E-learning Tools and Technologies: A consumer's guide for trainers, teachers, educators, and instructional designers [Paperback]

William Horton (Author), Katherine Horton (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471444588 | ISBN-13: 978-0471444589 | Publication Date: January 10, 2003 | Edition: 1

A comprehensive guide to help you cut through the hype in order to select the best E-Learning tools and vendors for your specific needs

With its ability to both reduce operating costs and train more people, E-Learning is an attractive option for companies that are trying to balance business and educational goals. But in order to implement an E-Learning program, you'll have to wade through hundreds of learning management systems, learning content management systems, authoring schools, and collaboration environments to determine what solution will work best for your situation.

In this in-depth book, recognized E-Learning experts William and Katherine Horton survey the entire field of E-Learning tools for you. They provide you with a systematic way to identify, evaluate, and choose products and services based on different E-Learning scenarios.

In this no-holds barred look at E-Learning tools, the authors:
* Arm you with a complete list of questions to ask vendors before you commit to a product
* Describe product limitations throughout each chapter and include special Rant sections that you must read
* Present tips and tricks as well as common mistakes to avoid
* List potential vendors and contact information by tool category


The companion Web site contains design forms, checklists of features to look for in the various tool categories, spreadsheets, and lists of specific tools and vendors.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

A comprehensive guide to help you cut through the hype in order to select the best E-Learning tools and vendors for your specific needs

With its ability to both reduce operating costs and train more people, E-Learning is an attractive option for companies that are trying to balance business and educational goals. But in order to implement an E-Learning program, you’ll have to wade through hundreds of learning management systems, learning content management systems, authoring schools, and collaboration environments to determine what solution will work best for your situation.

In this in-depth book, recognized E-Learning experts William and Katherine Horton survey the entire field of E-Learning tools for you. They provide you with a systematic way to identify, evaluate, and choose products and services based on different E-Learning scenarios.

In this no-holds barred look at E-Learning tools, the authors:

• Arm you with a complete list of questions to ask vendors before you commit to a product
• Describe product limitations throughout each chapter and include special Rant sections that you must read
• Present tips and tricks as well as common mistakes to avoid
• List potential vendors and contact information by tool category

The companion Web site contains design forms, checklists of features to look for in the various tool categories, spreadsheets, and lists of specific tools and vendors.

About the Author

WILLIAM HORTON is President of William Horton Consulting where he advises large and small companies in developing online training and information strategies. He is also the author of several books including Leading E-Learning, Evaluating E-Learning, Using E-Learning, and Designing Web-Based Training.

KATHERINE HORTON is Vice President of William Horton Consulting and designs and builds E-Learning prototypes. She is also the Webmaster for the horton.com and designingwbt.com Web sites.

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471444588
• ISBN-13: 978-0471444589
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #876,800 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Helpful, but not as clear as his other books, February 25, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: E-learning Tools and Technologies: A consumer's guide for trainers, teachers, educators, and instructional designers (Paperback)

This book dives deep down into the process of selecting the precise software and hardware one needs to create, deliver and access e-learning. As in his previous books, Horton has done an admirable job at presenting the tools, and the process for selecting them, into small, step by step discussions.

However, I have two significant quibbles with this book.

First, it begins with chapter after chapter on all the individual tools you might possibly use and concludes with the process for deciding what you need. To me that is akin to starting off a book written to help someone decide what type of home they want, with chapters on all the different types of roofs or windows there are, rather than first walking readers through such important questions as: how big is your family? and do you intend to entertain?, which instantly narrow your best options. Reading this book, I found myself quickly bogged down in deep detail on tools I learned I might not even need.

Secondly, many of the e-learning tool categories overlap in functionality, and some tools do it all. If this book had provided specific reviews of the best tools out there and how their features co-mingle, it would have been a big help. Instead, he neutrally lists scores of products in several of the categories discussed.

I did come away from this book with a solid understanding of the tool categories. Unfortunately, I am still pretty befuddled as to how to wade through all the complexities of those tool categories and how they relate to my objectives to decide which tools to buy.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hortons make the complex clear, July 24, 2003

By 

Ann Rockley - See all my reviews

This review is from: E-learning Tools and Technologies: A consumer's guide for trainers, teachers, educators, and instructional designers (Paperback)

William and Katherine Horton have written another excellent book. Their latest, E-Learning Tools and Technologies, provides a phenomenal amount of information about the tools and technologies that can be used to develop, manage, and deliver e-learning content. The authors cut through the clutter to clearly and succinctly explain the different types of tools, and their functionality and capabilities. Unlike many other technology books, Horton and Horton do readers a great service: they actually examine the different tools available in the commercial marketplace and share value-added information designed to help you select the best e-learning tools for your purposes.

The book is divided into the following categories:

Hardware and networks
Tools for accessing e-learning
Tools for offering e-learning
Tools for creating e-learning content
Picking tools and technologies
Evolution, trends, and big ideas

For each tool type, the book addresses the following:

What is the tool?
How does it work?
What else can the tool do?
What are the differences between tools?
How to choose the correct tool
The capabilities to look for

The book is clear and understandable, and helps you comprehend what these tools are, why you might want them, and how to evaluate them. The conceptual information is well presented and informative.

If you've ever found yourself confused about available e-learning technologies, or wondered if you need a particular technology or not, this is the book for you. It not only tells you what the tools do, it puts the technology in perspective for e-learning. William and Katherine Horton have distilled their years of experience into this 592-page book to help you make the right decisions and avoid the pitfalls. Highly recommended.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Horton answers What and How instead of Who!, June 26, 2003

By 

Dawn Adams (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: E-learning Tools and Technologies: A consumer's guide for trainers, teachers, educators, and instructional designers (Paperback)

As one of the previous reviewers said Horton books are always a weath of information. This book is that and more. As an experienced practitioner in this space you'd think I'd know this stuff. And I do but it didn't stop me from reading this book cover to cover and enjoying every minute of it.

My favorite part is the Bill, Kit and Curmudgeon cartoons. They really proivde different perspectives about various issues. These are common views in real life and how they are expressed and addressed give this book an edge no other book on this topic has.

All this in addition to Bill and Kit's easily readable writing style and depth of knowledge. You can't lose when you buy this book. It's worth every penny and a lot more.