Top E-Learning Tools of 2009 You Shouldn’t Live Without

Intro Nowadays, many predictions come forth from every industry. 9 E-Commerce Predictions for 2009, 10 tech predictions for 2009, eLearning predictions for 2009 and so on. Though we know none of us can see into the future, we cannot deny that these predictions play significant roles in guidance for our future work. Below I list some eLearning tools I gather up for 2009, hope these could give you some help in your future teaching and learning. I will classify these tools into 6 different types. Most of them are Free.

Presentation Tools Zoho Show is an FREE online presentation program allows users to create presentations from scratch or (as is often the case) import from their library of Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt, .pps) or OpenOffice (.odp, .sxi) presentations.  280 Slides is a notable Free online replacement for desktop presentation apps.With it, you can create a presentation, theme it, add graphics and video, and then present it, share it via Slideshare, or download it as a PowerPoint or PDF file.

Presentation Tools PowerPoint is a versatile presentation tool. It is ideal for creating professional presentations that integrate text, charts, diagrams and clip art images.    Wondershare PPT2Flash lets non-technical users create high-impact Flash presentations and eLearning courses from PowerPoint with rich media, quizzes and simulations. PPT2Flash content runs on any Web server, any LMS. For organizations with Learning Management Systems, PPT2Flash creates SCORM and AICC-compliant content so learner results can be tracked.

Simulation Tools ScreenToaster is a Free online screen recorder paired with a video platform dedicated to screencasts. Just the perfect tool to search and find tutorials, howtos, reviews, tips and tricks, showcases, walkthrough and e-learning formations.   DemoCreator is a professional screen recording tool to create better-than-live software video tutorials, presentations and training courses.    

Simulation Tools CamStudio is able to record all screen and audio activity on your computer and create industry-standard AVI video files and using its built-in SWF Producer can turn those AVIs into lean, mean, bandwidth-friendly Streaming Flash videos (SWFs). Adobe Captive is an electronic learning tool for Microsoft Windows which can be used to author software demonstrations, software simulations, branched scenarios, and randomized quizzes in .swf format.  

Assessment Tool Hot Potatoes provides a suite of tools that enable you to create interactive web-based activities for self-assessment purposes. It is free of charge for publicly funded, non-profit, educational users.  Qedoc Quiz Maker is a FREE teaching tool for making interactive lessons & quizzes and test preparation. 

Assessment Tool Online QuizCreator is a powerful assessment tool that you can create Flash online exam, quiz, test and survey. It combines interactivity and multimedia to engage learners through the learning process and offers flexible results tracking and score reporting.  Articulate QuizMaker is a commercial tool that generates web-based quizzes and surveys.

Virtual Classroom WiZiQ offers free online e-teaching and e-learning using web conferencing with document and whiteboard sharing, teacher resumes and presentation sharing.  Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro is the complete Web communications solution that enables live online meetings, virtual classes, and group collaboration.

Course Management System Moodle  is a simple and quick way to get a blog up and running. You can use it for your own professional diary, to run a blog for your course or for your students to keep their own learning journals.

Blogging Tools  Blogger is a simple and quick way to get a blog up and running.  You can use it for your own professional diary, to run a blog for your course or for your students to keep their own learning journals.   Edublogs is “the largest education community on the Internet” where you can sign up for a free WordPress-powered blog.