This morning, Techmeme included a story about a new Skype app called Vodburner.  With this Skype app, you can record, edit, and upload a Skype video call.  I gave it a test run and both the audio and video were excellent!

I can think of several ways that Vodburner can support face-to-face, blended, and online teaching.    This will be a great way to record a video conversation with a subject matter expert and bring the “virtual guest speaker” into class.

I created “virtual guest speaker” course materials with SightSpeed and the process works great.  I would really like to do this with TokBox, unfortunately, TokBox does not yet offer this feature.

Vodburner is new to Skype.  Very impressive!  Give it a try.  Let me know what you think of this new Skype application.

Rick Lillie (CalState San Bernardino)

Helping students decide whether an online course is going to work for them is a instructional challenge.  I prefer to talk with students before a course begins.  This way, they can decide whether to enroll or select another section that better fits their learning needs.

When students are located around the globe, talking to them requires a little thinking outside the box.  To accomplish the task, I use TokBox.  Below is a video that I recorded with TokBox.

Tell me what you think of this approach.  Would you enroll in the course?

Rick Lillie (CalState San Bernardino)

In early August 2009, I gave a presentation to accounting faculty attending the 2009 Conference on Teaching and Learning in Accounting (CTLA) in New York City.  CTLA is part of the American Accounting Association (AAA) annual meeting.

I named the presentation “Take Your Accounting Syllabus to a Whole New Level by Creating an Interactive Class Assignments Schedule.”  I showed faculty how I use technology tools to change a class assignments schedule from a printed page to a dynamic,  interactive teaching-learning resource that works with face-to-face, blended, and online course formats.

The approach that I talked about can be applied to any class assignments schedule.  I created a web page.  The same thing could be done with content folders in a learning management system (LMS).

I shared information about several technology tools that I used to create course features.  I emphasized the need to “look through the eyes of the learner” while designing a teaching-learning process.  Both content and delivery method play equal roles.

Several participants asked if I would create a streaming video tutorial covering highlights of the presentation.  I did.

Click here to view a VoiceThread streaming tutorial.

Tell me what you think of the presentation.  I look forward to your feedback comments.

Rick Lillie (CalState San Bernardino)

Creately is an exciting new Web 2.0 drawing tool.  It makes it easy to draw pictures, diagrams, flowcharts, maps, and other images from scratch or through use of templates.

Creately is very intuitive and easy to learn.  Images can be exported as .png and .jpeg files, .pdf format (for printing), shared as email attachments, or shared through URL links.

Need help with a drawing or Creately feature?  Tech Support is exceptional and responsive.

Below is a diagram that I created for an Auditing class that I teach.  I used one of the Creately templates to design the diagram.  The process was easy to do.

If you are looking for an easy-to-use, versatile, Web 2.0 drawing tool, Creately might well be the answer for you.  Give it a try.  Enjoy!

Rick Lillie (CalState San Bernardino)

You can count on Google to come up with really cool tools for creating course materials.  Have you ever needed a “free” image that you could use in your course materials?  Well, Google created a way to find creative commons images that you can use for free.  Click the link below to access the new Google Image Search engine.

Google Image Search Engine

What a great resource.  Thanks Google!

Rick Lillie (CalState San Bernardino)

I would like to share two excellent reference books with you.  Both deal with using technology to design and share instructional materials.

REFERENCE RESOURCES

The first reference book is entitled e-Learning and the Science of Instruction (Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning), by Ruth Colvin Clark and Richard E. Mayer, 2nd Edition, Pfeiffer (Division of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.), ISBN:  978-0-7879-8683-4.  Click to view Amazon.com web page.

Clark and Mayer explain design principles in a way that makes them easy to understand and apply.  Each chapter includes examples drawn from Internet and other sources that you can use when reviewing or designing course materials for use in  face-to-face, blended, or online  classes.

The second reference book is entitled Michael Allen’s Guide to e-Learning, Building Interactive, Fun, and Effective Learning Programs for any Company, by Michael W. Allen, Wiley, ISBN:  978-0-471-20302-5.  Click to view Amazon.com web page.

Michael W. Allen is a pioneer and leader in the design of interactive multimedia learning tools and applications.  His commentary is clear and easy to understand and apply.

Allen suggests that designers (whoever you are) keep in mind that “Good design, not the latest delivery technology, is essential to success…..Good e-Learning design is good because it effectively uses available technologies to make learning happen.” (Design versus Technology, Pg. 58).

IN CLOSING

These are great reference resources that guide how I create and share course materials with students.  If you are an instructor or instructional designer, I think you will find these to be excellent reference resources.

Enjoy!

Rick Lillie (CalState San Bernardino)

Here’s a very interesting Web 2.0 tool that looks useful for doing online research.  WebNotes allows you to highlight text and stick notes to web pages.  You can annotate and share PDF documents.  You can save your work in folders and build reports that can be shared with others.

The WebNotes home page includes a short demo video.  WebNotes has a free version, as well as,  fee versions with more bells and whistles.

This Web 2.0 tools is worth a try.  For “free,” what can you lose.

Click here to see an example of how you can annotate a web page using Webnotes.

Rick Lillie (CalState San Bernardino)

I added a new section entitled Technology Tips the right-hand column of the blog page.  Click the link to access the Technology Q&A web page published in the Journal of Accountancy (American Institute of  Certified Public Accountants).

The AICPA Technology Q&A page offers a very comprehensive and easy-to-use  way to locate technology-related articles.  The web page also has a very powerful search engine for tracking down articles by subject, author, headline, and more.  The search feature covers 1997 to the present.

I thought you might find the AICPA Technology Q&A website to be a great resource for background information, issues, and how-to-do explanations.  If you are a Microsoft Office user, you will find lots of help and tips for how to use the various features of Microsoft Office programs.

Enjoy!

Rick Lillie

Webware has published its 2009 list of Webware 100 winners.  The list is divided by category.  Explore.  There are some very interesting software programs on the list.

Click to view Webware’s 2009 List

Recently, one of my graduate students told me about a software program called EazyPaper.  The program formats papers to meet AMA, APA, MLA, and Turabian/Chicago requirements.   What a blessing!  The price is reasonable and the program is a real time saver.

Click here to access a FAQ web page that answers a variety of questions about EazyPaper systems requirements.

I am using EazyPaper to revise a journal article that I am working on.  So far, I find it very easy to use.  I really appreciate the way EazyPaper handles formatting of citations both within the body of the paper and in the references listing.

EazyPaper is a great software writing tool.  I appreciate it as a professor.  I just wish that the program had been available when I was a graduate student.

Check out EazyPaper.  You can give it a test drive by downloading a free two-day trial.

If you give the program a try or have experience using EazyPaper share your comments by posting a reply to this commentary.

Enjoy!

Rick Lillie