WikiEdProfessional eLearning Guidebook

Professional eLearning Guidebook

Home| Forward| Preface| Acknowledgements| An Overview| Pedagogical designs for eLearning| Assessment feedback and moderation| Online-learning management systems| Digital learning objects| Online learning course development models| Management and implementation of eLearning| Evaluating the impacts of eLearning| References| Glossary

About the eLearning Guidebook

Front cover of the print version of the guidebook

Print version of the guide

The Commonwealth Education Media Center for Asia (CEMCA) and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) recently published the 2nd revised edition of E-Learning. A guidebook of Principles, Procedures and Practices. This guidebook has been developed by Som Naidu of the University of Melbourne, Australia in close consulation with Sanjaya Mishra of Indira Gandhi National Open Univeristy.

You can download a print version of the guide from CEMCA. Please note the Copyright provisions of the print version of the guide.

Wiki version of the guide

The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) has released a digital wiki version of this guide under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike License,in consulation with the authors. The wiki version is dynamic and we encourage you to:

• Assist keeping this version up-to-date through collaborative edits on the wiki;
• Use the wiki version for professional development in e-learning at your own institutions;
• Add your own stories and experiences to the topics and issues raised in the Guidebook;
• Add new topics and issues to the guide in response to your own needs;
• Download interoperable versions of the digital content for use in your own learning management system; and
• Adhere to the attribution and share-alike requirements of the license.

Main Chapters

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1: An Overview
Chapter 2: Pedagogical designs for eLearning
Chapter 3: Assessment, feedback, and e-moderation
Chapter 4: Online-learning management systems
Chapter 5: Digital learning objects
Chapter 6: Online-learning course development models
Chapter 7: Management and implementation of eLearning
Chapter 8: Evaluating the impacts of e-learning

References

Glossary

We need your help

In demonstrating the power of collaborative work accross international boundaries, we request your assistance in converting the eLearning guidebook into wiki format. By donating a few hours of your time, we can spread the load in adding considerable value to an existing resource. This is a prime example of where the sum is considerably more than the parts. We need your help to:

• Cut and paste the text into the wiki format
• Encourage folk to add their own e-Learning stories to the wiki version
• Convert the content into a SCORM package using eXe
• To run one or two virtual workshops using these resources.

1. To facilitate planning and to avoid duplication, please visit the Planning page.
   
2. Visit the instructions page for information on the wiki syntax we are using.
3. Should you have any questions, please post these on the discussion forum

Experimenting with interoperability

We have experimented with two ways in which to package the wiki content in a format that can be used by the LMS of your choice. Naturally it is possible to simply reference the Wiki url from within your LMS. Nonetheless, packaging the content using interoperable formats illustrates significant advantages:

• The ability to use content that is authored collaboratively in a wiki environment;
• Saving time and effort when uploading course content into the local learning management system;
• The ability to change, modify and customise the resource for local needs without making changes to the central text on wikieducator.

Cut and paste into eXe iDevices

This involves more time, but results in a more professional looking and customisable version of the resource. The disadvantage is that it will require more effort to incoporate modifications and improvements resulting from collaborative authoring efforts on WikiEducator.

• You can view this content package in the Moodle LMS.
• Here is a copy of the eXe (.elp file which is eXe's file format) into eXe (an open source authoring tool). Note that I added a few customisations to illustrate this advantage. You can download this file and edit within eXe assuming you have a local copy of the software: eLearning_Overview(2).elp. Download eXe @ http://exelearning.org.

Importing text using the Wikieducator iDevice feature

It is possible to "import" content from Mediawiki into eXe (an open source authoring tool) using the wiki iDevice. You will see that eXe has a pulldown option for WikiEducator in the Wikipedia iDevice of the software. This is still an experimental feature, but demonstrates the potential of this feature.

• Here is a copy of the eXe file (.elp format) that I used to create a scorm package using this method. You can download this file and edit in eXe: eLearning_Overview.elp
• You can view this file that was exported as a SCORM package in the Moodle LMS as well.

Be warned, there are still a few bugs. For example, displaying the incorrect license and clicking on the icon images contained in the WikiEducator imports are still absolute, and will cause problems. However - as both pieces of software are open source - this should be easily resolved - Funding willing.

Creating a Web version of customised content

The eXe software provides a Web export feature, which is particularly useful for users who do not have access to a learning management system.

• Content customised from WikiEducator using eXe can be uploaded on a webserver or saved on a CDROM for distribution to users who may not have connectivity.