[google-translator]I have been instrumental over the last 4 years in introducing many of the teaching faculty at the University of Adelaide to Articulate Studio Pro. It is three software tools that used together can create rapid access elearning.  I called their output Interactive Learning Modules or ILM’s.  When in May 2012 Articulate released a new product called Storyline (SL) and I realized it handled decision branching, simulations became possible and an entirely new world of pedagogy opened up.  ILMS changed meaning to Immersive Learning Micro Sims. The thought leaders in L&T on campus are now asking for training and support for simulation development with this powerful new tool.

As I have been exploring and learning SL, I have discovered it is not just software, but an entire ecosystem of products, digital assets and people benefiting from each other. SL is what I refer to as “80/20 software”.  80% of people will use 20% of the features and functionality 80% of the time and find it a satisfactory investment. (Some-what like Photoshop actually)  While the 20% of people who push the envelope, learn and use 80% of the power of SL will most likely end up as excellent educators, with outstanding student outcomes and even a few prizes along the way.

The purpose of this episode and blog post is to introduce you to the Storyline Ecosystem . There are many web links and resources here – if you are serious about interactive student centric learning and in particular simulations … bookmark them all and visit regularly. Much of what follows not only works in Storyline, but such other simulation development tools as Simwriter and even can be embedded in or linked to Apple iBooks and iTunesU courses.

• Interaction Design Fundamentals: A 3 hour 18 mins video based tutorial course on Lynda.com.  In L&T it is all about the students. When developing effective curriculum, it is all about starting with people and interaction.  Dr David M. Hogue teaches about people, what motivates them, how they think and behave. Master this before touching the software.
• Articulate Storyline: The next generation of eLearning development software.
• The Storyline Showcase: Imaginations the limit and this page show cases great examples of what is possible.  Not all of them were published as tablet friendly, but HTML 5 is always a choice.
• The E-Learning Heroes:  The Articulate Community, which at the moment is 107,816 e-learning professionals and growing.
• Tutorials on Building Better Courses: These are community resources with some “how to’s”.
• Storyline Tutorials: This is a Storyline specific tutorials and support page.
• Translating Storyline Content: In a global learning world, this resource is of special interest.
• Learning Storyline Launchpad: The motherload of Storyline links. This is where I start each session when learning SL. It is a detailed Mindmeister mind map  of resources and “how to’s”. It is a comprehensive visual representation of the Storyline ecosystem. Go and visit this and spend some hours there – you will learn a great deal.

Design Assets to add Professionalism to the Look and Feel

• Instructional Design Tips  and Graphic Design Tips: from the eLearning Brothers blogs.
• eLearning Template News and Assets: Another eLearning Bros blog to help.
• eLearning Brothers Library: eLearning templates, games and cut out people photos and illustrations and short video clips. These can take your look and feel to the next level of professionalism.
• eLearning Brothers Interaction Builder:  Quickly build eLearning interactions & games! The Interaction Builder is web browser based online software, that lets you choose from a library of interactions and games. You then input your information, download the finished interaction, and insert it into your authoring tool.
• eLearning Art:  20,000+ elearning templates and images great collection of eLearning characters adaptable for scenarios with cut out actual photos in hundreds of different poses. Also illustrations, speech bubbles and backgrounds. Backgrounds can be used with green screen photography, which will be the subject of another episode.
• Build Your Own Background: Hints and resources about how to construct your own backgrounds for scenes.
• eLearning Stock.com: Royalty-free stock for eLearning.  Illustrated and Animated characters images and authoring templates.
• 2conv.com: An excellent video and music converter, supporting all popular formats. This video to mp3 converting application is easy to use, handy and useful.
• Newspaper Clipping Generator: Create a realistic Newspaper image customized with you own content.
• Object2VR: Excellent software for both Windows and Mac for developing interactive 360 deg object movies Output can be HTML5 mobile friendly.
• Pano2VR: An application to convert spherical or cylindrical panoramic images into Adobe Flash 10,HTML5 (WebGL/iPhone/iPad), or QuickTime VR(QTVR) with features such as customisable skins, multi-resolution (gigapixel panoramas), hotspots and directional sound.

Articles, Blog Posts and Online Resources

• Build Branched E-Learning Scenarios in Three Simple Steps: Introduction of the 3C’s model. Each scenario consists of a challenge, some choices, and then consequences of those choices. Worth a read.
• Ultimate List of Free Storyboard Templates for eLearning: Here you will find 72 Free Storyboard Templates.
•  Ultimate List of Free Music for eLearning Development:  34 websites to download royalty free and creative commons music for free.
• Free Survey Polls Quizzes Tools for eLearning:  27 tools that you can use for free!
• List of eLearning Twitter Hashtags:  104 to start and links to hundreds of eLearning Professionals using twitter.
• Feedback in Scenarios: Let them think! A blog post by Cathy Moore

Online Tutorials

There are links to tutorials embedded in some of the sites mentioned above but I have just seen a blog post posted (Apr 2nd 2013) titled “The World’s Largest Repository of Free Online Learning Tools” It contains a definitive list of tutorials.  I just had to revisit here and share the link. Tom Kuhlmann who manages “The Rapid E-Learning Blog” for Articulate guesses it contains about 3,000 tutorials and 250 hours of free training on building rapid elearning courses. I think he is really close and the list sure is a mother load of great tutorial resources. It is really worth a visit.

Soon I will post an episode about how to make your own movies using your own actors and dropping out backgrounds with green screening for embedding into Storyline and other products. Also how to create animated avatars giving realistic scenes and interactions superior in look and feel to what’s possible in Second Life.

If you have discovered further resources I have missed, then please add them to the comments below. Please help build the knowledge and join the conversation.