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Showing posts from December, 2010

101: Your Brain on Graphics

This was the first session in the e-Learning Guilds Online Forum on E-Learning and Graphic Design Best Practices. This happened way back in September but I'm just getting a chance to start the 2-day archive. We know graphics make a huge difference when we design our online learning materials. This session made me realize how important it is to consider what graphics we use and how we use them. It's a simple fact that the human mind can remember more visual information so we should always accompany text with a visual wherever possible. Who: Connie Malamed Here are the guidelines she shared to design for the human mind: 1. Organize for preattentive processing: use size, color or orientation to make something stand out. A person looking at the graphic will immediately process things that have emphasis. 2. Show connections and relationships through proximity and connection lines. 3. Use "space" to enhance meaning 4. Use more visuals and fewer words. People are more intere

Habits 4-7

Aloha all, Here are the next 4 habits (drum-roll). I know you've all been waiting anxiously for these :) Habit 4: Think Win-Win - Seek agreements and relationships that are mutually beneficial. Meet DR GRAC - here's an acronym that can help create Win-Win performance agreements. Some organizations use this instead of performance reviews or as hiring contracts. Could be a good project planning/management tool - specific without being too complex. Each party involved needs to agree on all 5 elements. Identify desired results - list a few key, clear, specific goals. List measures that will let you know whether or not you have achieved each goal. Assign a deadline and weight to each goal. Define the guidelines - what are the standards and conditions that must be met? Define the resources - what resources are required to complete this agreement (people, budget, tools) Define accountability - how you will be account to each other for progress Define consequences - Always thin

The first 3 habits

"Managing yourself, leading others, unleashing potential" was the sub-title for a two-day workshop I attended two weeks ago; kind of intimidating, but it ended up being very informative and engaging. The workshop was based on Stephen Covey's "7 Habits for Highly Effective People," but it was tailored to managers. I really felt that the 7 habits for managers were definitely applicable to anyone who's ever had to manage anything even a project, a family, the household, yourself :) The habits aren't novel or new, but are based on principles and are laid out in a way that's easy to follow and understand. I had heard about the 7 habits a while back and even picked up the book a few times, but I never really knew what it entailed. I would recommend it if you get a chance to attend a workshop or even read one of Covey's books. I'm trying to see if I can get access to some of the video clips showed during my workshop to illustrate some of the princip