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WAVELENGTH -- The ID Newsletter of India -- November 2009
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Hello Friends,

Welcome to this edition of Wavelength.

Winter this year seems to have reclaimed its former glory.
It's cold for November, and so we are wondering what
December and January, two of the coldest months in the year
would bring. With climate change issues threatening the
long-term future of the entire humanity, we'll do better
by focusing on our shorter-term goals. Am I being
uncharacteristically pessimistic in saying this? I think
not. I think that I am being frugal - refusing to invest
my precious time in long-term floating interest bonds
(yes, in life there are such bonds) and preferring to put
it into shorter-term high return low risk stock. Is there
anything wrong with it?

Towards this end, the Mystery of the Month article for November,
"Audience - The Dominant Factor in Learning Effectiveness" at
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/articles/instructional_design_audience_impact.htm
would interest the practicing instructional designers. My
experience tells me that often the content developers
"understand" the importance of using the audience profile
in content creation; however, they find trouble in "applying"
their knowledge to the content they create. In my opinion,
the issue lies in understanding how the audience profile
connects with the content. This article will help you enhance
your immediate satisfaction by making your content more
relevant to your audience.

We are currently receiving applications for Wavelength's
online courses. If you haven't experienced the satisfaction
that comes from successfully completing a Wavelength course,
you should review the content outlines of our programs and
send us your application for the session starting
January 01, 2010.

As you probably know, Wavelength is also organizing a set
of workshops this winter. These workshops are relevant to
instructional designers, content writers, trainers, and other
professionals engaged in imparting learning. You can read
the details of these workshops at:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/workshops/winterworkshops09.asp?pn=3&ltp=nl

For the direct links to the different eLearning and
instructional design workshops, please scroll down to the
Calendar section.

The next sessions of our Contact programs are scheduled to
begin as follows:

* The IDCWC Contact Course beginning on January 10, 2010;
please go through the details at: http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/idcwc_details.htm

* For the Flex 3.0 & ActionScript 3.0 Application Developer
Course beginning on January 10, 2010, please go through the
details at: http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/flex_actionscript3_certificate.htm.

* The ActionScript 3.0 Developer Certificate Course begins
its next session on January 10, 2010. The details are available
at: http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/actionscript_certificate.htm.

If you are interested in enrolling for any of these courses,
write to us at connect [at] vibrantwavelength [dot] com or call us at
9810324284/0120-4572760.

I thank you for placing your trust in Wavelength's intention
and ability to build effective learning experiences for its
training participants and for its clients.

Thanks once again, and Warm Regards.

Shafali

******************
Table of contents
******************
From the Editor's Desk
Mystery of the Month
The Cognitive Excursion
ID Section
Technology Section
Cognitive Footprints
Views
Laugh-a-little
Innoken Games
Signing Off...

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Events Calendar
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::: Workshops @ Wavelength :::
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I. Instructional Design and eLearning Workshops:
--------------------------------------------------
1. Instructional Storytelling (1 Day)
(December 6, 2009 - Saturday)
Webpage:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/workshops/instructional_storytelling_workshop_dec09.htm

2. Elearning Primer for Managers (1 Day)
(December 19, 2009 - Saturday)
Webpage:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/workshops/instructional_storytelling_workshop_dec09.htm

3. ID Principles and Storyboarding for eLearning (3 Days)
(January 14 to 16, 2010 - Thursday to Saturday)
Webpage:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/workshops/IDPrinciples_storyboarding_for_eLearning_workshop_jan10.htm

4. Instructional Design for Trainers (3 Days)
(January 28 to 30, 2010 - Thursday to Saturday)
Webpage:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/workshops/instructional_design_for_trainers_workshop_jan10.htm

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II. Programming Workshops:
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1. Programming Logic Fundamentals (1 Day)
(December 12, 2009 - Saturday)
Webpage:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/workshops/programming_logic_fundamentals_workshop_dec09.htm

2. FLEX 3.0 Orientation Workshop (2 HOURS - ***FREE WORKSHOP*** )
(January 9, 2010 - Saturday)
Webpage:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/workshops/flex_workshop3.htm

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III. Graphic Design for eLearning Workshop:
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1. Graphic Design for eLearning (1 Day)
(February 6, 2010 - Saturday)
Webpage:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/workshops/graphic_design_for_elearning_workshop_feb10.htm

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::: Online Course on Web Content Writing :::
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The next session of CWWC Online (Content Writing for the Web Certificate
Online) course begins on January 01, 2010.

Please read the details of this course at:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/content_writing_for_web_online.htm

Please send queries at: cwwconline [at] vibrantwavelength [dot] com

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::: Online Courses in Instructional Design :::
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1. IDCWC Online Course
----------------------------
The next session of IDCWC Online (Instructional Design &
Content Writing Certificate Online) course begins on
January 01, 2010. Read details at: http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/idcwc_online.htm
Please send us your queries at idcwconline [at] vibrantwavelength [dot] com

2. IDSP Online Course
----------------------------
The next session of IDSP Online (Instructional Design for
Senior Professionals Certificate Online) course, begins on
January 01, 2010. 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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::: Online Courses for Trainers :::
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1. IDT Online Course
----------------------------
The next session of IDT Online (Instructional Design for Trainers
Certificate Online) course begins on
January 01, 2010. Read details at: http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/idt_online.htm
Please send us your queries at idtonline [at] vibrantwavelength [dot] com

2. ELT Online Course
----------------------------
The next session of ELT Online (Elearning for Trainers
Certificate Online) course begins on January 01, 2010.
Read details at: http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/elt_online.htm
Please send us your queries at eltonline [at] vibrantwavelength [dot] com

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::: Contact Courses :::
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A. Instructional Design Course
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1. The Instructional Design and Content Writing Certificate (IDCWC) Course
begins its next session on January 10, 2010.
Find the details at: http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/idcwc_details.htm

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::: Technology Courses :::
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1. ASDC (ActionScript) Course
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Classes for the ActionScript Developer Certificate (ASDC)
course begin on January 10, 2010.
Registrations are open for this course group. Click
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/actionscript_certificate.htm

4. FAADC (FLEX) Course
----------------------------
Classes for the Flex 3.0 and ActionScript 3.0 Application Developer Certificate
(FADC) course begin on January 10, 2010.
Registrations are open for this course group. Click
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/flex_actionscript3_certificate.htm

3. AS3OOP (Object-Orientd Programming) Course
-------------------------------------------------------
Classes for the ActionScript 3.0 with Object-Oriented
Programming (AS3OOP) course begin on January 09, 2010.
Registrations are open for this course group. Click
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/actionscript3_oop_details.htm

4. PLFC Course
----------------------------
The Programming Logic Fundamentals Certificate (PLFC) course
begins its first session on January 30, 2010. Read the details at:
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/plfc_certificate.htm

***********************
From the Editor's Desk
***********************

http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/editorial.htm

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Mystery of the Month
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Wavelength Article: Reaching a Diverse Audience
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We all appreciate the importance of audience analysis. We
know that it is the first step in creating good content.
Unfortunately, we often stumble when it comes to using
the audience-related information to create useful and
effective content. The Wavelength article,
"Audience - The Dominant Factor in Learning Effectiveness"
at http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/articles/instructional_design_audience_impact.htm
attempts to address this issue.

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The Cognitive Excursion
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This month's Cognitive Excursion combines cognitive
psychology (in CLICK) with the world mythology (in PEARL.)
Hive remains its soothing traditional self. Click
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/cog_ex/cognitive_excursion.htm
for a refreshing change from your routine tasks.

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ID Section
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-------------------
ID Concepts
--------------------
Learning by reflecting upon doing is called experiential
learning. Thus, when you experience something and then
learn from it, you are engaged in experiential learning.
Kolb's learning cycle explains experiential learning as
a four-step cycle, which begins at Concrete Experience,
and then cycles through Reflective Observation, Abstract
Conceptualization, and Active Experimentation. Read more
about Kolb's Cycle at:
http://www.learning-theories.com/experiential-learning-kolb.html

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Language & Culture
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I've always been curious about the impact that culture has
upon the way our mind handles mathematical and logical
processes. What drives my curiosity is the knowledge that
the discipline of math had evolved separately in different
parts of the world. However, the nature of the discipline
remains the same. It requires logical manipulation of
information.

Read "Culture Affects The Way We Use Our Brain" at
http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/01/11/culture-affects-the-way-we-use-our-brain/1773.html
That the two groups (East Asians and Americans) performed
equally well at the tasks but their brain patterns differed,
tells us something about the impact of culture on the way
we process information.

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Writing Style
------------------------------
For those engaged in technical writing, here's a quick
reference. Click http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Technical_writing_style
to reach the technical writing style guide at Wikiversity.
What I really like about this guide is the non-example to
example transitions. This page practices what it preaches.

Another Style Guide is available at http://www.alexcommunications.com/style_guide.htm
But wait! What you also find here is a short 5-question
quiz on Grammar, which will help you pre-assess your
current ability to apply English Grammar correctly.

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Technology Section
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Learning Content Management Technologies
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mLearning or Mobile Learning is still awaiting its
admirers to offer some theories and models that it could
call its own.

At http://www.mlearn.org.za/CD/papers/Barker.pdf read
"A Proposed Theoretical Model for M-Learning Adoption in
Developing Countries" by Barker, Krull, and Mallinson.

Also read "MLearning: pedagogical, technical and
organisational hypes and realities" at
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?
Filename=Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Articles/1650240202.html

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Cognitive Footprints
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The Cognitive footprints that we've decided to follow this
month belong to David A. Kolb, the well-known educational
theorist who is known for the Kolb's Experiential Learning
Cycle and the Learning Style Inventory (LSI - a derivative
of the Kolb's Cycle.)

David A. Kolb is Professor of Organizational Behavior in
the Weatheread School of Management. He was born in 1939.
He completed his Doctorate from Harvard University.
Around 1970, David Kolb and Ron Fry developed what is
now known as the Experiential Learning Model. His work
identifies four kinds of learners: the Converger,
the accomodator, the assimilator, and finally the diverger.

Following links will introduce you to his life and work.

* Read his biography at:
http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-explrn.htm
* Read about his model at:
http://www.businessballs.com/kolblearningstyles.htm
* Find the LSI (published by the Hay Group) at:
http://www.learningfromexperience.com/images/uploads/Tech_spec_LSI.pdf

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Our Readers and Course/Workshop Participants Views
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Read what the Course Participants feel about Wavelength's Courses:

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1. The Content Writing for the Web Certificate
Online Course (CWWC Online) Participants' Views:
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http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/trg_participants_views.htm#cwwconlineviews

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2. Instructional Design and Content Writing Certificate
Online Course (IDCWC Online) Participants' Views:
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http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/trg_participants_views.htm#idcwconlineviews

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3. Instructional Design for Senior Professionals Certificate
Online Course (IDSP Online) Participants' Views:
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http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/trg_participants_views.htm#idsponlineviews

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4. Wavelength Trainings/Workshops Participants' Views:
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http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/trg_participants_views.htm#trainingsworkshopsviews

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5. IDCWC (Contact) Course Participants' Views:
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http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/trg_participants_views.htm#idcwccontactviews

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6. ActionScript Developer Certificate Course
(ASDC) Participants' Views:
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http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/trg_participants_views.htm#asdcviews

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7. The ID Newsletter Readers' Views:
-----------------------------------------
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com/views.htm

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Laugh-a-Little
***************
Our ability to laugh is unique, as is our ability to
enjoy humor. This, of course, is a derived
ability - derived from our capability to process
language. So, how are you doing in the laughter
department? Not too good? Afraid so? So be afraid
no more, for here are some links that'll improve your
laughter productivity.

How do you graduate to being a trainer from being a rep?
Well...here's how - http://www.callcentercomics.com/Cartoons/Call-Center-Sales-Training.htm

About the Pizzas - don't worry about the slices though!
http://www.businesscartoons.co.uk/2189.htm

The grapevine is that companies are once again
recruiting like there was no tomorrow. I dedicate these
links to the recruiters and the recruits (respectively.)
http://www.boloji.com/humor/jokes/031.htm
http://www.smilespedia.com/glossary/jobs-jokes/

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

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Signing Off...
**************
I wish you a fun-filled winter and promise to
see you again - same place, same time.

Shafali

Shafali R. Anand
Editor & Publisher, Wavelength the ID Newsletter
Director & Chief Instructional Architect
Wavelength eLearning Consulting and Training Pvt. Ltd.
shafali [at] vibrantwavelength [dot] com
Wavelength, A-84, 2nd Floor,
Sector 65, Noida-201301, India.
Phones: 9810324284 / 9810412297 / (0120)4572760
http://www.vibrantwavelength.com

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