Author: TechCommGeekMom

Danielle M. Villegas is a technical communicator who currently employed at Cox Automotive, Inc., and freelances as her own technical communications consultancy, Dair Communications. She has worked at the International Refugee Committee, MetLife, Novo Nordisk, BASF North America, Merck, and Deloitte, with a background in content strategy, web content management, social media, project management, e-learning, and client services. Danielle is best known in the technical communications world for her blog, TechCommGeekMom.com, which has continued to flourish since it was launched during her graduate studies at NJIT in 2012. She has presented webinars and seminars for Adobe, the Society for Technical Communication (STC), the IEEE ProComm, TCUK (ISTC) and at Drexel University’s eLearning Conference. She has written articles for the STC Intercom, STC Notebook, the Content Rules blog, and The Content Wrangler as well. She was very active in the STC, as a former chapter president for the STC-Philadelphia Metro Chapter, serving and chairing on several STC Board committees, and most recently was the STC Board Vice-President before the organization closed.. You can learn more about Danielle on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/daniellemvillegas, on Twitter @techcommgeekmom, or through her blog. All content is the owner's opinions, and does not reflect those of her employers past or present.
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Why m-learning is important to special education–and me.

Posted on by TechCommGeekMom
courtesy of Autism Speaks
Sydney Opera House lit for World Autism Awareness Month, courtesy of Autism Speaks.org

April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day. It’s a big day in the autism community as it reminds those who haven’t been affected by this condition that it still exists, and the number of those affected with the condition rises all the time.  On April 2nd, many major world landmarks are even lighting up with light blue lights, to celebrate and remind us of the day, and to mark the start of World Autism Awareness Month.

What does any of this have to do with m-learning? EVERYTHING.

In the last year or two, it’s been mobile devices–especially iPads and other tablets–that have proven to be excellent tools and teachers for autistic kids. Unlike other devices of the past, today’s tablets have proven to be more affordable and learner friendly for autistic kids. Did you see the segment on 60 Minutes months ago where they showed children who they didn’t think had an understanding of language use iPad apps to “speak” and show that they comprehended language better than had been thought?  This is a major deal, because this would enable autistic people to truly have a voice, even if they couldn’t physically speak. Communication is a huge part of life, and this helps them communicate. This is major stuff!

Additionally, higher functioning autistic kids often needs help with their homework and schoolwork, and need something more tactile and something that provides instant feedback even faster than a computer would. More than even a typical kid (“normal” is a relative term in the special ed world, because, what is truly “normal”?), autistic kids don’t necessarily like being stuck in front of a computer sitting still. Working in an environment that is comfortable helps with producing a productive learning environment, and even a laptop can’t pull that off well sometimes.

But the use of smartphones and tablets? Autistic kids LOVE them! They have the bling of a video game with the general conveniences of a desktop or laptop. Apps are affordable, and there are so many for special ed educators to use with autistic children, and get a positive response.  If the best in special ed elearning is applied to mobile devices, I’m sure that large strides can be made for the betterment of these children. Portability–or rather mobility–of the device is key.

I think there’s a big market and opportunity in creating mobile learning apps and texts for people with autism. As mentioned, it seems that the population is growing due to better diagnoses over time, so early intervention with the right tools are essential, and those involved in mobile learning have a huge opportunity to make a difference!

If you don’t create learning apps or software for kids but would like to donate your time to help, check out the Hacking Autism site, which is sponsored by Autism Speaks, and I believe in prior years was also sponsored by HP.

Why do I take such an interest in this? As you may have guessed by now, autism is a big part of my daily life. My almost 11 year old son was diagnosed at age 9 as being on the cusp between having Asperger’s a syndrome and high functioning autistic, being so high functioning that he eluded many people who tried to diagnose him earlier. He was categorized as high functioning autistic in the end as he had speech problem when he was very small that required a lot of speech and occupational therapy, even though his speech issues have been resolved. (In fact, much like his mother, he often doesn’t stop talking now.)

I look at the capabilities of what apps on an iPad can do that I wish it had been around when he was smaller. While he is a “digital native”, and he has been around computers all his life due to two parents in the IT/e-learning world , he is most smitten with my iPad. Granted, it’s so he can mostly play Angry Birds in Space right now, but since he has an interest in physics and science, I’ve put a lot of games that are oriented around the use of physics, and he responds. When he has writing assignments, he likes being able to type either directly on the iPad or using my wireless keyboard to write his homework. Just the other day, I showed him the entry from the Khan Academy about the odds of winning the MegaMillions, and he thought it was cool. I could show him all these things right from my iPad, and not have to drag him to my laptop or his desktop. He loves interactivity and loves to watch videos, as he’s mostly a visual learner.

I foresee more and more uses coming about with the use of smartphones and iPads for kids and adults with autism as time goes on.

Oh, and one more thing. Through my son, we’ve figured out that I, most likely, am also on the autism spectrum as well, most likely a high-functioning Aspie. Imagine figuring that out in your early forties! While most who have known me even for most of my lifetime would say, “Really? How is that possible? You are so NORMAL!” I would contend that I had many of the same social and learning issues as my son, but to a lesser degree than him, as a child. I still have problems understanding some social signs, and it’s like mental gymnastics when I get overwhelmed with things even now. My brain just shuts down.  As a result,I understand it when my son gets frustrated too. (Imagine my poor husband, when he has to deal with both of us having meltdowns of various degrees!)

I find that part of the reason that learning instructional design comes so easily to me is because I’ve had to figure out–the hard way–through my life how to actually learn. I had to figure out how to retain information, and how to figure out how to make study skills become a natural action. Since it was harder for me to learn how to learn, the information and those skills I did attain have stayed with me longer. I can look at content from the eyes of the end user as well as the author, knowing that if a certain desired response is being elicited, then the right word choice or presentation of information needs to be done. The digital age has helped me open up and find my voice and my ability to write effectively, when I thought, as a child, I was not a writer at all, and had major difficulties doing so. Having this “natural” ability with instructional design and a passion for technology are what have helped me in my career, and what will hopefully propel me forward as I continue to pursue an e-learning/m-learning career.  In the end, it’s not about metrics and logistics of e-learning or m-learning, but the actual LEARNING that’s most important to me.

Autism is a big part of my life, and it’s a big reason why I’m so passionate about m-learning. It’s not just the wave of the future for typical learners, but the wave of the future for ALL learners.

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First steps in learning to be wired for mobile learning

Posted on by TechCommGeekMom

I’m not sure if I’ve shared this before through my Twitter feed (most likely re-tweeting it), or if I’ve just seen it before, but I think it’s worth posting again. Part of the mobile learning revolution needs to center around understanding who the mobile learning audience is, and what challenges the ID and other e-learning professionals need to understand in order for effective mobile learning to happen. Whomever wrote this up did a fantastic job!


Via: Voxy Blog

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Snapple: Early provider of m-learning?

Posted on by TechCommGeekMom

rubber band ballSometimes I get thoughts about m-learning in unusual ways. Today was one of those days that I had a spark of inspiration. It came by means of this little factoid I learned today:

“Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.”

Good info, short, sweet and to the point.

Where did I find this information? Not in a book, or online, or just word of mouth.

I learned it from a Snapple cap. Yup, you read that right–a Snapple cap. If you are a regular consumer of Snapple products as I am, you know that inside each cap of a Snapple product, there is a little factoid of information. Some of it resembles a “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not”-type fact, some includes historical or matter-of-fact information, and some are just little tidbits of advice or wisdom.

Another little tidbit I once got in a Snapple cap was, “On average, a laptop uses half as much energy as a desktop computer.” I actually still have the cap. Why? Because it’s an important tidbit to remember when my husband bugs me that I should invest in a desktop instead of a laptop with my next computer, whenever that will be.  I can just hear myself saying, “See honey? I DO need a laptop. They will save us money on the electric bill, because they use less energy. I read it on a Snapple cap, and the caps don’t lie.” Do I collect Snapple caps? No, but if the spirit moves me, I’ll save one. I’ve been known to glue magnets on the back of them, and put them on my fridge.

So, what does this have to do with e-learning or mobile learning? I’ll tell you.

As I indulged in my current Snapple addiction of drinking the diet Snapple Trop-A-Rocka flavored iced tea during my lunch today, I had an ephiphany. It occurred to me that Snapple was an early adopter of mobile learning. How, you may ask?  Think about those Snapple bottle caps. They carry bite-sized pieces of learning, and the bottles (heck, just the caps, even) are portable, so you can carry the information with you. As mentioned before, the information is clear, consise, and cogent.

While I know I’m still a newbie at this m-learning gig, the one message that has come at me time and time again is that instructional design and formatting in mobile learning needs to adapt to current devices which, like Snapple caps, have a very finite, limited amount of space. If learners are to learn on smartphones or tablet devices, the information has to be distributed through smaller snippets of information, and be…yes, you guessed it…clear, concise, and cogent. A learner should gain a lot of information in that small snippet, and be able to retain the information and bring it with him or her.

So, if you think about it, while it’s not learning on an electronic device, Snapple caps provide an excellent example of how mobile learning on electronic devices should be. They should provide information in a short, memorable, direct, and if possible, entertaining way to help retain the information.

Can Snapple be considered an early provider of m-learning, then, since Snapple has been around for longer than any of these smart devices?

I’d like to think so.

Note: No Snapple caps were harmed in the making of this blog post. 

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Have a special interest? Want to get more involved in Social Media? Here’s how you do it…

Posted on by TechCommGeekMom

In one of my graduate school courses, we are studying the theories and practices of social media. We’ve been looking at social media in terms of the following:

        • social media and the self
        • netizenry
        • participatory culture
        • Social media and labour: the precariat

Each student in my class was assigned to work on a multimedia project regarding one of these terms. I chose to look at participatory culture, but in a different way than how it was presented in my coursework. In the coursework, the examples given were those related to the netizen and the precariat, showing how political movements or social movements started as part of a participatory culture, and then there would be a segueway into a political action, much like how Facebook and Twitter were being used for the political revolutions in the Middle East in early 2011. For me, I decided to choose a different route, something that was truly more of a cultural change.

I see the mobile learning revolution as just that–a revolution. Interested e-learning and m-learning professionals are mobilizing through social media to bring the concept of making changes in how m-learning is presented on smartphones, e-readers and tablet computers to make learning concepts even more learner-friendly than ever before. Current thought among this group is that now is the time to take advantage of making changes in instructional design as well as formatting to use these devices to their fullest potential. So, many ideas are being shared, and the “movement” is growing.

Since I am a person who has been getting more deeply involved due to my own personal interest, I chose to use this idea for my social media class project, and demonstrate how I became part of this particular participatory culture. Below is my presentation:

http://cdn.screenr.com/public/1.7/flash/screenr.swf

(If you can’t see this presentation, you can also go here to see it.)

Hope you like it! Please comment below and let me know what you think.

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Tools? We don’t need tools. (Or do we?)

Posted on by TechCommGeekMom

One of the things that is highly debatable in the tech comm world, as well as the e-learning and m-learning world, has to do with software.  It’s always the eternal question.

WHAT’S THE BEST SOFTWARE TO USE?

I’m here to tell you….I have no idea.

Really.

I’m not joking.

One of the regrets I have about the Masters program in technical communications I’ve been in is that while we were introduced to several different types of software, most software applications used were either free or low cost, or we’d have to use the free trial version as quickly as possible, but they were not necessarily the industry standards employers use.  If it weren’t for the fact that I would read industry magazines and look at plenty of “help wanted” ads, I wouldn’t have any idea what these software packages werethat many tech comm and e-learning professionals use. The arguments that my school made for not teaching us some of these software packages was a) it was too expensive, and b) upgrades on packages are made so often that they’d never be able to keep up with the constant upgrades.  While I understand both arguments–and they are valid ones–I don’t agree that they are doing us any favors.  I am taking classes through a technical institution, and it seems unfair that many types of similar or more expensive software packages are being purchased and licensed for the engineering students, but not for tech comm students. We can access MS Office products…and that’s about it. No Adobe. No MadCap. Nothing like that. And yet, that’s what prospective employers ask for–not only technical communication know-how, but experience using “X” software or something similar.

I know that it can be expensive, but it’s more expensive long-term not to help us learn the basics of these packages.  I’ll use the example that I’ve mentioned to some most recently. The first version of MS Word that I ever used was the very first one–Word 1.0. Yes, it was a long time ago, and I know I’m old, thanks. But the point is, I haven’t taken a training session or class on how to use Word since learning that first version. I’ve just figured out the upgrades through trial and error, like most people, but I already understood the basic concepts.  If I was taught from an “old” version of Flare, Robohelp, FrameMaker, etc. I’m sure that I would figure out the upgrade pretty quickly, since I already understand how the software program works generally. See my point?  The software packages that I just listed, and more of them, are a technical communicator’s bread and butter.  While exposure to using MS Office in a creative way, and using free products is good to understand concepts, it’s not what will help burgeoning technical communicators like myself find work. I can write storyboards, and I understand the basic principles of instructional design, but if I can’t use Captivate, Lectora or Articulate to expedite those things, then none of that matters unless there is an employer willing to either train me or let me figure out how the software works.

As I just mentioned, this applies to the e-learning and m-learning world too. If you don’t know how to use Captivate, Lectora, Articulate, or one of the other great instructional design software packages, you are up a creek.  Add the mobile factor in it, and considering that not all software packages– for e-learning or tech comm– have kept up with the mobile revolution…it really makes things difficult, to say the least.

My main argument is that if you learn one package, more than likely you can figure out the others–there’s just a slight learning curve.  Bringing back that MS Word example again, up until the time that I started using MS Word, I was a diehard WordPerfect user, and had used that for many, many years. (Okay, you can stop with the old jokes now!) Because I understood how to use WordPerfect, I understood how to do word processing, and it was just a matter of learning which types of buttons or commands were the same, and which ones were different. I haven’t used WordPerfect for many years, but I’d bet you that I could figure out whatever the latest version is, simple because I know how to use a word processor in general.

I’m not promoting any specific product here–I mean, I’m willing to learn any of them! Part of what holds me back is the cost. It’s expensive to try to buy these packages, even with my student discount when applicable. I was looking at one of these software packages just today, and for a single license it was $1000.00! Really? I supposed if I was in business for myself and I already knew the software, I could consider it an investment and make it a business write-off in my taxes the following year. But a thirty-day trial isn’t long enough in most cases, or they are limited as they will only allow you to use the product, but not save your work. Or, let’s say you have one of those thirty-day trials with full access, and you get hooked, but then you can’t afford the software. What good is any of that? You can see why this would be incredibly frustrating to a fledgling technical communicator.

So, if I am to learn any software products, and I can’t spend a fortune to buy all of them, which ones are the best to learn that would allow me to adapt to other software packages easily? Should I learn Flare, or should I learn Framemaker and Robohelp? Should I learn Captivate, Lectora or Articulate? These are all industry leaders. But for all I know, some other product might work better and be the best at teaching me how to be adaptable to all of these.

Any suggestions? Please comment!

This topic totally exhausts me.