Article on time management
The most important part of time management is to get organized! Try reading this article and just GET STARTED. http://bit.ly/trVRxO
E-Learning tools of the trade
One of the tools all e-learning instructional designers should have available at their fingertips is Audacity, the audio software. Audacity is free, open source software for recording and editing sounds. It is available for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. I use Audacity instead of the internal audio recording options within various tools (such as Articulate and Captivate) in order to have more editing features at my fingertips. Download it today.
Excel Tip of the Week
Numbers that start with a zero (such as postal codes in certain parts of the country) cause a fair amount of frustration for many people. This type of entry is called a Leading Zero. By default, leading zeros don’t display. Using the Zip Code feature only helps if all you are entering are zip codes. But what about the other numbers? Many people deal with this problem by converting the format of the cell to Text. This solution can cause other problems down the road because Text entries don’t have numeric functionality. One way to solve the problem and keep the numeric functionality is to use a Custom Number.
- Select the cell or group of cells that will receive the leading zero.
- Right-click in the selected area and choose
from the menu. - Click the Number tab and select Custom.
- In the Type window, enter a quotation mark, followed by a zero, followed by another quotation mark, followed by a number symbol (0# ). This customization will allow for one leading zero in each formatted cell. For entries using more than one leading zero, add additional zeros to the custom format. Example:000#
Excel Tip of the Week – Removing Smart Tags
What is a Smart Tag?
A Smart Tag is pop-up menu that allows access to more commands that are relevant to the current task.
To hide Smart Tags from view in the sheet:
1. From the Smart Tag shortcut menu, select Smart Tag Options to open the AutoCorrect dialog box.
OR
From the Tools menu, select AutoCorrect Options.
2. Select the Smart Tags tab, and from Show smart tags as dropdown list, select None.
Tip of the Week
Hello everyone, I apologize for the delay in posts on my blog as I have been on vacation!
Today’s Tip the Week is in Excel.
Have you ever wanted to see two sheets at the same time that both exist within the same workbook? It’s easy! Select Window: New Window from the menu bar. This will produce a second window for you to use, sort of like a mirror image of the workbook. This second window can then be used to select the other tab you’d like to see at the same time. Once you’ve chosen the second tab you’d like displayed, choose Window: Arrange and then Vertical from the menu box. This will tile your two tabs from the same workbook next to each other.
Tip of the Week
Today’s Tip of the Week is in Microsoft Excel:
Need to change uppercase or lowercase text to the proper case?
Example of text: susannah groves
Using the proper case would produce: Susannah Groves
The syntax for this function is =proper(cell address).
For example, let’s say my name is in cell A1. Your function in cell A2 would be =proper(A1). Our Excel pros can also use this syntax but replace the word to create an upper text function or lower text function as well by replacing the word “proper” with either “lower” or “upper.”
One word to the wise: if you use a proper name that begins with “Mc,” you will not be able to capitalize the following letter. For example, “mcdonald” would produce “Mcdonald,” NOT “McDonald.” This is because the proper case function will only capitalize the first letter of the word.
Webconferencing: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (Part 3)
Today’s focus will be on selecting the correct webconferencing (aka webinar) tool for your needs. I’ll be discussing a few of the most popular free webconferencing systems, please feel free to write in comments of those that you have experienced as well. You should also keep in mind that the audio portion is generally not included, so you may incur long distance phone charges for the duration of the meeting.
- DimDim (www.dimdim.com)
- WebEx (www.webex.com)
- GoToMeeting (www.gotomeeting.com)
I found this comparison to be quite helpful in looking at different solutions:
http://reviews.cnet.com/1990-6454_7-6212812-1.html
Here is another option for comparison from wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_web_conferencing_software
Overall, you should be looking for a package that suits your needs. If you need more than 20 people to attend at one time, consider spending the money on a fee-based software that might include audio ports as well. If you work for a larger sized company, you might suggest to your audience that they sit together for a larger call in order to open up more ports to be available to those that are not located in the same facility.
Also, please keep in mind that some software packages are limited based on OS versions or whether it is a Mac or PC based user–this can cause issues for a larger enterprise.
So now…you’re dangerous! You know what a webconference is, how to select what information would be best suited for this vehicle, you have a few pointers for the hosts as well as participants, and now have some options for free and fee-based hosting software. Get out there and host a webconference–you’ll wonder how you’ve ever done business before without it.
Tip of the Week
Today’s Tip of the Week is in Microsoft Excel:
Use Ctrl + Page Up/Page Down as a keyboard shortcut to move between tabs in a workbook.
Webconferencing: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (Part 2)
So, now you know what a webconference is and know that it is a great vehicle for disseminating information to an audience in real time. Today we will cover some of the drawbacks and illuminate how to best demonstrate certain subjects using this vehicle.
Some of the typical drawbacks that you may hear are technical problems or instability, lack of participation from the audience, or difficulty to stay engaged as a user. First, let’s discuss the technical problems. If you are a leading a webconference, the host has certain responsibilities that should take place before each webconference.
Responsibilities of the Host:
- Determine the requirements for both the host and participant PCs.
This is a critical step, and should be the first stop along the way for both your host as well as your participant. If the host will be using the same computer for each successive webconference, this step will not need to be repeated. Same rules apply for the participant: they will need to determine that their PC meets the requirements of the selected webconferencing tool (We will talk about selection of webconference tools in my next blog post). The tool should specify what types of requirements must be met; this may include operating system limitations, PC vs Mac limitations, pop up blocking software, etc.
- Determine how you will have the participants sign up for the webconference.
Most tools have a built in email system that will allow you as the host to contact your users with specific log on information for that particular conference. Some do not have this capability. Be sure to look for this when selecting a tool if this is important to you as a host.
- Decide on the type of information you would like to present, and what format would best fit the information.
Soft skills as well as more complex systems skills can be presented using webconferencing! Determine what information is appropriate using this vehicle–webconferencing can be used to foster group discussion when hosted in the right way. Some information would dictate the type of audience that should participate. For example, if you are attempting to host a conference on conflict resolution within an organization, the host might determine that it would be most productive to have one conference for associates and an alternate webconference for the managers. This would allow everyone to speak more freely and would foster communication on the conference.
- Create your presentation materials.
Even if you decide to demonstrate using your desktop, you must create some sort of outline and host steps. I find it to be helpful to create a PowerPoint in advance, then choose to send to Word by selecting File: Send to: Microsoft Word from within PowerPoint. This will send each slide onto a portion of Word, and allows your notes from each slide to print next to the slide. It is a more efficient use of space and time.
- Set up the webconference.
This might include uploading your materials to the conference room, setting up polls in advance, or selecting that you would like to record the audio portion of the call (some tools have this feature).
- Before beginning the call, test your equipment.
As the old adage goes, something will usually go wrong, no matter how much preparation is involved! Relax and prepare in advance to the best of your ability. Close all superfluous programs that might eat up bandwidth, turn the ringer off of your phone, test the speakerphone you’ll use for the call, and mentally prepare any questions that might follow the call. Also, remember that your participants should test their PC’s in advance as well. I suggest including “test steps” in the reminder email they receive prior to the call.
- Once the call begins, greet your participants and give them tips for participants.
These tips might include not putting the call on “hold,” if they are on speakerphone to mute the call, remind them to move their mouse due to a screensaver potentially activating during their inactivity, or ask them to close all programs not associated with the webconference. This will free up bandwidth for them as well.
- Encourage your participants to engage in the conversation.
To open the call, ask each participant (depending on the size) to give a very brief introduction. Prepare open ended questions for your participants. Try to not ask questions that would end in a yes or a no. Ask them if they have been in that particular situation before, or to tell a small anecdote that might support your information. Use quizzing tools or polling tools if they are available in your webconference. Thank them for participating and solicit feedback once the call is complete.
- Recap the experience to create “best practices” for your next webconference.
Make a brief list of the things you did that worked and did not work as well on that call. Try to refer to it before your next call.
These tips should help you become more comfortable as a host as well as a participant. Webconferencing is a tool that can allow you to reach across the globe and open up your world of experience as a trainer and in business. Next time we’ll discuss how to select your tool!
Webconferencing: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Webconferences. Just the name sounds boring. If you’re in the global business scene, it is likely that you’ve hosted a webconference or participated in one. With business travel declining, webconferences have increased drastically in their presence in the business world. There are many to choose from–some even free! I’ve personally hosted from a platform called “Sonexis Conference Management,” but have been a participant on conferences using WebEx and gotomeeting.com. So what’s the deal with webconferences? This series will cover what webconferences are and how they can help you with e-Learning, from deciding on which company is best for you all the way to what content works and what doesn’t work using this platform. I’ll also cover troubleshooting steps for problems while hosting, best practices for hosts and participants, and how to keep your audience interested.
So let’s start with a definition! According to the wikipedia of the web, webconferencing can be defined as:
Web conferencing is used to conduct live meetings, training, or presentations via the Internet. In a web conference, each participant sits at his or her own computer and is connected to other participants via the internet. This can be either a downloaded application on each of the attendees’ computers or a web-based application where the attendees access the meeting by clicking on a link distributed by e-mail (meeting invitation) to enter the conference.
In essence, webconferencing allows you (the host) to share your information with participants via the web. There is a website for the participant to log in to, along with an audio portion for them to follow along via the phone. You can use a webconference to display a powerpoint in the conference room itself, or you can share your desktop with your audience. Most of the time, this is done using a website. The host decides they’d like to host a webconference, then sets up the conference room using their selected conference site. Once they’ve set up the conference, they can invite their participants via email. The email will include the log in information for the participants to find the conference and a phone number to call at the designated date and time.
When the host is ready for the conference to begin, the host and the participant log in to the site and the audio. The host can then show a powerpoint, launch their desktop, or use other tools available in the software. Showing your desktop is known as “application sharing,” or “desktop sharing” in most vehicles. Depending on several other technical factors (which we will cover later in the series), the participant can follow along and sit back and watch the show.
Most participants as well as hosts find webconferencing to be a beneficial and easy tool to use. My next blog post will cover hosting and participant suggestions.
