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Date: Thursday, 2 May 2024, 1:59 AM

Research on online and blended learning

Key Quality Features and Formats of Online and Blended Learning for the Youth Work Field and Non-Formal Education.

Authors: Dragan Atanasov, Olga Kyriakidou, Simona Molari, Snezana Baclija Knoch.

Illustration design and layout: Andri Voutouri.

Published by: Youth and Lifelong Learning Foundation (I.NE.DI.VI.M), Greece.



Download the full report.


Purpose:

The main idea for this research was to explore and to identify key quality features and formats of online and blended learning which are most suitable for the international Youth Work field in the frame of on-Formal Education. The target of the research were mainly European Youth Programmes' stakeholders of different experiences in online and blended learning, such as trainers, facilitators, youth workers, course providers and learners belonging to the different mentioned categories and more in general the subscribers of the HOP platform.


Timeframe:

The research has focused on online/blended learning activities between the years 2020-2022.


Insights:
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Spatial, proximity communication platforms


A series of HOP podcasts and articles on spatial, proximity communication platforms and their use in the youth work field. Listen and read about:


virtual platforms that offer communication and collaboration in real time, with advantage of conversations depending on proximity from others, and with (more or less) customisable spaces.

Recorded by Carmine Rodi Falanga in winter 2021/2022

Mibo



MIBO - where team bonding happens.


Mibo can be used very very well in online trainings, or just to hang out with people, colleagues, team members. It’s a very interactive platform that’s quite different from anything else - says Alex Person from European Playwork Association. She is a youth worker and trainer based in Hamburg where she organizes training courses, youth exchanges and supports young people about European mobility opportunities through the Eurodesk network.


Let’s see how Mibo works. How does it look like? In the free version, that everybody can use directly from their browser through an invitation link, you just appear magically on a tropical island - Alex describes. The structure is that you can walk around on the island and you can go swimming, you can play basketball, you can walk around freely unlike in a zoom meeting, and you yourself are basically a flying monitor with your head inside, it’s your webcam. Users are floating robots that wander around, with webcams as their heads. There are no breakout rooms, you can walk around and meet and interact with the people you want to meet. You hear their voices louder as you get closer to them. There is also a stage area, but that’s reserved for the paid version. The microphone allows to make announcements (and one wonders, karaoke sessions?).

The free version allows up to 5 people in a session simultaneously, a paid version allows up to 25 people connected, and opens the door to seven different worlds, settings like a mountain retreat, a winter wonderland, a town hall and a disco hall. The tropical island, zen garden and a studio are the only three available for free-to-use. There is a Mibo youtube channel where people can have a look at the different environments, and see how they work. A business version (definitely more pricey) allows up to 1000 participants and multiple rooms open at the same time. If your organization has access to funding, I still recommend it - says Alex.

What is Mibo recommend for? From large events to small meetings and meet-ups, just with your friends and colleagues that you can’t see in real life. For example Alex's organisation used it in their Europeers training course, where we had the reflection sessions, with 6 people sitting around the campfire, and you could hear sea waves crashing on the beach surf. I remember during the lockdown, not being able to go to these places, hearing this sounds had a nice calming effect. Each facilitator can create a room, generate a link and send it to their participants who can join.

What is Mibo not so good for? Larger groups will need the paid version. And one downside really is that it doesn’t work on Safari and has a bit of a technical requirement. If someone has a laptop without a graphic card, it cannot work so well. Mibo creates a 3D interactive environment, and so it needs fast processor and good graphic card. It also doesn’t work on mobile, so people cannot really access it from their phones.

Alex also uses Mibo to hang out with friends. But even with strangers, for example the time Alex shared with her group of Europeers. People were sharing stories about the day they just had together. And Alex loves the interactive and playful effects that guarantee a “wow effect” when she first introduces new people to the platform. For example as you enter the island, you can choose your hat (and yes, of course there is a pirate hat).

Mibo is really suitable for smaller groups, informal meetings, parties and social gatherings. But for conferences or corporate events, a user can personalize the space with their logo on the stage area, for example. So Alex recommends for example to have the more informative part of a conference on more traditional platforms like zoom, and then move for the more interactive ones on Mibo and explore different types of interaction. Be careful of technical barriers that can prevent people from participating, though. And when a user disconnects, even accidentally, they take off and fly away like little rockets making a “woooosh” sound. This can be distracting or even annoying especially if people experience connection issues and keep logging in and out of your session.

European Playwork Association is active in youth work since 1986, when they organized their first mobility event, way before the Erasmus programme was even founded. Alex Person also belongs to the Europeers network, a very fresh and energetic network of young people who took part to a volunteering experience abroad, and decide to remain connected to organize events and share these opportunities even more.


Listen to the full HOP podcast episode:
Visit the platform's web-site.

Gather.town



Gather Town - a better way to meet online


In Gather Town, participants can move freely, interact with objects and other characters. Participants create their avatars and personalize them, representing a good range that includes notions of diversity – says Mara Rodrigues, head of EU Training Academy and President of Foundation Ambassadors of Ideas. She is a trainer in the field of youth who was born in Portugal and lives in Poland in Leszno, a place “full of magic”.


In the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic Mara implemented GPS (Growing Partnership Strategies) training course online. On the last day there was a follow-up activity that they wanted to host in a more creative, informal and free atmosphere. So they decided for Gather Town. In this space people could not only discuss among themselves, but also explore the environment and interact with different elements of it. Each participant creates an avatar and can walk around the environment (map) and check different neighbourhoods and objects that facilitators have predefined. This allows to tailor the space to the objectives of the activity. Whether it is a social activity or learning event, the map and its object can seriously enhance the outcomes. Whenever two or more characters meet on a map, a small window(s) open up and people can see each other’s cameras and speak through their microphones. The platform has a very playful look, a retro 8-bit look that reminds of a Super Mario videogame.


The instructions were given on Zoom, as it was already familiar space for the group, but the session went on in the Gather Town. There were open rooms, where everybody would speak and be able to listen; there were rooms with computers and interacting with them allowed participants to get information about organizations involved in the project, so the follow-up activities can create a good multiplying effect.


The feedback from participants is that - especially the younger ones - can get a little lost in it, and they prefer to just walk around and explore the space, rather than follow the instructions and engage in the proposed activities. Another common question: does fun go in line with learning… Also the first few minutes are often chaos, because participants appear in the same spot and everybody starts talking at the same time. As the platform gives participants plenty of freedom, some people might be lost and get frustrated, and they just quit. That is why Mara suggests to keep some other channel of communication in parallel (preferably not a video communicator, so the camera and microphone are not conflicting as they are used for Gather Town). This is useful for people who feel a little lost, so they can go and ask for technical help. It may also be helpful to have instructions and a brief tutorial as a written document (with text and pictures), to help with troubleshooting. There is a number of ready ones on the Gather Town website. Another possible solution to make people familiar with the space is actually to invite them already few days prior the meeting, so they can visit anytime and get a bit oriented.


As organiser of an event or trainer/facilitator, one can easily create environment (map). It’s like playing “The sims” - says Mara. You choose an object, click to place it on the map and decide what should happen when participant clicks on it. It is possible to start creating an environment from plenty of templates, possibly modifying them or start from blank. It is possible to share music or different sounds as a background to specific part of the environment. Actually participants can be also involved in shaping the final outlook of a space, making it comfortable for everyone.


Up to 25 people can join a meeting for free, but for larger groups the platform is payable. Actually paying for a group means your environment is temporarily moved into fast servers, so everyone’s experience is better. There are also workarounds. Mara for example suggests that it’s possible to create two separate rooms and invite maximum 25 people in each - two separate rooms mean 50 people can work at the same time…


Does Mara actually like the online setting? It’s a hot topic because some people feel they “have to do it”, some others genuinely love it – says Mara. She believes that it was needed in this recent period of the emergency covid-19 situation. Sometimes it allows to be more effective, like to do a job interview without a need of long travel. But in many situations online doesn’t transfer so well. For example teacher training or school activities. Research shows that students are not learning effectively online. If we expect to transfer traditional teaching methods online, it’s no surprise that they don’t work. And maybe the question should be, if they worked in residential school at all. But this is a much bigger question.


EU Training Academy delivers local, regional, national and European workshops on personal and professional development for adults, teachers, trainers, young people, youth workers and youth leaders.

Foundation Ambassadors of Ideas promotes the understanding of wellbeing practices, supports education and growth, encourages learning and social development. It promotes contact with nature, health, wellbeing, better understand ourselves and others.

 

Listen to the full HOP podcast episode: 

 

Visit the platform's web-site.

Remo.co



Remo.co - humanise the online experience


Remo.co is a platform to host and organize events (don’t get confused with remo.com which sells music equipment and drum sets). In my opinion, Remo is a good platform for methodologies like World Cafe or Open Space. You can set up different rooms with chairs and furniture, and even different floors - says Melih Özkardeş, who lives and works in the Netherlands as a trainer and project manager, both in the field of youth and at university.


It’s like designing an office space in “The Sims”. The visual interface is very fresh and inviting. Remo is a paid tool, with a limited free option which allows 30-minutes sessions. The platform offers full integrations with other tools like Miro, so it is possible to open a Miro board in a Remo room and the two work together seamlessly. It is possible to be creative and fun while creating an environment. Remo offers a balance between a professional, business-oriented look while still having a fun and creative side to it. This comes at a price, of course. I will recommend it for bigger events when you have big partners or even sponsors -  says Melih. Remo offers the possibility to play sponsor banners in your conference room, which is something I haven’t seen in other platforms so far. The platform offers a pay-per-event or an annual subscription.


It is also possible to share music as a background for your events. People appear as their own photos in the space, and they don’t have to walk from one area to another. They click where they want to go, and they immediately teleport there. So it’s not possible to wander off or even get lost, whether this happens intentionally or not. It is certainly a design choice. 


When I think of methods like Word Cafe or Open Space, it is very intuitive and easy to name different rooms and tables, and I also like the presentation function: even if people are spread into different rooms you can present with one click, and also add presenters - like for a panel discussion. Other platforms also offer this feature, but here I found it particularly easy and intuitive. Also, when I am in a room or at a table I can hear everybody very well, all the time. You cannot just wander off accidentally and miss part of an important conversation – Melih shares his experience.


A funny aspect of Remo is that you can design different floors, connected via an elevator or stairs - and then playfully invite people to use the stairs “because it’s the healthier opinion”. It’s not possible at the moment to have casual chats while in the elevator, which also means no space for casual “elevator pitch”. Who knows, maybe one day this could be a new aspect to develop…


I think online dimension of learning will remain even after the COVID-19 emergency is solved. There are a lot of indicators pointing in that way. Of course this sector received a boost because of the pandemic, but it will remain, as long as we have access to the internet. The advantages are also in terms of environmental protection: there is less traveling, and less CO2 emissions. The thing I like the most about online learning is that it is so accessible. Activities are very easy to organize, and in one minute you can achieve more than you could in the physical space. Also you can reach more people, including those who wouldn’t have the time or the money to travel and reach you in a different location – says Melih.


There are of course also problems connected with this aspect. Not everybody has access to good hardware or internet bandwidth . Of course this is the other side of a coin. I still think the result is a net positive, however this happens. Sometimes tools are too complicated to use, and also language can be a divide - a lot of the online interaction and platforms are heavily dependent on English as a language. But people are noticing these problems, and I think they will be solved - Melih remains optimist.


Listen to the full HOP podcast episode: 


Visit the platform's web-site.

Minecraft


Minecraft - the world is yours for the making


Together with Michele Di Paola, trainer, facilitator, youth worker and blogger living in Monza, Italy we are explore a platform that is a little bit different from all the others we have seen, because it is actually a videogame: Minecraft.

 

Minecraft is just the most sold videogame in history, so far... – says Michele. The game boasts ca. 141 million active accounts. It’s like the population of France, Italy and Czech Republic all in one! And it is a good piece of history. Minecraft was developed by a small independent studio in Sweden, actually by one single programmer, Markus Persson, who released it in 2011. Later it has been acquired by Microsoft for the outrageous (back then) amount of 2.5 billion US dollars in 2014.

 

Nowadays, the Minecraft is not really free to use. One has to purchase a user license. There are several versions around, the so-called Java edition is for PC and Mac is for 24 euros at the moment on its official website (minecraft.net), as well as on many different retail sites.  There are editions for game consoles, like PlayStation, or for mobile - but they are not mutually compatible. This means users who are connected via different platforms cannot meet and share the same experience. Everybody has to own a copy: educators, learners, everybody involved in a session.

 

This is a great commercial success, but it’s a barrier for those who want to use it for educational purposes. How does Michele overcome this challenge? I host summer camps - one week-events where I meet people every day for morning or afternoon sessions. In this case, it usually happens that all participants already have their own copies - but I have a number of paid copies that I lend to participants when in need. This is technically speaking a grey area, it’s not really clear if it can be considered “fair use” or not, but Michele’s point is clear: I paid for these copies, I can’t see how it can be a problem if I lend them for a week to somebody else, and then refresh passwords right after. We certainly hope nobody will ever start legal action to prevent this! 

 

Anyway, I really recommend every school or youth club that could be potentially interested to purchase their own licenses and make the game accessible to their users - continues Michele. One of the reasons why Microsoft bought Mojang studio back in the days was that the community developed a ‘mod’ (a user-made modification for the game which does not change its most fundamental aspects) that introduced “group control” features, like facilitation tools. Microsoft bought the game so they could release their own educational version of the game, within a closed system so that users were not able to modify it anymore. These special licenses for educational use were quite cheap, around 5 euros per user, and Microsoft also offered training for teachers. However this function doesn’t seem to be available right now. 

 

The visual aspects are iconic by now: blocky characters in a sandbox game (where you build your own experience each time, creating stuff from what is available). You can build very large worlds, potentially borderless connected to the physical machines that are hosting the game – says Michele.  

 

For youth work I do this: I create a parallel zoom session where I host ice breaking sessions and I create a team environment. Then I invite participants to the game sever that I have previously prepared. 10 to 15 people is the group size I would recommend for a good interactive session, based on my experience with different target groups – Michele shares his experience. Then I meet participants in the server. I leave the zoom room open so that people can still talk (you can’t speak in Minecraft) and ask questions to me if necessary. Then I give the group different challenges, for example building homes and creating a village, within a given time limit.

 

Like every game, there is a learning curve. Michele suggests that after one or two sessions (two to four hours) basically everybody is able to experience the game without any problems, and have fun. 

 

It is also possible that participants wander off or get lost in the environment. This is where the role of a facilitator becomes important. First of all I create a starting place for everybody, which means all characters appear in the same place within the game world. I also put a light beacon - like a torch reaching all the way up to the sky - or two or three of them close to one another, so people can see them from far away and always know where is the base camp.

 

All the computers connected to the same wifi will know that there is one common Minecraft session and will automatically join the same game. But sometimes Michele hosts online meetings where people are not physically together in the same space. How to do this? The easiest way is to create a Minecraft server dedicated to you, with five to ten euros per month you can have a dedicated server and invite all the players to join you (a free version exists too, but with limited options). Once you have a server you can create your own world, using templates that are provided for free. 

 

And some are really creative: creators have made copies of their favourite fictional universes within the Minecraft game world. One can find worlds dedicated to the Harry Potter, Star Wars or the Lord of the Rings setting. Michele estimates that 1 or 2 days of experience are enough for an educator or youth worker to be able to use Minecraft for educational purposes. The beauty of game systems like this is that they unleash participants’ creativity, often beyond a facilitator’s idea. Once Michele invited participants to bring their homes closer together, and they spent an entire day creating a railroad system to connect them - including the game’s version of electricity. An impressive engineering and teamwork feat! 

 

No doubt there are also technical issues. And the troubleshooting you have to do as a facilitator. Once I ended up talking to the 80-years old grandma of one participant who was experiencing technical issues with his laptop. And all the other participants were willing to help, too! – says Michele.

 

Especially during the pandemic, it became painfully clear that everybody was spending way too much time online. What is the point to encourage young people to spend even more time engaged in the virtual world, even when they can have alternatives? It’s not a matter of more time or less time, but of what we do in that time - replies Michele. For example you can place all the PCs together in the same room, all connected in a youth center space - there is a recent experience in Finland where young people have been asked to redesign the city plan using Minecraft. This is a way to use a videogame for educational purposes, while being physically together with other people, also having a social and civic experience. Of course then, after a two hours session indoors, take the group out to play in the field for another two hours. It’s not forbidden!. It’s important to try to achieve a balance. Maximum 2 hours duration for a session, and for example every thirty minutes it’s good to invite a group to make a short break, stand up and stretch a little, jump up and down, before going back to work. And this is a valuable tip not only for young people, but for everybody who is involved in digital work in front of a screen. 


Listen to the full HOP podcast episode: 


Visit the platform's web-site.

Glossary of online learning


Accessibility: refers to requirements that technology must enable individuals with disabilities (sight, hearing, mobility, cognitive) to use it.

Adaptive learning: also called personalized learning. Refers to a teaching approach where the delivery of content and assessment are tailored to each learner’s abilities and needs.

ADDIE: acronym for the classic instructional development process: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation.

Affective learning: learning that results in changes to emotions, attitudes, appreciations, and values, such as enjoying, conserving, respecting, and supporting.

AGILE: development methodologies based on interactive development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing cross-functional teams.

AI: artificial Intelligence; refers to "intelligent" machines that can see, hear, understand, learn, discover, and more.

Assessment: a question, exercise, test, quiz, or other evaluation of the learner's achievement in an e-learning application, or of the learner's level of skill and knowledge before or after training.

Asynchronous learning: instructional delivery online to learners who do not participate at the same time. Channels include email, discussion boards, self-paced courses. Media include Web, Internet, CD-ROM, DVD.

Authoring: similar to programming. Developers assemble media components using a tool (authoring system) to create an application.

Authoring tool: software used to create e-learning courseware. Sometimes called an authoring system.

Avatar: graphical representation of a user, script, program, or non-human system within a virtual world.

Bandwidth: the measure of the amount of information that can flow through an information channel. Usually expressed as bits per second (bps).

Beta Testing: usually the last step just before an e-Learning application is released. Selected users try out the course and document content errors, bugs, usability, level of engagement, etc.

Blended learning: training that combines multiple delivery methods. Usually involves combination of classroom-based training and self- paced e-learning.

Blog (weblog): short messages posted to a web site by an author. Personal use, also used for knowledge sharing and expert communication.

Branching: an instructional strategy that determines the order of presentation based on the learner's response to previous questions, problems, or situations.

Broadband: internet connection via a cable modem, DSL line, or other technology with speeds 1 Mb/s to 10 Mb/s. Needed for rich-media e-learning

Cloud (may be short for "cloud computing"): servers hosted on the Web and used for computation, data storage, and data management.

CMS (Content Management System): Software that manages the design, testing, approval, storage, retrieval, and display of e-learning content.

Cognitive learning: learning that results in changes to knowledge recall and the intellectual skills. Cognitive overload refers to providing learners with too many pieces of information or information that is too complex for them to process effectively.

Collaborative learning: learning through the exchange and sharing of information and opinions among a peer group.

Content curation: sifting out valuable content from a large amount (say, the Internet) and presenting it to learners in a meaningful way. It can also, in the “museum curator” sense, mean tending to a collection of content items to ensure that it stays relevant and current.

Digital credentials: certificates, badges, or other means of validating or measuring completion of e-learning; digital credentials are intended to be portable and easy to share online.

Distance learning: learning activities designed for use by learners who are not in the same location.

Distributed learning: learning involving a blend of online, face-to-face (f2f), and self-study methods.

E-course (also online course): a collection of digital elements (lessons, sections, modules, media, resources, evaluation) that provide internet training on a given subject.

E-learning (also online learning): the use of technology to deliver instructional content and mediate learning activities. May include electronic performance support and knowledge management features.

F2F "Face to Face": Refers to traditional instructor-led learning in the classroom, or to in-person coaching.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions): Usually a document or Web page containing questions commonly asked about a topic, and the associated answers.

Flipped classroom: exposing learners to information prior to and outside of the classroom so class time is used for activities or applying material they have learned.

Game: an interactive experience, where the interaction has been play-balanced to achieve optimal playability.

Gamification: applying elements of games, such as levels, awards and badges, or competition with co-workers, to e-learning content or placing that content into a gamelike framework.

HD (High Definition video): refers to video systems with higher resolution than Standard Definition (SD) video; display resolutions are 1280×720 pixels (720p) or 1920×1080 pixels (1080p).

ICT (Information and Communication Technologies): synonymous with IT (Information Technology).

ILS (Immersive Learning Simulation): an optimized blend of simulation, game element, and pedagogy that leads to the learner being motivated by, and immersed into, the purpose and goals of a learning interaction.

Incremental Design / Incremental Development: a development approach where small portions of the final product are produced and tested; each piece is completed before the next is developed. See Iterative Design.

Informal learning: learning that takes place spontaneously, without structure, hierarchy, aims, etc.

Instructional designer: generically, team member who applies learning theory to the organization and design of instructional programs.

Interactivity: a program or application feature that requires the learner to do something.

Iterative Design / Iterative Development: also called successive approximation or rapid prototyping. Creating and user-testing multiple prototypes of a product, and using the feedback to improve the next prototype. See Incremental Design.

L&D: acronym for Learning and Development.

Learning 2.0: e-learning design that relies on collaboration, informal learning, and blended learning. Should not be taken to mean that people learn any differently today than in times past.

Learning Analytics: data about learners' activities, performance, and progress in a learning environment; learning analytics data can be quantitative or qualitative.

Learning objective: a clear and measurable statement of the behaviour or performance that the learner must master in order to consider the desired learning has occurred.

Learning style: a theoretical and prescriptive description of an individual's unique approach to learning based on strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. This is a popular, yet controversial, concept, unsupported by research.

LMS (Learning Management System): manages the administration of training, usually includes functionality for course catalogues, launching courses, registering learners, tracking learners progress and assessments.

m-Learning (mobile learning): Delivery of training programs on wireless devices such as cell phones, PDAs, personal players (e.g., iPods) and sometimes includes laptops.

Metadata (data about other data): Metadata describes the content of an item or other information about the item.

Microlearning: short, informal learning experiences that learners consume individually, rather than in formal course frameworks; also: brief learning experiences that comprise a planned program with stated learning goals, e.g., breaking a long course into chunks.

MMORPG: acronym for Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game.

Multimedia: integration of different media, including text, graphics, audio, video and animation, in one program or application.

Needs analysis/assessment: a formal process or procedure for identifying and prioritizing training needs, by analysing the gap between present outcomes and desired outcomes.

Podcast: digital media file or collection of files distributed over the internet, typically via RSS. Users view or listen to podcasts on computers or personal players (e.g., iPods)

Podcasting: the process of producing and distributing content via podcast.

Project management: the art and science of planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. Also, the role of the person who manages a project.

Psychomotor learning: learning that results in changes to physical skills.

Responsive Design: responsively designed content detects the type of display in use, as well as the width, height, orientation, and resolution of a computer, tablet, or smartphone screen, and adjusts to fit that window.

RSS (Real Simple Syndication): method for distributing content, including media files, to subscribers over the Internet.

SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model): a collection of standards and specifications for web-based e-learning.

SD (Standard Definition video): video system with resolution that meets basic standards. Resolution of SD video is either 480i (US) or 576i or 576p (UK and Europe).

Social learning: learning that happens exclusively or primarily in a social group; in e-learning discussions, it refers to collaborative learning mediated through social software (such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and similar Web 2.0 applications).

Social media: online technologies (internet and mobile-based tools) and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives with each other.

Spaced Learning: also called “spaced repetition,” this instructional approach alternates short, focused periods of learning with breaks. The breaks give the brain time to process information; repeating material in multiple sessions aids in creating a permanent memory.

Storyboard: noun for a design document (either paper or online), usually containing text and graphics, created to guide further production based on process. Verb for the process of creating this document.

Streaming: technique for downloading media (audio, video, or both) to a user's computer in a continuous stream and playing the media upon arrival.

Synchronous learning: event in which the instructor and learners are online simultaneously and interaction occurs in real-time. Examples: Chat sessions, webinars.

Template: predefined forms that establish the structure necessary to create content easily.

UI (User Interface): a UI is the space where interactions between humans and machines or systems take place.

User-Centered Design: an approach to e-learning design and development that involves actual users at every stage, with the goal of producing easy-to-use e;learning products that meet the needs of actual learners.

UX (User Experience): design addresses users' interaction with a product (such as e-learning). It includes design of navigation and actions a user takes to progress through a module; good UX design leaves users feeling engaged, not frustrated.

Virtual classroom: also referred to as a "virtual learning environment." An online learning environment where synchronous instruction or training takes place among geographically dispersed learners and instructors.

Virtual world: a simulation of a world that supports multiple players interacting, and typically emphasizes 2.5-D immersion (the appearance of 3-D immersion through a screen).

VLE (Virtual Learning Environment): system in which learners and tutors participate in on-line interactions of various kinds, including on-line learning. Sometimes synonymous with Learning Management System (LMS).

WBT (Web-Based Training): synonym for e-Learning or online learning.
Web 2.0: refers to Web applications supporting interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration. Refers to the way users interact with the Web, not to Web technical specifications.

Web Conference: synchronous meeting using web technology, which may include video, audio and application sharing.

Webinar: online seminar, conducted using Web conferencing software. Synchronous event, may sometimes be recorded for asynchronous access.

Whiteboard: an electronically enabled workspace, included in most Web conferencing applications. Users can add content and mark it up, so that it functions as a virtual dry-erase board.

Wiki: a wiki is a Web site on which all users may create, modify and organize content collaboratively, using only a browser (no other software required).


Glossary of Learning Solutions: www.learningsolutionsmag.com

Old freeware educational games


ECONOMYLemonade text

Lemonade Stand (1979) - take charge of your own lemonade stand, advertise it, look up in the sky for the weather and set the drinks price to make sure you have profit. Multiplier is also possible.

1869 (1992) - discover the trade routes of second part of XIX century. Buy ships, hire crew, load a cargo and sail where you hope to sell it for better price.

Ports of call (1989) - become a shipowner and carry the freight around the world. Repair your ships, refuel when needed and charter it for the optimal price.

Solidarnosc (1991) - manage the underground freedom movement in Poland. As a leader of the movement you need to take care for resources and support taking actions to weaken the communist regime.

Sim City (1989) – first of its famous genre. Simulation of the city with its different socio-economical dependences. Create residential, commercial and industrial zones, take care of infrastructure and let people invest in your marvellous town.

Master of Orion (1993) – develop your interplanetary colony to control over the whole galaxy. Manage your population, industrial and technological growth, create new spaceships and go exploring!


GEOGRAPHYTrain and a station (very old computer graphic)

Agent USA (1984) - travel USA major cities with trains to save the country from fuzzbomb. Difficult especially to Europeans with little knowledge of north American geography.

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? (1985) - a detective chasing criminals all around the globe having opportunity to learn about the places. Try to play without constantly checking wikipedia...

Code - Europe (1993) - secret agent on a mission in European countries. Solving the puzzle is possible only by visiting a country and finding several facts about it.

Gumboots Australia (1990) - as an investigator in the Gumboots company, you will need to solve different corporate mysteries and tasks travelling throughout the country.

Amazon Trail (1993) – reach Vilacabamba with medicine and save the Inca. Travelling through Amazonia will allow to discover its geography and nature. Mysterious jaguar will allow you to move in time and learn much of the region’s history as well.


HISTORYSettlers in wagons, houses, USA fag

Oregon Trail (1990) - experiences of XIX century western American pioneers on a trail from Missouri river to Pacific.

Conquests of the Longbow - The Legend of Robin Hood (1991) - adventures of Robin Hood in the end of XII century, when king Richard the Lionheart was captured in Austria.

Centurion - Defender of Rome (1990) - ancient Roman legions conquering the world known to Europeans. A mixture of military actions, management of provinces and diplomacy.

Pirates! (1987) - make a career in Caribbean in times of pirates and sea empires. Fight for titles, power and gold. Buy ships, recruit crew and hope strongly for good luck.

Defend the Alamo (1994) – one of the main episodes of Texas Revolution, where two hundred American revolutionaries opposed three thousands Mexican army.

Ghengis Khan II - Clan of the Grey Wolf (1993) – conquest Mongol tribes and create one of the greatest Empires ever. History of Genghis Khan in battles, diplomacy and economy.