4 Steps to Choosing a Colour Scheme For Your Logo

Great article for choosing colors.
http://www.aalabels.com/blog/marketing/4-steps-choosing-colour-scheme-logo/

Please include attribution to http://www.aalabels.com with this graphic.

Building E-Learning with Articulate Engage

I found a link that I would like to share. It pertains to the use of Articulate and it gives some really good ideas on creating engaging learning activities. I hope you enjoy: http://www.astd.org/Publications/Blogs/Learning-Technologies-Blog/2014/05/Build-Interactive-E-Learning-with-Articulate-Engage?utm_content=buffere7020&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Writing Objectives

I am sharing a post that helps me when writing objectives. I don't have the link so I can't give credit to the original owner, but I thought it is worthy of sharing.

Write learning objectives
A learning objective is a clear, concise, objective description of what your learners will be able to do at the end of a given instructional unit. Of all the activities involved in the instructional design process, developing objectives is one of the most critical.
Purpose
• Learning objectives tell learners what they will know, understand or be able to do at the end of a block of instruction (section, topic, lesson, or workshop).
• Objectives should be clear, honest, complete, and correct.
• Well-written objectives should serve as the basis for test items. Well-written objectives tell learners how their performance will be assessed.
Composing
• Determine the goal of the learning activity (the objective).
• Determine what learners must demonstrate to achieve that goal (the enabling objectives).
• Write objectives based on the above skills, task, or knowledge.
Tools
As you develop your objectives, the following documents may help you through this phase.
What are appropriate verbs for learning objectives? Use these verbs for learning objectives

Use these verbs when the objective is to remember and recall previously learned information:
• Define • describe • identify • match • name • record

Use these verbs when the objective is to understand the meaning of informational materials:
• classify • describe • estimate • summarize • understand

Use the following verbs when the objective is to use previously learned information to solve problems:
• assess • compute • determine • develop • implement • prepare • produce • provide • report • utilize

Use the following verbs when the objective is to break down informational material into component parts:
• diagram • differentiate • discriminate • illustrate • recognize • separate • subdivide

Use the following verbs when the objective is to apply prior knowledge and skills to produce a new or original whole: • compare:
• dompile • contrast • design • devise • facilitate • formulate • generate • incorporate • integrate • plan • revise • structure

Use the following verbs when the objective is to judge the value of information:
• compare and contrast • conclude • critique • interpret • justify • support

Words to avoid, as these verbs are subject to multiple interpretations:
• comprehend • fully understand • know • remember • contemplate • perceive • enjoy • consider • recognize • experience

What are some examples of performance objectives?
• Student teams will design new automation modules.
• Students will define the protocols and systems that implement the Internet.
• Students will write simulations.
• Students will define error-correction coding.
• You will be able to identify and define the correct name for the components that make up the network provisioning system.
• Students will analyze the design trade-off in ADC and DAC design.
• Students will develop strategies and analytical methods for evaluation of capital projects.
• Students will outline key concepts and principles of effective human resource management.
• Students will compose a complete and accurate technical document.
• Students will compose and customize a presentation for a specific audience.
• Students will identify basics of Telecommunication Traffic Engineering.
• Students will perform information processing in IS-95 uplink and downlink.

I hope you find this is helpful as I did.

Instructional Designers and the field of education.

Education is everything and this article just points out how important we as Instructional Designers are to the field of education.
http://lnkd.in/mkxwyy

Instructional Design Review Checklist

Below I have provided a link to a site that provides an Instructional Design Review Checklist.

"Every eLearning course requires a reliable evaluation tool that will accurately, objectively and systematically assess its validity, efficiency and comprehensiveness, and consequently assist developers and instructors to fine-tune it, and make it more powerful and concise, if necessary. This tool should have the form of a checklist in order to enable reviewers to easily assess the eLearning quality and eLearning suitability of the course’s general scope, methodology, means, material, structure and potential outcome, according to the needs and requirements of the audience, as well as of the instructor."


http://elearningindustry.com/a-compact-instructional-design-review-checklist?
utm_source=elearningindustry.com&utm_medium=widget

Analyzing Scope Creep

Scope Creep by our books definition is “the natural tendency of the client, as well as project team members, to try to improve the projects output as the project progresses.” (Portny, et al., 2008) I’m supposed to use an example of my personal or professional life to show how scope creep can affect the outcome of my objective. Somehow the only thing that I can really think of right now is on a personal level.

Every year we plan a week long family trip where we rent a house and bring all the items we are going to need, clothing and food, for that week. We never really start packing until the night before we need to leave. I do create a list of things to take and plan a schedule for us to follow, and in the morning we begin loading the car, with a set time to leave. We set the time based on how long it is going to take us to get to our destination, keeping in mind how long it is going to take us to load the car and leave. Of course, as we are loading the car one of the kids is always running back into the house because they forgot something or to use the bathroom. The adults are also guilty of this creep. As a result, we always end up leaving between 30-60 minutes later than intended, thus delaying our arrival and sitting in traffic.

Like many projects we all begin, we always have a schedule that needs to be followed. There are deadlines in everything we do in life. The biggest enemy to our deadlines is scope creep. “The best approach is to set up a well-controlled, formal process whereby changes can be introduced and accomplished with as little distress as possible.” (Portny, et al., 2008) “Scope creep can originate from several sources and is a leading cause of project failure when handled poorly.” (Doll, 2001)

In 7 Steps to Avoid Scope Creep, Shelley Doll offers steps to take that will help prevent delays in a project. I’ve listed them below:
Use the following guidelines to set yourself up to successfully control the scope of your project:(Doll, 2001)

1. Be sure you thoroughly understand the project vision. Meet with the project drivers and deliver an overview of the project as a whole for their review and comments.
2. Understand your priorities and the priorities of the project drivers. Make an ordered list for your review throughout the project duration. Items should include budget, deadline, feature delivery, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction. You’ll use this list to justify your scheduling decisions once the project has commenced.
3. Define your deliverables and have them approved by the project drivers. Deliverables should be general descriptions of functionality to be completed during the project.
4. Break the approved deliverables into actual work requirements. The requirements should be as detailed as necessary and can be completed using a simple spreadsheet. The larger your project, the more detail you should include. If your project spans more than a month or two, don’t forget to include time for software upgrades during development and always include time for ample documentation.
5. Break the project down into major and minor milestones and complete a generous project schedule to be approved by the project drivers. Minor milestones should not span more than a month. Whatever your method for determining task duration, leave room for error. When working with an unknown staff, I generally schedule 140 to 160 percent of the duration as expected to be delivered. If your schedule is tight, reevaluate your deliverables. Coming in under budget and ahead of schedule leaves room for additional enhancements.
6. Once a schedule has been created, assign resources and determine your critical path using a PERT Chart or Work Breakdown Structure. Microsoft Project will create this for you. Your critical path will change over the course of your project, so it’s important to evaluate it before development begins. Follow this map to determine which deliverables must be completed on time. In very large projects, I try not to define my phase specifics too early, but even a general plan will give you the backbone you need for successful delivery.
7. Expect that there will be scope creep. Implement Change Order forms early and educate the project drivers on your processes. A Change Order form will allow you to perform a cost-benefit analysis before scheduling (yes, I said scheduling) changes requested by the project drivers.



I want to close by posting a list I found over the internet that suggest 4 simple steps that will help in avoiding and deterring scope creep. 4 Ways to Kill Scope Creep by Thursday Bram (Bram, 2010)

1. Glad to help-here’s a new estimate
2. I can’t meet the deadline
a. “One of the biggest problems with scope creep is that it can wreak havoc on a schedule, sometimes to the point that you simply can’t finish the project by the deadline. And if you’ve got projects stacked up, even a small change in the deadline can cause you problems with your own schedule. In such cases, you have to offer the client some alternatives. Those can include changing the time table significantly, as well as bringing in a sub-contractor. Some clients simply are on a tight deadline. It may be up to you to be the bad guy and tell them that extending the project’s parameters just isn’t an option due to the timing. While this is a problem that can be solved with more money, it’s typically very expensive — getting a sub-contractor up to speed or agreeing to work more hours for a rush fee can inflate a price tag quickly — and it may not be something you’re willing to do. There are only so many hours in a day, after all, and you may have other commitments that must come first.” (Bram, 2010)
3. Yes, but
a. “Sometimes, making both the price and time work is a matter of changing out other factors.” (Bram, 2010)
4. No
a. “It’s important to try to keep all communications about scope creep as calm as possible. While it’s easy to get frustrated at a client for piling request after request on top of an existing project, not all clients really realize that’s what they’re doing. But sometimes clients want more than what the project originally called for, without having to pay more. If that point comes around, the only option you may have is to put your foot down and say no. It may not be the best option for maintaining a long-term relationship with the client in question — but losing a client who doesn’t consider your time worth paying for is probably not the worst thing that’s ever happened to you.” (Bram, 2010)

References
Bram, T. (2010, February 9). 4 Ways to Kill Scope Creep. Retrieved from Freelance Switch: http://freelanceswitch.com/clients/4-ways-to-kill-scope-creep/
Doll, S. (2001, March 13). Seven steps for avoiding scope creep. Retrieved from TechRepublic CIO50: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/seven-steps-for-avoiding-scope-creep/1045555
Portny, S., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. (2008). Project management planning, scheduling and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: JOhn Wiley & Sons, Inc.