We recently hosted an open house to coincide with the official launch of Job Solutions Employment Services at our Dundas Street West location. On hand for the launch were Laurel Broten, MPP Etobicoke-Lakeshore, Bernard Trottier, MP Etobicoke-Lakeshore and Kaithy Wu, PTP’s Employment Training Consultant at the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.
A very big thank you to our guests, community partners, supporters, clients and staff who came to make the day a huge success!
CAMERA System training will be available in February and March. This training will prepare you to administer CAMERA (Communications and Math Employment Readiness Assessment) and use the associated curriculum guidelines (Signposts) and instructional materials (workwrite).
Please read through the screening and registration form for more information about the CAMERA System and information on what to expect during training.
CAMERA Assessor Certification and Workforce Essential Skills training
Two days
February 25-27, 2014
March 25-27, 2014
PTP East Centre
815 Danforth Ave., Toronto, Ontario
$1250.00 + HST
Discounts provided to organizations sending more than one participant
For more information and/or registration forms please contact Heather Paterson at heatherp@ptp.ca or at 416-510-3266 ext. 23.
Screening and registration form
By Stuart Campbell, Director of Software Development for SyberWorks, Inc.
You’ve probably heard a lot about “Cloud Computing” (also known as “Software as a Service” or “SaaS”). This refers to a movement to turn computer terminals and notebooks into “client” machines that primarily (or only) execute applications running on servers somewhere out there on the Web. For example, instead of running Word from a notebook’s hard drive, you’d run a copy of the program that lives on a remote server…and perhaps even save your documents there.
This approach has advantages:
Software use is monitored and controlled.Software version control is simplified.Virus dangers are minimized.Source data and resulting files may be stored, managed, and protected centrally, behind server firewalls.Less advanced (and expensive) computers can be issued to employees.A lost computer is less likely to compromise company or customer data.And though the term “Cloud Computing” is fairly new, the concept itself is not. The insurance industry has done it for decades. In the early ’70s, sales agents for some of the larger insurers connected primitive “notepad computers” to a central corporate database through an analog modem. The agents dialed into the mainframe from clients’ homes and edited and saved customer or prospect data back to the mainframe. So the insurance industry was an early adopter of PDS (pretty darn slow) Cloud Computing.
But that old Cloud ran over telco copper wire…at 300 bps. Today, thanks to widespread broadband networks, the Cloud is staging a comeback. Anyone who uses Flickr, ShutterFly, PhotoWorks, or YouTube is working there. Google is offering its own “cloud apps” (just Google “Google Docs”). And two of my own favorite Cloud tools (so far) are:
However, SyberWorks (and many of your companies) are already working “in the Cloud” when we host customer training campuses and materials on our own private servers. It’s been part of our industry for some time.
Still, as hinted above, the core applications that many of us use to create training content may also migrate to the Cloud. Text editors, spreadsheets, and Flash-authoring tools may move there. And e-Learning content will flourish there, in both our own hosted servers and those of third parties like YouTube. But remember that The Cloud also comes with weaknesses:
Internet connections are required, and stable ones are often essential. If a Cloud connection drops during a session, users may lose time, work, or even data.Customers’ data isn’t necessarily their own in the Cloud. It might live on someone else’s servers. True, users don’t have to worry about keeping their software current, maintaining sufficient disk space, or managing access security. Cloud suppliers would be doing that. But this also gives suppliers a lot of control over their customers’ data.So even if you host your own private corner of the Cloud, remember that clouds (like darkened rooms) still scare some people. So anything you can do to protect your customers’ data-and to show them that it’s secure-will benefit both them and you.
Stuart Campbell is Director of Software Development for SyberWorks, Inc., a privately-held supplier of e-Learning software and training. A native of the United Kingdom, he had previously served as a Principle Software Engineer, Senior Consultant, Senior Software Engineer, and Development Specialist for companies such as Brooks Automation Inc., Digital Equipment, and Honeywell Control Systems. His areas of expertise include Visual Studio.NET, C#, VB.NET, VB6, VBScript, XML, COBOL, WindowsXP, Windows2000, WindowsNT, VAX/VMS, UNIX, Oracle, SQLServer, Oracle Rdb, Oracle DBMS, and Agile Modeling Methodology.
SyberWorks, Inc. is a leader in providing Learning Management Systems and custom e-Learning Solutions for Fortune 1000 corporations, higher education, and other organizations. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, the company serves the multi-billion-dollar e-Learning market. Since 1995, SyberWorks has developed and delivered unique and economical solutions for creating, managing, measuring, and improving e-Learning programs at companies and organizations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and other countries.
(Part 1 of 4 Part Series)
By Dana Fine, Senior Instructional Designer at SyberWorks, Inc.
Flash is a powerful tool that can be used to develop many different types of learning activities, within the context on an online training course. In this series, we will look at the use and construction of four basic learning activities to get you started with your online training content development.
Any number of learning activities can be developed using Flash, with varying levels of difficulty and sophistication. The selection of these four learning activities is by no means exhaustive or definitive. This series provides a framework for how you go from concept to learning-activity development. With each of these learning activities, we will provide a link to a sample for your viewing. The four activities discussed in this series are:
Let's begin.
Description:
This learning activity consists of a series of questions that the student answers by circling the correct responses. The learning activity is “conditional” because the user has a choice of answers and the learning activity will respond a certain way, depending upon the answer that the student selects. You can choose to have the student answer questions and give a score at the end, or you can use this as a learning tool and direct the student to the correct answers. For the purpose of this example, we are going to direct the student to the correct answers. The student can be directed to a particular answer by means of text or audio instructions. After the student answers the series of questions correctly, he sees a congratulations screen specific to the learning activity.
Functionality:
First, instructions appear describing the learning activity, with directions. The student then answers the first question by clicking the choice that he wants. If the answer is incorrect, he hears “Wrong” and sees text indicating that the answer is incorrect. This text can also include hints or directions to the correct answer. The student must answer correctly to proceed. After successfully answering the question, the student continues to the next questions until he completes all questions. He then sees a message indicating what the answers mean, usually with audio congratulations and applause.
An Example of a Circle Answer Conditional Activity:
INSTRUCTIONS:
Fractions are fun! In this learning activity, you will choose the correct fraction that fits the description for that line in the table.
(Note that this method of instruction is directed answering. You do not have to do directed answering. You could have the student make the best choice.)
Picture or chart indicating questions and answers available: Example, fill in for your learning activity:
1 (if correct and since we will not let them go to the next line until the correct fraction is chosen, this will be the correct score)Fraction equal in value to 4/5This process continues for each row. After answering successfully, the following message is given to the student, along with applause:
Ending Text Message (may be a picture) Audio is generally applause. Example, replace for new activity:
Fractions are fun! Congratulations!
Here is a link for you to check out the “Fractions Are Fun” learning activity http://www.syberworks.com/CircleAnswerFractions.html
Below are some variations of the forced answer sequence examples where this method of learning is useful:
Example: 1 To test your understanding of company regulations about what you can and cannot say during a presentation, circle the items that you cannot say during the XXXXX presentation.
Items are listed from 1-10. (As each item is circled, the student is informed whether the selection was correct. There are five items that cannot be said during a presentation -At the end of ten tries, or if all the correct items are selected, applause is given, and a score indicates whether the right five choices were finally selected).
Example: 2 Any form that needs to be filled out correctly, like evaluation forms. You can guide the student through a section of a form and indicate how to properly fill it out.
So, until next time, have a great month!
Dana Fine is a Senior Instructional Designer at SyberWorks, Inc. SyberWorks is a custom e-Learning solutions company that specializes in Learning Management Systems, e-Learning solutions, and custom online course development. Dana is also a frequent contributor to the Online Training Content Journal
The Online Training Content Journal 
The Online Training Content Journal blog looks at best practices, techniques, and trends in online training development and e-Learning instructional design.
By Stuart Campbell, Director of Software Development for SyberWorks, Inc.
You’ve probably heard a lot about “Cloud Computing” (also known as “Software as a Service” or “SaaS”). This refers to a movement to turn computer terminals and notebooks into “client” machines that primarily (or only) execute applications running on servers somewhere out there on the Web. For example, instead of running Word from a notebook’s hard drive, you’d run a copy of the program that lives on a remote server…and perhaps even save your documents there.
This approach has advantages:
Software use is monitored and controlled.Software version control is simplified.Virus dangers are minimized.Source data and resulting files may be stored, managed, and protected centrally, behind server firewalls.Less advanced (and expensive) computers can be issued to employees.A lost computer is less likely to compromise company or customer data.And though the term “Cloud Computing” is fairly new, the concept itself is not. The insurance industry has done it for decades. In the early ’70s, sales agents for some of the larger insurers connected primitive “notepad computers” to a central corporate database through an analog modem. The agents dialed into the mainframe from clients’ homes and edited and saved customer or prospect data back to the mainframe. So the insurance industry was an early adopter of PDS (pretty darn slow) Cloud Computing.
But that old Cloud ran over telco copper wire…at 300 bps. Today, thanks to widespread broadband networks, the Cloud is staging a comeback. Anyone who uses Flickr, ShutterFly, PhotoWorks, or YouTube is working there. Google is offering its own “cloud apps” (just Google “Google Docs”). And two of my own favorite Cloud tools (so far) are:
However, SyberWorks (and many of your companies) are already working “in the Cloud” when we host customer training campuses and materials on our own private servers. It’s been part of our industry for some time.
Still, as hinted above, the core applications that many of us use to create training content may also migrate to the Cloud. Text editors, spreadsheets, and Flash-authoring tools may move there. And e-Learning content will flourish there, in both our own hosted servers and those of third parties like YouTube. But remember that The Cloud also comes with weaknesses:
Internet connections are required, and stable ones are often essential. If a Cloud connection drops during a session, users may lose time, work, or even data.Customers’ data isn’t necessarily their own in the Cloud. It might live on someone else’s servers. True, users don’t have to worry about keeping their software current, maintaining sufficient disk space, or managing access security. Cloud suppliers would be doing that. But this also gives suppliers a lot of control over their customers’ data.So even if you host your own private corner of the Cloud, remember that clouds (like darkened rooms) still scare some people. So anything you can do to protect your customers’ data-and to show them that it’s secure-will benefit both them and you.
Stuart Campbell is Director of Software Development for SyberWorks, Inc., a privately-held supplier of e-Learning software and training. A native of the United Kingdom, he had previously served as a Principle Software Engineer, Senior Consultant, Senior Software Engineer, and Development Specialist for companies such as Brooks Automation Inc., Digital Equipment, and Honeywell Control Systems. His areas of expertise include Visual Studio.NET, C#, VB.NET, VB6, VBScript, XML, COBOL, WindowsXP, Windows2000, WindowsNT, VAX/VMS, UNIX, Oracle, SQLServer, Oracle Rdb, Oracle DBMS, and Agile Modeling Methodology.
SyberWorks, Inc. is a leader in providing Learning Management Systems and custom e-Learning Solutions for Fortune 1000 corporations, higher education, and other organizations. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, the company serves the multi-billion-dollar e-Learning market. Since 1995, SyberWorks has developed and delivered unique and economical solutions for creating, managing, measuring, and improving e-Learning programs at companies and organizations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and other countries.
By Dana Fine, Senior Instructional Designer, SyberWorks, Inc.
Developing a useful, well-written online survey that extracts the information you need from your users can be a challenge. In this article, I will review 14 tips for creating a useful online survey.
Write a brief, concise survey. Start with a mental framework that focuses on only what is essential to know. Ask questions only if the answers will give you the data you need and can use. If a question is not important enough to include in your report on the survey's findings, then remove the question. Try to envision each question as its own specific theory that you are testing. In addition, research has shown that people skim and skip on the web because it is difficult to read lots of heavily condensed text on a computer screen. Most users do not want to scroll through a long page of text, so your online survey completion rate will be higher if the survey is short and succinct.Try to begin the survey with interesting questions. Interesting questions will inspire the respondent to keep reading and complete the survey.Develop questions with answers in the proper format for your purposes. For example, if you believe your students need more time to complete the questions in your lesson, ask, “How long did it take you to complete the unit and accompanying questions?” with various time intervals as possible answers. This is better than asking, “Do you need more time to finish the unit and accompanying questions?” with yes or no as possible responses.Plan ahead of time how you and your company will analyze the information before you send out the final version of the survey. This may affect your questions and format when you realize that the statistical analysis you need to perform cannot be done with these particular question results.Use the simplest language possible and respect the respondent's dignity when constructing questions. Your survey respondents will undoubtedly come from many different groups, and more often than not, are less expert in the field than you are.Use neutral language. The online survey is being developed to find out what your audience thinks and is not a forum for you to air your perceptions or opinions.Relax your grammar a bit so your questions do not sound too formal. For instance, the word “who” is often acceptable when “whom” is technically correct.Be sure to ask only one question at a time and put them in a logical order. Questions like “If you scored less than 70% on the test and you have taken the test another time previous to this, what do you think would help you receive an 80% or above the next time you take the test?” will be difficult for respondents to answer and even more challenging for you to interpret.Avoid double negatives, difficult concepts, and specific recall questions. Respondents are easily perplexed when trying to interpret the meaning of a question that uses double negatives. Respondents can also become quickly overwhelmed and lose detail of events or circumstances that are farther back in time. Most importantly, if the survey is too complex and/or difficult to fill out, respondents won't complete it!Try to use more closed-ended questions, with no more than one or two open-ended questions. Respondents usually have a better understanding of closed-ended questions because they are more straightforward and offer responses they can choose from. Open-ended questions require a written response. An excessive number of open-ended questions can wear down the respondent and reduce the quality of the answers they provide.Scaled response questions should have answers that are at balanced, comparable intervals. For example, offering choices of excellent, very good, good, and terrible would cause you to miss important information in between the values of good and terrible.Whenever possible, responses should be developed as discrete amounts instead of general statements of quantities, with specific options from which to choose. It's better to ask, “How many times a month do you go to the movies?” “0”, “1 to 3 times a month”, “3 to 5 times a month or more”, instead of “How often do you go to movies?” “almost never”, “one and a while”, “I am there at least once a week”, etc.Name your survey and write a brief introduction. Providing a survey name and a brief introduction are good ways to give your respondents some background and a frame of reference. It also prepares them for what is to come.Craft a well-written subject line for the email you send with the survey to capture your respondents' attention. While not exhaustive, the points listed above are enough to get you started in the right direction. In summary, a well-written online survey has higher completion rates and is an effective method for gathering information.Dana Fine is a Senior Instructional Designer at SyberWorks, Inc http://www.syberworks.com. SyberWorks is a custom e-Learning solutions company that specializes in Learning Management Systems, e-Learning solutions, and custom online course development. Dana is also a frequent contributor to the Online Training Content Journal.
Dear Members,
The Coaches Association of Ontario is bringing you another members-only special offer from HKCanada. January’s Book of the Month is Developing the Core by the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA).
The NSCA, the world’s leading sport conditioning organization, offers its unrivaled expertise in a book perfect for any athlete seeking to strengthen the core and improve athletic performance. Featuring 11 ready-to-use sport-specific programs, Developing the Core provides more than 50 of the most effective exercises along with science-based assessments to help athletes understand their individual needs.
Find out more or buy now!
Use code W615 to receive FREE shipping on orders of $25 or more + get 25% off if you sign up for HKRewards. Good for 1x use only. Offer expires 01/31/2014.
Our workwrite series is a collection of instructional workbooks and teacher’s guides focusing on the functions and features of workplace documents.
We previously announced the availability of the workwrite series from Amazon.ca. Today, we are pleased to announce the availability of workwrite in PDF format. You can purchase these e-copies directly from PTP. More information about workwrite and purchasing options are available at the workwrite page.
New to workwrite? You can read more at the workwrite page, and see all of our publications on the Publications page.
Volker Nolte and Vickie Croley, both Head Coaches at the University of Western Ontario were in Toronto on April 10 to accept their Ontario-Coach-of-the-Year awards from the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Michael Chan. This is a repeat performance for Volker Nolte, who picked up the award for the Male Coach of the Year back in 1993. The Coaches awards were presented among 8 other major awards for athletes, teams and volunteers during the ceremony held at the Toronto Marriott during a gala dinner.
Volker is the Varsity Rowing program’s Head Coach at Western, leading his crews to a historic number of first place finishes. Volker has contributed in many ways, a leader among coaches, a respected author and technician called upon around the globe for his expertise to find those extra seconds of boat speed. His books on ”Rowing Faster” are a must read for rowing coaches all over. Among many notable past achievements, in 1996, Volker coached the Men’s Lightweight fours in a tight field to a podium silver at the Atlanta Olympics. This years award is a recognition of his success coaching national team single sculler, Carling Zeeman, who captured silver at the World Championships.
Vickie Croley, is the Head Coach of Athletics at UWO, and has a long record of influence and success in her sport. Over an impressive 20 year span at Western she has led athletes to many national titles, focusing on jumps, heptathlon and decathlon. Her recognition at the Ontario Sport Awards is very deserving for her success with decathletes on the world stage in 2013. Several athletes in her program represented Canada successfully on the international stage while many of her up and coming athletes posted personal bests and top ten placings. Damian Warner won a bronze at World Championships and top place in the decathlon at the prestigious Gotzis meet. Taylor Stewart delivered a top ten finish in the Long Jump at FISU Games. Vickie is seen in her sport as a “difference maker” in Ontario, a leader by example in the Ontario high performance community.
Congratulations to both celebrated coaches, setting a high standard for all coaches in Ontario. A list of past Ontario Coach of the Year recipients can be found here.
(Part 3 of 4 Part Series)
By Dana Fine, Senior Instructional Designer at SyberWorks, Inc.
In our first article, we looked at developing a 'circle answer conditional' learning activity and discussed some variations relating to various types of scenarios. In that example, the learning activity is “conditional” because the user has a choice of answers and the learning activity will respond a certain way, depending upon the answer that the student selects. In our second article, we covered the 'drag and drop, many to one correspondence' learning activity with some variations to illustrate its use.
Today, we will examine the 'drag fill in the blank' learning activity and provide some variations, so you can see how this learning activity may be used in various learning scenarios. Remember that any number of learning activities can be developed using Flash, with varying levels of difficulty and sophistication. The selection of these four learning activities is by no means complete or exclusive. This series provides a basis for how you can go from concept to learning-activity development. As with the two previous examples, we will provide a link to a sample for your viewing. Let's get started.
Description:
This learning activity consists of a paragraph with blanks for the student to fill in. The possible words that may fill in the blanks are listed below the paragraph. The student drags a word or group of words to fill in a blank. If he drags the correct word to the blank, the word moves into the space. If he drags it to the wrong spot, it returns to the bottom of the paragraph. After the student successfully drags the elements to the correct spots in the paragraph, the student gets a congratulations screen specific to that learning activity.
Functionality:
First, instructions appear describing the learning activity with directions. The student then drags the word or words to a blank or underlined part of the paragraph (each word grouping is indicated clearly; you cannot drag more than one choice at a time). If the student drags the word to the correct spot in the paragraph, the word appears above the underline and audio may indicate that he is correct. If the choice is incorrect, the word returns to the bottom of the paragraph. After the student has successfully dragged the choices to the correct underlined spots in the paragraph, the student sees a congratulations screen and hears applause.
A Drag Fill in the Blank:
INSTRUCTIONS:
Drag the term to its appropriate place in the paragraph to demonstrate your understanding of the material.
Paragraph with underlines to indicate blanks (Example, replace for new activity)
The _____________________ of the project was not in doubt; the ____________ cost was the issue. “Tell me the numbers. Do not _______________.” The CEO was an __________ man and did not want to ___________________ the pain of the financial examination. In an effort to ____________ the CEO, the project leader ___________showed the reasons that the cost was so high.
Words to fill in blanks (Example, replace for new activity) Note that the words appear in more than one column as shown here:
Put the words in the order in which they will appear in the paragraph. We will randomize them.
Ending Text Message (may be a picture), Audio is generally applause. Example, replace for new activity:
Congratulations! You understand your GRE Vocabulary Words!
Here is a link for you to check out the above learning activity in action: http://www.syberworks.com/dragFillInTheBlank.html
Below are some variations of the 'Drag Fill in the Blank' examples where this method of learning is useful:
Example: 1 Identifying various parts of a machine.
Example: 2 Testing knowledge of procedures by indicating missing words within steps.
Example: 3 Using pictures instead of words to indicate knowledge of procedures, steps, or other pertinent information for a course.
So, until next time, have a great month!
Dana Fine is a Senior Instructional Designer at SyberWorks, Inc. SyberWorks is a custom e-Learning solutions company that specializes in Learning Management Systems, e-Learning solutions, and custom online course development. Dana is also a frequent contributor to the Online Training Content Journal
The Online Training Content Journal
The Online Training Content Journal blog looks at best practices, techniques, and trends in online training development and e-Learning instructional design.
By Stuart Campbell, Director of Software Engineering, SyberWorks, Inc.
Many corporations want to integrate their Learning Management Systems with other software that they use to run their businesses. SalesForce.com has become the dominant player in the customer-relationship-manager (CRM) software segment, and since SyberWorks receives many requests to integrate our SyberWorks Learning Management System with it, I thought we should look at this type of integration project.
With the advent of “Software as a service” (Saas), and SalesForce.com’s commitment to that technology, a rich API is available to allow integration between SalesForce.com and other client applications. And one of the client applications that can be integrated is the LMS system.
First, there are two primary (and competing) factors to consider for streamlining SalesForce.com transaction times:
Batching dataBatching as much data as possible in an APEX API call can reduce the cross-network traffic.
Reducing the size of data requestsThe more data that is sent to SalesForce.com, the more time it will take to process. It is best to send SalesForce.com only the data that is necessary at any time. Sending superfluous data only increases the size (and processing times) of APEX API calls.
Of course, these factors are at odds with each other. And users must often balance transaction speeds with other business requirements, to determine how optimal SalesForce.com transactions really can be.
A related factor to keep in mind is that SalesForce.com enforces a daily limit on the number of APEX API calls. This is done to balance server processing across multiple concurrent users.
There also may be good business reasons for turning LMS student data into business leads through the SalesForce.com application. This is especially true in situations where companies sell training to customers, vendors, or partners.
An automatic process can turn a newly registered learner in the LMS into a SalesForce.com business lead. Using the SalesForce.com APEX API WSDL (Web Service Definition Language), lead objects can be generated and directly added to the SalesForce.com leads database. And the individual who is used to authenticate into SalesForce.com becomes the owner of the newly generated lead.
And if your registration process collects data that is not inherent to the SalesForce.com application, custom data objects can be created to represent this application-specific data. A new APEX API WSDL needs to be generated when these objects are created, to make them available to your application interface.
The next question becomes, “How can I get to my LMS data from SalesFoce.com as seamlessly as possible?” Given the nature of Saas, SalesForce.com provides the ability to create your own application within the SalesForce.com structure. You can create custom tabs that are visible to your SalesForce.com users. These tabs can use custom S-controls of type HTM, URL, or Snippet. You can use whichever is suitable to your LMS integration and acceptable as a user-interface element for your users. This setup allows you to connect pretty easily to your LMS.
A related task is logging in to the LMS. If your LMS supports single sign-on, you may want to use the same User IDs in both SalesForce.com and the LMS. If this is done, the user can click a link in the SalesForce.com application, be automatically logged into the LMS, and presented with its starting page. Of course, you need to consider user password security here. And this again depends on the LMS. It may use a generic password for all users connecting through a single-sign-on procedure, or an MD5 hash (or similar encryption technique) of previously agreed data, which could be verified against each user's specific LMS data for authentication.
Communicating in the other direction-from the LMS to SalesForce.com-depends on the data that must be stored in SalesForce.com. Some examples of data that could be passed from the LMS to a SalesForce.com application are training purchases and course results. (Training purchases would assume that the LMS uses an e-Commerce module, where web- or classroom-based courses can be purchased.)
A major consideration again becomes whether this data should be transmitted on a real-time basis or by means of scheduled batch jobs.
The real-time option requires the LMS to support calls to the SalesForce.com interface whenever user results are updated or an LMS purchase is made. These calls would be made through a web service that transmits the data to SalesForce.com. Any data properties that SalesForce.com does not inherently support can be created as custom objects, so no data need be omitted.The benefits of this are that the SalesForce.com application is up-to-date whenever a SalesForce.com administrator or reporter interrogates its data. The downside is the overhead for each call made to the SalesForce.com application. The number of calls made through the APEX API, though they can be estimated, cannot be predicted, since they occur as events occur.
Batching data does not use real-time call outs from the LMS code, but instead retrieves data directly from the LMS database at scheduled intervals.This naturally lends itself to the recommended batching of data to SalesForce.com's servers, and the number of calls to do that is both predictable and low. However, there is a time lag between actual activities in the LMS and the transfer of their resulting data to the SalesForce.com application.
The decision between using a real-time interface or batch process depends on, but is definitely not limited to, the following:
The timeliness with which business needs to reach SalesForce.com.The ability of the LMS to support real-time data collection and communications.The estimated volume of data that will be transmitted to SalesForce.com (keeping in mind that SalesForce.com enforces a daily limit for API calls).About the Author:
Stuart Campbell is Director of Software Development for SyberWorks, Inc., a privately-held supplier of e-Learning software and training. A native of the United Kingdom, he had previously served as a Principle Software Engineer, Senior Consultant, Senior Software Engineer, and Development Specialist for companies such as Brooks Automation Inc. (Chelmsford, Mass.); Digital Equipment (South Queensferry, U.K.); and Honeywell Control Systems (Motherwell, U.K.). Among his many roles at SyberWorks, he leads the software-development process and helps to build new software releases and update kits.
About SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks, Inc. is a leader in the custom e-Learning Solutions and Learning Management System/Learning Content Management System (LMS/LCMS) industries for Fortune 1000 corporations, law enforcement, healthcare, and other industries. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, the company serves the multi-billion-dollar e-Learning market. Since 1995, SyberWorks has developed and delivered unique and economical solutions to create, manage, measure, and improve e-Learning programs at companies and organizations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and around the world.
CAMERA System training will be available in February and March. This training will prepare you to administer CAMERA (Communications and Math Employment Readiness Assessment) and use the associated curriculum guidelines (Signposts) and instructional materials (workwrite).
Please read through the screening and registration form for more information about the CAMERA System and information on what to expect during training.
CAMERA Assessor Certification and Workforce Essential Skills training
Two days
February 25-27, 2014
March 25-27, 2014
PTP East Centre
815 Danforth Ave., Toronto, Ontario
$1250.00 + HST
Discounts provided to organizations sending more than one participant
For more information and/or registration forms please contact Heather Paterson at heatherp@ptp.ca or at 416-510-3266 ext. 23.
Screening and registration form
In our communications class, we talked about our goals for when we leave PTP. We each came up with one goal and we talked about what was stopping us from reaching that goal, in other words, the barriers to our goal.
We worked in teams and came up with different ideas about how to represent the barriers in a drawing. Some groups represented the barriers as rocks falling across our road, another group used a mountain as a barrier, other groups used water to represent flooding and another group used tombstones because they felt “buried” by the barriers, stress and life experiences they’d had.
Then we came up with many different ways we get support to help us get around or through or over these barriers. Supports are represented by a bridge, a boat, a ladder, a detour, balloons and wings on our posters.
After we had everything figured out, we started drawing our ideas. We had to make a rough draft first and then we used flip chart paper and coloured markers to create our posters.
There was a lot of discussion and team work involved and it took us just over a week to complete our projects.
We’d love it if you came in to see what we did! In the meantime, here are photos of the posters. Click on a poster to see a larger version.
— by the Level 2 and 3 Communications Classes, with special thanks to Katherine.
Take flight
New paths
Climb the ladder
Set sail
Spread your wings
Across the bridge
By David Boggs, CEO and Founder of SyberWorks, Inc.
The Web is where many of our customers and users will increasingly “live” for their information needs. This means that anything we do to both deliver e-Learning and spread the word about our products and services “over the Cloud” will both serve our audiences and build our businesses.
Most of us already deliver e-Learning over the Web in a variety of ways, but the following Web channels also may be used to promote our products and services:
Search enginesWeb blogsWebinarsWikisYouTubeThese are all places where your e-Learning business can live on the Web to good advantage. But people must first be able to find you there. So let’s first discuss:
Remember when your parents bought their first encyclopedia, to bring the world’s knowledgebase into your home? How times have changed. Now, the Web itself is the world’s knowledgebase, and engines like Google are its keyword-searchable Index. In a very real sense, if an e-Learning product or service isn't widely present (and readily found) on the Web, it doesn’t exist.
Why do I add “readily found”? Because peoples’ willingness to wade through masses of text (and pages of Google hits) is limited. So even if you do have a Web presence, you also need to worry about where you show up in browser search results. Even I rarely venture past the first three pages of Google hits. So in effect, three Google pages (about 36 items) is my personal Search Horizon. And if your firm’s products or services fall beyond it in my searches, then you’ve fallen off the edge of my informational world. I won’t know you exist until a different search pulls you inside my Search Horizon.
And the key to making that happen is to broaden your presence on the Web, increase your organization’s “hit rate,” and raise your position in search-result lists. This article and the next will help you do just that, by promoting yourself on as many different Web sites as are appropriate for your products and marketing plans.
Blogs are basically online chat rooms about specific topics. Google any area of interest to you, your company, or its markets, and you’ll probably find online blogs that are already discussing it. Track those that seem well targeted to your markets. Watch them. And as much as possible, throw in your own expert comments, advice, and product links. Or if you see a need, consider starting your own targeted blog.
Every time you post a blog comment (or use any of the other web sites we’ll discuss), you add a tiny piece to your presence on the Web. Google and other browsers can find these pieces, and by scattering as many of them across the Web as possible, you’ll gradually draw yourself into potential customers’ Search Horizons.
“Web-based seminars” are done in so many ways, using so many technologies, that a summary cannot do them justice. They’re like Online, Instructor-Led classes, delivered in real-time to free or paying customers or prospects. They may be lectures, workshops, or presentations delivered across the Web, and usually involve audience interaction (which differentiates them from “webcasts”).
Just Google “webinar” and you’ll find millions of links about them and specific webinar offerings. But also examine your own LMS/LCMS system. It may already include web-conferencing capabilities that you can use to deliver your own webinars to both prospects and customers, both quickly and inexpensively.
The bottom line here (as elsewhere) is that if your products or services lend themselves to promotion via webinars, consider trying them.
When you Google a topic of interest to you, your company, or its markets, you'll frequently find related Wikis at or near the top of your results. That's because so many other people have found and viewed them. So when you do, check them out. And if you see anything blatantly incomplete or incorrect in them, fix it, and make sure your firm's name and products are at least mentioned in your addition. (By definition, you can edit most Wikis once you "join" them.) Who knows, you may even decide to write and post your own Wiki.
Either way, you'll expand your firm's promotion and presence on the Web, and make it easier for existing and potential customers to find you there.
This is a great place to make promotional videos available for anyone around the world to view. More can be said about this than a short article permits. And not all e-Learning products lend themselves to promotional videos. But if your products or services could be promoted through short videos, then get to know YouTube.
The above are only a few of the more "mainstream" Web avenues for getting your organization and its e-Learning products before your audiences. In Part 2, we'll explore some less obvious channels, ones that you might not have considered!
David Boggs is the Found and CEO of SyberWorks, Inc. in Waltham, Massachusetts. He has been involved with computer and web-based training for more than twenty years. Before founding SyberWorks, Dave was the VP of Sales and Business Development for Relational Courseware. He holds a BS in Physics from Union College in Schenectady, NY, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.
SyberWorks, Inc. is a leader in providing Learning Management Systems and custom e-Learning Solutions for Fortune 1000 corporations, higher education, and other organizations. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, the company serves the multi-billion-dollar e-Learning market. Since 1995, SyberWorks has developed and delivered unique and economical solutions for creating, managing, measuring, and improving e-Learning programs at companies and organizations in the United States, Canada, Europe, and other countries.
Ontario’s 4th annual NCCP Super Clinic will take place March 28-30, 2014 in Sarnia. Coaches from across Ontario will gather under one roof to participate in 18 workshops across multiple sporting disciplines, including eight multi-sport training sessions. The CAO is partnering with eight provincial sport organizations to produce this one-of-a-kind, three-day developmental coaching clinic.
New to NCCP? Find out more about the National Coaching Certification Program HERE.
The Super Clinic affords coaches — from high performance to grassroots — with a unique opportunity to gain sport-specific technical abilities, plus leadership and decision-making skills, opening doors to new opportunities in both coaching and life.
Sport Specific NCCP
Athletics – Sport Coach - Athletics – Run Jump Throw - Hockey: Development 1
Rugby – Community Coach - Rugby – Competition Introduction - Soccer – FUNdamentals
Softball – First Weekend (Comp Intro) – Swimming 101 - Taekwondo - Dojang Coach
Weightlifting – Instruction Coach
Multi-Sport NCCP
Fundamental Movement Skills - Make Ethical Decisions - Nutrition - Planning a Practice
Designing a Basic Sports Program - Teaching and Learning - Basic Mental Skills
Prevention and Recovery of Injury - Leading Drug Free Sport - Managing Conflict
Looking to take Part A & Part B?
Part A is a module set of (Making Ethical Decisions, Planning a Practice and Nutrition)
Part B is a module set of (Teaching and Learning, Designing a Basic Sports Program and Basic Mental Skills.)
All 6 module are available at the Sarnia Super Clinic. These modules have been scheduled with no overlap, so it is possible for a single coach to take all 6 at the super clinic. This is an easy and efficient way to complete your Part A & B Modules.
For more information regarding future Super Clinics, contact Jeremy Cross: education@coachesontario.ca / 416-426-7086.
