Dirtyword - The E-Learning Magazine: Issue 1

DIRTYWORD

iSSUE 1

the e-learning magazine

IS A.I. g... coming for n i arn e l e your job?

We bust the myths so you don’t have to!

Inside “I made Moodle a look like Netflix” lewis carr on UX

Death of the

a find free Where to images, sounds and video for your courses

Deadline

Why digital projects never end

BIG DATA

How it can help your e-learning

BARD vs CHATGPT

f rom s t fi e n e b y ll a ms?

Who re e t s y S t n e m e ag Learning Man Cheat your way through instructional design with our strategy guide!

DIRTYWORD

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the e-learning magazine Welcome to issue 1 of Dirtyword, a magazine aimed at anybody working in online learning and training, brought to you by a team of people who work in online learning and training. Or, as our magazine is named for, the dirty word uttered in hushed tones, that is, e-learning.

Why a magazine?

There are loads of e-learning websites, blogs, and social media groups with call-to-actions and backdoor adverts for companies selling their wares. There are also a lot of knowledgeable e-learning bods putting out amazing content on posts that you might never see because of algorithms.

And a bunch of AI-generated stuff exists for clicks and SEO. But until now, there’s never been a vehicle that offers a range of articles, think pieces, bios, tutorials and reviews in one place with zero agenda.

Here at Dirtyword, we own the fact we’re e-learning professionals, and we invite you to do the same. Join us each issue as we explore all that makes e-learning great and serve up hints, tips, guides and articles from some of the most awesome thinkers, creators and developers in the e-learning industry.

This issue we’re asking whether you should be living in fear of AI, looking into Imposter Syndrome for Instructional Designers and wondering if an LMS really is the best way to deliver learning.

On top of that, Lewis Carr talks about his approach to UX, Mark Gash investigates why deadlines seem to have gone out of fashion and we deliver a Masterclass in Articulate Storyline.

So prepare to get filthy as we wade into the good, the bad and the ugly that is... e-learning.

Cheers!

The Dirtyword Team

Who do you think you are?

Who are the characters behind this awesome magazine? Meet Lewis and Mark.

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Client’ell

Everyone loves clients, even when they’re giving you hell. You can’t have a magazine without a comic.

E-Learning Roundup We’ve taken a quick look at the e-learning stories making the news, so you don’t need to bother.

Is AI coming for your job?

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It’s the question on everybody’s lips - but is it really a threat? Or do we just need to learn how to use it?

The hidden canvas Dirtyword - The E-Learning Magazine issue 1.

Dirtyword is published 6 times a year and is available direct to your inbox by signing up at dirtywordmag.com or via issuu.com/dirtyword

Moodle Developer, Lewis Carr, talks about his approach to UX design and why he isn’t shy about taking cues from commercial streaming platforms.

For all enquiries, contact info@dirtywordmag.com All content is © copyright Dirtyword - The E-Learning Magazine 2024 and reuse of the content is permitted only with the permission of the publisher. In all cases, reuse must be acknowledged as follows: “Reused with permission from Dirtyword - The E-Learning Magazine.”

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The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher.

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Leaning burst: digital badges Our guide to digital credentials, all sewn up.

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Free media resources for your projects

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Creating content on a budget? Need to jazz up your LMS? Here’s our list of the best free resources to help you out.

Moodle plug-in power

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Testing times

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Big data for e-learning

If Moodle was a video game console, these are the killer cartidges you’d want in your collection.

Imposter syndrome and instructional design: overcoming self-doubt

We look into the pain and expectations of e-learning compatibility on client projects.

What is Big Data? And how can you use it to improve your online courses?

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You’re a better designer than you know.

Instructional design strategy guide

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Fast track your Instructional Design skills, as we guide you through the essential plays to make great-looking courses.

ChatGPT vs Bard It’s the battle of the ChatBots, as we investigate which is best placed to help you plan and create e-learning content.

Digital and the death of the deadline

Got an e-learning problem?

Need a quick and dirty solution?

You’ve come to the right place.

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Should we just watch YouTube to learn?

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Awesome tutorial

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Video game takeaway

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Content creation: H5P

Remember when deadlines meant something? Mark Gash does, and asks “Where did it all go wrong?”

Dr. Carl’s e-learning surgery

Smoke & mirrors: who really benefits from an LMS?

Get started with variables in Articulate and learn to build a candy counting machine.

What can Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft teach us about e-learning? Quite a lot, actually.

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Have you been looking for a simple solution to content creation? H5P has been under your nose all along.

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Who do you think you are?

Just who are the team behind this awesome new e-learning-focused magazine you hold in your hands?

Lewis Carr

Mark Gash

Lewis is the founder of an e-learning agency that builds custom Moodles, kick-ass content and, if really pushed, WordPress sites.

Mark is the jack-of-all-trades design, copy, marketing, journalism and advertising bod who has worked for the national press, agencies, and other places he would rather forget about. He is currently the Creative Lead at an e-learning company and fears that AI will put him out of a job any day now.

Having worked both commercially and in education, Lewis has been a Moodler for over 20 years, so he knows his onions when it comes to the e-learning industry. However, amongst friends he is better known for his 80’s movie and video game knowledge.

This month’s cover is the result of him finally forcing generative AI to output something that doesn’t have six fingers and a melted face.

Are you an e-learning professional with something to say?

Are you more photogenic than those guys above?

We’re on the lookout for guest writers and contributors who want to see their name in digital print in a future issue of Dirtyword. It’s all for the kudos and the community spririt - we’re looking for non-commercial editorial, tutorials and life wisdom; no sneaky advertorials pushing your wares!

If you’re interested, get in touch at info@dirtywordmag.com

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CLIENT’ELL

n. urse desig r Driving co to e ac th Tr f o ur g tion for yo and clothin got a solu ce, religion e’ve finally , weight, ra w rson? k ze in pe si k th r, ic I , de st a gen Hi Client we go with ut the sex, o ut o ed ab pp ri w so ho You st character, Absolut ely perfe c concent rate sole t! This is going to ensur ly on lea e that o rning ab distract ur out trac ion of th tors, wit users e person hout the driving it .

Fantas t drop t ic. I’ll get o ur con his cha tent t racter ea in the cours m to e then .

They will still need a hard hat though. ssories.

Oh? You specified no clothing or acce

Right... no problem.

st is a must.

And a hi-vis ve

And most of our tractor drivers have beards.

*sigh* Of course they do.

I don’t like that yellow background.

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S W E N !

P U D N U O R What’s happening in e-learning? (hint: 2024 looks like it’s the year of headsets and even more AI) Microlearning continues to rise for 2024 It comes as little surprise that the importance of microlearning continues to increase in the workplace.

Microlearning, or “bite-sized” as it was more affectionately known, is an approach that involves delivering content in small, specific bursts. Although the industry fell out of love with the “digestible” term, the approach continues to gain popularity in corporate training.

According to recent surveys, shorter 10-minute microlearning courses have a completion rate of 83%, compared to 20% to 30% for standard learning and development courses. It therefore comes as no surprise that busy workers prefer shorter courses over conventional learning strategies, but at what cost? Providing less information in an effort to reduce learning time might sound great in principle, but are we creating a “TikTok” style culture in corporate training?

AR & VR Reimagine Learning Unless you’ve been off the grid for the past 8 months, locked away playing on your Mega Drive, then you will have seen the likes of Apple and Sony competing with the Meta Quest headset. With each company trying to redefine the way we use such devices in the workplace.

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But whilst this has been happening, other companies such as STRIVR and Talespin are pushing the boundaries of immersive learning experiences. Talespin claims learners who adopt their technology are able to learn new skills four times faster than traditional training, are four times more focussed and three times more “emotionally connected” to the learning experience. STRIVR customer Verizon claims that employee engagement is up 97%, and Walmart boasts a 96% in cost savings. Here at Dirtyword, we take these numbers and testimonials with a pinch of salt. But what we do know is that VR headsets are not a fad, and over the course of the next few years will be widely adopted in the home and office. It does all feel like Back to the Future II, but hey, we had self-tying shoes a few years back.

Coursera implement AI to craft a more flexible education experience for 2024 Coursera, one of the biggest LMS platforms on the planet, with around 129 million registered users, have responded to the threats of Chat GPT and generative AI by embracing it.

Instead of fretting over whether learners are cheating on exams and coursework, Coursera has implemented a new chatbot named “Coach”. Students can ask the chatbot to provide help on a concept, create practice problems, or summarize learning activities. Coursera CEO, Jeff Maggioncalda says, “Basically, what we’re doing is we’re building ChatGPT into every course as your personalized tutor”.

Adobe Captivate trumps Articulate Storyline in a recent Techradar review Techradar recently ranked the new Adobe Captivate as the better tool for project content creation. Singling out its ability to create VR content as a core factor. The debate between Storyline and Captivate has gone back decades, and although not as fierce as The Stones Vs The Beatles, it has certainly divided the instructional design community.

Storyline still seems to be the tool of choice for most, whilst Captivate still tries to regain popularity. Here at Dirtyword, we have long debates over the future of SCORM and slide-based content, but perhaps the rise of VR and the adoption of headsets will see the authoring tools heading in different directions and perhaps see a resurgence in their use. Hopefully, the role of the instructional designer will live to fight another day in the ever-changing world of AI.

What’s happening in the Open Source World?

Moodle Founder stepping down as CEO Martin Dougiamas, the man behind the popular opensource LMS platform Moodle, is stepping down as CEO in February 2024. The reins are been handed over to Scott Anderberg, previously the CRO of Boundless Learning and before that, Vice President of Online Learning at Pearson.

So, what does this mean for Moodle? Well, Martin will still very much be part of Moodle, shifting to the role of Head of Research and actively focussing on AI. Dougiamas states, “Some of that work will be aimed at the current Moodle products, and some of it will be new products”.

So can we expect to see AI weaving its way into the trusty LMS? With or without Martin Dougiamas, this seems inevitable.

H5P claims you can “Build faster with AI” H5P, the highly popular open-source content authoring tool, first dipped its toes into AI back in July 2023 when it released a video of a new feature known as “Smart Import”.

Smart Import helps instructors and instructional designers build large amounts of interactive content in minutes and static content can effortlessly be made interactive.

Smart Import is currently available as a new premium tier for H5P.com, so it’s unlikely it will make its way into the “free” version of the plugin anytime soon. If it is indeed the speed you are after, and you are prepared to sacrifice “instructor knowledge” over development time, then yes, you can certainly build faster with AI.

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IS AI COMING FOR YOUR JOB? Mark Gash thinks not.

The last 12 months have been pretty eventful, right?

AI, previously only mentioned in nerdy conversations about how Terminator’s Skynet would one day rise up to destroy humanity, decided 2023 was the year to turn science fiction into science fact. So far, its intentions have seemed fairly benign - it’s empowered lazy marketeers to pump out a month’s worth of ‘Top 5 things you need to know about SEO’ blogs in 10 minutes and written a million variations of school kids’ coursework on the Treaty of Versailles. So in terms of education - and by extension, e-learning - it’s definitely had an impact, but is it really the threat to our way of life that some people have been touting? Or is it here to help?

Around May last year, once the ChatGPT cat was out of the bag, there were sensationalist news stories about how pupils were using AI to cheat at every possible opportunity.

Of course, they were - they’re kids. If I’d had ChatGPT when I was 16, I would have done the same instead of trying to peer over Rea Dickinson’s shoulder to copy her answers in History. Teenagers, and let’s face it, humans, will always find ways to do less work, and that isn’t always a bad thing.

We’re a long way from living in a utopia where AI does all the grunt work whilst the whole of mankind sips Pina Coladas on a beach and sings Kumbaya, but surely that’s got to be on the cards somewhere down the line?

In the meantime, we need to find ways to ensure that AI is used responsibly rather than get whipped up into a frenzy that it’s going to steal our women (insert your own preferred gender here, this is an equal opportunities article) and our jobs.

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So, with that in mind, let’s take some deep breaths, let go of our James Cameron-inspired fears and look at how AI is going to improve the e-learning experience for all.

Automation of mind-numbing tasks Put your hand up if you like making assessments and marking them. Nobody? That’s what I thought.

Let AI assimilate all of the course information and resources, then set it the task of creating and grading quizzes, tracking student progress, and offering personalised feedback, based on your own knowledge and criteria of the subject.

Sure, you can dip in and check that the AI’s work is up to your standards, but you’ll soon feel confident enough to just let it get on with things, freeing up your time to hone your instructional design craft and develop engaging content for your learners.

Personalising the learning experience If you’re a teacher delivering courses, you might have a fairly good grip on the knowledge level of your individual students, allowing you to tweak your learning for each one. With an LMS, you can set different cohorts of people on different learning paths, but this still takes a degree of manual effort. If you’re a training manager at an organisation with hundreds or thousands of staff, tailoring learning based on your knowledge of individuals becomes a lot trickier, if not impossible. But what if AI could analyse unique learning data from individuals and design

personalised learning and training pathways to suit their needs and interests? You still create the content using your knowledge, skills and expertise, but AI ensures that it’s delivered to the right people in a way that suits how they learn.

And talking of content creation...

You know how AI can re-write your angry, incoherent emails to clients into sounding calm and professional whilst still managing to get across the salient points? Imagine what it can do with your learning content, creating variations on the same subject, each designed to appeal to an individual.

And we aren’t talking just text - AI will be able to use e-learning authoring tools to create engaging videos and unique activities for every learner you have. Incorporating gamification, virtual reality, and interactive technologies, AI gives you the tools to create training content that aligns with the interests of the learner, keeping them motivated and engaged and leaving them wanting more. However, this is just the beginning. As AI continues to evolve, we can expect even more innovative applications that will redefine how we learn and how we create learning content. Pretty soon, the only limit will be the breadth of your knowledge and your imagination.

So where’s the threat?

And not just the high-level development of software before it gets filtered down to our user level - we need to ensure that the content we feed it is on-point and how we deploy it within our organisations is fair and ethical.

It really goes without saying, but any AI must be unbiased and treat all learners equally. It must never discriminate based on race, gender, or other characteristics.

AI is only going to be able to create amazing, personalised learning if it has access to masses of data on individuals.

Many people get twitchy about their data, and rightly so, meaning students deserve to know how AI is being utilised in their e-learning journey. Transparent communication about data collection and usage ensures trust between learners and those using AI to deliver training. Data protection has been rammed down our throats for a good few years now, and anybody in e-learning is well aware of its importance, as well as the consequences a data breach can bring. We just need to ensure that plays by the same data protection and privacy rules that we do.

So enough with the naysaying, running for the hills and hiding in caves - AI is here to stay. If you’re looking to deliver e-learning that pushes all the right buttons for individual learners, the future is bright. It’s time to forget your fears and shake hands with the Terminator.

Hasta la vista, baby.

Ironically, if we all lose our jobs because of AI, it will be on us for not setting boundaries and managing it properly. AI is just code - we need to ensure it’s programmed correctly.

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Lewis Carr Lessons from my journey as an LMS UX Designer

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“Everyone told me binge-learning was bad, but I made Moodle look like Netflix anyway.”

unexpected challenges, and invaluable lessons. Today, I’d love to share some of those insights with you.

Drawing inspiration from everywhere Commercial platforms like Netflix, Instagram and LinkedIn have significantly influenced online engagement. Their interfaces are intuitive, considering each platform’s complexity, yet they manage vast amounts of information without overwhelming users.

The first time I used a Learning Management System, I was excited to develop beautiful courses. Still, I was soon met with an interface that actively resisted my understanding. I remember thinking, “If only this felt more like a website and less like a desktop application.”

When I design themes, I often borrow elements from these platforms. For instance, I always admired Netflix’s seamless video playback and saw it as an excellent model for e-learning courses, while LinkedIn’s professional layouts inspire dashboard designs for educators.

I’ve always been a designer, and I even plied my trade as a web developer (remember those?) back in 1999 whilst still at University, in a world before YouTube and when Yahoo was bigger than Google.

When I first pitched the idea of “the Netflix of eLearning”, everyone told me binge-learning was bad, but I went ahead and made Moodle look like Netflix anyway. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have used the word “binge-learning” as, let’s face it, who wants to binge-learn? It’s not exactly Stranger Things or Game of Thrones we’re talking about here.

Fast forward several years, and I’m still sticking to my original mantra, “This needs to feel more like a modern website”.

I made it my mission to redesign LMS experiences, and I’ve been doing it ever since. Each time, I significantly improve how users interact with the platform.

It’s been an enlightening journey filled with pain points,

I was trying to borrow ideas to present a vast array of resources and courses and present them in a way that made sense to the user. It is based on a concept that they were not only familiar with but on an idea that is integrated into everyday life, something that has become “second nature”.

“Becoming an LMS UX designer wasn’t just about fixing unattractive pages. It was about revolutionising how learners interact with online platforms.

I wanted to contribute to a learning environment that mirrors the best of the internet.”

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My design process

Lessons learned

Every theme I design starts with understanding the end-user.

Who are they? What challenges do they face? Next comes sketching, where my ideas translate to paper (well, screen).

Every project has taught me something new. But the most significant lesson has been the importance of empathy.

Truly placing yourself in the shoes of learners and educators, understanding their struggles, and crafting solutions for them is the heart of UX design.

For this, I use online wireframing tools to draw a much simpler interface and then turn these into interactive prototypes.

This allows me to click things and move between pages without me having to start coding.

Finally, after several million iterations, I have a theme that is not just pretty but functional and user-friendly. One that no longer looks like an application but an elegant, clean, simple, yet fully branded website.

Now I fully understand that design isn’t just about aesthetics.

It’s about functionality, efficiency, and the user experience.

However, aesthetics are a crucial component.

Just as we “eat with our eyes”, we judge apps and games based on their look and feel. So even the best functioning UX needs to stand side-by-side with all the other “cool looking” applications we use in our daily lives.

Principles like the hierarchy of information, consistency, and feedback loops do guide my designs (I don’t want readers to think I just wing it), ensuring users find them intuitive and effective, but unless I can make the finished product look like something Apple, Instagram, or Netflix may have designed, then it’s a much harder sell to the end-user.

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Throughout my years, I have designed some great themes but also some bad ones. Looking back at some of my early work, some designs looked good “back in the day” but have dated in the years since.

Building for accessibility is making it more difficult for designers. Creating innovative and beautiful themes and ensuring AA compliance simultaneously is a welcome and necessary challenge, but one that does pose limitations on the design. Sometimes, I have to reign it in.

My final lesson in my journey is that it’s OK to trust my instincts and understand that not everyone will like my work.

Like an artist or musician, my style won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I must keep pushing the boundaries and innovating in this space. I must stay abreast of what is happening in the world and ensure that any LMS I design can sit proudly at the big table, and if I have to “borrow” some ideas from Silicon Valley, then so be it.

Becoming an LMS UX Designer has been an enriching journey.

Yes, there are challenges. But the joy of witnessing students and educators effortlessly navigate a platform I’ve designed and the knowledge that I’m aiding their educational journey makes it all worthwhile.

LEARNING BURST: DIGITAL CREDENTIALS, ALL SEWN UP Open badges have been instrumental in changing the learning landscape, both in traditional educational settings and the modern workplace. Central to this shift are OpenBadges and Badgr.

The Basics of Digital Credentialing Open Badges are like the Cubs and Brownie badges we earned as children, or like the giant swim badges we used to stitch to our Speedos. To show the world that we know the difference between a clove hitch and a reef knot, or that we can swim a full length in our pyjamas. Only, instead of being fabric, they are digital, but they still offer a representation of our skills, achievements and competencies.

Unlike our 80’s counterparts, Open Badges carry metadata such as user information, awarding criteria, and the evidence that underpins them. The flexibility of an open badge makes them ideal for micro-credentialing and representing specific skills. And because we can no longer stitch these awards to our clothes, Open Badges can be shared on digital platforms like LinkedIn.

Badgr – A Platform for OpenBadges Badgr (https://info.badgr.com/) is one of the leading platforms built around the OpenBadges standard.

It not only allows you to create and issue badges but also provides a space for learners to showcase their badges (via a digital backpack). Badgr can also be incorporated into popular Learning Management Systems, such as Moodle.

Getting Started with Badgr: 1. Creating a Badge: Design your badge and decide on the criteria. Embed the necessary metadata aligning with OpenBadges specifications.

2. Issuing a Badge: Once a learner meets the criteria, you can issue the badge manually or through automated systems.

3. Showcasing Badges: Badgr provides learners with a profile where they can showcase their badges, which can then be shared on other platforms, most notably, LinkedIn.

Advantages of Using Badgr: 1. Integration: Can be integrated with popular Learning Management Systems (LMS).

2. Analytics: Provides insights into badge issuance, acceptance rates, and more.

3. Badge Pathways: Allows the creation of badge pathways – sequences where one badge leads to another, illustrating a learning pathway.

Best Practices 1. Ensure clarity: Be clear on what the badge represents. The criteria should be well-defined.

2. Be strict: Only issue badges when the criteria are genuinely met. This maintains the badge’s value.

3. Promote sharing: Encourage learners to share their badges, increasing the visibility of your credentialing.

4. Regular updates: Technology and standards evolve. Ensure your badges and the criteria they represent stay current.

Conclusion Open badges are a modern, flexible, and verifiable way of showcasing skills and achievements.

Standards like OpenBadges and platforms like Badgr support the use of these badges. They can be leveraged by educational institutions, corporations, or independent educators to enhance the value and recognition of the learning experiences they offer.

By understanding and utilising these tools, organisations and individuals can stay ahead in the competitive market and demonstrate their expertise in a more transparent and credible manner. Above all, your learners feel a sense of accomplishment, and whilst they may not be able to sew them on any more, they can still wear them with pride.

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Think the MoodleDrive is an outdated and under-powered LMS console?

Think again!

You don’t need to upgrade to the Totara64 or WorkplaceCast - the trusty MoodleDrive is the perfect LMS for all fans of first-person corporate action. You just need to know the right cartridges to plug in to make the MoodleDrive the ultimate corporate gaming machine!

Cohort-based HTML Multi-Tenancy Simulator Fake a multi-tenancy Moodle by using cohorts for companies and use this plugin to add company logos and brand up the site for different users. Override stylesheets and change fonts to create a brandable solution.

This plugin can also be used for departments to develop sub-branding across your organisation.

Configurable Reports Data Analytics Pro Unleash the power of data with this powerful plugin.

Craft custom reports to track the effectiveness of your training programs and discover valuable insights for strategic decision-making.

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Filter Codes Bling ‘Em Up Personalise your e-learning experience and customise both your Moodle site and your courses. Display progress bars within courses and topics and add the user’s name to the content. Create custom help pop-up boxes, create buttons and charts and, best of all, conditionally display content depending on which cohort the user belongs to - allowing you to display different content for organisations or departments.

Programs Training Quest Creator Manage learning pathways (programs) for your learners with flexible sequencing rules. Allow users to browse your learning catalogue and enrol on learning programs.

Ideal for inductions and new starters or bundling courses into a single easy-to-use enrolment solution.

Combine this with the program’s dashboard block to provide a seamless experience.

Format Timeline Learning Nexus Wizard Transform your Moodle site into an engaging social learning platform.

Encourage users to interact, share, and discuss learning resources as they collaborate to overcome educational quests.

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With the right plugins, you can squeeze ever These are just some of our favourites - d Moodle plugin directory, wher

Static Pages Uncharted Realm Mapper Sometimes, you may need to build pages on your Moodle site that are outside of courses. This could be an FAQ page, a landing page or a contact page. This plugin is designed to deliver static HTML documents, enriched with Moodle layout and navigation as a standard Moodle page which exists outside any course. Combine this with the Filter Codes plugin to deliver a highly customisable content management system to complement your e-learning.

H5P Interactive World Builder Unleash your creativity and create interactive content for your courses.

Design challenging games, realistic simulations, and brain-teasing quizzes to keep users engaged.

Moove Clean Theme Master Moove is a clean and intuitive theme for your Moodle site.

Its intuitive layout has been optimised to focus on simplicity and boasts an impressive feature set that includes sliders and marketing boxes.

The redesigned footer feels more like a “website”, and the custom login page elevates the standard login page, adding a more polished look and feel to your site.

ry corporate-focused feature out of Moodle. discover the vast array of plugins in the re endless possibilities await!

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Imposter Syndrome and Instructional Design: Overcoming Self-Doubt Lewis Carr reckons you’re better than you give yourself credit for.

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We’ve all been there, doubting our skills and our talents and wondering if what we produce is good enough. Like Neo in The Matrix, you doubt your credentials and your ability, perhaps you’re not “the one” to develop courses.

Whether you’re a seasoned instructional designer or just “that person who occasionally builds courses at work”, you are probably already implementing Universal Design for Learning without even realising it - score one for you, yeah?

Imposter Syndrome can be particularly challenging for instructional designers who are tasked with continually creating effective e-learning experiences. There is a lot of weight on your shoulders and does anyone know how hard it is to make mandatory data protection training the remotest bit exciting?

Like Neo being awoken to the real world behind the veil of the Matrix simulation, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) exists underneath the glossy front end of e-learning. UDL anticipates and accommodates the varied needs of our learners, and it is based on 3 core principles that address the “what,” “how,” and “why” of learning:

A lot of what we produce is based on the content and our “gut feeling” of what will make the course interactive, engaging and effective. Unlike The Matrix, there isn’t a pill to take but there is a framework we can follow, called UDL (Universal Design for Learning).

1. Representation (the “what”) UDL encourages the presentation of content in various ways to address the diverse ways learners comprehend information.

So the next time you are “spicing” up your course by adding a blend of text, audio, video and interactive elements, you are actually providing a balance of materials that appeal to learners with different sensory preferences and cognitive abilities. Who knew eh? You did, of course.

2. Action and Expression (the “how”) This is all about recognising the ways in which your learners navigate your course and express what they know. So, when you are adding quizzes, assignments and projects to your course, you are providing flexible opportunities for your learners to demonstrate and express their knowledge. And you thought you’d stuck a quiz in at the end just for the sake of it.

3. Engagement (the “why”) Engagement is the key to effective learning, and what motivates one learner might not interest another. UDL suggests providing options that tap into different interests, offering choice and autonomy, so allowing users to select their preferred pathways and giving them control over their learning is the glue that binds all this together.

Like Neo in The Matrix, the why was all about the exploration of reality and Neo was given the choice to control his own outcome and adapt the environment around him.

By providing feedback into the learning process to monitor your learner progress and then adapting the instruction, you are meeting the evolving needs of your students. This is perhaps the trickiest part to do and requires the most effort, but does ensure your course is a living, breathing and evolving experience.

So, if you are doing any, or indeed all, of the above, then you have been using EDL all along and possibly just never realised how awesome you are at course design; congratulations on taking the red pill!

And if you’re not doing any of this and still creating “click-next” PowerPoints, then it’s time to swap that blue pill for the red one and realise you were the chosen one all along.

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EMBARK ON AN HEROIC QUEST TO CREATE EPIC E-LEARNING EXPERIENCES! This strategy guide will equip you with the skills and knowledge to conquer the challenges of instructional design and become a true e-learning hero. Get ready to level up your abilities and master learning design!

BATTLE AGAINST BORING E-LEARNING Take on the role of Instructional Design Sorcerer, blending art and science in a quest to create educational experiences that promote effective learning. You’ll go beyond the mere transfer of information and focuses on crafting experiences that facilitate understanding, retention, and application of knowledge across online courses, corporate training, or any other educational context.

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BEGIN A JOURNEY THROUGH THE DARK REALMS OF INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN Level 1: Get the lay of the land

Level 2: Plan your adventure

The first step involves conducting a thorough analysis of the learning needs and the target audience; understanding learners’ characteristics, existing knowledge, and skill levels.

This identifies learning gaps and sets the foundation for the design process.

Next, you will outline the overall structure and learning objectives of the course, then decide on the content format, learning activities, and assessment methods. This involves storyboarding or prototyping, to give stakeholders a visual representation of the layout.

Level 3: Let battle commence!

Level 4: Final Boss fight

The development phase brings the design to life. Instructional designers fight alongside subject matter experts and multimedia specialists to create the course materials, including presentations, videos, quizzes, and interactive activities.

Enemies are everywhere, so it’s important to maintain a balance between creativity and instructional effectiveness.

As you enter the Fortress of Implementation, this is where you face the greatest test - the course is launched for learners to access and use. This may involve deploying the e-learning content on learning management systems (LMS) or other online platforms. Additionally, instructors or facilitators might be trained to support learners during their educational journey.

Replay?

Now that you’ve completed the game on easy mode, it’s time to re-assess tactics and perform some evaluation.

Gather feedback from learners, analyse their performance, and assess the course’s effectiveness to enhance future iterations.

Learner-Centered Approach Instructional designers place learners at the core of the design process.

Understanding their needs and motivations is vital for creating engaging and relevant content.

Clear Learning Objectives Well-defined learning objectives set the direction for the design process.

Objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) to guide both designers and learners.

Engagement and Interactivity Incorporate interactive quizzes, simulations, and discussions to keep learners engaged and help reinforce learning.

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Multimedia and Visuals The use of multimedia elements like images, videos, and infographics aids comprehension and retention of complex concepts.

Chunking Information Breaking down content into smaller, manageable chunks makes it easier for learners to process.

Assessment and Feedback Assessment provides learners with opportunities to gauge their progress and receive constructive feedback, allowing them to improve their understanding.

INVENTORY Your sorcerer’s backpack can hold many tools to help you on your quest - these are some of the most useful ones to master.

Learning Management Systems (LMS) These platforms help manage, deliver, and monitor e-learning courses.

They often come with features like content hosting, progress tracking, and assessment management.

Authoring Tools Authoring tools enable designers to create interactive and multimedia-rich e-learning content without extensive programming knowledge.

Examples include Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, and H5P.

Video Editing Software Tools like Adobe Premiere Pro, Camtasia, or iMovie allow designers to create professional-quality video content for their courses.

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) These emerging technologies offer immersive learning experiences, particularly useful for training in industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and engineering.

REMEMBER,

the wondrous lands of e-learning are ever changing and evolving, so it’s important to stay abreast of new technologies and developments.

By working your way through the above levels, using cheat codes and ensuring your inventory is up-to-date, you can elevate the quality of online education and emerge victorious in the battle against boring e-learning!

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CHATGPT VS BARD FOR E-LEARNING Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the ultimate showdown in the world of AI chatbots!

In the blue corner, we have the mighty Google Bard, the information powerhouse!

And in the red corner, it’s ChatGPT, the master of creativity and productivity!

It’s a battle for the ages, folks, so buckle up and get ready for an epic blow-by-blow account of the action!

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Round 1 User Experience Both bots come out swinging with a simple interface accessible from any browser. But wait - Google Bard requires a Google account and is restricted to certain countries, while ChatGPT is available to everyone. It’s a quick and easy tie between the two.

Round 2 Lengthy interactions ChatGPT lands a solid jab here with its unlimited conversation length. It keeps the records flowing and the interactions going, unlike Bard, who can only muster up one response per prompt.

ChatGPT takes the lead!

Round 3 Access To information

Round 5 Personality Showdown

Oh, now it’s getting intense! Until recently, Google Bard had the edge with its ability to browse the web, whereas ChatGPT was restricted to training data amassed before September 2021.

But not anymore - now both bots can access real-time info, making this a tie.

It’s time for a personality clash. ChatGPT wows the crowd with its friendly, approachable demeanor, and a flair for creativity. Bard, on the other hand, falls flat with its clinical tone and vague answers. ChatGPT wins this round!

Round 4 Privacy Concerns Uh-oh, folks, here comes the twist! Bard’s big data access raises some privacy concerns. With no way to opt-out and tracking all that Google activity, it’s a slippery slope. ChatGPT looks the safer choice here.

Round 6 Versatility & integration They both pack a punch here. Both bots can handle a variety of tasks, from e-learning content creation to automating business processes.

But wait, ChatGPT connects with Zapier for automated workflows. It’s a lethal combo, and ChatGPT lands a knockout blow!

Final Round The Best chatbot for you We’ve reached the decisive moment. For creative content and brainstorming, ChatGPT stands tall as the winner. But if you’re seeking cold hard facts, Google Bard may be the one.

In the end, both these mighty AI chatbots have proven their worth. So, whether it’s an informative powerhouse or creative genius you’re after, stay tuned as they continue to evolve and grow!

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Mark Gash investigates where it all went wrong.

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Deadline

- funny word, isn’t it? The Oxford definition is “a point in time by which something must be done”, which hints at there being consequences for not doing that thing by the specified point in time. Those consequences will vary depending on circumstances, but generally, they will be bad.

Historically, a dead-line was a boundary line around a prison, beyond which a prisoner could go only at the risk of being shot by a guard. So, a line that, if crossed, would result in your death.

It’s a shame that this literal meaning no longer applies - it might make us all more aware of our timekeeping.

My exposure to deadlines started with my first real job at The Press Association, where, as a Sub-Editor, I wrote TV listings, prepped celebrity photographs and made up horoscopes (yeah, don’t believe those things, folks) for a range of national newspapers and magazines. And I had lots of deadlines. If I missed those deadlines, then the newspaper went to press with a blank space where the Home and Away episode synopsis should have been, Jennifer Lopez would be poorly lit, and Sagittarians wouldn’t know to buy a lottery ticket.

All of this would result in me receiving a bollocking from above because there was no way to go back and correct my sloppy approach to time management.

Once that deadline was reached, the presses rolled, and the issues were shipped out, errors and all - you couldn’t just re-open a file and correct a mistake that would magically propagate across the physical copies of publications on newsstands nationwide.

And then came digital.

OK, I’m not that old - I’ve used a Mac for my whole career; I wasn’t Letraset-ing headlines back at the Press Association. I have a degree in Electronic Imaging and Media Communications, which was basically faffing about with Photoshop and web design for four years at the turn of the millennium. I was forged in the fires of the digital revolution, but back in the early noughties, analogue was king, and print was still alive and kicking. Yet somewhere between my time as a fresh-faced new-media kid and a grey-bearded dad with knackered knees, digital content, services, and products became the norm. The notion of a deadline carrying any consequence went out the window.

Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, once wrote, “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” Adams died in 2001, so at the time, his quote was a humorous insight into his leeway as a successful author - he could afford the luxury of not being held to ransom by publisher deadlines.

But 20+ years later, it seems the whole world has adopted Adams’ quote as a mantra to live by. And why wouldn’t we?

Digital means we can change things on a whim at any time.

Software mistakes can be fixed with a patch, and Final Copy can always be supplanted with Final Copy V.2 at the touch of a button.

Writing from the perspective of someone who works in e-learning, there are two consequences of this mentality, and both put unnecessary strain on the client relationship.

First, let’s look at how the term ‘deadline’ has become devoid of all meaning.

As a supplier, one of the first questions we ask clients is when their deadline is, i.e. when does this learning platform/ course/project need to be launched? At this stage, we always get a positive, and usually quite firm, response, “We need to launch by the first week of September for… reasons.” So, when planning out timelines in our project management tool, we will put a hard deadline for the first week of September and work backwards from there. We then add in milestones and deadlines for different stages of sign-off and present this to the client for approval before we start on any work.

Now, the problem is the client is so caught up in the euphoria of their e-learning dream being realised by such a talented bunch of L&D professionals that they sign off on the project plan without paying attention to the various intermediary deadlines attached to the different stages of development.

So when the 15th of June rolls around, and we’re chasing approval on the wireframes due three days prior, the client informs us that their mum is in Benidorm for two weeks, and they’d like her to look at the designs first. Or when we added the final copy to all of the courses a month back, but the client’s nephew, who was doing work experience over the summer and got a pass at GCSE English, has helpfully re-written Modules 3-8 and sent it to us on a WhatsApp the day after we’ve started the testing phase. And that sets out the stall for how the project goes - the client only has that final September deadline in mind and assumes that, somehow, it will be met.

Of course, we explain the consequences: the project risks being delayed, there might be payment penalties, etc., but the client just lets it all go over their head - after all, it’s digital; it doesn’t take any time or effort, does it? It’s not like you’re a team of contractors building a house with actual bricks that need to lay the foundations before they can make the walls and add the roof before they can paint the interior and lay the carpets, is it?

Actually, clients, it’s exactly like that. Digital deadlines are no different from physical deadlines for products and services.

Not meeting them means projects will either be delayed or, worse, launched unfinished and of a lower quality than we, as developers, are happy with.

Our bruised egos aside, putting out low-quality products means they will need more TLC further down the line to bring them up to scratch. This leads to the second consequence of digital devaluing the deadline…

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“Can you just?” culture.

Digital products aren’t tangible; you can’t drive an online course, live inside a website, or display lines of code on your mantelpiece like a custom sculpture. Yet to create a bespoke Learning Management System or an interactive learning experience takes an extraordinary amount of skill, planning and people hours. So why aren’t they attributed the same monetary or time value as physical products?

If I buy a new car, I can open the bonnet and see the engine that drives it. As I do this, I might briefly appreciate the human time and effort that’s gone into designing and building the beating heart of my new motor. Most people only ever see the surface of a digital product - words and images that are quickly scrolled past. There’s no mechanism to showcase the work done to put those words on the screen. Even something as simple as a magazine has tangibility to it - the feel of the pages, the smell of the ink. Back in the day, if you wanted to learn about the latest movie news, you had to make an effort to go to WH Smith’s and spend the money to buy a copy of Empire.

Now you get all your movie news online for free.

Because of this devaluing of digital products, clients don’t see the issue with fixing, tweaking and changing things long after a product has launched into the wild. Emails beginning with “Can you just…?” are the stuff of nightmares, as it means having to explain to a customer why their seemingly innocuous request to change the logo on their platform, when they’ve supplied a pixelated jpg with a white background, is actually a shit-load of work that’s going to cost a fortune. You don’t take your car to a garage and ask them to spray it pink, thinking it will take 10 minutes and cost a fiver. And even if they agreed to undertake the work and asked you to bring your car in for 8 am Monday morning, you wouldn’t rock up at 4.45 pm and still expect it to be done on time. There’s a huge disparity between people’s digital and real-world workload expectations and the perception of the time and effort it takes to create and service online products.

I’m not saying that the analogue world and way of doing things was better (though my 80’s/90’s childhood was pretty sweet - action figures are cooler than iPhones, Appetite for Destruction is still one of the greatest albums, and Tomb Raider on Playstation 1 hasn’t been beaten). Digital innovations and products have meant that my movie collection doesn’t take up a whole room, I never have to visit a high street shop and I didn’t have to trawl bars in my 30s looking for a wife.

I am saying that just because e-learning professionals make developing your digital products look easy, doesn’t mean there isn’t a tonne of blood, sweat and tears going on behind the scenes. Oh, and time - a lot of time goes into those products too.

So stick to your bloody deadlines.

The top 5 email openers from clients about to pull a “Can you just?”

In at number 5, it’s the classic, “Hi Mark, hope you’re well.”

It’s a statement, not a question, as they don’t actually want you to answer whether you’re well or not - they want your focus to be on the “Can you just...” that’s about to follow.

At 4, we have, “Hi Mark, how was your holiday?

Are your kids back at school now?”

This is the next level - they’ve made it personal.

So now you feel like they’re your friend, and you’d always help out a friend, wouldn’t you?

An oldie but a goodie at number 3 “Hi Mark, we’ve looked at the designs and think they’re great.”

Immediate red flag. Nobody gives positive feedback. Ever. How many times have you gone on Trip Advisor to leave a positive review? You haven’t - you only leave reviews when the food is shit but you might start by saying how attentive the waitress was. That’s exactly what this is - they’re buttering you up to drop a “CYJ” that will see you redesigning every last detail of the thing they think is great.

A new entry at number 2: “Hi Mark, I spent 3 hours doing something on our LMS and now it’s disappeared.”

First things first - they haven’t spent more than 3 minutes on the LMS before realising they’ve forgotten everything you taught them in that handover training session 6 months back. So now they’re going to blame the technology that you built in order to guilt you into doing their job for them. Stay strong and just email them a link to the recording of their training session that you made.

And still holding on at number 1, it’s: “Hi Mark, our boss, Director X has taken a look at the project and had a few ideas...”

This one always comes once you think a project is signed, sealed and delivered. Up until this point, you’ve never heard of the mysterious Director X an eleventh-hour spanner in the works who may not even be a real person. Is it just a clever ploy for the client to squeeze last-minute work out of you whilst absolving themselves of any blame?

Probably. Whip out your contract that shows who on the client-side is responsible for final sign-off.

If the named contact has signed the project off, Director X can do one.

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NING R A E L E ’S L R A DR. C

+ Y R E SURG Got an e-learning problem?

Need a quick and dirty solution?

You’ve come to the right place.

The Abyss of Procrastination Dear Dr. Carl, I’m drowning in the depths of procrastination when it comes to creating new e-learning courses. The endless allure of Netflix, social media, and the cozy embrace of my bed seem to conspire against the need for me to earn a salary by building engaging online training. How do I escape this abyss and find motivation to stay on track?

Dear Procrastination Plagued, Fear not, for the Pomodoro Technique is here to rescue you from the clutches of procrastination! Break your study time into manageable chunks, typically 25 minutes each, followed by a 5-minute break. After completing four cycles, reward yourself with a more extended break. This method transforms your study session into a series of short sprints, making it easier to stay focused. Bid farewell to procrastination and embrace the power of the Pomodoro!

Death by Plugins Dear Dr. Carl, I’m an avid e-learning content creator using WordPress to host my courses. Recently, I installed a bunch of plugins to enhance the functionality of my site. While some have been helpful, others seem to be wreaking havoc on my course creation process. The layout is wonky, quizzes are glitchy, and students are experiencing all sorts of issues. It’s a mess, and I’m at my wit’s end. Help!

Dear Tech-Whizz-Gone-Wrong,

causing trouble. As you reactivate each plugin, test your e-learning features to catch the culprit in the act.

2. Prioritize Essential Plugins: Not all plugins are created equal. Identify which plugins are absolutely crucial for your e-learning functionality and weed out the rest. Sometimes less is more, and a streamlined plugin list can lead to a smoother course creation experience.

3. Update Everything: Ensure that both your WordPress core and plugins are up to date. Developers frequently release updates to fix bugs and improve compatibility. A lack of updates could be the root cause of your issues.

4. Seek Support: Don’t hesitate to reach out to the support teams of the plugins causing trouble. Developers are usually more than happy to help users resolve issues. They might have specific guidance or even a quick fix to get your courses back on track.

5. Consider Alternatives: If a particular plugin continues to be problematic, explore alternative plugins that offer similar functionalities. You might find a gem that not only works seamlessly but also adds extra features you hadn’t considered.

6. Embrace Compatibility: Check the compatibility of your plugins with your WordPress version. Sometimes, a simple mismatch in versions can cause chaos. Ensure that all your plugins are designed to work harmoniously with your current WordPress setup.

Firstly, take a deep breath! It’s not uncommon for plugins to have unintended consequences, but fear not - we can untangle this web. Here’s a step-by-step guide to reclaiming your e-learning kingdom:

7. Backup and Test: Before implementing any major changes, back up your site.

This ensures that if anything goes awry, you can revert to a stable version. Test new plugins or changes on a staging site first to avoid disrupting your live courses.

1. Identify the Culprits: Start by deactivating all your plugins and reactivating them one by one. This will help you pinpoint the mischievous ones

Remember, Tech-Whizz-Gone-Wrong, you’re not alone in facing these challenges. With a strategic approach and a bit of patience, you can wrestle back control of your e-learning!

Need Dr. Carl’s help with an e-learning dilemma? Send your problems to dr.carl@dirtywordmag.com

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IA D E M FREE S E C R RESOU R U O Y R O F !

S T C PROJE

When you’re working on online projects, adding a bit of visual and auditory flair can really up the game. But not everyone’s rolling in mountains of dosh to build their own fancy media library that’s where stock photo websites come to the rescue. Even then, the cost of some of these sites can mount up with subscriptions and per-item fees. Sometimes, you just want a free image of a seagull chilling on a pier, right?

Quick reminder: snagging images from Google without permission is a no-no; most images benefit from a basic form of copyright, so using them could land you in hot legal water.

If you’re delievering online learning and training, you want a squeaky-clean reputation to ensure your audience trusts you, so it’s probably best to stay on the right side of the copyright laws.

And here’s another wrinkle: quality. Borrowing someone else’s low-res, web-optimized 200x200 image might seem like a good idea, but it’ll turn into a pixelated mess when you try to size it up for your course header. Not pretty.

So, you need a source where you can grab high-quality images, resize them, and even do a bit of tweaking without shelling out a penny. If you’re scratching your head wondering where to find such a unicorn, well, you’re in luck because we’ve got the scoop right here.

Check out these websites where you can score top-notch images, video clips, sound effects, and music for free.

Photo by Reinhart Julian on Unsplash

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Images

and copyright, so be sure to read up on those. But you’ll find some seriously cool and unique sounds here.

Freepik: This site offers a subscription model, but they have a free plan too. Sign up, and you can download up to 10 images every day. Just remember to give proper credit when you use an image.

Flat Icon: It’s from the same folks as Freepik and follows the subscription model. But as a free user, you can snag 100 professionally designed icons daily. Perfect for spicing up infographics, diagrams, and buttons.

Pixabay: This is a go-to for free stock photos with no need for attribution. But hey, they appreciate it if you want to throw a little love their way with a donation.

Video Pexels: Besides offering awesome photos, Pexels also hooks you up with free video clips. No attribution needed, but if you feel like showing some appreciation, it’s always welcome.

Pixabay: Yep, Pixabay’s on a roll. They’ve got video clips too, and just like their other goodies, no attribution required. You can always drop a few bucks in the donation jar if you want to.

Unsplash: Similar to Pixabay, it’s totally free, and you don’t have to worry about attribution, although it’s a nice touch.

Pexels: Another place to score free images without the need for attribution. Simple and sweet.

Text-to-image created with Adobe Firefly

Image by Freepik

Sounds YouTube Studio: Did you know that YouTube has a library of free music and sound effects? Well, now you do. Some of them ask for attribution, and some don’t. They’ve got nifty filters to help you sort it out.

AI-Generated Art Now, while those are some rock-solid resources, there’s also a wild world of AI tools popping up all over the place. These AI tools can whip up custom images that match your vibe, which can be hard to find on regular stock sites with their cookiecutter stuff.

Pixabay: Yep, Pixabay does more than just photos. They’ve got music too, and nope, you don’t have to credit anyone, but hey, a little donation love never hurt.

If the idea of crafting your own images sounds intriguing, check out tools like Fotor, Midjourney, and Adobe Firefly. Fair warning, though: you’ll need some practice and patience to get the hang of making AI understand and churn out your creative vision.

BBC: The BBC has a massive library of sound effects, and guess what? It’s free to use! There are some rules about giving credit

So, armed with these resources, go ahead and jazz up your online content. Your audience will thank you for it!

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Testing Times The Pain of E-learning Compatibility

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You’ve built a kick-ass online course that looks amazing. It runs perfectly on your MacBook, your Android mobile and the Chromebook your client insists on using. You feel like a winner, you’re just about to send over the final invoice and then, an email from the client hits your inbox.

“It doesn’t work on my Mum’s Nokia.”

Well, of course it doesn’t run on their Mum’s Nokia. Did they expect it to? Apparently so.

Demand for online learning continues to grow and with the explosion of devices over the years, there’s now an expectation that all courses will run on every bit of tech going. There’s a perception that an online course functions like a website, so that if you can read BBC news on an iPad, a Playstation and a Samsung Galaxy Watch, then surely you can access your Food Hygiene course through those same screens. You’re reading this screaming, “But it doesn’t work like that!” And you’re right but that’s because you’re a clued-up e-learning pro who know’s their stuff, not one of those mere mortals who find TikTok a good use of time.

But if you’re so great, then why has your client’s Mum’s Nokia thrown your entire project off course at the final testing stage? It’s time to talk about scoping and client expectations when it comes to system compatibility.

Scoping You’ve heard the word. You know that somewhere between reading the client’s vague brief, getting them to sign the contract and actually starting to develop their e-learning, you need to scope the project. The devil is in the details and among the numerous areas that you need to nail down in a project, a biggie is the need to specify exactly what technology the final product needs to be compatible with. A good starting point is to look at the client’s other content - are they running it on an LMS or a website? Is it SCORM? Build to whatever works for the client. If that’s a Nokia phone, then you’ve either got some work to do or you can break out your “Client Expectations” playbook.

If you’re building a course within a particular Learning Management System, like Moodle, then you can be pretty confident it’s going to work within that LMS. Your testing here will be more on feature/functionality, rather than compatibility. Creating a course as a SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) is a pretty safe bet too but doesn’t guarantee a flawless experience across all platforms, so again, you need to set client expectations around this from the start.

Responsive Design Many course authoring tools are now set up to create responsive courses that adapt to different screen sizes with breakpoints, meaning you get a fairly good experience across devices. Still not sure about an old Nokia though.

Get to know your authoring software and find out what it can and can’t do.

Accessibility As a general rule, an all-singing, all-dancing, fully interactive online course probably isn’t the most accessible piece of learning out there for deaf and / or blind users.

More and more learning providers are now bringing in accessibility testing (usually after the course is built, which is helpful) and blowing holes in online courses and budgets at the eleventh hour. So again, make sure any accessibility requirements are specified at the start of the project, so you know exactly what you’re building and testing for.

Testing e-learning courses always throws up issues, whether it’s user experience or just random glitches; that’s why we test. What shouldn’t be biting you in the arse at the testing stage is tech compatibility. Between your mastery of your course-building tools and a lockeddown client spec that highlights what systems the learning needs to work on, you should be able to develop e-learning that works across all the platforms that matter.

Nokia had its time and although Snake remains one of the greatest games ever made, a 3310 is never going to run an explorable 360° environment with branching storylines and learning outcome assessments - sorry to all the client mums out there.

Client Expectations You can’t put a DVD in a VCR. You can’t play an XBOX game on a Sega Megadrive. And for some reason, if I download my holiday videos from Google Photos, I can’t edit them on iMovie on my MacBook, even though it used to work a few months ago. Not every piece of tech is compatible with every other piece of tech and the goalposts are changing all the time - that’s just life in 2024. So explain this concept to your client at the start and tell them that you will test compatibility across the most popular and widely-used systems and browsers, such as Windows, macOS, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

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BIG DATA The building blocks of personalised learning Picture your online education program as a giant game of Tetris, where each block represents a piece of information. In this digital world, the magic wand we wave is big data, enabling us to analyze vast sets of information to unveil unique patterns and trends. It’s like peering into a crystal ball that reveals the individual needs, preferences, and learning styles of every student.

Change the game Just like in Tetris, there are moments when the blocks don’t neatly fit into rows, leaving awkward gaps. In the world of online education, analysing data helps us identify these gaps, which can signify where students may be struggling with particular concepts or skills. Just as everyone builds Tetris towers differently, individuals absorb information in unique ways. By examining stacks of data, we can discern the distinct ways in which each user learns. The more we delve into these data blocks, the easier it becomes to identify patterns and customise learning experiences to suit individual needs.

Much like Tetris blocks falling from the sky, once you start recognising these patterns, you can begin to predict what future data will look like. Armed with this foresight, you can combine new data with a wide array of materials, resources, and activities to construct structured learning pathways that cater to your users’ needs.

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Expanding the Horizons Beyond the realm of personalized learning, data analysis can lead to the development of learning communities, connecting students with mentors and tutors, and even adapting instruction to different locations, languages, and specializations. It’s the power of big data that can transform online education into a versatile and adaptive ecosystem.

Blockers However, there are hurdles to overcome on the path to harnessing big data for online learning.

The first is the ethical and responsible handling of personal information. Data sets that include grades and attendance records must be managed with utmost care and respect for privacy. Safeguarding student data should always be a top priority.

Cost is another potential blocker. Collecting, storing, and analysing big data requires significant resources, making it crucial to find ways to make this kind of analysis affordable and accessible at all levels of education.

It’s a challenge that many institutions are working diligently to address.

Making predictions based on past performance is not an exact science, and there is always a degree of inaccuracy when planning for future learning. Moreover, ensuring the accuracy of the data in the first place is a fundamental concern.

Valid and reliable data are the building blocks of effective educational insights.

Collaborative Effort Analysing data is not a one-player game. It involves multiple stakeholders who need to be convinced that tailoring learning based on data is the way to go. In addition to buy-in, these stakeholders require training in how to interpret data effectively. Creating a shared understanding of the value of data-driven decision-making is essential.

The Perfect Fit Harnessing big data for educational purposes is undoubtedly a complex challenge. Continuing with the Tetris analogy, all the pieces need to fall into place; otherwise, you might find yourself overwhelmed by data with little hope of effectively utilising it.

The key is to create a well-thought-out plan for how you intend to use data to improve learning and to implement it incrementally, one block at a time.

In conclusion, the game of personalised online learning is evolving with the aid of big data. By carefully addressing ethical concerns, financial constraints, and data accuracy issues while fostering collaboration and buy-in from all stakeholders, the education sector can work towards making the perfect fit between data and personalised learning.

Like a well-played game of Tetris, success in the online education world involves strategy, patience, and precision.

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Do Learning Management Systems really benefit learners or are they just propping-up roles in the e-learning industry?

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In today’s digital age, Learning Management Systems (LMS) have rapidly become an integral part of education. They promise streamlined learning experiences, boasting many courses and powerful analytics that claim to benefit both learners and institutions.

However, as the eLearning industry continues to flourish, questions loom large about the effectiveness of LMS-filled courses and the true value of analytics. Are these systems genuinely enhancing the learning experience, or do they exist merely to justify institutions’ budgets and staffing costs?

This article examines the effectiveness of LMS-based courses compared to alternative methods like on-demand video and AI chat-bots and the role of analytics in improving the learner experience.

The LMS Revolution

The Case for Video Learning In contrast to traditional course-based learning on LMS platforms, video-based learning has gained popularity.

Videos have become a preferred medium for knowledge dissemination for several reasons.

Videos offer a more engaging and dynamic learning experience. Visual and auditory elements can make complex concepts more accessible and memorable. They allow learners to observe real-world applications and demonstrations, making learning more interactive.

Furthermore, the flexibility of video learning aligns with modern learners’ preferences. Learners can access videos ondemand, enabling them to learn at their own pace and when it’s most convenient. This flexibility can lead to higher levels of engagement and retention.

The proliferation of Learning Management Systems in education has brought undeniable convenience. These platforms offer a centralised hub where learners can access a multitude of courses, often at their own pace and convenience.

However, this convenience comes with its own set of challenges.

Examples like Khan Academy and TED Talks showcase how video-based learning can effectively convey information, inspiring curiosity and fostering a deeper understanding of various subjects.

While LMS platforms provide easy access to courses, they might inadvertently encourage surface-level learning. Learners may focus on completing courses rather than deeply understanding the material. The emphasis on course completion can lead to a checklist mentality, where the goal is finishing courses rather than mastering the subject matter.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising eLearning, raising questions about whether it will render traditional Learning Management Systems (LMS) obsolete. AI’s potential lies in its ability to personalise learning, adapting content to individual needs and preferences. This contrasts with LMS platforms, which typically offer a one-size-fits-all approach.

Moreover, the overwhelming volume of courses on LMS platforms can make navigating and selecting the most suitable content challenging for learners. The sheer quantity of options can be paralysing, causing decision fatigue and hampering the learning process.

AI also automates administrative tasks like grading and tracking progress, reducing the workload on educators. Instant feedback through AI-driven assessments enhances the learning experience compared to delayed feedback in LMS systems.

The Elearning Industry’s Dependence on LMS The eLearning industry has thrived on the widespread adoption of LMS platforms. Institutions and course providers have found a profitable niche in offering courses through these systems.

This dependence is driven by several factors.

Firstly, LMS platforms provide a structured and organised way to deliver content to learners. Institutions can easily manage and update course materials, track learner progress, and issue certifications. This level of control and oversight appeals to educational institutions, as it allows them to maintain quality standards and meet regulatory requirements.

The Rise of AI

However, the future isn’t necessarily a choice between AI or LMS. Rather, it’s about integrating AI into LMS platforms.

AI-integrated learning platforms can offer the structure and convenience of LMS alongside personalised, automated, and real-time assessment features.

The Analytics Conundrum Analytics are touted as a valuable tool for improving the learner experience on LMS platforms. Data on learner behaviour, engagement, and performance can provide valuable insights for course improvement and personalisation. However, the reality of how analytics are used raises ethical questions.

Secondly, LMS platforms offer monetisation opportunities.

Course providers can charge learners for access to their courses, creating a lucrative revenue stream. This financial incentive fuels the proliferation of course offerings on LMS platforms.

In many cases, analytics in the eLearning industry is used to justify budgets and roles. Institutions and course providers often collect data to demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of their programs. While this data can be valuable, it is often employed more as a means of accountability and justification than a tool for genuine improvement.

However, this financial focus has led to concerns about the quality of courses. Sometimes, the drive for profit may outweigh the commitment to delivering high-quality educational content. This raises questions about whether the eLearning industry prioritises profit over the genuine advancement of knowledge.

Additionally, collecting extensive learner data raises concerns about privacy and data security. Institutions must strike a delicate balance between collecting data for educational purposes and respecting learners’ privacy rights.

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Are LMS Platforms Evolving or Stagnating?

The Future of eLearning

As the eLearning landscape continues to evolve, the question arises: Are LMS platforms adapting to meet the changing needs of learners? While these platforms offer many benefits, they also face challenges in staying relevant.

As we peer into the future of eLearning, several trends emerge. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality hold promise for creating more immersive and personalised learning experiences. These technologies have the potential to transform how learners engage with educational content.

The eLearning industry is witnessing innovations in pedagogy and technology, such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and personalised learning. These innovations promise to enhance the learning experience by tailoring content to individual learner needs and preferences.

However, traditional LMS platforms may struggle to integrate these new technologies seamlessly. The rigid structure of many LMS platforms can hinder the implementation of innovative teaching methods. Some institutions are exploring hybrid models that combine courses with more interactive experiences.

Balance We’ve come to a point where educational institutions must balance tradition and innovation. It’s crucial to acknowledge that no one-size-fits-all solution exists. Instead, institutions should focus on learner-centric approaches, prioritising meaningful engagement and understanding over spreadsheets of numbers that prop-up their budgets.

Embracing emerging technologies while retaining the advantages of LMS platforms is key. Hybrid models incorporating video-based learning, personalised content, and interactive elements can provide a more holistic and effective learning experience.

Several institutions have successfully embraced this approach.

They recognise that the goal of education should be to foster a deep understanding of the subject matter, not merely to complete courses.

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Furthermore, the eLearning landscape is likely to become more diversified and flexible. Institutions will need to adapt to accommodate learners’ changing preferences and needs.

The one-size-fits-all approach may no longer suffice, and institutions prioritising adaptability and learner-centricity will thrive.

Conclusion While Learning Management Systems offer convenience and structure, they also raise questions about the quality of learning and the actual role of analytics. The rise of AI and the allure of video-based learning as an alternative adds complexity to the discussion.

By embracing emerging technologies and adopting learnercentric approaches, we can ensure that the future of eLearning truly delivers worthwhile learning experiences over mere course completion. In this evolving landscape, the myth of the LMS as the sole solution may finally be dispelled, giving way to a more diverse, engaging, and effective eLearning ecosystem.

Ever wanted to build your own sweet counting machine in Articulate Storyline?

Of course you have!

As part of our masterclass series, we’ll show you how to get to grips with variable manipulation to create a dynamic and engaging activity.

Whether you’re a beginner aiming to learn the basics of variable usage or an intermediate user seeking to refine your skills, this tutorial delivers practical experience to hone your talents!

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Follow our step-by-step tutorial to learn how to utilise variables in Articulate Storyline to track and count items by attribute - in this case, the number of coloured sweets placed into a jar.

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screens to 1280px x Create a brand new Storyline - set your Size 720px, which you can do in Design > Slide

If you know what variables you will be using, you can create them at the start, othe rwise you will want to add them in the variable pag e.

Don’t forget to press OK onc e complete.

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Now’s the time to add the imag es, you do this > Image and se under Design lect images fro m your library. drag to reposit You can then ion them, chan ge their size an d arrange them forward or back ward, within St oryline.

t we should try to ge the different sweets, py co en Before we create all e time wh lete as we can, to sav one as close to comp er. lat m the g and pastin state for the sweets create a new image to ed ne we st, Fir ange to this state ch l , the image wil called ‘Drop Correct’ s will be used later correct drop zone, thi when dropped on a in the jar. al number of sweets to calculate the tot

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After setting up one of the swe ets, we can add the drop zon e, you could use the image of the jar as the dropzone, but I prefer to add a new shape and set it to transparent with no border, so the drop zone is sepa rated from the image for future changes.

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Now we are ready to make the slide into a Freeform, this will allow us to use the drag and drop builder in Storyline to mak e drag and drop interactions wor k better.

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er. For now, we only Now we can use the drag and drop build to the Drag item list, have two sweets, so let’s just add them t, the square over targe and pair them to their correct Drop r earlie d adde we the jar

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and Drop Options’ While we are here, we should select ‘Drag need to make sure We s. need to customise them more to our that ‘Delay Item and Free, to set is ns the Drop Target Optio es to change imag the need will We led. disab is s’ Drop State ped. state as they are drop

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Now we can go ba

ck to the main slide, and crea te part of the Triggers in the Tr ig ger Wizard.

We will be usin g a True/False variable to keep calculations in all the one cycle. So we need to create Toggle the varia a trigger to ble when the sw eets are droppe d onto the dropzone.

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ers to calculate the number of sweets inside the jar.

We will be using the variable built previously as the ‘When’ event, so when our swe ets are dropped into the jar the Triggers will cycle. We will need two numerial variables for this to work, I have made one called pink and one called green.

To start, we want to set the valu e of the variables to 0, this will hard set the variable to 0 before we add up all the sweets. We need to do this to make sure it doesn’t keep adding the variables onto each other.

add the begin to n e a c e ed on th to 0, w ble, bas ariable a v ri a e v l th . tting state numera After se ct drop 1 to the define e corre to add th ger, we rs in e ig g g tr in 0 e trig b add to t le b the se we only droppa rs after es sure e k g a ig m tr is se n. Th ing the ger to ru ber.

By hav the trig r the num fo t e r s e re rd r o e e ft a th

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the signs. Add ten digit onto riable as a writ va e th d fore typing ad be n nt We ca e it transpare ak m d an ge g the pa o %. After closin a shape to the ble between tw ria va . e xt th te of ic e out the nam ble as a dynam splay the varia di ill w it r, ito text ed

Now we have

the baseline for the trigge rs complete, create the re and can st of the sw eets

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dically to make sure Don’t forget to preview your build perio is easy to make a it everything is working as you intend, to more of a mess ng leadi ke, mistake and copy that mista n’t work you can does it if and often it to fix later, so preview tweak it before scaling it up.

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d to copy an are good e w s, h rk o it ated w preview w ger associ rming the py any trig co After confi ill w is th asset. sweets, eir copied paste the them to th

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ugh, ally tho pecific s d or e ’ ifi k 1 to ‘pin be mod to add eed to and r n y l ie p il rl o w a c e can iggers made e W tr . e e w te em m r ta o e th S g ect s odify the trig the corr l and m in e m n g such as a ro in p f e d nb t han picture based o e the righ correct th e m n ‘green’ o th ro f t d r c u sele trigge outline o e e y b th re ld u te s u pas r sho make ng ove riately, r hoveri approp u o y rd. a e o n , the o storyb the list

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After previewing the course at this stage , I noticed that adding sweets to the jar worked corre ctly, but taking sweets out would not update the number track ers.

We could add a second dropzone behin d everything else, which would also run var_clock, to have the check take place when adding and taking out of the jar.

Now we have added a new rectangle over the storyboard, and are adding a new trigger to each swee t to toggle var_ clock when a user drops the sweets on top of it.

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We need to rem ember to set th e second drop back of the stor zone to the yboard, so user s can still add sw original dropzo eets to the ne. Layering ca n be done to gr eat effect here to allow these sorts of ‘empty’ dropzones.

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the Drag and Drop As the final step, we need to complete ts to drag from. swee ent differ many have wizard, as we now Target as the original Make sure to specify the correct Drop outside the jar, they ts over the jar, so when users drop swee not be counted. and state al will revert to their origin

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the sweets in the To make sure the dropzone doesn’t stack ges droppables. mana center we can adjust how the dropzone sure to set make ld shou Drop Here I specify that the Drag and remain will s pable drop ing mean ion, droppables to ‘Free’ posit where the user drops it.

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Lastly, we want to preview wha t we have done. In my own test this was working correctl y, so hopefully following thes e steps will help you create you r own little counting activity too!

Join us next month for another technical masterclass!

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LESSONS FROM LARA eLearning takeaways from Tomb Raider We’re all a little nerdy here at Dirtyword HQ, and between putting together this magazine and our day jobs as e-learning developers, we often enjoy playing on the retro games consoles and arcade machines we have here in the office. But is there anything we can learn from exploring caves and facing off against a T-Rex as video-game heroine, Lara Croft?

Nail that storytelling vibe If there’s one thing the Tomb Raider games rock at, it’s storytelling! We’re talking gripping narratives and characters that’ll hook you faster than Lara’s trusty grappling hook. In e-learning land, spice up content with branching scenarios and relatable characters for an engaging user experience.

Immerse and interact Tomb Raider isn’t just about button smashing; it immerses you in breathtaking environments and challenges you to the core. Bring that vibe to e-learning by tossing in interactive elements like quizzes, simulations, and gamified goodies - your learners will love it!

Get contextual Working out puzzles and learning to jump off ledges takes practice - Lara teaches us to hone our skills on the job.

Apply content in a practical context to show learners how to use knowledge and skills beyond the virtual confines.

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Climb the skill ladder Lara evolves like a boss, gaining new skills as she pushes forward. E-learning should take notes - offer learners a sense of accomplishment as they level up their abilities through different modules. No cheat codes needed.

Mix it up Just like Tomb Raider mixes up its gameplay, e-learning should give students a multi-flavored experience. Serve up videos, interactive bits, text, and live sessions in one awesome cocktail of learning greatness.

Co-op action Sometimes Lara teams-up with other characters to survive.

Add group projects or discussions to encourage teamwork and communication skills in your learners.

Dress for the occasion Lara tailors her wardrobe to the environment - shorts for the jungle, parka for the arctic, wetsuit for the sea.

Dress your courses to suit your audience, with imagery, videos and writing style relevant to their environment.

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e h t o n a r o f e u s is t x e n ! y s a u w n a i e k Jo a T e m Ga o e d i V

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DON’T OVERLOOK THE UNDERDOG H5P delivers simple yet effective content creation

Just in case you’ve been living in a cave for the past 10 years, there’s a little tool called “H5P”, and it’s kinda changed the eLearning world. It seems strange that we are writing an article about something that was launched back in 2013, but it’s one of the tools that just keeps getting better and better, and it deserves a bigger stage.

The Birth of H5P: A New Era In 2013, a new and transformative tool called H5P (HTML5 Package) was introduced to the world by the Norwegian company Joubel. With its mission to enable the creation, sharing, and reuse of interactive content, H5P quickly became a game-changer in the fields of education and online content development.

H5P was designed to empower educators, content creators, and learners to develop rich interactive web experiences without extensive coding knowledge, paving the way for a more engaging learning approach.

Connecting the World Since its inception, H5P has made significant strides in connecting users across the globe. Its accessibility and ease of use have made it a favourite tool in classrooms, corporate training rooms, and online platforms everywhere. This universal adoption has facilitated a more unified approach to content delivery.

The 3 Best H5P Tools The versatility of H5P is one of its most compelling aspects. Here’s a look at some of the tools we feel sets H5P apart:

1) Interactive Videos: Transform your videos from “watch” to “do”; visual media for interaction, engagement, and active learning. Think Netflix’s “Bandersnatch”, placing the viewer in the driving seat and allowing them to navigate through your video and having a direct impact on the outcomes. If you are using standard video on your eLearning courses already, then transforming this into an interactive video is a breeze.

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2) Branching Scenarios: These are self-paced learning scenarios, allowing complete freedom for learners to explore, face dilemmas, and solve problems. You can fine tune your lessons to use cause and effect for proper “adaptive learning”. And best of all, it works with dozens of other H5P activity types, keeping your lessons engaging whilst avoiding repetition.

the learning experiences, educators and trainers have found new ways to inspire, engage, and teach their audiences. H5P’s interactive approach to content delivery has revolutionized traditional educational methods, making learning more relatable, enjoyable, and effective. And perhaps the most important aspect is that “anyone can build” using this tool.

Community and Collaboration The open-source nature of H5P has led to the creation of a vibrant community of developers, educators, and enthusiasts.

This collaborative environment has further propelled the growth and innovation of H5P, reinforcing its position as a leading tool in interactive content creation.

What Lies Ahead

3) The Interactive Book: This was a close call between The Interactive Book and The Course Presentation. Both are great tools for delivering content to your learners, but we felt as though the slide-based nature of the Course Presentation encouraged a “click-next” approach too similar to PowerPoint and is difficult to read on small mobile devices. The Interactive book, on the other hand, is beautiful on all screen sizes and the navigation menu and summary screen round off the tool in such a way it feels more like an eLearning package.

Transforming Learning The impact of H5P on education and corporate training has been profound and far-reaching. By gamifying and enriching

As H5P continues to grow and evolve, its potential to shape and redefine the way we approach education and content creation becomes increasingly evident. Its user-friendly design, coupled with its wide array of tools, makes H5P not only a valuable asset for today but a promising solution for the future. In order for the project to grow and continue, it does need funding.

Developers need to eat, right? H5P has introduced a paid version of H5P, whilst retaining the free Open Source version.

The paid version has more content types and better support, and it is a logical move to secure the future of the product. A.I has already started making its way into some of the content types, and things will only get better.

So, whether you’re an educator, a corporate trainer, or simply someone looking to enrich your content, H5P offers a world of opportunities to make learning interactive, engaging, and effective. The future of content creation may have already been with us for 10 years, but H5P is still leading the way.

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N I E U S S I T X NE

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