When it comes to producing rich, interactive eLearning there are many authoring tools to choose from. We sat down with Christopher Allen, ZebraZapps Product Manager, to discuss cloud-based authoring tools, the importance of meeting customer needs, and why ZebraZapps was named of one of the top training tools.

What was the inspiration for developing ZebraZapps?

Over thirty years ago, Michael Allen and a brilliant team of software engineers and educators began work leading to the introduction of Authorware, a system to enable instructional designers and nonprogrammers to build a wide range of interactive multimedia applications. Authorware became the world’s most popular authoring system. Unfortunately, new owners of Authorware discontinued development. The loss of Authorware, even in the face of a plethora of tools available today, leaves a gap in the market, where one needs to either be a software coder or accept limited instructional strategies from less capable tools.

We felt it was time to start fresh with even greater aspirations—not only enabling everyone to create and share powerful interactive multimedia, but also to help each other through the exchange of reusable objects. From creative exploration, amazing capabilities, and outstanding productivity comparisons, ZebraZapps was born.

There is an element of learning involved for new users from instructional videos to webinars. How important was it to include this service to your users?

Our number one priority for user support is effective training and guidance. We continuously add to our library of online training videos, webinar classes, and self-paced instruction. Our customer support team always works to ease the challenges new users face with a new and different system or tool.

We believe that one of the most important elements to learning ZebraZapps is getting an opportunity to see new and inspiring ways of transforming common content into something truly interactive and engaging.

So our webinars give new authors the opportunity to build along and ask questions while learning new techniques. These experiences are followed by our brainteasers, which are short inspiring interactions that swizzle the new concepts covered in the webinars. Brainteasers challenge authors to apply their newly learned concepts in a completely different way.

Who is your typical customer and how are they using ZebraZapps?

Our users run the gamut. The range includes independent instructional designers and media artists, to advanced engineers and entire training departments. One thing is for certain: our users want a powerful and professional tool to build highly interactive and engaging learning events.  Right for their learners; right for the content. They want to create eLearning that leaves their learners with a long-lasting impression, that truly motivates them, and makes for high-impact business results.

What was the decision behind releasing the Professional Plus version?

Pro Plus meets several of our customers’ needs. First, Pro Plus provides users with the ability to deploy ZebraZapps applications locally or on their own servers.  Pro Plus authors can also deploy applications using ZebraZapps servers, using the 1,000 learner storage data accounts, which are part of the Pro Plus package.

Beyond new publishing and delivery options, Pro Plus comes with premium support and a hands-on training class for authors to get started building serious eLearning applications.

ZebraZapps offers ease of use and quick turnaround time; and removes the necessity of knowing how to code. Do you believe the role of instructional designers will change in response to the proliferation and popularity of authoring tools?

Not all tools are alike. For too long now, authoring tool design has been focused on creating efficiencies for the designer and not on meeting the needs of the learner. Rapid development tools on the market today are so concerned about building simple quizzes and page-turning eLearning faster and faster, design flexibility has fallen behind…if it’s there at all.

Learning effectiveness derives largely from replicating real performance contexts as authentically as possible. Contexts are content/performance-specific, but many tools force designers into selecting from a palette of context-neutral templates, rather than enabling the design and implementation of what’s really needed. Rapid authoring tools see the role of instructional designers reduced to selecting context-insensitive templates.

Instructional designers need a platform like ZebraZapps where they can practice their craft and derive the greatest benefits from each instructional event. We think designers should demand more of their tools and expect more for their learners. If they don’t, the tools will determine the role of the instructional designer and force unfortunate compromises.

How do you respond to critics who say products such as ZebraZapps unfairly dismiss the skills of learning experts?

We agree that many tools do this. That’s a primary reason we felt an obligation to develop ZebraZapps. ZebraZapps is different. It is a tool for learning experts. It’s a tool we found ourselves longing for. We built it, in fact, to meet the demanding requirements of our own eLearning design and development studios. ZebraZapps empowers learning experts to create effective experiences that motivate learners, provide authentic learning experiences, and spark performance improvement. ZebraZapps is a tool for organizations who want to create lasting learning experiences that keep students engaged from start to finish.

ZebraZapps was recently named one of TrainingIndustry.com’s “2013 Top 20 Authoring Tools”. Do you see this as a moment of validation in a crowded industry?

Absolutely. We were thrilled to be named to TrainingIndustry.com’s Top 20 Authoring Tools this year. It gives us motivation and reinforces our passion to make ZebraZapps a better tool every day.

I noticed many free and some not so free apps in Shopps. Can you describe how Shopps works and why was it important to create a marketplace, specifically from the end user’s perspective?

Our Shopps provide a number of revolutionary opportunities:

First, great learning resources are often land-locked inside an organization, because it’s hard to share something stored on an internal LMS. The Shopps make public access easy and are also meant to provide an inspiring place for learning professionals to have a real conversation about content, design, and interactivity.

Second, the Shopps provide a commercial repository for off-the-shelf learning, where individuals and corporations have equal opportunities to sell their wares, receive feedback, and be financially rewarded for their contributions. ZebraZapps provides the e-commerce engine, and authors collect the check. No muss. No fuss.

Finally, authors can also buy and sell reusable objects or “gadgets” they have created in ZebraZapps. Gadgets create development efficiencies by allowing others to simply drag and drop cool interactivity, artwork, and media straight into their applications/courses and publish. Many share their gadgets without charge, but the e-commerce engine is also available for gadgets and allows fee collection to reward the helpful work of others.

Although cloud computing is clearly the way of the future, some users are still skeptical about the security of the cloud. Can a ZebraZapps user download their files instead of solely relying on system backups?

Yes. With the release of Pro Plus, authors now have the ability to download their courses for use offline, on their own servers, or LMS. No problem.

As the product continues to iterate, what are your plans for launching the HTML5 output?

We are focusing our engineering cross-platform efforts on allowing authors to develop once and publish everywhere, natively (iOS and Android) and through a browser (HTML5.)

Authors are typically faced with too many decisions in regard to mobile deployment: Do I host my content on existing servers? Do I require learners to download content to their devices on every access (html5)? Do I create and distribute native apps where learners download content once and store it locally?

With ZebraZapps authors won’t be forced to compromise.

Let’s be honest, mobile is not going anywhere; has there been any discussion about future support for iOS and Android platforms?

Yes, there’s no doubt that mobility is enticing. From mainframe with hardwired terminals, to tele-connected workstations, to desktop computers, to laptops, to tablets, to pads, to phones, to watches, to…? What we’re sure of is that our ingenuity will lead us to new and effective ways to take advantage of technologies as they continue to be more accessible and more convenient.

We see some great successes with information retrieval, performance support, and social learning on mobile devices, but we also hope this is only the tip of the iceberg. As Don Bitzer, creator of the famous PLATO learning system, said long ago, we have to build the capabilities before creative people can determine the subset of requirements.

So, at Allen Interactions, we’re building full functionality into ZebraZapps cross-platform mobility. Designers will be able to experiment with a full range of powerful capabilities, tapping native device capabilities, native performance, and network interactivity. Although this is not a minor undertaking, impressive capabilities are already functional.

When can we expect to see these new rollouts?

We are not making release announcements until appropriate to do so, but it’s not too early to begin learning ZebraZapps to determine how you may want to use mobile access.

Patti Shank’s “What Recent Learning Research Says about Designing Synchronous Learning” was my first stop. Before diving in, Patti discussed five key questions to consider when delving into research.

1. What was the number of people involved in the study; (n)?
2. What was the selection method: a convenience sample or a probability sample?
3. What was the methodology? Was it self reporting, observations, or surveys?
4. What were the actual questions asked and methods used?
5. Who were the individuals involved?

She then led the group through the existing literature on synchronous eLearning. Here are three major takeaways:

• Traits and preferences impact how well synchronous works.
• Asynchronous works better for some instruction; synchronous works better for others.
• Good design makes a difference in outcomes in synchronous instruction.

My next stop was “Partnering to Create Dynamic Organizational Learning Interventions” presented by Belinda Brin and Nancy Priest. Brin is the Senior Organization Development Manager at Nestlé Purina PetCare and Priest is a senior executive at Eagle’s Flight in Creative Training Excellence. Both women led a partnership between the organizations to develop training for 7,000 employees. The spoke extensively on “creating a culture of innovation” and how to be a better corporate partner.

Session 508: “Life after eLearning: Realistic Performance Activities in the Workplace” was led by John Low Chief Creative Officer at Carney Inc. He opened with his thoughts on LSCON. John noted a consistent theme, we were all seeking “alternatives to monolithic learning events.” He then took us through a history of learning and training, touching on the Industrial Revolution, systematized training, learning machines, B.F. Skinner, Norman Crowder, all the way to the present with IBM’s Watson and Google Now. John succinctly and accurately stated, “there is a shift from knowing to knowing how to find.”

Because I hadn’t attended any of the Learning Stage events, I left John’s session a little early to head to the Expo Hall where Clark Quinn was leading a panel discussion on mobile mistakes. Robert Gadd, Chad Udell, and Neil Lasher (an official “eLearning Rockstar“) offered some great insights as they took questions from the audience. I wish I had gotten here earlier; it was a lively, no holds barred conversation. Topics ranged from platforms to security to moving beyond apps.

The evening concluded with SolutionFest 2013, which was an opportunity for attendees to showcase their latest tools, technologies, and projects. My only complaint would be the set-up; perhaps next year it should be held in a bigger space. With lots of interested attendees, it was difficult to hear and see all of the demonstrations. However excitement is a good thing; it’s better to have a large crowd than an empty room!

I am really enjoying this year’s conference and looking forward to DevLearn 2013!

Day two began with Morning Buzz, these early morning facilitated discussions are informal share sessions. Today, they ran the gamut from gamification to Section 508 compliance. Afterward attendees gathered for the General Session to listen to Daniel Coyle’s “Hotbed: The Blueprint of High Performance.” This was a real treat. Dan was dynamic, informative, and engaging.

If you are unfamiliar with his work, Dan has been all around the world observing “talent hotbeds” from the slums of Brazil to Beaverton, Oregon. One stage, he shared how high performance relies needs three key habits: REACH, STARE, CONNECT.

1. Maximize Reachfulness: Eliminate passive learning, and try learning on the edge.
2. Fill the Windshield: Find good models to stare at (and emulate), only then will your windshield fill with an image of a better self.
3. Communicate Like a Coach: First connect, and don’t forget to praise effort not ability.

Listening to Dan made me think of “Lords of Dogtown.” Dan asked the audience “Why do kids at play learn the fastest?” Take skateboarders, Dan’s example, who are typically viewed as slackers. In actually they are quite the opposite. Do you know how many times you have to try the trick in order to master it? This is what high performance is all about—practice.

I ended my morning in Kevin Thorn’s session: “How to Communicate to the Visual Cortex—What Learners Don’t See.” Kevin has a background in illustration and animation. The great thing about Kevin is he has taken his passion for visual design and applied it to learning. His session was enjoyable.

Now, the key to a great presentation is holding the audience’s attention. People are inevitably going to meander from room to room at a large conference, but I have to say, I didn’t notice many walking out during Kevin’s session. That’s because he focused on the audience. The exercises were simple but fun; no handouts or complicated questions.

Kevin spoke about the brain’s function in relation to how we view information. He briefly explained the connection between our eyes and our visual cortex, and followed with a brief discussion on central and peripheral vision. What I am about to share is essential for instructional designers: People cannot help but notice objects in the periphery. It is up to you to decide if you want to detract learners or refocus their attention on the screen. I suggest you read Cammy Bean’s article: “Avoiding the Trap of Clicky-Clicky Bling-Bling.”

To close, I leave you with this to ponder: Sometimes we don’t need words, simple shapes and colors can communicate the same idea by tapping into what we already know.

Check back for Part 2.

Earlier today, Marc Rosenberg led a brilliant session: “Building eLearning Strategy for the Future: Nine Key Shifts to Watch.” He first defined what he meant by strategy, he followed with a discussion on how to be strategic vs. tactical, and then spent most of the hour breaking down the 9 key shifts to watch.

1. “From eLearning to eWorking”
   • Forget the classroom, most learning happens in the workplace. We are going to see more integration between working and learning, with most of learning occurring any and everywhere outside of the confines of a “class schedule.”
2. “From Information Scarcity to Information Abundance”
   • Learners want to “carve their own path.” Because we all learn at different paces, users want to guide their own path as they explore various content offerings.
3. “From Target Population to Cyber Intimacy”
   • No one wants to waste time learning what they already know. You must create individual learning experiences for each employee.
4. “From Courses to Apps”
   • Courses don’t work on tablets, smart phones, and other mobile devices. With this shift to mobility, learners want guidance and performance support not courses. They want applications that are not only quick and to the point, but simplify tasks.
5. “From Grades to Experiences”
   • With the integration of social learning and performance, and the emergence of the Experience API, there is less emphasis on “what grade did you get?” and more emphasis “on what do you know?” Rosenberg identified this as resume vs. transcript.
6. “From ‘Teach Me’ to ‘Guide Me'”
   • The instructor’s role is changing. It’s less about lectures and more about practice, creative thinking, and collective problem solving. There is a greater emphasis on informal learning, such as coaching and mentoring.
7. “From Course Catalogs to Knowledge Bases”
   • Information is everywhere! Learners should stop asking “what do you offer?” and instead ask “what do you know?”
8. “From Content Production to Content Curation”
   • There is a lot of bad information out there, especially online. We need knowledge managers and content curators to make sure learners have access to accurate and up-to-date information. Remember everyone is a content consumer and creator.
9. “From Push to Pull”
   • As a learner evolves from the novice to expert stage their needs change. There is less emphasis on training and more on collaborative learning. “Master performers” are more likely to pull from a knowledge database; they want to learn in their own way. Allow it!

If you have not already moved in the direction of change, it’s not to late. Don’t get left behind. And don’t forget to test your strategy!

At the end of every day, we will be recapping the conference from now through Friday. If you want to keep up with detailed play-by-play, check out the conference backchannel, which is being curated by eLearn Mag’s Dave Kelly. You can find the curated stream at http://LSCon.hashcaster.com.

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And don’t forget to check out our Twitter feed for exclusive conference highlights. The official conference hashtag is #LSCon.

Update: (03/20/13)

9 Key Strategic Shifts to Watch

Day 2 of LSCON13: Part 1

Day 2 of LSCON13: Part 2

Badgeville, a behavior platform company, has found success  using gamification to incentivize learning for Deloitte and Beat the GMAT, a social network for MBA applicants. Deloitte’s Leadership Academy, a digital education program with 10,000 senior executives at more than 150 companies around the globe, tracks and rewards behaviors. The program includes completing lessons, watching full educational videos, answering quizzes, and all the way up to earning an optional diploma. Beat the GMAT empowers members to learn, share, teach, and support each other. Those studying for the GMAT are motivated to compete against their peers, driving the competition towards getting a better score on the exam.

Still not convinced?

For more on the topic of gamification, here are some related articles:

• Gamification: Using Game Mechanics to Enhance eLearning
• Book Review: The Gamification of Learning and Instruction: Game-Based Methods and Strategies For Training And Education
• An Interview with Sebastian Deterding
• Book Review: Game Frame

Expect to find:

• New video page
• Improved search
• Better video browser
• Streaming feed
• Follow
• Multiple file uploading
• Better privacy control
• Recently viewed videos
• Related videos

Read more at PCMag.com

Vimeo Plans Full Site Overhaul

• Vicki Davis
• Dean Shareski
• Jon Becker
• Beth Kanter
• Steve Hargadon

More importantly social media is being used to eliminate barriers to learning–from preschoolers using iPad apps, to professionals climbing the corporate ladder. Recently the New York Times reported on how the Kahn Academy is using YouTube to teach math and science to high schoolers, while global organizations like Deloitte are using Yammer to create an internal social network enabling employees to share and connect.

In the past year eLearn Magazine has published a range of articles that tackle the issue of utilizing and managing social media in the online learning space:

• The Effects of Twitter in an Online Learning Environment
• Managing the Flow of Information in Social Networks
• Backchannel Learning in an Organizational Setting
• Learnstreaming

What about you? How are you utilizing Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Google , Tumblr, and Slideshare? Are you blogging?

If you’ve answered yes, then keep it up! You may be on next year’s list. If not, there’s no better time than the present.

LoudCloud, as you may have guessed, is a cloud based solution. It was launched in 2010 as an alternative to the traditional LMS. You can find out more about LoudCloud and its offerings next week during a webinar scheduled for December 15, 2011 at 11:00am PST. Register for free or request a demo of LoudCloud University Suite.

Link: The full press release is online.

What hasn’t changed is our high-quality content. Actually, it has—it is even better because we have added regular editors in recent months, the newest of whom is Sue Landay. We hope you enjoy her columns as well as those of our other regular columnists, Michelle Everson, Bob Little, and Roger Schank, and our guest columnists.

I am delighted to welcome Jane Bozarth, as new co-Editor-in-Chief of eLearn Magazine. Read about Jane in this eLearn Magazine interview. After 10 years at eLearn Magazine—we launched in June 2001! I will be turning over my responsibilities to Jane over the next few months.

Finally, I want to officially welcome Denise Doig as eLearn Magazine’s new Senior Editor. Denise was previously the Managing Editor of interactions Magazine. She has provided editorial management for eLearn as well. Her academic background is in Civil Engineering, but has spent the majority of her professional career in trade publishing. After attending the Columbia University Publishing Course, she began as an editorial assistant at Outsourcing Today, providing editorial and production support. She has experience in technical writing and marketing. Denise is a graduate of Princeton University. Her interests include social media, digital learning, and user experience design.

Please join me in welcoming our new look, Sue, Jane, and Denise.