By Eric Weinstein, author of Labyrinth Learning’s Excel for Accounting and Payroll Accounting
Tag Archives: designing effective computer training courses
Effective Ways to Create a Quality Web Page
Creating web pages takes a lot more effort than it once did – not because it’s more difficult to do, but because you want your website to achieve more in order to stand out from the competition. Not only are you trying to draw in more visitors, you want those visitors to return again and again. Teaching web page design for students will help give them a step up as they go out into the world. The following are a few tips for creating a quality web page:
- Keep loading times fast – If your website loads slowly, then visitors will hit that back button in a hurry. Obviously, this is not what you want since visitors may not even give your website’s content a chance if this occurs.
- Make it easy to navigate – Your website should be easy to navigate. This means that visitors looking for a contact page or your blog page shouldn’t have to look very hard. Poor navigation will frustrate your visitors.
- Make sure your links work – The last thing you want to do is provide links to your readers that don’t work. Not only will this frustrate your reader to no end, it also hurts your search engine ranking; broken links are a sign that your website isn’t being maintained.
Use these tips in order to teach students to create a high quality webpage. Contact us at Labyrinth Learning for more information about web page design for students, as well as our educational media resources.
Join Us at the Mining for Success Conference in Denver
The 2014 NCTA Denver Conference is quickly approaching. Scheduled for September 3-6 this year, this is the perfect opportunity to expand your knowledge of fair and objective testing procedures while interacting with others instructors from across the nation.
This year’s National College Testing Association Mining for Success Keynote Speaker is Jack Buckley. Buckley serves as the head of College Board’s research department and had an important role in redesigning the SAT.
Another highlight will be the conference sessions, which include presentations on topics including:
- Ensuring Academic Integrity with Online Proctoring
- Inevitable Cheating Incidents and How to Avoid Them
- Searching for Gold in Every Student
A number of sponsor workshops, including sessions with Castle Worldwide, ProctorU, and Scantron will also be offered.
The following information will come in handy when planning your stay at the conference:
- Denver Marriott City Center will serve as the official conference hotel, with rooms priced at $145 per night, plus taxes.
- You can register on the day of the conference for a total of $280 per NCTA member, or $330 per non-member.
- Registration will be held from 2:00 – 6:00 pm on September 2nd, with the 2014 NCTA Denver Conference officially commencing at 8:00 am the next morning.
Labyrinth Learning is dedicated to helping you transform your classroom for more efficient learning. Contact us today to learn more about our materials and resources for college instructors.
Explain Computers and Technology With Silver Series
It’s easy to assume that everyone is already computer literate in this day and age, but there are still people who need help when it comes to the basics. As in instructor to these beginners, you have to ensure that they get access to clear, specific examples and step-by-step tutorials.
The Labyrinth Learning Silver Series is a great start for total newbies. This series covers computers and technology in a way that’s easily understandable, thanks to its carefully constructed explanations.
With 15 handbooks and two support DVDs, this series is one of the most comprehensive learning resources beginners can use to develop their computer literacy. From general information on computers and introduction to Microsoft Office 2007, to lessons on Windows 7 and a background on PC security, the series covers everything essential in basic computer knowledge. There’s also a handbook dedicated to the OS X Leopard if the students are more inclined to use Mac computers.
Of course, not all learning materials are the same, and you can tell which is the best among different options after trying them out. To verify if this series is a good fit for your students, you can request for a product demo of the Labyrinth Learning Silver Series, or contact us with your inquiries.
Join the Labyrinth Learning Textbook Authoring Process
If you have ever thought about leveraging your knowledge in a particular field and authoring a text book, the Labyrinth Learning textbook authoring program has a unique and potentially very rewarding opportunity for you.
Currently, Labyrinth Learning is seeking authors who can write on a broad variety of computer and technology issues. In particular, we are most interested in the topics of business and accounting, computing, software applications and social networking.
Candidate authors must demonstrate a mastery of the subject matter by being a classroom instructor at the university level and also understand the specific writing needs of the projects. These include the ability to work independently and on a deadline and exhibit an keen understanding of the details of the project.
Our evaluation process is quite simple. Initially, we require a resume and writing sample on the topic you wish to cover. The sample should be 2-3 pages in length and, since we are an eLearning site, at least one screen capture to demonstrate your facility with this concept.
Upon tentative approval, you will most likely be asked to write a sample lesson which, if acceptable, will be compensated. Simply put, we are looking for a serious group of writers who can act independently but still provide the quality content that we need.
For more information on the Labyrinth Learning textbook authoring process, please contact us at Labyrinth Learning.
Technology in Education Trends to Watch in 2014
In 2013, many pundits debated the limitations of online courses. But overall, it was seen as a very good year for those who support technology in education. For example, online degrees got the green light from the U.S. Department of Education.
Here are some education trends you can expect to see more of in 2014:
- Openness: Open-source software is free and encourages students to work together to build and customize solutions. These communities may grow into hotbeds of innovation.
- Analytics: Analytics will provide performance metrics that will produce data that can be used to understand learning strategies. Students can track of their grades, assignments and upcoming lessons in just a few clicks.
- Cloud: The cloud will allow for email, calendars, and other utilities to all be shared in one place. Technology in education will only continue to improve as software and support improves.
- More focus on course design: Online courses work best when integrated with in-class sessions. Our online courses offer a variety of resources available to educators.
- Gamification: The Research & Innovation Network has found that games help students learn faster. Learning might actually be (even more) fun in 2014.
Technology in education will continue to place a larger role in 2014. If you want to see how our solutions can help you in the classroom, feel free to contact us at Labyrinth Learning.
Need Computer Skills for a New Job? Learn These Two First
The job market today is more competitive and fast-paced than ever. Applicants are expected to come in with relevant computer experience and the capacity to learn more. For job seekers who are transitioning from careers in which computers weren’t required, the idea of learning everything at once can be overwhelming. If you’re starting from scratch, email and word processing should be the first tools you learn to use.
The best way to learn to use email, as with many computer programs and tools, is to use it. Simply start by signing up for a free online account with Google or Yahoo, for example. While most people are comfortable searching online and texting, you’ll want to go beyond those basics by learning to send attachments via email and create contacts lists. The basics of email, such as composing messages, replying and forwarding, are common to all email programs. Sending messages to friends can help you get comfortable with shortcuts and the terms used in emai.
Word processing is another skill employers expect applicants to have. In addition to typing, job seekers should know how to use the word processing software to accomplish general tasks; this includes creating, editing, and printing documents.
Regardless of the job, these two skills are vital for nearly every position and industry. Fortunately, community colleges, libraries, and other community facilities offer courses on these topics, so help is not far away. You can also visit our website and check out the eLearning Tools we have available.
Image: GTD Times
Computer Training: Are You Maximizing Value to Your Clients?
How many times have you approached a class with a planned set of objectives, only to find out that it wasn’t the training that was needed? Has your client ever wondered whether your training effectively met its objectives? How do you make sure you’re delivering the right training and demonstrate the results to your clients at the end?
One answer is computer skills testing – both before and after your training.
Testing prior to the training allows you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your audience. Do employees have expertise in creating charts but need to understand pivot tables? Have they mastered formatting but need a refresher on integrating images? Testing these skills provides part of a needs assessment that allows you to design training to best match the needs of your client. Testing prior to the class also gives you a baseline report of skills for each individual being trained.
Testing again after training gives you definitive results that you can show your client – proof that learning has taken place. Making reports available to your clients that show before and after test scores for the group and individual employees increase the value of your offering by providing a clear picture of skills. If you can break them down by application and specific skills, better yet.
The end result for the client will be employees who are able to perform their tasks better and are more productive. The results for you will be a more satisfied customer.
Labyrinth Learning has testing solutions designed to provide an affordable testing solution for a variety of organizations, including corporate training firms. For more information, please visit our website or contact us for a demonstration of our eLab Skills Evaluation Tool.
Image from Google Images