My First e-learning Sample

You've read a number of blogs, books and seen numerous examples to drive you crazy, and yet you haven't put together your first sample. Sitting in front of your computer, you've drafted and re-drafted numerous designs. None of them seem to be perfect for your first sample, there lies the problem. I am finding that there is a need to produce the flashiest module, while I need not to.




Lesson:

• Put together what you have in mind. However, unimpressive you may think it is, you've made a step in the right direction. There is so much to be learnt as you put together your first sample, as I have learnt. We aren't aiming for perfection, but for your first sample to go live

Everywhere I go, I see designs I've love to implement in my sample courses. 

Adobe eLearning Suite

Choosing tools to use for my introduction to elearning hasn't been an easy journey. There was the choice of trying opensource tools, or using commercial software. At this point and time I've opted for the Adobe eLearning Suite 2.

Challenges:

1. Budget
2. Time constraint

I have a very limited budget, and for the moment choose the trial version. I also have been prowling the net for free resources to learn from. I do suspect however that within 2 weeks or so I may need to invest in a book or two. Alternatively join the local university libraries and use their resources. UTS, USYD and UNSW grant access to community borrowers; for a fee.

Before buying any book, I am visiting my local university library, reading the book and assessing whether it's worth purchasing. So far, I've saved on wasting money on 2 books.
I feel that I need to learn as much as possible within 6 months before I can confidently apply for eLearning design roles. The journey continues

Online Resources:

1. Adobe TV
2. Adobe Captivate tutorials
3. Adobe Education Exchange (you may need to create an Adobe account. It's free)
4. Rapid eLearning blog (priceless site for any instructional designer worth their salt)

There are numerous sites I may have missed but it feels like there is just too much out there to make sense out of it. I'm positive that I'll find a step by step suggested outline to proficiency in Adobe eLearning suite.

Recommended Reading:

1. The Non Designers Design Book - Robin William
2. The Instructional Design Knowledge Base - Rita C. Richey, Tames D. Klein & Monica W. Tracey

Getting Started in Instructional Design

I've seen so many blogs and posts on instructional design that am now almost confused. I suspect that I may not be 'googling' my requests properly. All in all I have been overwhelmed by the amount of information out on the web. I am looking for a process to get into the Instructional Design career. However most of what I find seems to be for already established IDs. The search continues and I am positive I will acquire the knowledge I seek