We’ve been busy putting the final touches to the site, it has been put off on a few occasions, just to ensure it is more consumer friendly and has a much greater accessibility.

The website has been redesigned to make it easier to use and understand the services that we offer, how you can use these services to advance your business or organization and how we can help you in doing this.

The new site our team have been working on now includes our four main areas of expertise which our business engages in, Audio, Video, e-Learning and Web Development and Training. Under each main heading we further branch off into sub-sections, giving a detailed outline of the different types of features that each main topic will contain (ie Audio – Audio Podcast), and how we can help you in developing each area for your organization according to your specification.

We’d love to hear what you think about the new site – so any and all comments are welcome.
To subscribe and listen, head for i-tunes or listen now by clicking on the play button below:

The wonderful featured music is courtesy of the amazing Travis Vega

Using an e-Learning method of learning gives the opportunity to use features and benefits of technology to further learning. e-Learning technology breaks the mould of traditional ‘classroom’ learning.

With e-learning there are many packages that support the combination of learning using media tools. Packages that combine the media tools together to give an interactive learning experience includes, poMMo, this software combines video, audio, tutorials and quizzes to compete the packaged online learning experience.

Not only beneficial for students and schools or using e-Learning packages as a substitute to classroom learning. This type of learning package can be used in many learning and development stimulations and organisations,  which can be used in a work environment used to induct new employees or as an introduction to a new development within the company. Using the e-Learning packages saves time for the company as well as the employees. It is also more interactive and has the different ranges of interactivity for the student or employees to keep entertained as well as educated.

The development of the ‘e-Modules’ can be designed either to be taken totally online as a public access to all or can be solely designated to a private network limiting the access to the members of the organization via password.  e-Learning is not about making educators obsolete but more as a channel to take advantage of web-based instructional models.

As a company Knowledge Hemispheres is highly involved in the e-Learning medium, where we develop e-Learning portals for our various clients using our own range of media tools, video, audio and embedded video tutorials, including many more. All of which is done produced edited and packaged by our company. We also include ‘Voice-over’ techniques as well as self assessment quizzes and video based tutorials.

To learn more visit our site here www.kh-2.com

Certainly, the proliferation of Youtube type clones has started. Some offer some great additional features, for example – tagging at specific points. The latter, is great for eLearning but also helpful for skimming!

The list of sites below shows you how many different (think longtail!) types of specialisms/niches there are:

• Social Network for Collectible Game Players
• African Friend, Pen pals & School Friends
• MyModeltalk.com Castings and Auditions
• Social Network for Models and Actors
• MC Hammer’s (Remember those trousers!) – Dance site
• UKskate.com
• The place for the albanians to meet
• Asian Space
• Motorcycle Syndicate
• Art Calendar Forums
• Supporter.com
• Specialist music sites
• Connect and share with football fans.
• Medical Students Community
• 24 Hour Streaming Hip Hop
• Disabled World Community
• TeenSkate.com
• Grandparents Network
• Sports Community
• RadioHead Space
• Social Network Community for Radiohead Fans
• Plastic surgery friends
• Cancer sufferer support sites
• Be my Own Publisher
• A place for Writers and Readers
• jobnex.us
• Zowned – Games Showcase
• Animation Showcase
• Jazzmatrix.com

The value of these sites is that members can engage without the noise of everything else. They offer more than standard membership systems as they can incorporate mass mailing and the benefits of RSS.
Interestingly, I remember YouTube before the Google takeover. At the time suprisingly many corporations never considered placing a multimedia advertisement, for example, client testimonials there.

The central issue about the niches listed is the old adage from the Jerry Mcguire movie, i.e:Show me the money’, i.e: To run these sites can be costly in terms of set-up, stability, features, security and bandwidth charges. How can owners recoup their costs.

There is also the question of how far can these sites be customised. A good place to experiment is Ning. We use Ning it on an invitation only basis for the development of eLearning modules. We consider video sharing business opportunities from two main perspectives:

1. Mash-up opportunities within a context of specialism

2. Support for learners, for example: eInduction and

3. a way of introducing greater interactivity and efficiency when of sharing ideas, especially when collaborating on a project.

It is also worth viewing the following to understand user behaviour with on line video:

I look forward to 2008′s summaries to see if Video is really becoming more prevalent, especially with the advent of more mobile devices and associated mobile blogging – the latter promised back in 2003 but now more of a realty with excellent applications such as Twitpic and Qik.

To subscribe and listen, head for i-tunes or listen now by clicking on the play button below:

The wonderful featured music is courtesy of the amazing Travis Vega

A Special Video tutorial episode (1 of 2) showing the power of www.k-wiki.com and also both IT and Human Resource Management eInduction concepts and applications.

NB This particular Video podcast incorporates both picture-in-picture and also an in-parallel screen cam recording.

Therefore, the video quality is compromised in favour of the views of each application:

Click here to view the embedded video.

NB this podcast can also be downloaded onto your video ipod.

Therefore, I suggested and developed the following approach…

There are a number of reasons why an organisation would wish to perform content remediation, especially in the context of learning content. Firstly, to update courses, for example, due to compliance issues or because a learning management system’s (LMS) core functionality has changed. Or, to rationalise, harmonise or refine skills. The latter, could be due to a change in course structure or awareness of synergies between different courses, i.e: gaining greater value by bringing them together. This is natural as over time it can surface that new improvements can be achieved post experience. Sometimes companies change and that may mean new core-competency frameworks have to be put in place.

A typical approach for content remediation project would be to:

* Define players
* Define project scope
* Understand internal expectations
* Review the possibility to structure the project into phases
* Create a contact list
* Assemble project dashboard items (inc: capturing success criteria)

Organisational
* Structure plans
* Create timelines showing milestone markers
* Categorise issues
* Run a risk analysis workshop
* Establish Risk and issue log

Technical
* Perform a technical analysis (inc: risk assessment)
* Categorise as many content areas as possible, both initially and and on-route
* Develop a content matrix with the following initial headings:

- New
- Conversion (low, medium, high or re-develop)
- Reusable
- Update needed
- Screens version code
- Assessment data parsing capability
- Replace audio?
- Use web 2.0 features to enhance – Opportunities
- Re-record audio / video and then check the Learning Management system to understand if it can include podcast versions of these media types.
- Check for Packaging compliance – especially important for SCORM integration.
- Build a cross-reference document to document exactly what changes have been performed on the content.
- Accessibility Reviewed Y/N?
- Estimated cost of conversion
- Components to be changed (state content type and time per item)
* For example, building a Priority Course list for cleansing or conversion. The latter matrix could be used in conjunction with a 3rd party vendor to assess their capability of actually delivering each course for conversion.
* Build a test lab (need to spec this first!)
* Immediate skills assessment of 3rd party provider(s)
* Agree SLA with the latter
* Pilot a series of course’s to identify the most common migration  issues.

Team Assembly
* Identify roles
* Lobby strategy for Project board (Strategic Advisory Team)
* Suggest stakeholders for Project Assurance Team (Business, Technical & User assurers)
* Define reporting structure / schedule

Project specific
* Agree a project brief
* Agree a project approach (Specs, documentation and remediation approach)
* Commence Project initiation with agreed stage charts
* Agree PRINCE 2 products
* Agree signoff criteria
* Agree plan & update process
* Assemble a project support office (sized as required)

Finally, as per most project it is important to phase expectations to achievements!
To help the latter, a wiki could be set-up as a bridge between content cleansers, developers and user acceptance test personnel. Wiki’s are great for informing progress.

Is being a qualified project manager enough?
Does achieving the PRINCE2 qualification provide sufficient skills for all types of projects – technical, logistical or business? One view is that to achieve a successful e-learning or skills management solution there is a need for vendors to recognise that technology alone will not facilitate success. Vendors tend to focus less on the impact on daily working practices and assume that standard project management skills common to infrastructure projects will suffice. This assumption is based on the idea that e-learning solutions and their derivative applications, for example, learning management systems (LMS) are simply ‘software objects’ and such environments simply require standard technical installation and user roll-out stages.In practice e-learning activities often require more sensitive management taking into account the fact that corporate communication and learning styles vary.

Using a phased approach is key

In the context of e-learning projects, a phase is as a common range of e-learning programme activities. For example: communication management, logistical planning/fine-tuning and certification management. Stages are used to manage the timeline of associated activities within each named phase.

Planning approaches.

The following guidance provides suggestions of how an effective e-learning programme can be established and managed on an iterative basis.

Establish an agreed bid process with e-learning software vendors and their associated partners. Many vendors contract out technical or project management expertise due to capacity planning issues or because their focus is on product functionality rather than implementation activities.

After a product has been selected and the contract agreed and signed, consider the profiles of the roll-out managers. Are they technical, what communication processes do they understand and how administrative-focused will their roles be?

Many e-learning solutions/applications have self-contained administrative functions that require extensive management. In addition, planning time is needed for special learning or mentoring needs.

Consider what support systems, for example, discussion databases, frequently asked questions (FAQ) systems and intranet support sites can be made available to help users. For example, if blended learning coaches/project managers are utilised effectively, adequate access and prioritisation of individual learning needs should be managed. In a worse case scenario e-learning users simply abandon their learning goals because no internal service level exists to support them.

Before the implementation of any e-learning system, ensure a technical grounding with a pilot and an approved corporate communication plan which announces success stories and manages public relations. For example, public presentations to successful candidates can provide a motivational boost to peers.

Consider the establishment of a project board with selective learning champions that are both senior and peer based. Any exit plan from an e-learning initiative must be planned in advance.

Establish a published learning charter for the e-learning participant, his/her manager and just as important, the participants community/team. The latter point is especially important, learner performance statistics can reveal how quickly an e-learning based qualification can be gained from one’s workspace. However, consideration should be given to the assumption that a support system and personal coaches/e-learning support trainers may also be required.

It could be argued that the seven areas listed for the skills required of an effective e-learning project manager are applicable to a wide range of projects. However, the main difference with their relevance to an e-learning programme is that they all require a mix of professional management and a strong emphasis on working with the needs of the e-learning participant.

The recommended attitude that should be adopted for each of the items is a ‘sense and respond’ approach. For example, an e-learning course may involve testing using a separate system, this will require planning but just as important is the need to assure participant confidence and early awareness of processes. Structured processes Structured processes help to deliver an effective corporate e-learning initiative but just as important is the supported needed for different types of e-learning participant. Marketing and agreed communication plans should be developed in parallel to the implementation timeline to ensure adequate PR. Active involvement of management in endorsing learners’ successes provides a necessary boost to both motivation and the organisation’s stated initiative.

The skills of an effective e-learning project manager. The skills required will vary according to focus of the knowledge transfer programme. However, some generic traits emerge:

• Administration management – the need to monitor and manage e-learner activity with confidence assuance that special learning needs are kept confidential.
• Certification management – establishing examination guidelines, escalation and appeals management.
• Technical Planning – understanding and ensuring alignment of technical and academic upgrades.
• Communication management – considering and adhering to the timing of corporate communication goals.
• Logistical management – operational and ease of technology access and use.
• Quality and performance management – Working with internal sponsors to ensure best practice and programme refinement (including status and ongoing risk management).
• Programme planning – Including contract, financial, delivery, availability and response management.