Creating an Online Course?

When creating an online course there are many variables to consider. However, perhaps the first step is deciding on an online learning platform that will best suit your needs.

There are many sites out there that take the technical work out of organizing your content - Versal, Udemy, Moodle, etc. Many of these sites are free and offer great customer service. The one thing I have discovered is the lack of privacy features offered within the free versions. You may be asking yourself "shouldn't the public take advantage of your content?". Well, yes and no. Here's why...

Let's say you are trying to convert a traditional leader-led class on compliance or specific Human Resource topics into a series of online modules. Normally this would not be an issue because many organizations and institutions offer these programs to their employees. But if the intent of your instruction is to improve the quality or behavior of your day-to-day operations, would you really want to air your company's dirty laundry to the public? Do you think an insurance company would like the public to view their courses on "When to deny a claim"? If the public new the intricacies of their business procedures there would be an uproar.

Don't get me wrong, some of these platforms do allow you to set your course to private. Versal does offer this feature, but at a premium of $5.00 per month or $50.00 per year.

In my pursuit of a free alternative I discovered that Canvas offers a private setting at no extra charge. There area a lot more moving parts when establishing your profile and setting up your content. I would much rather invest my time than money for a free learning platform.

Have you discovered other online learning platforms that offer a private setting for your content? Please share below.

Personal Learning Networks

Have you every spent countless hours creating a presentation, hoping there is an easier and more efficient way of doing things? If so, the following information is for you.

A Personal Learning Network, or PLN, is a tool to collect, communicate, and collaborate with others based on your interests. The creation of a PLN is simple. Using your favorite social media sites and tools, decide which organizations or individuals you wish to "follow" in order to receive up-to-date information regarding your selected interests.

I am constantly searching the web for new tools and applications that will ultimately make it easier for me to create learning content for my audience. By creating a PLN I can follow a series of people, groups, or organizations within the realm of Adult Learning and Instructional Design. Instead of wasting time searching for information on the web my PLN feeds information to me via my selected social media outlets.

Here is my PLN. It it mostly centered around Instructional Design and eLearning. I have found that PLN's are incredibly useful and are a great way to stay informed.

If you want to create your very own PLN, here is a list of tools you may want to consider:

Social Networking (Facebook)
To keep up with personal contacts like friends, family, and colleagues

Microblogging (Twitter)
Used amongst educators and professionals to share best practices and resources in short text

Professional Profiles (LinkedIn)
To find other professionals and expert within your field or interest

Blogs (Blogger, WordPress)
Blogs monitor the heartbeat of new trends in education

RSS Reader (Digg Reader)
RSS means "Real Simple Syndication". RSS sends you updates on your favorite blogs

Social Bookmarking (Diigo, Delicious)
Share bookmarks with others and see what others are bookmarking (i.e. articles, blogs, etc.)

Move on Moovly

I was recently tasked to explain a concept with the use of an online/digital format. Fortunately for me my company has an enterprise license for two of the most well known authoring software products on the market: Adobe Captivate and Articulate Studio. However, without a dedicated server to publish the content to, those two optioned would not serve my needs.

While searching for online presentation tools I came across several viable options - Prezi, GoAnimate, emaze, and PowToon. I have had limited exposure using those tools in prior classes and wanted to try something new. My partner for the assignment suggested a tool I had never heard of before - Moovly. The company's slogan is "Create Animated Content like a Pro". After seeing that I thought to myself "sold!".

After the first few minutes of building my content I found Moovly's interface somewhat user friendly. It wasn't until thirty minutes into my project that I began cursing myself, questioning my decision to use this application. For the record, I do not blame my partner for selecting this tool. As I just mentioned the interface is user friendly.

There are several reasons why I will never go back to Moovy:

• Server is EXTREMELY slow
• Timeline adjustments for interactivity too cumbersome
• Characters, props and backgrounds limited
• Cap out at 10 min (free version)
• No mobile functionality
• No option to work offline

As mentioned at the forefront there are many online presentation/authoring tools to consider. Which ones have you used? What were the pros/cons?