Guide to Distance Learning and E Learning Solutions, Systems, and Tools

Guide to E Learning Solutions, Systems, and Tools

E-learning has come a long way in the last decade since 1999, when I would imagine webinars, text, and Quicktime video were the cutting edge of e-learning tools. All the the tools and solutions discussed, except Go To Meeting and Camtasia have free options for service.
Video Tools and Solutions

• You Tube (although you may want to close the comments within a day or so of the event, because YouTube is notorius for not policing its comments)
• Viddler- there are ups and downs to their video community, this is especially cool for long roundtable discussions because individual parts of the video can be tagged so users have maximum control and don’t waste their time.
• Vimeo- vimeo has a fairly professional look but you may want something thats a) more interactive b) runs lighter so that the people who watch are able to watch a smooth video stream instead of a choppy one.
• A host of niche how-to video sites like 5 minute video
• Slightly different is Camtasia, but its a much more about doing screen shots, so its applicability to most teaching opportunities is minimal.

Live Streaming Video Solutions and Tools: For Real Time Broadcast

• Mogulus – Mogulus is very popular video streaming web application
• U Stream (they had 400,000 almost a half a million people watching the 2009 inauguration from various video streams)
• For a direct comparison of the video streaming and virtual conferencing with Mogulus vs. UStream
• This allows you to add panelists to a discussion who are half way around the world. Also, if you publicizes your event, you can have more virtual attendees who are able to attend.

Video Conferencing Solutions and Tools

• Go To Meeting – Go To Meeting is primarily uses in enterprise, but makes great application in the learning and collaboration context.
There are a host of tools like the above (and below) in the virtual conferencing space, which enable distance learning.
• OoVoo for small groups of 2 to 6. (correct me if I’m wrong).  I think Go To Meeting would be a preferred platform.

Additional E-learning Communication Platforms

• Cover it Live for E-learning- Karl Fisch recommends Cover It Live for collaborative virtual learning events.
• Twitter for E-learning- Twitter for real time communication and collaboration. Its a very simple platform which asks you what you are doing in 140 characters. Its very similar to a chat room. You may also want to check out Twitter clones like Yammer. Yammer is different from Twitter in that it allows you to have a private network for more internal communication.
• Blogs for E-learning- Blogs for quick communication and collaboration (you can even post your video conferencing event on your blog) WordPress is generally considered the best option for a blog platform and its free. (this blog is hosted on WordPress)
• Wikis for E-learning- Wikis for more permanent communication and collaboration (it’s a great place for posting notes and outlines). PB Wiki and Wetpaint are the most popular options and have offered free options. Check out this video that answers the question: What is a wiki and why are wikis productive?
• Two things that can empower all three of those tools as well as video:
• Ning for Elearning- Ning community to give people a virtual place to hang out and have discussions. This really helps enable a 2 way conversation. Classroom 2.0 is a great example of an e-learning community on Ning and its a great place to learn about collaborative distance learning technologies.
• Lifestreaming for Elearning- Friend feed and other life streaming content aggregation.

More Tools for Learners and Education Leaders

Open Source Elearning Content- Open Source options for learners. Universities like MIT, Stanfords School of Business, and others are providing open source education opportunities for people around the globe.

Slideshare for Elearning Presentations Slideshare is a great place to share presentations. Its a simple way to upload Powerpoint presentations and share them with the world.

All of these tools also offer opportunities for students to create their own learning content and activities and share those ideas across borders.

100 Tools for Learning in 2008: E-learning and Distance Learning Solutions and Tools from the Experts

100 Tools for Learning in 2008

The short video Shift Happens 3.0 expressed the rapid speed of technological, culture, and educational changes that are happening. (The original Shift Happens video was created by Karl Fisch.

The vision of students today video which was produced by students at Kansas State University under the guidance of Michael Wesch Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthopology is also quite informative

E-learning Books and Resources
• Instructional Design
• E-learning Conferences
• E learning books on Amazon
• You may also find some value in transcription of your event.

Whats your favorite elearning resource, tool, or solution?

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