Exploring Learning Styles: does an understanding of them make us better able to design learning? | Julian Stodd's Learning Blog
Summary of a LinkedIn discussion on the value of learning styles for instructional design
Blog posts
What to look for in an Instructional Design and Technology Master’s Degree Program « Dr. Ray Pastore's Instructional Technology Blog
Ray Pastore from UNCW provides a checklist of 10 things to consider for ID masters programs. He doesn't include creating a portfolio here, although he does talk about getting real experience. What's the point of real experience with a client if you don't have a portfolio to prove it?
FreshBooks - Online Invoicing, Accounting & Billing Software
Someone mentioned this tool in a LinkedIn discussion about how to get paid as a freelancer. I don't spend enough time invoicing right now to justify this, but the tool looks promising if I ever get to a point where I am spending multiple hours doing paperwork.
![How [not] to Design an Online Course | online learning insights](https://rdl.ink/render/https%3A%2F%2Fonlinelearninginsights.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F08%2F1477899923_5fb736f33c_b.jpg%3Fw%3D300?width=350&height=&ar=&mode=&format=avif&dpr=2)
How [not] to Design an Online Course | online learning insights
5 common mistakes faculty make when converting courses to online
Use the same face-to-face course syllabus
<em>Implement </em><em>Course grading that relies heavily on exam assessments</em>
Assignments that lack detailed instructions
<em>Utilize the same </em><em>course materials as used in F2F class</em>
Underestimate the amount of time needed for course transition
How much to charge as a consultant?
Presentation on pricing for e-learning businesses and consultants. Slides 7 & 8 show a sample calculation of how to figure out how much to charge per hour. The formatting is awful, at least in FF, but the information is good. Overhead seems a little high to me--it makes sense if you are renting an office, but that should be much less if you're an individual working from home.
Working with Small Groups
Tips and strategies for working with small groups online from the University of Maryland University College. Includes a very simple rubric at the end.
Multimedia Rubric
Detailed rubric for multimedia projects in multiple categories (preliminary work, design, content, presentation). This has held up pretty well considering the rubric is dated 1998.
Developing Effective Questions for Online Discussions
Tips for online instructors (and IDs) on how to write questions for online discussions. Three types of questions are identified: factual, thought (Socratic), and problem-solving. By Judith Boettcher--this is now part of the book "The Online Teaching Survival Guide: Simple and Practical Pedagogical Tips"
How to Write an A+ Discussion Posting
Tips for students on how to write effective posts in online discussion boards
How To: Write Questions that Stimulate Discussion | Thinkfinity
Although this is about questions for discussions in a community, these are good basic guidelines for online learning discussions too. These could work as guidelines for a student-led discussion on how to write good questions.
PlagTracker - Plagiarism Checker
Highlights sentences, shows links to sources where content came from. I wish it showed the original and copied content side by side so it was easier to compare; you have to just go to the source and find it yourself.
The gentle science of persuasion (PDF)
Article on Cialdini's research on the principles of influence and persuasion, specifically on consistency. When people make active, voluntary, and public commitments, they try to be consistent with that commitment. Try to get people to make small commitments first.
Robert Cialdini - Harnessing The Science Of Persuasion.pdf
Summary of Cialdini's six persuasion principles: liking, reciprocity, social proof, consistency, authority, and scarcity
Learning Management & E-Learning Vendors (PDF)
Extensive list of vendors of learning management systems, authoring tools, virtual classrooms, courseware vendors, and more
Free Screen Sharing | Screenleap
Free screen sharing. Click to share and let Java run. Send a link to the other person or give them a 9-digit code. No sign up required
Learning at the Speed of Life
ASTD article on the reinvention of the CSAP program
Time Management Strategies for Online Instructors
Tips on time management for online instructors from UW-Stout
Best Practices in Online Teaching for Student Engagement | Teaching and Learning Initiative
Blog post from the Northwest Indian College about strategies and tools for improving student engagement. This includes some general strategies for creating social presence as well as some “nuts and bolts” tips.
Tip 10: The scope's the thing | Elearning Tips
Tips on how to determine the scope of an e-learning project
Trello
Free tool for organizing projects. This isn't a standard project management tool, but you could use it to assign and manage tasks in a team.
5 Steps To A PowerPoint Redesign: The eLearning Coach
Process for converting PowerPoint to e-learning
Step One: Settle on style and colors
Step Two: Create theme backgrounds
Step Three: Rework text-heavy screens
Step Four: Add meaningful visuals and interactions
Step Five: Improve the Layout
#10 to #1 LMSs of 2012 | E-Learning 24/7 Blog
Craig Weiss' countdown of top LMSs. His #1 for education: Canvas. His #1 overall: ExpertusOne. #11 to 25 are here: http://elearninfo247.com/2012/12/06/25-to-11-lmss-of-2012/
What is a substantive response
Good information for students about how to write substantive responses in online discussions
Showcase Your Creativity with a Portfolio Site
Info on creating a portfolio with Wordpress.com, including a link to a directory of over 30 portfolio themes
Chat Mapper
Tool for developing branching dialogue. It's designed for both video games and training. There are more features here than what I would need for most scenario-based training I develop, but for something complex this would be a great way to create and test a conversation. It also exports to a very clean screenplay for actors. The free version is only for personal use, but the Indie license is only $60 and would be worth it for a complex enough project. I can usually keep it all straight in my own head in Word, but I've had problems getting actors and developers to understand how the pieces fit together. The simulated dialog might be enough to help others see the flow.
50 Interesting things you can do in your online courses « Rose Colored Glasses
Ideas for online courses--most easily applicable to online higher ed, but some ideas could work elsewhere.
Getting Started with SCORM: How does SCORM really work?
First in a planned series of posts on how SCORM works
Scenario design in elearning: Two types of feedback
Cathy Moore demonstrates the difference between "telling" feedback and "showing" feedback
Custom e-Learning Costs – Determining Factors | Scholarix e-Learning Solutions
Infographic showing the factors that affect the cost of custom e-learning (graphics & multimedia, interactivity, instructional design).
eLearning Guild 2013 Global eLearning Salary Report
Report plus the updated calculator for comparing variables