It was a great year for me at the articulate e-Learning heroes community in 2014. I recall that night just a few weeks after I decided to pursue e-Learning as a professional career, sometime in May last year. I was bent on finding out information about e-Learning on the Web and so I searched and searched until I came across a blog by Christy Tucker. She explained in several of her posts and I decided to finally go e-Learning. Somewhere in one of her posts, I saw a link to the Articulate e-Learning Heroes Community and signed up to become a member. That was the beginning of my eventful journey into e-Learning in 2014 and I thank God so much for it!
I was at first very silent, I just enjoyed seeing the entries being submitted by various community members and also got intimidated by their quality of work and years of experience! This I found may be a challenge for many first timers who want to go into the E-Learning field. The questions for me were where do I start from? What do I need? What should I do? How do I go about it and the likes. Thanks to the host of community members available to give timely counsel and help, I was able to jump into the challenges and learn as I participated.
The community challenges
There have been several challenges this past year and I was able to participate in only a handful of them. The challenges have stretched me, challenged me, and developed me as well. I have learnt quite a lot of things in the past year via the community challenges and from seeing the submission entries submitted by all community members throughout the year. In response to David’s winter break challenge, below are my categories of challenges:
My Best/Favorite Challenges
1. Storyboard Templates for e-Learning #48 (Challenge, Recap, Blog Post)
2. Education Podcast in Online Training #39 (Challenge, Recap, Blog Post)
3. Spelling Bees and Interactive Vocabulary Quizzes #37 (Challenge, Recap, Blog Post)
Most Helpful Challenges
1. Show us your e-Learning Portfolio #46 (Challenge, Recap, Portfolio)
2. Recording Audio in Online Training #45 (Challenge, Recap, Blog Post)
3. Freelance Tips for e-Learning Designers #61 (Challenge, Recap, Blog Post)
Most Challenging Challenges
1. Smartphone Video Training for Course Designers #42 (Challenge, Recap, Blog Post, Video)
2. Webcam Video in e-Learning #49 (Challenge, Recap, Video)
I had fun with these Challenges
1. Flat Design Graphics and Examples #50 (Challenge, Recap, Blog Post)
2. DIY e-Learning Characters #53 (Challenge, Recap, Blog Post)
I wish I participated in these Challenges
1. Digital Magazines and Interactive e-Learning #58 (Challenge, Recap)
2. Rapid Response Training: Ebola Outbreak #54 (Challenge, Recap)
3. Preventing Workplace Violence: E-Learning Scenarios #57 (Challenge, Recap)
Appreciation
Thanks to all community staff, managers and all members for their inspiration, submission, freebies and continuity throughout the year, indeed it’s a community of heroes. I want to specifically thank the following people for their help this past year as I joined the community.
David Anderson: Right to begin here isn’t it? Thanks so much for the challenges, the recaps and updates. You know, the variety of challenges, from audio, to video, to images and colors, to tips, to interactions all stretched me beyond my usual and showed me I could do some of those things after all. Thanks also for your gentle encouragements and comments, hearing them from you meant a lot.
Jackie Van Nice: The first community member to reach me personally outside the community, I was honored receiving her message. Thanks for your several freebies in the community and explicit creation process in your blog posts. Thanks for the encouragement, challenge, the feedback, the gentle push to do it and everything you’ve been in the past year… More of it in this year (lol).
Jeff Kortenbosch: The first community member to write a blog post in response to a personal question, it was amazing. You seem to be my technical manager, as you consistently watched my entries and pointed out the areas of improvement, I always looked forward to your comments on my submission. Thanks especially for your many feedback, comments and help all through. I appreciate them… More of it please.
2015: The way forward
1. More participation in the E-Learning Challenges
2. Take more MOOCs to develop understanding and skill
3. Do more writing and blogging apart from challenge entries
Once again, thank you everyone for your contribution this year and a Happy New Year 2015 to you!
Wow, Daniel!! I was all set to give you a big “Amen!” for all of your great observations about the benefits of the challenges and thank you for such a terrific post – and then you even mentioned lil’ ol’ me! That was extremely kind of you.
I can’t imagine you NOT having been in the challenges this past year! I always love seeing your contributions and hearing your thoughts.
I’m so happy you plan to stick with it again this year. If we just keep encouraging each other I know we can do it.
Happy New Year, Daniel! Thanks for such a great post. 🙂
Hey Jackie!
I also cannot imagine myself NOT having been in the challenges this past year, knowing how critical all I’ve learnt is to my future; It was all God’s arrangement and I’m so happy myself! I thank God for how it all happened.
Thanks Jackie and a Happy new year to you as well.
Daniel, great post and thank you for your kind words. It was my pleasure to watch your entries this year and hope to continue to do so in the coming years. We all started at the beginning and I appreciate all you are doing to get where you want to be. Well done and keep doing what you where doing.
Jeff
Thanks Jeff… yes, its not easy to stay focused at the beginning, those starting points & days can look daunting but thank God, days of little beginnings usually grow into years of experience and professionalism. Thank God I’m still going on!
And thanks to you again for your renewed commitment!