Seven training resource sites - even if you're not an instructional designer.
For IDs and non-IDs Alike.
(Hint: "ID" = "Instructional Designer".)
Below is a list. I asked for help recently from the community for recommendations of online training resources. I was helping out a colleague who was preparing a presentation about learning environments. I was surprised not to have been able to find much on the ASTD web site. That is, without having to pay for every effen item or having the site freeze up when I clicked-through a link. (Personal note: Give feedback to ASTD national.)
What I really wanted were some online references that were more convenient to get to and more universally accessible. (Ahem, relatively free access.)
So I went to the community.
The list below is a good start, regardless of whether or not you're a learning professional.
If you're a manager or a department head going it alone on a training project (i.e., without budget for an instructional designer), well, god help you. (Just kidding.)
You'll find some useful information in some of the guides, templates and training activities offered through the sites below. Special kudos goes to Lisa Waslis for help in compiling some of the information below.
- International Society for Performance Improvement A.K.A. "ISPI". It's an organization dedicated to improving productivity and performance in the workplace. There are membership plans you can buy into, but for the casual browser, you'll also find benefit in many of the current issues of publications accessible from Resources and Services tab.
- Training/Professional Development on Suite101.com Hosted by Joni Rose, the Training/Professional Development site offers articles with tips for soft skills development, quizzes, questionnaires and more.
- Effective Instructional Design: An Online Course Template A good primer if you're a new ID or a manager without an ID to support you and you're going it alone on developing training for your department.
- EnCorps: Designing Effective Training Online training resources that have received a "field stamp of approval" from veteran program staff for recruiting and developing Americorps and Vista members. These resources help you, too!
In addition to the list above, here are three favorites from my personal repertoire:
- eLearn Magazine Published by the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), a non-profit educational association. This site has tutorials, reviews, case studies, best practices... definitely worth checking out.
- eLearning Guild Sort of Web 2.0-ish in the sense that much of the content is derived from member input to surveys the guild administers. Participation is key. Fill out a survey and you get credit for accessing certain reports. (Which are gleaned from the surveys. See how that works?) While there are paid membership plans and conferences they host, there's enough information here for any manager to gain benefit from. At least, until you get hooked and want more access. Then it helps to pay, baby.
- Freebies on thiagi.com I mentioned this site in a post last February. It's the site of a performance-based training and consulting business. And, while my listing them here isn't necessarily an endorsement, I do respect a company that places "freebies" on their site. (Hint, for any of you "independent contractors.") It's both a great way to share the wealth while also showcasing your talent. Here you'll find ideas for training activities, games, tips for facilitators and so on.
What sites did I miss? Share 'em in the comments.
Update 11/7/2008.
- Wikieducator.org. I added this after my post on November 3 about collaborative video development.
- eLearningLearning.com. An aggregation of online resources for learning about elearning. I updated this on 11/7 in a post announcing elearningLearning after accepting an invitation to link this blog to the new portal. It's a great jumping off point for other learning-relevant sites on the web.
