Book+Review+Quotes

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=Quotes that I liked, and Why= Note: I found myself noting quotes as I was reading because they opened my eyes, or reaffirmed my gut feel about online learning and its design. So it may seem that there are many quotes, but all of them, for me, are worth remembering and seeing again and again. My top five quotes are in red. But it was hard to choose, truthfully. Looking back on the quotes, they morphed and became less specific and more general as the book went on.

**"Try to think less in terms of "moving PowerPoint shows to the web" and more in terms of using PowerPoint to replicate features from higher-end (such as Flash) online training programs." (40)**
This says a lot about what the tendency is for people to do versus what should be done. Learning online requires an extra touch of personality because the teacher's personality cannot be there to enliven the lesson. The online lesson must motivate the learning. Online learning should still be engaging.

==="Most important [the use of quizzing and other interactive strategies], providing opportunities for learners to interact with material in a meaningful way facilitates application of information and transfer back to the job." (71)=== Jane is talking about using games, searches, puzzles, quizzes, and simulations in this quote. She sums the purpose up nicely. It's not just about having fun, it's about making the information engaging, AND meaningful and transferable to a real life situation (in her case, on the job).

=== "Quizzes give learners the opportunity to assess their understanding and gauge their progress, encourage them to review course materials if necessary, and help them determine their readiness to move on to new material." (71) === This was a great reminder to me that quizzes are not only for me to check for understanding and to grade, but should tell the learner what they need to study. This quote made me realize that not all quizzes SHOULD be graded, but just checked for completion and guidance for me to know what material needs to be reinforced.

**"In creating quizzes and games, try to provide meaningful feedback, especially for learners who are working alone with a self-directed e-learning program." (88)**
I was just in a discussion about providing feedback online. I feel that it is necessary, but others feel that it is optional. Right answer gets no feedback, wrong get corrective feedback. Nice to see that Jane agrees.

"Learners caught in the heat of the moment tend to want to perform well; giving them realistic scenarios is a powerful motivator." (96)
The author is discussing simulations in this quote. I loved finding out that there are applications out there that can help me setup a realistic simulation so that the online learning can become engaging and motivating. I have never thought that I could create a simulation. But it can even be done in PowerPoint. Great idea!

"In creating interesting and engaging activities, the trick is to mix things up." (97)
Don't overuse tools. Quia is great, but too much Quia can get old. Mix it up, provide variety so that the learner doesn't bore of the course and activities. Great suggestion, and one to remember. But lots of work.

I like this quote from Chapter 8 (which is actually a quote of a quote). It drives home the fact that a lot of learning goes on outside of the workplace and/or classroom and that people are open to learning in other venues. **"Being knowledgeable about e-learning development can help you distinguish a good deal from a bad one and can help you maximize use of your limited resources." (144)** I think this is a good quote, and it applies to all projects, whether e-learning related or not. Know what you are talking about, in general. Be wise enough to ask the right questions and know when something unnecessary is begin added.
 * "e-Learning can do much more than just provide training. And it's a good thing, as research shows the 70 percent of workplace learning occurs outside formal classroom instruction (Dobbs, 2000)." (115)**

I like this term, scope creep. Once again, all projects experience it. The project starts out at a manageable size and then creeps into a monstrosity, or at least into what you did not expect with all sorts of extras and unplanned extras.
 * "An essential part of controlling costs is managing scope creep." (141)**

This quote is in a wrap up section, last chapter of the book. It's a nice summary of what to think about. I especially like the piece about needs vs. wants. Often we WANT more than we NEED. It's human nature. But to stay within a budget, we meet needs, not necessarily wants if the push us over our budget.
 * "In choosing solutions, it is crucial to think through issues such as a realistic estimate of numbers of learners, needs versus wants, and the reality of the available budget." (182)**

**"Working on a shoestring, at least for a while, will help you make better decisions in the future." (186)** In the final summary of the book, this quote helped me to feel better about having no money for my on-line course design. It's a nice positive outlook of the process. This says it all. No explanation needed. But so many educators like to keep their "secrets" to themselves thinking they'll have an edge. It's also hard to share at times because others may criticize, and teachers are tough when it comes to that.
 * "Keep trying, keep learning, and share what you kn ow." ** ** (187) **