Narration, images and cognitive load

Here is a helpful lesson explaining why it's better for learning to use audio narration to describe an image rather than audio narration of onscreen text. Ruth Clark and Richard Mayer's recently published book E-learning and the Science of Instruction outlines how, in multiple tests, learners retained more information when a visual was explained using audio narration versus text. This is a useful fact to keep in mind when knowledge retention is an important part of your digital instruction. Listen to the different examples explaining how a cell phone tower works and see which one helps you to remember the information the most. Thanks to Articulate's Tom Kuhlman for providing this example.

Interview with Joe Miller of SecondLife on corporate communication and learning

Here is an interesting interview by the ASTD (American Society for Training and Development) with Joe Miller, who was the keynote speaker at the recent ASTD 2008 TechKnowledge Conference. In the interview, Mr. Miller discusses topics such as what sort of environments are best for learning in virtual worlds, how companies are using virtual worlds to communicate with their customers and what areas of SecondLife hold the most promise for learning professionals.

New DIY Quizmaker by Studiyo

I recently discovered a free quizmaker tool by Studiyo (beta). Rather than write about it, I quickly built a short quiz on elearning tips to show you some of what it can do. This took about an hour to make (including time to find the photos). Studiyo might be worth adding to your elearning toolkit.

Improving linear navigation in your elearning

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A great slideshow from Cathy Moore of Django Labs. I find Cathy's examples prove elearning without audio can be quite effective.

The 21st century learners are coming part 2

Again, another post about the 21st century learner. This is an interesting video of different educators discussing their desire to see traditional education morph into something that gives students a chance to participate and create rather than regurgitate and memorize. They explain that students are active content creators in their free time, yet they are expected to be passive content receivers when they enter the classroom. I think expectations are rising for what people want from education. Soon, if not already, it will not be enough to send people to a class to sit and listen and then call that training.

The 21st century learners are coming

Are we ready for them? These learners are creators, self-taught, gamers and are used to having a sense of control over what and how they learn. I am watching three of these learners develop before my eyes on a daily basis in my home and find it fascinating. All of my children have used a computer from the age of three, can text message, use an ipod, play online games and are increasingly comfortable with creating content and using new forms of technology.

The new century learners' poor grammar, lack of political correctness and inability to pay attention to what does not capture their interest may be cause for concern. On the flip side, we also see individuals who have a strong desire to contribute, participate and be engaged. How will this affect workplace learning? What will we do about it?

Workplace training and development will need to center on finding ways to capture interest in order to foster the best environment for learning. This won't be easy and making this happen might be the most important goal and challenge we will face. The immersive nature of virtual worlds for learning and just-in-time information resources delivered on video and audio will help teach people what they need to know in the future. And, for those who are really interested in a subject, an old-fashioned, well-written book will always be a winner.