The "Printing with a sheet-fed offset press" e-learning program, created by Ellicom in partnership with the Comité sectoriel de main-d’œuvre des communications graphiques du Québec, was launched on Thursday, February 11. The Comité sectoriel organized a happy hour for the launch, with the collaboration of the Government of Canada and the Commission des partenaires du marché du travail.
At 5:00 p.m., about a hundred participants gathered in the John Molson Room for this highly anticipated event. According to the first batch of comments we received, the happy hour attendees were very enthusiastic about this training program. The richness of the animations, the superb graphics and the content depth greatly impressed them. They discovered a dynamic and flexible training tool that fosters the efficient transfer of knowledge.
Congratulations to the whole team on their success!
Jean-Philippe Bradette, CHRP
Vice-President, Training Solutions
I am in charge of software solution sales at Ellicom, and I am always surprised to see companies that acquire a Learning Management System (LMS) without identifying their needs or even establishing specifications first.
Online training (e-learning) has now proved its worth, and several organizations turn to LMS solutions.
With all the available solutions, how can I make sure to choose right? How can I be sure that the chosen solution will meet my needs? Can this solution (the LMS) be customized based on my company’s needs and growth? Does it comply with industry standards? Do I have to buy it or can I simply rent it? Finally, can the provider offer me appropriate assistance for the implementation of my project?
All these essential questions are part of the “shopping” process when you are looking for a solution for your organization. You must compare apples with apples and avoid buying the first solution you find. In addition, you must ensure that all the previous questions are addressed diligently.
For the very first time, Ellicom will be presenting its brand-new display booth at the HRPA (Human Resources Professionals Association) Annual Conference, to be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from January 27 to 29, 2010.
Visit our booth (No. 112) to learn more about our e-learning solutions and see some of our demos. Ellicom’s representatives will be happy to provide you with expert advice tailored to your needs. You could also be eligible for discounts on our software―and don’t forget to enter our draw for a chance to win great prizes.
We are looking forward to meeting you!
Given my work developing business for the e-learning sector, I am of course very interested in trends in new information technology (IT). In particular, I am fascinated by the speed with which we can now access information in addition to the incredible growth of Web 2.0., which is based on web applications defined by user-centered design, information sharing and simplified interfaces.
Online IT solutions can be an intimidating concept for clients who do not have much experience with computers. Yet, even though Web 2.0. is still an obscure concept for many web users, I believe it will play a very important role in the creation of more accessible and user-friendly tools. “Newbies” (users who are new to certain applications or the Internet) will be able to more easily and intuitively access new information by means of informal networking and active participation.
Given Quebec’s demographics, I hope to see the continuing optimization and greater use of IT solutions in the province. For example, here is an application that harnesses the power and flexibility of IT to provide innovative health services:
During a ceremony and reception held in California as part of the 2009 Innovations in Learning Conference, Ellicom received one of the prestigious Brandon Hall Research Excellence in Learning Awards.
Ellicom was granted the Silver Award for Best Custom Content, the second highest prize in this category, for its online training program designed for Bombardier Transportation. This project involved three interactive e-learning modules, one of which virtually reproduced Bombardier Transportation’s work environment and train production line. The program provided an overview of Bombardier Transportation and a virtual visit of its manufacturing facilities. Ellicom reduced the training time for new employees by using information technologies that maximized access to the relevant information.
This prestigious international award consolidates Ellicom’s position as Canada’s leader in online training solutions.
The Brandon Hall awards showcase outstanding work in the e-learning industry. Since 1992, Brandon Hall Research has been providing independent research reports and expert advice on the use of technology in learning. Each year, the Brandon Hall Research awards programs recognize the best in innovative learning. The winners are announced during a ceremony and reception hosted in conjunction with the annual Innovations in Learning Conference.
Previously a tool used mainly in the fields of medicine and the military, serious games are now being used by the greater public, in large companies from a variety of sectors, and even by the average Joe (See link – French).
Governments are also joining the party, some showing increasing interest in the development of serious games for new training programs. For example, the government of South Korea is injecting more than US$60 million in the serious games market (See link).
As a member of Ellicom's business development team for the Canadian market, I have often wondered whether companies around the world had the same perceptions of and demand for e-learning, and whether they relied on the same decision-making criteria, project implementation methods and standards.
This August, I traveled to France for a seminar with Ellicom’s international partners, where I had the opportunity to discuss and compare my observations on the e-learning market with representatives from France, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Mexico, Chile and Columbia.
Karen is three months old. Her father holds her in his arms and says: "It's time for lunch, your bottle is ready." This scene is repeated over and over, and Karen soon associates the word “bottle” with a white object that is filled with a delicious liquid!
Encoding this word required energy and the creation of new links between nerve cells. However, Karen’s brain considered that this was “worth it”.
For Karen, the word bottle is first associated with a single object.
Welcome to Ellicom's blog! Over the past few years, our team has grown through the addition of talented and devoted individuals who have allowed us to become leaders in the e-learning market. They all brought with them a great wealth of experience and knowledge. Our corporate philosophy has always focused on knowledge sharing, and that’s why we want to share with you our team’s know-how and expertise. Each of our team members will contribute to the blog by adding their own articles, thoughts, discoveries and tools in relation to the world of e-learning and skills development. We will also add news about Ellicom and several tips on the development of online training modules. We invite you to share with us your experiences, thoughts and comments.
Designing effective training material involves working on three fronts simultaneously.
The knowledge process allows the client to select the content. We identify the knowledge that will be converted into learning objects, specify which type of knowledge it is (declarative, procedural, conditional or factual) and establish links between these knowledge elements.
This process leads to a knowledge model, a kind of “knowledge map” plotted by the content expert. What we have here is raw content devoid of all educational or media-related considerations.
The educational process: Now that we have identified the types of knowledge and the links between them, we can choose the most effective learning strategy—or strategies. Presentations, which are probably the most popular strategy, are perfect for factual knowledge but rather ineffective for other types of knowledge. Nevertheless, we use them all the time without questioning their effectiveness. We can create much more effective and dynamic learning environments with strategies such as simulation, laboratory activities, workshops, projects, role-playing, case studies, etc. These powerful strategies are especially well suited for strategic and procedural knowledge.
The educational process creates plans and blueprints and generates all the educational specifications of the learning system to be produced. We then have all the necessary data for the media production process.
The media production process defines the physical shape of the learning system. Printed materials, multimedia materials and websites all have different constraints. This step should allow the client to make the most of each medium’s possibilities while taking its strengths and weaknesses into account. Media related decisions should be based on the applicable constraints and instructional requirements, not the other way around.
A learning system with awesome media production value but no meaningful educational dimension is like a terrific car… made out of tinfoil!
