LMS software should be simple to use. That said, it shouldn’t force course creators to simply pour two-dimensional learning content into a cookie-cut, prepackaged design. LMS tools are now providing greater opportunities for control and customization of course content.

Aesthetics count. According to a study by the University of British Columbia, which rated 127 online courses according to 43 criteria, how an online course looks can be just as important as the quality of the lessons themselves.

One exciting new tool for an attractive and effective online course creation is screen recording. Record the activity on your own computer screen to upload to your course. Everything you see and hear on your PC screen can be included in your elearning course.

The concept is simple. A screen recording program allows you to record everything you see on your PC screen, whether it be a video, game, web page, or simulation. It also records your commentary, PC sounds and webcam as picture-in-picture video to give your course content a personal touch. 

Provide your own demos, training CDs, and visual tutorials to students. Using screen recordings, users are able to transform course content into a richer, more dynamic experience and give their course a more professional touch. 
Why rely on stock simulations or outdated company demos? Screen recording gives you total control over what students view. You yourself create, edit and apply it to your e-learning course.

Some screen recording programs integrate with LMS software to make life easier for course creators. Why not make a personal appearance in your own course? Webcam recording features allow creators to create their own webcam video.

Another neat feature is sound recording. This allows users to read a commentary at the same time as the screen is being recorded, using a simple microphone or mic headset. Using screen recording programs you may be able to save videos in all major video formats, like Flash, Quicktime and Windows Media Video. You can easily add text, sound, images, and ‘zoom & pan’ effects. Also, you are able to edit multi track audio and video, side by side. 

In summary, a critical factor in choosing LMS software is not only its general format and style, but the amount of control it allows you as the designer. Though having the prepackaged, text and image-only option is important for some people, a little power over the layout is key to creating a unique and attractive online course design.

By: Robin L. Green

Education is important. It is necessary to learn new things, such as the latest trends or some of the things from way back thousands of years ago. One of the best parts of education is that you will learn the basic things on how to handle situations such as family problems, how to answer your assignments and how to face some of your fears. This is real life and it is not like an anime movie or a cartoon. We must face all the challenges just to get the best education we want. Let’s face all our fears.

It has been established that education is to provide training and informative education especially to young children… In general, elementary education consists of six to seven years of schooling. It is necessary to undergo an elementary education, because this is the right time to improve learning and we all know that most children are not so open minded when it comes to this. It is also necessary to provide a good school and a great location for studies. It is not necessary to choose whether it is a private or public school. The most important factors for education are great location, great teachers and a nice school. Maybe children, at their age, they think that it is time for them to play, and not a time for learning. There is a right time for education, we just have to let the children know how important education will be in there lives.

Let’s start the year with a great education.

By: Baby Jane Lacaba

St. Louis Schools are bravely going where no man, or school, has gone before. They’re going virtual. Simply put, they’re offering more classes online for children in the K-12 school system in order to provide distance education and more educational diversity for all the students in their area. What is it? They’re classes online made specifically for different age levels. Content is different for every grade and developed to facilitate learning and pique the interest of students in the St. Louis Schools area.

Is There More Information Regarding Virtual Education in St. Louis Schools?

Of course! St. Louis Schools have provided the answers to a number of different questions because of the newness of virtual education, especially in the lower grades.

Ï Grades and Subjects: Starting in the 2008-2009 school year, St. Louis Schools will be offering virtual education to children in grades K-12. The subject list is easy because it’s the same as in a normal classroom. Language Arts, Math, Science, Health, Music, Art, and History can all be taught in a virtual St. Louis Schools classroom.

Ï Materials: St. Louis Schools provide all their virtual students with the materials they need to be successful in virtual education. The lower the grade, the more books they will have because St. Louis Schools understand that younger students need more educational diversity because their attention span is shorter. It is recommended that no more than 20-25 minutes a day be spent on the computer. Yes, a computer is needed for virtual education. Just how much though, depends on the age of the student. Younger students get less time, older students get more time. A high school aged student in St. Louis Schools will spend almost all of their time working on the computer.

Overall, it seems that St. Louis Schools are providing a better education for all of their students by making virtual education available for all grades in the public school system. But, there is more to be learned in a classroom than just facts and figures. The problem with virtual education in St. Louis Schools is that there is very little interaction between a student and his peers. Since the classroom setting is also a place to learn valuable social skills, a virtual education student would need some sort of an after school program to interact with other children his age. This ultimately the job of the parent since there is very little, if any involvement, by the school itself. Do the positives override the negatives? That’s a question for you and your child to discuss at great length before deciding on enrolling in virtual education. Call your child’s school and discuss it with a professional, they may be able to help guide you more.

By: Patricia Hawke