E-learning in 1927

Via the Mobile Cowboys site, I found this video. It explains the use of a rotary telephone, and seems to be created in 1927.

It is interesting to compare this to the e-learning material we create nowadays. Especially the speed (or lack of speed) is quite surprising. And  it is good to realise that skills that we take for granted, are not necessarily “obvious” and sometimes still need explanation.

Augmented reality demo with Layar

Recently, Danny and I gave a presentation on future learning technology on one of the ADM info sessions. We showed how augmented reality could make a difference in the future, with a practical example in Belgium, and I promised some of the participants to post the demo video about Layar, a popular augmented reality app. So here it is:

More info on these links:

Keyboard shortcuts for Tabs in IE

This morning, I was looking for the keyboard shortcut that allows you to switch between different tabs in Internet Explorer. Like ALT+TAB allows you to switch between open windows, CTRL+TAB allows you to switch between open tabs. But there are even more interesting shortcuts I did not know about, like ALT+ENTER. Little things that can save you quite some time. See the list below, taken from the IE Help:

To Press
Open links in a new tab in the background Ctrl while clicking the link
Open links in a new tab in the foreground Ctrl+Shift while clicking the link
Open a new tab in the foreground Ctrl+T or double-click an empty space on the tab row
Open a copy of the current tab in a new tab Ctrl+K
Switch between tabs Ctrl+Tab to move forward or Ctrl+Shift+Tab to move backward
Close the current tab (or the current window when there are no open tabs) Ctrl+W or Alt+F4
Open a new tab in the foreground from the Address bar Alt+Enter
Switch to a specific tab number Ctrl+n (where n is a number between 1 and 8 )
Switch to the last tab Ctrl+9
Close all tabs except for the one you’re viewing Ctrl+Alt+F4
Open Quick Tabs (thumbnail view) Ctrl+Q

Microsoft LCDS 2.6

Microsoft released a new version of its Learning Content Development System.

These are the new features:

  • compatibility wit Internet Explorer 9
  • enhanced keyboard accessibility for all Silverlight interactive elements
  • new sequencing activity topic template – where you have to put elements in the correct order
  • new card flip game topic template

Click the image below for an screencast of the new sequencing activity.

You can download the new version on https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/lcds-tool.aspx.

When you open an existing course, it is automatically upgraded to the new version.

The ribbon in SharePoint 2010 – tutorial

I have been getting a lot of questions about tutorials on how to use the ribbon in SharePoint 2010. Of course, creating a “general” tutorial about this is not so obvious, because the ribbon is context-sensitive, and what you need to know about it, actually depends on the functionalities you use in SharePoint. But I think the movie below (by Lynda.com) gives you a good overview.

Users who are familiar with SharePoint 2007 and are looking for a familiar command in the ribbon, can download the SharePoint Server Ribbon Reference on the Microsoft Office website. This is an Excel spreadsheet that lists the new locations of SharePoint commands in the 2010 version.