Category: User Experience

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Localization: Training and Development in Italy

by Jen Weaver Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn
 

We love their wine, culture, and food. But what do we know about Italians and their expectations when it comes to training and development? If your answer is "not much," keep reading!

Test Your Knowledge of Italian Culture

  1. The modern Italian language evolved from what region in Italy?
    1. Sardinia
    2. Tuscany
    3. Rome
  2. Who is the head of the Italian government?
  3. True or False. The official religion of the Republic of Italy is Roman Catholic.

Quick Tips for Training & Development in Italy1:

  • Italians are fans of refined and formal interactions, appreciating a dignified and smooth approach. Out of formality, do not use first names unless invited to do so.
  • Rapport is huge in Italy. Spend time preparing the factual details of your training, but also allocate an appropriate amount of time to invest in developing a strong relationship. The standing of your relationship will determine the level of interest in and receptivity to your training.
  • English is spoken by many business people even though Italian is the official language. Be sure to clarify if there is a language preference for your training materials as many companies opt to offer training in Italian even if their employees are proficient in English.
  • Even with a substantial religious background, Italians tend to use subjective feelings to make decisions rather than ideology or objective facts. As such, you may find it hard to move learners to a new perspective or methodology even if your reasoning is sound.
  • As a foreigner, you are expected to be punctual for meetings, although your Italian counterparts may run behind. It's also common for the most important person in the meeting to arrive last. The further north you travel, the more efficiency you'll find in business interactions and schedules.
  • The Italian view of time is that it's best managed when spent well, not necessarily requiring that appointments start or end on schedule. They value building relationships and are also heavy proponents of a work-life balance, favoring more "life" versus the American favoring of "work".
  • Respect for authority must be demonstrated, and one's authority often travels with the individual, not necessarily his or her title.
  • Even if your host comments negatively about Italian culture or history, be careful not to chime in. Italians can say things about their own country that outsiders cannot. Instead, safe topics of conversation include art, food, wine, and sports.
  • Excited and expressive gesturing is common and expected.

Italian Culture Answers:

  1. (b) Tuscany. The Tuscan dialect was also the preferred dialect of some of Italy's greatest writers, including Dante and Boccaccio.
  2. The prime minister. The president is the chief of state.
  3. False. While a majority of Italians are Roman Catholic in heritage, there is no official religion.
References:
 
1Morrison, Terri, & Conaway, Wayne A. (2006). Kiss, bow, or shake hands (2nd ed.). Avon: Adams Media.
 
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If you like Jen's articles, you'll love her live, online Localization classes. Check out her mini-course schedule here.
 
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Developing international training and development materials? Contact Jen at Carmazzi Global Solutions.
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Fundamentals of Designing and Developing Cost-Effective eLearning

When: September 22-25
Where: McCormick Place, Chicago (Part of the Online Learning Conference Certification program)

There are multiple tools available that will let you create compelling eLearning content including Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, TechSmith Camtasia Studio, and Adobe Presenter. But which tool is the best, most affordable option for your needs?

Once you select your eLearning tool, what's next? How do you get started creating your first eLearning content? Once you start, how long is it going to take you to finish? What's the real cost for your effort? Are there hidden costs? How will you be able to measure the effectiveness of your eLearning?

Join IconLogic's Kevin Siegel for an intense, tool-agnostic, hands-on workshop where you'll get a jump start on  building your first eLearning course.

Among other things, you'll learn:

  • Strategies for building effective eLearning
  • The eLearning development process
  • How to create an eLearning script and/or storyboard
  • How to get started on creating eLearning content using Captivate, Storyline, Camtasia or Presenter

More information.

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Microsoft PowerPoint: Character Challenge

by AJ Walther Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn
 
A few weeks ago I presented a Character Challenge and asked readers to send in their PowerPoint-created eLearning characters. A round of applause for Tracey Stokely's awesome customized character!
 
Tracey Stokely character
 
Last time I submitted a before and after of IconLogic's Kevin Siegel. This time I decided to go ahead and play my own game and create my own eLearning character self-portrait. Ta-da!
 
eLearning: AJ as a character.
 
If you were feeling shy, but Tracey has inspired you, feel free to keep sending along those character submissions! 

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If you love AJ's articles, you'll love her Optimizing PowerPoint Design for eLearning & Presentations mini course.
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Localization: Training and Development in Ireland

by Jen Weaver Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn
 
Most of us have limited awareness of Irish culture beyond Saint Patrick's Day and leprechauns. Never fear! Today's article explores some common cultural facts about the Irish and their expectations when it comes to training and development.

Test Your Knowledge of Irish Culture

  1. True or False. Ireland has one official language: Irish.
  2. True or False. The Irish are known as a cold harsh people, aka "the Fighting Irish".

Quick Tips for Training & Development in Ireland1:

  • Strains of pessimism run deep in the Irish due to hard times throughout history. You may struggle to communicate optimistic outlooks when training learners in this country.
  • Surprisingly, Irish is a second language to those who are fluent in it. Irish is a required subject to study in school and is necessary for careers in academia and civil service, but the native language for Irish inhabitants is English.
  • The Irish tend to be fairly open to risk and make decisions based on a combination of facts and emotion.
  • Irish culture does not place significant value on wealth, and many people believe the poor should receive the same respect as those who are rich and successful.
  • Irish expect punctuality but tend to be slightly more relaxed than the English when it comes to time. Deadlines may be interpreted as approximations or suggestions, so be clear on your expectations or include a buffer in your timeline.
  • While Northern Ireland is part of the UK, never use English or British symbols in your training materials. Some helpful examples include; the British flag, Royal Guardsmen, double-decker buses, or red post boxes.
  • In training, sports analogies will go over well, especially if you reference popular Irish teams.
  • Avoid controversial, political, or religious topics in casual conversation. If someone else broaches the subject, refrain from commenting unless voicing areas you agree with. Many older generations are especially conservative, and you risk alienating your audience if you disagree.
  • In general, the Irish refrain from exaggerated gestures. Be mindful of this cultural trait, as emphatic gesturing may not translate well to this audience.

Culture Answers:

  1. False. Ireland actually has two official languages: Irish and English.
  2. False. Many Irish people are extremely welcoming of strangers and are known to strike up conversations on the street. Irish friendliness and hospitality are easily recognized characteristics of this culture. The "Fighting Irish" is actually Notre Dame's athletic nickname.
References:
 
1Morrison, Terri, & Conaway, Wayne A. (2006). Kiss, bow, or shake hands (2nd ed.). Avon: Adams Media.
 
***
Developing international training and development materials? Contact Jen at Carmazzi Global Solutions.
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eLearning: Adobe Captivate and Microsoft PowerPoint

by Kevin Siegel Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn View our videos on YouTube

What came first, the chicken or the egg? Wait… before answering that, let's rework that classic question with this: what comes first, the eLearning or the PowerPoint presentation?

When developing eLearning, the content is often created in Microsoft PowerPoint first. I'm not going to get into what it takes to create visually compelling PowerPoint presentations (we have a mini course for that). Instead, I'm going to show you how to take existing PowerPoint content and quickly re-purpose it for eLearning.

Earlier this year I wrote an article teaching you how to take PowerPoint content and create eLearning using either TechSmith Camtasia Studio or Adobe Presenter. Over the next two weeks, I'm going to show you how to use your PowerPoint content in Adobe Captivate and Articulate Storyline.

Adobe Captivate and PowerPoint

You can import PowerPoint slides into an existing Captivate project or create a new project that uses the PowerPoint slides. During the import process, Captivate includes the ability to create a link between a Captivate project and PowerPoint presentation. Using this workflow, any changes made to the original PowerPoint presentation can be reflected in the Captivate project.
 
Note: Microsoft PowerPoint must be installed on your computer before you can import PowerPoint presentations into Captivate. Also, the ability to import PowerPoint presentations isn't new. In fact, Captivate has supported PowerPoint imports for years. If you're using a legacy version of Captivate (even version 4 and 5), the steps below will work for you just fine.

To create a new project from a PowerPoint presentation, choose File > New Project > Project From MS PowerPoint and open the PowerPoint presentation. 

The Convert PowerPoint Presentations dialog box opens, offering a few controls over how the presentation is imported.

Adobe Captivate: Advanced Slide Options. 

The On mouse click option adds a click box to each Captivate slide. The other available option, Automatically, results in Captivate slides that, when viewed by a learner, automatically move from slide to slide every three seconds. At the lower right of the dialog box, there are options for High Fidelity and Linked.

Adobe Captivate: High Fidelity and Linked options. 

During a standard import process, PowerPoint pptx presentations are first converted to the ppt format and then converted to SWF. If you select High Fidelity, the import process takes native pptx files directly to Captivate SWF (the ppt conversion is skipped). This option, which is available only in Captivate for Windows, results in the best-looking content in Captivate, but it takes much longer to complete the import process. 

 
The Linked option creates a link between the PowerPoint presentation and the new Captivate project. The link allows you to open the PowerPoint presentation from within Captivate. Additionally, any changes made externally to the PowerPoint presentation can be reflected in the Captivate project with a few mouse clicks. 
 
After the PowerPoint slides are imported into Captivate, you can add Captivate objects such as captions, highlight boxes, or animations. 
 
Adobe Captivate: Imported PowerPoint Presentation
 
If you need to edit the PowerPoint slides, choose Edit > Edit with Microsoft PowerPoint > Edit Presentation. The Presentation will open in a window that can best be described as a union between Captivate and PowerPoint. If you've used PowerPoint before, you will recognize the familiar PowerPoint interface. 

There are two buttons you wouldn't normally see if you opened the presentation directly in PowerPoint: the Save and Cancel buttons at the upper left of the window. Once you have edited the PowerPoint slides, click the Save button and the changes will appear in the Captivate project.

Adobe Captivate: Save and Cancel

If the PowerPoint presentation has been edited outside of Captivate, (perhaps your subject matter expert is adding or removing content from the presentation) you can still get the changes. Choose Window > Library. On the Library, notice that there is a Status column.

A red button will indicate that the PowerPoint slides within the Captivate project are no longer synchronized with the PowerPoint presentation. A simple click on the red button will update the Captivate slides.

Adobe Captivate: Not in synch with source.  

Next week: Articulate Storyline and PowerPoint.

 

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Looking for instructor-led training on Adobe Captivate? Check out our live, online, instructor-led Captivate classes.
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Adobe RoboHelp: Get the New Responsive Layout

by Willam Van Weelden Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn
 
One of the hottest new features introduced in Adobe RoboHelp 11 is Responsive HTML5 layouts. The Responsive HTML5 output dynamically changes the way the content is presented based on the device the reader is using. For example, while a reader on a desktop might see a traditional table of contents on the right side of the page, someone using a smart phone will see a table of contents that is optimized for touch: 
 
Adobe RoboHelp: Two responsive layouts.  
 
Responsive HTML5 output uses Screen Layouts, the skins for HTML5 output. With these skins you can control how your output will look for your users.
 
If you have used Responsive HTML5 before, you may have seen the following layout in the gallery:
 
Adobe RoboHelp: Old Gallery  
 
The image above shows the Responsive Layout as it was delivered when RoboHelp 11 was released. You'll be happy to know that Adobe released an update of this layout with the RoboHelp 11.0.1 patch.However, even if you have installed the patch you may still be using the old layout.
 
While Adobe provided instructions on how to manually install the new Responsive HTML5 layout, they are hidden away in the release notes and you likely missed them. If so, here they are:
  1. Close RoboHelp.
  2. Using Windows Explorer, search for%appdata%\Adobe\RoboHTML. 
    (The RoboHTML folder hidden within your AppData folder opens.)
    Adobe RoboHelp: Searching for the RoboHTML folder within AppData.
  3. Rename the folder 11.00 to 11.00_old.
    (A new 11.00 folder will be created when you restart RoboHelp.)
  4. Start RoboHelp.
You can now use the improved Responsive Layout for your output:
  
Adobe RoboHelp: New Responsive Layout.
 
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Looking to learn RoboHelp? We offer a live, two-day online RoboHelp class once a month. Feel free to contact us to learn other ways to meet your RoboHelp training requirements.
 
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Adobe Captivate 8: Custom Workspaces

by Kevin Siegel Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn View our videos on YouTube

From a new user perspective, one of the major complaints about Adobe Captivate has always been its cluttered user interface. There are so many panels and toolbars in Captivate (and most are open and visible when the program starts), some people feel that the program is more difficult to learn than other tools like Articulate Storyline and TechSmith Camtasia Studio. 

People using Captivate versions 5, 6, and 7 have the ability to undock most of Captivate's panels and move them around the screen. Users can also save the location of the panels as custom workspaces (via Window > Workspaces > New Workspace). 
 
While being able to customize Captivate's workspace is great, if you aren't careful things can quickly become a hot mess. I can't tell you how many emails I get from developers who can't find this panel or that. In almost every instance it turns out they either closed the panel by mistake, or moved it to a second display and forgot. 
 
You can easily reset a Workspace (Window > Workspace > Reset) and get every panel back to its default location. However, many developers (even some with plenty of experience using the tool), don't know about resetting a Captivate workspace.

When Adobe released Adobe Captivate 8, the interface was totally overhauled–and simplified. To prevent new users from getting overwhelmed by Captivate's many toolbars and panels, toolbars have been consolidated and most of the panels are closed by default. To keep the interface from getting cluttered, it's now impossible to undock the panels. And, for the ultimate in interface simplification, you can no longer create a custom workspace.

The simpler interface is great for new users. But what about veteran developers who are upgrading from a legacy version of Captivate? As a long-time Captivate developer, I'll admit that I had a hard time navigating the new workspace. And I was upset with Adobe for taking away my ability to create a custom workspace. I understand that a simpler workspace is easier for new users… but I want complex. Give me back my workspaces!
 
If you're like me and you're missing the ability to customize your workspace, you'll be happy to learn that the option is still available… you'll just have to activate it.

In the image below, you can see Captivate's Workspace menu. There's really only one menu item: Reset 'Classic.' If you choose the Reset 'Classic' menu item, the Timeline and the Properties panel will hide (which is the default).

Adobe Captivate 8: Workspace menu before custom workspaces is enabled.

If you'd like to create your own workspace, open Captivate's Preferences dialog box (Windows users, choose Edit > Preferences; Mac users, choose Adobe Captivate > Preferences.) Select Enable custom workspaces/panel undocking.

Adobe Captivate 8: Enable custom workspaces.

Restart Captivate and you'll find that you can now undock Captivate's panels and move them around your display (just like legacy versions of the program). And if you choose the Window > Workspace menu item, you'll see that you also have the ability to create a New Workspace. 

Adobe Captivate 8: Workspace menu after custom workspaces is enabled.

If you tire of your custom workspace you can, at any time, return to Captivate's 'Classic' workspace (which will always be available in the Workspace menu).
 
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Looking for instructor-led training on Adobe Captivate? Check out our live, online, instructor-led Captivate classes.
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Adobe Captivate 8: Geolocation

by Kevin Siegel Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn View our videos on YouTube

You can create an eLearning lesson that changes dependent upon where your learners are physically located. For instance, you can create a Captivate project for learners who live in the United States or Australia. While much of the course content is relevant to both Americans and Australians, thanks to Captivate's geolocation feature, learners in both countries will see unique, location-specific, information while taking the same course.

The first step to adding geolocation features to a project is creating the project as you normally would. In the example that follows, I've created a project for learners in Asia and the United States. (I created the project as a branching scenario… the first half of the project was for learners in the United States, the second half was for learners in Asia.)
 
Once you've created the project for both audiences, adding the geolocation features is very easy. First, choose Window > Mobile Palette to open the Mobile Palette dialog box.
 
Adobe Captivate: Mobile Palette 
 
Select Geolocation and then click the OK button.
 
Next, you'll need the Latitude and Longitude of the locations you'll use in your project. As I mentioned above, my two locations are Asia and the US. While determining Latitude and Longitude might sound difficult, I simply asked Google the following: "what is the lat and long for the united states?" The answer, rounded to whole numbers, was 38 and 77. 
 
Latitude and Longitude for the US.
 
I repeated the same question for Asia (and ended up with aLatitude and Longitude of 48 and 86).
 
Now that you've got the Latitudes and Longitudes figured out, you'll need to create one variable for each location (via Project > Variables). When creating each variable, select Geolocation and you'll have access to a Lat, Long, and Accfields. The Acc value is based on how close you want the learner to be to the latitude and longitude location; it is based on meters. Think about the meters surrounding the area like a large circle. When building your course, consider starting with 1,000,000 meters, which will allow anyone within range to still be able to access the course.
 
Adobe Captivate: User Variables
 
The final step (besides publishing) is to create an Advanced Action (via Project > Advanced Action) and attach it to a Filmstrip slide.
 
Set the Action Type to Conditional actions and name the action GeoLocation.
 
Adobe Captivate: Geolocation AA 
 
Double-click the first column under the IF Statement, click the word variable, and select cpInfoGeoLocation.
 
Adobe Captivate: Variable AA
 

Adobe Captivate: CpInfoGeoLocation variable 

 
Note: The CpInfoGeoLocation variable ships with Adobe Captivate 8.
 
To the right of "is equal to," click the word variable  from the drop-down, choose one of your location variables you created earlier.
 
Adobe Captivate: Jumping to a branch scenario.

Under Actions, double-click in the first column and chooseJump to Slide. From the next menu, select the slide in your project where you want your learner to end up.  I selected the Asian branch in my project (I called it Asia Scenario). 

 
Adobe Captivate: Jumping to a scenario. 
 
At the bottom of the dialog box, click Else. Under Actions, double-click the first column and choose Jump to Slide. In the next column, choose your other location (in my case, it was the other branch I called US Scenario). Save the action (as an Action) and then close the dialog box.
 
 Adobe Captivate: Jump to the other location.

Attach the GeoLocation Advanced Action to the first slide by selecting the slide on the Filmstrip. On the Properties Inspector, select the Actions tab. From the On Enter drop-down menu, choose Execute Advanced Actions and select the GeoLocation action as the Script.

 
Adobe Captivate: Execute Advanced Actions
 
 
Publish your lesson and post it to your web server or LMS like you would we any Captivate eLearning lesson. When users in Asia access the lesson, the GeoLocation script will automatically display the Asian content (and vice versa for US-based learners). In a word, that's awesome!

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Looking for instructor-led training on Adobe Captivate? Check out our live, online, instructor-led Captivate classes.
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Adobe Captivate 8: Changing the Size of Responsive Layouts

by Kevin Siegel Follow us on Twitter View our profile on LinkedIn View our videos on YouTube

As far as I'm concerned, the hottest new feature you'll find in Adobe Captivate 8 is the ability to create responsive eLearning. As I taught you a few weeks ago, by choosing File > New > Responsive Project, you can basically create and work on multiple screen sizes (called break points) in one project. When you publish the responsive project, the learner will automatically be served the break point appropriate for the device they're using.

 
If you've spent any time creating Responsive Projects, you've probably noticed that there are three breakpoints in the project by default: Primary (set to a width of 1024 pixels), Tablet (set to a width of 768 pixels), and Mobile (set to a width of 360 pixels). The default breakpoints are based on typical sizes of a laptop (Primary), iPad (Tablet), and iPhone (Mobile). However, you can easily adjust the size of the breakpoints. 
 
To begin, open the CloudAir_SoftSkills Sample.cptx sample project that ships with Captivate 8. (On the right side of the Captivate 8 Welcome screen, click the Sample Projects/Tutorials icon.)
 
Adobe Captivate 8: Sample Projects icon. 
 
The project is responsive. Notice the colored ribbon at the top of the canvas; this is a breakpoint within Captivate (a breakpoint is the point at which the layout changes size to accommodate a different screen size).
 
Adobe Captivate 8: Responsive Projects
 
To change the width of a layout, select one of the three breakpoints and drag either slide to change the width.
 
Adobe Captivate 8: Change the width of a breakpoint.
 
See, I told you it was easy. Now for the height. 
 
The option to adjust a layout's height is disabled by default so that you don't accidentally change it. Each layout's default height provides space for Captivate's playbar. If you are not going to use a playbar in the published lesson, you should adjust the height accordingly.
 
To begin, it's a good idea to change your magnification to 75% (View > Magnification). If you are too close to the canvas, you will not be able to see the new height you are about to set. I've found that 75% is almost always the perfect magnification for me, but you may need to fiddle around a bit to find the prefect magnification for your display.
 
In the upper right of the canvas, select View Device Height. 
 
Adobe Captivate 8: View Device Height. 
 
From the bottom of the canvas, drag the Height Adjuster (the yellow rectangle in the image below) up or down to change the device Height.
 
Adobe Captivate: Adjust Device Height.
 
Note: The shortest you can make any device is 100 pixels; the tallest you can make any device is 1,000 pixels.

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Looking for instructor-led training on Adobe Captivate? Check out our live, online, instructor-led Captivate classes.