July 2010
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: SimWriter 4.0 Now Available!
  • Ask the Expert: I work at a manufacturing company. I’d like to develop a simulation that teaches employees to operate some of our complex machinery. Can I use SimWriter to do this?

June 2010
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Gauging Training Effectiveness
  • Ask the Expert: We created a course using SimWriter six months ago. Initially, our users had low bandwidth, so we decided not to include audio or video. However, we now have access to higher bandwidth now, and we’re considering adding voice over and some video to our sim. Does this mean we need to copy and paste all character dialog into a script document for our talent to read?

May 2010
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Award Season Continues for NexLearn
  • Ask the Expert: I’d like to develop leadership skills within our company. As more of our top talent retires, I feel that we must prepare a new generation to lead our company. Any ideas how we can do this effectively?

April 2010
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: The Magnitude of Microsoft Project
  • Ask the Expert: We’d like to make our simulations accessible from the Internet. Is it possible to export SimWriter simulations into a format we can embed into a webpage?

March 2010
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Are Learning Objectives Still Necessary?
  • Ask the Expert: Can immersive learning simulations help improve employee memory?

February 2010
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: 2010 e-Learning Trends
  • Ask the Expert: I’ve been researching different approaches for a new training course we need to create for our customer desk associates. I love the idea of using simulations to teach employees how to interact with customers (and I think SimWriter will be a great tool to use to develop this training); however, the course must also instruct users how to use our proprietary CSR software. Can I use SimWriter to create this segment as well?

December 2009
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: NexLearn Wins Gold Award for Excellence in Simulation and Games
  • Ask the Expert: Our instructional design team has written all the content for our simulation, including the various paths a user may take. However, we will not have access to our on-screen and voice-over talent for a few weeks. In the meantime, can we use SimWriter to build a “skeleton” of the simulation with the content we currently have

October 2009
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: A NexLearn Halloween Ode
  • Ask the Expert: I am haunted by the ghoulish specters of training past. Is there a way to take pieces of existing content, stitch them together, and electrify them? – V. Frankenstein, PhD.

September 2009
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: NexLearn’s SimWriter Licensed Globally for e-Learning Development
  • Ask the Expert: If I build a simulation using SimWriter, how easy is it to localize the content? I have learners who speak Spanish, French, and Italian.

August 2009
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: NexLearn Named Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning Business Partner of the Year
  • Ask the Expert: I work for a small e-Learning development company in South America. I discovered your authoring tool, SimWriter, and would love to use it on several of our projects. Do you offer SimWriter licenses outside of the United States?

July 2009
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Simpact Interview
  • Ask the Expert: At a recent conference, I overheard a couple colleagues discuss the need to rework their e-Learning courses to meet Section 508 standards. What exactly is Section 508 and do all e-Learning courses need to meet this standard?

June 2009
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Top 10 Tips for Making e-Learning Successful
  • Ask the Expert: Please tell me about NexLearn…do you create custom simulations or do you develop simulation authoring tools?

May 2009
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Be the Ball
  • Ask the Expert: I was recently promoted to oversee employee training for our company. My biggest challenge so far is getting people to finish the online courses we’ve developed. Any suggestions?

April 2009
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: E-Learning Poised for Growth
  • Ask the Expert: I want to create a training simulation for our sales team, but we don’t have any material documenting the process. How do I get the content for the sim?

March 2009
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: When it’s Good to Cry
  • Ask the Expert: Are there simple storytelling techniques I can use to make an immersive learning simulation more interesting?

February 2009
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Tough Economy Demands Greater Training Commitment
  • Ask the Expert: Making our own social simulations sounds interesting, but I don’t know how to create code. Can I still use your technology, or would I need to hire a software engineer?

January 2009
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Cross Training for Greater Productivity
  • Ask the Expert: We’re interested in creating custom training for our team. What should we consider as we get started in this process?

December 2008
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Using Simulations to Shrink the Generational Divide
  • Ask the Expert: We’re considering purchasing SimWriter; what kind of technical support do you offer?

November 2008
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: How Secure is Your Leader’s Legacy?
  • Ask the Expert: I’m in charge of training implementation for our company. How do our employees access simulations once they’re built? How can we be sure they’ll work with our current systems?

October 2008
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Simulations Work
  • Ask the Expert: We’re having difficulty generating interest in our employee training program. Any ideas how we can get our employees to actually take our courses?

September 2008
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Media’s Mantra: Support learning objective achievement
  • Podcast: Listen to this month’s roundtable discussion about the latest issues regarding e-Learning and immersive learning simulations.
  • Ask the Expert: We are ready to create our company’s very first immersive learning simulation (we decided on the topic “How to Handle Angry Customers”), however, we’re not really sure where to begin. Do you have any helpful tips to generate a creative spark?

August 2008
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: The e-Learning Shift: Going Social
  • Podcast: Listen to this month’s roundtable discussion about the latest issues regarding e-Learning and immersive learning simulations.
  • Ask the Expert: I’m interested in using simulations as a key training component, but I’m not sure how the sims would work. Can you use simulations to teach any topic?

July 2008
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: If It Works for Indiana Jones, Why Not e-Learning?
  • Podcast: Listen to this month’s roundtable discussion about the latest issues regarding e-Learning and immersive learning simulations.
  • Ask the Expert: I’m in charge of developing a custom training course for our sales team, and I think I need some expert help. Does NexLearn offer consulting services?

June 2008
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Calculating ROI on Training
  • Podcast: Listen to this month’s roundtable discussion about the latest issues regarding e-Learning and immersive learning simulations.
  • Ask the Expert: I hear all the time how well e-Learning suits the habits of employees and students today (they can learn what they want, when they want), but is there a time when e-Learning doesn’t work?

May 2008
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Maximizing e-Learning ROI
  • Podcast: Listen to this month’s roundtable discussion about the latest issues regarding e-Learning and immersive learning simulations.
  • Ask the Expert: We’re preparing to develop some e-Learning courses, but we’re not sure how to create content to meet the learning goals. How do you do it?

April 2008
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Training ROI – The BIG Picture
  • Podcast: Listen to this month’s roundtable discussion about the latest issues regarding e-Learning and immersive learning simulations.
  • Ask the Expert: We’re in the early stages of creating a series of training courses for our employees, and we’re having difficulty agreeing on the type of test we should use to assess performance. Any ideas?

March 2008
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Green Learning
  • Podcast: Listen to this month’s roundtable discussion about the latest issues regarding e-Learning and immersive learning simulations.
  • Ask the Expert: Are immersive learning simulations more effective for certain employee levels or specific types of organizations than other training formats?

February 2008
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: The Apprentice
  • Podcast: Listen to this month’s roundtable discussion about the latest issues regarding e-Learning and immersive learning simulations.
  • Ask the Expert: How do we transition training material from existing hard copy, PowerPoint, and audio formats to more engaging training without throwing out all our existing content?

January 2008
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: The Year in Preview
  • Podcast: Listen to this month’s roundtable discussion about the latest issues regarding e-Learning and immersive learning simulations.
  • Ask the Expert: My company has decided to update our existing employee training programs (including both annual courses and career enhancement programs) to incorporate simulations. However, we’re not sure where to begin—training for frontline employees or managers. Any thoughts?

December 2007
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Put Learning in Context
  • Podcast: In the latest Simpact Podcast, hear members of NexLearn’s instructional design team discuss the importance of placing training material in the appropriate context to enhance learner comprehension.
  • Ask the Expert: The Expert will answer two of the most-asked questions from the DevLearn conference last month.

November 2007
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Is Your Content Suitable for Simulation Training? Yes!
  • Podcast: This month we discuss how to determine the best content for simulation training. If you think your content is not suitable for a simulation, think again.
  • Ask the Expert: I’d like to make information available to our customers to decrease the number of trouble calls we receive. But I don’t want to post a lot of information on our Web site, which might overwhelm or confuse people and lead to even more calls. Can you offer help in this area?

October 2007
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Instructional Design 101
  • Podcast: This month, listen to a roundtable discussion featuring NexLearn’s design team. The group talks about do’s and don’ts when it comes to incorporating media components into the e-Learning experience.
  • Ask the Expert: My company is in the process of developing an online course for our sales force. We’ve done instructor-led classes and some click-through e-Learning before, but we’re looking for a different approach. Any ideas?

September 2007
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: The Beauty Issue
  • Podcast: This month, listen to a roundtable discussion featuring NexLearn’s design team. The group talks about do’s and don’ts when it comes to incorporating media components into the e-Learning experience.
  • Ask the Expert: I’m currently developing an outline for an e-Learning course for our employees. I want to make it interesting and interactive, so I plan to incorporate some media elements. I’ve heard other developers talk about “making sure the media supports the learning objectives.” What does this mean?

August 2007
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: When Technology Attacks
  • Podcast: This month the NexLearn engineering braintrust is instudio. Join David Williams, Phil Cross, and Eric Shiblom for commentary on technology in e-Learning.
  • Ask the Expert: I can see the great benefit of using simulations in the corporate world where employees need to experience certain situations or perform according to set procedures, but I’m not sure how effective simulations would be for student learning at universities. Any thoughts?

July 2007
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: BlogBites
  • Ask the Expert: My company has been looking into LMS’s for a while now, and we just can’t seem to find the right system. The ones with all of the features we want are just too pricey, but the cheaper systems just don’t quite have what we need. Do you have any suggestions?

June 2007
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Good SME Bad SME
  • Ask the Expert: What is informal learning?

May 2007
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Are You Satisfied?
  • Ask the Expert: I’ve heard the terms scenario-based simulations, branching sims, and social simulations, but now people are talking about immersive learning simulations. What’s the difference?

April 2007
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Is It a Game or a Simulation?
  • Podcast: Games vs. Simulations
  • Ask the Expert: I’d love to incorporate e-Learning into my company’s training program, but my boss isn’t sure about investing the money. How can I convince him that e-Learning is an effective method for teaching our employees?

March 2007
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Where Do You Learn?
  • Podcast: Where People Learn
  • Ask the Expert: I need to train employees in various locations throughout the world. Some have access to the Internet, some don’t. How can I make sure that they get the training they need and I get the performance data I need?

February 2007
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: The Future of e-Learning
  • Podcast: The Future of Social Sims
  • Ask the Expert: Lately, I’ve heard a lot of buzz around the term “edutainment.” What is this? Is it effective learning?

January 2007
Included in this edition:

  • Feature Article: Getting Social
  • Podcast: The Fundamentals of Social Simulations
  • Ask the Expert: What's the difference between a social and a technical simulation?