December 30th, 2009 by Robin Green

Between convenient LMS training and more disability-friendly jobs, it’s becoming easier for adults with disabilities to find work.  Ergonomics, the science of designing technology according to human needs, has led to useful and exciting developments–not only for people with disabilities, but for everyone.

Of the 17 million disabled people who are of working age in the U.S., 12 million are unemployed. Most of these people–about 80%–report a desire to work. However, many obstacles stand in their way–including the disability itself, which can lead to a feeling of helplessness or depression. Too often, negative experiences of rejection in applying for jobs as well as other factors lead people with disabilities to focus on what they can’t do, rather than what they can. 

If you are someone with a disability looking for a job, consider a few tips. First, don’t be discouraged. Remember that especially during times like these, all job-seekers are having a tough time of it.

Assess your abilities. What activities are you good at, and what are you able to do without interference from your disability? Create a list of job possibilities based on your own unique abilities. 

When seeking a job, some employers will require an interview. Take advantage of these to gain valuable interview practice–even if you’re not very interested in the position. 

Look for the “Positive about disabled people” icon on job ads to ensure that your work environment will be well-equipped and wheelchair accessible, and/or willing to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate disabled persons. 

Contact government agencies that serve people with disabilities. There is a great deal of assistance available out there–both financial and practical. If you are in the U.S., contact a state employment office or an office of the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation to assist you with your job hunt and placement. 

Unfortunately, sometimes people with disabilities do not seek employment for fear of losing their financial assistance. To overcome this trap, try volunteering or working part-time. Gaining below a certain level of income will not affect your disability benefits. When you feel confident enough to take the next step, you can increase your hours, become full-time, and let go of your financial assistance.

Lastly, you may consider furthering your education or training. Although most disabled people have many abilities, many haven’t received formal training or education in a job skill. Therefore, employers are less likely to consider them as job candidates. 

An increasing number of schools and vocational training courses offer LMS online and other special programs for people with disabilities. As the world becomes more technologically advanced, education and employment available for people with disabilities are multiplying. Furthermore, for many of these positions and training programs, disabilities are viewed in a new light–as advantages. 

A recent MSNBC article by contributor Chris Tachibana touched on precisely this topic. 

“A new movement helps hone unique traits of disorder into valuable skills,” says Tachibana. He writes about Ron Brix, a man with Asperger Syndrome (a form of autism) whose success as a computer system developer was linked directly to his disability. His job required intense attention to detail, single-minded focus, and a willingness to work on something until it was perfect.

Online job and vocational training programs are also convenient for people with disabilities. Using an LMS or LCMS to customize a company’s or institution’s training program, the possibilities are endless in catering to a wide range of needs and learning styles. 

December 24th, 2009 by Robin Green

As you look back throughout the years of education history it is amazing to see where we started, who would have ever thought learning would be conducted online, or that someone would think up of a learning management system where online courses could be hosted and delivered? However, this is not the end of progression. Technology seems to always be ever changing as they strive to break through new realms. We even see signs of new advances as the learning management systems and online learning modules are becoming more and more advanced. They are bringing new features to the system that will facilitate easier use.

I am sure everyone has seen movies that date back to the 1700’s where the classroom consisted of 4 or 5 grade levels, students used abacuses for calculators, and classes were conducted in an overcrowded one room school house. Education quickly progressed, as schools developed, education was opened up to all children of every gender, age, ethnicity, and social class. For the first time age groups were segmented to create a more age appropriate and focused subject matter for the classroom.  Specific lesson plans were created based on the grade level that the student was in and determined what the students would be learning during that time. Now skip ahead a few Centuries to when computers were first introduced into the classroom. Sure the first computers were the size of an entire room, however, they became “streamlined” for the classroom and students were able to learn how to used the DOS system and even participate in typing classes.

From the time computers were integrated into the schools and computer classes became a mandatory subject matter in the curriculum, it was taken another step further. Now wireless internet is offered on nearly every school campus and is widely available in cafes, apartment complexes, and in the workplaces. Even in the High Schools, students no longer hand in paper assignments as all of their work is done and submitted online, the lesson plans are posted on line for each student’s course schedule along with their electronic report card that enable parents to keep tabs on their children’s progress in school . College Students are participating in higher education online with the help of the Learning Management System platform that facilitates course distribution allowing them to receive their education via distant learning programs.

It does not stop there. As education is progressively evolving and moving to the web, technology continues to advance by creating a more effective and efficient learning management system with interactive courses, virtual webinars and live instructors, as well as advanced assessment tools that are used to measure how successful the online training or online courses are. Various learning methodologies that appeal to the visual, auditory, and kinetic learners are implemented into the courses or modules to provide the students with the option to pick which method that best enables them to fully comprehend the material.  The world of technology has opened up so many opportunities that enable to further education with the state of the art learning management systems and resources. It is truly a feat to look back and see where we have started to where we are now and even looking to the future as we as see signs of the next stage where technology is taking us.

December 23rd, 2009 by Robin Green

While living and working in the industrial world has its benefits, there are also some environmental downfall, but can a Learning Management System allow you to train your workforce and increase awareness of these problems? The main problem these days is the pollution, specifically carbon and other gas emissions.  We’ve all heard of the problems being created around the world when it comes to climate change and global warming. Because of the drastic affect it is having on the environment, many corporations are now deciding to do something about it. They are implementing measures such as recycling and sustainability plans to combat carbon emissions.

However, many companies can’t afford to hire fulltime sustainability experts and are turning to online training programs and Learning Management Systems instead.  These systems will assess each company individually and calculate how much carbon emissions it’s generating. A reduction strategy will then be planned out and implemented to help reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

These assessments will conduct a full energy audit and investigate many aspects of the business including water, waste, electricity, travel, paper, and fuels and paper. These elements are then converted into the tons of carbon emissions created and the best way to cut them down. The plan is presented to the business and the carbon management company will work hand in hand with them to help achieve their goals, monitoring their progress all the way.

While implementing a Learning Management System may sound like a pretty complicated process. With
the help of the right training, it’s usually surprising to every company how easily their carbon emissions can be reduced. Studies have shown that up to 15 per cent of total gas emissions are produced by improperly trained staff.  So the first thing on the agenda is to make sure all employees are educated properly. This is usually done by holding workshops with interactive audio and video presentations, handing out educational reading material, posting signs, and engaging in various competitions, etc.

A good learning management system will allow you to train a large number of people at the same time. This can be accomplished at a relatively low cost per person as most systems charge a flat fee instead of a per-user rate.  The company’s administrators are able to create content, upload it, and assign it to employees in training at whatever pace they choose. If each employee is aware how their actions can reduce the company’s overall carbon emissions, you should see a reduction pretty quickly.

There are some very simple solutions to cutting down on emissions and reducing your carbon footprint. It can be done as easily as recycling various day- to-day items such as newspapers, cans, bottles, aluminum foil, plastics, used equipment, furniture and other materials. However, people need to be properly educated when it comes to all aspects of emissions reduction as there are many other ways to help accomplish it.

It’s not too hard to reuse and recycle things when trying to lower your company’s carbon footprint. But to be successful, it’s essential that everybody is well trained by a learning management system and does their part to chip in.

December 16th, 2009 by Robin Green

Online courses and training programs hosted on learning management systems could learn a great deal from children’s online courses. Courseware developers need to start paying more attention to what’s going on in online courses targeted toward children and young adults. 

The dynamic interactivity or “fun factor” of children’s and young adult courseware is, of course, the number one stealable characteristic. Online courses for young people are being used in all kinds of innovative and exciting ways to supplement, complement, and take the place of traditional, face-to-face courses. 

For instance, take Virtual High School (VHS), a Massachusetts-Based distance-learning program which started 13 years ago as a federal education grant project. It now has nearly 12,000 online students enrolled this semester. 

Why are programs like VHS so successful? They respond to real needs exhibited by their users–in this case, secondary schools. VHS’s online courses cater to schools that are otherwise too small to offer certain advanced courses and interesting or offbeat electives. AP and computer science courses are just two kinds of advanced courses that many smaller schools do not offer. 

Learning management system courses cater not only to schools’ needs, but to students’ interests as well. For instance, VHS’s online courses give students the chance to learn about topics that are typically reserved for college level courses. These courses include more specific or quirky course topics such as criminology, zoology, or American multiculturalism. 

Across the globe, people are more actively and independently learning, and more adults are taking online courses and training programs. Of course, the term “self-paced” can get a bad rap. People have worries like: don’t self-paced courses allow students to be lazy? Contrary to these concerns, students report that the independence online courses provide them makes for a more comfortable learning experience–one with less distractions, and more responsibility. There’s no one peering over their shoulder. 

Online courses respond to this call for new pedagogical attitudes and practices.  Inspired by pedagogies like Montessori and Waldorf, more schools–both private and public–are allowing students to explore learning content in a more hands-on and individual way. The trust in human beings’ drive to know is a critical part of this new pedagogical trend.

“The Montessori Way”, a book by Tim Seldin and Paul Eppstein, explains this idea as follows: “Montessori teachers observe children’s exploratory patterns of behavior with an implication of trust and respect. Teachers trust that a child will ‘know’ and pursue what she or he most needs in order to become an adult.” As children become adults, the things they need to know change. But whether it’s choosing to go back to school or choosing a self-help book off the shelf, such trends are a testament to people’s natural curiosity. 

But, of course, people do need deadlines and motivation to keep moving ahead. Certain expectations need to be in place, and standards enforced. That’s why quizzes, exams, projects and deadlines are all important aspects of an online course. This goes for both young and adult learners.

Online content may supplement face-to-face course work, but it should never be tacked on superficially to an in-person course. Online courses should always fulfill a concrete purpose and benefit students in ways that are tangible and evident.  Ultimately, a good learning management system course responds to the needs of the organizations and/or schools that will be using them, and also to existing trends and movements. 

December 14th, 2009 by Robin Green

A Learning Management System or LMS is used to assist students in making the most of their education. Accurate student performance assessment is an extremely important component to the system in order to remove some of the trepidation associated with second year medical studies. As such, the Histology assessment was started and a bonus structure introduced.

The student, the institution and society all affect the performance criteria. Evaluating the student’s learning strategies, the institution’s quality and societal concerns such as employment requirements all go into determining whether or not the assessment should be considered as a force to determine the learning process.

Assessment is a necessary and unavoidable element to a Learning Management System but it is important to understand how the method and frequency of assessment is liable to affect the quality of learning in the student. If assessment is comprised primarily of multiple choice questions and rote recitation of facts, deep learning can be adversely affected resulting in surface learning only. Likewise, if assessments are used too frequently without a proper absorption of the learned material the same occurs.

Neither scenario will assist the student’s learning process. Therefore it is imperative to evaluate the process of assessment to ensure it is valuable to the student’s advancement. It is necessary to ensure assessment is a positive addition to the curriculum as opposed to a detriment.

Proper assessment though is valuable in a Learning Management System and can be a highly positive aspect of the curriculum. Studies can become less mundane by equating what is being learned more fully with the student’s typical activities. This often results in a more favourable outlook to school and learning. It puts the focus on the student.

Teachers are involved to a greater degree in the assessment process than in some more traditional approaches to assessment. This allows them to garner information valuable to them on the development of the student. It gives them data in whether or not the goals of the course are being met and ultimately if the curriculum is successful.

Individual assessments and actual results drive the Learning Management System as opposed to estimated group tests. This provides a more accurate individual curriculum for the student. It can be customized to maximize results suited for the learning methods of the student for a more positive learning process.

Changes in the methods of assessment are influenced by advances in education that dictate how students are best taught. The methods of teaching change to maximize results and the methods of assessment change with it.

Teachers are embracing the changes in education and assessment as they continue to see improved results. However, simply because these changes are proving effective does not mean existing processes should be discarded entirely either. The changes in the Learning Management System are not entirely new; they are instead refinements to existing processes. Although there are many indications these changes are conducive to a better learning environment, they should not exclude traditional methods entirely.

December 9th, 2009 by Robin Green

For organizations seeking business development training, not just any LMS will be the right fit. Every LMS or LCMS offers its own training development toolkit and courses to cover a wide spectrum of organizational needs. Organizations often require training for managers and staff for new business development strategies.

For example, Lean Six Sigma is a business development strategy that doesn’t necessarily run on its own; it requires training and preparation to effectively help organizations achieve their production goals. 

Coggno’s E-Learning Marketplace includes a range of business training modules, including courses for business development strategies and certification programs. QuantumSix, the business training giant responsible for Lean Six Sigma, uses Coggno’s LMS to deploy its online training. 

What exactly is Six Sigma? Originally developed by Motorola, many businesses use it today as their business management strategy. According to Jiju Antony (”Pros and cons of Six Sigma: an academic perspective”, May 2008) the objective of Six Sigma is to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects (errors) and minimizing variability in manufacturing and business processes. Six Sigma uses statistical and other quality management methods to create a special infrastructure of experts (Black Belts, Green Belts, etc.) within the organization. Each Six Sigma project employed by an organization includes a defined sequence of steps and includes quantified targets.

The basic goal of the Six Sigma methodology is the implementation of a measurement-based strategy. This strategy focuses on improving processes through the application of  Six Sigma improvement projects.

Quantum Six (Q6) is a niche global firm that offers expertise in Business Process Management and Procurement. Its services include consulting, training development, and writing support. Q6 helps companies streamline processes and drive their financial savings.

Organizations can find quality tools in Coggno’s LMS for developing project initiation and prioritization, change management skills, financial validation of project benefits, and executive sponsorship and responsibilities.

How does Quantum Six help organizations use Lean Six Sigma? Quantum Six helps organizations who want to deploy Lean Six Sigma but aren’t sure how to do it or where to start, or who have attempted Lean Six Sigma deployment within their organization but are not achieving expected results. Another reason an organization might use Q6 is that they have established a Lean Six Sigma program that is now in need of revitalization or a boost to a new performance level. 

Q6 is just one of many business training developers that use Coggno’s LMS to upload course content for free and publicize it on Coggno’s marketplace. Course developers also have the option to syndicate their modules, thereby reaching a broader audience and having a better chance at selling their online training. 

Coggno provides course creators with all the tools necessary to create a unique and customized course, including an easy-to-use text editor, assessment, quiz and video tools, screen recording and interactive, Flash-based applications. Using Coggno’s LMS, course developers maintain control over both the creation and deployment of their training modules. 

December 3rd, 2009 by Robin Green

In my Thanksgiving eve post “Choosing a Learning Management System: Three Major Factors to Guide You”, I asserted that the three most important factors to choosing an LMS are your budget, your audience, and your goals and objectives.

Well, I’ve done some rethinking since that post. Perhaps those three points were a little unevenly divided. After all, considerations of budget and audience are fairly straightforward–not much to explore within those topics. On the other hand, within the factor of goals and objectives are hundreds of mini-factors. Many of these involve imagination, creativity, and optimism, tempered by a healthy dose of realism. 

In fact, there are a few balancing acts going on. Finding the right mixture and balance in your learning management system course is everything. 

It isn’t necessarily best to pack a course full of head-spinningly dynamic material–the highs and lows should be woven in to give the course texture and a nice flow. Perhaps you don’t need a learning management system course that involves lots of Flash-based animation or gaming. On the other hand, you certainly don’t want dull, dry content anchored exclusively in text. Obviously, a non-engaging online course is sure to be a flop with your students. 

But let’s think about your objectives and goals for your course. First of all, why deliver your training online? What does an LMS provide that you can’t find in another system?

You already know that the right combination of different useful software applications makes a powerful LCMS or learning management system. You just need the right combination for your purposes. 

What features do you want to need your LMS to have? Would your students benefit, for example, from video content like demos and simulations? Is there a certain process or procedure that would be best taught using both visual and audio media? 

You may want your learning management system to have some kind of Flash-based app. One example is Rapid Intake Unison, which allows course developers and subject matter experts to capture, storyboard, develop, review, test, and publish Flash-based learning content. 

Applications like Rapid Intake Unison are user-friendly to all content developers–even people who aren’t Flash geniuses. In fact, users don’t even need to know Flash. All you have to do is fill out form-based templates to create interactive Flash-based courses, tests, quizzes, learning games, demos and simulations.

Besides specific multimedia features you want your course to include, consider timelines. What is your goal for training completion? Consider not only the amount of time your students will realistically be able to devote to the course (both onsite and offsite), but the available time of the person administering the training. Is it necessary that the course has both in-person and online components? Regardless of the answer to this question, how much time can the person administering the training spend daily, weekly, and/or monthly on this training initiative? 

Take advantage of your learning management system’s assessment tools and automated grading system. The automation of these unsavory aspects of instruction is able to save instructors a great amount of time. After all, it’s ultimately wise to quiz students on a regular basis to ensure that they have understood and absorbed the learning content.

Too often, it becomes evident in the post-training period that employees are not actually employing the new skills and processes they’ve recently been trained in. Besides creative and engaging learning content, the most effective way to make this information stick is to frequently quiz students on the material. In this and other ways, a learning management system is often able to help instructors and training content developers achieve training goals and objectives efficiently and cost-effectively. 

December 2nd, 2009 by Melissa

Here is what an ‘Invest for Your 401K’ online training can teach you…401k can best be described as a retirement scheme for employees in the United States. Just like any retirement scheme, 401k takes a portion of a salaried individual’s yearly income and puts it away in some kind of a security that adjusts for the time value of money and sometimes for high cash flows as well. The really interesting thing about the 401k scheme is that employees can use it as a tax saving instrument.

This works with a simple principle. An online training teaches you how an employee can actually reduce his or her deductible salary in a given year by contributing just enough to the 401k so that he or she doesn’t fall within a specific tax bracket. In addition, the money that is put away is completely untaxed and only taxed when the money is withdraw – usually, at the age of 59 or so. With the appreciation in asset value due to investment in securities or bonds, this can almost be cancelled out and would make for the perfect nest egg.

This situation would seem to be near perfect but there are some problems in this system – as it was with many high profile cases like the crash of a major energy company. Some of the online training released on the Internet teaches the audience how investments work at a global level. Investments, in any part of the world, are subject to the vagaries of economics and there is sometimes no greater feat than equity valuation and projection in to the future.

In the case of the energy company, the employees of the company were enticed into investing their 401k investments into the company’s own stock. When the company was shut down for fraud, the stocks were worthless along with the hard-earned retirement money of individuals.

The current economic recession just echoes the fears of the past but this time, it would seem that there is nowhere to run to; therefore, it is of prime importance that you put on the investor cap and wall street suit yourself – if not to invest, to understand where your money is going to be for the next decades. A crucial step in this regard is to get online training on the nuances and principles of equity valuation, market dynamics, and retirement planning laws. Each of these aspects is quite weighty but quite logical. The point is not to become the next investment banker; rather, someone who knows where the right markets are when the chips are down.

There are many online training courses available in the subjects of equity valuation, market dynamics, and law. These can be purchased online as complete curriculums or as individual pieces to understand. It is advisable that you invest the time and money in a paid service because the study material is well arranged and you may also have access to experts that you would like to dart questions to.

Even better would be if you could get an online training that allows you to simulate an investment game where you could decide the best markets, instruments, and countries to invest in. These techniques will sharpen your skills the next time global pundits talk about a recession and even survive the current one.