Planet eLearn from Monarch Media

Get Social!
 Generate eLearning Results Via Social Interactions
By Veronica Phillips

Mobile Learning

Learning has always been social. From classroom-based courses to group study sessions, we like to learn with and from other people. It allows us to ask questions, share perspectives, and brainstorm approaches to a problem. It helps us engage with what we’re learning in different ways than independent study does.

But when it comes to eLearning, most of us consider it a solitary activity. We envision the learner reading or watching training videos on a laptop shut in a room away from distractions. We worry about the lack of interaction and what it means for eLearning’s effectiveness.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. New technologies are changing the game in eLearning, and research shows that social learning can boost training effectiveness and engagement.

> Learn more about incorporating social media tools into your next eLearning course

Learning by Design
An Interview with Instructional Designer and Author Julie Dirksen

Mobile Learning

In eLearning, instructional designers play a critical role. They help define a course’s goals and work to ensure that the knowledge or skills being taught are presented in a way to maximize learning.

In a field that can often be quite technical, it’s refreshing to come across a book on eLearning design that doesn’t read like a doctoral dissertation. Instead, Julie Dirksen’s Design for How People Learn, published in November, offers an apposite approach to learning design. Dirksen uses her knowledge and experience in instructional design to walk us through the ways people absorb information, writing with a style that actually practices what she preaches. Last month, Monarch Media sat down with Dirksen to discuss effective instructional design.

> Read the interview

Develop, Market, and Monetize Your Mobile App
Monarch Media White Paper
By Amber Yearta

They find us restaurants, give us news, connect us with friends, keep us entertained, and even help us avoid traffic. Mobile apps have become an integral part of the daily lives of millions of people, and in just a few short years they have altered the media landscape irrevocably.

Now, organizations of all types — from multinational corporations to small nonprofits — are exploring ways to reach their customers, employees, and other stakeholders using mobile apps. But before you jump in, you should have a plan in place to develop, market, and achieve a return on investment for your app. Our new white paper gives you the overview you need to get started.

> Read the white paper Mobile App Development: Methods, Marketplaces, and Monetization

Connect to Us on LinkedIn

Join the Planet eLearn group on LinkedIn and take part in an ongoing conversation about eLearning trends.

Monarch Media to Present at USDLA Conference

Monarch Media will present a panel session at the U.S. Distance Learning Association's 2012 Annual Conference, held April 29-May 2 in St. Louis. If you're attending the conference, please join CEO Claire Schneeberger's panel The mLearning Revolution: How to Go Mobile Now. If you'd like to schedule a meeting with Claire at the conference, please email us and let us know.

> Learn More About the USDLA 2012 Annual Conference

Designer Phil Jackson Featured in Toon Boom Newsletter

Monarch Media multimedia designer Phil Jackson has been featured in Toon Boon's newsletter. He was interviewed about a series of animated skills training scenarios he created as part of a project Monarch completed for the state of Iowa.

> Read the interview on the Toon Boom website

Monarch Sponsors Startup Weekend EDU

Startup Weekend Education  

Monarch Media is joining Google, Pearson, and other leading companies to sponsor Startup Weekend Education, an event that focuses on helping startup businesses develop an Web- or mobile-based educational application. The event will take place February 24-26 in Santa Clara, Calif.

> Learn more and participate in Startup Weekend EDU

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