Books

To save travel costs and reduce time away form work, virtual classroom technologies are increasingly popular training delivery media choices.  However, unless synchronous e-learning tools are used in ways that promote learning, cost savings are only an illustration.  You will read about the evidence, guidelines, and examples of how to most effectively leverage the features of virtual classroom software for learning.

Contents:
Introduction: Meet the New Virtual Classroom
Part I: Learning and the New Virtual Classroom
Part II: Engaging Participants in the New Virtual Classroom
Part III: Optimizing Your Virtual Events
Part IV: Creating Effective Learning Events in the New Virtual Classroom

Price: $50.00 plus S/H*

Based on 25 years of research on cognitive load and learning by John Sweller, Efficiency in Learning shows you how to create learning environments that result in faster learning, better learning or both!  Cognitive load is the amount of mental effort imposed on working memory by instructional environments.  The guidelines in Efficiency in Learning are relevant for all instructional professionals including teachers, facilitators, and designers - developers of all forms of e-Learning.

Contents:
Part I: Introduces cognitive load theory
Part II: Focuses on techniques to minimize irrelevant cognitive load in your instructional environment
Part III: Shows how to maximize relevant cognitive load for learning
Part IV: Illustrates how to adapt training for learners with high and low background knowledge
Part V: Integrates the previous chapters including a personal discussion by John Sweller of his 25 years of research on cognitive load theory.

Price: $50.00 plus S/H*

Winner of the 2004 ISPI Award of Excellence in Instructional Communication

e-Learning and the Science of Instruction focuses on proven design guidelines for asynchronous e-learning environments.   Based on the research of Dr. Richard Mayer, an internationally recognized instructional psychologist, the book shows you what research tells us about how best to use text, graphics, audio, practice, examples, and collaborative facilities in e-Learning.

Contents:
Chapters 1-2: Introduction to e-Learning and human learning processes
Chapters 3-9: Multimedia, contiguity, modality, redundancy, coherence, personalization and segmentation principles
Chapter 9-14: Use of practice, examples, collaboration, navigation, teaching problem-solving, and games and simulations
Chapter 15: Applying the guidelines

Price: $55.00 plus S/H*

The full potential of visuals to increase learning and improve workplace performance is often unrealized.  Many training materials rely too heavily on text.  In other situations, elaborate thematic or decorative visuals are used to spice up training environments.  Either way, the potential for graphics to promote learning is lost.  This book provides you with evidence-based guidelines and a process model to help you plan and implement graphics that work.

Contents:
Part I: Three views of visuals and a visual design model
Part II: How to use visuals to support psychological learning processes
Part III: How to visualize facts, concepts, processes, procedures and principles
Part IV: How to apply a visual design model to plan and display your graphics

Price: $50.00 plus S/H*

Building Expertise shows you how to use proven instructional methods in your learning environment that support human learning processes.  Research and examples illustrate how you can:
- Support attention in learning
- Reduce extraneous cognitive load during learning
- Activate relevant prior knowledge
- Help learners build new mental models
- Support transfer of learning for procedural and far transfer skills
- Design problem-centered learning environments
- Support metacognitive skills
- Apply cognitive models of motivation

Price: $40.00 plus S/H*

Based on the research of Dr. David Merrill and Robert Horn, Developing Technical Training shows instructional professionals how to teach five basic types of content found in workplace learning.  These are: facts, concepts, processes, procedures, and principles.  You will learn how to apply the right instructional methods for these content types in print media such as workbooks or in e-learning environments.

Contents:
Part I: An introduction to the technology of training
Part II: Designing training for five content types
Part III: How to organize lessons and courses
Part IV: Computer-based Training: Some unique guidelines

Price: $40.00 plus S/H*