Archive for April, 2010
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Why rely on stock simulations or outdated company demos?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.
Outsourcing has become one of the major industries in the world today. The emergence of BPO companies has offered a number of services to client companies that simply could not be matched by having those functions in-house. In the modern context, outsourcing means having a third-party provider handle numerous tasks and departments that do not necessarily need to be performed by the main office. However, that was not always the case. The history of BPO services starts not with services and office functions, but with manufacturing.
Prior to the advent of IT outsourcing, manufacturing companies had a virtual monopoly on the demand for outsourcing services during a time when BPO companies were virtually nonexistent. The logic behind it was simple enough. It was far more cost-effective to have manufacturing facilities in the areas where the raw materials were obtained. It cut down on the time required to manufacture a product and eliminated the need to ship the materials long-distance to a separate facility. More U.S. companies began to outsource a number of manufacturing support tasks to countries such as Canada, Mexico, and Brazil in the 1980s.
It was only during the tech boom of the early 90s that these manufacturing companies took a backseat to IT outsourcing. Companies began to hire third-party contractors, BPO companies, to handle more functions. These were no longer support tasks, but functions directly related to the business but did not require local handling. India, having experienced a technological boom of its own, had the necessary infrastructure to handle the initial demand. The first wave came in the form of software development and support. Call center outsourcing companies were not too far behind, with some setting up shop as early as the late 90s.
Contact centers began to overtake the manufacturing industry in the number of outsourcing opportunities during the mid-90s. Their primary clients were American businesses that were cutting on costs. Technical support had been slowly moved to Indian providers due to the country’s large pool of technology-related talent. Customer service and sales services from BPO companies had also followed suit. Around 1994, the Philippine government instituted infrastructural and economic reforms to help boost the incentives of foreign investors to take advantage of the country’s labor pool. Part of that push involved improvements on the local IT sector. Two years after, a few companies began to move part of their data entry operations into the country.
Outsourcing advantages also began to attract the attention of other industries. Medical and media transcription emerged. Legal transcription services also appeared in India, but companies quickly moved them to the Philippines. The legal system in the Philippines more closely reflected the American one, which made the local talent pool more likely to understand critical precedents and procedures. IT outsourcing has also become important, with an increasing stake in the Philippine BPO market each year.
Currently, BPO companies are worth an estimated $3 billion. Facilities in India and the Philippines are expanding, with China also making preparations to take advantage of the demand. Services that are outsourced have expanded beyond the initial contact centers and data entry. Companies now outsource tasks such as medical and legal transcription, SEO marketing, and content management. This growth has benefited many international companies, and it is likely to continue in the foreseeable future and even beyond.
College life should be the most fantastic time in one’s lifetime, why don’t you decorate it with the most attractive digital gadgets? Summer has already come and it’s time for you to go back to school again. Today we are going to introduce five back-to-school necessities to help you become the superstar in your school.
First question, what do you use to memorize every little thing in your college life? Yes, the answer is digital camera. To college students, function is not the only thing that should be taken into consideration. A digital camera with stylish appearance captures your classmates’ attention easily and in this way you will soon be the eye-catcher in the school. Nevertheless we recommend college students to choose cameras that are waterproof and shockproof and thus make your cameras live longer.
The next hot topic in college life must be about laptops. Mini laptops are popular nowadays because it’s easy to carry and more fashionable than common bulk laptops. With a trendy appearance, the laptop has become a symbol of fashion and popularity. Different from the ones we used before; mini laptops are lighter and cuter and easier to win the hearts of girls. However, a mini laptop is somewhat more expensive than a regular one with the same configuration; college students should carefully consider their budgets.
The third must-have we are going to talk about is cell phones. iPhone is a perfect choice for college students to show their sensibility to chic digital products. It’s the best chance to practice students’ all kinds of weird ideas in college with iPhone because you can do almost anything you want with iPhone. Need to measure your desk but have no ruler at hand? iPhone can help you with its “ruler” application; want to know the weather but have no internet connection? iPhone can provide you the latest weather forecast through wifi; it can even help you chase after girls with its “hook up” application!
Another necessity that college students may be interested in is mp3. Students love being accompanied by music whatever they are doing, wherever they are. An mp3 is a combination of both sweet sounds and stylish design, which makes itself an enjoyable decoration for students. Sometimes it’s also a perfect match with your outfit, just like a piece of jewelry.
Above are the four back-to-school necessities for college students. You may be wondering what the fifth one is, and here we’d like to remind you the fifth one is your diligence. It’s the last and most important must-have you need to take with you and only in this way, your back-to-school trip could be meaningfu
Inattentive ADHD is one of the three types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. There are three main symptoms of ADHD specifically hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. It is a common misconception of most people that children who have ADHD are all hyperactive.
This is not always the case as some children with ADHD only present with symptoms like easy distractibility, short attention span, and frequent daydreaming which are characteristics of ADHD predominantly inattentive type.
Children with inattentive ADHD always seem to lose things. They are also easily bored and have trouble with school work because they tend to make careless mistakes. They have trouble organizing their things as well as their activities and they may seem to not listen when spoken to. A diagnosis of inattentive ADHD is made when these symptoms are present for at least six months and prior to the age of seven years.
Children with ADHD predominantly inattentive type have the most trouble in school. Usually, the prefrontal cortex of the brain speeds up when faced with work that requires concentration. In inattentive ADHD, the prefrontal cortex slows down instead, making it very hard for the child to concentrate or do work. This type of ADHD is usually more common among girls than in boys.
Prescription medications, specifically stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin, are usually given to treat ADHD inattentive type. However, there are various side effects associated with these drugs, some of which are quite harmful to the health. There are also long term effects like increased risk for heart problems and psychiatric disorders with the use of these prescription ADHD drugs.
Don’t worry though as giving your child a prescription drug is not the only solution to treating ADHD. There are other ADHD treatments which are proven to work as well as strategies that you can use at home to help your child cope with ADHD inattentive type.