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 UNK Ektron Video Tutorials
  UNK Ektron Video Tutorials

When I implemented the switch to the Ektron CMS at the University of Nebraska at Kearney there were many aspects of the conversion that needed to be addressed. The system implementation, user management, template design and folder structures were all covered. After the system was installed we had one large hurdle remaining: user training.

At the time Ektron was installed there were around 50 "Pagemasters" that were responsible for the content of their departmental website. Many had no formal web experience or were only familiar with the basics of programs such as Microsoft FrontPage. As the Ektron system is based around a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWIG) editor the learning curve for page updates was lower than that for full-fledged HTML editors. Even so, training was needed for each of the Pagemasters before they could begin work.

I began with the information available in the 500+ page Ektron User's Manual and created my own training guide (PDF) to cover the basics needed to create or update a page on UNK's website. Once the guide was completed I began training with small groups in a computer lab. While this was the preferred method for first-time Ektron users, I quickly found that a video repository would be perfect for people to use as a review or for self-starters to use as a replacement for the face-to-face training.

The final result was a series of screen-capture videos broken into several general sections that could be viewed in sequence or independently as a refresher. The videos are all Flash-based and run through the JW FLV Player in order to provide playlist options. An advanced series was created for online form development in much the same way.

   

"Simpler is better."

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