Saw this on Tweeter a few weeks ago, and finally had a use for it. To create a really great set of instructions, create a Captivate project which demos the steps you want taken. Publish it as you normally would. Then publish your project, again, to Word (or pdf if you have that option) as a set of Step by Step instructions. Adjust and fill out the instructions as necessary in word, then publish it as a .pdf. Open the pdf in Acrobat Professional and then embed the .swf file from your original publication.
Voila, there you have it!
Hmmm maybe I will try and make one with the instructions on how to make one... LOL!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Must remember to Google first....
hmm been a while since my last post... guess I was on summer holidays. :o)
I had an interesting experience the other day. I was tasked with getting some graphics out a pdf. I thought that, if it was possible, it would take me a couple of hours working photoshop in order to lift the graphics. Not something I was looking forward to doing. I started on the first graphic and after about 10 minutes realized that this was not going to work. Then on a whim figuring someone else had done this before, I googled my problem... it turns out there is menu tab that enables you to lift the images from a pdf. 10 minutes later, I was finished.
This for some reason drove home the notion that it may be worth while to check out Google whenever I get a new request..
Must remember to Google first...
Must remember to Google first...
Must remember to Google first...
Must remember to Google first...
I had an interesting experience the other day. I was tasked with getting some graphics out a pdf. I thought that, if it was possible, it would take me a couple of hours working photoshop in order to lift the graphics. Not something I was looking forward to doing. I started on the first graphic and after about 10 minutes realized that this was not going to work. Then on a whim figuring someone else had done this before, I googled my problem... it turns out there is menu tab that enables you to lift the images from a pdf. 10 minutes later, I was finished.
This for some reason drove home the notion that it may be worth while to check out Google whenever I get a new request..
Must remember to Google first...
Must remember to Google first...
Must remember to Google first...
Must remember to Google first...
Friday, June 12, 2009
Customer Service through Twitter
Last Wednesday, I was working at home using a trial version of CodeBaby (great piece of software!). However, when I went to export my project, I got a series of errors and the files it produced were not usable, the image and sound were all garbled. So I went on line to check the website to see if there was a solution.
Now, earlier in the day, I had twittered about using CodeBaby and went I went back online, someone named Patrick had twittered me back, asking what kind of project I was working on. I responded an introduction for a conference, but that I was having some export issues. Patrick responded that they would be glad to help me, and suggested that I contact, via Twitter, Amanda in Customer Service.
So I contacted Amanda and sent her a screen capture of what I was seeing.
As she was looking for a solution, Patrick twitter me back and asked if I was using a purchased or trial version and noted that I had spoken with Doug, one the VPs and asked if I would like Doug to give me a call. Twenty minutes later, I was speaking with Doug, and five minutes after that I was speaking with Joe, another one of the Customer Service Reps. Joe helped me trouble shoot the problem and we figured out what was causing my exports to fail.
What I did not realize until somewhere in the middle, was that Charles was the CEO of the CodeBaby!
Further more even though, I was only using a Trial version, he and the rest of the company was willing to assist me. Working at Service Canada and being one of the Learning Consultants for our Service Excellence Program, I find I am now much more attuned to Good Customer Service, and this was definitely for me a good experience. And to think I did most of my initial interactions using Twitter.
Now, earlier in the day, I had twittered about using CodeBaby and went I went back online, someone named Patrick had twittered me back, asking what kind of project I was working on. I responded an introduction for a conference, but that I was having some export issues. Patrick responded that they would be glad to help me, and suggested that I contact, via Twitter, Amanda in Customer Service.
So I contacted Amanda and sent her a screen capture of what I was seeing.
As she was looking for a solution, Patrick twitter me back and asked if I was using a purchased or trial version and noted that I had spoken with Doug, one the VPs and asked if I would like Doug to give me a call. Twenty minutes later, I was speaking with Doug, and five minutes after that I was speaking with Joe, another one of the Customer Service Reps. Joe helped me trouble shoot the problem and we figured out what was causing my exports to fail.
What I did not realize until somewhere in the middle, was that Charles was the CEO of the CodeBaby!
Further more even though, I was only using a Trial version, he and the rest of the company was willing to assist me. Working at Service Canada and being one of the Learning Consultants for our Service Excellence Program, I find I am now much more attuned to Good Customer Service, and this was definitely for me a good experience. And to think I did most of my initial interactions using Twitter.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Lying for Learning
I read an interesting blog post the other day, about Lying for Learning. The storey is that there was a professor who on the first day of classes told his students that in every lecture, he will plant a falsehood. There job was to find it, correct it and report back on it in the next class.
At first the falsehoods were easy to spot. Sometimes the students were even able to correct it and report it before the end of class, but as the year went on, it got harder to spot, and so the students started to form groups to identify and then correct the falsehood. This got the students to start questioning everything the prof had said and discussing and validating everything from the class.
What a brilliant idea! He challenged them, and as a result they ended up reviewing and analysing everything he had said. Which I am sure lead to a deeper understanding and knowledge of the course material.
Finally towards the end of the course, the students had a lecture in which they could not not find the falsehood. When they finally admitted it in class, the Prof admitted that in the last lecture there had been no falsehoods. Some of the students pointed out that he had said in the very first class, that there would be a falsehood in every class. His response:
I lied.
Beautiful!!! Now how can I use this in one of my courses?
At first the falsehoods were easy to spot. Sometimes the students were even able to correct it and report it before the end of class, but as the year went on, it got harder to spot, and so the students started to form groups to identify and then correct the falsehood. This got the students to start questioning everything the prof had said and discussing and validating everything from the class.
What a brilliant idea! He challenged them, and as a result they ended up reviewing and analysing everything he had said. Which I am sure lead to a deeper understanding and knowledge of the course material.
Finally towards the end of the course, the students had a lecture in which they could not not find the falsehood. When they finally admitted it in class, the Prof admitted that in the last lecture there had been no falsehoods. Some of the students pointed out that he had said in the very first class, that there would be a falsehood in every class. His response:
I lied.
Beautiful!!! Now how can I use this in one of my courses?
Colorschemer
Recently on the Rapid Elearning Blog, Tom wrote about 9 free tools that help him build better elearning courses and i wanted to single one out for this blog post.
ColorSchemer
By selecting a colour and entering its RGB or Hex number, Colorschemer will provide you with a palette of colours you can use in the design of your elearning course.
By creating a palette of colours you can add a greater sense of connectedness to your course, especially if you base your palette off over a logo or other predominate object in the course. Also having a unique and related colour palette will help your course, I believe in achieving a more professional and polished look.
(The colour scheme for our college's green)
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Pocket Mods
This is a pretty cool piece of Flash work. I always enjoy finding creative sites like this. http://pocketmod.com/v2/ allows you, using a single piece of paper to create an 8 page mini booklet with what ever content you wold like.
I have seen this site spoken about before, generally for the creation of schedules for conferences, but have not gone and looked at the site in some time. Now however, there is so much more that can be done... storyboards, grids, etc. This would be neat to include in our multiday courses or as a take away "crib" notes from a course. Very cool stuff indeed!
I have seen this site spoken about before, generally for the creation of schedules for conferences, but have not gone and looked at the site in some time. Now however, there is so much more that can be done... storyboards, grids, etc. This would be neat to include in our multiday courses or as a take away "crib" notes from a course. Very cool stuff indeed!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Photo Web Site
Almost everyone who works with me knows of my intense dislike of clipart. (I should clarify, it is the "standard" clipart I dislike, and how it is generally used in course and other learning materials). So I am always on the look out for good photo sites. I recently came across this site: http://everystockphoto.com/ and am really enjoying it. It links to free photos (doubel check the lisence agreements just in case) and searchs several sites including Flickr.
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