Creating Training Curriculum

Killer Mosquito | 1/21/2010 | Killer Mosquito

[killermosquito]

I would like to create some training materials and need some suggestions. The materials will involve teaching people to use software applications and I would like to be able to demonstrate the software and also ask questions during the presentation.

[killermosquito]

I would like to create some training materials and need some suggestions. The materials will involve teaching people to use software applications and I would like to be able to demonstrate the software and also ask questions during the presentation. I plan to use screen capturing software (not static images but flash files created with programs like Wink or Camstudio or Captivate). I want to test the knowledge of the people viewing the training materials and wanting to know if anyone knows of a product that will do such a thing. Any suggestions or links you would suggest? Thanks!

[dmz]

You can do everything you mention using captivate.

[Made In The USA]

How about doing a web conference as you will be able to share images on your desktop, record session for playback, offer chat, polling, and possibly testing.

Good luck.

[SlowBoat407]

There’s course development software available, but it’s highly specialized. There are also “Learning Management Systems” that standardize the testing and evaluation in conjunction with the training software You need an instructional designer to really make it work.

[camerongood210]

Check out Camtasia. It can do all that stuff and is pretty easy to learn/use.

[MikeAnder]

I’m in the software business. We use Wink which is open source and does the job for us.

The link to it: http://www.debugmode.com/wink/

[LibFreeOrDie]

“I want to test the knowledge of the people viewing the training materials”

You can create hands-on software simulations using Adobe Captivate.

Sample:

http://www.adobe.com/products/captivate/productinfo/product-demos/simulation-software/

[killermosquito]

I’ve been playing with Wink and I like it. I’m thinking of embedding swf in PowerPoint but I’m not too impressed with the screen resolution. Any suggestions?

[killermosquito]

Tell me if you think this is a good idea or not. I want to use PowerPoint so I can demo the steps involved in doing a process. With PowerPoint I can animate a flow chart and then along the way insert swf (flash) files when I want to show how to do something. I’ve embedded some swf files in some slides and was unhappy with the screen resolution. I tried embedding the Microsoft browser and it works much better with better resolution but I’m not sure that is the way to go.

If it were you and you wanted:

1. To show a visio like model of a business process (accounts payable procedures for example or flow chart)
2. To show video clips (avi, mov, mpeg, or flash) with good resolution
3. To avoid the user having to jump through hoops to see the training

What would you do?

[dmz]

Captivate can do all of those things, and because it can be packaged as a self running executable, no hoops for the user to jump through.

[killermosquito]

I got into a chat session with someone at Adobe.com and he was steering me toward Acrobat Pro 9 Extended. Why do you think he did that (other than it costing a couple hundred more)?

Have you used Acrobat Pro 9 Extended?

[dmz]

Not extensively, but I don’t see it as a product in the same category as the others mentioned. Adobe is a nice way to take docs from disparate sources and neatly package them, but I think you are wanting a bit more, something in the light elearning development category, and Captivate fits that bill nicely.

I manage a tech training outfit for an 8 billion dollar company (just to establish my bona fides), and if given a project such as you describe, likely I would do the basic presentation in Powerpoint (easier to do), and then import it into Captivate.