Lights, Camera, Action!

Movie Tutorials Provide Interactive Training Experience

Movie Tutorials are the latest addition to OTS Training's growing list of technology training resources.

The tutorials are interactive and include sound to enhance the learning experience and guide you in the right direction.

Go to OTS Training's home page (http://www.towson.edu/otstraining) and click on Movie Tutorials to try one out!

According to Nancy Quinn, technology training manager, Movie Tutorials provide an alternative to traditional workshops or Self-Help Documents.

"OTS Training is always looking for ways to provide 24/7 training, and we realize that some people learn better actually seeing and hearing the process," she says.  "For some it's a quicker way of learning because they can view the movie, figure out what they need to do and be on their way.

"We also wanted to meet the need of people on campus who can't make it to a workshop at the time or date offered, or who need help right away."

Using software called Macromedia Captivate, all of TU's Movie Tutorials are created using a template designed by OTS Training staff member Robert Cave. Users can pause, fast forward and rewind to learn at the pace they choose. In many cases the Movie Tutorials have Self-Help Documents associated with them that can be printed out for future reference or reinforcement.

The current library contains tutorials on Blackboard, Contribute, Outlook, PeopleSoft (Online Services), Picture Manager, Webmail, Windows, Word, and accessing TU's network from home. You can expect the library to grow throughout spring semester, so don't forget to bookmark the Movie Tutorial Web page and check back often.

"The Movie Tutorials are a work in progress and as new needs develop so will the tutorials," Quinn says. "We also see a need for Movie Tutorials on certain topics that don't make good sense in the workshop format. A good example of this is a movie we're working on right now for file management."

Quinn says since their first release in January 2006, the Movie Tutorials have been gaining popularity not only at Towson but off campus as well.

"More than 10 other institutions have requested to be able to use our documents, and we are averaging around 70,000 downloads a month of Self-Help Documents and Movie Tutorials," she says.

If you have questions, contact OTS Training at 410-704-4070 or training@towson.edu.