Why learning objects make sense

It’s about learning by design. When you offer learning in the form of bite-size chunks, known as modules or objects, you set yourself up for knowledge-sharing success on many different levels.

Cognitive load. Your customers and employees are much more likely to retain information about your product and service when it’s presented in smaller pieces. Our working memory can only retain about four ideas at a time, so it’s a good idea to give people the option to go to something, learn about it, and come back again when they’re ready.

Adaptability. When information is built in smaller pieces, it’s more flexible and less costly to change it according to learner needs. Equally, it is easier to build upon information that has already been learned by adding new information incrementally. This lets you custom build training that grows with the learner. There has never been a better time to build a scalable knowledge base for your customers and employees.

Focus. Learning products offered in smaller chunks have the benefit of focusing exactly on what learners need to know.
In today’s busy world, people don’t have time to sift through long documents or attend lengthy training or e-learning sessions. Instead, why not offer them searchable content where they can access exactly what they need, when they need it?

Reuse. When information is easier to find, and use, it’s also easier to reuse. Changing information in the form of updates, versions and compliance requirements can put a burden on content developers. Updating information that is built in smaller reusable chunks is much easier because only the parts that need changing are affected.

Interoperability. The increasing use of learning management systems makes learning by design even more sensible. Using a learning framework such as SCORM means that you know your information can be included in a learning management system in the future should you choose to go that way.

Asterpix Interactive Video

OK, I find it difficult to contain my excitement when I come across a new e-learning tool. This site, called Asterpix, is a kindness offered to all of us who have difficulty doing...well, anything. This is the future of how-to help for many topics I think. So much easier than sifting through a user manual. Now to join the fun and post some of my own stuff. Enjoy.

User-generated content and copyright laws

This video by Stanford professor Larry Lessig hits on the key copyright issues of our day. I find it particularly interesting with respect to e-learning and technical communication where there is an increasing shift toward user-generated content, informal learning and on-demand information. Many communication and learning materials being produced today carry a black market label (copyright speaking). How can we give our youth access to this technology and at the same time expect them to not curiously, actively use it? The black marketers are our children and we are responsible for having equipped them with the tools to break the law. Thought-provoking ideas.

Slideshare on trends and impact of e-learning 2.0

Interesting slide show on trend and impact of e-learning 2.0 by S. Downes. I picked up some new terms and ideas from this, and found it informative.

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Effective home safety e-learning

Here is a short (30 second) yet powerful and effective use of e-learning to describe how to put out a kitchen grease fire and the consequences of doing it improperly. I won't soon forget this training.

Evidence-based research in e-learning

An interesting and informative look at evidence-based findings in the field of instructional design. There is also a webinar at Adobe entitled e-Learning & the Science of Instruction: Applying Evidence-based Guidelines for Digital Learning Environment that Teach where Ruth Clark discusses the topic in further detail. Note you must register with Adobe (free) to access the presentation. It is a good overview of the subject of best practices in the evolving field of instructional design and for further in-depth information I recommend The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning. We are continuing our e-learning videos for our client and the next series is more complicated in nature and needs the application of best practices more than ever.

Here is a presentation (no audio) by MaryFriend Shepard, Program Director for the PhD in Educational Technology Program at Walden University examining the changes universities are experiencing with online learning. Much of what we at Knowledgework are bringing to the workplace is in response to the increasing numbers of workers who expect to have flexible, on-demand learning available. Are organizations prepared to meet this requirement?

Common craft releases new video

I came across this video recently and want to share it. I think these people have hit on a great way of sharing knowledge and have a real future ahead of them. It is also good to see them venturing into new subject matter. Nice job!

New demo elearning videos here and more to come

As you can see we've been taken a pause between blog posts. The reason is that we've been furiously developing and producing videos and screencasts for our clients. When there has been time to spare, we thought that it would be useful to share what we do with the world and have therefore posted examples of our videos online. You can also find them located on the right toolbar and on our website. Please keep looking as we will be adding more examples of our work to show the full spectrum of our services. Until then, we look forward to helping you continue learning and growing in your knowledgework.

I thought it would be useful to have this video on-hand for when we begin uploading screencasts on our plone website. More of a reference for me than anything else, but all the better if others also find it useful.

Here is the video explaining how to publish multimedia on a plone website:



Also a link from the plone blog re: updates since the video. Very interesting stats on the adoption of multimedia on the web. There is mention that screencasts would have improved the knowledge transfer - we couldn't agree more!

Prototypes and screencasting

pro·to·type

1. An original type, form, or instance serving as a basis or standard for later stages.
2. An original, full-scale, and usually working model of a new product or new version of an existing product.
3. An early, typical example.

After numerous crashes and bug-fixes at the end of my latest project, I'd like to share an important lesson I picked up on the way. The latest screencast I was doing with Camtasia 4 became very heavy near the end, causing numerous crashes. My partner suggested creating a prototype before advancing any further to see the best way to complete the project.

The prototype took about 4 hours to complete, but what it saved in time and effort was well worth it. I was able to see how the final result would best be presented using an example that was simplified in content yet similar in form. Following this process spared me the crashes in my real project and helped me build a better tutorial. That makes prototype the new word of the day here.

Screencast tutorial update

We haven't had much to report as we have been working tirelessly to meet a deadline for a series of screencasts. Tomorrow, we should have one of them ready for the client and then move to the second one. Alas, the only news I've been able to share is screencast related - Using Techsmith's Camtasia and Snagit software for this project has been an enjoyable experience. I was glad to join the screencasting group on Facebook and plan to add some podcasts/screencast when I have some time to do non-client work. We will be presenting a family video for my mother's birthday bash in Greece later next month (shh, I hope she isn't reading my blog before then) and perhaps can include some clips from that.

Will try to join back with you soon with more DITA news. To date, I have received word from a salesperson at Ixiasoft and she has reported that DITA is breaking ground with medium-sized enterprises, even with, and I quote, "documentation teams of 3-4 writers". I will be looking at the finer points of Ixiasoft's CMS (content management system) in the fall. No question that CMS is the way to go to leverage all of DITA's benefits.

New trends in technical communications

I am inspired by the In Plain English videos produced by Common Craft that have recently appeared on the web. The videos embody the power of effective technical communication: know your audience and communicate using a style and language to match that audience. The success of the videos says that they have accomplished this feat. The In Plain English podcasts remind me of the For Dummies guides in their approach to communicating key information in an easy to follow format. Great job guys!

Wikis in Plain English:


RSS in Plain English:


Social networking in Plain English:


I know it's a lot, but thought they were worth showing. In fact, right now I am using info from a For Dummies guide to create a video. My guess is this will be an important way to transfer knowledge in the years to come.

Using Mediawiki for knowledgework wiki

We changed our business wiki from wikispaces to mediawiki today. As a background, we have been experimenting with a wiki and have found it quite useful. In our case, my partner and I work in different locations, so it is helpful to keep information stored on one site. We have been using the wiki to collaborate about ideas and information related to marketing, technology and other topics pertinent to knowledgework.

Some of the ways I have been using the wiki for work have been to store information I am learning via webinars, reading material and podcasts in one site. I add links, type and capture screenshots of key information and store it for future reference. This definitely beats saving info in files on my computer!

DITA specialization tutorial just out

A great new tutorial that explains in detail how to specialize DITA for your company or organization can be found here. This is a useful guide for anyone wanting to learn the practicals of creating specializations for DITA.

Update: Same tutorial in real time from Central Texas DITA users group:

Good to watch if you want to learn more about creating specializations for DITA. Note that without specialization it becomes impossible to use XML on a large scale. Thanks CT DITA users group for this resource!

Screencast tutorials used more often in technical communications

Technical communications are experiencing a profound shift with the advent of new technologies. One example is the use of podcasts and screencasts to explain procedures that once were outlined in user manuals and quickstart guides. While I don't believe the need for printed material will disappear, online tutorials are necessary to improve customer satisfaction and product understanding.

We are currently working on an online training series for a client that takes the form of interactive screencasts. The goal of this project is to help company employees adopt and become proficient with Lotus Sametime and reduce the number of calls to an already overworked helpdesk. Lotus Sametime has the ability to connect users through instant messaging, voice chats and online web conferencing, but it will only have value if employees really start using it. Employees currently have access to written material, however, they lack the time to learn this software with their busy schedules. Hence, the IT department would like to offer on-demand training videos designed to help people get up-to-speed with the basics.

I will soon be including examples of customized training videos on our website at www.knowledgework.ca. If you think this service would be useful for your company, please contact us at info@knowledgework.ca stating your needs and I would be glad to provide you with a reasonable quote. Best regards.

Lone-DITA offers useful compilation of links

I was beginning to compile a list of links and data related to DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture), which is a method of structuring content created by IBM. We believe DITA is useful for those who need a way to maintain consistency and reduce costs with the increased push to publish information about different products in multiple formats and languages. Specifically, we find DITA has the potential to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of information due in large part to its ability to:

• Publish content in multiple formats from a single source
• Create reusable content
• Create versions for multiple audiences, platforms and products
• Separate content from formatting
• Improve consistency by making changes in one place and the change propagates everywhere
  

Today I discovered the site Lone-DITA. This site is extremely helpful in that it provides a DITA tutorial, which explains DITA and also allows you to see how it functions. The site contains a plethora of useful links to information that will help anyone learn about this methodology and determine whether it is right for their needs. I was randomly collecting links related to DITA, XML and other related technologies but will hold off, seeing that this has already been taken care of by Lone-DITA.

I plan to use Lone-DITA as a resource and am adding it to the right hand side of links for anyone else who would like to delve in and explore. This has saved me time in trying to do this myself and I would like to thank the author of this site and wish her much success. Cheers.

Using Camtasia to do screencast tutorials

We are presently preparing a series of tutorials on software products including IBM Lotus Sametime, a web conferencing tool that allows teams to meet remotely, instant message and share desktops. This is a good tool for businesses and the software we are using to record the tutorials is Camtasia.

So far so good. The plan is to have some of these tutorials up on our site as an example of our work, and to give an idea of the kind of customized information products that we produce to enhance learning. Look for this by the end of July to early August. Have a good weekend everyone!

W3 working document on best practices for XML internationalization

A working draft by W3 consortium came out a few days ago on best practices for XML internationalization. This is an important piece of work and something our company will strive to implement.

I have linked to it on my wiki and will be pouring over it in the coming days/weeks. This is key information for me to apply for any of my clients producing or seeking to produce global content. Note the coverage on ITS (internationalization tag set) and DITA in the document. Enjoy.

Update on DITA and Plone progress

I think it will be useful to record my progress in learning DITA over the coming weeks and months, albeit it may be boring for those readers not interested in structured authoring and topic-based writing. The DITA info center is added to the right hand side list of links as it is accelerating the learning process.

Today covered more of DITA and worked on a project at the DITA users group. Also investigated eLearning solutions for a client that is trying to bring their executive team up to speed on recent technology adopted by the company.

Also, the plone site is coming along. We have looked at a few skins and replaced the logo with our own. It does seem like it will be a time-consuming and labour-intensive process though. While there are numerous tutorials and ample reading material about plone, it is quite difficult to find exactly what you need for a specific problem. Perhaps I could help out with the documentation team, if I had more time. I think screencasts are the future in technical communications, especially in an instance like learning plone. Some good plone screencast tutorials are here, here and here. The tutorials are good, but a little basic for my needs. I'd love to see the same kind of thing, but for more advanced topics - must put this on my list of things to do for when I have some time.

Our Plone-hosted content management site

This weekend found my partner, Asad, very busy getting our content-management site up and running. You can see it here. It is still quite bare-bones looking, but the power in the site is quite impressive. A Plone-hosted content management site enables users to upload and download heavy files, assign client/member access and manage document tracking and versions. There are many other interesting features and I invite anyone who wishes to learn more about Plone by checking out right-hand column of my blog . Simply select Plone under on-demand learning or look at the web 2.0 tutorials as there are frequently Plone vodcasts that show up there. You can go to Plone.org and learn more there too of course.

Well, now our task is to make the site more knowledgework friendly and accurately describe our products and services. We look forward to showing this to world as it evolves.

Using Google Analytics to measure online marketing ROI

We are deploying Google Analytics for both the knowledgework blog and website and must report that it is a fascinating free tool for measuring the performance of both sites. For instance, I can tell where visitors to my sites are located geographically, how many visitors have viewed individual pages, how long they stayed on each page and where they exited. Those are just a few of the available features of this impressive tool. To begin tracking your site(s) you simply set up a free account with Google Analytics here , then cut and paste a small amount of code (found at Google Analytics) before the end of the body tag on your site. You will need to sign up for a Google account if you haven't already done so. The instructions on the Google Analytics site are quite intuitive and user-friendly, with many answers to questions and images included to help along the way. Once you have inserted the tracking code on your site, you are on your way to increasing the effectiveness of your online business presence.

The possibilities are enormous for achieving performance outcomes such as targeting specific markets, improving conversion and profits, and measuring advertising ROI. When the www.knowledgework.ca site is updated with a content management site (by mid-July we promise!) I will insert the tracking code again and continue to monitor the same web address. This is simply a great tool for small-to-medium size businesses.

Changes in technical communications

Those of us who have worked in technical communications for any length of time have experienced numerous changes in our profession. Recently these changes have included decreased budgets, faster times to market, increased product complexity and localizing content for a global community. The impact on our ability to meet expectations have been and continue to be challenging to say the least.

There is a link in this article to an interesting paper by the Aberdeen Group that highlights this phenomenon. The future is upon us in technical communications to think "reuse" and "multi-channel publishing" when we author content. This is a new if we have been in the mindset of producing one documentation product independently of another, as has been the case in many technical writing departments. Fortunately, tools such as DITA are allowing this shift to take hold and help our profession provide cost-effective documentation for a competitive global market.

DITA users group

I joined the DITA users group a while ago, but have only recently been able to jump in and explore. The group boasted its 200th member yesterday, which is great news. What I like most about this group is the ability to author content online, have a personal workspace where files are stored and collaborate with other users about DITA. It is difficult to contain my excitement about this service, as it meets the needs of the growing population of people who want to learn and master structured authoring. It also provides the benefit of being able to work remotely in a large documentation team, which appeals especially to consultants like myself who work independently most of the time.

Therefore, I'm proud to make a permanent home for a link to the DITA users group in the right column of this blog. Currently, I am using XMLMind for a DITA project, and I will do some work on the DITA users group also. The benefit of the DITA users group is I have a place to ask questions as well as give and receive feedback on DITA (wow). The goal is to speed and enhance the learning curve.

Also, Information Mapping Inc. offered a webinar on Content Mapper for DITA yesterday -- a new product that allows DITA content to be created in Microsoft Word. It looks very user-friendly as the author does not have to see or deal with DITA tags. However, it would be impossible to advance very far with this software without fully understanding topic-based, structured authoring. It might definitely meet some documentation needs for a few of my clients, so I will keep it in mind when proposing content delivery solutions.

ROI and reusable content

A great deal of focus in my business is spent proving the value reusable, topic-based information will have on a company's bottom line. The emerging changes in online marketing, the current need to appear ubiquitous in the market, and the challenge of simultaneously shipping products to numerous locations (with accompanying documentation) can seem insurmountable.

Fortunately, current advancements in information technology are making content delivery and management affordable for all types of businesses. Ranging from free (open source) to very cost-efficient, the combination of these technologies with 'chunkable' data allow companies to quickly produce and maintain accurate information in their desired output.

Consider the enormous changes TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, and advertising have recently experienced with money moving from traditional forms of media to the Web. These marketing channels have always been scrupulously measured to determine their ROI, yet now industry is struggling to determine the performance of web marketing. There are companies who offer tools (Google analytics, Webanlaytics Demystified, Webtrends, etc.) to measure the performance of video, webpages, banner ads, rss feeds and the like, but this is not yet a practice that is clearly understood by most companies. For example, there are not many companies who are able to test the number of pauses, stops or replays on video output and measure that with the number of customers who actually buy a product. RSS feeds and the amount of people who sign up is another performance indicator that needs to be measured. Can you tell how many pdf downloads from your website actually translate into a sale? There are numerous web analytic models to explore. It is inevitable that cross-channel data needs to be measured, but few are there yet.

Delivering information about your product or service in multiple channels is a crucial step to determine the way your customers prefer receiving information about you. How easy is it to manage current and new data at the company? Can changes to content be made to a single source and then delivered across different channels such as websites, pdf output, training guides, and e-Learning scripts? Our goal at knowledgework is to provide information about your product or service that can be rapidly transmitted in your desired output.

Quintura: a new way of searching

A new search tool called Quintura is out (beta version) and after trying it out, you will probably first notice the fact that it requires a different way of thinking to navigate around it. My best description for the difference this search engine holds compared to traditional search engines like Google or Yahoo is akin to the difference between left and right brain thinking.

Worth giving a try at least. I don't know if I'd replace my regular research tools with it, but rather try Quintura as an accompaniment to present methods - sort of a yin/yang thing.

Joined Squidoo and other bits of info

Today I finally got around to creating a lens on Squidoo. For anyone who has not yet heard of this new web 2.0 tool, it is a portal where you can market anything you are passionate about. You can make it an information site, a place to draw traffic to your website or blog, or a place to earn some money. Here's mine. I haven't done much with it, but I would like my squidoo 'lens' to serve two purposes: be a resource for technical communicators and raise awareness about my services.

Also, for technical writers out there, you may find the following article, Technical writers may shape future of American lit, of interest. Two statements I agree with in the article are: "I think in the technical writing world, we are trying to create a one-to-one correspondence to reality," (yep) and "observe, observe, observe with all your senses. And document." Quite succinct about what it is we actually do methinks.

Veotag looks good

Ok, I thought we'd be waiting for this technology to arrive yet, alas, it is here. Veotag, with it's ability to navigate within a podcast or vodcast, is available. It provides a clickable table of contents which I thought, until now, was an impediment inherent in using podcasts or vodcasts for technical content. While I realize the product places an emphasis on its marketing capabilities, I am sure technical writers will undoubtedly see the potential it has for their trade. Have fun browsing the veotag site (I did). Once you sign up as a (free) member, you can scroll through already made veotags or make one of your own.

Veotag holds great potential to the world of technical communications.

XML Master Basic Examination (and other things)

I'm excited to report an online examination from XML Master to obtain certification in - you guessed it - XML. As a proponent of open, free access to knowledge, this is a course I feel compelled to post about. I hope to see more opportunities like this to help people advance their skills, and it is my goal to offer avenues of my own as I become more of an expert in these technologies.

In conjunction with the goal of promoting knowledge, I downloaded DemoStudio today, an open source tool for making screencasts and presentations. There is a link to download it here. The near future will find me busy devouring this technology and creating learning tutorials via screencasts. If you are interested in other open source technology, Sharon Bett made a helpful table, which includes links - it's worth taking a peek.

Something I would like to discover more in depth is a method where content can be stored in XML and translated into powerpoint format, ready to use for a screencast tutorial. I was reading Towards Global Component Architecture for Learning Objects: A Slide Presentation Framework, where they detail how to reuse and repurpose learning object content. Using XML to convert into slide format and then adding audio and appropriate caption boxes would be a powerful way to efficiently and cost-effectively replace traditional, written online help. I think this will improve user support and achieve a goal of creating more knowledgeable, satisfied customers.

Technical communication and web 2.0 tools

A new technique for acquiring the data we need for technical documentation is the use of wikis. They serve as planning sites or brain dumps in the techie world and are a great place for technical communicators to go and sift through information in order to present it to end-users in more palatable forms such as on-line help and tutorials.

Ten interesting ideas for using wikis at work can be found here and here and, not surprisingly, operations guides and technical documentation are two of them. I especially like the idea of a recent trends section to keep track of changes in our profession. I think I'll suggest this to the Montreal STC chapter if it hasn't already been done. Cheers.