eLearning SIG 

“Creativity Meets Technology”  with Zsolt Olah

Program Description:

Case Study: Open source content management system as a smart engine behind an interactive blended learning solution at Comcast University.
The first time Comcast University ran pilots of the New Hire Experience, an interactive blended learning program, learners literally tried to sneak in from legacy classes. This blended learning program seamlessly presents learners with a visual roadmap of wide variety of activities throughout the new hire experience (eLearnings, “gamified” quick challenges, videos, simulations, documents, links, etc.).

Behind this effective program is a database driven smart engine. The engine handles hundreds of activities in thousands of classes (with customized content for certain groups), and does it on the fly! That means the content the learner sees is tailored to their exact needs. That’s Joomla!, an award winning open source CMS tool.

Come and experience how Comcast University has harnessed this powerful open source technology using a creative approach to resolve challenges like:
     • Allow non-technical people to create, edit and maintain content (without messing with XML).
     • Provide a template that is consistent through all classes but allow the flexibility to customize the content.
     • Reduce speed to market for minor changes (from days to minutes).
     • Be flexible to turn on and off activities or change their order.
     • Display information only relevant to users (based on groups, markets, role or class).
     • Find a quality solution that is scalable, cost effective and user-friendly.

This presentation focuses on how the open source engine addresses all these expectations. While we will touch on the content itself, our main focus will be how creativity meets technology using Joomla!.

About the Speaker:

Zsolt is a Program Manager at the Comcast University Wireless Operations team, where he oversees the curriculum design, development and delivery for the Comcast - Verizon Wireless learning initiatives across several States.

Zsolt has an extensive project and program management background, as well as more than a decade of learning and development experience. Zsolt’s passion to combine creativity and technology goes back to his thesis, which was to build an artificial neuron-network in C++ capable of learning how to add two numbers together. Since then, Zsolt has worked in the instructional design and eLearning development field with companies like Pepsi, Nokia, Siemens, IBM, Oracle, and for the last five years, Comcast. Zsolt is well-versed in most of the top eLearning applications and has working knowledge of several programming languages. Zsolt has also designed and taught an information design and delivery university curriculum for the University of Debrecen in his native country, Hungary.

Additional Meeting Details:

Cost: Free for Philly ASTD members, $30 for non-members. Non-members may attend 2 SIG meetings for free before being asked to join the chapter or pay $30 per meeting.

 Next Meeting: July 18, 2013