When an enterprise is going to adopt the new software product or a new system to provide them higher productivity and greater functionality, training is the must-have item before the technology is widely used. The traditional way of sending your employees or users to a training center costs a mass of money and time, and it means that you lose productivity from your employees. And the truth shows that, usually they don’t learn much in the training classes. When they start to use the new software application, they meet difficulties everywhere.

In this recession period, the inexpensive solutions which can achieve the effective result are the choices for most enterprises. As e-learning and knowledge management come to be popular in enterprise training, the task-oriented screencast presentation is a good solution for technology training in enterprise.

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A screencast is a digital recording of computer screen output, also known as a video screen capture, often containing audio narration. It is a powerful tool to demonstrate technical tasks, or to illustrate technical concepts that are hard to explain in words with screen recording and slideshows.

There are two ways to do the training screencast: have someone done it or do it yourself with screencasting tool. There are some professional companies like AotoDemo that makes software demo and website demo for enterprise, but the cost is beyond some enterprises’ budget in this difficult time. To make it yourself, there are many software applications available to produce screencasts. What software you need depends on your computer platform and the content you want to make. The screencasting tool I suggest is DemoCreator for Windows. Some free solutions such as TipCam or Camstudio can also be your option. The main downside is that the free applications are almost with no editing features.

To make a screencast with DemoCreator, you have 4 steps to go: prepare your script, record screen activities, edit your recording, and publish your movie. Here we will take a look at some special features of DemoCreator:

Record the onscreen activity as slides for easy editing

DemoCreator record video tutorials with audio by screen capture, and show exactly how the application (such as PowerPoint, Photoshop and website) or system runs. The screen recording is saved as slides. This enables users to save the desired slides and discard the unwanted slides for their presentation.

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Edit the recording tutorial with interactive objects for explicit illustration

There is a library of objects to decorate the recording, such as Flash animation, highlight boxes, and clickable buttons for directing users to another slide or a URL page. Users can enhance the presentation by adding the objects to make the illustration explicit. And it allows users to rerecord the narration or import the audio for the training content. Furthermore, multiple tutorial projects can be integrated as one.

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Publish the presentation for online training

To make interactive training presentations, the predominately used publishing output media type in DemoCreator is Flash movie and Html. Trainers can provide the video tutorials compliant with SCORM or AICC. The screencasts are available through both commercial and open source learning management systems for school education and enterprise training.

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The screencast training is clearer and more engaging than traditional teaching; the training tutorials can be played as many times as needed; the tutorial videos are for "anytime/anywhere" learning… These advantages make screencast an outstanding training method, especially in this tough economic time. For enterprise, the training content can be put on the Knowledge Management System like SharePoint or Learning Management System like Moodle for knowledge sharing and technology training. Then the trainees and employees can learn the technology on Internet freely.

Related Links :

Get start with DemoCreator

Show website with Demos

Basics of screencasting software

Screencasting software is designed to record what is going on the computer screen as a digital movie with audio narration which describes the on-screen action, so that the audients can learn the software products and website service more effectively than still screenshots. Especially now that animations and video are much more readily created and incorporated into presentations. This make it easier to "show how" as well as "tell how" in presentations. While examining the screencasting software we can see that most of these solutions enable the following: screen recording, scene editing, and video publication.

Advantages

Using the screencasting software can definitely make our tech presentation easier. There are some advantages:

* Record exactly what happened on the computer. The project file can be edited with annotations, audio, images, interactivities and even animations to enhance the screencasting.

* Improving the presentation solution of software products and website service. The screencasting tool can be used to make simulation tutorials for the software training and presentation, which guide the audience to learn to product and service step by step. And you can make how-to videos for remote technical support.

* Publish format make it easy to deliver on web: Flash .swf file format has very good file compression capabilities; Video .avi file format is easy to upload to video sharing website like YouTube.

If we learn it further we would probably find additional features that aren't described in this the user instruction, as this tool keeps improving, bringing us new solutions that help us on improving our screencast editing skills and presentation skills.

Quick summary

For a longtime, software developers, software vendors and webmasters had looked for a better solution for creating great software demonstrations and website service video guide; now there is screencasting software for them. That is a new solution to introduce your products and websites to audience. Screencasting software can be used to create standalone tutorials, training sessions and web demos that can be distributed directly, over the Web and in specialty EXE/CD/DVD. There will be more and more powerful new feature in screencasting software. The screencasting software and screencating will influence us much more in the later days.

Make Online Exams Effortlessly with Online-Quiz-Creator.com

With the powerful online exam creation tool (Quiz maker ? Quiz Creator, Powerful online assessment and exam tool), everyone can create professional-looking online exams quickly with no more hassles. Particularly, it is so easy to customize Flash-based interactive tests with pictures, sounds and videos, which make the contents more appealing and intuitive than any plain texts questions online. Quiz Paradise offers some good examples at Quiz Zone - Quiz Paradise.

Report Exam Results Online with Online-Quiz-Creator.com

Not only the quizzes can be generally used on any Web pages and shared with anyone anywhere, also teachers or trainers get an enhanced results tracking system for free (Free online reporting system for QuizCreator users - Quiz Management System), where they will be able to see all the details about how people take the quiz, and overall statistics as insightful reports. It is bringing online exams to a new level where they become easy to create, share and track as the real Exam 2.0.

Test maker, Flash quiz creator to make online tests, quizzes and assessments is one such Exam 2.0 site offering solutions to the next generation exams with educational technologies for teachers and trainers.

September 5th, 2008 - In order to measure students' learning in a flexible approach, many teachers have successfully incorporated online tests and exams in classroom with modern educational technologies. Afterwards teachers would obtain all test items and responses in detail, and generate analysis report of scoring statistics for effective teaching and learning. However, due to the lack of system-based tracking support or tech knowledge, most teachers are muddled by these enormous raw data of test results. That's why such an easy online reporting system is so essential for the teachers.

There have been some existing solutions for teachers to track and analyze test results, such as statistics capabilities in most Learning Management Systems, or some specialized assessment management systems. But if the teachers cannot afford such an expensive solution, do they have to make an elaborate reporting system by hands? Fortunately, the assessment authoring tool Wondershare QuizCreator offers Quiz Management System as a hosted online reporting service.

Quiz Management System (QMS) is one such easy and free system which helps teachers who's using QuizCreator track, analyze and report test results without any hassles. Just with reliable Internet connection and standard Web browsers, the teachers will be saved from the mess of results data, as well as saving the time, the energy and money dramatically. Major advantages of QMS for the teachers:

- Track all test items, students' responses and scores in real time;

- Maintain questions, answers and scores in arrangement automatically;

- Review results of scores and grades in easy-to-understand chart reports for quick insights.

"Kudos on the QuizCreator software." said one teacher who's using QMS. "The QMS feature in particular is really unique and helpful for teachers."

Complete details about Quiz Management System are available at Quick Tour - Quiz Management System - Wondershare QuizCreator

And for Wondershare QuizCreator, please visit Quiz Maker - Wondershare QuizCreator - Create Online Quiz, Quiz Creator, Make Flash quiz, Quiz Software, Online Assessment

About Wondershare E-Learning

As the leading e-learning authoring tools provider, Wondershare E-Learning has served thousands of organizations from Stanford University to Department of Education with professional e-learning solutions. For more information about Wondershare E-Learning, please visit http://www.sameshow.com.

Nowadays, most online training instructors like to evaluate what learners learnt during the learning process through traditional summative evaluation. However, this assessment approach needs to be changed, as it only considers final learning outcomes without considering the learning process of learners. Actually, learning performance can be tracked by related online assessments in the process of online training. With meaningful and periodical performance assessments, instructors would easily and efficiently measure all performances and provide valuable feedback to learners in training progress.

How to Conduct Assessments in Online Training?

1. Schedule all assessments, not just at the end

Regarding the flexibility of online assessments, instructors need to know the overall schedule of the training to grade whole learning process. With different levels, make exact schedule of assessments to examine all learners' performances. The good point is, instructors can benefit from those results of assessments as feedback, and add improvements in the learning courses of next level. For online training, the scheduled assessments could be easier to be integrated into original learning timeline. Assessments and courses can be based on feedbacks from previous assessments to engage learners with interactions. At the end, assessment in traditional way also makes sense with maximum efforts. In scheduled training, performance assessments are really helpful to control entire learning process.

2. Customize assessment creation, with right tools

To author online assessments with specified requirements, instructors will create and implement quizzes to test undergoing training. Types of quizzes may differ and may feature formats ranging from multiple choice answers, plain typed text responses and true/false and yes/no questions. Instructors should carefully select the assessment authoring tools, according to the usages. Creating quizzes as performance assessments in online training has two categories of tools: desktop applications, or Web applications. Desktop apps such as Wondershare QuizCreator, or Web apps such as Quia Web have similar features to customize assessment creation, but the online usages. Desktop apps usually have plentiful contents and take Flash technology to Web compliance; while Web apps offer easy-to-use quizzes creation online directly but exact enhancements.

3. Track and evaluate results, under management

As feedback on performance is a critical part of a learning environment, online training instructors really need to analyze all results of performance assessments. In order to evaluate the whole learning process and know the exact data, all assessment results must be properly collected and processed in the learning system. Most LMSes (Learning Management System) such as Moodle, BlackBoard can track assessment results within the system. And the Web quiz apps Desktop quiz apps usually come with a results component, for example, Questionmark's Results Management System, QuizCreator's Quiz Management System as professional assessment management, to make all results data from performance assessments arranged as report. Whatever the systems you use, just summarize the reports in the meaningful points you need.

4. Take actions on feedbacks, performances focused

The best part of performance assessment in online training is not just reporting the differences of individual learning process, or scoring the final exam as performance. The results in assessment report aim to inspire instructors to keep improving the efficiency of entire online training. Just take actions on the feedbacks. Instructors must manage all assessment results as different reports in those assessment management systems, or deal with them using other professional statistical analysis software like Microsoft Excel or SPSS. With meaningful result of these assessments, instructors have the opportunity to maximize the value of any public or corporate training.

From the approach to performance, knowledge and the core management of entire training and learning process, efficient online assessment can really increase productivity for organizations. Furthermore, based on proper measurement of learning performance, instructors would improve the process of training with better interactions.

For those of you that don't know Moodle, it is the best one of free, open source course management system (CMS) designed using sound pedagogical principles, to help educators create effective online learning communities. For more information, please visit Moodle - A Free, Open Source Course Management System for Online Learning.

Actually we have at least two preferred methods to create a quiz in Moodle. The option depends on what you want the quiz to be in Moodle.

Create Simple Quizzes with Quiz Module in Moodle

Fortunately, Moodle already has a Quiz module allowing the instructors to design and set quizzes consisting of a large variety of Question types in the easiest way. With this module, creating a new quiz is just a two-step process.

Step 1: Create the quiz activity and set options to interact with the quiz.

- Ensure your role in Moodle is switched to Course creator, Teacher or other editing roles;

- Within the course you enrolled, click "Turn editing on" on the Administration panel;

- On the exact week in outline, click "Add an activity", and select "Quiz" in the drop-down list;

- Specify the Quiz options such as Name, Timing, Display & Attempts, and save.

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Step 2: Edit the quiz and add specified questions from various question types.

- In the created quiz, click "Edit" on the top navigation bar to edit the quiz detail;

- Switch to the "Questions" section on second-level navigation;

- In the "Question Bank", go to "Create new question", and choose the types you like.

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As the easiest way to create quizzes in Moodle quickly, Quiz module offers fundamental and flexible features to meet the practical requirements. Therefore, it may not support some advanced applications such as importing audio, customizing background or collecting results.

Make Rich-Media Quizzes with SCORM/AICC Module in Moodle

Besides the simple quizzes making, some instructors may need to build the assessments with multimedia, as well as results tracking and reporting. Upon these requirements, Flash quiz is the perfect solution with multimedia authoring. With SCORM/AICC module in Moodle which allows you to upload any standard SCORM package, you can easily create and incorporate a SCROM compliant Flash quiz in your course.

Step 1: Make Flash-based quizzes with SCORM compliance.

- Make Flash quiz with some assessment tool, such as Wondershare QuizCreator (Flash Quiz Maker - Wondershare QuizCreator - Create Online Quiz, Quiz Maker, Quiz Creator, Quiz Software, Online Quizzes);

- Create questions in different question type, like true or false, multiple choices, short essay, click map, matching and sequence;

- Use Excel template in QuizCreator to deign a Excel-based quiz and then import;

- Publish the quiz for LMS as specified SCORM compliant package.

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Step 2: Add Flash quiz as SCORM compliant content into the course.

- Ensure your role in Moodle is switched to Course creator, Teacher or other editing roles;

- Within the course you enrolled, click "Turn editing on" on the Administration panel;

- On the exact week in outline, click "Add an activity", and select "SCORM/AICC" in the drop-down list;

- Specify the settings such as Name, and choose the SCORM compliant package to upload, then save the course.

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Finally, as you can see in the course contents as Student role, and the results report as Teacher role, the SCROM compliant Flash quiz can work well with and report results to Moodle. It greatly enhances the quiz with rich media and interactivity to help the learning process.

NOTES: Moodle can be a very complicated system to install, like many other Open Source applications, if you are not an advanced computer user. I would recommend getting the help of an advanced user before attempting to install and user Moodle.

For more reference information on this subject please visit the following sites:

Quiz Module in Moodle

Quiz module - MoodleDocs

SCORM/AICC Module in Moodle

SCORM/AICC module - MoodleDocs

Create a SCORM Compliant Quiz

QuizCreator-Create SCORM quiz package