Q: I'd like to know about how to integrate automation in my virtual classroom. Do you know any tools that help you to create connections between your apps and automate repetitive tasks?

A: Check out the collaborative education tool Teamie - a cloud-based collaborative learning platform. "Use any of Zapier's 500+ connected apps to bring robust information right into your Teamie classrooms, such as articles from a RSS feed, videos from YouTube or Vimeo, and from social sources like tweets and Tumblr posts. You can even use native Zapier apps like Schedule to create specific posts each week in Teamie, or our Weather app to let your classroom know if it's going to rain on any given day." (Retrieved from Alison Groves' post) There are many tools that connect apps and services. Zapier is just one of them. Watch this video about Zapier in action. The article in a PC magazine provides a comparison with similar tools. I guess it is time to try Zaptier for my blog!

Q: I am looking for software to add simulations to my online course. The course has been developed as an outcome of the grant proposal and there is some funding left. Is it something on a market with reasonable budget?

A: I want to share what I learned at the ICELW conference about simulations. There is a SkillSims tool: http://www.etu.ie/

It takes ETU 6 days to create a complex branching simulation with images and audio (10 min. simulation) vs 45 days (Chapman Alliance). It is cloud-based service.

Here is a brief description of ETU's process:

So how our process works just to give you an idea is we do the following

1. Initial Web Conference Call (1hr) - (Attendees: Key Decision Makers)

If you would like to proceed, we can pick an initial project to focus on at this point

2. Deep Dive (1:30hrs - 2hrs) - Key Project Stake Holder, SME's or Instructional Designers 

Alternatively, we could pick a project at this point.

Where we have found more successful collaboration is if we pick an project after the initial 1hr web conference call.