Interview with Patrick Mileham, NexLearn - Innovators in E-Learning Series

Virtual worlds, simulations, and games are used in training and education in ever-expanding applications which seek to create learning experiences. Welcome to an interview with Patrick Mileham,director of editorial development for NexLearn (http://www.nexlearn.com).

What is your name, your position, and your affiliation and what is your involvement in NexLearn?

Patrick Mileham
Director of Editorial Development for NexLearn
I work closely with our partners to develop relevant, instructionally sound training experiences.

What is NexLearn and what is its mission and vision?

www.nexlearn.com

NexLearn is a custom e-Learning developer with expertise in creating immersive learning simulations. In fact, the core group that started NexLearn developed some of the first business-related e-Learning courses to include branching social simulations. Most of the company’s team members have been involved in the development of e-Learning tools or courseware for more than 15 years. We definitely excel in industry experience and knowledge.

The company’s mission evolved from its vision statement: “To advance excellence in learning technologies by combining people, technology and great ideas.” Once we decided where we wanted to go as a company, we outlined the best and most effective way to get there. By leveraging our creativity, experience and innovative development philosophy, we knew we could build strong customer relationships that would allow us to lead the technology-based education industry.

What new products and services do you have?

In 2006, NexLearn introduced SimWriter, a simulation authoring tool that gives anyone—including instructional designers, subject matter experts, trainers, managers and human resources personnel—the opportunity to develop custom, media-rich immersive learning simulations based on their company’s own content, processes and procedures. And since the tool features pull-down menus and pick-and-click functionality, SimWriter users can focus on creating engaging and instructional storylines instead of computer code. SimWriter’s ease-of-use translates into a savings of many hours of development time, effort and money.

Just last month (February 2009), we released SimWriter 3.5, the latest version of the authoring tool that includes more than 30 new enhancements. We believe it is the most robust and flexible rapid development immersive learning simulation authoring tool available today. And the feedback we’ve been receiving from SimWriter users—including experienced developers and people who are just starting to develop courses—proves that the popularity of immersive learning simulations continues to grow.

In addition, NexLearn provides a full range of custom courseware development services. We can do everything from Knowledge Engineering to Video and Audio Production in our onsite studios. We have over 1200 immersive learning projects completed in the last 14 years, including some projects as long as 183 hours of instruction and as short as 30 minutes.

What do you identify as the key new trends that have made NexLearn beneficial to people?

Well, with the current state of the economy, we’re seeing more companies putting greater emphasis on training...including those that have downsized their workforce. It’s critical for corporate leaders to realize that training isn’t a luxury that’s only valuable when business is good. Employee training and development is an investment that is critical to the success of their business—especially when they’re asking more from fewer employees. Companies are searching for help to train and cross-train their employees effectively and efficiently.

Business leaders and CLOs are attracted to NexLearn for a couple reasons. First, we offer SimWriter. Again, the benefit here is that the tool offers developers the capability to create customized, complex branching social simulations in a quarter of the time and at a fraction of the cost it normally takes to create the same project using other development methods and tools.

And second, we’ve developed a unique and beneficial three-tier process for helping our partners succeed.

For clients that have limited or no development resources to create their own training courses, NexLearn experts can create and maintain projects for them—from the spark of an idea during the initial brainstorming session, to instructional design, graphic design and media development, to the annual updates to ensure the course content is current. NexLearn is a full-service developer.

The second option for NexLearn clients is a “we create, you maintain” plan. In this scenario, NexLearn develops the program but the client makes any updates to the course. This option would have been almost unthinkable just a few years ago, but with the availability of SimWriter, companies now have a tool that gives them more control over the development process. By doing more of the work, companies can save more money.

Finally, companies that purchase SimWriter can take advantage of the “you create and maintain” option plan. Many organizations have qualified internal resources to be able to create their own training programs, we’re now giving them the ultimate rapid development tool they need to create high-quality, media-rich courses.

How does NexLearn work? Can you provide one or two examples?

As I mentioned earlier, NexLearn and SimWriter are a powerful combination that provide multiple options for companies interested in creating customized training that is engaging, interactive, and very effective. We believe that simulation learning is the best approach to training today. By creating life-like scenarios, learners can experience real-world processes, procedures and decision-making opportunities in a safe learning environment. In the real world, failure is not an option. In a simulated world, it’s a learning experience.



This is an example of a customer service simulation created using avatars.


This is an example of a sales simulation created using video to allow learners to evaluate both verbal and physical cues to respond appropriately.


This example shows the unique SimWriter interface that allows users to view both the simulation map and the corresponding text and media components simultaneously.

Please describe upcoming activities.

Chief Learning Officer Summit 2009
Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, Ponte Vedra, FL
April 1 – April 3

ASTD 2009 International Conference and Exposition
Washington DC Convention Center
June 1 – June 3

Optional question: How can NexLearn help develop human capital and resources? How can it contribute to a global economic recovery?

The challenges of a waning economy, such as hiring freezes or layoffs—coupled with the fact that millions of baby boomers are preparing to retire—are forcing business leaders to maximize their human capital. To accomplish this feat, organizations must invest in the skills of their employees like never before. From soft skills like communication, negotiation, and leadership to more technical skills like equipment operation and even industry-specific compliance training, it’s critical to the success of every business that employees are well trained. We work closely with our partners to identify and develop the educational and training experiences employees need to do their jobs better, faster, and more effectively.

Perhaps the worst thing a business leader can do right now is to pull the plug on employee training. By drastically reducing training opportunities, workforce skills will become stagnant and companies will lose their competitive edge. On the global stage, NexLearn and SimWriter contribute to the world economy by helping organizations develop custom training, which allows them to fill job vacancies that require specific expertise.

Interview with Majda Cimperman, Principal: Sodrazica, Slovenia -- Quality in Education Series

Welcome to an interview with Majda Kovačič Cimperman, who lives and works in Slovenia. She is principal of a school that offers instruction to students grades 1 through 9, and also includes a kindergarten. The school, OŠ dr Ivan Prijatelj Sodražica, was named after a distinguished scholar. In this new series, we share the experiences of successful educators as they discuss their unique circumstances and their programs. In addition to sharing educational philosophies and approaches to teaching, the series gives educators the chance to compare notes and see where there are insights to be gained by taking a look at the opportunities and challenges that face each school. In this interview, Majda Kovačič Cimperman describes experience of the school and the winner of the a nationwide essay contest in conjunction with the children's novel, Good Deeds Society.

Where is Sodražica, Slovenia?
Slovenia is a small, yet diverse country with many points of interest and natural beauty. Sodražica is one such place located in the Lower Carniolia region of Slovenia and borders with the regions of Loški Potok, Velike Lašče and Ribnica and is situated about 500 m above sea level in the lowest region of the valley. It has an area of 49.5km² with 23 surrounding villages and approximately 2200 inhabitants. The villages are mostly in the lower region of the valley near the River Bistrica but 10 villages lie about 800 – 900 m above sea level.

Please describe your school: OŠ dr Ivan Prijatelj Sodražica.
Education / Schooling in the Sodražica Valley dates back more than 190 years with its beginnings as a Sunday School, developing into a Public School, surviving both W.Ws all up to todays' Primary School.

The school is named after Dr Ivan Prijatelj who was born in a small village Vinice and was named amongst the first university professors in Ljubljana in 1919. He was a literary historian, essayist, theoretic, translator ……..

There is also an affiliate school in Sveti Gregor about 5 km away with 15 pupils.
It caters for pupils from grade 1 till grade 5 and then children are included in the home school in Sodražica.

What are the ages of your students, and the grades? How many students do you have?
Children are obliged by law to attend school at the age of 6. We have a total of 221 pupils from grade 1 – grade 9.

Special assembly of students at OŠ dr Ivan Prijatelj Sodražica in conjunction with celebrations to honor the Slovenian writer France Prešeren.

What are the general demographics of the surrounding area? What are the major sources of employment? What types of diversity exist?
15 villages are demographically endangered. The population from the time of WW I is less and as a result there are less births, but the migration of the population has also contributed to the depopulation of the area. (America, Argentina, Germany)

The latest statistics show that there are about 908 active workers (614 employed and 65 in private enterprise), 39 farmers ( sheep, dairy,beef, rabbits,goats,..) and about 190 unemployed.
People make a living by working in factories in the valley: (FIPIS d.o.o producing metal, plastic and cloth filters for the automobile, pharmaceutical, rubber, petrochemical, building industries as well as in the field of ecology; FRAGMAT – IZOLIRKA different types of insulation and building elements; POS – a private company making products from plastic and FIBRAN-NORD producing insulation material). People are also employed in services like cafe bars, reaturants, post-office, bank, school, kindergarten, shops, bakery, hairdresser's salon, butcher's, greengrocer's.

Because the younger generation has attained a higher education many are unable to find jobs according to their qualifications in the home environment and therefore there is also a daily migration of people to work in Ljubljana (45km away) or nearby Ribnica ( 10km away), Bloke, Lož (20km away), Kočevje (27km away) .

It is worth mentioning here that farming doesn't represent enough income for a comfortable living probably because of the harsh weather conditions, so, many farmers compensate and manufacture the famous wooden-ware for which this region is well known (souvenirs,toothpicks, sieves, basket weaving, flooring, wooden tools, etc. ) Some pedal their goods all over Slovenia and some have placed their goods on the international market even to China.

What is your schools mission and vision?
Knowledge, respect and honesty are the foundation stones of our school.
I believe that school is a place where we learn and work together – weaving trust, respect and the feeling of belonging into the everyday life of our school.

I would like this everyday life to be filled with optimism and happiness. The time that we dedicate to education and upbringing – with the cooperation of teachers, pupils and parents- we build the mosaic of children's values which they will hopefully carry on into their future lives.

What do you view as your core instructional strategy? How do you accomodate and reach out to diverse populations?
The People's University of Kočevje promotes the education of grown ups in all life learning. It carries out education programmes with professionals and has a net of »Education points« at local primary schools in the region. Every second Wednesday of the month the doors of our school are open to the public hosting different seminars,craft groups, computer studies groups.

Who is the principal ? What is the principal's role in your school?
Mrs Majda Kovačič Cimperman is the principal of the school and adjoining kindergarten.
She is the leader and coordinator of the school's life. She plans and leads work in the school and kindergarten, prepares the yearly work plan ; is responsible for seeing that children's rights are respected and that the pupils are made aware of their responsibilities to the school and learning; follows the work of teachers and is present in class offering an evaluation and advise for future work; responsible for enhancing cooperation between the school and parents ( parent – teachers's meetings, lectures for parents,..) and informing them of developmnets within the school and kindergarten; enhances the cooperation of the school and health care institutions; employs personnel; above all she ensures that the working environment is pleasant and healthy for all those employed as well as for the pupils and parents and carries out the demands made of her as stated by the law of the Republic of Slovenia.

How is English taught at your school? How are books in English made available ?
Children begin learning English at lower primary school level – last year we started in grade one and have followed through to grade two with one hour of English every week. The formal teaching of English is planned (formal curriculum and graded ) from grade 4 onwards . Because there is quite a lot of new material and a totally new subject for many, an extra curricula activity is offered to children in grade 3 – once a week . We believe that the introduction of a foreign language then, makes learning English in grade 4 less stressful and the children build their self-confidence as they have already met some vocabulary and continue building on this foundation in grade 4 .

In grade 4 we have two lessons per week. In grade 5, three lessons per week with one hour devoted to differential study ( ranking of »competent« and »less competent« pupils – two teachers ). In grade 6 four lessons per week with one hour devoted to differential study. In grade 7 four lessons with one hour of differential study. In grades 8 and 9 pupils have 3 hours of English per week. This year we have heterogeneric MIXED groups( »very competent« , »competent« and »less competent« pupils). There are also extra froms of work - like preparing for county and state competitions in English.

We use textbooks authorized by the Ministry of Education in Slovenia which are bought by the school and lent to the students for use and returned at the end of the year. Workbooks are bought by the students. Teachers have resources such as teachers books, CDs, DVDs that accompany textbooks and ofcourse internet sites for additional information and exercises for students who want to know more!

English books are made available by purchasing them via catalogues or from sales persons when visiting the school. There is however a limit associated (money alloted) to the buying of books. English teachers also bring their own books and share them with students whenever they feel student enthusiasm.

Please describe the contest that your school ran in conjunction with the release of the book. Good Deeds Society, and the activities that were held.
In September of last year, the teachers of Slovene received an invitation from KUD Sodobnost International and Vodnik Publishers to participate in a literary competition associated with the translation of the Good Deeds Club written by Susan Smith Nash and her visit to Slovenia.

Entrants had to write in the form of a »thinking essay« on one of the following themes:

· Kithie and her mother: who is the child?
· When does the internet hurt the most ?
· As the President of the school's Good Deeds Club I would…

Pupils from grade 6 to grade 9 were invited to enter, however the greatest response came from pupils in grades 6 and 9.

Every year we remember our famous writer France Prešeren the author of the official Slovene Anthem –( Slovene national cultural holiday, 8th February ) and this year we included Susan's visit into the school's activities . On Thursday 5th February pupils met with Susan and listened to her introduction and presentation of the Good Deeds Club- listening very attentively to her every word and trying to understand. Whatever words they didn't understand were translated .

The students who took part in the essay competition were given the opportunity to ask Susan some questions about her life and work in English. Pupils were also very eager to attain Susan's autograph which she gave with delight and also added a personal message for each pupil.
The day was made even more memorable by the fact that Blaž had his birthday on the same day as Susan came to visit . Who would have thought that receiving a prize and having a birthday happens all at once / at the same time? – quite an unforgettable experience!

Who won the contest? What were some of the themes the essay touched on?

Essay contest winner Blaž Kranjec, with principal Mrs. Cimperman, and Alenka Urh, from Sodobnost (l to r).

The contest was won by a pupil in grade 6A Blaž Kranjec - one of five pupils from the whole of Slovenia who were awarded with books and a visit from the author in person at their school.
The theme he chose to write about: Kithie and her mother: who is the child?

Blaž opened his essay with the thought » Age is not necessarily associated with being grown-up/ or an adult: what's important is responsible behaviour.«

He believes that the roles are questionable and that at times Kithie and her mum even change roles as far as responsible behaviour is concerned.

He presented descriptions of both mother and Kithie in different situations: their relationship as mother and daughter ; the relationship with her step-brother; the time Gus's father went missing, the Good Deeds Club - showing how both coped with the same situation.

He concluded his essay with a question, inviting Kithie for a comment – maybe to agree with his overall thought of the book- » Not everything is as dark as we see at first, from every bad experience you can learn something new and in this way steer clear of future difficulties. It is very important that we give one another support at these times, combining knowledge and the will to solve problems and thus get through/over hardships.

Interview with Joe Gustafson, Brainshark: Innovators in E-Learning Series

What is your name, your position, and your affiliation and what is your involvement in Brainshark?

I’m Joe Gustafson, the CEO of Brainshark. I founded the company in 1999 to create a simpler, faster, cost-effective way for organizations to deliver learning and information to their employees, customers and partners. Using Brainshark, organizations can significantly accelerate learning programs and leverage subject matter experts to rapidly create and deliver compelling multimedia presentations and eLearning courses.




What is Brainshark and what is its mission and vision?

Today, Brainshark (http://www.brainshark.com/) is the leader in multimedia for the enterprise, helping businesspeople to transform static business and training content into high-impact on-demand presentations. Our products enable users to communicate faster and more cost-effectively than ever before.

Brainshark has democratized the use of multimedia – making it possible for any businessperson and subject-matter expert to easily deliver knowledge and information in an engaging format that is effective for knowledge retention and can be experienced on demand, anytime, anywhere.

All of our offerings are Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and can be implemented in days. Today, Brainshark is being used by more than 1,000 companies for training, as well as marketing, selling and corporate communications. For learning applications such as compliance training, sales training, and customer training and channel certification, Brainshark provides a quick and cost-effective way to educate geographically dispersed audiences in a consistent and convenient manner.



Welcome to an interview with Joe Gustafson, Brainshark, an innovative solution for generating effective instructional multimedia and webinars. Brainshark includes hosting as well as a simple interface. Instructional strategies meet current economic realities. Software as a Service makes it affordable for organizations to adapt to the times at a financially viable level.

What new products and services do you have?

I’m very excited about a new aspect of our business: the Brainshark Content Network (www.brainshark.com/contentnetwork). It’s an online marketplace of on-demand, user-generated content for business learning. The site has really taken off and is continually expanding. You’ll find content on a wide range of business topics – from Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance to Creating a Greener Company.

By tapping into a vast universe of experts – allowing any expert to publish content at no cost and providing a targeted distribution channel of businesspeople and organizations seeking relevant expertise – our Content Network turns the traditional way of creating and acquiring eLearning content on its head. Organizations can easily acquire these training topics and customize them to their needs.

This content is both free and fee-based and invites community involvement – allowing viewers to rate, comment on and share the presentations they see. In fact, leading eLearning research firm Bersin & Associates last month dubbed Brainshark a “2008 Learning Leader” due to our development of the Content Network, which the firm called “a YouTube-like open market for e-learning.”

What do you identify as the key new trends that have made Brainshark beneficial to people?

In this economy, there isn’t a company we’ve talked to lately that isn’t trying to reduce costs, and that is causing many to rethink the way they’re delivering learning. In many situations, they’re canceling annual sales meetings, freezing or reducing travel, and generally trying to do more with less.

Because Brainshark provides a very cost-effective way to create and deliver training, we’re seeing strong demand. In fact, we’ve developed a micro-site, available for viewing here, with examples of how our customers have realized cost savings and aligned their organizations for the road ahead.

Another important trend we see is the growth of informal learning. Training professionals are looking for ways to enable informal learning within their organizations, and many are searching for the right tools to empower employees. They’re concerned with how to manage the quality of user-generated learning without being a bottleneck. Brainshark provides several ways for companies to allow SMEs across the company to self-publish compelling content and for training professionals to manage quality and provide self-organizing portals to share, search for and access learning. It is absolutely where the direction of learning is headed.

How does Brainshark work? Can you provide one or two examples?

Making a Brainshark presentation is intuitive and virtually goof-proof; in fact, I’d invite you to get a taste of the process – for free – here: http://presentation.brainshark.com/buildit/. All you need is a Web connection and a telephone, and you can see how easy it is to add your voice to a presentation.

Step 1: Upload a presentation. Normally, a user would upload his/her PowerPoint presentation to the Web to get started; here, to simulate the process, we simply ask you to select a template.



Step 2: Add your voice. You’ll see simple instructions appear in the browser window. Using your phone, dial the toll-free number, and when prompted, enter the presentation access code provided. In your browser, you’ll see the first slide of a sample presentation, and on the phone, you will hear voice instructions similar to using voicemail. You’ll press “1” on your phone to start recording, and you can begin to record voice to your slides. (In this case, a script is provided for you!) Should you slip up or forget something, you can start over on a particular slide at any time.

Step 3: View your presentation! Your Brainshark presentation is e-mailed to you as a link, which you can also e-mail to others. Whenever someone views your presentation, you will be alerted via e-mail of that person’s identity and contact information, and how long they viewed your presentation.

Of course, in our full product, there are a lot of “extras” – including the ability to add surveys, quizzes and polls; incorporate video; set course completion requirements; run reports and more!



Welcome to an interview with Joe Gustafson, Brainshark, an innovative solution for generating effective instructional multimedia and webinars. Brainshark includes hosting as well as a simple interface. Instructional strategies meet current economic realities. Software as a Service makes it affordable for organizations to adapt to the times at a financially viable level.

Please describe upcoming activities.

We recently launched a new program for non-profit organizations that includes a quarterly license grant as well as a discount program for qualifying non-profits, and we’re getting ready to announce our latest grant recipient. On the non-profit section of our Web site, you can learn about one of our recent grant recipients, the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games, who used Brainshark to train 5,000 volunteers – saving tens of thousands of dollars, as well as weeks and months of staff and volunteer time.

In challenging times, using technology is an essential way for non-profits to leverage their resources, and so many organizations have communication and training challenges that we can help solve. Several of our current customers have inquired about using Brainshark for the causes and organizations they are involved in outside of work, and we’d love to see even more grant applications and inquiries.

Optional question: How can Brainshark help develop human capital and resources? How can it contribute to a global economic recovery?

Brainshark helps organizations share knowledge and deliver learning programs quickly, easily and cost-effectively. By enabling subject-matter experts with easy-to-use self-publishing tools and providing an enterprise-class platform to manage, deliver and track vast amounts of content and numbers of learners, organizations can overcome the traditional bottlenecks of learning delivery and better leverage people, money and time. Unlike Web conferencing which requires participants to take scheduled time out of their day to participate in training or meetings, Brainshark’s on-demand format makes learning available at any time and in short segments, such as when learners have a few free minutes in their day, enabling learning without sacrificing productivity.

Training and travel budgets are among the first to be cut in a down economy, but to increase revenues, companies still need to retain good employees and train them to perform at their peak. They also need to adapt to change, align around profitable strategies, and strengthen relationships with customers and partners. With Brainshark, companies can significantly cut costs while doing even more to train, communicate and increase revenue. We look forward to continuing to help organizations find innovative ways to reduce time and expenses and prosper in difficult times.

Examples of forthcoming webinars (from a Non-Profit):

Many Faces of GIS: AAPG Web Symposium Series

Stimulus Bill (Will the Stimulus Change Life as We Know It for Energy, Education?)
AAPG Web Symposium Series

Good Deeds Society

Sean McKeever, e-Instruction: Interview -- Innovators in E-Learning Series

Innovations in digital tablets to encourage collaborative e-learning have helped students of diverse learning styles and preferences engage more fully and effectively. Welcome to an interview with Sean McKeever, eInstruction, who develops new learning strategies to ways to adopt new technologies. Students can concurrently interact with and contribute to the same digital content from team activities to learning simulations to interactive lessons

What is your name, and what is your involvement in e-learning?

My name is Sean McKeever, and I’m the Director of Classroom Solutions at eInstruction. I’ve always had a strong passion for education which has driven me to develop new technologies for students and teachers for 10 years. I’ve been a team member at eInstruction since 2005.

What are Interwrite Mobi System and DualBoard (http://www.interwritelearning.com/products/mobi/detail.html), and what are their mission and vision?

The Interwrite® Mobi System

The Interwrite Mobi System is the first-of-its-kind multi tablet and multi user system. The Mobi System includes the Interwrite Mobi tablet (for teachers), two Interwrite Mobi Learner tablets (for students), Mobi Dock (charging & security station) and Interwrite Workspace® 8.0 software.

Link: http://www.interwritelearning.com/products/mobi/detail.html

The mission of the Mobi System is to support student-centered, collaborative learning where both teachers and students can concurrently interact with and contribute to the same digital content from team activities to learning simulations to interactive lessons.

This mission is, in turn, part of a larger corporate vision in which all eInstruction products – hardware, software and content – serve to help educators realize academic progress everyday…in the classroom as well as at the school and district levels.

Mobi: Students can concurrently interact with and contribute to the same digital content from team activities to learning simulations to interactive lessons


The Interwrite® DualBoard

The Interwrite DualBoard is the first operational dual pen interactive whiteboard to hit the education market. The DualBoard allows two pens to be used at the same time on a single interactive whiteboard, creating the perfect solution for two students to work simultaneously at the front of the classroom.

Link: http://www.interwritelearning.com/products/dualboard/detail.html

The mission of the DualBoard is to create a learning environment centered on teamwork and students learning from each other. Teachers can have two students at the whiteboard solving two different homework problems at the same time.

As above, this mission too is part of a broader corporate vision in which all eInstruction products – hardware, software and content – serve to help educators realize academic progress everyday…in the classroom as well as at the school and district levels.



The Interwrite® DualBoard

Who do you consider to be the target audience? Why?

The target market for the Interwrite Mobi and the Interwrite DualBoard is the K-12 classrooms. The very nature of these products creates a collaborative learning environment that encourages student-to-student and student-to teacher interaction, which definitely appeals to K-12 educators.

What makes Interwrite Mobi System and DualBoard effective?

The Interwrite® Mobi System

From the teacher’s view point, I would say that the most powerful aspect of the Mobi System lies within the assessment technology that has been integrated into the Mobi tablet (for teachers). When used with our student response systems, the integrated color LCD screen on the Mobi displays individual student answers in real time. This dynamic feature allows teachers to privately view every student’s graded answer seconds after a question has been posed. With this knowledge at hand, teachers are empowered to provide differentiated instruction as the lesson unfolds, making sure that each student understands a concept even though their learning styles may differ.

The DualBoard is an effective educational tool because it was created to be shared—students sharing information, one student working on one problem while the teacher sets up the next problem with the other pen, etc.

Have recent changes in the way online learners interact changed anything about Interwrite Mobi System and DualBoard? (social networking, Twitter, wikis, multimedia, voice boards, etc.)

Both the Interwrite Mobi System and DualBoard are designed to facilitate access to and the use of digital content, whether drawn from the instructor's own computer or via the Internet. So these products mesh very well with the growing role and impact of Web-based content and collaboration tools.

Please list and describe a few key benefits of using Interwrite Mobi System and DualBoard. Do you have any demos? (please provide links, and a jpeg or two, with captions)

Key benefits of the Interwrite® Mobi System

Collaboration- creates a collaborative learning environment encouraging teamwork;
Mobility- allows the teacher to remain mobile in the classroom and look over students’ shoulders as he/she is instructing;
Assessment results- sends real time assessment results to the Mobi tablet. This allows the teacher to re-teach any concepts that aren’t “clicking” with the kids.

Key benefits of the Interwrite® DualBoard

Collaboration- creates a collaborative learning environment encouraging teamwork,
Engagement- provides interactive lessons that engage students and make lessons come to life.

Please describe upcoming activities. (please provide links and a jpeg or two, with captions)

Both the Interwrite Mobi and Interwrite DualBoard will be demonstrated at the following upcoming trade shows:

National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), Feb. 27 – Mar. 1, 2009, in San Diego, CA

California Computer-Using Educators (CUE), Mar. 5-7, 2009, in Palm Springs, CA

FOSE, Mar. 10-12, 2009, in Washington, DC

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Mar. 14-16, 2009, in Orlando, FL

National School Boards Association (NSBA), April 4-7, 2009, in San Diego, CA

National Educational Computing Conference (NECC), June 28 – July 1, 2009, in Washington, DC

Georgia Educational Technology Consortium (GAETC), Nov. 4-6, 2009, Atlanta, GA

National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), Nov. 13-15, 2009, in Atlanta, GA

Optional question: Do you see any applications of Interwrite Mobi System and DualBoard for developing online courses for technical / professional development?

Both products will be compatible with new "virtual" clicker software that eInstruction is developing which will make it possible for instructors to create, administer and manage assessments of both on-site and online students.

Interview with Alec Jeong, Cooliris: 3D Immersive Browsing -- Innovators in E-Learning Series

The next new thing in web-browsing will be a 3D immersive experience. That is, at least, what many people believe. The implications for e-learning are interesting -- the kinds of research and resources that will be available with 3D visualizations via one's browser could revolutionize the way we conceive of and display statistics, the earth, and earth processes -- just to name a few. Welcome to an interview with Alec Jeong, whose company, Cooliris (http://www.cooliris.com), is pioneering the use of 3D visualization of Web information.

What is your name, your position, and your affiliation and what is your involvement in Cooliris?
My name is Alec Jeong. I lead the marketing communications initiatives at Cooliris, and have been a team member since the company’s inception in 2006.




What is Cooliris (http://www.cooliris.com), and what is its mission and vision?
Cooliris, Inc. was founded in January 2006 with a simple mantra: "Think beyond the browser." Our company's flagship product is Cooliris, a free browser add-on that provides a lightning fast, cinematic way to discover the Web. Hailed by the New York Times as the "new immersive approach to Web navigation," Cooliris transforms your browser into an expansive "3D Wall" that lets you browse thousands of photos, videos, and more with superior ease and speed. Cooliris is available for Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari (Mac).


What do you identify as the key new trends that have made Cooliris beneficial to people?
Despite the advances in computer technology and the increase in information on the web in the past 10 years, the way people browse the Internet has not evolved at the same pace. Browsing and looking for images, videos, products, and news requires clicking from site to site, page to page—a somewhat tedious and slow process.



Cooliris takes Web-browsing to the next generation, allowing efficient consumption of the vast amount of information on the web. Cooliris lets users easily find and search images and videos within a full-screen, vivid environment. Inline search functionality and the pageless 3D Wall makes visual browsing a fast and more enjoyable process. There’s no need to jump from site to site, or click page by page, nor squint at thumbnail images.

How does Cooliris work? Can you provide one or two examples?
You can use Cooliris in two ways: as a standalone application or as an enhancement to your normal browsing experience.

After installing our free lightweight plugin, you can launch Cooliris by clicking a special Cooliris icon located on your browser toolbar. Once inside Cooliris, you are brought into a full-screen interface where you can easily glide through images and videos on an ever-expanding 3D Wall. An inline search function lets you search across major media sites including Google images, Flickr, YouTube, and Hulu, and a number of others. Cooliris also includes Discover, which lets you watch the latest TV episodes, music videos, and even full-length movies from Hulu. Finally, for those who like to window shop, Cooliris also has a feature that lets you shop for products visually.



You can also use Cooliris directly on hundreds of supported sites, such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, Google Images, or just about any site that uses Media RSS. How it works is that when you visit a supported site, say Google Images for example, a Cooliris icon will appear above images as you mouse over them. Click the icon and Cooliris will quickly display thousands of your search results on the single expansive 3D Wall. (See attached screenshots)

Please describe upcoming activities.
We’ll soon be releasing Cooliris 1.10, which will allow users to browse photos and videos stored on their computer hard drive, among many other useful features and enhancements.

Interview with Michael Clifford, SignificantFederation - Innovators in E-Learning Series

Welcome to an interview with Dr. Michael K. Clifford, SignificantFederation, whose company invests in post-secondary education companies. E-Learning Queen is committed to providing insights into the world of education - public, private, and not-for-profit. Insights into how education is supported are more important than ever, given the multiple shocks sustained by the global economy. E-Learning Queen welcomes reader questions and comments.

What is your name, your position, and your affiliation and what is your involvement in private equity?

Dr. Michael K. Clifford, Chairman, SignificantFederation, a principal investor in post-secondary education companies.

What is your company, and what is its mission and vision?

The link to the company is www.significantfederation.com. Our mission is to provide ethical business and financial strategies as principal investors in online education companies.

What do you identify as the key new trends in start-up for-profit educational institutions?

For the investment community, there is an unprecedented opportunity to collect valuable assets in a distressed market while doing something good for peopleʼs lives.

This is due in part to the financial pressure on traditional non-profit universities resulting from endowment portfolios income reduced in excess of 50 percent, major donor contributions did not come in at the end of the year at 2008 as scheduled due to market conditions, and reduced state subsidies; this, combined with an increase of enrollment demand has created the perfect storm for investors in post-secondary education.


Dr. Michael Clifford, SignificantFederation

Investors partnering with savvy, experienced executives, especially those elite online degree experts (which are few), have an unprecedented opportunity to step in and provide saving grace to the non-profit universities who are hitting the wall financially at this time.

A key trend is that these investors, like myself, will be able to maintain the traditional mission statement of an established institution by injecting best practices, especially in the area of financial accountability, enhancing faculty involvement in the operations, introducing cost-saving technologies, and providing astute marketing to properly exploit these established brands in their region.

A robust online operation is the billion dollar endowment of the future for these schools. Thanks to the regulators at the Department of Education and the accrediting agencies, the level of quality educational degrees has continued to increase while these regulatory bodies have made access a priority in their support of the institutions going forward.

How do private, for-profit institutions assure students of a high-quality, flexible curriculum that includes general education as well as their major area of study?

Market-driven institutions, whether they be for profit or non-profit, are governed by regulators to ensure high quality flexible curriculum that includes general education and relevant real world areas of study. However, the Academy needs to review the traditional Gen Ed that requires two or more years of a studentʼs time while adding a burdensome 50 percent to the cost of a relevant degree. Faculty need to understand that in this new economy they must be focused on cutting costs to the student and their family and all the other funding contributors such as the Department of Education, corporate America, and grandparents, in order to get the student through to a degree and on a career path for all parties involved.

Have recent changes in the way online learners interact changed anything about private equity funding for for-profit colleges and universities? (social networking, twitter, wikis, multimedia, voice boards, etc.)

Everybodyʼs talking about social networking and ways to generate low cost leads. I donʼt think weʼre seeing much of an impact in that area yet, but we will. I believe private equity firms are just now waking up to the realization that market-driven opportunities in a non-profit and for profit education industry are unprecedented opportunities for diverse portfolio investments.

When one looks at a university, one actually sees a city with various investment opportunities. A university has real estate transactions, software and technology, curriculum design, human resource and career development opportunities, marketing and advertising, food services -- a whole gamut of industries that are spin-offs from what the university pays for to deliver the final services to a student.

Please list and describe a few key benefits of starting new institutions, or expanding using private equity funds. Do you have any case studies?

The real value creation for private equity investors is the strategic alliance or conversion of non-profit assets that have hundreds of millions of dollars invested in them over many, many years to unleash the value through strict discipline on the residential programs, combined with robust niche marketing for online degree programs.

I cannot find a sector in the investment community that is more robust. Combine this with the fact that weʼre helping people live better lives, it makes it a very meaningful investment opportunity.

Case in point, Grand Canyon University, which when we formed the strategic alliance with the non-profit board, was approximately $40 million in debt, had fewer than 1,000 students on the campus, dormitories with no air conditioning in Phoenix, Arizona, a swimming pool filled in with dirt, 22 lawsuits that the institution was bound to lose to vendors, and completely out of cash. Our group was the catalyst to bring in the money, the management, and the marketing to unleash the value of this 57 year-old Southern Baptist University based in Phoenix , Arizona . The result was a public offering November 20, 2008 that broke the longest dry spell in 33 years of IPOs. LOPE is rated the No. 1 IPO in 2008, with the stock up over 70 percent as of today.

Another case in point is the remarkable story of Bridgepoint Education, which filed its S1 prior to Christmas Eve. Bridgepoint Education began with ten employees in San Diego three years ago, now employing 1,500. Bridgepoint Education promises to be the most stunning IPO in 2009.

I am humbled that two companies I founded might indeed represent the best-performing IPOs in 2008-2009 back-to-back. This is a testimony to the need for working adults to go back to school to retool to compete in the global market during what some are calling the second Great Depression. During the last Great Depression, the government had people pick up shovels and build bridges. During this economic downturn, we need to get people back to school to learn so we as a nation can compete.

Please describe upcoming activities.

For the investment community, there are several conferences throughout the year that I would recommend, including the Credit Suisse conference, the BMO conference, Signal Hill conference and others. For the private equity investor, they are truly missing the boat by not learning about this space and the long legs it has into the next ten years.

Optional question: What do you think the stock market will do in the next 18 months? How about the price of oil? Do you think that "contango" situations in commodities will affect pricing -- obscuring the fundamentals (yet again)?

Nobody can predict the stock market, especially in today's economy. Personally, I do not believe the traditional fundamentals can be counted on any more because of the global financial wheeling and dealing that is taking place. It is my belief that until post-secondary education institutions begin to turn out business MBA students who have a strong moral compass and can make ethical decisions on Wall Street, our financial markets will continue to spiral down in uncertainty. The No. 1 comment I hear from CEOs of the Fortune 1000 is the fact that they cannot hire MBA students in business that have a strong principled decision-making process of what is right and what is wrong because they have been taught that greed is No. 1 and beating the competition is most important.

We have tried to institute in all of our institutions a strong charitable component of service by giving of our time, talents and treasures back to the community in which we serve. It is my feeling that until profitable companies get serious about giving back to our society we will continue to have this type of financial turmoil in the markets.

Interview with Grace Oh, Musicshake -- Innovators in E-Learning Series

Welcome to an interview with Grace Oh of Musicshake, an easy-to-use music making program that incorporates social networking and bookmarking.

What is your name and what is your involvement in e-learning?
Grace Oh with Musicshake, and I head our Musicshake for Education program.

What is Musicshake, and what is its mission and vision?
www.musicshake.com

Musicshake is a free to download, super user-friendly, music making program that anyone can use to make their own high quality music.You can create your own beats and tracks (hip hop, pop, electronica, rock, R&B, jazz, etc…) and even add your own voice! After you create your music, you can share with your friends and build a community around your own music.
Musicshake for Education – Unlike other existing difficult and boring music programs, Musicshake is fun and engaging. It is a great way to introduce students to music. Students can learn how every imaginable instrument sounds like, individually, and in combination with other instruments in every possible genre.

If the goal of music education is not to make every student a Mozart or Beethoven, Musicshake is the best way to introduce music to today’s already overloaded students.

Who do you consider to be the target audience? Why?

Anyone without a formal music background, or any music beginner, is a part of our target audience. This would include most of the mass audience who only dream of creating their own music but can’t because they are not musicians. Musicshake is meant to educate people on the fundamentals of music, as well as include them in the music making process without the hassle of taking classes, buying instruments and practicing.

What makes Musicshake effective?

Musicshake contains categorized lists of every combination of all the imaginable music genres and instruments and offers over 550,000 different music samples.

An innovative algorithm (MuBot – Music Robot) sits at the background and recommends the optimal music pattern mix which allows users to simply listen, click, and select what they like. This means that you have 99.9% probability that whatever you make on Musicshake would sound very professional. In fact, our users have often told us that “you really have to try hard to make something that does not sound good.”

Have recent changes in the way online learners interact changed anything about Musicshake? (social networking, twitter, wikis, multimedia, voice boards, etc.)

Yes, they have greatly changed the way people use Musicshake and interact on Musicshake.com. We originally started as an online music making software but with the advances in virtual communities and social networks, saw the need to build a community based on user generated music. In order to address these market shifts, we are going after three distinct yet very interrelated markets – music creation, music consumption and user communities around user generated music.



Please list and describe a few key benefits of using Music Shake. Do you have any demos? (please provide links, and a jpeg or two, with captions)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq_Dsrhtdjk – A feature done on us by G4 TV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_fPK8N8tKs – A presentation of Musicshake

The benefit of Musicshake is that you are able to create music exactly how you want it for your offline/online contents. If you are making your own YouTube video or your own Slide.com slideshow, why resort to a 3rd party music that doesn’t exactly match your contents? Why not make your own music for your own user generated contents? Traditionally, you had to be a musician to do this but Musicshake completely facilitates this.

Another key benefit – and one that is becoming more and more important these days – is that we have our own in-house musicians that have created all of the different over half a million different samples in our music library. We own all the copyrights to our music so we can grant our users the peace of mind of using Musicshake music for their own iMovies, DVDs, and anything else they may need music for, without worrying about any copyright infringement issues.

Unlike most software that requires license for both home and school usage, Musicshake is accessible from both home and school, if you have an internet connection.

Musicshake is also very competitively priced and special discounts are available for educational use. Please send an email to edu@musicshake.com for any inquiries.

We are also offering to your readers a free 3 month subscription for them, and any of their students, that they can learn more about by contacting edu@musicshake.com.

Please describe upcoming activities.

Musicshake continues to have fun and interesting events throughout the year for students. One promotion we are working on for a school is a “School Spirit Contest”! We are having students create a song for their school to promote school spirit. For other schools that are interested, we can also take any existing song and make into music blocks, which can then be remixed with the rest of the over 550,000 music blocks in Musicshake’s database.

Optional question: Do you see any applications of Musicshake for developing online courses for technical / professional development?

This is a great question. The answer is YES. In the future, we plan to develop a Musicshake Pro Version which would have more sophisticated functionalities and that would help even the professional musicians with their work. Once we have this version available, we can develop online course for technical and professional development.

For E-Learning Queen readers: When signing up with Musicshake at

http://eng.musicshake.com/Member/Join/, please use the following promo code “MUSICSHAKEPROMO3” to get 3 FREE mp3 free downloads.

(Note: The Innovators in E-Learning Series consists of interviews with who are working on projects that the E-Learning Queen readers might find interesting, useful, and inspiring. The questions are intended to enable readers to look at the products and services in a new way, and to encourage collaborative work and thinking. We welcome information about new products and services, and if they fit our readers' interests and needs, we may invite you to participate in an interview.)

Interview with Sue Polyson Evans, SoftChalk - Innovators in E-Learning Series

Welcome to an interview with Sue Polyson Evans, co-founder and CEO of SoftChalk LLC. Softchalk is well-known among online instructors for its product, LessonBuilder. Online instructors and course developers from the mid-1990s will already have an acquaintance with Sue through Web Course in a Box, which she helped develop. Readers may wish to weigh in on the current state of learning management systems.

What is your name and what is your involvement in e-learning?

My name is Sue Polyson Evans, and I am a co-founder and the CEO of SoftChalk LLC. I have been working in the eLearning field from its inception in the early 1990s when I was the principal developer of Web Course in a Box, one of the first commercially available learning management systems in the U.S. I’ve also had various management positions at the university level in both instructional and academic technology.

What is Soft Chalk (link, please), and what is its mission and vision?

SoftChalk’s flagship product is LessonBuilder, a software tool designed to allow educators to create professional, sophisticated e-learning content. The thing that is unique about SoftChalk is how easy it is to use – we like to say “If it’s not easy, it’s not SoftChalk”.


SoftChalk came about as a result of the work that Bob Godwin-Jones (another SoftChalk co-founder) and I did in the 1990s, developing learning management system software. As LMS systems began to proliferate on college campuses, we saw that educators needed an easy way to move beyond the static lesson content (word processing documents and slide shows) found in most on-line courses. Through our work with faculty, we found that although educators desire to create sophisticated, interactive content, they typically do not have the time to learn complicated authoring tools. So we set about creating a software product based on these principles: the software had to be simple to use, yet powerful enough that educators could create truly interactive content. And the lesson content had to be portable for use in virtually any learning management system or on any web server. The result was SoftChalk LessonBuilder.

Today, as the leading provider of educational content authoring software for educators in K-12, colleges, universities and medical schools, we think SoftChalk is the educator’s only choice for easy content creation. With SoftChalk, educators can create professional, sophisticated content, while students love the interactive, engaging lessons created using SoftChalk. SoftChalk’s easy-to-use LessonBuilder software provides educators with a tool that enhances their teaching experience, and improves the learning experience of their students.

We would love to have you visit us online at http://www.softchalk.com and we invite you to download the 30-day free trial version of SoftChalk – the download link can be found on our website.

Who do you consider to be the target audience? Why?

On the one hand, SoftChalk’s primary target audience is the educator or content expert who desires to create professional-looking, interactive content for their digital learner. In addition, we target school administrators who are looking to leverage the investment they have already made in technology for online learning, and specifically in a learning management system. Very often institutions have difficulty getting faculty on-board in using an LMS, or adapting their course for distance delivery. But if you give those educators SoftChalk, they actually enjoy using it to create content. Once an educator has content they are enthused about, they see the value of the LMS as a way to deliver the content, and they see that adapting their course for distance delivery is very do-able.

What makes Soft Chalk effective?

SoftChalk is effective for three reasons – first is ease of use. SoftChalk works just like a word processing program. Most everyone is familiar with the word processing program interface so the learning curve for SoftChalk is very low. The average faculty member can learn to use SoftChalk in 2-3 hours. Secondly, educators really appreciate the ability to create professional-looking content very quickly. And lastly, the ability to create engaging, interactive content by including customizable Flash activities, pop-up annotations, and self-check questions with feedback, is key to student engagement.

Have recent changes in the way online learners interact changed anything about Soft Chalk? (social networking, twitter, wikis, multimedia, voice boards, etc.)

A very popular new feature of SoftChalk is the ability to easily embed YouTube videos into a SoftChalk lesson. We are working on another new feature that will be available in SoftChalk V5, scheduled for delivery in Spring 09. This feature will allow the content author to perform a federated search of multiple content/media repositories to locate images, video, audio, and text content for inclusion in their SoftChalk lesson. We think that the ability to create a “mash up” of content from various sources in a SoftChalk lesson will be extremely popular.

Please list and describe a few key benefits of using Soft Chalk.

I’d like to share some SoftChalk customer comments to help illustrate some of the key benefits of using Softchalk.

From Michael Chaney, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Respiratory Program Instructor, “I have a student who had barely passed every term of our professional program. Two terms ago, his grades shot up significantly. When I asked him what he had done differently, he said it was the time he spent with the activities in my new online lessons. He was referring to the SoftChalk activities. My experience is the more time students spend with the material, the better they do. They can do this in a variety of ways, but will probably pick the one that is the most fun. I think the SoftChalk activities that give instant feedback, are easy to use, and can be taken multiple times would be the one they will pick. As I had hoped, SoftChalk was improving student learing!”.

And from Nancy Terrell, Hampton City Schools, Teacher Librarian, “SoftChalk LessonBuilder allows us to easily organize information for both teaching and professional development because it makes it so easy to integrate our own content and then add SoftChalk’s interactive activities. Here in Hampton City Schools, we love having this resource to assist us in our instruction”.

And lastly, from Bill Ganza, Director of Professional Development at Florida Community College in Jacksonville, “LessonBuilder is easy to use and creates stunning interactive lessons that keep students engaged. In a very short time ANYONE can produce professional looking lessons that increase student motivation and aid in the learning process.”

For those who would like to try SoftChalk, you can download a 30-day free trial from this link:
http://www.softchalk.com/lb_trial.html

And you can view short “Quick Start” videos that give you a “jump start” on using SoftChalk from here:
http://www.softchalk.com/lb_demo3.html

We also offer free, live online demonstrations of the software. You can sign up here:
http://www.softchalk.com/webinar/


Please describe upcoming activities.

SoftChalk offers an “Innovators in Online Learning” webinar series where we feature educators in the field who are using SoftChalk in innovative ways to enhance instruction.

This is a monthly series, and in January we feature Adora Svitak, a 10-year old published author and teacher, who will be demonstrativng the interactive web pages and learning tools that she created using SoftChalk.

Then, in February, we feature Angelique Smith and Jennyly Nevarez, faculty at Valencia Community College, who will demonstrate SoftChalk instructional modules they have developed and published in their statewide digital repository, “The Orange Grove”.

We invite anyone who is interested to register for these free webinars here:
http://www.softchalk.com/webinar/

Optional question: Do you see any applications of Soft Chalk for developing online courses for technical / professional development?

Absolutely! Although SoftChalk started in the higher education world, it has developed a large following in K12 and is catching on in corporate training. It is amazing that we have SoftChalk users who are developing content for such diverse groups of students – from gifted middle school kids, to community college students , to University nursing students, to the Air Force. It is truly a cross-disciplinary software tool.

Interview with Ann Boland, Hot Lava: Interview with E-Learning Innovators

Welcome to an interview with Ann Boland, owner of OHE Associates, a Hot Lava Partner, provider of mobile learning platforms. You may sign up on the site for a demo of Hot Lava delivered to your web-enabled mobile device (PDA, cell phone, iPhone, iTouch).

What is Hot Lava? What does it do? How does it work? Why do you believe in it?

Hot Lava is a mobile learning platform that enables authoring and delivery of content; tracking, and recording of activity and results.



You can’t just take eLearning content and port it to the web. It must be reauthored in XML for delivery over a WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) server. But authoring is not difficult – even I can do it, with no technical training or background. Hot Lava recently introduced a Content Converter that instantly converts standardized content, such as a PowerPoint presentation, into content that you can drag directly into the LMA (Learning Mobile Author) and publish.

The “magic” of Hot Lava is that you author once and can publish for use on 95% of the web-enabled cell phones in use world-wide. You are not limited to one type of phone. It works on Blackberrys, iPhones, Palm, and Windows Mobile device – any phone that is web-enabled.

Ann Boland, Hot Lava

A basic management principle is that people will do what you watch and measure. So mobile learning with no tracking is nice for edutainment value, but it’s not a real tool. Hot Lava’s MDTS tracks every page that is viewed, every test, poll or survey question that is asked. It calculates pass/fail based on the author’s perimeters. Data is stored on the MDTS and/or can be instantly uploaded to the client’s Learning Management System. The MDTS has a report generator and data can be downloaded into other programs, such as Excel for further manipulation.

Modules or courses are authored and published by the LMA. They are stored on the MDTS which resides on a WAP server. From there, users log on to take the module online, or they can download the module into their phone to take it offline and upload results at a later time. So you can use your cell phone to take a course while on the airplane, or at your child’s soccer practice.



I believe in Hot Lava because it works – instantly and in the palm of your hand. There’s nothing like the enthusiasm of prospects who see for the first time on their cell phone training and job aids that previously were available only on the PC. Now they can really be learning on the job – and when and where their schedules allow.

What is the philosophy of Hot Lava?

What do our customers need to make mobile learning work in their environment? I’ve yet to see a dealer or customer make a request for an addition to the system that was not done within a reasonable period of time and usually at no charge. Bob Sanregret, Founder and CEO, feels that the client knows what is best and so long as the request is within reason and advances the platform, it gets done. I’ve never worked with an organization that was so responsive to the customer.

What do you see as the future of mobile learning?

The real advances in mobile learning are being made outside the US. We’re chained to the PC and saddled with cell carriers that restrict capabilities of the phones and schools that view cell phones as the enemy.

In third world countries, the mobile phone is ubiquitous. The PC is not. Cell phones are less expensive, batteries last longer, and are multi-purpose. There is no stigma about cell phones in the schools because they are used as precious learning tools.

In Europe, Asia and the Middle East, cell phones are used for a multitude of learning and marketing projects. Carriers are much more attuned to business and educational applications rather than all the emphasis being put on entertainment.

So, the US has a ways to go. Organizations are now turning to mobile delivery of compliance training so they can reach employees 24/7. Marketing and sales companies are looking at mobile surveys to gather data at large sporting events such as auto racing.

Who will use mobile learning or training? Where will it be distributed? How will it be publicized?

Most mobile learning is happening in business and government where employees above a certain grade level are equipped with a business phone. Inroads are slowly being made in higher education. Hot Lava is ideally suited to the education environment because it works on most all web-enabled phones. Students and faculty do not need to standardize on one carrier and one phone. We have pilot going with Thomas Edison State College in New Jersey. They have 16,000 distance-learning students, most using eLearning. In early 2009, we will be testing delivery of parts of ten courses via mobile. They plan a broad rollout beginning July 2009. They are also testing with deployed military.

Where do you see mobile training 18 months from now?

Like the migration to eLearning, the migration to mLearning will be gradual. First, it’s not for everyone. Folks who work at a desk really don’t need it. But younger employees are more used to getting all their information from the hand held, so may want mobile even if they work at a desk.

Certainly for employees who work outside the office, mobile will be the main access to job aids and support and some parts of training. We’re also seeing strong interest in mobile as a data collection tool. So engineers working at customer sites can complete a survey from the home office team about a problem and the information goes immediately from the source to the research team for action. White boards work the same way in reverse. The home office team boards the problem and the solution and the captured contents are immediately sent via mobile to all engineers working in the field.



Where and how does mobile training provide value in a recession? How does it facilitate recovery?

For business, the value proposition is doing more with less. Less workers, who still must be trained. Give them access 24/7, in the palm of their hands. Push the training to the job, don’t take people off the job.

For schools, more students need to work while attending school. Put the course work, or part of the course work into their phones so they can work on the bus, on breaks. These are motivated learners, mostly adults with multiple responsibilities.

For training developers, build an additional revenue stream by offering mobile delivery in addition to classroom and eLearning. It may be the whole course, or it may be test prep or assignments.



This recession will end. They all do. In business, training is always hit hard by downturns – maybe less so since eLearning has cut down on the T&L expenses. The organizations that pull through will be those who devise ways to delivery effective training at lower cost. Mobile delivery is part of that.

Individuals who pull through will be those who also learn to do more with less. Increasingly, land lines are cancelled and smart phones are the replacement. With one payment a month, all communication and many education needs can be met anywhere/anytime. These folks will become more tech savvy and therefore more desirable employees.

Here's an extension of the previous question -- How can we use mobile training to rebuild our world?

Get middle and high school teachers to embrace web-enabled cell phones as an education tool and build mobile learning and collaboration INTO the middle and high school classrooms!

Thinking About E-Learning? Information for New E-Learners

You may have been considering online courses for a long time, but have not been ready to take the plunge. Everyone likes to feel very confident about a new endeavor, and you realize that believing yourself able to succeed is crucial in education. Of course, it's fairly easy to feel confident about face-to-face instruction. After all, we've all had many years of experience in that area. However, sometimes the courses you need, the location of instruction, and your travel / work schedules make it impossible to take traditional face-to-face courses. And, if you're needing professional development or a certificate, the travel expenses, the time away from work, and the location and timing of the courses can totally derail your professional and academic plans.

You're left with the most logical option: online courses. But -- even in a time of widespread adoption of e-learning, many people still have a number of very basic questions. So, we'll take a moment and address those questions, and, in the process perhaps give you a better understanding of the kind of experience you're likely to have, and the way you'll learn. Finally, you'll have a chance to gain some insight into how special the e-learning experience can be.

What's really so great about online courses?
The benefits are so numerous, it's hard to know where to start. If you've got an up-to-date computer, a fast internet connection, and the right software and plug-ins, you're set. You can take the courses anywhere. If you don't have online access all day, that's often perfectly okay. Most online courses do not require you to be online all the time -- and, they encourage flexibility. You can download audio and video to experience later. You can read your books and materials offline. The things you'll do online involve communication with your professor, downloading information, taking online quizzes, practicing online quizzes, and engaging in dynamic, interactive elements (virtual labs, activities, communication). If you have to travel for your job, don't worry. Have wifi will travel. You'll be able to take your course anywhere you have a computer and an internet connection. You'd be amazed how many people log on and do their online courses from their hotel rooms while they're traveling, or going to an internet cafe or coffee shop with connections. So, you can be overseas, in an airport, or any other place with a connection.

Do online courses cost more than regular ones?
Online courses will often be the same tuition as traditional face-to-face courses. However, there may be a fee for connections and support. On the other hand, if you're taking a course with a lab, your online course may be less expensive because you will not have to pay lab fees or purchase lab equipment. You'll just have to have the book and passcode for the virtual lab. If you compare the cost of an online college with a private institution, you may be surprised that how affordable the online courses can be. In addition, many colleges that specialize in distance education for adults also have payment plans, and low-cost financing.

How much money am I going to save by taking online courses?
You may think that if you are taking an online course, you'll need to buy a better computer than you'd need for a regular face-to-face course. The truth is, you will need the same kind of computer for your regular courses. The reason for that is that most online courses require you to go online for research in their virtual library, to e-mail, and to access files and instructional materials for your course. Don't forget the realities of getting to face-to-face classes. You're going to save a great deal of money in terms of commuting time, parking, transportation costs, and incidentals.

How convenient will it be?
Taking an online course is extremely convenient. Because most courses are asynchronous, which means you can be online any time, you can follow a schedule that makes sense to you. You can work according to your own schedule. That said, it's important to keep in mind that you really need to have a reliable Internet connection that you can access often. Ideally, you should log on twice a day, even if it's just to check announcements and to see what is happening in the discussion board.

What kind of Internet connections will I need?
Dial-up used to work. It doesn't now. You will need a high-speed connection. Wifi is good, although there may be times when it can be problematic, particularly if there are a lot of users and band-width is crunched.

Do I have to be connected to the Internet all the time?
You don't need to be connected all the time. However, some courses need more connectivity than others. If you have to do activities that are accessible online, but not downloadable, you will need to be online. If this is the case, be sure to plan your day and your proximity to a computer with a high-speed connection.

Will I need textbooks?
Yes. In fact, please do not forget to get your books early and to print out your assignments, review what you'll be doing. Be sure to map out your work, and to be sure to have a good sense of how to budget your time and to schedule your study time.

What kind of computer? What kind of computer software?
Be sure to get a computer that has a fast processor (1.0 Ghz), plenty of RAM (1.0 GB minimum), storage (80 Gb), and excellent drivers.

What kinds of courses can I take online?
You can take almost all kinds of classes online today, even those with labs (natural sciences, etc.). However, some are going to be more relaxing than others, and some with resonate with your learning styles more than others.

What kinds of degrees?
You can get arts and sciences degrees, associates degrees, obtain certificates and more.

Does it take me any longer to get a degree online?
In some cases, getting a degree online can take less time rather than more.

Are online degrees respected?
Yes. What is more important is the reputation of the college rather than the delivery system.

What kinds of things will I do in an online course?
You can expect to read texts, watch videos, listen to audio, take quizzes (practice and for-credit), interact on the discussion board, post information in a home page, interact with other people, email your instructor and students, participate in innovative activities (wikis, mapping, mashups, more).

Who teaches online courses? What happens?
Instructors who have special training in online courses teach them. They often do not develop the courses, but they guide students in discussions, grade papers, post announcements, and provide personal feedback.

What's the best way to succeed in an online course?
Follow the guidelines below.

Top Ten Ways to Succeed:

1. Sign up early, take course in the correct sequence
2. Check out entire course, click all links
3. Find timeline, familiarize yourself with tasks
4. Connect with professor
5. Have appropriate computer, software, connection
6. Keep up with reading and tasks
7. Establish connection with fellow students, keep up with discussion / cooperative tasks
8. Practice writing activities: paragraphs, short essays, research papers
9. Practice quizzes, review materials
10. Perfect online research, writing