EduTech gEEks…We’re a new brEEd

It has been a while….this, I know.

Work and school are keeping my schedule pretty saturated. Tons of instructional design work being completed in the process, therefore it is all worth it, right?

So, I must rant and rave for this posting.

Oh, I was so annoyed this week!

There is a reason why instructional design professionals recommend the designing of assessments before developing instructional materials (e.g. student and instructor guides, powerpoints, multimedia objects, etc.). Such practice keeps your instructional content in alignment with the course/lesson objectives.

This has been the case with my professional and academic experience.

Within this current project, our development schedule is as follows: content first, then revision of the practice activities and written assessment tests. Some of these items have been created before the writers arrived, but we are still there for a reason. It is hard to work in an environment where people are not trusting your experience as an ID. So, I am finding myself constantly going back into the primary instructional document and adding content based on new info from the assessments….Whew! A time consumer to say the least.

I know, I know. As IDs we have to adapt to constant change.

With every client there will be criteria outside the realm of our traditional ID or educational practices. This, I understand. Actually, I am all good with it. Conventions will not always have an appropriate place for every part of a project.

For all my IDs, trainers, educators, I recommend the design of instruction in this order:

1. Conduct an analysis
2. Establish your objectives based upon the analysis
3. Design assessments based on the objectives
4. Develop instructional materials based on the assessments

….simple, quite simple.

Need we send a mass e-mail to all those trying to be trainers?

Lately, I have been using Adobe Captivate 3 for some of everything: presentations, interactive lecture content, practice activities, quizzes, etc.

This video is just a beginner demo introducing the software; I will continue to post some of the more eLearning relevant ones as I find them. Special thanks to YouTuber: rzanotti….Enjoy!

“They’ve done it again!” Adobe’s Technical Communications Suite is just that, Sweeeeeeeeet!

Finally!!! I am so proud of them for actually recognizing the needs of the eLearning and Instructional Design communities. I simply think it is “hott” idea that couldn’t have come any sooner. Some of the most effective software programs I have used for instructional design and learning media are included:

• Adobe FrameMaker8: for all our technical document publishing needs (You already know how I feel about FM8.)
• Adobe Captivate 3: for creating some of the hottest & interactive (Flash-based) courses, presentations and assessments
• Adobe Acrobat 3D: Okay, Pause! I have yet to use 3D because I do not need do much collaboration on engineering and architectural type of projects (i.e. those where I have to view ‘all sides’ of an object…Urgh! Blah!). Still, it’s a niiiiiice product for those who need the whole “3D Collabo”
• Adobe RoboHelp 7: for the creation of help systems. I have used this product once before during the development of a mock Computer-Based Training (CBT) Learning Program. But, from what I recall, it is also really helpful for any designer or new media artist who has difficulty relinquishing all control over to IT.

…Applause.