Mobilemind

Today at the AICC meetings in San Diego, Bill Shook of Boeing did a really nice overview of S1000D and it's benefits and relevance for training and elearning. The PowerPoint should be up on the AICC web site in the meetings minutes here in a few days. Hungering for more information on S1000D I stumbled onto a blog while surfing the in-room discussion and the blogosphere at the same time. I have no idea who Martyn is, but I like the content and comments that go on at his blog on S1000D. The reference links are pretty handy too.

S1000D - "Sense Out of Confusion"

A great place to start your S1000D adventures whether you are in technical documentation or training.
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Despite the title, I must go on with this to share my experience with blogging tools. Qumana versus w.bloggar. Bottom line: w.bloggar wins as a client-side online/offline tool for making blog entries. I'd like to know if anyone knows of something better, and if anyone has had success running w.bloggar off as USB stick as a portable application. Now for the details. I need an online/offine blogging tool, ideally supporting Windows and Palm, and the blogging software/services from Blogger and Movable Type. When only dealing with the Movable Type application, I really like Sharp MT from RandyRants.com (plus his blog is much more than mildly amusing). Pocket SharpMT is is also available for PocketPC and I used these tools quite happily for my old Macromedia blog hosted on Movable Type. Unfortunately, I now have need to post on several blogs including other blogging hosts/services, and SharpMT doesn't support Blogger. I REALLY like w.bloggar, but there are a few nits (no technorati tags, no automated pings, no support for advertising links, podcast support needs updates). The w.bloggar set-up is quick and relatively intuitive. It has a good editor with tools for inserting/formatting common HTML tags, and the ability to display a preview OR view the raw HTML. It also supports multiple blogs using multiple different services, includes spell check, and the ability to retrieve/edit old posts as well as save drafts locally, publish, or publish and post entries. It is also installs as less than <4MB, where as Qumana is closer to 9MB. I thought I would like Qumana, but I personally found it annoying during a brief trial because:

• It adds a little promotional blurb for Qumana to each entry by default
• No ability to add "title" attribute to href links (and I strive for W3C XHTML 1.0 validation, which enforces this)
• No ability to edit inserted HTML tag for links
• Adds an auto-run and persistent system tray icon
• Preview is with IE
• Very rudimentary "Insert HTML" capability, and no ability to edit that inserted HTML other than delete

Know of something better than w.bloggar? If it's not Qumana, then please let me know. There, the blogging about blogging is out of my system. For now.
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The elearning industry needs tools that visualize learning scenarios for learner decision paths, storyboards and simulation branching. Activity in this area seems to have submarined and it needs to resurface. Where is the innovation in approachable, ease-of-development for elearning? We have access to all theses cool virtual character, simulation and multimedia capabilities. Expectations run higher and higher with each new release of a millionth game or "bullet-time" movie CGI effect. However, when we want to get great elearning done, we are still left with hand-waving, white-boarding verbal metaphor communication with a Flash expert. What gives? Elearning had a plethora of new visual tools for creating content in the late 1980's and early 1990's including Authorware, CBTExpress, IconAuthor, Lectora Publisher, Quest and more. Recently, "Rapid Elearning" for "SME Empowerment"* seems to be the flavor of the month, though high-end elearning content still gets developed in Authorware, Flash or ToolBook (or general purpose tools like Java, or proprietary purpose-built tools & workflows). I want a tool that lets me, a somewhat tech-savy instructional designer, to script and visualize 80-90% of the scenes, effects, judging, remediation, enrichment and branching of simulations and scenarios. I want to see the paths through the simulation and decision process. I want to easily prune the deep branches of the decision tree to make learning more time efficient, but leave enough breadth and depth to give in realism in consequences and complexity. I want to add points for a fast-path, demerits for recoverable false-steps and stiff penalties for hazardous decisions and actions. I need ALL of that more than I need drawing or animation tools. A graphic designer or animator can do all those things well, and I'm not ever matching their proficiency. However, there is too much instructional design theory and design to easily, effectively communicate my intent to a programmer via a simple script or block of PowerPoint slides. Why is this SO HARD? Can't new tools be built now that are friendly for web deliver, and instructional design of scenario-based learning? Project management tools seem to handle contingent, critical path and parallel tracks quite well. Role-playing game & MUD tools and engines accommodates rules and scenarios. Are there tools from other use cases and applications that can be the basis for what we need? Here's what got me started on this rant. John Dowdell of Adobe had a nice succinct post on Diagramming interactivity. About the same time, the ElearningPost blog had an entry The Basics of Branching Logic that refers to a Jay Cross interne Time Group blog entry on decision games that I had also read. Couple all this with the high-value long-running series of simulation posts by Clark Aldrich at the ASTD Learning Circuits Blog. There is clearly a need for an approachable, powerful means to author scenario-based learning and decision games. *Thanks my friend and colleague Eric Rosen for the cool 60's-sounding terminology the "SME Empowerment Movement" as an alternative for the now ubiquitous "Rapid Elearning."
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There has been a noticeable lack of recent entries here. My mother recently suffered a stroke and I travelled back to be with her and my siblings. Though the stroke was debilitating and exhausting, her condition quickly stabilized. She has now begun the arduous process of therapy and recovery. Thanks to all who provided prayers, thoughts and other support. Prior to leaving (and since), I've seen a few items of interest and had a few thoughts about flows & storyboards, a "Google Pack" for elearning, and elearning simulations. This week I am in San Diego attending AICC and IEEE LTSC/SISO Interface Standards meetings, so I'll have some information to report as well.
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Back when I hosted the Macromedia Elearning Seminar Series I really wanted to get Lisa Neal from the acm as a guest. I appreciate the short insightful look ahead she gets each year, collected from the leading gurus, researchers, analysist and pundits.

Predictions for 2006 E-learning experts map the road ahead By Lisa Neal, Editor-in-Chief, eLearn Magazine

While you're at it check out eLearn Magazine online and the acm itself.
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This one looks interesting, and doesn't require travel.

Elearning Simulation and Games Symposium February 8-10, 2006 | Online

Based on the published agenda, I'd check out these sessions:

• The State of Simulations and Games in e-Learning (Clark Aldrich)
• Everything You Know About Simulation is Wrong (Rich Mesch)
• Engaging Learning: Effective Simulation Games By Design (Clark Quinn)
• Mobile Learning Games and Simulations (David Metcalf)

There are several interesting sessions on using Adobe Flash for elearning, and it looks like Frank Hanfland of safety-kleen will be updating and expanding his Macromedia MAX 05 presentation with additional information on ROI and business drivers for elearning simulations.

Registration is $495 USD for Guild members or $619 standard rate. Joining the guild for $99 is definitely worth it; you get discounts for their conferences as well as the online events, and access to the eLearning Guild library of polls, research and articles about elearning.

Labels: events

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Just after I wrote about the Flash Lite 2 and the related Flash 8 update, I found out that a Dreamweaver update is available:

Scott Fegette: Dreamweaver 8.0.1 Updater Available: "Attention, Dreamweaver-wranglers- you can download the Dreamweaver 8.0.1 updater for Mac and Windows ASAP from the Dreamweaver Support Center, which addresses many reported issues with the 8.0 release"

Good stuff.
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This domain is going on 3 years old. I got it in February of 2003 expecting to start a whole site on Mobile Elearning. With Flash on PDA's and heading to phone I then thought the timing was right. It was definitely too early. I think we're getting close now though. Since this is Mobilemind, maybe it's time to share some links and resource for information on Mobile Learning.

• Flash Lite 2 Released - Phone and devices get parity with the desktop Flash Player 7, including use of AS2 and Adobe labs has a supporting authoring tool update, Flash Lite 2 Update for Flash Pro 8.
• M-Learning: Mobile E-Learning by David Metcalf seems to now be available as a book on the HRD Press web site. It was originally slated for a late 2005 release. Though I've hosted a webinar on mobile learning with David and we speak with each other at trade shows, I haven't seen the book yet. His presentations are great and I do like his other book.
• OnPoint Digital "mLearning Pro"- Some mobile learning LMS/authoring software for, and devices based on, the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet.
• Hot Lava Software continues to offer recurring seminars on mobile content development and offers a free desktop training module about mobile learning.
• All (Japanese) Phones to have Flash support soon - A company named Otto seems to be aggressively marketing Flash to Japanese phone manufacturers. Then again, maybe something got lost in translation from the original Japanese PR.

Some of these resources are getting a bit dated, but they are good places to start investigating mobile learning.

• Mobile Learning Example - Example of useful, relevant practical elearning. American Sign Language Finger Spelling available for Pocket PC's in Flash 6 and Flash Lite 1.1
• Elearnopedia m-Learning - As of this writing it seems like this was last updated in 2004, but the information on this ADL Co-Lab site is still useful.
• Mobile Learning Group resource center - A site that has useful links to research and resource for those interested in mobile learning.
• M-Learning Project- Resources and demos from a European research project that generated mobile learning in support of adult and continuing education.
• Mobilearn - Another European project. This project focuses more on the collaborative, on-demand, and location-based aspects of mobile learning. Giunti is acting as coordinator and they have been very active in the mobile learning space.

Send me a note at mobilemind@pobox.com if you have an interesting mobile elearning project that you would like to share.
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Just an administrative note that the proper feed is now: http://mobilemind.net/rss/index.xml

In an attempt to somewhat satisfy Feed Validator, I changed the file extension of my feed to ".xml" instead of ".rdf". This eliminates a few of the Feed Validator errors. I'm hoping that will make things more palatable to technorati and the Macromedia/Adobe MXNA Feed Aggregator.
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Expect to see increased use of animated, speaking characters as guides, customers and colleagues in elearning this year and next. The tool are becoming more powerful, more approachable and more pervasive. Output to Flash SWF format makes it much easier to incorporate these characters into elearning, whether you use Authorware, Breeze, Captivate, Dreamweaver, Flash, Lectora Publisher or Toolbook. A year ago I posted about Animated Talking Characters for Elearning mentioning Oddcast and Sculptoris. Recently, the actionscript Hero (ash) linked back to my post and mentioned another tool along those lines from CodeBaby. Vcom 3D also has tools for interactive characters that I really want to learn about. I look forward to seeing (and hearing more from them later this month at the AICC meetings in San Diego. I saw a really impressive demo of Vcom characters during a NATO panel meeting at UCLA last Fall. Multiple virtual communicators interact with each other and use culturally-specific gestures (yea/nay nods or head motions) synchronized to their speech while presenting or responding to learners. The demo was part of a prototype for training soldiers who need to have dialogs with diverse cultures at checkpoints and in other situations. It was really cool to see spouses glance at each other while speaking, or catch a child showing deference to a parent (if only it were so consistent in real life). I can't wait to see how this has advanced since then, and how it might be attainable for more mainstream elearning applications.

Labels: simulation

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There is alot going on with simulations lately.

Learning Circuits Blog- Clark Aldrich and others have been having a running dialog on the ASTD Learning Circuits Blog.

I particularly liked the "SimWord of the Day" series that started back around the 18th of December 2005

AICC Simulation Forum- The AICC will be hosting a mini-forum on Simulations during the AICC San Diego meetings January 30 - February 3, 2005. There will also be 2 full days devoted to researchers, organizations and vendors in the simulation space. I look forward to catching up with some of my Adobe (Macromedia) colleagues who will be presenting.

Simulation Interface Standards (Study Group)- The IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee (IEEE LTSC) is working together with the SISO SAC (Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization Standards Activity Committee). Together they are evaluating additional standards are appropriate and feasible for elearning simulations. Together they issued a call for position papers, which is found here on the IEEE LTSC site. Related discussion will be held February 2-3, 2005 and co-located with the AICC meetings.

Labels: simulation

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Blog reader Paul Colombo of webLearning wrote to let me know this Jakob Nielsen article was recently slashdotted.

Summary:
Eyetracking data show that users are easily distracted when watching video on websites, especially when the video shows a talking head and is optimized for broadcast rather than online viewing.

That quote is from Jakob Nielsen's post. In email, Paul indicated that he notices business managers often want talking-head video with an executive message in compliance training. Yet, a still picture of the person and supporting text often works best-- clear, less distracting and highly effective.

I certainly agree with Paul on that, given all the typical costs associated with video. However, I think I disagree with the interpretation of the esteemed Mr. Nielsen-- talking head video isn't boring, it is, however, something people are very good at processing and multi-tasking. I actually like having the talking head and being able to access additional information. If I hear something in the voice, I can jump back to look at the face. I think the talking head is particular effective if the content addresses the affective domain. To me at least, such video obviously has a place in learning. However, as Paul implies, a still image can be just as effective as conveying the source and significance of a message for instructional purposes-- and often less distracting and more cost efficient.
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