Wow. We've had quite a week so far! It seems the word is out about Instructional Spice. I've been using the "join" information to figure out where all the press is coming from. I found a few and I want to give a nice thanks so......Thanks!

To Shaunda Paden: Thanks for the nice article in the PerformanceXpress:  http://www.performancexpress.org/#3

To Jane's E-Learning Pick of the Day: Thanks for adding us to your blog and your tools for learning list:  http://janeknight.typepad.com/pick/2008/05/activity-spice.html 

To Training Tech Talk: Thanks for featuring an answer from me in your weekly email: http://www.elabs2.com/functions/message_view.html?mid=60800&mlid=73&siteid=15988&uid=37147ead0c

To Kineo and Jane Hart (again): Thanks for mentioning us in your "Survey Results and Free Tools":  http://www.kineo.com/elearning-trends/survey-results-and-free-tools.html 

To Tim Drewitt: Love the racy blog about us: http://timdrewitt.typepad.com/tech4learning/2008/04/hot-and-spicy-e.html 

If I've missed anyone, please let me know. All these articles appearing about us just shows me that Instructional Spice is definitely providing a service that eLearning developers want.

Thanks!

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have a hard time keeping up with all the conferences that are coming up. ASTD 2008 is going on right now. Here are a few that I know about in the next few months. I'd appreciate any notice on others I can add to the list:

Games, Learning, Society +Academic Fest
July 8-11, 2008
Academic Co-Lab, Madison, WI
http://glsconference.org/

Apply Serious games
July 10, 2008
http://www.applyseriousgames.com/

12th International Conference on Computer Games: AI, Animation, Mobile, Educational & Serious Games
July 30-Aug 2, 2008http://www.cgamesusa.com

SIGGRAPH Sandbox
Aug 9, 2008
Emerging Serious Games from the Graphics
Aug 12, 2008
http://sandbox.siggraph.org/about.html
http://www.web3d.org/events/details/2008-web3d-symposium-on-3d-web-technology/

Flashforward2008
Aug 20-22, 2008
San Francisco
http://www.flashforwardconference.com

Joint ADL Co-Lab Implementation Fest 2008
Aug 25-28, 2008
Orlando, FL

Virtual Worlds Expo
September 3-4, 2008
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.virtualworldsexpo.com/

Austin Game Developers Conference
Sep 15-17, 2008
Austin, TX
http://www.austingdc.net

MODSIM 2008
Sep 16-19, 2008
Virginia Beach, VA
http://www.modsimworld2008.com

The Millennials Conference
Sep 25-26, 2008
New York, NY
http://www.millennialsconference.com

Learning 2008
Oct 26-29, 2008
Orlando, FL
http://www.learning2008.com/

DevLearn 2008 Conference & Expo
Nov 11-14, 2008
San Jose, CA
http://www.elearningguild.com/content.cfm?selection=doc.24

IITSEC
Dec 1-4, 2008
Orlando, FL

Living Game Worlds
Dec 1, 2008 
Atlanta, GA
http://gameworlds.gatech.edu/

e-Learning Guild Annual Gathering 2009 Conference & Expo
March 9-12, 2009
Orlando, FL
http://www.elearningguild.com/content.cfm?selection=doc.24

DevLearn 2009 Conference & Expo
Nov 9-13, 2009
San Jose, CA
http://www.elearningguild.com/content.cfm?selection=doc.24

The latest buzz word out there is "Immersive Learning Simulations". I hear it being used more an more. In fact, I'm starting to see it used incorrectly.

So what is an Immersive Learning Simulation?

Here's one definition I found: "This technology enables users to role-play the lead characters in live-action, research-based interactive movies that reflect real-life decisions and consequences in the safety of cyber-space."

Another one from the eLearning Guild states "An Immersive Learning Simulation, also known as a Serious Game, is an optimized blend of simulation, game element, and pedagogy that leads to the learner being motivated by, and immersed into, the purpose and goals of a learning interaction. Serious games use meaningful contextualization, and optimized experience, to successfully integrate the engagement of well-designed games with serious learning goals."

So what is not an Immersive Learning Simulation?

• a simple game
• a branching scenario
• a cool flash with 3-dimensional effects

What are the possible uses for an Immersive Learning Simulation?

I can think of a few: teaching pilots to operate a new airplane, military exercises, other strategic thinking exercises. Please add some comments telling us what you can imagine an immersive learning simulation could be used for.

We've heard from the independent consultants - they love Spice but need a less expensive way to use it. Now we are offering some of our activities free of charge. Join today and start creating activities for free!

A colleague showed me a new website that has great information for Toolbook and Lectora users. They offer tips, resources, and even some prepared code available. In addition to adding elearning activities and interactions to your course, visit http://www.elearningdojo.com/ to find more options to make your eLearning more interactive.

I thought I should share with everyone the steps I used to follow in order to create a custom flash to insert into my courses. I averaged about three activities per course and I created about one course per month. It was basically a very precise process involving specifications, review meetings, communicating with programmers, gathering feedback, etc.......

It was while I was trying to get this done that I spoke to an application developer about the situation. I asked him how hard it would be to build a library of these activities and then trade out text and images more quickly. He came back with something better - the suggestion for the delivery system that has become Activity Spice. Now my process is: Sit with my SME, put in the text, click publish, insert in course.  Done! 

Please feel free to reply back with your process for creating custom flash activities - before Spice!

My husband was showing Activity Spice to another parent while watching our son take a karate class this week. She asked him – “Does this tool let you skip past the course? At my work they make me take eLearning and we all worked together to figure out how to skip each page.” That floored my husband. He’s an application developer by trade and embraces learning whenever he can find it. Finding out that not everyone wants to learn shattered an image he had.

We as designers and developers spend a lot of thought and energy creating a course that will provide the knowledge that professionals need to either improve their skill set or understand what their company needs them to understand. So why do people spend so much energy trying to skip past what we've designed? I'd love to hear some comments on this.

I read an interesting email string today. It was between a top notch eLearning Developer working in Lectora and a top notch Instructional Designer. This is a story that many people have lived through.

It’s a simple struggle:

• The Designer wants rich interactions.
• The Developer wants to substitute simpler interactions that come with the tool.

Who is right?

In my opinion – both are right. I’ve worked as an Instructional Designer for quite a long time and I’ve had my own eLearning Development business. I can see both sides.

This struggle is what prompted me to find someone to create a simple way of creating eLearning interactions and activities that can be inserted into courses. I’m always looking for new activities and games to add to our product. If you have an activity or game you need, write to me describing it in detail. We just might add it in to the Activity Spice community for free. If you need it right away – we have flash developers that will build it for you quickly and at a low cost customized just for you.

I just read an article with this title. Here is a link:

http://www.infoinc.com/astd/buzznews.html#351912

This article states that now 33% of all corporate training hours are delivered via eLearning. Wow! I know many of you can remember the 90’s when it took an act of congress to get funding for one small course. Now, I can pound out an eLearning course in a day for under $1000 using rapid development tools.

We’ve come a long way baby.