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WAVELENGTH – The ID Newsletter of India – July 2008
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Hello friends,

Welcome to this edition of Wavelength.

What's new about July?

The weather definitely isn't, for it's the same as it was
in June. If anything, it's become moodier still. You can
experience the blazing sun, the hot humidity of a cloudy
sky, and the blind fury of the unrelentingly heavy
showers - all in one day.

The point however is - the blazing sun is there when we want
it to rain; the rains are there when we want the sun; and
the clouds are there when we want either of the other two.
Thus, the point is....yes! You are absolutely right! The
point is that we never get what we want!

What is true of our unyielding and somewhat troubled
relationship with weather is also true for our
relationship with eLearning. Organizations that don't
have eLearning, expect it to be a panacea for the
financial worries of the training (or the L&D) department;
those that have implemented eLearning, wonder whether it
really was the cure-all that they expected it to be...and
those who are currently in the process of bringing about
this change are thinking, "Should we tie the knot, or
shouldn't we?"

If you are a trainer who's been selected to perform the
magic of eLearning in your organization, read the
Wavelength article, "The Mechanics of eLearning Content
Development." This article will help you determine whether
you, as an individual, have around you all that is needed
to create and implement eLearning content.

I thank those organizations and individuals who've send us
their inquiries for the three-day workshop that Wavelength
is organizing in the month of August. If you are planning
to attend the workshop, or if you are interested in
sponsoring the trainers of your organization for this
workshop, you are welcome to write to us.

Here are the details.

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Instructional Design & eLearning Workshop - August 21-23, 2008
(Thursday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm)
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The Three-Day Instructional Design & eLearning Training
Workshop shall be held at Wavelength, Noida from
Thursday - Saturday, August 21 - 23, 2008.

Audience for the Workshop: Trainers

The details of this workshop are available at:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/instructionalDesign_trgworkshop_aug08.htm

If you are interested in either attending this workshop or
sponsoring participants for this workshop, please write to
us at connect [at] vibrantwavelength [dot] com for more details.

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Instructional Design & Content Writing Certificate (IDCWC Online)
Certificate Course - Session 10 (October 2008 - December 2008)
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The October-December 2008 session of the IDCWC Online shall
begin on October 01, 2008. We are currently receiving
applications for this session. If you are interested in
enrolling for the IDCWC Online, please write to us at idcwconline [at] vibrantwavelength [dot] com

Please visit the IDCWC Online page at: http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/idcwc_online.htm

Also read the views of the IDCWC Online participants at:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/trg_participants_views.htm#idcwconlineviews

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Instructional Design for Senior Professionals (IDSP Online)
Certificate Course - Session 5 (October 2008 - November 2008)
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The October-November 2008 session of the IDSP Online shall
begin on October 01, 2008. If you would like to register
for this session of the IDSP Online, and you more than
4 years of experience related to learning, please write
to us at idsponline [at] vibrantwavelength [dot] com

Please visit the IDSP Online page at: http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/idsp_online.htm

Also read the views of the IDSP Online participants at:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/trg_participants_views.htm#idsponlineviews

If you are interested in enrolling for the IDCWC contact course,
or for the ASDC contact course, please call us at 9810324284.
These courses shall begin their next course groups on
August 24, 2008.

I wish you all a wonderful and bright season and I thank you
all for being with us in our quest for enhancing the
experience of learning.

Bye!

Thanks and Regards,
Shafali R. Anand.

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Table of contents
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From the Editor's Desk
Mystery of the Month

The Cognitive Excursion - *** NEW EPISODES!!! ***
** HIVE - New Episode!
** CLICK - New Episode!
** PEARL - New Episode!

ID Section
Technology Section
Site of the Month
Views
Laugh-a-little
Innoken Games
Signing Off...

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Events Calendar
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Online Courses:
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1. The 10th session of IDCWC Online (Instructional Design &
Content Writing Certificate Online) course begins on
October 01, 2008. Read details at: http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/idcwc_online.htm
Please send us your queries at idcwconline [at] vibrantwavelength [dot] com

2. The 5th session of IDSP Online (Instructional Design
for Senior Professionals Certificate Online) course, begins
on October 01, 2008. Read details at: http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/idsp_online.htm
Please send us your inquiries at idsponline [at] vibrantwavelength [dot] com

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Contact Courses:
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1. Classes for the Instructional Design & Content Writing
Certificate (IDCWC Contact) course begin on August 24, 2008.
Registrations are on for this group. Read details at
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/idcwc_details.htm

2. Classes for the next Flash ActionScript 2.0 Developer
Certificate (ASDC) course group begin on August 24, 2008.
Registrations are on for this group. Read details at
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/actionscript_certificate.htm

3. Classes for the ActionScript 2.0 with Object-Oriented
Programming (AS2OOP) course begin on August 30, 2008.
Registrations are open for this course group. Read details at
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/actionscript2_oop_details.htm

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ID & eLearning Training Workshop:
(August 21 to August 23, 2008; 10 am to 6 pm
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1.The Instructional Design & eLearning for Trainers workshop
shall be held from August 21 to August 23, 2008. If you are
interested in enrolling for the workshop or you would like
to sponsor participants for it, please read the details at:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/instructionalDesign_trgworkshop_aug08.htm

You are welcome to write to use with your queries at:
connect [at] vibrantwavelength [dot] com

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

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Mystery of the Month
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Hello Trainers!
Are you wound tight...really tight? Are you tensed...so
tensed that you want to snap at me?

Is it because you are being asked to convert your ILT
content into eLearning?

I got you! Didn't I?
I know that if you are super-trainer, you don't exactly
relish the prospect of being confined to your desk,
attempting to do something that you never expected to do.

So what do you want to ask me?
Is it "Who goes there? Friend or foe?"
Definitely a friend, as only friends bring unexpected gifts.
Well, I've brought along a short article, which could
help you anchor your feet firmly in the quicksand of
eLearning. Click http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/elearning_mechanics.htm
to read, "The Mechanics of eLearning Content Development."

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The Cognitive Excursion ( NEW EPISODES!!! )
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Are you ready to go on a euphoric flight of mind? Do you
want to leave your seat, your cabin, and your work; and
allow yourself the joy of experiencing the cognitive
adrenaline course through your mind and body?

If you do, the Cognitive Excursion is waiting for you at:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/cog_ex/cognitive_excursion.htm

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ID Section
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ID Concepts
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There are so many theories and models overwhelming the
greenhorn ID/trainer that the poor harried soul
begins to wonder whether moving into this field was the
right decision! I recommend http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~mmalacho/OnLine/ADDIE.html
to those who have just arrived on the ID scene. This
page provides a quick synopsis of ADDIE, ARCS, and
Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction.

Those who are running the mill are usually interested
in determining how much is enough, in content as well as
control. Facilitation is something that always confuses
us! When should the facilitator intervene...how much of
intervention is too much...when to begin...and when to
stop! Click http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-rogers.htm
to read "Carl Rogers and informal education"
by Smith, M.K.

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Language & Culture
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The impact of culture on content is dramatic. When you
create content that has elements that lead to some sort
of cultural dissonance, the dissonance interferes with
the learning. If you are developing content for the
US audience, click http://amlife.america.gov/ and bookmark
it. This site is a beautiful portal to understanding
the US culture.

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Writing Style
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What happens when a young person, full of idealism and
passion, led by a desire to put his creative writing
skills to use, joins the eLearning industry?

This question isn't difficult to answer. Right? Well,
here's my answer.

The young person's expectations are seldom fulfilled, for
the industry doesn't need "creative" writing, it
requires "clear, crisp, and instructional writing!"
The whole problem is aggravated by a serious lack of
guidelines, which could've made the transition easier
for this young person.

Find some writing style guides at http://www.calstatela.edu/library/styleman.htm
to alleviate this pain.

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Technology Section
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Learning Content Management Technologies
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I am sure that some of you must've given a great deal of
thought to blogging as a learning process. If you haven't,
and if you intend to keep pace with the fast-changing
learning space of today, you should give some serious
thought to the potential of blogging.

Here are a couple of links to start you off.

Read "eLearning 2.0" at http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=articles&article=29-1
and go through "e-learning 2.0 - how Web technologies
are shaping education" at http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/e-learning_20.php

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Site of the Month
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So now the question is, which is the site worthy of
the Site of the Month crown, this month?!

I'll share a secret with you. Every month I begin my
quest for finding a site worthy of this honor with some
trepidation...I am never sure of finding something that I
would like, but surprisingly after some hard work, I
always reach a site that takes my breath away! So...

I am happy to present http://motorolacity.soulpolice.com/
as the Site of the Month for July 2008.

Here are some of the many attributes that make this
site so interestingly different!

1. Click the "Launch Site" button for a simple but
beautifully executed intro animation.

2. The site loads in form of a city, which can be
seen from a somewhat aerial perspective. The city
has six hotspots, that you can click to learn about
the different gadgets that Nokia plans to launch in
the future, and how they would help the city and
the city-dwellers in general. For the uninitiated
and also for quicker navigation, the site also provides
these links in form of buttons at the bottom.

3. Another simple point that enhances the elegance of
the site is the animation of the traffic. If you've not
noticed it yet, look closely.

4. If you begin with the left-most button, you would
navigate to the Evacuation section, which explains how
Motorola technology can help in evacuation of a site,
should such a need arise.

5. While you navigate through the site to visit the
different sections, note the following:
* The pre-loader animation
* The "travel-effect" as you first go downhill,
then enter the city, and reach the site.
* The parallex effect generated within each scene.
* The synchronization of the voice-overs with the text
that appears at the bottom.
* The storytelling method followed in explaining the
different gadgets.

6. Check the smooth and easy navigation. There is no
extraneous cognitive load of learning how to navigate
the site...that is good ID.

Let me warn you that some of the sections may be slow
to load. However, the wait is worth your while!

If you haven't clicked the URL yet, here it is once again: http://motorolacity.soulpolice.com/

Enjoy this virtual field trip into the future of technology!

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Views
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***NEW!!!***
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1. IDCWC Online Course Participants' Views:
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Click http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/trg_participants_views.htm#idcwconlineviews
to read what the course participants feel about the
Instructional Design ONLINE course (IDCWC Online) and Wavelength.

2. IDSP Online Course Participants' Views (first session):
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Click http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/trg_participants_views.htm#idsponlineviews
to read the views of our participants from the first session of the IDSP Online.

3. Wavelength Trainings/Workshops Participants' Views:
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Click http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/trg_participants_views.htm#trainingsworkshopsviews
to read what the IDCWC Contact program participants feel
about the Instructional Design course (IDCWC) and Wavelength.

4. IDCWC (Contact) Participants' Views:
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Click http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/trg_participants_views.htm#idcwcviews
to read what the our Trainings'/Workshops' participants
feel about our training programs.

5. ActionScript Course Participants' Views:
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Click http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/trg_participants_views.htm#asdcviews
to read what the ActionScript Course participants feel
about the ActionScript course (ASDC) and Wavelength.

6. Reader's Views:
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Click http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/views.htm to read
what readers feel about Wavelength.

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Laugh-a-Little
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The popularity of the "for Dummies" series never fails to
amaze me. The name implies (if we assume that it doesn't
explicitly state) that the said books are for dummies!
And yet, people buy them. In other words, they call
their customers "dummies" and their customers love them
for it! Amazing...isn't it?

Well, click the link http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/Adding-Humor-to-Training.id-2991.html
to read an excerpt from "Training for Dummies" (Yes...the
name seems to be very strategically crafted - "Training
for Dummies"! So is the epithet directed towards
those who are trained? Phew!)

Are you trying to direct me to the small print that
says, "for others," don't. The small print is never
added for being read.

BTW, some of the tips are really cool! Don't miss them.

Click http://www.grantland.net/training1.htm to view
some excellent training cartoons. However, if you'd
like to use them in your presentations, please seek
permission:)

Check out http://doa.mt.gov/mtn/humor.asp for the
forever-trainer-grouse!

Keep laughing...I love the sound of your laughter:)

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Innoken Online Games
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http://www.innoken.com

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Signing Off...
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All the best! I hope we'll all find at least one of
our favorite wishes fulfilled this month.

Good Bye!

Shafali

Shafali R. Anand
Editor & Publisher, Wavelength the ID Newsletter
Director, Wavelength eLearning Consulting and Training Pvt. Ltd.
shafali [at] vibrantwavelength [dot] com
Wavelength, Link House, 2nd Floor,
C-4, Sector 10, Noida-201301, India.
Ph: 9810324284 / 9810412297 / (0120)4315505
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com

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Feedback: Write to me with your views on Wavelength at shafali [at] vibrantwavelength [dot] com
with "Wavelength Feedback" written in the subject.

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

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