories. Some directories require that you attend their particular teleclass-leading course. A big downfall in time and expense in the short-run, however, good investment for the long term. Here are a few directories to get you started:

http://www.seminarannouncer.com

http://www.teleclass4u.com

http://www.teleclasslive.com

http://www.teleclass.com

http://www.thefeelgoodplace.com/freetele.htm

http://www.Yahoogroups.com -- over 30 places to post your eProgram listing.

15. If you give speaking engagements or even when you participate in other events, seminars, workshops, give out flyers on your eProgram. Works well in networking groups too. Take the flyers to the libraries, senior and civic centers.

FYI, names of ePrograms can seem confusing at times, however, there is a standard for what to expect depending on the name. A teleseminar usually has very little interaction between leader and attendees. It is set up to instruct and participants to solely listen. Sometimes a brief Q&A period is spaced in-between subtopic changes.

On the other hand, a teleclass provides more time for participant to participant or participant to leader interaction. It has a higher ratio of free forming. A teleclass format copies more of the workshop atmosphere. A teleprogram, is a teleclass delivered over a period of time, like a class at a learning institution. The term eProgram is a compilation, or overview term, of all electronically delivered learning programs.

Catherine Franz, a Certified Professional Marketing & Writing Coach, specializes in product development, Internet writing and marketing, nonfiction, training. Newsletters and articles available at: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?15-Ways-to-Promote-eLearning-Programs&id=5091

Is eLearning environmentally friendly? You bet it is!

E-Learning isn't only great as saving companies money. It also helps save the environment. Two immediate benefits of eLearning in regards to the environment are:

- It eliminates the need to travel, thereby reducing emissions.
- It eliminates the need to print training manuals, thereby saving trees.

What's your company's eLearning footprint? Why don't you find out for yourself.

• Atmosfair: Let's you calculate emissions based on specific flights/airports.
• Conservatree: Let's you calculate how many trees are used to print your training manuals.

In short, a single-person return flight between Ottawa and Vancouver is almost equivalent to driving a car for a year (12,000 km, middle class model) or running a refrigerator for 19 years! And 1 tree makes 8,333.3 sheets, or roughly 30 copies of a standard Operations Manual.

If you know any other ways eLearning helps save the environment, or would like to share your success story detailing how you've implemented a green eLearning program in your company, please share it with us by posting your comments here.

The benefits of eLearning are quite well understood. (This previous post lists 12 of them.) But there's one major advantage that many people tend to forget: Online training is less intimidating than instructor-led training.

Most students, and adult ones in particular, learn best in nonthreatening environments. They might be intimidated to try something new for the first time in front of a larger group or even an instructor. Self-paced online training allows them to learn new skills in privacy. Students taking an online course enter a risk-free environment in which they can try new things and make mistakes without exposing themselves. This characteristic is particularly valuable when trying to learn soft skills, such as leadership and decision-making.

A good learning program shows the consequences of students’ actions and where/why they went wrong. After a failure, students can go back and try again. This type of learning experience eliminates the embarrassment of failure in front of a group. Once the learner has completed the online evaluation and feels confident he has mastered the skills, he will feel more confident demonstrating his newly acquired skills in front of his manager, supervisor, or fellow employees.