Training

eLearning Summit Nottingham August 2008

To see the links on this page you will need to have a browser capable of viewing Dynamic HTML (Explorer 5.5, Netscape 8.1.2, FireFox 1.5 and later). You will also have to enable "pop-ups". The applications are optimised for Internet Explorer.

Creating applications on a budget and to time
Many online applications consist of text, graphics and animations. Interaction is added by allowing the user to hide and show various objects, drag objects, and input data. The key to a successful application is the way that all these elements are combined.

A range of standard templates have been created that produce attractive interactive screens, but this is only half the story. A form based content entering tool has been created that allows the user to type text information directly into the form, or to import text from Word or PowerPoint documents. Graphics are imported into the content entering tool and the author can positions these in the appropriate positions (start and end points of interactions).

Lecture: Creating applications on a budget and to time

This lecture refers to a word document "Experimental Measurements" that is a short lesson on Accuracy and Precision, which introduces experimental errors. The lecture contains three screens from the lesson. The complete lesson can be seen using the link:

Lesson: Experimental Measurements

Thinking outside the box on a budget
The problem with computer based packages is that they tend to force the learner down predefined routes. How do you add flexibility and yet keep the costs down?

This session explores the ways that the more flexibility can be added to an application and shows how these are built out of the standard building blocks. However, these bespoke screens are time consuming to create and hence expensive. If the interactions can be broken down to standard template screens then the production costs can be greatly reduced.

There are three parts to the lecture the first part looks at diagnostic testing. It is mentioned that the order in which the students took readings could be recorded. A demonstration of the tracking can be seen by clicking here.

The second part of the lecture also looks at the way elearning using templates can be used to assess "procedural activities". Mentioned, but not shown in the lecture is the bespoke lesson and assessment. The first section shows you how "procedural activity" is taught. The second part shows how "bespoke" software is used to assess the "procedural activity".

The scenario students are asked to take a current measurement on an electrical circuit consisting of a battery, switch, fuse and two resistors in series. To see the lesson and assessment click on: Lesson: Bespoke Procedural Training and Assessment. The lecture: "Thinking Outside the Box on a Budget" includes the template based assessment, but if you would like to see this separately click on the application: Procedural Assessment using Templates. This application also shows the standard feedback built into the application.

The third part of the lecture looks how templates can be used to assess the student's ability to rearrange equations and input the numbers into the equation.

Lecture: Thinking outside the box on a budget.

All applications were created using "Toolbook". The lectures given at the conference were as shown above. So there was not much work, converting the talk given at the conference to the online learning package.