Vubiz Elearning Joins Izzui to Enhance Social Learning Offering

Vubiz is excited to announce their debut on Izzui, the first e-learning app for Facebook. Izzui is the first social media app uniquely focused on e-learning that uses Facebook to launch, track and manage courses with e-commerce capabilities to charge and pay for course subscriptions.

“This exciting strategic partnership between Izzui and Vubiz represents a new era in social learning. We selected dozens of our bestselling courses and published them on the Izzui app. Accessing Vubiz custom learning pagehttps://apps.facebook.com/izzuiapp/vubiz, Facebook learners can choose from topics like business skills, personal development, time management, stress management and customer service,” Robin Rapino, Vubiz VP U.S. Operations, explained.    

This innovative free social learning app already has over 200,000 installations and more than 400 courses available to all Facebook users including new Vubiz content. “Through Izzui, Vubiz course subscribers can invite friends, rate, evaluate and comment on Vubiz courses, as well as share their course activities on their Facebook profile,” Rapino highlights.

“We are happy to have Vubiz join our growing family of content publishers. On Izzui, we provide a unique way to use Facebook to create learning channels that are relevant, fun and engaging. Our goal is to blend e-learning and social media into a seamless digital social experience to connect people and brands online,” Alfredo Leone, Izzui’s Managing Director says.

About Izzui
Izzui is a Facebook app that provides a free, collaborative elearning community for creating, sharing, and viewing a wide variety of interactive and engaging content via online courses. Izzui is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Izzui’s founders and developers focus on learning and development with a relentless commitment to improving the way people see and use e-learning.
You can also access the app directly at https://apps.facebook.com/izzuiapp/. Stay informed on our social platforms: @izzuiapp

About Vubiz
Vubiz is an award-winning elearning company with unbeatable pricing, quality online courses and outstanding customer service. We're experts at making online training effective at the very best price. Proud winner again in 2013 for Best Compliance and Certification elearning.

Vubiz Wins Best Compliance Award at Best of Elearning Awards 2013

Vubiz wins Best Compliance and Certification Elearning Award for the second year in a row by Elearning Media Group.

This Award of Excellence from Elearning Media Group is solely based on voter ballots. In its 9th year, the Best of Elearning! Awards are the exclusive reader’s choice awards program for enterprise learning solutions and workplace technology products and services. This highly competitive enterprise learning awards
program features the new and the next in enterprise learning and workplace technologies.

“We are honored to win this award for the second year in a row” said Jim Rapino, President of Vubiz, Ltd. “We’re excited to acknowledge our team’s commitment to creating the best compliance online training available at the best competitive price. Thank you to the Elearning Media Group, our clients and our team.”

Vubiz has also been recognized with awards for outstanding customer service, and best
content. Vubiz has a large “off-the-shelf” library of online content from business skills to health & safety to customer service topics. Vubiz has a deep catalog of award-winning compliance courses from Harassment Prevention to Banking compliance to Health & Safety courses.

New Online Program Helps Companies Execute Strategies

Vubiz announces the launch of one of their most popular elearning courses completely redesigned. The Balanced Scorecard: Looking at an Organization from More than One Perspective is a four module program providing an in-depth examination of the Balanced Scorecard, an important tool for strategically managing an organization's performance.

Vubiz President Jim Rapino says, this valuable elearning program improves results “the balanced scorecard approach helps companies successfully execute their strategies which is why this program is so popular.” The program looks at how the balanced scorecard ensures the proper execution of strategy and balances an organizations current performance against the long-term health of the organization. It offers a strategic view of the organization including all perspectives, a process for managing the organization strategically instead of tactically, building a risk scorecard, scenario planning and a common terminology for discussing strategic issues and communicating strategy to the entire organization. Rapino says, this course improves organizational performance by measuring what matters and focusing on the drivers of future performance.

Available in English and French, the revised, updated and expanded course now includes detailed case studies of two balanced scorecard implementations: MDS, a private sector company, and the RCMP, an example of a public sector organization. The new program enhances the learning experience with audio, video clips, heightened interactivity, frequent review questions, illustrative charts, diagrams, photos, references and citations. A final exam helps learners gauge their understanding of the material in the course and, when passed, generates a certificate of completion.

This online program qualifies for 9 professional development hours.

Video in Elearning

Video in eLearning

When you need to relay crucial information to staff or business associates in a short amount of time, typical eLearning methods may not be sufficient. Integrating video into your eLearning can solve this problem. Video helps distill essential information and distribute it quickly and effectively. With high-definition video, you're not just telling learners what they need to know – you're showing them. Effective videos increase learner engagement. And increased engagement has a positive effect on learning retention and learner satisfaction.

When Should You Use Video?
Video is ideally suited to explaining or demonstrating a process or activity. A short 10 to 20-second video clip, in many cases supported by text and audio, conveys a message more dynamically than simply using text and still photographs or graphics. The message is delivered faster, the learning retention rate is higher, and the content is very easy to deliver.

Video enhances understanding when learners can see an example of a specific situation. A good example is a global construction firm which uses video to illustrate health and safety requirements. A visual demonstration of the correct way to handle hazardous material, put on a safety harness, or conduct lifting operations resonates with learners more than a simple text explanation of the same actions.

Video is also extremely effective for delivering personal messages. A welcome message from a CEO to kick off a new employee orientation/onboarding program adds a personal touch that is hard to replicate in text alone, while the use of endorsements from experts or peers to introduce a new concept or support a new initiative adds credibility to training. In both cases, learner involvement with the content is increased and, as a result, retention.

Challenges of Video
Organizations that develop eLearning in multiple languages should be aware of the potential for additional costs if videos have to be shot in two or more languages. Careful upfront planning will help control costs. Processes and activities can often be filmed without dialog, with explanatory audio in the required languages added in post-production. This isn't an option when delivering a personal message, but simple strategies such as filming all language versions at once, rather than spreading them out over several shoots, help keep costs down.

Video and Instructional Design
It is essential to integrate the use of video into the instructional design process from the very start of the project. Careful storyboarding ensures that videos are instructionally sound and contribute to the learning experience. Storyboarding also helps control costs by reducing the amount of unused footage that is shot and speeding up the editing process.

Stock Video
Stock video – that is, video that is not shot for a specific project – is a very cost-effective way to add the excitement and interactivity of video to eLearning. To help our clients begin to integrate video into their eLearning in a cost-effective manner, Vubiz has built a library of stock video clips illustrating concepts such as customer service, human resources, team work, equity in the workplace, and even safe driving. Shot without audio, stock video clips can be used with any language.

By Anne McCourt and Val Blokowski

For More Information
Contact Vubiz to learn more about how our new video unit can help add value to your eLearning elearning@vubiz.com

Vubiz.com

                          Creativity and Innovation in the Workplace

Vubiz helps companies drive bottom line results with a new e-learning course called Creativity and Innovation in the Workplace. This new program benefits companies by taking participants through a creativity and implementation plan so they can successfully innovate. Today, organizations are challenged to balance routine business with the need to explore new ideas for growth and evolution. Successful companies grow and evolve by embracing an “idea culture” where solutions and opportunities are identified by encouraging creativity and innovation.

The artist Henri Matisse once said “Creativity takes courage.” This online course helps learners embrace an “idea” culture and gives learners the tools to cultivate creativity and drive innovation. The skills required to create ideas and to produce innovative solutions are quite different, and this timely course teaches how to develop a creative environment, apply creativity techniques, build personal and group creativity, and identify and successfully implement innovations.

Business benefits of this new course include encouraging employees to see new ways of increasing revenue and reducing costs and increasing employee engagement and motivation through idea participation.

The key topics in this exciting new course are developing the creative environment, applying creativity techniques, building personal creativity, defining the innovation gap, explaining the innovation curve, working in the innovation funnel and implementing innovations.

Contact Vubiz for a complimentary sample.

http://vubiz.com/Newsletter/2013_04/article2.html

Complimentary Online Courses for Bankers 

ICBA (Independent Community Bankers of America) in partnership with Vubiz Elearning, is offering 50 online compliance courses complimentary to its members until September 30th. ICBA made the announcement at their 2013 ICBA National Convention and Tech World Conference in Las Vegas last week. The ICBA convention attracted over 3,300 community bankers and industry leaders. As ICBA’s online training partner, Vubiz Elearning was invited to present at ICBA’s Education Booth at the Convention. The Vubiz and ICBA elearning library provides bank staff with in-depth training on current topics bank employees need to know. The library contains bank specific compliance courses covering every major law, rule and regulation. Bestselling topics include The Bank Secrecy Act, Common Frauds, Regulation CC, Robbery Response, The Gramm-Leach Bliley Act, Fair Lending Practices, Ethics for Bankers, Compliance for Tellers, Red Flags Identity Theft and IT Security Primer.

ICBA will offer 50 Compliance courses to its members complimentary until September 30th and then for $99.00/year afterwards. All courses will be available to all of their member banks staff for the single $99.00 annual fee.

Reaction to this announcement was extremely positive as bankers saw an easy and inexpensive way for them to address their growing need to train staff on the large number of required compliance topics. Regulatory compliance is a chief concern for banks as almost daily, a new regulatory statute is being written or coming into law. Banks that do business not only in the U.S., but globally as well, must be aware of an every-changing regulatory landscape and ensure they are compliant. The government expects all levels of bank employees to study, understand, and implement a wide range of banking regulations.Online training is quickly becoming the method of choice for bankers to train staff as opposed to the traditional in class training that removes staff from their banks and costs heavily in travel and other related expenses.

The Independent Community Bankers of America®, the nation’s voice for nearly 7,000 community banks of all sizes and charter types, is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education and high-quality products and services. ICBA is committed to upholding the highest professional standards in community banking and providing programs tailored specifically for community bankers. Through ICBA educational courses, certification options and continuing education programs, community bankers are better able to serve their customers and stay profitable. ICBA's mission is to create and promote an environment where community banks flourish.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/3/prweb10544538.htm

Vubiz and Farm Sanctuary partner to provide complimentary online course to volunteers

Vubiz Elearning and Farm Sanctuary together announce the release of a new online certificate program for Farm Sanctuary volunteers. Farm Sanctuary is America’s largest and most effective farm animal rescue and protection organization. Their three shelters in New York and California provide lifelong care for almost 1,000 rescued farm animals. These animals are ambassadors for the billions on factory farms who have no voice, and their stories help raise awareness about the harsh realities of factory farming.

Vubiz created the online course in partnership with Farm Sanctuary whose goal is to streamline education and help volunteers with strategies to improve their advocacy on behalf of animals. The new program, called The Fundamentals of Compassionate Campaigning, is offered free by Farm Sanctuary and includes topics such as the power of activism, how to effectively promote a vegetarian lifestyle, four tools to use to maximize the impact of activism, how to effectively use social marketing and many more resources. The program includes a test and certificate.

"This online class is perfect for anyone who cares about farm animals and wants to learn how to be a more effective advocate for them,” explains Nick Cooney, Farm Sanctuary’s Compassionate Communities Manager.

Here is a link to the program on Farm Sanctuary's website:
Farm Sanctuary Volunteer Course

Vubiz is proud to be part of this initiative by Farm Sanctuary. Vubiz is an award winning elearning company in business for 15 years offering quality courses at unbeatable prices.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/2/prweb10481019.htm

E-learning Trends: 2013

This time of year, bloggers and experts forecast trends for the elearning industry. In reviewing recent articles, and attending the recent ASTD Tech show in Silicon Valley (American Society for Training & Development) the three biggest trends being talked about by elearning bloggers are Games, Video and M-Learning.  Recent Ambient Insight Research predicts the worldwide market for elearning to reach over $51billion by 2016 proving that elearning is a solid, mainstream industry and growing rapidly. 

Many experts talk about “gamification” as an important emerging element.  As elearning evolves with better, less expensive software, the bar for interactivity is also elevating.  Games in elearning are easier to build and they add high levels of interactivity while enhancing the learning experience overall. Simulation games are also increasing in popularity as designers find them to be effective training tools which keep the learner coming back.  As with video games, elearning games require you to play until you win, which in instruction design terms, means you play until you learn it.  Games in elearning have become a hot trend mostly in the corporate sector, and gamification can be as simple as an interactive quiz or as elaborate as an animated simulation. 

With the changing technical aspects of elearning, from flash to html5, the importance of video in elearning is skyrocketing.  Improved internet and bandwidth combined with today’s social media/YouTube culture elevates video to an essential part of elearning.   Again, with elearning evolving, interactivity and visual appeal is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.  Video is a very engaging form of communication for the learner and it quickly adds interactivity, interest and tangible learning benefits.  Today’s less expensive cameras and video capture tools make video much more accessible for everyone.

Mobile Learning or MLearning was definitely the buzzword at the Tech show.  In 2013, elearning companies will have to accommodate learners who use mobile devices on a daily basis. The explosion of tablets has pushed mobile learning to the forefront.  And globally, MLearning is vital as countries in Africa and India have gone straight to the smartphone for access to learning materials.

Social Learning is another buzzword for 2013.  It basically means learning with, and from, others.  Today, social media gives learners a great platform for communicating information.  Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites encourage people to connect and share information, which can enhance the learning process.It’s likely we’ll see brand new ideas in elearning from the social media phenomenon that we don’t see right now.  We’ll definitely see more apps to support social learning and MLearning.  

Social media is changing the way we do everything, and it will be exciting this year to see how it changes elearning.  

Java Software Scare and How it Affects Elearning

The recent scare with Java software has big implications for some elearning providers, especially those who rely on Java software to run. In recent weeks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security urged computer users to disable Oracle Corp.’s Java software to minimize the risk for hackers to access vulnerabilities and gain control of computers. Vubiz Elearning does not rely on Java to run its courses and is unaffected by this serious security threat.

Java is both a language and a platform to run websites and programs and is used by many computer users, both on the PC and Mac. The problem is that there is a hole or vulnerability in Java 7 which requires a patch. This vulnerability leaves millions of computers open to malware attacks and can lure online traffic to virus-infected websites. Hackers try to exploit this vulnerability to install malicious software which enables them to commit crimes such as identity theft and attacking websites.

“We are currently unaware of a practical solution to this problem,” the Department of Homeland Security’s Computer Emergency Readiness Team said in a posting on its website this month.

“This and previous Java vulnerabilities have been widely targeted by attackers, and new Java vulnerabilities are likely to be discovered,” the agency said. “To defend against this and future Java vulnerabilities, disable Java in Web browsers.” http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA13-010A.html

It is rare for the government to advise computer users to completely disable software due to a security issue, especially with widely used programs such as Java.

Full press release

Vubiz Video

    Vubiz recently launched a new video production division.  We took this step because of video’s prolific growth online, and it’s clear advantages in communication.  We have previously produced videos, with extremely positive responses from our clients, but now we’ve taken a more committed approach to video production. 

Online video is highly effective and has become over the last few years an expected component of a user’s web experience.  Video use has exploded online, it’s become more affordable to produce and much easier to access and deliver.  YouTube has contributed to this explosion of use in a big way, and now most major companies in the world have some sort of online video strategy.

    At Vubiz we’re interested in producing videos that are professional and polished.  A service to offer our clients to help explain learning concepts in an effective way and that can hold a viewer’s interest and attention.  We also are committed to producing stand-alone web videos that can explain a company’s brand, service or product, and that can be used for internal communication to employees, or external marketing to customers.

Video is extremely effective for online learning and communication.  Our brain responds to visuals much faster than words, and we’re very good at remembering pictures especially when they are reinforced with an audio voiceover.

    We can take someone, through video, where they can’t easily go themselves.  For example, showing a safety procedure on top of a tower crane.  Or showing a remote industrial location in Canada’s north.  Properly produced, a video can explain information in about half the time as words alone, and can help viewers understand information in a much clearer way.

As well as an education tool, videos are an obvious and excellent marketing tool for companies to get their message across (not a new concept as TV commercials have been effective over decades).  But it’s still worth repeating that most people will choose to watch a video over reading text, and online video encourages visitors to stay on a website up to 3 times longer than the average browsing time.

Finally, online video is truly mobile on all devices: anytime, anywhere and on-demand.