May 29th, 2009 by Robin Green

When I was growing up, educational concepts like eLearning, virtual classrooms, learning management systems (LMSs), and Web 2.0 integration simply did not exist. We had computer class once a week, and then in our tweens AOL instant messaging  was just becoming all the rage.

Technology for educational use wasn’t quite there yet for most of us 80s babies. For example, the option of making a video for class project was always a touchy subject for some of us (like myself.)

I dreaded group projects in elementary, high school and middle school. If your group happened to include a student whose family owned a camcorder, you had it made. If not, there were always boring posters and other visuals you could make…but these weren’t quite as exciting.

Somehow, my group never included one of those hip students with no problems accessing video equipment. Though most middle-class families must have owned camcorders by then, mine did not, and it was always with a mix of gratitude (for sparing us another insufferable poster presentation), enjoyment and envy that I watched the video projects put together by my more high-tech, creative, and, well, usually generally better-off classmates. 

Of course, in the fifteen or so years since then, a lot has changed. Video sharing sites and cheap video camera tools allow anyone to become producers of their own movies. And easy-to-use educational tools like LMSs and eLearning software allow educators and course developers to easily create videos to share with students, and resources to share with other educators. 

For example, Coggno’s LMS and course creation toolkit offer an easy-to-use video tool with some interesting features for educators and course developers. Its simple format allows video creation with just a few clicks, making it accessible for both educators and students.

Creating and incorporating videos using an LMS can transform lessons, activities and even entire courses. And other robust tools in Coggno’s LMS toolkit offer a check-and-balance system. Learning content featured in videos can be checked for understanding using other course tools like quiz and assessment tools.

And for educators who are looking for a video-sharing website, but are wary of incorporating outside Web 2.0 technologies like YouTube into their classrooms, there are educational video-sharing sites such as TeacherTube.

TeacherTube, created in 2007 by a Texan superintendent, is one example of how Web 2.0 is creeping creatively into our LMS-based and online learning systems. 

More and more teachers are using TeacherTube as an aid for lesson plans and a place to post student projects. TeacherTube now has over 50,000 videos posted, and also features activities and competitions for schools such as classroom makeover contests. 

A video is an effective tool for prompting LMS students to interpret and analyze instructional material. And why not allow students themselves to create video projects, whether it’s for an online or traditional course? 

Studies find that when students are allowed to take a piece of knowledge and create something with it, their understanding of the topic is much more thorough than if they were to simply take in the material. 

Moreover, these days camera equipment is less expensive and more accessible to the general public. Using an LMS, students are able to upload their own videos to share their interpretation and creative expression of the learning material with other learners as well as their instructors. 

Students can engage in an exciting and collaborative learning activity using LMS video creation tools and/or sites like TeacherTube. Tools provided by LMS systems like Coggno allow students and educators to develop creative and collaborative learning content within a controlled and safe setting. LMSs like Coggno offer a user-friendly video tool for creating engaging instructional videos. 

February 24th, 2009 by Robin Green

Say you’re playing a video for students as part of a learning system lesson. Sure, everyone may be enjoying the video, but it’s your duty to be strong! Remember: You have concrete goals for this lesson, and you won’t let something like pure, passive enjoyment foil them. 

Press the pause button. When integrating videos into a classroom learning system, the pause button is your best ally. The pause button is there to help you achieve success in video effectiveness.

Be lavish. Use the pause button as often as you like. Stop a scene and have students predict what will happen next. Stop a line of dialogue and let students predict the next line. Freeze-frame a scene and have students evaluate what they are watching. Press pause and ask rapid-fire questions to check for students’ critical viewing. When you take advantage of the power of Pause, you transform a passive viewing experience into an interactive learning system.

February 24th, 2009 by Robin Green

When selecting a video to enhance an LMS course or classroom learning system, be sure to watch and evaluate the entire video before deciding to use it. Take notes and write down details such as: what is the content? What are the important points? How long is the video? Is the content appropriate for your learning system? Would your students enjoy watching it? 

How would you evaluate your students’ comprehension of the content? Are their instructor or study guides to aid you? And so on. A thorough assessment of a video under consideration will not only help you decide whether or not it’s right for your learning system, but will also help you determine exactly how the video will be used.

February 24th, 2009 by Robin Green

A video can be used to introduce a language topic, motivate students, or as a reward after an exam. Language students can watch short clips via an LMS and study “real life situations.” 

Another group activity for a video-aided language learning system is a character study. Ask students to focus on each character in the show or movie, using vocabulary words to describe a their personalities. Who is the hero/villain? For weaker or younger students, have them listen for specific vocabulary or adjectives, or verbs in the present/past tense, etc. 

Keep in mind that an important aspect of integrating video into a learning system is organization. Prepare pre-video questions and activities, as well as post-viewing comprehension activities. Divide students into groups and discuss the answers.  

January 16th, 2009 by Robin Green

So you’ve gathered your materials and want to create an online course to host on a learning management system. Before submitting it to a courseware syndicator like Coggno, you’ll want to ensure that your course is designed and organized in its ideal format. Doug Madden of Honolulu Community College provides some criteria for an effective LMS course. 

A good online course, of course, is based on the author’s expertise and personal experience. And because of the infinite rainbow of course subjects that exist, and the different kinds of online learners and pedagogical styles, not every criterion will necessarily apply to your LMS course. Remember that your good taste trumps any suggestion provided here.

In an online course where a mentor or teacher is involved, early communication with students is helpful. This includes pre-course basic training on how to navigate the online course and LMS as well as participate in collaborative systems. Another way to guide students in course navigation is through videos. Video tours like those of Coggno’s various features will walk your students through their new online environment and make them feel more comfortable when they get started.

December 18th, 2008 by Robin Green

Creating and incorporating videos on a learning management system can transform lessons, activities and even entire courses. Learning management systems like Coggno offer an easy-to-use video tool for creating engaging videos. 

But how can teachers and course creators avoid the passive learning behavior that videos are capable of prompting? When creating your video, keep your students in mind.

Create videos that command the attention of your students with instructions that speak directly to them. Students should be alert and engaged with the video, ready for instructions to take notes and answer questions. Tests and quizzes created on a learning management system can be featured at the end of a video to ensure that students were paying attention to the material. 

December 17th, 2008 by Robin Green

It’s a tattered cliché I’m guilty of using–”A picture says a thousand words.” But it’s true. Combine a picture with sound and movement, and the words start to add up. When we watch videos, we’re taking in endless details and information. While television becomes more and more stuffed with images and sounds, we’ve become more passive watchers. As video content becomes more gaudy and loud, our defense is to tune out a bit, to avoid mental overload. 

One problem with implementing LMS hosted videos in a course is the potential for passive learning behavior. When students sit in front of a screen watching a demo or other LMS content, they may instinctively start to tune out a little. When creating LMS videos, it’s essential to keep in mind and respect the sensibilities of your learners, and engage without trying to dazzle. 

December 10th, 2008 by Robin Green

Thinking about designing a team-building online course? Or do you have a team-building learning system ready to upload to an online course distributor? Enter Coggno. Using Coggno’s text tool, video tool, template tool, question bank, assessment tool and quiz features, you’ll have everything you need to create a robust team-building learning system.

After your course is uploaded to Coggno, you’re free to syndicate it as well, allowing other relevant web publishers to publish and sell your learning system on their websites. You have complete control over which sites you wish to publish your content, and how much revenue you’d like to share with them each time you make a sale. Choosing to syndicate your course means that you’ll enjoy more publicity for your product, as well as expanding your revenue. Take a tour of Coggno’s suite of tools and find out how simple course creation can be.