I recently developed a variety of computer-based training materials for this legendary southern supermarket chain. The modules were created with Adobe Articulate Studio ‘09, which combines the best of Engage, Presenter and Microsoft Office PowerPoint; and with Adobe Captivate 4.
Subject matters ranged from customer relations, discrimination policy and human resources software.
“Save the World in 15 Seconds” is a computer-based hand-washing tutorial developed in Lectora for a large supermarket chain.
Note: the file is an executable that has been compressed in “zip” format. It is virus and trojan-free.
This application, developed with Professor David Johnson of New York Law School, is intended to help law students identify and develop useful lawyering skills that aren’t necessarily covered in the standard curriculum. The student can visually assess his strengths, weaknesses and progress over time.
My role was project manager, information architect, instructional designer, graphic design and programming
I developed a series of interactive learning tools for the Engineering & Technical Math Departments at Brookdale Community College (Lincroft, NJ). The goal was to help students visualize often abstract concepts of geometry, mathematics and measurement.
My role in this was multi-layered: instructional designer; graphic artist; animator; Authorware and Flash developer; and web designer.
Click here to view.
This is a sample of several lab simulations I developed in Flash for a web-based Chemistry course at Brookdale Community College (Lincroft, NJ). This, and many other similar modules, are incorporated into both lab assignments and exams.
This involved graphic design & production, Flash/Actionscript development, and WebCT integration.
This was created over 18 months with the Nursing department at Brookdale Community College. My role included graphic design, actionscript programming for Flash and Authorware, as well as high-level instructional design. I had to digest the subject matter thoroughly in order to create illustrative animations, illustrations and tests. This application has been a big hit, having been presented around the country to various Nursing schools. Most recently, it has been adopted by a Nursing school in the UK.
My role in this was multi-layered: instructional designer; graphic artist; animator; Authorware and Flash developer; and web designer.
Launch Cardiac Pharmacology learning tool (username: nursing, password: coumadin)
(Site requires Authorware plugin)
The aim of this site, developed with Professor James Cody of the English Department of Brookdale Community College (Lincroft, NJ), was to allow students to literally “enter the world” of Faulkner’s novel The Sound and the Fury.
The site has many features, but I have chosen to highlight the virtual reality simulation of the “Compson House.” Using a VRML browser, the student can navigate through the hallway and into rooms, clicking on objects to learn about their significance and context (Note: This is a demonstration version; the audio links are not active).
The application has been very well received by students, and has been presented at a national Faulkner conference.
My role in this was multi-layered: instructional designer, graphic artist, VRML coder and architect.
(Site requires VRML plugin)
I recommend my fellow downhearted and jobless friends to the article “Filling Your Dance Card in Hard Economic Times”.
I commented on the article, here’s an exerpt:
I am among the despairing underemployed and found this article very encouraging and perhaps even therapeutic. Joblessness leads to a dark sort of self-absorption. Hours are spent second-guessing decisions I made for former employers, which inevitably leads to doubts of my own competence: had I turned left rather than right, would I still be working?
This article reminded me that I was indeed working competently, and even excellently; and that joblessness isn’t always personal. I always believed in the “suit up and show up” philosophy—the full work day, communication, etc. are good not only for appearances, but also serve as personal yardsticks of performance. Looking back, I know I was disciplined about these things; therefore my recent dearth of work is more likely due to the tight supply of cash than my shortcomings.
Also, I agree whole-heartedly with the “spread the love” idea: my old colleagues have been life-savers by getting me work connections. We should remember to get each others’ backs!
For New York Law School, I helped to develop a “virtual case file”, which gave students the opportunity to sift through testimony and evidence for a fictional incident — “A Frat Hazing Gone Bad!”.
I did all the graphics, development and storyboards using Adobe Photoshop and Authorware. The content was provided by Professor David Johnson.
It can be viewed by following this link.
A ubiquitous and silly “skill” taught throughout American high schools is delivery of a “demonstration speech.” It is normally part of classes like “speech and communication”, or similarly-named classes engineered to provide easy credit to the stoner crowd.
For those of you who may not know, a demonstration speech is a brief “how-to” presentation, usually with props or visual aids, given by the student to the rest of the class. It can be on any subject: I liked the ones that involved food, because they always culminated in some nice cookies or pasta (lots of Italians in my high school).
As an instructional technology, the demonstration speech is a unreliable instrument. I cannot recall a single skill taught in any of them, and I must have sat through dozens in the various pulbic schools I attended. The only three I can actually remember in any sort of detail are the cookie one, one about “How to Spot Bulimia”, and my own — a jokey affair, entitled “How to Shave Your Legs.” The cookie speech lingers for an obvious, Pavlovian reason: COOKIE GOOD. I remember Bulimia Girl because she was so theatrically confessional and self-absorbed.
The demonstration speech has been enjoying a renaissance on the many “how-to” video and tutorial sites across the web. Most of the videos on them are misguided attempts at humor, where the creator clearly is gunning for some kind of YouTube viral success. But some are genuinely useful, if you have the patience to sift through the SNL knockoffs.
I have been browsing the offereings at HowCast.com, and have bookmarked a few that I like. Enjoy.
