About the Authors
Michael Allen
Michael Allen, PhD, is a recognized leader in e-learning. He has made career-long contributions by inventing and sharing effective interactive multimedia learning strategies and authoring tools. He has nearly 45 years of professional, academic, and corporate experience in teaching, developing, and marketing interactive learning and performance support systems; and he has led teams of doctorate-level specialists in learning research, instructional design, computer-based training, and human engineering. For decades, he has concentrated on defining unique methods of instructional design and development that provide meaningful and memorable learning experiences through “true” cognitive interactivity. He shares his insights through his writing, speaking, seminars, and examples. He is now, once again, developing software to ease the development of excellent learning experiences and help children creatively express “what they know.”
In May 2011, he received ASTD's Distinguished Contribution to Workplace Learning and Performance Award. In May 2012, Allen was selected by The National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) Advisory Committee as a recipient of the 2012 Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Allen is currently chairman & CEO of Allen Interactions Inc. His clients include the most known and respected public corporations and professional associations.
Allen was the director of advanced educational systems research and development of Control Data Corporation's famous PLATO computer-based education system used around the world. He was the founder, and former chairman of Authorware, Inc. and also the primary architect of Authorware Professional, which was based on Allen's extensive research on creativity and creative problem-solving. It became a groundbreaking authoring tool combining power and ease of use, and ultimately the industry standard. Authorware, Inc. merged with Macromind/Paracomp to become Macromedia, which was later acquired by Adobe.
Allen is once again determined to conquer the perplexing idiosyncrasies and complexities of interactive media so that all people can share their knowledge, experience, and insights through it. Just now coming on the market is ZebraZapps—a revolutionary cloud-based authoring and publishing platform that allows anyone to create and deploy compelling interactive multimedia in a way that nothing else can. In fact, experiments have shown that 10-year-olds can create media-rich interactive applications as homework that demonstrate what they know. Even high-end programmers cannot program such applications in the time children can build them with Zebra.
His first book, Michael Allen's Guide to e-Learning: Building Interactive, Fun, and Effective Learning Programs for Any Company, has been praised by industry experts as the e-learning textbook that everyone, from beginners to experts, must have. It is the primary text for ASTD's e-learning design certificate programs and countless other programs worldwide. The Guide served as the jumping off point for Michael Allen's e-Learning Series, a six-volume series covering a range of topics with three books currently complete. Michael Allen also serves as editor of Michael Allen's e-Learning Annuals series, which has been noted as a “phenomenal resource” for scholars and practitioners alike, carrying up-to-date controversies from renowned experts.
Allen holds MA and PhD degrees in educational psychology from The Ohio State University. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine and is working in association with the university and the National Institutes of Health to develop interactive interventions to reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS.
Richard Sites
Richard H. Sites, EdD, has spent the past 15 years designing and implementing web-based training and tools to support improved workplace performance. His efforts have been in both academia and private industry, including working with many Fortune 500 companies. He is Vice President of Client Services for Allen Interactions Inc., where he is responsible for promoting value-driven consulting and design throughout all Allen Interactions partnerships.
Before joining Allen Interactions, Richard held a faculty position and served as the director of the Educator Performance Institute at the University of West Florida. Richard was the lead designer of a nationally marketed web-based training system to support educators with the design of standards-based instruction. In addition to his e-learning experience, Richard's 15 years of instructional experience have been focused on high quality e-learning, including the design and development of various nationally recognized educator training products, teaching graduate courses in instructional design and media, and speeches at national and regional educational conferences.
Richard earned a doctorate of education in curriculum and instruction, specializing in instructional technology, from the University of West Florida. His doctoral research focused on the design of a model for scaffolding in a web-based performance support system. Richard also earned a master's of education and a bachelor's of business administration.
About Allen Interactions
Allen Interactions has pioneered the e-learning industry since the first authoring tools were developed in 1985. The company was founded by CEO, Michael Allen, and associates in 1993 to assist multimedia professionals in building engaging interactive learning solutions. On the leading edge for two decades, they have invented and reinvented the most powerful learning paradigms, cost-effective tools, and successful creative processes in the industry.
Allen Interactions specialties include e-learning, blended learning, and a wide variety of technology-enabled solutions customized for specific performance improvement. Other services include consulting and training services, and tool and software development. Their award-winning custom design and development services have been commissioned by Apple, American Express, Bank of America, Boston Scientific, Comcast, Delta Air Lines, Disney, Ecolab, Essilor, Hilton, HSBC, IBM, Medtronic, Merck, Microsoft, Motorola, Nextel, UPS, Travelocity, and hundreds of other leading corporations.
Allen Interactions is home to the revolutionary new authoring system called ZebraZapps. Another remarkable vision of Allen, ZebraZapps is a cloud-based authoring system that gives anyone, from experienced developers to children, the ability to create rich interactive media applications, quickly and easily. Applications created with ZebraZapps can be shared, published, and even sold in the online shops. From concept to creation, ZebraZapps provides a fun, fast, what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) interface.
Allen Interactions has offices across the country, with corporate headquarters in Minnesota. They can be reached at alleninteractions.com or by phone at (800) 799-6280.