E-Learning has accelerated over the past years with the increase in access to good quality internet access and the recognition from education providers that Computer Base Training is not a “fad” but has measurable benefits, add to that the inclusion of Animated Virtual Teachers commonly known as Avatars or Virtual Tutors and you have a winning formula.

If you are actively involved in the production of Rapid E-Learning, Virtual Teachers can raise the effectiveness of your content . In an advanced study at Stanford University their research shows measurable effects when content delivery is assisted following the integration of an avatar.

The three primary factors and objectives in the delivery of E-learning are;

Improve Performance – as shown in “Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning” research performed by the US Department of Education.

Increasing Access to material – This allows high calibre content and knowledge to cross borders, student can have access without the conventional physical, political and economic boundaries. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for example have extensive resources from its undergraduate and graduate level courses online. Furthermore; Experts can make up-to-the-minute information available internationally in an instant with minimum costs.

Learner Convenience and Flexibility. E-Learning unlike formal educational delivery is generally self-paced and is normally available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year.

It is clearly demonstrated that not only is Rapid E-Learning a standard delivery mechanism but with an extensive market (presently in excess of 56 billion dollars), providers are continually looking at new and innovative ways if increasing effectiveness, the introduction of “compelling” virtual teachers is a single step that can offer rewarding results and allow content to achieve a greater impact.

So what choice of Virtual Teachers or Avatar ideal for E-Learning are available? Many entries into the generic avatar market have come and gone over the years as they were primarily focused upon web representatives using in many cases, unconvincing visual appeal and poor lip-synching. SitePal is probably one of the most well known, however, being primarily web centric its presence within the e-learning production line is somewhat limited. An alternative solution firmly positioned within the CBT and education delivery market is AlterEgos, with an extensive character and customisation library, fully automated lip-synching using either your own voice or realistic Text To Speech and most importantly industry standard video output in Flash or AVI ready to be imported directly into your e-learning content.

With excellent authoring and screen recording tools including Camtasia from Techsmith (now having a Mac based solution), Articulate Studio, Captivate from Adobe, PowerPoint and Keynote access to importable local media is imperative. So using an appropriate avatar creation tool with Flash Video or AVI output is imperative.

What questions should you ask yourself when you are looking for your own virtual teacher; Is the production environment for your avatar composition flexible, does it give you different output formats for integration into your chosen e-learning solutions, can your composition work off-line ( a major show-stopper if your content is LAN/WAN or VD/DVD based), within a presentation or integrated into another video. What are the “real” costs. Can you download a trail edition give your avatar creation tool a complete test before committing to any outlay, or handing over of credit-card details!

Remember; Putting over “complex” or “very specific” information can be difficult when you are limited to just text and images, you just can’t beat the spoken word, when combining audio with a visual learning guide you have the ideal combination. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that by integrating any old virtual teacher or avatar into your e-learning content you will help your cause, on the contrary, if you integrate a bad one, it could reflect dramatically on the compelling and effectiveness of your material.

You can get trial downloads from most e-learning solution providers, AlterEgos e-learning virtual teacher or avatar solution can be obtained from here or watch a 5 minute five minute overview using AlterEgos and Camtasia it may even give you some media integration ideas for your own content.

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Filed under: Online Education

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