As part of the Learning 2010 podcast series, Trivantis’ Executive Vice President Ben Contra spoke candidly with learning researcher and organizer, Elliott Masie, about some of the latest eLearning trends and challenges. With the past year’s technological and economical changes, the industry has changed dramatically, and Contra offered his opinions on the subject.

Masie: What are some of the key learning challeneges that you think organizations face as we move into 2011?

Contra: A couple of them right off the top are the decreased budgets, learning knowledge and travel restrictions, coupled with downsizing or right-sizing and the need for less people doing more.

Another challenge Contra mentioned was the increased number of platforms that are used to deliver information. Or ... [Read More]

For those in the eLeanring industry, a day rarely goes by without hearing about mLearning. Whether about the extreme growth or the multitude of benefits, people are talking about the latest learning phenomenon. The current “mobile” generation is the catalyst for mLearning’s success, and with the frequent innovation and ubiquity of Smartphones and other mobile devices, on-the-go learning appears to be sticking around.

“Mobile is outstripping television, the PC, the Internet in growth. There are 4.6 billion users worldwide today, and there will be 5 billion by the end of 2010. The mobile Internet is now over half of all Internet use,” said Tomi Ahonen in his keynote speech at MlearnCon 2010, a major mLearning conference.

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According to the latest Nielsen research, Americans spend nearly a quarter of their time online on social networks and blogs, up from 15.8% a year ago. The focus on social media in today’s professional and social environment is extremely prevalent, and it was inevitable when the phenomenon moved into the eLearning market.

Elearning thrives on tools that allow distance learners and their instructors to communicate easily and without delay. Because of this, social networks are often integrated in courses, or supplement lessons, to provid ... [Read More]

In recent years, eLearning has not only become widespread, but it has become mainstream in large corporations and organizations. Rapid, time restricted and cost effective training is a priority for those organizations that employ eLearning, and new technologies have consistently aided these necessities.

“The innovation brought about by e-learning does not follow the model of traditional, instructor-directed classes,” said James Kilmurray, a faculty practitioner with the University of Phoenix. “The opp ... [Read More]

This is a guest blog post by instructional design professional, Diane Elkins.

While many people come to the world of eLearning with an instructional design background, many more come from other backgrounds such as classroom teaching or multi-media development.  So, if you are creating eLearning without an instructional design background (and don't have the two years and thousands of dollars to get a degree in it), how can you make sure you are designing good instruction? 

One thing you can do is to use your common sense and put yourself in the shoes of the various project stakeholders.  Think about the questions and concerns they are likely to have on their minds and make sure you address them.  Here are some of the top questions on their minds.

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BlackBerry users feeling left out of the mobile learning phenomenon? Well, Research in Motion (RIM) has remedied this with the release of their latest software, BlackBerry OS 6, which “drags RIM into the 21^st century,’’ according to Bloomberg News Columnist Rich Jaroslovsky. The Operating System will debut on their latest Smartphone, BlackBerry Torch, and boasts modern features, making it comparable to other contemporary Smartphones.

The new OS features an upgraded and efficient WebKit-based browser that renders HTML web pages, which is a major breakthrough for BlackBerry users hoping to view eLearning coursework from their phone. Lectora allows you to publish your training content directly to HTML ... [Read More]

Beginning this week, learning professionals and executives can submit their nominations for the sixth annual Best of Elearning! Awards. The program involves open-ended online ballots that describe product categories only, and voters nominate eLearning technology and service providers. The Best of Elearning! Awards are the only readers’ choice awards program in the industry for enterprise-wide learning products and services.

This years’ awards program has been split into the public and private sectors, each with separate ballots. The corporate executive can nominate vendors across 23 separate cate ... [Read More]

We at Trivantis are pleased to announce the release of Lectora Inspire, a groundbreaking expansion to the Lectora authoring software product line. The new product offers significant features to increase productivity and effectiveness for companies in eLearning program development. The authoring power of Lectora is bundled with Camtasia, SnagIt and Flypaper, combining industry-leading products to improve efficiency. Adding and editing video, screen capture and creating Flash content is simple in Lectora Inspire because all of your eLearning needs are in one place.

View of Lectora Inspire Title Page and Camtasia/Flypaper/SnagIt Launch Options

As eLearning gains a more prominent role in organizational training strategies, the pressure to meet delivery deadlines, compliance standards and retention ... [Read More]

One of the most interesting developments in eLearning came with the advent of Web 2.0 applications and the rise of what is called informal learning. Adding to the interest and adoption of the use of applications such as wikis, blogs and other social media is the demographic trend of baby boomers moving toward retirement in large numbers and the need to transfer their knowledge to younger generations now joining the workforce.

The debate over which technologies are best for knowledge transfer and eLearning is in full swing. Should companies use Web 2.0 media to deliver training or is it best to adopt products that are traditionally used in formal training programs? The answer lies within each organization and their needs and mandates for training. With our customers in industries with formal learning environments, required training and strict adherence to quality assurance standards, the use of learning management systems is p ... [Read More]

According to Edgar Dale’s classic “Cone of Experience,” learners retain nearly 10% of what they read, and 90% of what they say and do. Because of these overwhelming statistics, both in-house and eLearning instructors have moved to a more hands-on approach. Interactivity is widespread, and many eLearning instructors integrate simulation of a real experience, such as with serious games, within courses, which aims to continually improve learner understanding and involvement.

Serious games are computer or video games designed primarily for a purpose other than entertainment, like eLearning. Many companies who use eLearning have complimented courses with serious games, according to [Read More]