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On-line Learning Tools?

Posted by Cliff on from the your-distance-learning-assistants dept.

As a follow-up question to last year's query about distance learning tools, denny_d asks: "I've been looking around for awhile for an OS e-learning tool. Been using Viewlets for awhile and recently tested Claroline which looks very promising. Are there any other OS apps I should know about for creating learning/training environments on the web?" Have there been any new technologies or projects that have made a big splash in the Distance Learning scene in the last year? What can teachers looking to implement such courses look forward to, and what issues might they have to watch out for?

18 comments

  1. HTML? by skunkeh · · Score: 1

    Is there anything wrong with HTML as a tool for e-learning? It's easy enough to set up a site with powerpoint slide style presentation (next and previous buttons) and once you post it on the web and get it indexed it can benefit people all over the world. You can always use server side scripts for added interactivity (although personally I've never found the interactive parts of multimedia learning tools any use other than as distracting eye candy).

    1. Re:HTML? by joto · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Actually, interactive learning tools aren't all that bad when it comes to teaching a complex gui. But to actually make it better than a book involves a lot of effort. I have recently tried a really well-designed tool for learning Microsoft Excel. But it was only, say 10% better than having a good book, and the effort involved in creating it must have been a lot more.

      Flash, powerpoint, etc... comes to mind. It's the same story. They can be used for an advantage, but I would have to agree that most of the time they are only distracting.

      The advantage of interactive learning tools is that people who are not computer-literate often see everything on a computer as a game, and enjoys interacting with it, whereas they find a technical book boring. If you are offering a real course, for really interested students, it doesn't matter much, but if you're trying to get your customers/employees/etc to learn something against their will, it might be easier to force them through something many of them would consider at least somewhat fun.

      Personally, I would prefer a well-written book to anything on the web (reading from a computer screen is terrible, and switching back and forth between windows to try out examples is counterproductive).

      On the other hand, if you are offering a course, then you need to communicate with the students (and they with each other). A mailing list combined with a web-based archive (or a web-log/wiki/etc kind of thingy combined with automatical mailings about changes) might be a good idea. The problem is that they kind of limit your conversation to text and hyperlinks, but so does any distance-learning tool.

    2. Re:HTML? by jonesvery · · Score: 2

      Is there anything wrong with HTML as a tool for e-learning? It's easy enough to set up a site with powerpoint slide style presentation (next and previous buttons) and once you post it on the web and get it indexed it can benefit people all over the world.

      Nope, nothing at all wrong with HTML -- in many cases, HTML (with perhaps a little scripting thrown in) is an extremely good way to create online learning tools.

      For learning something (an OS, a software package, etc.) that is complex and GUI-based, however, Flash can sometimes offer real advantages over HTML. Instead of having a .jpg screenshot with a text description of how to select the right item from a menu and change setting in the dialog box that appears, the user can actually do it -- and if they do something wrong in the process, the Flash movie can give them feedback: "You selected 'delete all' instead of 'backup data.' Please try again to go to the next step."

      You also have the added benefit that unlike DHTML, which can sort of do many of the same things, Flash only requires that you have the plugin -- after that you don't encounter the nighmarish carnival of terror that is javascript/DHTML cross-incompatibility.

      Flash tools can be a hell of a lot of work to create, so it certainly isn't the method of choice for all online instruction, but it's a good option to have.

      --

      * * *
      It is a dada story -- it has no moral.

    3. Re:HTML? by Muggins+the+Mad · · Score: 2, Insightful

      > The advantage of interactive learning tools is that people who are not computer-literate often see everything on a computer as a game, and enjoys interacting with it, whereas they find a technical book boring.

      > Personally, I would prefer a well-written book to anything on the web (reading from a computer screen is terrible, and switching back and forth between windows to try out examples is counterproductive).

      I'd have to agree slightly and disagree slightly with you on those. I do agree that a good book is much easier and more pleasant to read from. However one area I think the computer can come into it is in the interactive part.

      I don't mean flashy animations and stuff.

      I mean things like presenting the student with a series of semi-randomly generated practice problems they can do. Then, and here's the clever bit, monitoring where they do well and where they do poorly, and presenting them with help in their weak areas and putting less focus on the areas they do well. Something a book can't do.

      We use a simple semi-random question/answer web based system at my work to give students practice at various skills. It marks the questions on the spot, and shows the student which questions they get wrong a lot or right a lot so they know where to focus. It's very simple, but it's already becoming quite popular among students. And that's not even beginning to look at all the possibilities of it automatically changing the focus of the material it gives them.

      I think we're still in the infancy of online learning systems. People are still thinking "powerpoint slides", when there's a terrific amount more we can do.

      - MugginsM

  2. When I want to learn something new. by Treeluvinhippy · · Score: 1

    I visit Slashdot. A new use for Slashcode?

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    >
  3. lot'o'goodies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you're looking for tools to make your own, yes, HTML/Flash *insert webdesign util here* will do the job. Most of the time you're looking for a website with information for you as the end user, right? I've recently been enlightened by Linux. Yes, there are alot of good resources on the net, but I must have been looking in the wrong place as a newB. I've had to turn to reading lots and lots of books (not at all a bad thing either).

    On the other hand. The company I work for has recently paid for year subscriptions to Executrain. I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of my unique user ID and password so I can feel my curiosity. I can't tell you if it's good or bad, but you can bet if it's bad, plenty of people around me will know. Has anyone recieved training from Executrain (web-based preferrably)?? If so, post it up for all to see.

    Community Colleges have some online classes that , so far, I don't enjoy. They aren't as content rich, and require you to *still* read the book (wonder why?).

    I'm interested in whatever is found and posted here on /. in the near future.

  4. Mimerdesk by mnordstr · · Score: 3, Informative

    Take a look at Mimerdesk. It looks like a very promising e-Learning tool.

    MimerDesk is an open-source group environment designed for a wide variety of uses such as web-based eLearning, carrying out projects and setting up communities. MimerDesk also has tools for personal management. A short description could be a groupware with eLearning and communication capabilities.

  5. IBM Mindspan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    http://www.ibm.com/mindspan

    A complete, modular solution.

  6. I would suggest... by NOT-2-QUICK · · Score: 1

    Though often dismissed for its common use in annoying web advertisements and over-developed corporate web sites, I have had considerable success in leveraging Flash media for the creation of web-based e-learning tools for everything from offline CBT's to online distance learning programs.

    With the introduction of the new Flash MX version, the abilities inherent to this tool are reported much expanded. This advancement in Flash media technology was discussed on Slashdot here and pays reference to this article at news.com.

    Among its benefits, Flash it cross-platform and supported by most current main-stream browsers. For more information, you can visit their website.

    --
    Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. -- Benjamin Franklin
    1. Re:I would suggest... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      See URL below for a good example of animation's effectiveness:

      http://www.hottaps.com/tapshok.htm

      (blue is pressurized, grey is not)

      Paul
      pipingdesign.com

    2. Re:I would suggest... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Also, you might want to check out Inside Flash MX: Production Essentials at the DMTS website. DMTS has worked closely with Macromedia to design and promote this training. Hope this helps

  7. Linux and MBone by matheny · · Score: 1

    If you have never heard the term MBONE check out this page for an introduction. There are also a slew of useful docs here. North Carolina State University has done some really inovative things with distance learning, Linux, and MBone. Here is a link to their Distance Education Teaching Assistant Page, which should be able to get you started. I know that the Linux Journal also ran an article on distance education back in October of 2000 and it may be at their web site.

  8. FLE3 by meta4 · · Score: 1

    FLE3 is an open source web-based learning environment meant specifically to support CSCL (computer-supported collaborative learning). Very cool.

  9. Zope, ZQuest and the such... by d-Orb · · Score: 1

    There's Zope, which has a number of projects to put courses online. I have considered using ZQuest. It is easy to use and easy to administer. Moreover, once it is installed, it is fairly easy to deal with "teacher" accounts (so that other teachers can publish their stuff). It's easy to use for the end user as well, and can be translated into a number of languages out of the box. There's a demo website for ZQuest.

  10. Shadow by Jack+Tanner · · Score: 1

    Shadow netWorkspace http://sns.internetschools.org/ is an Open Source e-learning / CSCL tool.

  11. It's not open source, but by Lord+Omlette · · Score: 2

    Check out WebCT: http://www.webct.com/

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    [o]_O
  12. KEWL by thornist · · Score: 1

    KEWL (Knowledge Environment for Web-based Learning) is a highly functional distance learning platform, incorporating course content management, assignment and marks tracking, and various communication tools. It was developed at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa - you can see it running at http://www.kewl.uwc.ac.za . The code is due to be released under GPL in the near future - the Sourceforge page is reserved but no code is there yet.

  13. Research.... by tbonium · · Score: 1
    Please direct your attention to Learning Circuits.

    Although not much on OS, you can gather a little more domain knowledge by reading thru the site.