Learning Theories and Instruction – Walden University

In this my first blog entry, I’m reviewing three blogs I found pertaining in some way to instructional design.

1. The Rapid E-Learning Blog

This site is hosted by a blogger who identifies himself as Tom.  On the About page, he indicates that he has a Master’s degree from Pepperdine in Education Technology and over 15 years in the training industry, and he expresses a passion for learning and technology.

The blog archives include articles on such subjects as the creation of screencasts, practical ideas for using Twitter in e-learning, tips for recording high-quality audio, and many others.

The blog offers a free 46-page ebook titled The Insider’s Guide To Becoming a Rapid E-Learning Pro.

This blog promises to be a good resource:  the writing appears generally free of compositional errors; the posts are recent; the subject matter is timely; and the blog is visually attractive, making abundant use of high quality illustrations and clip art.

2. the eLearning coach – Tips, ideas, and reviews for online learning.

The “coach” here is Connie Malamed, who has a graduate degree in Instructional Design and Technology.  Connie has been developing training products for 20 years and has a consulting business that produces online courses, Web sites, and graphic designs.

The site content is divided into categories for design, the use of Web 2.0 technology in eLearning, cognition concepts, preparation and presentation of visual and audial media, applying eLearning to business, and product reviews.

In clicking through the various categories, I see a number of articles that interest me, including such titles as “Are Your Online Tests Valid?”, “Podcasts for Learning”, “Audio Recording: Preparing Your Script”, etc.  The articles appear rather short (less than 600 words) but may provide enough information to prompt further study.

3. electronic papyrus – OSU EESC Faculty Blogging about Instructional Communications

This blog evidently has a few authors, though my impression is that one Chris Labelle is the primary.  The stated purpose is to present examples of the use of technology—especially new media—for instructional purposes, with recent focus on Web-based eLearning and multimedia.

I found this blog through a search on instructional design and the iPhone, and I was immediately attracted to the vibrant graphics and the prospect of being exposed to new (for me) and cool applications for these compact devices.  (I tend to think of mine as an electronic Swiss Army Knife.)

One feature that stands out for me on this site is the incorporation of the author’s delicious.com bookmarks.  I have no doubt this is easily done by means of existing plugins, and it’s simply another way to share interesting information.

There is a common theme in these three sites, as well as in others to which I have gravitated; and that is the concept of eLearning.  I appear to be as fascinated by Internet-related technology now as I was perhaps 15 years ago, when a friend introduced me to the novel concept of email.  With regard to instructional design, the draw for me was the idea of using the Internet to present educational materials.  This appears to be a burgeoning field, with an increasing richness of multimedia experience and numerous channels through which the desired information can be gathered and filtered.  My excitement is only growing.