Arousing interests in students for e-learning courses through creative means

There is no dearth of e-learning courses around the globe. But the question is: are these courses really enhancing the knowledge of children? While researching on this subject I came across staggering results. I found that although the numbers of e-learning courses have increased considerably in recent past; students are still unable to derive 100% benefit from these courses. I know 100% benefit is a mere myth and cannot be achieved in one grasp; but still there has to be a way through which students retain majority of portion in one go without any outside interface or pressure from parents. Once that has been done, the real worth of e-learning courses can be derived.
It is often said that content is the king. This is absolutely true for good e-learning courses. Although designing an e-learning course is also an integral part of the big deal; without game-changing content, it is very difficult to arouse interest in the minds of the students. Now this is a very big deal, because if you make students yearn for your course; half of your problem is solved. With so much competition, the expectations are quite high in terms of quality content delivery and on top of it; the other criteria is that content should be in sync with the designs of the website. This is really a high pressure situation, because you need to be at the top of your game to succeed at this level.
Tutors also need to be in regular touch with the students so that they can provide proper guidance to them after specific period for instance; weekly or fortnightly as per their convenience. This will enable students to get personalized touch from the tutors. The major objective of providing personalized touch in e-learning courses is to make students genuinely interested in the course. They can then ask relevant questions to the tutors thereby getting additional knowledge on the subjects.
Although every e-learning course provider rhetorically knows about these basic ideas they are not able to transform them into realities. Now this is a big problem; and this question always remains unanswered: How does one arouse interests in students through e-learning courses? I know you are jumping off your seats and are saying every other fellow knows the answer. But is the answer really that simple? Are we really able to understand the needs of the students? What are the different factors which make or break the success of an e-learning course? In this blog; I will try to answer all these questions and hopefully when I end this blog; you will have a rough idea of what exactly is required in terms of creativity to encourage students to study hard for the respective courses? How can you make a boring subject interesting for the students?
Now remember that when I talk about students I am talking about children within age group of 4-15 years. This is the age where children learn from their surroundings and are able to grasp things quite easily. This is also the age wherein; the inbuilt creativity in children can be developed without any force or compulsion. The basic objective of an e-learning course should be to encourage the students to use their creativity and get innovative solutions on their own by solving the problems. Remember that getting a different solution for a problem every time does not make a child dumb. It is our perception which makes things right or wrong. Once we have adapted to the way a child thinks, it will be very easy to design a course curriculum which will not only impart knowledge; but also enhance the creativity in children.
I am yet to come across an e-learning course which takes the point discussed earlier into consideration; while designing the course curriculum. This is a very sad thing because it also shows that e-learning course providers are not able to understand the needs of the children and hence, are failing to create interests in students. So, the very first point to consider while arousing interest in students is to THINK LIKE A CHILD; and design the course curriculum keeping in mind the creativity aspect of children that can be enhanced through designing innovative course curriculum.
Thinking like a child is not an easy thing. You might also question me: what do you mean by creating a course curriculum presuming yourself as a child? Now this is a very important question, which needs to answered in detail; because most of the e-learning course providers miss out on understanding this simple criteria; and end up messing up with their entire course curriculum.
You will not end up with the same fate; as you have already begun the success journey which will guarantee that your course is quite different and unique from other e-learning course providers. Remember when you were a child there were three most important things which created interests in your minds. Let me list these three things:

• Engagement
• Competition
• Rewards

Let me explain each of these points in detail with a scenario-based example which will clear the concepts in your mind:

• Engagement: Imagine your childhood days are back again. You are sitting on your couch playing video game. As you cross each level the excitement arouses and you are totally involved in the game. In other words you are engaged in that activity which keeps you from doing other activities till you have completed the game thoroughly. Now get back to the present and visualize whether the course content that you have developed has engaging points in it. Whether it can keep a child involved for a majority of their time without diverting to other activities?

If your answer is yes; then you have found the perfect winning formulae for designing the e-learning course. In that case you do not have to read further. But if you are still confused and are asking the same question i.e., How to engage children in the course curriculum? The answer lies within the problem. Create the curriculum in such a manner that it seems like fun to the children. Make it so engaging that they do not wish you get off their study room till they have completed the specific chapter or the desired objective. You can do it with interactive videos or pictures that engage students to the course. You can also create a unique concept which will give you the first-mover advantage over other e-learning course providers. The key to the solution is to think creatively and differently from others. Remember if your course is not different or unique then it will not survive the tough competition in the market. Be very proactive research a lot and come up with creative solutions. By being creative and different you are giving yourself an opportunity to engage the children to your e-learning course. That should be the ultimate bate to attract parents and children.

• Competition: Remember the good old times in your childhood when you used to have a healthy competition amongst your friends while playing cricket or football to become a wicket keeper or goal keeper. Try to visualize the kind of competition that used to take place to bat first or to keep the wickets while playing cricket. Likewise try to remember the competition that used to take place to fight for your place as a goal keeper while playing football. Counting the number of runs or goals scored by each individual to prove your mantle in the entire group and surpassing that figure to become the ultimate winner used to be your sole objective.

Likewise, in the present scenario, games have changed; but with the help of social networking sites it is always possible to share your academic scores with your colleagues, so that there is healthy competition amongst all the children and everyone can give their best to achieve their academic goals. Thinking out-of-the-box can also be quite profitable for an e-learning course provider; as they can cater to an all-together new market. For example; integrating games with course curriculum can increase the potential of success for the e-learning courses.

• Rewards: As a child, remember the enthusiasm that you used to feel while getting a reward for a sport. It was considered to be a big achievement. Likewise when children are rewarded for the dedication and application that they show for learning and scoring good marks in the quiz; it results in positive reinforcement. This is the ultimate game changing moment for the e-learning course provider since; they now have all the cards in their hands; and deep down in their heart they know that their course is an instant success with the children. They can then experiment with something unique and different for the betterment of the course curriculum.  

In the end; I would like to conclude this blog by highlighting couple of things which will give an opportunity to e-learning course providers to get success with flying colors.

• Always give importance to learning and knowledge rather than marks and ranking system.
• Even if a child does not score well encourage him/her with positive feedback so that they can get back to studies and perform well in the next quiz/exam.

About emPower
emPower  is a leading provider of comprehensive Healthcare Compliance Solutions through Learning Management System (LMS). Its mission is to provide innovative security solutions to enable compliance with applicable laws and regulations and maximize business performance. empower provides range of courses to manage compliance required by regulatory bodies such as OSHA, HIPAA, Joint commission and Red Flag Rule etc. Apart from this emPower also offers custom demos and tutorials for your website, business process management and software implementation.

Its Learning Management system (LMS) allows students to retrieve all the courses 24/7/365 by accessing the portal. emPower e-learning training program is an interactive mode of learning that guides students to progress at their own pace.
For additional information, please visit http://www.empowerbpo.com.

Online learning: pedagogy, technology and opening up higher education

Is online learning the answer to widening participation in higher education? Photograph: Stringer Shanghai/Reuters

Higher education has always been fond of its acronyms and they don't get much more prolific than the current four letters doing the rounds. From the December 2011 launch of MITx Stateside to the University of Edinburgh's decision to join the Coursera platform, MOOCs (or Massive Open Online Courses) have barely been off the education news menu. Nor was the Observer alone in recently asking: "Do online courses spell the end for the traditional university?"

Of course, the provision of off-campus higher education is not a recent development. The Open University has championed open and distance learning since 1969 – from its original correspondence courses and late-night TV broadcasts to the latest research and development conducted by its Institute of Educational Technology.

By definition, online learning is the meeting of technology and pedagogy – and universities are still exploring the right balance between the two. In his 2011 slideshare, Guillermo Ramirez outlines 'five big mistakes of virtual education', from the use of the term massive ("you don't have one course of 250, you have 250 courses of one") to the risk of tech taking the fun out of the education process.

MOOC cheerleaders point to their potential for widening access to higher education. "I can see openings where MOOCs might find a useful place in HE," says Jeff Haywood at Edinburgh, "enabling those in less privileged HE settings to access courses in subjects that they cannot take ... and for teachers in universities to pick up new ideas as to how to teach and learn online." And as PhD student Bonnie Stewart blogged for us: "It is this participatory element ... that enables open online experiences to offer value, even to those of us already studying in conventional institutions."

But while take-up is growing so too are drop-outs. An article in the Atlantic cited drop-out rates of 80-95% from MOOCs offered by Stanford, MIT and UC Berkley, before provocatively suggesting "if anything the low rate of success is a sign of the system's efficiency". Meanwhile Patrick McGhee, vice-chancellor of the University of East London, warns: "There is a danger that MOOCs will reinforce rather than disrupt a two-tier education system in the US, and eventually in the UK, with campus-based learning as premium elite education and online learning as a basic offering."

Where do you sit in this debate? And what models are working best for students – and universities? In partnership with the Open University, this week's live chat will consider the new landscape of online learning and how it might open, widen and formalise access to quality higher education. Join our expert panel to talk MOOCs and more on Friday 23 November from 12-2pm GMT.

The debate will take place in the comments section below this article

Josie Taylor is director of the Institute of Educational Technology at the Open University with more than 20 years' experience in research, development and evaluation of interactive media and innovative pedagogies

Peter Scott is director of the Knowledge Media Institute at the Open University @peter_scott

John Daniel served as a university president for 17 years in Canada (Laurentian University) and the UK (The Open University) before joining UNESCO as assistant director-general for education in 2001 and assuming the presidency of the Commonwealth of Learning in 2004

Helen Keegan is senior lecturer in interactive media/social technologies at the University of Salford and a UK national teaching fellow at Higher Education Academy @heloukee

David Kernohan is responsible for the JISC/Academy OER programme and other work around learning resources and activities @dkernohan

Tony Bates is president and CEO of Tony Bates Associates Ltd, a private company specialising in the planning and management of e-learning and distance education

Jesse Stommel is assistant professor of English and digital humanities at Marylhurst University in Portland @Jessifer

Jeff Haywood is vice-principal for knowledge management, chief information officer and librarian at the University of Edinburgh

Bonnie Stewart is a writer, PhD student and sessional lecturer in the University of Prince Edward Island's faculty of education @bonstewart

David Glance is director of the University of Western Australia's Centre for Software Practice. The UWA CSP is currently collaborating with Stanford University to build a MOOC platform Class2Go @david_glance

Michael Thomas is senior lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire and editor of a four-volume major work on online learning

This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. To get more articles like this direct to your inbox, sign up for free to become a member of the Higher Education Network.

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Social Studies Slogans: Make Your Own Memes

I chose this slogan because it contains domain specific vocabulary and demonstrates the courage of George Washington and the faith he had in his troops.

You’ve seen them in emails, on Facebook, even the Today Show features memes that have gone viral.  Students can create their own memes using Haiku Deck on their iPads.

Follow these steps:

Create a new presentation and choose a themeAdd an image from your camera roll to set as the backgroundAdd your slogan and format the text so it works with your image

Check out my common core aligned lesson plan using this app in the classroom!

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Why online courses can never totally replace the campus experience

The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences on the campus of Harvard University. Who wouldn't want a degree from Harvard for free? Photograph: Matthew J Lee/Boston Globe/Getty Images

I have never liked the idea that in the future we should think of students as "customers" with a relationship to universities defined by money. For me, students are primarily learners – a controversial position, I readily concede, but in my defence I see this in the context of new models, new institutions, new technologies and new relationships for learning.

There are some who argue that the future of learning and the student experience is online. Such projections are as old as the internet itself, but they have recently enjoyed renewed interest through the idea of moocs (massive open online courses) where universities provide open access to their learning content through online platforms. Some serious brands have tentatively engaged with the model such as MIT, Harvard, Princeton and Berkeley. These platforms include Udacity and the Khan Institute. One of these, EdX, has said it hopes to teach a billion students; another, Coursera, advertises with the strapline "Take the World's Best Courses, Online, For Free".

On the surface this might appear to be a serious threat to some campus institutions: what simpleton wouldn't want a degree from Harvard for free? Of course, that is not what is, was, or ever will be on offer, but such headlines are irresistible. So far, most mainstream institutions have breezily dismissed the idea of moocs as a genuine threat, specifically because there is no credit or certification offered with these courses (nor, for that matter, much academic or pastoral support either, though you might get a certificate of completion).

Well, some of that might be changing very quickly. Last week, the American Council on Education (ACE) announced the launch of a project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to evaluate the suitability of courses in moocs for academic credit and then how to award such credit when students have paid for and completed an invigilated assessment. Interestingly, the project's other two strands involve a "presidential innovation lab" (to facilitate "conversations about new academic and financial models inspired by the disruptive potential of moocs") and research into effective pedagogic practice. A "presidential innovation lab" sounds like the ultimate oxymoron to me and research into online pedagogy is nothing new, even if often heralded as such. But I digress.

The broader social agenda here, of course, is in part creating low-cost higher education at the US community college level, with better completion rates. However, there is a danger that moocs with elective assessment and credit will reinforce rather than disrupt a two-tier education system in the US, and eventually in the UK, with campus-based learning as premium elite education and online learning as a basic offering. Helping the poor get a better version of what is ultimately a derivational form of education is a feeble kind of disruption and more of a reproduction of structural educational disadvantage.

Whatever the merits of moocs, and there are many, I instinctively find myself thinking about experiences that cannot be meaningfully created online. For example, at my own institution we have a large "going global" programme where students who might not otherwise get the opportunity are funded to travel overseas on innovative placements. These have included working with Georgian NGOs, Brazilian deforestation prevention teams and Ugandan sexual-health projects.

Similarly, we have an undergraduate research internship scheme where students work alongside our professors, not only gaining advanced methodological and laboratory skills, but also getting a chance to demystify the research culture and open up further research study as an option. More prosaically, I really do not expect to see our practical BSc sport therapy going on to a mooc any day soon.

For me, the answer is Customised Global Collaborative Environments, a concept I have been working on now for the better part of several minutes. In this model, students at universities engage with communities of peers around the world to examine practical and theoretical issues from multiple points of view. But mostly they would help to connect real shared experiences across people, time and space – because in the end that is what education is really about, what computers alone cannot deliver and what student customers, through money alone, cannot buy.

• Professor Patrick McGhee is vice-chancellor of the University of East London

Debate the future of online learning in our live chat, Friday 23 November, 12-2pm at www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/live-q-a

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Sneak peek at Nintendo's new Wii U gaming system

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KGO) -- In a few days, Nintendo will unleash a new video game system that experts say could make or break the company. ABC7 News got a sneak peek at the company's new Wii U and some of the games Nintendo hopes will make you want to buy it.

Deep inside a heavily guarded building, in an undisclosed location, a select group of journalists and Nintendo employees played Super Mario Brothers.

If you grew up with this game and you think you know it, think again. Mario just got even more super with a supercharged controller.

"With the GamePad, basically this brings a second screen into the living room," said Chip Chipman, with Nintendo's product marketing team.

With its full color touchscreen, motion sensors, buttons and joysticks, the GamePad is the centerpiece of Nintendo's newest video game system, the Wii U.

In one instance, a player used the touchscreen to build blocks for the other players to jump on, in what's otherwise a classic Mario game, "And then it reminds you of your younger days as a child, you know?" Chipman said. "Jumping down warp pipes, busting blocks with your head."

Games like this have always been Nintendo's strong suit. But with Wii U, the company's also showing off games like Zombi U, which is definitely rated "M" for mature.

You see, while the original Nintendo Wii captured a whole new audience of families, busy professionals, even retirees, critics say Nintendo all but forgot about hardcore gamers. Well, now they're back, with a vengeance.

Taking full advantage of the screen and the gyroscopes in the GamePad, Zombi U brings another dimension to surviving the walking dead. And speaking of death and destruction, Call of Duty is coming to Wii U. Among the most successful game series of all time, the latest has HD graphics and futuristic weapons.

One producer of the game said, "Because Call of Duty Black Ops II is set in this near future, the 2025 universe, we're able to utilize technology that may or may not exist yet."

When the Wii U hits store shelves, it'll definitely do it with a splash. But it'll have to, because it's coming in as the underdog against two very well established competitors.

"The Xbox 360, the Playstation 3, which are already in all these hard core gamers' living rooms, uh, they have the same games," said GamesBeat Editor-in-Chief Dan "Shoe" Hsu.

According to Hsu, there's no doubt the $300 Wii U is the most "advanced" system. But he notes that being new has a downside, "The Wii U when it comes out this winter is only gonna have a handful of games," Hsu said. "It's not gonna come anywhere close to the software library that you could find on a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360."

(Copyright ©2012 KGO-TV/DT.

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State taps into off-road park trust fund to save other parks

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (KGO) -- More than four decades ago, off roaders set aside money to preserve places for them to ride. However, the state has been tapping into that fund and it's leaving many people feeling like they are being left in the dust.

The Metcalf Off-Highway Vehicle Park is one of the most popular recreation areas in Santa Clara County. Every year, thousands of people come here to ride trails. But because of statewide budget cuts, millions of dollars designated to run off-road parks may now be shifted to other parks statewide, leaving parks like Metcalf to find other sources of funding.

"We've been pretty fortunate in the funding we've asked for. If it gets reduced we will have to look at various options - you know funding strategies to keep the park open," Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation spokesperson Tamara Clark said.

In the early 1970's users of off-highway vehicles or OHV's created a savings account for the future parks. They created a trust fund paid for with registration fees on off-road vehicles and taxes on gasoline.

"You buy gas, you pay taxes on the gas, those taxes come back to the program to maintain the roads and trails you are recreating on," California Off-Highway Vehicle Division spokesperson Phil Jenkins said.

Jenkins runs the state's OHV program, a division of the state parks system. Over the years, the OHV trust has been a target because it is so well funded. It currently has $42 million in its account. Over the past four years, the OHV department has loaned the state $123 million with the promise that it would be paid back.

"Last year was the first year that they diverted money that was coming to the program and diverted it to another location, which means they don't have to pay that money back," Jenkins said.

That money went to the state's general fund. Some legislators say the OHV trust is over-funded.

"State parks are going to have to change the way it's done business it's just a different day, the resources just aren't there that they used to count on," State Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, said.

Simitian co-authored legislation that allowed for the money to be diverted from the state OHV division to general park fund to help save 70 state parks from closing.

"We were able to do a fairly good job of holding most of that program together, 95 percent of the funding is not even at risk and the remaining 5 percent may or may not be there for that program in the course of the coming year," Simitian said.

Simitian's legislation was signed by the governor and gives the state park's department the authority to use the money designated for the off-road parks.

"In essence, they've taken all the funds that have been generated through OHV use, through registration fees and done what they've wanted," California Off- Road Vehicle Association spokesperson Amy Granat said.

As it turns out, the money wasn't needed this year because other funding was found for the state parks.

Back at Metcalf, off-roaders worry their savings account is being tapped to bail out the state's financial crisis.

"I don't even think they should be allowed to touch the money and they keep robbing from us and nobody wants to stand up for the motorcyclist," one off-road enthusiast said.

"If I don't balance my checkbook, I can't go to my neighbor and take his money," another off-road enthusiast said.

The County park's department says that it's commited to keeping Metcalf open.

"There is no doubt in my mind that the park will remain open, it's just a matter of how do we do that, Clark said.

Earlier this year, the head of state parks department resigned when it was revealed that while parks were slated to close, the OHV division had more than $100 million set aside to buy and manage land for off-road vehicles. That fund is where state accountants found more than half of a $54 million hidden surplus.

Written and produced by Ken Miguel.

(Copyright ©2012 KGO-TV/DT.

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Inspiration for GoPro camera came during surfing trip

SAN MATEO, Calif. (KGO) -- A tiny video camera is taking the sports world by storm. And the company that makes it was started right here in the Bay Area by a local surfer, looking for a better shot.

Professional and amateur athletes now have a new view on the sports they love and they are sharing them in videos on the internet. It's all because Nick Woodman made a big splash with a tiny camera.

Woodman is the man behind the GoPro camera. More than 800,000 sold last year. He recently tested out the company's newest camera in Nicaragua. Surfing is where GoPro's CEO and founder came up the small, lightweight, wearable, waterproof cameras. We caught up with him at the company's San Mateo headquarters.

"I was in between jobs, didn't know what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, so I was looking for some inspiration," Woodman said. "So I decided to go on a surf trip, get back to my passion, and hopefully find inspiration." That was in 2002, "So I went to work on an idea I had in college which was for a camera I could where on my wrist."

That first camera took photos only. It cost just twenty bucks and was sold mostly in surf shops. Woodman borrowed money from family to build inventory and cut marketing costs by modeling the product himself on the packaging.

He called his camera the GoPro Hero, noting, "I thought, what does the camera do? It helps you capture photos that make you look like a pro; it helps you capture photos that make you look like a hero."

But it wasn't until Woodman took up race car driving that he realized the full potential of his tiny camera, "In racing school they wanted to charge me a hundred bucks for a half hour to rent out a video camera. I thought that's crazy, I'll take my wrist camera and strap it to the roll bar."

In 2007 he turned his still camera into a video camera and put it on the market. Users snapped them up, strapping them to bikes, boats, cars, helmets, even pets.

"One of my favorite videos is from a teenager in the UK," said Woodman, "He built a weather balloon with his dad and sent it into near space with a toy robot on it."

GoPro's newest cameras are HD, costing between $200 and $400. Some models even connect to your iPhone for so you can see what you are shooting. The company just released a model that comes with a remote control as well.

Based on data supplied by its retail partners, GoPro estimates that it owns 90 percent of the rugged camera market, making it the fastest growing camera company in the world.

Woodman says the company is constantly looking for ways to improve its products. And he is still amazed by how popular it's become, "It's just so far beyond my initial vision for GoPro. I mean, I just wanted to help surfers capture photos of themselves and their friends while they are surfing."

And it's not just athletes who are finding a use for GoPro's many cameras. They can go everywhere the big cameras can't. In fact, director James Cameron recently used one to explore the depths of the ocean.

Written and produced by Ken Miguel

(Copyright ©2012 KGO-TV/DT.

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