Platforms and Authoring Tools

Platforms and Authoring Tools

Scott P. Schaffer, PhD

elearning101.wikispaces.com



Increasingly Complex Workforce



Global

Diverse

Virtual relationships

Hollywood Model

Matrixed organization

Fluid employment contracts

Fuzzy organizational boundaries

© 2005 Gantz Wiley Research

•
One size fits all

•
Doing & Gameplay

Digital


Natives


learn from

© 2007 Marc Prensky

Digital

Immigrants

teach by

•
One Thing at a Time


•
Linear Stories

•
Presenting & Telling


•
Multi
-
tasking

•
Lots of Choices

•
Random Access &


Exploring Options

•
Delivering content


•
Being Engaged


•
Face
-
to
-
face


•
Going Online

•
Going relatively slowly


•
Going really quickly

The Coming Crisis:

This Century’s Workforce Challenge

•
Limited in availability

–

Growing in the U.S. by only a fraction of a
percent per year through the first half of this century; declining in many
other developed countries


Global

and virtual

–

Requiring collaboration of individuals and teams
around the world


Chronologically older

–

Individuals over 55 progressively larger
proportions of the workforce: 11% in the US in 2000; 20% in 2015;
nearly one
-
third by 2050


Lacking key skills

–

Shortages of needed talent, particularly in high
skill areas, such as science and engineering disciplines

Learning and Development
Anywhere, Anytime….


Continuous learning and development is a

self
-
generated, self
-
directed and self
-
rewarding

process of continuous growth and personal evolution

that can occur in any circumstance.


It happens both alone and in relationship with

others, both inside and outside of formal training

and learning programs, in collaboration with

managers and mentors, and in networking

among colleagues.

What is a
Learning

Technology Platform?

•
A system of complementary technologies that enable
the creation, management, and delivery of learning
resources:

–
allows content to be created easily using standard
tools and templates

–
allows content to be re
-
used across multiple
audiences: i.e. customers, distributors, employees,
contractors

–
enables multiple delivery formats: i.e. classroom,
virtual classroom, on
-
demand online learning, print
on
-
demand hard
-
copy, etc.

–
delivers the learning to the learners when, where and
how they need it

Platform
Tools
Framework
Selected
Technologies
Blended Learning
Consulting and Implementation
SDL
(w/ story
-
telling
approach)
Learning
Aides
Other...
Sharing
Tools
(e.g. eRoom)
Self
-
Paced
Communications
Learning Management
System
(KP)
Learning Content Mgmt.
System
Project Management
for Learning Solutions
Learner Interface
(web)
Vendor Management (GP/KP/
Interwise
)
Platform
Processes
Metrics and Reporting
Financial Management / External Benchmarking
Learning Optimization Model

Sample Learning Technology Platform

What does your learning
technology platform look like?

LMS, LCMS?

Authoring Tools?

Framework?

What are authoring tools
anyway?

Software to develop E
-
Learning Content

Others are learning
-
oriented such as Authorware,
Designer’s Edge, Flashform, and so on.

Some are generic such as Flash,
Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Visual
Communicator, and so on.

LMS? LCMS?

Software systems to administer learning
programs (LMS) and related content
(LCMS); also see CMS.

Some are proprietary such as SumTotal or
THINQ others are open
-
source such as
Moodle or Joomla or Drupal.

Some are proprietary such as SumTotal or
THINQ or Blackboard while others are
open
-
source such as Moodle or Drupal.

Selecting E
-
Learning Technologies

Task: With a partner or two, select 3 or 4 E
-
Learning Challenges to discuss.


How: Use the Selecting E
-
Learning Technologies
worksheet (exercise 2) to identify considerations/
possible solutions, and related tools/systems.


Next: What E
-
Learning challenges are unique to
your organization? Use exercise 3 of the
worksheet to document your ideas.