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Trainer1
Unit 26 Kimberley Court, Kimberley Road, LONDON, NW6 7SL
tel 020 7624 4844; fax 020 7264 4840; web www.trainer1.com

7th May 2008

Neil Lasher advises the Open University on instructional design

Instructional design (ID) specialist, Neil Lasher, is conducting a series of courses in ID techniques for the Open University (OU)’s editorial staff and design team, which includes people who are creating the OU’s e-learning materials.

Traditionally, OU lecturers and other subject matter experts have created curricula and courses and then the OU’s editorial designers have produced the resulting learning materials. These materials have been largely paper and DVD-based - with documents, pdfs and video forming significant proportions of the OU’s e-learning materials.

Having decided that it needs to use good practice - as well as more creative use - of e-learning materials, the OU approached Neil Lasher, managing director of independent e-learning specialists Trainer1 and author of the UVID model and ‘A list’ ID rules. Lasher has developed a series of three ‘learning events’ for some 45 of the OU’s staff, based at the OU’s headquarters in Milton Keynes, who are involved in the project management, editing, design and development of the OU’s learning materials.

"These learning events deal with both traditional and the new views on ID and ID techniques," Lasher explained. "They aim to help these OU editors, designers and developers to create learning materials that further enhance the learning experience - especially when that learning is developed via e-learning.

"The OU is one of the leaders in the field of distance learning. This project is one of the ways in which they can keep this position in the market and provide increasingly rich learning experiences for their students - including taking e-learning to a new level of increased learning effectiveness."

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Notes for Editors:

About Trainer1

Trainer1 is an independent e-learning specialist and creator of sophisticated courseware for learning, with a long experience in computer delivered learning. In particular, Trainer1 has developed, supplies and supports:

• Authoring tools - for the creation of content, meeting SCORM, AICC, LRN, XML, and QTI standards. 

• Learning and Knowledge Management tools - for the management and distribution of content, including accreditation and reporting of data within existing databases. 

• Delivery systems for workflow learning - CSL. 

• Tools and libraries to create multimedia content, including image editors, easy to use Flash production tools, libraries of sound, graphics and animation. 

• Specialist training events to assist trainers become self sufficient in e-learning design and production. 

• Development services in the creation and maintenance of learning content.
  

Trainer1's client list includes major corporates such as ABN AMRO, Alliance & Leicester, Kraft Foods, Mitsubishi Corporation, Specsavers and Camelot, along with public sector clients including the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Department for International Development, Kings College Hospital, the Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability and many local authorities. 

Trainer1 is privately owned and remains a small, friendly company providing high quality product combined with personal service to Blue Chip Companies, as well as small and medium sized enterprises. Trainer1 is a member of many e-learning organisations and works with standards bodies to ensure technology is meeting the needs of users worldwide, as well as the guidelines determined by the governing groups in the e-learning industry.

Further information from:

Trainer1 Offices and HQ located at 26 Kimberley Court, Kimberley Road, London NW6 7SL
USA Satellite office is located at Trainer1 House, 331 Little Creek Drive, Nazareth, PA 18064
Neil Lasher, Trainer1, +44 (0) 20 7624 4844

From USA: 1-888-4T1-4CSL (1-888-481-4275); www.trainer1.com

Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0) 1727 860405