E-Learning Tools List – Top 10 for 2010
Every year the estimable Jane Hart (owner and proprietor of Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies) asks learning professionals to submit their Top 10 E-Learning Tools for the previous twelve months.
So without further ado, here is my Third Annual Top 10 E-Learning Tools.
My, how time flies.
In alphabetical order (because 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. This application – which was recently upgraded to version 7 – is my “weapon of choice” for much of my e-learning content production work. It would probably 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 
WordPress – 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.
But most importantly for me, it’s my handy personal knowledgebase.
Cloud-based apps - I’m primarily a Mac user, and I subscribe to Apple’s MobileMe service, 
because it enables me to sync and back up my e-mail, calendars, important documents and media across my iMac, iPhone, MacBook Pro, and my Dell Latitude laptop.
I find the facility to access my stuff, without investing in a personal network infrastructure invaluable. But the key thing here is the cloud extends e-learning’s capability, in ways unimagined even two years ago.
Apple iPhone – I don’t know what insight to offer about this device to say about this device 
that hasn’t already still been said.
For me, it’s not so much the device itself, but more the power of the apps it supports. Will the recently-released iPad be in this spot in 2011? Only time will tell, but I think that the larger tablet has great potential for educators as an e-learning delivery platform.
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 Adobe Premiere, more powerful than MovieMaker; 
Vegas is my post-production tool for 90% of the video elements that appear in courseware developed for my customers and clients.
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-have application, as far as I’m concerned (Windows-only, but works very well on a Mac via VM Fusion).
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.
TextEdit (MacOS) or TextPad (Windows) – 
These two programs are advanced text editors that enable users to create and edit text documents, XML, JavaScript and other interpreted content without the extraneous “bloat” of word-processing applications. I find it easier to create content in the stripped-down environment they support before transferring to Word, PowerPoint, or some other application for final enhancement and publishing (this list was created in TextEdit, for example).
What are your Top 10 E-Learning Tools?
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July 29 2010 03:30 pm | e-learning
2 Responses to “E-Learning Tools List – Top 10 for 2010”
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