When I first started designing and producing continuing and refresher education programs for EMTs and Paramedics I jumped right in by applying knowledge I already had about adult education and PowerPoint design.

Along the way through a lot of trial and error I have steadily improved the instructional design process I use. This process includes understanding user needs, writing a lesson script based on objectives, creating visuals that minimize text, and replacing static content with dynamic and interactive learning objects whenever appropriate. I have also been guided by three excellent books: slide:ology, Presentation Zen, and Becoming a Rapid E-Learning Pro.

Almost all of my e-learning projects start as a PowerPoint slide deck that is converted to Flash using Articulate Presenter. Two design books that have helped me improve the quality of our PowerPoint slides are:
1. slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations
2. Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter)

A third outstanding resource is the free ebook you receive after subscribing to the Articulate Rapid eLearning Blog by Tom Kuhlmann. His book and weekly blog posts are must reads for any elearning designer. His principles and tips are applicable to elearning in general and not just to Articulate.

Do you have any favorite PowerPoint and E-Learning Design books and resources?

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I create narrated flash movies that are the result of converting PowerPoint to flash with a program called Articulate Presenter. One of the most common questions I receive is “How many PowerPoint slides should I have in a 30 minute elearning program?”

They are rarely satisfied with my answer, “The number of slides doesn’t matter.”

“Well someone told me to never use more than 30 slides in a 30 minute presentation.” Or I was advised this:

“We can’t have this lesson be any more than 10 slides.”

The better question is “How many words should be in the audio script for a 30 minute elearning program?”

When converting PowerPoint to Flash, PowerPoint is the storyboard for designing the lesson. Each slide is like a frame in a movie. If the slide has animations it is like multiple frames in a movie. When I watch a movie every 3 to 10 seconds (sometimes even quicker) the on-screen visual changes. A newscast is filled with changing graphics. In this regard an elearning lesson is much more like a television show or movie than a classroom presentation.

30 minute lesson = ~4000 words

Typically I script elearning lessons by writing the narration in the notes view of the PowerPoint slide. The word count of the script determines the length of the lesson. 150 slides with 10 words of narration (the audio track) is a lesson that is 10 to 12 minutes long. 75 slides with a word count for the narration that is about 4100 words will be a lesson that is about 30 minutes long.

When creating a lesson I usually write one paragraph or one important point per slide. That leads to slides that will be on screen for 10 to 45 seconds. Each slide usually has one or more animations so something is happening on the screen at least every 30 seconds. Visual change with interesting audio content and opportunities to interact with the lesson helps keep students engaged throughout the lesson.

Explain your parameters for determining the length of an elearning lesson. Thanks.

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I use Articulate e-learning software to create quiz questions for online EMT and paramedic continuing education. The software makes the process easy.  The real difficulty is writing quiz questions that engage the learner and assess their new knowledge based on the lesson objectives. Determining the type and difficulty of quiz questions as well as actually writing usable questions is a challenge for many subject matter experts (SMEs). These are five of the tips I share with SMEs.

1. Determine the format for questions. I generally only use multiple choice questions. True/False or Yes/No questions are essentially guessing and provide little meaningful information about student retention or comprehension of the material presented. Unless I specifically tell SME’s I want multiple choice questions I usually receive 50% or more True/False questions.

2. Question construction. A multiple choice question has three parts – the stem, the answer, and multiple distracters. Write question stems based on the objectives of the lesson. Make sure to review the lesson objectives before writing questions. I usually have the source PowerPoint file on the screen in front of me as I begin writing questions – a great use for a dual monitor set-up. As I build a bank of questions I try to write three to ten questions per objective.

3. Present only the essential information in the question stem. Extraneous material does not likely add any educational value to the assessment. A multiple paragraph stem only assesses the student’s ability and determination to actually find the question you are asking. If there is a long scenario present it first and then ask the actual question.

Don’t teach in the stem. Explaining a process that was part of the lesson and then asking a question is unnecessarily redundant.

All of the following, except, none of the above, and all of the above are universally despised by students because it is confusing to determine what is actually being asked. As an educator you don’t know if the student got the question wrong because they didn’t know the material or they couldn’t determine what the question was actually asking. Help me rid the world of these question types.

4. Consistent formatting of the answer and distractors. I recommend these general guidelines for the one correct and three wrong answers:

• All answers should be approximately the same length. Since a visibly shorter or obviously longer answer is usually right make sure all answers have about the same number of words or one to three word answers or same number of characters for longer answers.
• Use plausible answers for the distractors. Obviously wrong answers increase the odds of guessing correctly.
• Any words or phrases repeated in every answer should be part of the stem. Keep the answers as short as possible.
• Write with a consistent verb tense for every answer. If only one answer is active tense it is likely the right answer.
• If the answers are numbers, order the numbers sequentially. For example, if a question is to calculate a medication dose order the answers 2, 5, 10, 15 instead of 5, 15, 2, 10.

5. Ask questions to determine comprehension. Student retention of lesson content is merely interesting. At least half of the questions should assess comprehension – the ability to apply information. Use short scenarios for students to apply what they have learned.

Finally, consider other ways to assess student use of e-learning content. If you are only using a quiz to prove they completed the lesson the only question you might need is “I completed this lesson” with the answers Yes or No.

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This is a guest app review by elearning designer Jenise Cook of RidgeViewMedia.com. If you want to guest post or review on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

PhraseBoard: iPad Medical Application

Imagine you’re in a hospital bed, or you’ve been in an accident, or a natural disaster. You’re unable to speak, yet you need to communicate with those around you: nurses, doctors, emergency personnel, etc. If the person attending you has PhraseBoard (currently, only for the iPad), you can use the touch screen to indicate your basic needs:

• Answer “yes” or “no” to questions
• Indicate your pain level and location, if any
• Point to specific answers to specific questions

PhraseBoard also has a Custom feature that allows the device owner to enter and save phrases geared toward specific needs, such as “I need to see a … [add religious advisor or Chaplain]“, or, “I need a pepperoni pizza, NOW!” (That one is on my PhraseBoard.)

Video Demo of PhraseBoard
I’m not a videographer, but as a rank amateur armed with my Nikon CoolPix, I created a brief demo so you could see PhraseBoard in action….

PhraseBoard iPad App from JeniseCook on Vimeo.

Visit the PhraseBoard developer site to learn a bit more about PhraseBoard. Remember, PhraseBoard is free.

Spread the word!

Connect with Jenise, read her other app reviews and elearning how-to posts at RidgeviewMedia.com.

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The Louisiana Association of Nationally Registered EMTs held its annual conference in Bossier City, Louisiana June 10-12, 2010. I welcomed an invitation to present two sessions at the conference – a general session on “Use Social Media to Build Your Own Brand as an EMS Professional” and a break-out session on trends in elearning. I appreciated the questions from audience members in both sessions.

Canadian is a Tough Act to Follow
Tim Hillier, a paramedic educator from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, presented sessions before and after me. I have seen Tim’s name on other conference schedules, but this was my first chance to hear him speak. Tim’s first session was a look at the past and into the future of EMS. His chronological review of treatments for cardiac arrest started thousands of years ago.

Tim had two quotes that really connected with me. “Half of what we know about medicine is wrong, we just don’t know which half.” It is important that all EMS professionals keep an open mind about medicine and continue to conduct research to learn about what works, what doesn’t, and maybe, even more importantly, to help us also ask the right questions. Tim’s other memorable quote was “What are your ideas and what are you doing about it?” Now, more than ever, there are opportunities for EMS professionals to lead change in our field using social networks and social media content creation and distribution.

Short Visit
I was only on the ground in Louisiana for nineteen hours. My inbound flights were late and I needed to leave quickly to return home for a family event. I appreciated the hospitality of my hosts and look forward to some authentic Louisiana cuisine on my next visit. Find out more about the Louisiana Association of Nationally Registered EMTs.

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Director of Education for CentreLearn Solutions

I am starting my new job tomorrow as the Director of Education for CentreLearn Solutions LLC. I am really looking forward to the job and the challenges that are ahead. I am joining a great team and a fantastic company that provides a learning management system for all types of emergency response agencies. Read the press release.

CentreLearn has been distributing online continuing education I have created and produced since 2004. I will continue to create content and work with CentreLearn organizations to create and customize their own content. In the weeks to come I will be telling you more about the specifics of my job.

Not totally sure what this change will mean yet for EverydayEMSTips.com. I expect this blog to become a bit more of a personal outlet and will probably post less often. We will see.

As always thanks for your support and interest.

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Screencasts are a great tool for teaching software use, demonstrating elearning production techniques, or showcasing website features. In a EMS1.com Everyday EMS Tips column I discussed 9 techniques for perfecting screencasts. These are the tips from the column plus some bonus material.

1. Cover just one idea per screencast. Don’t attempt to teach analysis of all cardiac arrhythmias in one screencast. Instead, discuss one arrhythmia per screencast. Do the same for any type of software use or protocol discussion.

2. Practice screen actions before recording. Open all of the application windows and browser tabs you will need for the screencast. Practice moving between applications as you will in the screencast.

3. Eliminate the clutter and noise. Close unneeded applications and browser tabs before starting the screencast. Resize the screen capture area to the most essential aspects needed for the screencast to avoid having large areas of white space. Also turn off phones, fans, and other devices that will add distracting noise to the screencast.

4. Outline or script the audio. I prefer to outline the narrative I will speak as I record my on-screen actions instead of writing a script. I think an outline gives me a more relaxed and natural tone. A script might be best if you need to follow an exact list of steps or criteria.

5. Start recording with the best image. A thumbnail image of the screencast will often display the first image frame in the video. Start recording on the final product of an instructional screencast or some other descriptive visual that will entice viewers to view the screencast.

6. Edit as you record. If the screen capture tool allows you to pause as you record, you can edit as you go. (Screenr users use ALT+D) This might mean switching between applications or pausing the recording as you enter your username and password so that those are not shown to the audience.

7. Determine the audience for the screencast. Many screencasts allow distribution through blogs and other social media channels. You even have the option to allow others to link to the screencast or embed the screencast in their own blog or Web site. Before publishing the final screencast, make sure you have selected the appropriate distribution properties.

8. Review your work. Make sure you covered all the things you needed to cover. Also look to make sure the capture area does not include things you don’t want the world to see, like your username, passwords, browser tabs open or software that is running.

9. Publish and share. The breadth and distribution of your screencast depends on your goal, topic, and intended audience. Social media tools like Twitter, Facebook, and video allow wide distribution of screencasts. Many screencast product Web sites and video sharing sites allow and encourage visitors to embed screencasts in their own blogs and Web sites.

10. Watch screencasts. I have learned new screencast and general teaching techniques by watching the screencasts of other educators – in and out of EMS.

View, share, and copy my screencasts at Screenr.

Would you like me to make a screencast of a elearning production technique or showcase a specific website. Make your suggestion in the comments area.

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My friend Rob Theriault is the Georgian College Paramedic Programs coordinator. He has posted 83 mini multi-media presentations on dysrhythmia interpretation on his website http://paramedictutor.wordpress.com

Rob is also a co-host of the EMS Edu Cast – a podcast by and for EMS educators. Join me, Rob, and Buck Feris each week as we discuss EMS education resources, challenges, and solutions with guest experts from around the world.

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EverydayEMSTips.com and EPS411.com (a website focused on elearning for emergency responders) creates short videos of tips, product reviews, skill demonstrations, and treatment procedures. More videos are planned for both sites, as well as special videos for ParamedicTV.com and the MedicCast Extra. Videos can be embedded into blog posts or added to elearning programs.

To create videos we use these simple tools to capture, edit, and distribute video:

1. Flip Video Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black)is an inexpensive and easy to operate hand-held video camera. After capturing video it has a USB connection to connect directly into any computer. Although the Flip has video editing software built in I usually use Windows Movie Maker.

2. Use a small flexible tripod to set your Flip on a table, attach it to a chair, or wrap to a pole or cart. I use the Sunpak Flexpod Flexible Tripod

3. Moviemaker is a free Windows accessory for editing movie files. Most of the EPS411 Product Review videos are edited with Moviemaker. The features I use the most are:

• add credits/text before, after, or on-top of video
• split a clip for cropping, changing order of clips, or inserting credits between clips
• cropping video clips to remove multiple takes, bloopers, and extra content

4. Distribute videos with video sharing sites like YouTube or Vimeo. Try to make your videos short, engaging, and make a call to action. This is one of my favorite videos – a product review that discusses Handirecords.

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