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WAVELENGTH -- The ID Newsletter of India -- December 2005
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Hello Friends,

Welcome to this issue of Wavelength, the monthly e-Newsletter
for the Instructional Design and Content Development
community of India.

Winter is here. Oh, it's been such a long wait, but it has
finally arrived. There is nothing that compares with a cozy
office chat around the coffee vending machine, with steaming
coffee cups serving the dual purpose of providing warmth and
bringing us together. Since you are reading Wavelength, it's
quite obvious that you've already had your morning coffee or
tea; so you know what I mean.

If you are sniggering at this long introduction, most
probably your current project deals with technical content.
Simple, straightforward, usable...this is the Guru-Mantra of
Technical Writing. Nevertheless, let me discontinue gazing at
the crystal ball, and open Wavelength's sack of Christmas
gifts.

Wavelength brings to you the serial
"eLearning Project Management," which will endeavor to
present links to some good, practical articles that deal with
this subject. The Mystery of the Month article that introduces
ePM is "eLearning Project Management: A Different Ballgame."
I hope the article as well as the serial will help bring the
role of an eLearning project manager in focus.

Reviewing the requirement of advanced ActionScript knowledge
(Object-oriented programming) in the industry, Wavelength is
happy to announce the Object-Oriented Development in
ActionScript 2.0 Certificate (OODAC) course. This course is
for experienced ActionScript programmers, who wish to learn
object-oriented programming in ActionScript 2.0. Click on the
following link to read more about this course.
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/oodac_details.htm

The ActionScript Developer Certificate (ASDC) course has
received an overwhelming response, and prior bookings have
begun for the January course group. The next course group for
IDCWC (Instructional Design & Content Writing Certificate)
also begins classes in January, and is partly booked in
advance. Click on the following links to view details:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/idcwc_details.htm
(for the IDCWC course.)
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/actionscript_certificate.htm
(for the ASDC course.)

January will also see two FREE Workshops being organized.
Please register online, if you wish to participate.

I now take leave and hope that this issue of Wavelength will
prove to be just as comfortable and friendly as that hot cup
of coffee that you sipped in the sweet warmth of the
morning sun.

Thanks and Warm Regards,
Shafali R. Anand

(Editor & Publisher, Wavelength)

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Table of contents
******************

From the Editor's Desk
Mystery of the Month
Serials::eLearning Project Management::Episode I
Resources
Technology
Site of the Month
Readers' Views
Surge Ahead
Laugh-a-little
Signing Off...

NEW!

1.Wavelength launches Object-Oriented Development in
ActionScript 2.0 Certificate (OODAC) course on January 07, 2006.
Registrations are now open for this course group. Click on
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/oodac_details.htm
2.Classes for the next Flash ActionScript Developer Certificate
(ASDC) course group begin on January 15, 2006. Registrations
have begun for this group. Click on
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/actionscript_certificate.htm
3.Wavelength's next course group for the Instructional Design &
Content Writing Certificate (IDCWC) course begins on January 15,
2005. Registrations are now open for this course group. Click on
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/idcwc_details.htm
4.Sixth FREE Instructional Design Orientation workshop: IDO VI,
is on January 8, 2006. This workshop suits Instructional
Designers with 0-2 years of experience in writing, training, and
other related areas. Please read the details of this workshop at
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/idorworkshop6.htm
5.Second FREE ActionScript Orientation workshop: ASO II is on
December 25, 2005. This workshop suits Flash graphic designers,
MCAs, Graduates, who are interested in expanding their skill sets
or making a career as Flash ActionScript programmers/developers.
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/actionscript_workshop2.htm

***********************
From the Editor's Desk
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http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/editorial.htm

***********************
Mystery of the Month
***********************
The mystery that we set out to unravel this month is: "What
does the Project Manager Do?" The article,
"eLearning Project Management: A Different Ballgame,"
introduces the role of project manager in an eLearning
organization. If you dream of becoming a project manager one
day, and would like to know what it is like to be one, please
read this article. If you are a project manager, and would
like to add a few more tips to your project management
toolbox, you may find it a useful read.

Note:
If you are a project manager, and would like to share your
tips on good project management with your colleagues in the
Indian eLearning Industry, email the three top tips to me
along with your name, designation, and organization. Let us
all share and grow...Adults learn through collaborative
learning!

****************************************************
Serials::eLearning Project Management::Episode I
****************************************************
The new serial that we begin this month is: eLearning Project
Management. In not so distant past, project management used to
be a road that most of the instructional designers were
required to travel if they hoped to grow in the industry. Last
two years have seen many changes in the eLearning industry. An
important change witnessed by our industry has been the
recognition of instructional design as a discipline that
requires specialized knowledge. This change came into focus
when many eLearning companies separated project management and
instructional design as two different growth paths; and
recognized that the capabilities required for project management
were different from those needed for instructional design.

It is to project management, the glamorized alternate path that
many instructional designers hope to tread some day that we
dedicate this new serial. Following the Wavelength tradition,
we introduce the serial with an article
"eLearning Project Management : A Different Ballgame" at
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/epm.htm, which highlights the
role of a project manager in the eLearning industry and suggests
a short recipe for becoming a successful project manager. If
you are not a project manager and have not been one in past, I
recommend that you read the above article before visiting the
following links.

1.The article, "The e-Learning Project Team: Roles and
Responsibilities" by Kevin Kruse, which can be found at
http://www.e-learningguru.com/articles/art1_4.htm, is an
article that everyone who dreams of becoming an eLearning
project manager should read. This crisp and clear article
will provide you a good idea of the structure of an
eLearning project team and the responsibilities of each
member of the team.

2.If you are an eLearning project manager, you've been there!
You've experienced the raging fires of project deadlines,
client conference calls, unavailable or sometimes available
yet invisible team-members, SMAs in SME's clothing (Read
"Subject Matter...Expertise?" at
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/sma.htm)...well! Here's an
article "Bankruptcy-Proof Your E-Learning Project" by
Darin Hartley, which you can read at
http://www.learningcircuits.org/2001/dec2001/hartley.html.
This article provides some tips to keep your project in
control.

3.Visit http://www.plantolearn.com/sitebuildercontent/
sitebuilderfiles/edmedia_montreal_gw.ppt
to view a PowerPoint presentation that lists the critical
issues that come up in eLearning project management. The
presentation introduces the concept of
ePM (eLearning Project Management) and underlines the need
to review the traditional PM models to incorporate the
characteristics of ePM.

**********
Resources
**********

-------------------------
Resources::Writing Style
-------------------------
1.When I came across the article "Just Say No to Dead Fragments"
at http://www.clickz.com/experts/archives/design/write_onl/
article.php/838871
by Nick Usborne, I couldn't stop myself from including it in
Wavelength. This article talks about the dry and dusty
sentences that are left of the lively and lovely language,
when content returns from the "operation theatre"
of usability and readability reviews. I do not deny that
these reviews are important, but I am strongly opposed to
treating all audiences alike. I am also opposed to
blindly toeing the guidelines, without reviewing whether
they actually apply or not. So what if a site or a piece
of content has a Gunning Fog Index of 17, it is possible
that it is targeted to an intellectually elite audience.
If we let instructional design drive eLearning technology
we will seldom go wrong!

2.Visit http://www.webfoot.com/advice/email.top.html#intro
for some useful information on email writing style. I think
it is an extremely useful guide for all those who have not
written many formal emails. It differentiates between
acceptable and unacceptable salutations, gestures,
signatures, and so on. While you are at this site, also check
out http://www.webfoot.com/advice/email.jargon.html?Email
for some interesting and useful acronyms. Incidentally, a
client who had written "LOL" to me would be happy to know
that I've "finally" discovered what she meant. Thanks:-)

------------------------------
Resources::Language & Culture
------------------------------

1.In the Instructional Design Orientation workshops that I
conduct, I often find myself answering the question: why
has Instructional Design gained such prominence in the
recent years? The answer is simple. Instructional Design
provides us tools to determine the instructional treatment
that should be used to impart learning effectively to the
audience. As the Indian eLearning industry is powered by
content requirement from the international market and its
target audience is an international audience, it is only
through Instructional Design that we can ensure that our
content stays effective. Well, this article proves the point.
Please click on http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/articles/id4intlmkt/index.htm
to read the article:
"Instructional Design for the International Market." This
highly entertaining "multi-media" article by Charles Hurley,
will enable you to sample some cultural and linguistic
blunders.

2.Many of us today, engage in creation of online content that
reaches people from various cultures around the globe. Read
"Instructional Design, Culture and Theories" by Tracy J.
Malcolm at http://www.ivcc.edu/malcolm/instructional
%20design,%20culture%20and%20theories.htm
to view instructional design from the online learning
viewpoint. I liked the part about The Cooperative Principle,
developed by the philosopher Grice, who suggested 4 maxims
that can make contribution in an online learning environment
more useful. The maxims relate to quantity, relation,
quality, and manner.

------------------------
Resources::ID Concepts
-----------------------

1.If rapid instructional design is a word that has been
buzzing around in your organization recently, and if your
project manager is pushing you into a corner asking you to
design faster, you will find http://www.thiagi.com/article-rid.html
useful. Sivasailam "Thiagi" Thiagarajan outlines 10 strategies
and 20 guidelines (Are you marveling at how authors always
manage to reach magical "round" numbers? So am I.) that can
help an instructional designer save some time without
bringing down the quality of his course.

2.Another concept that we should familiarize ourselves with is
that of Universal Instructional Design (UID). Those of us
who have worked on accessible courses, would recognize the
term without much difficulty. On the lines of universal
design of structures (structures designed in order to be
accessible to all,) universal instructional design is about
designing learning in a way that it becomes accessible to
all. This neat article:
http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Strehorn-UID.html by Kregg C.
Strehorn, provides ideas and guidelines to implement UID
into ESL (English as a Second Language) classes. I think
trainers and instructors will find it extremely useful.

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Technology Section::NEW!
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-----------------------------------------------------------
Resources::Learning Content Creation Technologies
-----------------------------------------------------------
1.http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/flash/articles/
actionscript_guide_07.html
provides a detailed view into ActionScript 2.0's
capabilities as a fully Object-Oriented programming (OOP)
language. This article lists the benefits that AS2's OOP
provides to the programmer. It is a great article for all
those who have been programming in ActionScript 1.0 for a
while and now want to make their programming more efficient
through object-oriented programming concepts. Review other
links that pertain to Flash ActionScript 2.0 provided at
the left side of this page.

2.Check out http://www.flazoom.com/usability/ for reading a
white paper on "usability" in Flash. If you don't
understand the term fret not, for in the list of links on
this page, there is one that will tell you about it. The
white paper discusses the reasons behind the relative
failure of Flash content to establish itself as usable. It
then provides useful tips for Flash designers as well as
developers to help make their content usable.

3.Another interesting link (on the same site) is
http://www.flazoom.com/news/fitts_07102000.shtml, where
you can read the article "Making Sure Usability "Fitts"
Flash. This article explains Fitts' Law, and uses some
interesting practical examples to demonstrate how the law
helps. So if you want to make life easier for the user,
you may want to check this out.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Resources::Learning Content Management Technologies
--------------------------------------------------------------

1.The article "Content Management: Our Organized Future" at
http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/contentmanagement.htm
by George Siemens is a simple, straight forward article
that first defines content management as "a concept,
process, function, and a strategy." The article then lists
the different stages in content management and its benefits.
After setting the conceptual stage, the author drills into
the features and functions of content management systems.
I find it a highly organized and useful article.

2.eLearning content writers as well as programmers are
impacted by the growth of CMSs and LMSs. It is natural for
them to be curious about the direction content management
will take in future. This detailed article lists the
different areas of content management that will be most
influenced in the future. Click on
http://www.gdsinternational.com/infocentre/artsum.asp?
mag=168&iss=%20141&art=25405&lang=en
to read "The Future of Content Management."

******************
Site of the Month
******************

The last Site of the Month for 2005...the final gem in a
glittering sequence of websites, each unique, each of a
different hue!

This month, Wavelength takes you on a trip to GE's Geoterra.
Click on http://geoterra.ecomagination.com/ to visit a
fascinating world where everything is created in Flash, yet
everything is amazingly real. Kudos to the creators!

My graphic designer friends, if you haven't been checking out
the SoM section of Wavelength so far, this is the time to do so.
Don't miss out on the beautiful, melodious, and innovative
treatment of this site.

I think the prologue is becoming too long, so let me cut it
short and tell you what is so fantastic about this site.

1.This site is built to establish the eco-friendliness of GE
products. With the aim to educate through entertainment,
this site begins by announcing its objective through the
pre-loader of a growing tree. Also check out the soft fall
of leaves; although the density of the falling leaves
signifies autumn, but then the idea of growth and spring is
signified through the color.

3.The site loads into a beautiful island that builds
gradually. The rivers meander through, the mountains and
the building rise up...everything grows logically. Then the
meteorite arrives - the logo of GE and the welcome sign is
written in the sky.

4.The two buttons at the bottom are so thoughtfully designed.
A beautiful woman in Hawaiian dress welcomes you if it's
your first visit, if not, a man (looks like he's wearing
trousers with the bottoms rolled up!) invites you to join
him for surfing. I advise that you move your mouse on both
and see the animations. They are just fantastic! Hats off
to the graphic designer!

5.Click on "Get Started Here" at the bottom left corner.
There are some interesting "fundas" such as "calculating
your travel path." I think they are just to keep you
occupied:-) while some other interesting things happen. You
arrive in a glider (yes, you do!) and land. The moment you
land, a surfer surfs in, building the menu; a girl joins the
one who welcomed you, then a guitarist appears to entertain
you, and the surfer too comes back. Wow! That's some welcome!

6.Five leaves provide you access to different games that you
can play on the island. These games are also available
through the menu.

7.Check out the three links just below the graphic area by
rolling your mouse over them. The rollovers are cool.

8.Click on one of the leaves to play a game. The games are
simple enough, but their visual treatment is similar to that
of the site. The soft, smooth animations are breathtakingly
beautiful!

9.I would also like to draw your attention to the Help
treatment. The Help is not provided in form of bland
instructions text, but through animations and graphics.
You will notice; that not for a single moment you find
yourself looking at a static screen...it is always
animated!

I guess I should stop now and give you an opportunity to form
your own opinion:-) Do share this SoM with your friends in
the Media team; I am confident that they will enjoy it a lot.

So...Happy vacationing, surfing, playing, and learning! If
you haven't clicked on the link yet, here it is once again.
http://geoterra.ecomagination.com/

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Readers' Views
*****************
Click on http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/views.htm to read
what readers feel about Wavelength.

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Surge Ahead
************
If you are trying to figure where the people who used to sit
around you went, try calling up one of the
following companies.

********************************************************
Instructional Design/Project Management Jobs:
********************************************************
------------------
Delhi - NCR
------------------

FCS Ltd.
Instructional Designer (3 to 5 years)
http://www.fcsltd.com/home/careers/careers.asp#OSG/ID

Content Writer (1 to 2 years)
http://www.fcsltd.com/home/careers/careers.asp#OSG/CW

Flash Developers (Not Specified)
http://www.fcsltd.com/home/careers/careers.asp#FDev

NIIT
Instructional Designers (2+ years of Exp)
http://www.niit.com/Admin/ASP/Aboutus.asp?
Section=Global&L1=Employment&L2=Current%20Positions

Project Manager - US
http://www.niit.com/Admin/ASP/Aboutus.asp?
Section=Global&L1=Employment&L2=Current%20Positions
Write to - SRPruitt@niit.com

Senior Project Managers – Delhi
(4 to 5 yrs in eLearning, 8+ Total Exp)
Write to - rupalis@niit.com
http://www.niit.com/Admin/ASP/Aboutus.asp?
Section=Global&L1=Employment&L2=Current%20Positions

INFOPRO
Instructional Designers (1 to 3 years)
http://learning.infoprocorp.com/careers/careers.html

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Kolkata
------------------
XPOSNSE TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
Content Writer (2 to 4 years)
Contact:Maitreyee Chattopadhyay
Manager HR: careers@xponse.com

------------------
Mumbai
------------------
HURIX SYSTEMS - Mumbai
Project Managers PM (1+ years)
Instructional Writers (2+ years)
http://www.hurix.com/current_openings.html

LIONBRIDGE
Technical Writers - http://www.lionbridge.com/company/
careers/empdisplay.asp?intJobID=283&intLangID=1

Instructional Deisgners - http://www.lionbridge.com/company/
careers/empdisplay.asp?intJobID=281&intLangID=1

Project Director/Sr.Project Mgr/Project Manager
(5+ years of Exp)
deepak.deshpande@mentorix.com

MANIPAL UNIVERSAL LEARNING
Instructional Designers(2 to 5 years)
http://www.manipalu.com/careers/openings.asp#14

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Bangalore
------------------
IBM
Content Developer & Graphic Designer
https://forms.bpfj.intronet.com/ibm/Forms/ap/expro/
VacancyDetails.jsp?vacancyCode=32464

------------------
Chennai
------------------
ELEMENT K
Content Developer(Maximum Experience = 5 years)
http://corp.naukri.com/mynaukri/mn_newminnernew.php?
filename=090905001620

QUINTEGRA SOLUTIONS LTD.
Technical Writer (1-2 years)
http://www.quintegrasolutions.com/careers_Currentopenings.html

*****************************
Technology/Programming Jobs:
*****************************

------------------
Dubai
------------------
IMPACT PROXIMITY
Flash Developer (2-5 yrs)
http://corp.naukri.com/mynaukri/mn_newminnernew.php?
filename=011105000159
Sal: 80,000/- pm

------------------
Pune
------------------
MAXIMIZELEARNING
Multimedia Programmers (Exp: Not Specified.)
http://www.maximizelearning.com/pop_up_prog.htm

------------------
Mumbai
------------------
LEARNING MATE
Team Leader – Flash Solutions Group (4 to 6 years)
Flash Developer (1 to 3 years)
http://www.learningmate.com
go to -->careers--->here-->Flash Solutions Group

------------------
Delhi-NCR
------------------
FCS
http://www.fcsltd.com/home/careers/careers.asp#FDev
Exp not mentioned

------------------
Chennai
------------------
I-MEDIA
Flash AS Programmer (1 to 4 yrs)
http://www.timesjobs.com/timesJobWebApp/tj/job/
RecruitJobSearchViewAdAdvance.jsp?adId=42737087&bc=INT

***************
Laugh-a-little
***************
Okay...stop working! We've reached the humor section of
Wavelength. At this point, all work stops:-)
Now click on the following link (how instructional!) and
laugh. Please!

http://www.worldwidefreelance.com/writing-jokes.htm to read
some writer jokes. The one I liked best was about the
selfhelp section. It reminded me of some software helps that
I've seen. Real life suffers from
multiplicity...Kyon Gajodhar? (Source: Raju Shrivastava in
"The Laughter Champions" on Star One!)

http://www.authorhouse.com/AuthorResources/
WritingFeature/FunnyBones.asp
can help the aspiring joke-writers to take off. It provides
tips on writing effective jokes. I am sure that writing
effective jokes must be ten-times more difficult than writing
effective content. After all there aren't many theories and
models to help the joke-writer!

**************
Signing Off...
**************
I hope you enjoyed this issue of Wavelength.

Let us promise to meet again, next month, about the same
time, and about the same place...your mailbox!

Goodbye!

Wavelength shall be back next month, with more information,
news, humor, and enthusiasm.
See you then!

**************************************************
Feedback: Send your views on Wavelength at
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/fsg/formfeedback.htm

Suggest Links or site for "Site of the Month": Publish an article
in Wavelength or suggest links -- Check out
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/contribute.htm

Subscribe/Gift Subscription/Unsubscribe -- Click on
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/subscribe.htm.
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