E-Learning Tools List – Top 10 for 2009
Every year Jane Hart – owner and proprietor of the estimable Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies website asks learning professionals to submit their Top 10 E-Learning Tools for the previous twelve month.
So without further ado, here is my Second Annual Top 10 E-Learning Tools, in alphabetical order (‘cos every one of them is a winner!):
Adobe Acrobat Connect Enterprise – I could 
have picked any from the range of Adobe Flash-based content development tools, but I chose this application because of its multi-functionality, and because it manifests what Flash, Presenter, Dreamweaver etc can do. Enables collaboration, content storage, management, distribution, and (a certain degree of) tracking. A powerful content delivery platform to enable learning professionals and organizations distribute informational and training content effectively.
Audacity – I recommend this open source tool to 
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who wish to create podcasts and/or software demos when using a Rapid E-Learning approach. It’s an easy-to-use non-destructive audio recording and editing tool, comes with a range of impressive plug-ins including Normalize and Noise Reduction (NR), as well as pretty good graphical equalizer (EQ). Audacity enables SMEs and training professionals create high quality audio quickly and efficiently.
Techsmith Camtasia- A SERIOUS rapid e-
learning authoring tool for demonstrations, simulations, evaluation, and scenario-based learning. Would be Number 1 Tool on this list if I went for a merit-based rather than alphabetical format.
Blogs – The platform doesn’t matter – I use both the Blogger and 
WordPress platforms – but the concept of providing a means to create, share, and deliver content is the basis for a new way of learning. My e-learning blog, the E-Learning Curve Blog (unashamed plug) provides commentary and news on the domain of professional learning and development, as well as a handy personal knowledgebase.
Del.icio.us – Personal bookmarking at its best. If, like 
me you work on a number of machines in a number of locations, it is useful to access stored links and documents from a browser regardless of where you happen to be, once you have an internet connection.
MindJet Mind Manager Pro – Mind-mapping – 
using diagrams used to represent words, ideas, tasks, and concepts linked to and arranged around a central topic (and used to generate, visualize, structure ideas), is central to the way I work, research, organize, solve problems, and make decisions. I built the framework for my MSc. in Education thesis in Mind Manager. It is powerful intermediary in developing ideas, concepts, and course design.
Moodle – An institution in institutions! Martin 
Dougiamas’ erstwhile thesis project continues to meet the learning management requirements of any number and type of organization. Social Constructivist? Virtual Learning Environment? Easy-to-use? Great Platform.
Sony Vegas Video – Easier to use than Premiere, more powerful than MovieMaker; Vegas is my post-production “weapon of choice” for 90% of the video elements that appears in courseware developed in my organization. Whether you’re just “topping and tailing” a piece of video or creating the elements for a sophisticated soft skills course, Vegas is a must.
StatCounter – every 
learning professional knows that “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” This mantra has an extra resonance in the online learning world. StatCounter is a Web and blog analysis tool that enables me to understand the requirements of learners who use my courseware, as well as how visitors interact with my blog.
TextPad – I would have chosen pen and paper, but decided to keep this list digital; 
TextPad is an advanced text editor that enables users to create and edit text documents, XML, JavaScript and other interpreted content without the extraneous “bloat” of word-processing applications. I find it useful to develop content in this stripped-down environment before transferring to Word, PowerPoint, Blogger or some other application for final enhancement and publishing (this list was created in TextPad, for example).
What are your Top 10 E-Learning Tools?
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March 06 2009 02:10 pm | e-learning
Pat Kelly on 30 Mar 2009 at 6:20 pm #
You should check out Brainshark. It is very easy to use, has exceptional tracking and reporting and an incorporate content created in several of these other tools like video, Camtasia and Audacity.
In the interest of full disclosure, I work for Brainshark in the Customer Success Group.
Pat
Michael Hanley on 30 Mar 2009 at 6:31 pm #
Hi Pat,
Thanks for reading and for taking the time to comment. As you may know, I regularly review e-elearning tools and technologies and I’ll be happy to check out your product and discuss it here on the site.
Michael
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Pat Kelly on 08 Apr 2009 at 10:06 pm #
IF you would like access to the application, I can arrange that for you.
Pat