Top eLearning Tools - - Survey Results

The Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies, in Somerset, England has an ongoing survey in which they are asking eLearning professionals to list their "Top 10 Tools." This is being compiled in a Top 100 Tools website.

Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in the list. First, I was surprised to see Firefox topping the list and Google Search in the #3 spot, and wondered how people are using Firefox and Google Search in their teaching assignments. I was also surprised to see and Microsoft Word on the list, but then realized that these are not Web 2.0 tools.

However, when you click on the tool to see the comments made by the respondents, you quickly learn that these are actually the Top 10 personal productivity tools of the respondents. In that sense, I basically agree with the list. It is not, however, as useful readers of this blog as I had initially hoped. Though, it does give some insight into the views of the eLearning and tech support people that those of us who are teaching online occasionally come into contact with.

AND - The survey is still open so you can add your own votes and comments on your "Top 10 Tools." So go to the Top 100 Tools list and cast your votes.

Below is a list of the top 15 tools (as of when I am posting this blog, it will likely change over time). I have highlighted in Bold/Red the ones that I consider the most obvious teaching tools that you can build an online class assignments around. (This does not include tools where you are just teaching students how to use the technology, like Powerpoint, Word, Audacity and others would be.)

1 Firefox
2 del.icio.us
3 Google Search
4 Gmail
5 Google Reader + Skype
7 PowerPoint
8 Blogger + WordPress
10 Bloglines
11 Google Docs & Spreadsheets
12 Word
13 iGoogle + Audacity
15 Dreamweaver + flickr + Ning + Wikispace