Results Using Animated Speaking Characters (Avatars) from Testing.

Engaging Site Visitors, in an early 2005 report, displays test results using Animated Speaking Characters (Avatars)conducted by Web Marketing Today, March 9, 2005. While this data is somewhat outdated, it does show an early response to the use of animated characters that can be applied to eLearning courseware today.

Virtual Babyz: Believable Agents with Narrative Intelligence

This paper, by Andrew Stern, describes the interactive narrative experiences in Babyz, an interactive entertainment product for the PC currently in development at PF Magic / Mindscape in San Francisco. As you may conclude from reading this paper, when implementing Babyz it was found to expedient borrowing techniques from many different disciplines, including artificial intelligence, artificial life, videogames, improvisational acting, and traditional cartoon animation.

Technical Classes: A Different Breed of Learning

This study describes the findings of a case study at Farmingdale State College in New York that compared online technical and non-technical classes. Interviews were held and one of the important findings of the study was that there was a major difference between online technical and non-technical classes. Technical courses in any discipline were seen as different. These findings can be used to develop best practices for technical instructors in virtual and traditional classrooms.

eLearning XHTML editor (eXe) project

The eLearning XHTML editor (eXe) project is developing a web-based authoring environment designed to assist teachers and academics in the design, development and publishing of web-based learning and teaching materials without the need to become proficient in HTML, XML or complicated web-publishing applications. It is an open source software project funded by the Tertiary Education Commission of New Zealand and will be freely available for anyone to use.

Young People and Social Networking Services

This project is designed to investigate how social networking services can and are being used to support personalised formal and informal learning by young people in schools and colleges.

Zotero: the best open-source app you’ve never heard of?

Zotero [zoh-TAIR-oh] is a free, easy-to-use Firefox extension to help you collect, manage, and cite your research sources. It lives right where you do your work — in the web browser itself. Check it out!