The Gordon Ramsay of eLearning

Reflections on DevLearn 2011 - A Review of a Monumental Learning Event

2011-11-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

Once again DevLearn has come...

And once again, it has gone.

I can say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that in my three years of attending, this has been my absolute favorite. Now, true, it might be partly because I didn't have to present this year (always a bonus), but there's a lot more to it than that.

This year, I felt a certain level of 'establishment' in the industry I haven't felt till now. Folks who, admittedly, intimidated me a bit (@janebozarth, @LearnNuggets, @cp4tl, just to name a few) definitely made me feel massively unsure of myself. Not through anything they did, mind you - it was because of their vast expertise in the field, incredible thoughts, ideas, and writings, and their position in the industry.

No, this year, I felt like I came into my own...like I arrived. True, in my sessions I felt like I had bigger, better ideas than years past and brought more to the discussion than I previously have...but what really cemented it for me this year was #lrnchat in person. Being around a likeminded groups of, who I would consider to be, icons in the industry (folks above, plus @cammybean, @bschlenker, @LnDDave, and @Aaronesilvers) made me realize one majorly important thing, all through the magic of Social Media (and, in essence, Learning):

I might actually know what the hell I'm talking about.

(As Andre the Giant said in The Princess Bride: "Don't worry...I won't let it go to my head."

So, with the warm and fuzzy feel good retrospective over and done with, let's get down to business. I might know what the hell I'm talking about, but...well, what the hell did I learn? As I have in years past, I've selected three words to segment my takeaways into. For DevLearn 2011, they are SOCIAL, PRACTICAL, and KAKU (<-- the fanboy emerges). Let's get started...

SOCIAL - Another Year of We Being Smarter Than Me
With many folks presenting on a variety of Social topics, I will absolutely admit that @janebozarth's presentation is what spurred me forward to create an entire section on this vast topic (even edging out @jaycross' influence on my thinking...that's saying something). Imagine my surprise, as well, that, upon my return to my place of employment, the 'Internal Social Media' system that they had been discussing for so long was up and running...what timing! The usage rate, however, of this new system hasn't exactly taken off, so what's one to do?

Well, Steve Yacovelli, in his session, provided a phenomenal idea to push it forward. Improve the attitudes toward both eLearning and Social Learning by increasing three areas: PC Competence, Attitudes towards eLearning, and Attitudes towards Computers (in general). Seems simple enough, but how many of us in the know carry the 'curse of knowledge'? We think that, because something is simple to us, that what we perceive to be a simple explanation is adequate. Problem is, if you think your explanation is simple enough for the lay person, it might be based on your heightened understanding of the topic at hand. As Steve quoted "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." (Einstein) That's one that's going to stick with me for a while...truly appreciated. And in explaining in such a fashion, you will turn your Social and eLearning foes into supporters!

Another point of knowledge came from the, IMHO, legendary @jaycross. Simply put, "People need to be happy to learn." Don't get me wrong - we're not talking about handing out anti-depressants or shots of Patron during class/the workday. Instead, people need to feel trulyhappy to learn. We talked about motivators, such as money and the like, then Jay revealed a scale (top 10 style) of what makes people happy. Imagine our collective "no S" when the #1 item on the list was sex. Of course it was. But in close second wasn't money...it wasn't a lot of things I thought it would be. It was Conversation as Part of Work. Wow. Simply put - If you ever needed a leveraging platform to get that Social Media/Learning idea across to your powers-that-be...there you have it.

Yet another item, part of the Curation keynote by Rosenbaum, was the following fact (and the follow-up to said fact). "Between the dawn of civilization and the year 2003, 5 exabytes of data was created. We now create that much information every two days." Now, if that doesn't put your head on tilt, you're numb from the neck up. That is, quite literally, a staggering statistic. But just think - In that much information, how much of it is garbage? How much of it is false? A good amount, to be sure, and that's why Rosenbaum suggested to the crowd in attendance that it is now CRUCIAL for those of us in the industry of learning and knowledge transfer to not only distribute the information...make it available...but, also, CURATE that very same information. Be a filter for your learners.

Finally, and you might say I saved the best for last, @janebozarth gave me a mindbomb that gave me a rock solid answer to one of the #lrnchat questions. Social learning...how can you be sure they're engaging...how can you be sure they're using it well, often, and effectively? Simply put: Back the hell up. Back off your employees when it comes to using Social Media for Social Learning. The more you loom, the less they learn. Plain. Simple. Employees are smart enough on their own...give them their space.

PRACTICAL - Reasonable Practices Yield Profitable Results
Admittedly, the Social section will be the longest, but don't get me wrong - There was more to be learned than just all things social. I took away three solid practical tips that I kind of knew (in some cases), but needed to be reminded of...

My dear, old Captivate...how do I love thee. Well, it depends on the day. BUT, with that said, I was reminded by a colleague presenting (who actually just started using Captivate, so not as jaded as me) that "Captivate, if used intelligently, CAN do it all." Having worked with it since the days of RoboDemo, honestly - that's an eaasy one to forget. But when I step back and really think about it, Captivate has become the PowerPoint of 10 years ago. When I was student teaching, I can remember using PowerPoint to, what I now know was, create my first stabs at eLearning (as an undergrad, no less). Having been a techie, I knew some tips and tricks that floored people with PPT. I know now that it is likely this predisposition, to use something not for what it was necessarily originally purposed for, that has fueled my longstanding love affair with Captivate. Thanks for the reminder...

One other quick bullet item centered around video. Taking a foray into a different venue in eLearning where I'm still employed, video is now becoming more and more a concern. Imagine my relief when I realized a bank wouldn't have to be broken to accommodate this new requirement, and that it's actually quite doable. In the words of Matas, "A budget video studio is not only doable, but it's professional as well as practical". When I think to the future, and the purchases I may very well have to submit for, I will be eternally grateful for and frantically reviewing the information from this presentation!

Finally, just an item of note: Google Fonts. I had no idea these existed. I can use these. I will use these. True story.

KAKU - or "Dear God Help Me...My Brain Just Melted"
I will be as upfront as possible here: I am a Michio Kaku fanboy. Anything he is on, I watch. Anything he says, I listen. My glee that I experienced being able to see him in person, listen to him speak, and actually meet him, I will likely hold onto for a very long time. One of my colleagues, @ohmar9 (Omar N.), sent me a text or two from another conference about Bill Clinton keynoting at his conference. Given the fact that I saw Dr Kaku, I was okay with that.

Anyway, I say that to say this: I overheard people grumbling that Dr Kaku's presentation wasn't exactly 'learning centered' or was more about technology than learning. Everyone has their own perspective, and I couldn't disagree with these people more. The fact that we are learning professionals leveraging technological platforms to get our message(s) across only speaks even more strongly to the fact that Kaku was not only appropriate, but a genius selection - kudos to eLearning Guild for the right pick.

So, what did I learn? Well, I was reminded that basic education hasn't changed much in 2,000 years (true story). What I had not thought about was that this is why costs for education have EXPLODED...as would happen with anything that resists change so adamantly. It's only when we being to embrace said changes...said technological advancements, that we'll be able to lessen the cost, and make it more accessible for all.

Unlike learning, computer chips, as a device, will cost one cent or less by 2020 (as foretold by Moore's Law). Did you catch that? .01 or less. Imagine what we'll be able to do with that price point...I won't give it all away here (and some is in my recap of his keynote back a couple pages), but trust me...the results will be epic.

Technology-wise, the Internet and computers, in general, will be "Everywhere and Nowhere", just like electricity has become. Think about it: When's the last time you even used the word electricity? We hide cords, power sources, and so on...and, even now, with wireless, we're beginning the 'hiding of' the machine. Just think where it will be - contact lenses, glasses, toilets, walls...it will be EVERYWHERE (and nowhere).

As such, Augmented Reality (AR) will invariably revolutionize the classroom. It will revolutionize life, in general. Think about it: Instead of struglling to remember who someone is, your contact lens will bring up a context sensitive display, based on the person's face you say 'hi' to that provides you with name, phone number, and context in which you know said person. If you are in a foreign country, it will display the translation for the cab driver yelling at you in a foreign tongue. Navigation from point A to point B will be as simple as keeping your eyes open. Of course the pitfalls for learning exist (see: cheating), but if you're not excited about this, you're already one foot in the grave.

Longwindedness Aside, Was It Worth Going?
As I said above, for many reasons, this was the pinnacle of my three conventions attended. It was enriching ('rich', in the words of @ohmar9), it was beneficial, and it was time well spent. Of course I will attend next year (and the year after, etc.), and this time around, I won't stand up @bschlenker for the Ignite! speaking gig.

If you're thinking about going, do it. eLearning Guild puts on an amazing event. I feel lucky to have been able to attend, and fortunate for having spent time with a good number of people who I consider colleagues, peers, and friends.

See you all next year.
SR

Session 610 - What Managers & Executives Need To Know About Social Learning (J Bozarth)

2011-11-03T14:49:00.001-07:00

(Resources at http://www.diigo.com/user/jbo27712/DevLearn11)

Background and a Case Study
Julian Orr embedded himself into a group of copier technicians did a social analysis (ethnography) of the group in 1990, in a small area in California. They were able to chat during the workday, meet for lunch, etc.

The discussion centers around two groups: The engineers/techs and the end users. The engineers and techs were told to stand by the manual. The end users...not so much. Question comes up - What is the difference in how one group treats them versus the other?

So, looking back to the lunch time discussions with the techs, what do you think the discussion centered around? WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS, outside of the manual...they spent a lot of their time discussing workarounds to their static manual.

Were they learning? What lesson is here for management? Whose fault is it that they're not performing as well as they think they should (when adhering to the manual)? Were they social? Were they on Twitter?

Get it? Learning's ALWAYS been social. The other side is, did these techs think they were learners? NO! Learners don't realize when informal learning is going on, and management might have viewed some of the commentary as subversive and/or bitching. Where are learners asking for help from each other? You could say the water cooler, but Jane also suggests a lot of other talk around said cooler revolves around politics, football, etc. We need to focus it a bit more...

Truth: Most Learning Happens Socially
Aside from touching a hot stove and learning the hard way (see: doing stuff), it is, for the most part, truly social. Most of the learning that we do in the workplace is social in some form. employees, however, will see it as fixing a problem...not learning informally. It's like gravity - You only notice when it's NOT there.

Truth: You're Already Doing Social Learning
This is kind of a no brainer, and I get it. A lot of the awesome activities Jane lists, though, I can only dream of getting going within my boundaries. Examples include Case Studies, Icebreakers, Roleplays, etc.

Truth: Social MEDIA helps to enable social LEARNING on a much larger scale
They are NOT interchangable...big mistake to think so.

What if...
We had copier techs in 2011 with a geographically dispersed distribution who were able to chat during the workday...then what? (<-- Solid question) Where is our role in helping talent pools connect? Maybe these people go to an initial training of some kind...but beyond that - what? What do we need to do to help these people connect? How can we help facilitate conversations?

You could go with User Forums, but the employees know they're being watched, there's experts in the group that 'posture up', and so on.

Truth: You don't "implement" social learning
Per Jane Hart, "We cannot force/enforce social learning; we can only help to provide a framework for conversations..." and, per Clark Quinn, "Step back." It's kind of like trying to convince a kid they're having fun when they're really not. You can't force a 'community'...they're going to find themselves and arrange accordingly.

Per Pastoors, when people are left alone to congregate, members are energized, and find it fun, worthwhile. They enjoyed each other's company, generating artifacts, ideas, and so on. She found that, when they were forced, the EXACT opposite happened - The perception was that it was more work, employees were unwilling to spend more time, there was no ownership, it was more like a *gasp* meeting.

"You manage a group. You nurture a community."

Measures of Social Learning Events
There are a lot of things you can measure...obviously. Things you can measure, count, and so on. What you measure is what you get, so measure what matters. IBM has extensive social tools in place, which have reduced the time and costs associated with onboarding. Ford has eliminated hundreds of help calls @ $12 each through use of a customer populated forum. Ace Hardware had a 500% ROI on new social profile system in 6 months from connecting expertise among franchise owners.

How much time in traditional classes do we devote to discussion, collaboration, and sharing? Enough...so why do we do it? We believe that they learn better from each other, it gives them a chance to talk to each other, discover with one another, etc.

(Admittedly, Jane started going down the path of Twitter, and I got sucked in. Suffice it to say, if you're not on it, get on it. If you are on it, use it. If you use it, use it more. The end.)

Build relationships. Leverage relationships. Use them at the right time. Fact.

What To Do
- Pay more attention to what's already happening
- Ask for stories and self-reports
- Listen. Think about the # of closed tickets metric.
- Help people connect.
- Look for a problem to solve.
- Set up a process -- then STEP BACK. (Clark Quinn @quinnovator)

Summary
Too many quotes to even reference, but suffice it to say, read this account from top to bottom and you might scratch the surface. Measure what matters, then use the measurements to take back to your management to get Social Learning and Social Media (not the same) implemented (more than it is already). (Ex: 4 minute turnaround on the visually impaired fix on WebEx).

I'm not on Twitter as much as I maybe should be. I recognize this. I've followed Jane since 2009. To think about what I've missed out on is damn near heartwrenching. Jane, if you read this - I stand in awe of your absolute and utter WINNING. This was phenomenal.

Session F5 - Knowledge in the 21st Century...You Should Know Better (J Cross)

2011-11-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

What knowledge really is is different than what it used to be...

Brent called Jay two months ago, and let Jay know he was going to present: Knowledge. Jay responded with a WTF, which means 'Welcome to Facebook' *wink*. But what is knowledge? Is it the tree of knowledge, is it knowledge from books, is it a powertrip that postures one over another, is it academia?

The dictionary tells that Knowledge is an acquaintance of facts...nope.

Verna Allee writes, in The Future of Knowledge, that Now it is important for managers to work deliberately to improce the quality of knowledge and learning as it is to improve the quality of products and services. Getting there...

Knowledge is not the stuff that's in our heads. Ten years ago, people would have said that knowledge is this magic stuff that you pick up and transfer somehow, and it goes to your head. What's really important, though, is our Shared Concentral Intelligence...THAT's what knowledge really is.

According to Jay, Knowledge is the precursor to action. It's sort of like, in physics, where an object is at rest, and I expend some energy to move it, now it has potential energy. Knowledge is potential action. If the knowledge doesn't lead to action, either it wasn't knowledge or I don't really give a damn about it anyway.

The way change affects things, knowledge obsoletes itself rapidly. During the time we've been in Vegas, more knowledge has been generated than from the dawn of man to 2003. Insane...

What kind of knowledge creation is appropriate for this new world? First, we all MUST be leaders. Everyone must run the ship, because the ship's in rough waters these days. People need to link arms and think 'groups/teams' rather than just one learner. It occurred to Jay that he was crossing over into something he'd already been working on - Unmanagement.

Unmanagement
Last century management practices include One to One email, Information hoarding, budgets, deadlines, plans, rules, training, individual producer, annual reviews, job descriptions/job, and carrot on a stick motivation.

Unmanagement = BLT - Business, Leader, Team

Business
Delight customers, Rapid cycles, Embrace change, Make mistakes, Reflect

Leader
Take stock, Take charge, Coach, Conduct, De-stress

Team
Sprint, Decide, Net-work, Motivate/happy, Converse

(Cue the United Airlines Breaks Guitars video...CLASSIC.)

Happiness
You would think that money would make people happy. You would be wrong.

And happiness is, ultimately, a driver behind performance. A recent study ranked activities from Happiest to Least Happy as the following:

Having sex
Conversation/Work
Music
walking
Eating
Meditating
Cooking
Shopping
Taking Care of the Children
Going to Work
Work

(Look at how far up Conversation/Work appears...that conversation AS PART OF work is EXTREMELY important!)

Summary
Management practices have more than certainly become antiquated, and we need new lines of thinking to motivate people. The thought that money motivates is WAY outdated, and the fact that workplace conversation is as valuable as it is...that's telling. Jay is, for sure, one of the most innovative human beings I've ever gotten to listen to...definitely time well spent (not that there was any doubt).

(SIDE NOTE - Yammer is Twitter, but allows you to filter users by corporate email...useful.)

Session 403 - A Better Understanding of Learners Leads to Better eLearning Design (S Yacovelli)

2011-11-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Gives a back story on a cruise line he used to work for, and how he was asked to implement ASP via CBT. Proceeds to tell how his assistant printed out a ream of paper printing out the 'stupid e-learning'. Then, weeks later, on a cruise ship with many, MANY internationals, he realized some people didn't even know what a mouse was...

(Boy, have I been there...shared my story of a certain ex-student...)

Overall - How can you measure and benchmark your students' attitudes towards eLearning, technology, etc.?

Three Major Issues That Makes This All Important

1.) Success of learners - Low Competence = Low Attitude

2.) Organizational Savings - Technology enabled learning saves money.

3.) Cultural Readiness - If your people aren't ready for it, as a culture, it's going to flop.

The Regan CCABS & Some Studies
In 2009, 27.7% of all formal learning hours made available were online - an increase from 23.1% in 2008. New forms of instruction are not replacing classroom learning, but rather supplement and shape such learning.

This test had 131 items, 6 pages, and several scales in one easy analysis. Has several foci:

1.) Self-Reported Computer Competence (What do you know about computers?) - People have no reason to lie on this question. There are no ramifications for lack of technological knowledge. It also helpe to uncover some attitudes...
2.) Attitudes Toward Computers (How does the learner feel about Computers?)
3.) Attitudes Toward e-Learning (How does the learner feel about eLearning?)

Version 2.0 of the model was boiled down to just 30 items, 2 pages, and 1 scale. Consolidation FTW.

Three Studies Looking at Attitudes and Competence
1.) Initial Pilot Study (2005) - 66% of participants have taken "e" course (N=144, 27 organizations, 50/50 male/female split, but 95% were between 30-44). Self-reported PC skills, attitudes about eLearning and technology were all high, with higher scores for Self-Reported PC Skills coming from the male demo. But this also displays that age is irrelevant.

2.) Technology Company Study (2009) - 78% had taken an e course (N=127, 1 org, 60/40 M/F split, 76% b/t 25-44). 61% of audience considered themselves computer experts (duh). 96% had high attitudes about technology, BUT 94% had an "eh" attitude towards eLearning. Interesting...

3.) K-12 Teacher Study (2011) - (N=273, 36/64 M/F, 62% b/t 30-54) Science teachers had the highest self-reported PC skills, seconded by Math, and finally Lit/English. 50% considered themselves PC Experts, BUT again...74% were 'eh' eLearning Users.

Q: From these studies, what would you take away?

Q: What are some ways you can find out what your learners' attitudes and computer competence are? Tons of options, obviously...

How Can I Find Out What My Learners Think?

And, what's more, how can we increase their 'station' on the scale (from Foe to Friend). Our small group brainstormed the following:

PC Competence
- One on one training sessions
- Extrinsic motivators (cash, credit, etc.)
- Performance affector (directly affects their performance review)
- Fun/gamification
- Multiple venues/channels/etc.
- Support System/Help Desk in place AND appropriate (no ID10T errors)
- Resources/Knowledge Bank
- Focus groups based on ability/acuity/attitude

Attitude towards Computers
- Mentor system (buddy up with a champion)
- Historical perspective (show them where it's come from and why it's important)
- Illustration of benefit to the user (WWIFM)
- Illustrate how user use computers beyond the job
- Case studies of people at the same level (and how interacting with tech changed things)
- Show them they can do it/Foster the people
- Chunking of tasks based on acuity

Attitude towards eLearning
- Historical education
- Identify eLearning as the "New Wave" - Onsite course enrollments are on the decline...
- It's no longer a fad
- Portable, async, etc. - The benefits
- Analysis of impact - show the numbers, and management support follows

Summary
Some awesome ideas came out as to how to move foes to friends. "If you can't explain it simplay, you don't understand it well enough." - Einstein. We should always be able to explain it simply, to assist the foes in becoming friends. Great stuff, great session...

Thursday Keynote - The Future of Learning is Context (S Rosenbaum)

2011-11-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

How many of you checked your email before your first cup of coffee? (90% of hands raise)
One year ago, Steve asked the same question, and only about 30% of hands raised. Just an initial example of just how much things have changed...

The job we have is not to get more information to our audience, but less...interesting.

"Between the dawn of civilization through 2003, 5 exabytes of data was created. We now create that much information every two days."

The fact that we collectively know this proves that something has changed in society, business, and knowledge. Thinking about what this means to our end users: If you went to your favorite restaurant and wanted to order what makes you most happy, and the restaurant said instead of what you wanted, we're going to serve you everything on the menu and you must eat it before you leave...how would that feel? THAT's what's happening with information right now.

In march 2010, 24 hours of video was being uploaded to YouTube per minute. One year later, 48 hours per minute. So when someone says "We'll put it on YouTube...everyone will see it", you can call BS. It's happening, and it's happening QUICKLY...

The US is 6th in the world for Internet Usage, behind countries like Nigeria and Iran. Whoa...

Long way around, the point of this keynote is this: There's A LOT of stuff out there...it's hard to organize all of it.

Say Goodbye To Search
We've all googled ourselves at one time or another...he he he.

But, seriously, if we Google ourselves, we'll get some results that are us, but A LOT that are not: Men will result women, women/men, dogs, etc...it comes down to the amount of crap that's out there. So how do we search?

Go to Facebook...find the mutual friend...basically, reverse engineer the search process.

Say Hello To Curation
Let's say you're making a cookbook, and you have to put together a set of images of a healthy set of meals. They're cohesive, they're colorful, they look awesome. Now, you want to do a page of desserts...same thing. But how would a computer know how to identify pictures of pasta and pictures of dessert as coherent?

Steve ran a search for "Picture of a Pussy cat and a Man"...

...let's just say he didn't get the result he was looking for.

But it proves a point...Content is still king, but it is now increasingly being created by everyone, and it needs Curation to STAY king.

Curation is King
Publishers are positioned to lead curated web content. In a world where information is being developed at breakneck speed, it CAN NOT be "our" job to filter through all the garbage. Publishers are people that find information and broadcast it. Damn...looks like we're all publishers (Steve cites that retweeting is, technically, publishing).

The frozen asset in each of our organizations is getting the information we need from our colleagues and sorting through it all. But, again, we are ALL publishers.

The world needs thoughtful filters. (<-- not revolutionary, but...wow)

Curation - 3 Powerful Ideas
1.) Choose Your Digital Clothing
This morning, we got up, and picked what we're going to wear, based on what we're doing today and what we want to present to the world. Every day now, too, we are all picking our Digital Clothing. What's that mean? Simple - As Steve puts it, he reads 4-500 Tweets a day. How many does he re-tweet? 5-10....tops. Become the filter that does not exist. (BRILLIANT)

2.) Listening is More Powerful Than Speaking
You should ABSOLUTELY have news alerts, etc. for the organization you work for, things you are interested in, and so on.

3.) In a Noisy World, Readers Hunger for Clarity
Your visitors will make content for you, based on your listening.

What Is Your Curation Equation?
1.) Define quality for your readers. Pretty simple...
2.) Context is key - Always publish things contexutally. It is critically important that your readers know the information you recommend, but why, contextually, it matters.
3.) Well curated sites tell a story. If you publish information without some kind of story behind it, readers/learners will slowly start to float away. You need a larger narrative.
4.) Have a theme and embrace it.

The volume of information that we're all responsible for managing isn't going to slow down anytime soon. Today, we're all creators, and this creates and amazing/scary opportunity for all of us.

The Web Becomes a Human Network
It's not Facebook.
It's not Google.
It's not Apple.

It's us.

Summary
That closing statement pretty much said it. It's something that I think we started to know with Web 2.0, but hearing it in such stark terms is heavy.

Session 304 - Beyond Software Simulation: Using Captivate to Create Immersive Learning Experiences (Jan Gray)

2011-11-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

Jan Gray works for Blood Systems, the second largest supplier of blood products in the country.

She's a self professed geek and likes to see what can be done with software that people don't think should be possible. I might just like this...

Background on blood products - Regulated by the FDA, just like Pharma. A whole lot of acronyms just got fired out at me...my head is awash in acronymania. One to note, though, is GMP = Good Manufacturing Practices. The existing GMP Training Program was, according to Jan, a 'snoozer'. Her manager, while taking it harshly, agreed.

Jan volunteered to re-do the program, and so they devised a training program called "Blood and Order", where AB Junior was on trial to find out whether or not he was effective. Once Jan re-did this program, though, her boss wanted her to re-do more.

She's in the same boat that we are - the word G A M E cannot exist. And Jan agrees that Captivate is far better than Articulate. I love this woman.

Working in Captivate 5 on screen, she publishes the GMP course. She used Google Sketch Up to create the images in the project. Rock solid, and I had no idea this existed. One concept I'm seeing, though, is that even showing a 2d map can be considered immersive based on its delivery. Jan also used an avatar in the project...I've been on the fence for years on this...whether it would add anything to what we do or not. I think it's still situational, but the more I see it, the more I'm persuaded towards the benefit.

"Jan, why did you choose to use a rendered avatar instead of an actual person being videoed?"
"Because it was cool." (Jan rules)

Widgets in Cap 5 seem extremely useful. For example, the Notepad allows someone to enter a notepad and take notes while in a module. Several other widget driven interactions are shown...some remarkable, some not so much.

(Side note - Widgets from the 3rd party vendor Jan mentioned go for no more than 35 bucks...pretty cool, given some of the improvements on Adobe's stock interactions.)

I think the overall vibe I'm picking up on here is something I've known about Captivate for a long time - given what you get...a software simulation program...you can do a hell of a lot more. Even given the stock interactions you get with Cap, it's possible to make some pseudo-immersive actions and interactions. She goes on to illustrate many more aspects of her project, but all in all, that's it for me...something I've known:

Captivate, if used intelligently, CAN do it all.

Session 205 - Video Studio on a Budget (E Matas/S Jain)

2011-11-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

(As we've recently come across some grant funded clinical education CBT opportunities, this one rings very near and very dear, not to something that we need right now, but to something we might need soon...)

All equipment referenced today available at http://setupmystudio.eodco.com

Background: Jain came to Matas when Matas' team was about to go over budget on video production and provided a solution.

THREE PARTS TO THIS PRESENTATION

Prosumer
Halfway between professional and consumer.

What does not knowing cost you?
What you don't know, let's say, about setting up a shoot costs a hell of a lot more in post-production.

Start with the fun
Just like when learning a language, the curse words are fun to learn, when it comes to video, it's important to focus on some of the more fun aspects (B-Roll).

(Okay...the video was OUT OF CONTROL. We got that B-Roll...hell yeah you do...)

*ahem*

Here's the relationship between Matas and Jain:

Matas: Me and Google, Over Budget, Decent equipment, Production Nightmares
Jain: Consultant, Under Budget, Prosumer equipment, Production Delights

And with that background, Shonit (Jain) takes the floor...

Why an in-house studio?
- Control of content
- Access to raw footage
- Cost effective
- Faster turnaround
- Brand and Image Focus
(Pretty convincing...)

Shonit shows a studio map. Subject should be front and center, with background behind. Lighting lights subject, and back lights project green light to assist with green screening. Pretty basic, but pretty genius all at the same time.

Brief 3 minute video shown of how long it actually takes to set up a studio. 180 seconds...amazing stuff.

Cameras
Canon XF100 is the standard, per Shonit. Additionally, a Manfrotto Video Kit Tripod and 2 16GB Compact Flash Cards (600x), and you're set camera-wise. The camera is expensive, comparatively, but it assists in the green screen so it's justified.
(About $4000)

Lighting
Recommends Ikan ID 500LED 3-Light Kit (+ reflector kit). Price comes in at 1700, which seems a lot, but consider - LEDs are cool and live forever.
($1700)

Audio
Rhodes Shotgun Microphone and Boompole
Audio Technical Lavaliere Microphone
Zoom H1 Package with Accessories
(All comes down to about $600)

Studio Equipment
Reflecmedia Lite Standard Bundle Kit (glass screen)
Impact Background Support
(Comes in at around $1600 total)

Post Production (Mac)
Macbook Pro 15 Inch (Plus)
Final Cut X
Adobe Production Premium
(Total weighs in at around $3800)

Post Production (PC)
PC (with up to date specs)
Adobe Production Premium
(About $2900)

Archiving
On any project, even a little 5 minute one, total footage can go up to 100s of GB. What Shonit recommends is getting away from buying external hard drives at $170 a clip, and going towards buying an External Hard Drive enclosure and buying individual hard drives (at about 90 bucks per TB of storage).

Summary
Definitely interesting information that I'll use. I'm hoping there's opportunities to use this advice and move forward with our opportunities that we're starting to court, but I suppose we'll have to wait and see. Great job by Matas and Jain!!!

Session 103 - A Non-Graphic Designer's Guide to Good-Looking Learning (M Harter)

2011-11-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

(I'm attempting to blog this from the hallway...bear with me...)

Presenter gives a three tier overview of tools for doing just what the session is titled:

1.) clipart
2.) pen tool
3.) fonts

Went on to demonstrate a brief overview of Adobe (which I'll always remember as Macromedia) Fireworks and how it can be utilized to augment images in a project. Proceeds to demonstrate how to use the magnetic lasso and how to convert the selection line to a marquee.

Demonstrates how Microsoft "Clip Art" is no longer that, rather it's "Microsoft Office Images", and how they kinda/sorta ripped off sites like iStock and so on. Have to agree there, but isn't that what Microsoft has done best over the years? Just sayin...

(Potential side note here - I'm not sure how much time we really needed to spend on searching for images on MS Office Images...)

Excellent point to bring up - The Ungroup feature when dealing with illustrations from MSOO...it allows you to 'pick apart' different pieces. The example he used was perfect - Military woman on a background with clouds...he wanted the clouds. Right click --> Ungroup, then take all the pieces from the soldier off until you're left with the...you guessed it: Clouds. Solid, solid tip for the novice to the intermediate (who maybe doesn't use PowerPoint all that terribly often).

Fonts
Google Fonts has hundreds of free, open source fonts optimized for the web. Who knew? (I guess I have a new option whenever I want some new fonts). What's more, there's an instant code generator, co you can copy/paste right into your HTML file...kind of a big deal. Goes on to show how to drop a Font file into your Font directory...no so much a big deal.

Goes into voiceover work...not sure how this fits in here...

...and with that, I'm going to pack it in. Onto the next one...

Keynote "Physics of the Future" - Dr Michio Kaku

2011-11-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

One of the 100 smartest people ont he planet...so ready for this,...

As far as predictions go, he cites that years ago, a prediction was made that the Internet would be a center of culture and enrichment. Today it's 5% porn. He cites that that's because it's young boys and men logging on. Just wait - when it's grandma and grandpa logging on, it'll be 50% porn...funny stuff.

"Sometimes we scientists have to know when to keep their mouths shut..."

Education hasn't changed much in 2,000 years...

College costs rise faster than inflation because machines and automation have reduced costs everywhere, except in education.

Moore's Law comes into play: Computer power doubles every 18 months. At this point, the future can be reasonably predicted out to 2020. Example: Birthday cards that, when you open, play music? The chip in that card would have had more computing power than all the Allied Forces from World War II.

Whoa.

By 2020, chips may cost a penny. Millions of chips will be scattered into our world. The computer, in 2020, will be everywhere and nowhere. After 2020, post-silicon era - Quantum computing, Artifical Intelligence, Jobs, and Society. The computer will disappear...

Same as electricity...no one uses that word anymore. And yet, it's everywhere, and nowhere.

The Internet will be everywhere, and nowhere. The Internet will be in your glasses. Facial recognition with profile information based on a person's face. How many times have you forgotten who someone is...unbelievable. The glasses will span the language barrier, as well, translating to and from communicator to communicator.

Technology disappears when it becomes most prevalent. Unbelievably deep...

In the future, when you want to get on the internet, you will blink. This is Augmented Reality.

Augmented Reality
Everytime you see something, with augmented reality, you will also see an explanation (think Terminator). Information in all shapes and sizes will soon appear. In the future, there will be a continuum from wristwatch to wall screen. Cell phones will have scroll out flexible intelligent screens, so that paper will even be interactive. Wallpaper will be intelligent - don't like it? Reprogram it!

It's the future of medical care, as well - Walk up to a wall, say you want to see a doctor, and eDoctor will appear on your wallpaper. Answers 99% of questions about medical care. eDoctor, eLawyer, and so on...it is the future for ALL things...

In the future, your Living room walls will be living. It will be the entertainment center...literally a 360 degree entertainment system, that is completely interactive. You say "I want to watch Casablanca, but remove Bogart's face and replace it with my own". Done.

And the holodeck...the matrix...it's coming. 3 dimensional simulations of a cyber environment. We will be immersed, completely and absolutely.

(Just as an aside, I'm zoning out here and there listening to him, so some content from his speech has been left out. This may very well be one of the most amazing addresses I've ever listened to...)

Back to the future of medicine - there is now a pill form of a colonoscopy...

I repeat: A pill form colonoscopy.

Camera shrunk down, placed in a chip. Chip is placed in a capsule, and swallowed. You can do so in your very living room. Nano-particles the size of molecules today can locate and even kill cancer cells, in lab experiments. It's been tested!

Diagnosis-wise, your bathroom will have more computer power than today's university computer systems. Your toilet will contain DNA chips 0 able to rapidly scan for cancer from your bathroom. Within minutes you can scan your body for cancer colonies, 10 years before they become a tumor.

Physicists will cure cancer.

Brain-Computer Interface
Stroke victims, rendered completely vegetative, are now able to read email, write email, play video games, and so on...all thanks to brain-computer interface. By wiring computers to the neurologic gateways of the brain, we will be able to control robots with our minds.

Conclusion
- Basic education hasn't changed much in 2,000 years, causing costs to explode.
- Chips will cost a penny by 2020.
- The Internet will be everywhere (even our contact lenses).
- Augmented reality (3D TV, Holodecks, etc.) will revolutionize the classroom.
- Even medicine (surgery, scans, diagnoses) will be done electronically.

Summary
What do I even say? This was absolutely unbelievable...

Kickoff - B Schlenker

2011-11-02T08:36:00.001-07:00

Brent Schlenker, elearning icon that he is, opens up yet another DevLearn with a wonderful speech. Broadly sweeping, it gives you pause as to just what DevLearn is. As Brent puts it: "DevLearn is a lens into the future...the future of learning design, the future of organizations, the future of everything we do." He goes on to reference how DevLearn expands what we do, but that DevLearn allows for DevLearn to expand that much further.

Dev = Management, technology, strategy, learning, enterprise, knowledge, and performance. Basically, everything that we do.

SIRI gets a chance to show off...he asks SIRI to click Next, and he didn't quite get that. He asked again, and SIRI informed that he didn't think Clicking Next was an appropriate design decision. Good man, SIRI...good man.

(Brent...please don't put a picture of Michio Kaku up on the screen and expect me to maintain focus...)

Intro to Dr Kaku and that concludes the opening...thanks, Brent!

T-minus one week...

2011-10-25T11:00:00.001-07:00

DevLearn 2011...

Las Vegas...

What happens in Vegas, stays in your cerebral cortex...

Looking forward to my first DevLearn NOT presenting!!!

Been a long time...

2011-05-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

Once again, let me start with an apology for the lag in posts. Let's just say that when I'm not in conference mode, my input here tends to be a bit sparse.

Things continue to be more of the same from the training angle, but I've just created a new presentation that I've pitched to eLearning Guild...recently submitted for DevLearn 2011 (Vegas, baby!). Should prove very beneficial to those of you who have taken kindly to my 'better, stronger, faster' mentality.

With that said, here's a recap vid from DevLearn 2010 and a promo vid for 2011. If you're thinking of going, check them out (and go). Be sure to keep your eyes open for a handsome, young, well spoken gent...enjoy!

DevLearn 2010 Highlights
http://vimeo.com/23282859

DevLearn 2011 Promo Video
http://vimeo.com/23659143

The Wrap-Up...Much Later Than I'd Intended...

2010-11-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

Back to Life...Back to Reality

Back to the daily grind, back in the swing of things, and sorely missing the whimsical air of the conference, I've finally eeked out a bit of time to reflect on my DevLearn 2010 experience. From a very high level, I'll simply say this: Wow. From the second I arrived, to the moment I left, I had more "Aha" moments than I thought possible. Some feasible, some completely outlandish, but all inspirational. In my time I've spent reflecting on the experience, I've summed up my high-power, hevy-duty takeaways in three words...and those three words are: INFORMAL, SOCIAL, and PULL.

No Shirt, No Tie, No Problem - INFORMAL

Omar Nielsen is not only a good friend, but an inspiration to me in this industry where I find it easy to be jaded and judgmental of others. In a field where we do our own thing, I find him to have an amount of knowledge on training, in general, that I am admittedly jealous of. I like the guy and believe him to be a genius in our field.

*whew* I feel better getting that off my chest. Anyway...

Mr Nielsen was responsible for one of my three takeaway concepts: Keeping learning Informal. Just what does that mean, though? How do you informalize something...anything? You start simple. Plain and simple. Already, I'm finding areas in my organization where the formality of 'must-do' training (not only must do in content, but must-do in method) place pseudo-strangleholds on new and existing users. And last I checked, your times tables become a hell of a lot more difficult when someone has you in a rear naked choke.

This concept, the informal, resonated strongly with me, too, because of the industry I'm in (healthcare). For a long, long time I've held that games have NO place here. None whatsoever...

...but maybe I'm wrong. (Yes, I said it) Maybe, just maybe, if we could lighten things up, make them a bit more competitive (doctors might just be that), maybe we could decrease the formality and increase the retention. All of these are maybes at this point, true...but they're being thought about. And that's a step.

'We' Are Smarter Than 'Me' - SOCIAL

The Annual Gathering back in 09 got me thinking about this, but DevLearn really implanted it deep in my brain and I've been unable to shake myself of it yet. We have Sharepoint, we use Sharepoint...but we're not really USING Sharepoint to the degree that we could. My colleague and I both realize this and, upon my return, really started a mental shakedown of how we've been using it and how we should be using it. Needless to say, we've found some disconnects...

The biggest step forward that I've arrived at in my mind is using it as a 'Facebook-driven' methodology to get users of our EMR closer and in more contact than ever before. We (the programmers, trainers close to the content) know the EMR in a certain fashion...and it's not always the most practical way for purposes of effective usage. They (the end-users...the ones in it every day and night) know it in a similar, but different light. And that bears attention. And by putting these users in contact with each other, a lot could be achieved. More than I care to get into here, but trust me...all you social learning evangelists who have been knocking on my door all these years? YES...I GET IT NOW.

If I Want It, I'll Get It Myself - PULL

Ahh, pull. Such a simple word, but admittedly, before this conference, I never thought of it in relation to Training and Development. Now, however, I will never think of it the same. What an amazing way to spin such a simple word into such a meaningful one, and what a change it's already brought to how I go about business on a daily basis...

One example of it in action, already I might add, is adding a paper-based reference to required courses. Now, the end-user is not required to view this document, but it's there. And guess what? People not only love said document, but are asking for more. It's almost like telling a 3 year old they need a bath...of COURSE theyr'e going to tell you differently. But, if the 3 year old says they WANT a bath, then not only is it the greatest idea ever, but then next time you need to remind them it's time to take one, they're more likely to go along with it. There's unlimited amounts of WIN associated with "The Power of Pull" (<-- see that?), and I'm just beginning to scratch the surface. More to come on that, to be sure...

And That, As They Say, Is That

Not much else to say on the topic. Brent put together a phenomenal event, the speakers and sessions were, in general, awesome, and I will be attending/presenting again, to be sure. These are the kind of things that I wish, with my schedule, I could attend more of, but I am eternally grateful for the few I'm able to attend. The contacts, colleagues, and cohorts I meet at every one get better and better.

So, as the title says, that's that. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, and so on, let me know! I'd love to hear from you and am willing to provide any advice/information I feel that I can. Best of luck to you all, and we'll see you next year!

Good Times, Good Times

2010-11-05T01:19:00.000-07:00

Hey DevLearn peoples...I'm packing it in. A short amount of hours from now, I'll be on a plane heading home. What a great conference! I know I learned a lot and I hope you all did, too! Don't hesitate to drop me a line if you have any questions or concerns, or, for that matter, even just want to talk shop! It was a pleasure meeting you all, and I'm sure our paths will cross again sooner than later!

"Scalpel, Forceps, Captivate..." (ME!)

2010-11-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

I'm presenting. I cannot blog at the same time. For this, I apologize. Back in a few!

Keynote - "The New Know" (Thornton May)

2010-11-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

The man is a god, in the truest sense. If you weren't here for this, be sad. Click here to know more about him. Nothing else I could type would be anywhere near effective in relating the awesomeness. That is all.

Push Your Virtual Training to the Edge: Enhance the Experience with Sharepoint (C. Skifstad/R. Russell)

2010-11-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

Let's Play a Game...

Sets the session up with a Role Play – We are all Designers and Developers for the ABC Corporation. Leaders have come to us with a request. They are starting to make places to hold their annual planning conference for 400 employees. Without compromising any aspect, how do we build something that addresses these objectives?

Wireframe

It’s a solution that seems to be helpful when storyboards won’t cut it (too linear). Allows more for the ‘what-ifs’, as opposed to the more ‘Point A/Point B’ storyboard. There’s a lot of software that offers Wireframe capacity (including Micorosoft Publisher). Basically, a Wireframe is nothing more than a very high level, rough design that allows for the plotting of elements visually.

30 Days Later...and beyond

Speaker goes from Wireframe to real-world Sharepoint site which looks pretty slick. End-users receive a welcome letter via email with a URL to the Sharepoint site. Comes complete with a ‘teaser video’ (Note: a la pre-release demo vid, this would be a good way to engage the learners before we engage the learners…shirt before the shirt, if you will).

“If it’s not mandatory, you still want them to be there…”

What I'm Noticing...

I think we use it well enough for what we need to do in and among our own team, but we could do so much more. From Flash to Captivate, the navigation and feel alone could engage learners more instantly and, what's more, more informally. Engage, engage, engage...the word of the day.

Note: These folks are using Sharepoint straight out of the box and an older version...even more reassuring. Speakers admitted that this model they are showing was a bit 'pumped up' for presentation's sake. Still doesn't deter me from getting more goodness into our SP usage...

Make The Shift From Live to Virtual

- Encourage users to explore, check out other learners' profiles, and so forth.
- Practice navigating the site and allow your learners to do so, as well. Give them rehearsal time to get in their and get their virtual hands virtually dirty.
- Be prepared for the Event. Make sure all relevant documents were downloaded and made available so there's no "I didn't get the memo" moment.
- Group leaders, segmented chats (breakout groups), and conference calls can further simulate the virtual experience.
- The breakout groups and monitored feedback is, essentially, a way to take attendance without taking attendance.
- Encourage learners to think outside the box and futuristically. Develop your training accordingly.

In Closing

Not a whole lot that surprised or amazed me, just simply based off of my usage already. With that said, there were some cosmetic/aesthetic elements that caught my eye and it truly felt immersive, even for having just been housed in Sharepoint. I am encouraged by seeing this and would like to push the envelope a bit more upon returning home...

"Blending the In/Formal" (Omar Nielsen)

2010-11-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

First thing's first - And I knew this would happen...we're sitting in a circle now, not those stuffy rows like all the other presentations. Sadly, Omar...I will be keeping my rows tomorrow ;-)

Let's get serious, though - this action alone, of taking the rows away, already engages learners/audience members more than traditional, stuffy classroom experience. Everyone begins to learn before they realize it and, what's more, experience base bonds with experience base, and comeraderie is attained, as well. All joking/personal allegiance aside, Omar has this stuff on lockdown, and I know I'm going to walk away with a headful on how I can de-formalize some of the ongoing education of EMR/EHR users.

"Do you think the takeaways that you take from here will be the takeaways that you take from here?"

"Informal learning is a natural process and is different for each learner...it is done when it's least expected."

"If you present content that is attainable to an audience, you're going to increase adoption of the content and instill enthusiasm for the content."

"Software training doesn't feel like it's emotionally charged...but why the heck not? Why can't it be socialized?"

Those are the kind of questions/statements that make's Omar's stuff so heavy, but light. It's a simple question, but there's a lot to it. While the instructor/presenter will give us something, it's up to us ultimately how we take it away (not just what we take away). Already, I'm looking at my organization with a bit of a stern glance...why AREN'T we doing some things? Why AREN'T we doing more with informal/collaborative learning? Ahh, questions...

The "Long Tail of Learning" can be reinforced with things like webinars, teleconferences, virtual collaborations, and other on-the-job-practice activities (peer coaching, etc.). And students might not want to socialize after class via a social network, because they don't have the time for it. Solution - Shorten the class. The Collaborative effort is so much more significant than the continued bludgeoning of content (<-- my term, not Omar's), as it allows them to align with their peers. (Kind of like how we send providers back to their departments...)

Omar's Recipe for Increased Retention and Learning "ROI"
- 1 part Learning Event
- 2 parts On-Demand Content
- 3 parts Emotionally Charged Direction
- 5 parts Online collaboration/async knowledge sharing
- 5 parts Peer Coaching (learning through others)
- 3 parts Facilitator
- 1 part Online Collaboration Moderator
- 2 parts Follow-Up Event

Google/Yahoo Case Study Presentation
Emerging Leaders Program dissected over span of three weeks. Too many details to follow and type, but suffice it to say Peer Accountability and Continuous Asynchronous learning activities between peers weighed in very heavily as to items of 'importance'.

Yahoo also has something called Manager Central - what you do at all stages of management, basically. Key to this model is that the content is different every time a cohort jumps in. It's beyond constantly changing. The ILT looks at the blog and builds instruction off of it (as I understand it)...they rely on the network to answer the questions, rather than the instructor themself. To me, it almost seems like a "Wiki Course", if there ever was to be such a thing...moderator playing a VERY important part here, for sure.

Another Exercise (and why I'm bummed)
I realized that, in this room, I was in the top 5% of the "haves" as far as social/collaborative is concerned. We have all the tools, and YET, because of generational resistance, we're forced to use them on a very small scale (i.e. - not getting our true value out of it). This is the greatest frustration, and my solution that I suggested seemed to be right in line with Mr Nielsen's suggestion: Find a champion. If you want to use social learning, find the highest rank that knows what it is and likes it, and warm WAY up to them. Then, once they're pleased with how it works, they can spread to other high levels. Seems basic, but when you become emotionally vested in a topic/concept, makes it difficult to remain rational and hand over control of your fight to someone else.

As Omar puts it, "Adoption is emotional, and emotion drives adoption."

In Closing...
Omar goes on to present on where Genentech is at and where it's going. With him in the helm, at least of the informal learning aspect of things, there's nothing but good to come. I'm sure friendship might cloud my take on this session, but as objectively as I can say it - This session was phenomenal, and I'm certain the majority (if not all) of my fellow attendees would concur.

"Total Engagement" (Byron Reeves)

2010-11-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

Again, due to lack of outlets, I'm going to sit this one out...if you're looking for a bit more of an abridged play-by-play, check me out on Twitter (@rosler).

"25+ mLearning Tools in 60 Minutes" (B.J. Schone)

2010-11-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

Opened with question: As far as mLearning goes, are you a beginner, intermediate, or expert? 90% raised hand for beginner...good sign for those of us who are just getting into the market.

Mobile Operating System/Platforms

Speaker says to not be overwhelmed. Find out what the audience is using as a device and go from there. You might find out that it's just one platform you're developing for (not likely in our case, but still...audience analysis very useful).

Applications vs. Mobile Web

Difference between the two is covered. Available offline, as opposed to online; with a mobile app there's generally more functionality, not so much with online; mobile websites come in handy if you just need to get info out there, if you build an iPhone app you'll only reach iPhone users. Lots of differences here, but definitely lends itself towards us making a mobile website rather than an app.

Kinds of Mobile Learning Tools

Development
Testing
System
Assessment
Other

OK...Go. Here come the tools...

1 thru 5
- Dreamweaver (self-explanatory)
- Adobe Device Central (Simulates a testing environment where you can view content on a variety of mobile devices)
- PhoneGap (Open source development framework for building cross-platform mobile apps. Build apps in HTML and Java and still take advantage of core eatures in iPhone/Touch/Pad, Android, Palm, etc.)
- Chalk Pushcast (Provides a multimedia rich, trackable, and secure communication channel on BlackBerry smartphones - for priority training and communications.)
- OnPoint Digital's Cell Cast (Enables companies to create and deliver mobile content directly to user's mobile phones and track their progress test scores.)

6 thru 10
- Clickatell.com (The first, and still the largest, SMS gateway. Enables web sites and applications to send and receive text messages.)
- Corona (The only complete cross-platform solution on the planet for both graphics and code. You can write your application once, make edits on-the-fly, and preview content.)
- mobl21 (Allows you to create flash cards, study guides, etc. that you want to push out to your learners.)
- Sencha Touch (The world's first app framework built specifically to leverage HTML5, CSS3, and Java for the highest level of power, flex, and optimization.
- WordPress (State of the art publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standard, and usability. Thousands of plug-ins available, including several that format content for mobile devices.)

11 thru 15
- CertPoint VLS (Enterprise learning platform, delivers content, assessments, videos, podcasts, wikis, blogs, files directly to user's device.)
- Titanium (Free/open source application development platform that lets you create native mobile, tablet, and desktop application experiences using existing skills (HTML, CSS, Java, etc.)
- QR Code Generators/Readers ("Quick Response" codes can be read and interpreted by many mobile devices. The codes may reveal a URL or a description.)
- LearnCast.com (Platform for building and publishing mobile learning content.)
- OutStart Hot Lava Mobile (Rapidly create and deliver media-rich, trackable, and secure mobile-casts.

16 thru 20
- Layar (Augmented reality browser that allows users to see digital layers in physical spaces. Like the first down line that appears on the field while watching NFL...)
- mobiSiteGalore (Mobile website builder that allows you to easily build, publish, and share a full-fledged mobile website that is guaranteed to work on any mobile phone)
- Lectora (High end eLearning development and publishing tools that can output content to mobile ready formats.)
- MoSync (Open source, cross-platform mobile development SDK)
- UnifEye (Missed this one...)

21 thru 25
- Detect Mobile Browser (Detection tool that helps direct users to the correct content based on how they are browsing.)
- jQuery Mobile Framework (A touch optimized web framework for smartphones and tablets.)
- Wapple (Wapple Canvas is a mobile site design and publishing format that allows complete creative freedom using simple point & click and drag & drop controls.)
- W3C mobileOK Checker (Assesses basic usabililty, efficiency, and interoperability.)
- Native Emaulators/SDKs (self-explanatory)

All in all, a great, fast-paced, informative session...great work, B.J.!

(SIDE NOTE - Speaker Rick Rolled the audience. So full of WIN, I cannot stand it...)

"Keepin It Legal: Intro to Copyright and Creative Commons" (Michelle Lentz)

2010-11-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Needed to find images she could use legally and not steal them...how many times have I been there before?

What do you need for your training?

Getting yourself some licensed, stock photography is a must. You CANNOT go out to images.google.com and just lift images willy-nilly. (Hmm...what if you're a not-for-profit?)

Your work is copyrighted as soon as you create it...be it on paper or PC. More on Copyright legality on http://www.copyright.gov and http://www.teachingcopyright.org This change in litigation happened in the late 80's. Your work is copyrighted whether the "Big C" makes its appearance or not. Question becomes, though, how do you know what's owned anymore?

Answer: CC - Creative Commons

Creative Commons is your best friend!

There are six Creative Commons licenses:
1.) Attribution - You can do whatever you want to the work, so long as you give attribution back to the original artist/course.
2.) Attribution-No Derivatives - You can use the piece as is, so long as you give attribution back to the original artist/course.
3.) Attribution-Share Alike - Must be shared under the same license as the originator (?)
4.) Attribution-NonCommercial - You may not use the work for commercial (selling) purposes.
5.) Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derviatives - May not sell, must use in original form.
6.) (Missed this one...)

If you're unsure, contact the copyright holder for permission. Search for works under a more permissive license (the more permissive, the less trouble). Works cannot be primarily intended for commercial gain...notice: primarily intended. This is open for debate (Fair Use Rule) - If your use of it affects the original copyright holder's ability to gain profit from their work, you are in violation. Study on this at http://wiki.creativecommons.org/NC

Speaker's personal feeling: If you're using the product for internal purpose, with no profitability, then you should be able to use it.

Discussed the conundrum of being a not-for-profit, teaching hospital that is viewed as an educational institution. For the most part, pretty much all of our use within our own walls should be just fine, so long as no personal gain is made. Got into more and more common sense copyright issues...like, are pics posted to Flickr public domain (and other things like that)? Pretty commonplace stuff...but definitely a good review.

http://www.flickr.com/commons - Public domain works that museums, libraries, etc. don't know where they're from. Nice source!

All in all, a good presentation on a confusing topic. Definitely some solid takeaways here...

"The Power of Pull" - John Seely Brown

2010-11-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the live blogging for this fell through because there were no outlets in the venue and my battery is on its last legs. Sorry bout that...with that said, though, a couople of basic tenets were my takeways:

- If you are looking to succeed, you have to be willing to fail, fail, fail.
- Reverse mentoring is a great way for established authority to learn from the new workforce.
- The shelf-life of knowledge has become increasingly short, and the future increasingly uncertain.
- We should, perhaps, move away from teaching content and, instead, focus on teaching adaptibility.

All in all, nothing mind-blowingly innovative, but certainly a good listen with a few solid takeaways. Now, onto the Concurrent Sessions...

It Has Begun!

2010-11-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

So, currrently gearing up for the first day of Concurrent Sessions. Will be live blogging them as quick as my doughy little fingers can type. Looking forward to a great two days of learning!

DevLearn 2010 - I'm Speaking!!

2010-09-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone...just a quick heads up, for those of you who know me and what I do. I will be presenting my Case Study on e-learning rapid development implementation at this year's eLearning Guild's DevLearn conference in sunny (well, sunnier than Pennsylvania in November) San Francisco!

Click here to learn more about the conference and all it has to offer!! Or, you can click here to learn more about what I'll be presenting on!! See you there!!

That's a wrap...

2010-08-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

With that, I'm out. Time to drive 4 hours back to the Keystone State. If you're a new reader/visitor to my blog, and you subscribe to T+D, be sure to check out my article in the June issue!

Repurposing and Rethinking Social Networking in the Learning Environment (Millard/Sullivan)

2010-08-20T08:14:00.000-07:00

Couple of librarians presenting on social media...could be interesting.

They present their Systems Analysis 101 course (H - Web Publishing, I - Using the Internet, R - Information Retrieval). This course became the background for a course in the Interactive Media Studies program. One course in 1996, 30 in 2010, so it certainly grew (due in part to $1mil seed money from Procter/Gamble). Faculty from every department and the library have a hand in this.

IMS 201 - Information Studies in the Digital Age, the core course itself, centers around how to become better information consumers and to be technologically literate.

An investigation into the course participants was conducted in 2009/10. All sections, currently, used ning.com and other social media sites to varying degrees, and were happy with some aspects, not with others. Challenge was to make a closed social network for purposes of this class, specifically. Infrastructure of the school and the online learning situation is covered (changing from Blackboard09 to Sakai).

All instructors set up a ning site (which is now a pay service). Good thing is that, for students, it aligns itself more with Facebook than any other social media. Blogs from within Ning are used heavily and in a different fashion. Some chose to use it as a way to enrich the discussion of the day, others posted selected readings in their blogs. Others still made blogging a course requirement, as well as commenting on others' blogs. Discussion boards are covered next, but we all get them.

(This is getting to be a commercial for Ning, as opposed to anything new, let alone repurposing/rethinking anything...)

The whole concept of replacing the textbook is covered. What don't people get about this? Yes, I udnerstand - Students can go out to the internet, find answers to questions, facts, figures, etc. BUT...this affords -0- consistency. You can guide them all you want, but the answers, the facts, the knowledge will be from different sources, appear differently, and thereby be inconsistent with one another. This is a HUGE issue from an assessment standpoint (how do you assess knowledge if the knowledge isn't standardized (<-- see: by a textbook)). Twitter use and misuse in the course is discussed. Always run the risk of potential anonymity, and even students creating alternate accounts for alternate purposes.

The pros of using all of this social technology includes Felxibility & Customization, Appropriate For Course Content, and Tools Available Post Graduation (Post Employment?). The Cons include Retention of Student Projects, Bueinss Model Stability (Ning is pay now), Less Control/No IT Support, Students More Familiar with Centrally Supported Platform, and Technology for Technology's sake?

Student Survey

So, what did the students think of all this? Survey submitted in addition to Course Evaluations, optional participation, and focused on the Ning backdrop. Received a 65% response rate, with varied responses across courses. Ranged from "Liked it" to "Sucked" (<-- and I quote). All in all, varied responses best describes what they got back across the board.

Conclusions arrived at:

- Students are goal oriented - need a gradebook.
- Social Media sites work better for courses covering Social Media (Think a Journalism class required to read the daily NYT)
- Social Media facilitates new models of classroom communication - Less push/more pull.
- LMS Vendors need to make their offerings more social (Discussion boards aren't enough)

All in all, a good case study for these folks. Would have liked to have seen more rethinking/repurposing with innovation, as opposed to existing/commonplace technology. Presenters carried their case well, though.

App This, Tweet That: Teaching in the 21st Century and Beyond (Rami Maysami)

2010-08-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

"To teach them, reach them. To reach them, speak their tongue." Awesome quote...speaks to learning relevance. Make the content relevant, make the context familiar, and the content will stick that much more.

Using Music to Teach Economics

Sugarlans song (groan) is used to illustrate several economic principles (The cost-of-living in urban areas is higher than living in the country vs. "Please send me money, I'm so broke it ain't funny"). Good way to get their attention, then to tie in to the subject area (Pink Floyd sings about it, Barenaked Ladies sing about it).

Not just music - Poker, for example, is shown via YouTube. A video produced by students, but still - Poker is used to explain econ. Just goes to reinforce the fact of context, context, context. "Economics is a study of how people make choices, and poker is a game of choices." Good stuff.

Research At Your Fingertips

Card catalogs? What are those? If it's not at their fingertips, it's not worth the search/effort. I follow, but, again, I think it comes down to instrinsic motivation as a behavior driver. If they're motivated, they'll find ye olde card catalog...

(Technology is having a field day with the speaker...)

iPad, iPhones, and Interoperability

Apps are now becoming more intertwined than ever before. Practical apps, like Dragon, are now interfacing with Facebook, Twitter, and the like. So, what does this mean? Even the most practical of apps are now giving credence to social media as a credible field. SpeakIt is one I haven't heard of...find text, copy it, paste it, and it reads it. Okay...doesn't Windows screen reader do this? I mean, it's mobile...I get it...but this isn't new technology at all.

But Why Not Challenge Them To Do More?

NPR App is shown next. Touted as unique, you can click on a story, click the Twitter icon and it auto tweets the story for you, along with your comments. As a prof, teacher, or the like, this is useful as a knowledge transmission tool. Mark Frydenberg, seated behind me/speaker on social media, brings up an awesome question: Why not just email it to him?

Is this getting into Technology for the sake of Technology? It's cool, I get it, but is it necessary and is it the best means by which to transmit the knowledge? It comes down to yesterdays FGDLA presentation: Technology is the truck, not the groceries it's carrying. We can't eat the truck...

There's some mention of video, recording it, and making it available online for student download. Isn't this what PodCasts are for?

I get what they're doing here, and I'm glad to see a higher acceptance rate for social media being used for serious purposes. That said, not a whole lot new here, but still well presented (depsite the gods of technology giving the speaker a hard time).

How to Make Your Learning Stick - A Blueprint for Learning Reinforcement (Chris Ayers)

2010-08-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

50% of the value of training comes in the 'back half'. Good stat - We're training for a positive effect on the organization, not necessarily for the individual themselves. Perhaps we tend to blur the line a bit about the 'why' are we training. It's important to consider the individual, but in the end...it's about the company. What's in it for (company name here)?

What Learners Need
- Acquire knowledge and skills
- Practice using knowledge and skills
- Coaching and feedback

Learning Reinforcement
Acquisition + Application - A good formula, but it's missing a piece...

Acquisition + Reinforcement + Application - The complete formula. Without reinforcement, the learner's motivation starts to wane and, as discussed yesterday, intrinsic motivation is key in adult learning. Moving from Acquisition to Application without Reinforcement is difficult, at best. Without it, you're putting all of the learning task on the learner themselves.

Finish this sentence: All I ever needed to know, I learned in ______________ .

Most people respond with Kindergarten. And what did we use nonstop back then, maybe thereafter for a little bit? Flash Cards.

Why do they work? Mobile, short, simple, inexpensive, customizable, immediate feedback, fun...a lot more. And the fun is optional, for sure. But it must be noted that the proper methodology...the proper knowledge (phonics, math, etc.) needs to be instructed FIRST. The Flash Cards do not work for primary instruction, but certainly do an amazing job of reinforcing existing knowledge sets. Or, if it is a new concept, it must be related to something previously known.

Push vs Pull Methods

Pull method is one where the learner has to go somewhere and find it for themselves. Push is when we, the trainers, push the materials to the trainees. Pull is more common and a lot easier to build, but...what's going to be better for the learner? Push is more controlled, more guided. Both of these methods can be "Just In Time". A mix, in the speaker's opinion (and mine), is the best recipe.

Speaker mentions that on some 90 day follow up calls with clients, it was like they were never there. Scary stuff...fortunately, in my field, the user gets thrown right into usage. But in the cases where usage is sparse/staggered, more push methodology for reinforcement is better than a good idea...it's a great idea.

Measurement

Reaction --> Learning --> Behavior --> Results

Speaker has a product, Cameo, which is a web based tool that delivers scenario-based learning reinforcement via email. Learners receive scenarios via email, learners receive feedback based on their response to the scenario, then Cameo aggregates the data of the learner responses. Kinda like an LMS in that regard...color me interested, though.

Good session on reinforcement and its finer points.

Social Media Present Trends/Future Possibilities (Mark Frydenberg)

2010-08-20T05:31:00.000-07:00

Intro to the ills of social media misuse by the gentleman from Microsoft Compliance...nothing we all haven't heard before. I'm amazed that people still think they're any kind of invisible when utilizing Twitter, Facebook, or the like...

First social network? "Reply All" (Hmm, I agree to an extent, but don't bulletin boards predate email?) Frydenberg has a textbook published on Web 2.0 Real World Applications.

Facebook is up under the hammer first. Discussed the social aspect of 'friending' - Who do you friend? Why do you do it? Teachers - Do you friend your students? It blurs the line between personal and professional lives. Most students don't realize that you can alter your settings (see: Friends list accessiblity, etc.)

Google Wave is trashed next. I take great pleasure in this.

Three trends in social networking up and coming:
- Location based networking
- Mobile networking
- Single sign on (Think Trillian for Social Networking)

Live Twitter demo/dicussion...this is fun. I'm surprised at the number of people who don't, by default, 'get' the educational value (potential as it may be) behind this. Brightkite and Foursquare are the future, at least with regards to location-based social networking.

Build-Your-Own social networks are available, but maybe not as much the trend as others. Ning, which used to be free, is an example of this. Others include Elgg, BuddyPress, and SocialGo. "The Long Tail of Social Networking" - Targets a specific group of people.

Spokeo - Goes out and aggregates all searchable/findable data. Scary...

Wow...this one sucked me in completely. Awesome, awesome stuff.

Learning Styles and Generational Differences: Do They Matter? (Jolly Holden/Phillip Westfall)

2010-08-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

"Some educational psychologists say learning styles don't exist."

Wow - I'm in. We think that we learn differently...but we don't. And research supports it. Learning style is NOT a predictor of learning outcomes.

Meaning out of Meaninglessness

Research was done on the SATs last year. 100,000 students, outcome was a .8 correlation (HUGE) to the fact that success on SAT = success in college. Learning style tests, however, do not predict any form of success whatsoever. Neuroscience has proved that 90% of what you attain/process is VISUAL. Therefore, you can SAY you're BK, you can SAY you're audial...not true. We learn not by modality, but by the context we put it in. And how do we set that context? Visual cues, memories, etc...We attach meaning to EVERYTHING, but if we accepted we're VISUAL, we'd be a lot happier and accepting of strictly VISUAL training.

(Holy stuff...this seriously has me on the edge of my seat. THIS is the revolutionary thought I was hoping to find here. Note to self - Review THIS presentation as soon as you get home (to review generational distinctions, as well).)

Narration in training is brought up next and it is shot down so hard...I love it. Basically, for all of the clamoring that people do to get Narration plugged into training (on top of on screen text), it is pointless. POINTLESS. If it compliments the text (i.e. - not verbatim), great. But if you read the screen text, the narration actually SLOWS LEARNING DOWN. Brilliant.

Learning Styles

As of right here, right now, 71 different learning styles have been identified with 4 in the wings, waiting for acceptance. 75 learning styles. With no relationship to predicting outcomes, though, the speaker poses an awesome question: "Why waste your time?" He asked a colleague what he thought of this research...that there were 75 different learning styles...to which the colleague replied:

It's a convenient scapegoat for poor instruction. Spend your time instead on good instructional design.

Intrinsic motivation and prior knowledge are the ONLY items PROVEN by RESEARCH to have any predictability of student success. Everything else - learning style, teaching style, etc. - is just noise. WOW...genius...this is blowing my mind.

The example he gives: What does Orion (the constellation) look like? As soon as the question leaves his mouth, those of us who know, IMMEDIATELY visualize it...but in stages. He shows three images, increasing in complexity. I, admittedly, imagined the stars in the sky. Simple enough. But he progressed through images to an old drawing of the warrior Orion...now, whenever I think of it, I will think of the drawing, due simply to context.

Another context example: "What was the headline in yesterday's newspaper?" "What was the headline three months ago in the gulf?" Which one do you remember more quickly? The one with the context...two words increases your memory by three months.

So, what are we saying here? It doesn't matter what style we design the training for? No more narration? Visual only? Well, yes and no. But I'll say this - my view of BAK, Modalities, etc. are forever changed because of this session. Amazing, insipiring stuff...awesome job. I don't even care that we left out the generational stuff...this was perfect.

"Throwing technology at a problem has not improved learning."

Informal Learning and Technologies to Make it Happen (Ghenno Senbetta)

2010-08-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

Starts wide open with "What is your interest?" (specifically, re: informal learning)

Learning Dimensions

Online (Different Place) (NORTH)
Formal (Off the job) (WEST)
Informal (On the job)(EAST)
Face to face (Same Place) (SOUTH)

Learning to Learn
Core Competencies:
- Computing/Digital Skills
- Finding/Searching
- Sharing/Organizing
- Collaborating/Networking

Take Away/Give Away activity is distributed/discussed. Synchronous/Asynchronous Learning software is discussed/shared with one another. First topic centered around Meeting Technology and, what's funny is that more and more previously 'frivolous' social applications are now serious meeting pieces. Everything from Twitter to AIM (God help me, someone even brought up Trillian)...these now allow us to meet virtually. Great stuff.

Asynchronous is up next...everything from Google Groups, Ning, Sharepoint, and Yammer. These are a bit more straight forward as far as being what they are. Someone brought up LinkedIn...I suppose that fits the bill, too. Softutor, Ging, and Collab are also mentioned in the discussion. Pretty lengthy list, to be sure.

I really liked this session - It was very collaborative, very informal, and the most participation I've seen thus far at this conference. Great vibe all around and a well put together session. Once again, you can tell the sessions I'm really sold on by the short posts!

Information Sharing, Knowledge Management, and the Federal Challenge (Peter Goodstein)

2010-08-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

"Organizations collect a vast amount of information from many sources. Much of this information stays within the "collection stovepipes" because discovery and dissemination are tightly controlled by the collectors"

Wow...that's a solid quote to walk in to. This plays very heavily into my job, as we're beginning to try to 'de-silo' the sub departments within departments, so that knowledge and information flows readily and ably.

Security and Privacy (inhibitor) - Potential inhibitor to open/free knowledge sharing. The Need-To-Know information culture has lef to inhibiting practices. Information should stay in the collection stovepipes because discovery and dissemination are tightly controlled by the collectors.

Attribute Based Access (enabler) - A user's credentials are presented at log on. Permitted information is accessed based on the person's profile. This is contrasted with a network based access, which basically means if you can get on the network, you can see anything. (Att Based Access is just like Epic).

Overall Enablers to Information Sharing - Need to move to a more collaborative information sharing environment. provide a "sanitized" product of a restricted information. Enable free flow of information by employing Attribute-Based Access, Automated Consumer Authorization, Transparent Audit Trails, and Data Security. Finally, reward collectors and consumers for removing barriers to information sharing.

Data Stewardship - Ensures that data assets are understandable, trusted, accessible, and interoperable. Data stewards promote information sharing by reducing disincentives like excessive classification and unnecessary security stumbling blocks.

"Information only becomes knowledge in the hands of someone who know that to do with it." (Peter Drucker)

All in all, I'm glad I ducked out of the session I was going to attend and jumped into this one. Very interesting, speaks to many facets of what I deal with on a daily basis. While we didn't necessarily arrive at an overall solution, this definitely got me thinking, and that's good.

Efficiency in Distance Learning at VA Department of Health (Robert Bradley, Va Dept of Health)

2010-08-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

Case study style presentation...first case study I've seen here, actually.

Started out by stating "Not everything can be done via online courses" and defined distance learning. Good start - We don't realize, sometimes, how multifaceted that term can be. for the 20-30 people in this room, there's probably 20-30 different definitions.

"Distance learning is a form of instruction that focuses on technology and instructional systems design that aims to deliver education to students who are not physically on site"

Multiple facets of distance learning:

Video/Web Conferencing - Whereas was previously used for solely social purposes, now it's coming into business and education with a vengeance. WebEx cited specifically. While this is positive usage, one thing needs to be kept in mind when utilizing video remotely - bandwidth, bandwidth, bandwidth.

Websites (Internal/External) - Sites can be literal warehouses of information when you set up references at the end of a course. Pretty cut/dry.

Web 2.0 Applications - Biggest advantage of using 2.0 technologies in education = THEY'RE FREE. Speaker cites that for the VA State Govt to accept 2.0 technologies, there must be something to them. I think, overall, 2.0 gets a very 'toy-like' rap - that they're all built for play. You need an informed ambassador to address the powers that make the decisions...and push them in the right direction (see: adopting 2.0).

Mobile Platforms - VA Govt is looking toward the two major hitters: Blackberry and iPhone. Mentions that providers carry around their phones all day long, so they needed to give them a way to access educational pieces, etc. on the fly. Speaker also mentions that their online content for mobile purposes is available via Podcast or Vidcasts.

So, why did they make such a move?
- Budget Reductions
- Recognized need for verification process and policy (amen)
- Recognized need for training
- Recognized need for up to date training methods

How did they make the move?
- Va DoH set up a Distance Learning Committee (Open to all divisions of VaDoH)
- Centralized training policy developed (amen, amen)
- Policy for Web 2.0 application usage (good idea...'play nice' policy)
- Learning management system superusers (Hmm...could be useful)

Good overall case study - informative and entertaining.

mLearning at the Bottom of the Pyramid (James BonTempo)

2010-08-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

Presentation will center around opportunities in which we could potentially use mLearning.

Speaker's presentation looks good from the get-go. Presents the following stats:

5,000,000,000 subscriptions
4,100,000,000 mobile phones
3,600,000,000 subscribers (unique) (<-- Just over 1/2 the people in the world)

Greatest growth in mobile? Not here...it's 7 times as high in emerging markets in the last 8 years (India, China, Middle East, etc.). The bottom 75% in Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia spent 20% of their income on mobile services alone. Holy wow...the cost of hardware has continued to drop, but the functionality available has stagnated. (shows some dinosaurs and what they cost today)

What can we do with these phones?

- Basic numeracy skills - The calculator on these basic phones can be used to teach basic arithmetic. Allows people who may have never had access to education the ability to not get ripped off at market, etc.

- Users can also learn to speak English (refer to links). Program in Bangladesh allows users to call and listen to ~3 minute podcasts (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced).

- Adopt healthy behavior - Users can sign up to receive SMS to help reinforce smoking cessation, etc.

- Get tutoring and learning reinforcement - Follow up SMS can reinforce items received in the classroom.

- Create communities of learners - Forget your higher up Social Networking...a phonecall/SMS is the original 'mobile community'.

- Report grades, attendance, and other data. It's like an LMS...sorta.

This is awesome, as by looking at the basics of mLearning with the most basic technology, it's quite revealing as to the true, inherent benefits of mLearning. I can tell I was really into it, based on the brevity of this post. What an intuitive, creative presentation on what runs the risk of being a very dry, stodgy topic. Amazingly well done.

A Virtual World Training Application For Medical Personnel Education and Training (Parker/Parker/Stone)

2010-08-19T06:16:00.001-07:00

"There is no going back..." Any environment, regardless of age, will have technology move forward...never backward. With that in mind, our training should do the same. Good opening statement to set the mood...

Demonstration will be shown on the Droid, but, according to the speaker, the iPhone and iPod can support their software, as well. Next speaker indicates that Virtual Worlds will be 'the way of the future'...hmm...maybe to an extent, but never completely (in my opinion, of course). Covers the definition of virtual world, and presents their Virtual World training model:

Plan --> Prepare --> Execute --> Review

How is this any different from any other training approach? I don't know that I'm following what makes this unique to Virtual Worlds. Introduction to Virtual Worlds continues...and continues...and continues. Not sure if this was supposed to center around a medical training app or serve as an intro to virtual worlds...

Third speaker transitions into their application...now I'm into it. Covers the four steps of their VW development cycle. Top 10 Virtual World Medical Communities are reviewed...part of the handout to review later. Community guidelines are reviewed, as well, although these are somewhat common sensical, I guess if you were using a VW, this would be significant to review with your users. Heart murmur simulation is part of their VW. Click here to check out the simulation itself.

In summary, speaker mentions that "Medical staff will need to learn to negotitate and use a Virtual Environment with a mobile app". Here's the thing I don't get...and, again, this may be my hang up and nothing more. If the simulation is housed within this virtual world, what's stopping us, as trainers, from cheapening the bill significantly and not even worrying about the VW? Am I the only one here who finds the VW unnecessary and de-focusing, if you will? Like parsley on the plate, are Virtual Worlds there to just make the actual instructional content look good...nothing more?

Good presentation, well put together...don't get me wrong. But maybe I'm too much the purist, as this one missed me.

Knowledge Management Meets Collaboration and Social Media (Sveta Liebman/Alex Heiphetz)

2010-08-19T05:35:00.000-07:00

Admits right off the bat that this might not be the ideal solution for everybody everytime...good caveat. Begins by defining Knowledge Management and Social Media...I'll spare you that here.

Referenced Brian Shaler's graph pertaining to the Number of Twitter Friends vs Productivity. There's a happy medium...too many = well, you know... "We need to make sure people are using social media, but that we're using them for a good reason." - I like this quote...centers around the "WHY" of training, etc., not just the other questions we ask all too often. If we were a bit more WHY centric, we'd be a heck of a lot better off as a profession.

"When a document was on a server, I knew where it was. When it's in the Cloud, I don't know where it is." Like I mentioned yesterday, this whole 'Cloud' storage trips me out a little bit, and it's for just this reason the presenter mentioned. We locate it digitally and physically when it resided on a server, making it more secure...whether we could see the server or it was in our organziation. You can tell me all you want that Cloud docs are secure, but without 'seeing it' I'm not 'believing it'. Maybe that's me being old school, but so be it...

(Gentleman in the audience mentions the iPad, at which point I showed the iPed to my neighbor in the audience. So, I might have missed one or two things....)

Presenter proceeds to bring up recipes from his Droid on the big screen. Prior to, he mentioned that it's much more productive to have your knowledge on your hip instead of on your desk. Agreed...extremely useful...but I still shy away from the Cloud. Presentation, overall, centers around Google docs/apps...started out centering around social media and virtual worlds. Gentleman in the audience brings him back to the virtual world, which shifts back to collaborative media. I'm getting dizzy...

I got the collaboration piece, and I got the social media piece (albeit a very small one), but I didn't follow how these fit together or how we got onto virtual worlds (aside from the knowledge collaboration side). Head is currently being scratched vigorously...

Blended Learning - The Quiet Revolution (Marie-Pierre Huguet, Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute)

2010-08-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

Marie is a course developer that works with professors. She is an instructional designer, but a teacher at heart. Was doing this, as she puts it, before it had a name... (it = blended learning).

A World of Blends

Blended vs Hybrid - Which is which? The convergence of traditional face to face with virtual learning. Marie, however, says she has her own definition:

There are 5 levels:
Level 0 - Face to face
Level 1 - No course content, just administrative information
Level 2 - Some course content, available materials as an additional point of reference.
Level 3 - Majority of course content is available. Students cannot be productive unless they access said materials. Use of asynchronous tools.
Level 4 - Blended/hybrid course. retains traditional classroom meeting but makes steady use of the web course site. Use of synchronous and asynchronous tools. (IDEAL)
Level 5 - Distance education or distributed courses. Completely online.

Web and face-to-face should be half and half. If you have a class on Mondays and Thursdays, you don't have to be in class on Monday. Items are made available and items must be completed in that timeframe and will be taken down thereafter. It functions as a classroom class would, while giving freedom/flexibility. Then the actual face-to-face class on Thursday re-roots them.

Then there's the bookends approach: The very first class is in person, and the very last (final) class is in person. Between that, all online. Finally, the Gazebo blend is somewhere between half and half and Bookends. In the end, the preference and the method you go with depends on your students, your management, and your outcomes.

Marie proceeded to go through a number of real world examples of these different models. Great presentation, very relevant, and very well put together.

A Serious Approach to Serious Game Development (R Punako/J Pachucki, Concurrent Technologies Corporation)

2010-08-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

It's important not to jump into a project just in the interest of time...when developing a serious game, the proper processes must be adhered to and addressed.

Put the proper processes into place...you can't just focus on core functionality and 'bolting on' additional. That additional needs to be part of the whole, not just as an add-on. This is a solid concept...don't think it's always fiscally/time-wise feasible, but a good principle for sure. By keeping the proper resources and processe in place, you will stand to have greater success in your serious game venture.

Taxonomy of Serious Games

Serious games is what this group does...a la the MMORPG genre, but tuned way up on the serious dial. The intro vid that they showed was a module designed to address prison rape. Very serious, heavy stuff and it carried its weight appropriately. Without much time to develop these, it's important to have multifaceted developers - vid engineers who are sound engineers, graphics people who do video, etc.

Concurrent's games are:
-web based
- developed with custom development tools
- now has extensions to commercial game engines (see: PS3, XBOX)
- costs between 400k to 1 mil
- takes .5 to 1 year to develop
- handled by a small 6-10 person team
- serves government and military clients

Concurrent's System Development Life Cycle

Analysis - Project Planning/Initial Client Meetings, Instructional Intent (Assess Needs, Determine Solution), Client Requirements, Tech Specs

Design - Concept Paper Development, Simulation Course Online, Screenplay Development, Initial Product Asset Development, Technical System Design

Development - Text Simulation Development, Asset Development, Product Development (resulting in an Alpha product for client review)

Implementation - Verification testing (does the product meet the requirements they were provided with), Validation testing (onsite testing, certification/accreditation criteria, etc.)

Evaluation - Evaluation tasks directly planned in support of individual efforts, if applicable, would apply to each part of the process.

Overall, more a primer on design/development cycle as opposed to a presentation about games, game theory, or serious games. Would have liked to have learned more about the practicality/usability of serious games. Well presented/prepared, however.

How Do You Keep Track of All This Stuff? (Mark Frydenberg, Bentley University)

2010-08-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

Opened with a review of the White House's website from 10 years ago, then today. The contrast is frightening...brings us nicely, though, into thinking about why we're resistant to change today and the potential nature of these changes. Great way to open...definitely roped me in.

Discussed the advent and evolution of Web 2.0. Refer to the conference CD for the "Web As A Platform" diagram...great piece. Basically diagrams what falls under Internet Applications, the World Wide Web, then Web 2.0.

Contrasted Office live Workspace versus Google Docs. Tout it as you may, I still think with the majority of the populous using MS Office, Google Docs has a long way to go. Google Docs is the Mac of 6 or 7 years ago. More people might buy into it, but it will still be the unwanted option in comparison to Microsoft (just stating the facts...I'm not pumping one more than the other).

Social Bookmark managers are discussed...man, do I not get the need for this. I mean, I get that you're farming out the top terms being searched for...but, still - If I want to search for something, I search for it. Maybe I'm missing something?

Cloud storage...online storage...insecure, at that. Useful, I'd say, for non-sensitive documents, etc., but any use above and beyond that is pointless. Corporate-wise, what's the difference between Cloud computing and a networked drive (assuming you can connect to your intranet remotely). Again, maybe something I don't get...open to explanation. Someone just brought up that for free online storage, "THEY" own your content. Strike two...

Finally, Web 3.0...Google Squared (www.google.com/squared) creates a different way to do search, based on trying to understand what you're really looking for. Instead of giving you a list of links, it gives you information straight away. Rather than a site, you're given a fact. This is good...cuts out some of the searching...but then, how are sites impacted that are supported on a click by click basis? I think this is a really cool thing, but there may be impact felt where they might not have thought there would be.

Mark was great, content was interesting...a lot to try and tackle in 45 minutes. Could have stayed here for another hour or two.

Training and Human Performance Support for Compliance (Jerry Cronin, L3 Training Systems Group)

2010-08-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

Introduction
n/a

Source of Compliance Requirements
"Those requirements for which an individual has a binding obligation"
"Can come from external or interal sources"
"Requirements can be direct (specified) or indirect (second order or fuzzy)"
"If it is a fuzzy, it is not a trainable requirement. There needs to be some measurable way to determine if non-complinace has occurred"

Resolve the fuzziness, or it doesn't get trained - I like this alot. Clarify your request, oh client...not just a request for the user to be 'good' at a certain thing. What is good? What actions constitute good? "Do Good, Avoid Evil is not a training strategy", specifically mentioned in regards to HIPAA regulations...well said. One person's invasion is another person's welcome intrusion...we need concrete/solid examples to avoid ambiguity in compliance. Organizational compliance is just as significant as direct Government compliance.

Corporate Policies specify how employees will adhere to direct regulations, how the company interprets and will adhere to indirect requirements, and internal requirements. Notice that Corporate Policies envelop Federal/Governmental policies.

Identifying Objects
"Compliance is about completeness." (Nice...)

Start with source regulations or company policies.
Then, parse out the requirements (in three areas): (1) Cognitive "I know this behavior and can do it" (2) Affective "I choose to do the behavior" (3) Psychomotor "Physical 'can-do'"

"Organizations don't care about training folks. They don't care if their people get what they need from 40 hours in a classroom or 25 hours in front of a computer. They care if their people can do what they need to do without fail." While I agree with this, and from a compliance standpoint this makes absolute sense, I don't know how financially reasonable this statement is. I think they care, but assuming it can be done cheaper and faster with the same result, I know what way my management is leaning.

Importance of Integrated Solution Approach
Three Issues:
1.)Organization fos not have clearly defined policy on particular compliance requirement.
2.)Organization has more roles than it thought...
3.)No definable criteria for compliance

Perspectives on the Future
There's still fuzziness in regulations (ex: when new laws come out - OSHA, etc.). Is it made that way, however, so that specificity is not wanted so that special cases (both good and bad) can exist. This fuzziness, however, does not help those of us to train. We need specificity, we need granularity, we need clarity.

Tools for enforcement are getting better, and they're allowing us to enforce by proxy more and more. Used to be we'd see ISO violations in the EHR...now, we have more 'backend flags' that fire off.

An increase in the amount of compliance requirements will call for an integrated approach across sets of regulations as time pressure on employees/learners increases. There will be a marked increase in non-governmental compliance requirements. (see: being green...cool/hip thing now, eventually...)

Bottom line - It's not about training, it's about empowering employees to perform appropriately. We get there by training, but it's about compliance. Great, thought-provoking session.

High End Adobe Captivate Tips & Tricks (Joseph Ganci)

2010-08-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

Presenter doesn't work for Adobe, uses it rather than sells it...good to know.

Starts by touting the Mac version of Captivate. Not a good way to win my favor, but I'll let it slide. Brings up the topic of reassigning keys in Preferences (see: Mayo Clinic needed to use prntScrn as part of the module). Good idea, but I'm not necessarily following why the manual screen capture would obstruct the actual end-user module. Was he talking about the fact that the users had to use the PrntScrn button in the module, but it did something different on their system? Unclear...

Modifying the language files (in 4 & 5) is an effective way to have the auto captions that appear say a little more like what you'd want it to. For example, if you want "Select" i/o "Click", it can be set up this way. Useful, but I still think the auto captions are pretty much...well...worthless (again, at least for what I do).

Ganci proceeded to cover motion capture in Captivate, as far as capturing action in between 'clicks' (which, for those of you who are unaware, is the driving force behind Cap's capturing). Very entry level in nature, or maybe I've been capturing motion in an EHR for far too long and am conditioned to it. Not sure...

Goes from the basics of motion capture, to the actual 'event coding' in the background of the software. I think there's a middle ground here that should have been covered, but that could just be me. Informative, but definitely leaves some rungs of the ladder out.

Full motion capture and its downfalls...which are plenty...are presented. Ganci entered into Preferences and showed how to switch it up just a bit to make it a little more effective.

All in all, didn't really get a lot from this. Might have been more geared for entry level...would have been nice to know.

Training for Compliance (Michael Jerrigan, Microsoft)

2010-08-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

Compliance Training Manager for Microsoft, he opened up the session by asking if there were any attorneys in the room. Stated that working with attorneys in the compliance world has its own set of unique restrictions. This should be good...

What does compliance mean? We've got software, financial, trustowrthy computing requirements...it's very all over the place. If Michael ran a report on Compliance in personnel's title, the hits would total well over 20,000. If you ask an attorney, they would respond with, "Well, it depends...it depends on kind, requirements, your world, etc." Michael's world is legla compliance.

"Compliance should be slightly if not at all different from training other areas, but the consequences of getting it wrong are much more severe." (well said)

Why bother with compliance training? To keep your corporation out of the headlines... (again, well said)

Brought up the concept of archived training, and the ability to recall what was trained 5 years ago...10 years ago. This is definitely significant in the case of what I do, as well as (apparently) many others in this room. Compliance does not just include the here and now, but then 'then and there'. Trackability, locatability, archivability...all significant when it comes to creating a compliant body of training.

Not a lot of specific data here, per se...not a lot that I can take away and employ. But it definitely made me reflect on compliance and its significance in the EHR Training Industry. Great presentation.

He's baaaaack

2010-08-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

I've been a horrendous blogger...seem I only use it when I'm attending a conference. With that said...

...I'm attending a conference.

Society for Applied Learning Technology's 2010 conference, to be exact. Check them out here.

I'm attending as an alternate presenter. God forbid they should need me, but if they do, here's what they'll get.

First session's beginning, so here we go...stay tuned.

A Response to a Colleague

2009-11-25T07:53:00.001-08:00

(This was composed in response to a colleague looking for guidance on how to develop simulated software training. If any of you can use it in your practice, feel free...any questions, let me know.)

I've been at the "simulating software without harm to the actual application" for a number of years now. We happen to work with an Electronic Health Record (EHR) and, not only out of fear of altering a patient record but, also, fear of HIPAA ramifications, do we have to create this 'imaginary reality'. We do it in a very streamlined development process, using Adobe Captivate. We create CBT and, for some of the more limited users of the application, CBT-alone training is all they require to get up and running (as their access might not be as impactful as others). For said other users, though, we offer a hybrid approach to our training, of both a synchronous ILT/CBT session for new users.

This hybrid approach takes the best of both of worlds and mashes them together. The CBT delivers the more foundational/basic elements and, once the users have completed the CBT elements, we regroups as a class, discuss, and delve into deeper topics. We've found this approach to be beneficial for a number of reasons. First off, it allows for individualized questioning on the basic elements, rather than one question stopping the whole class. For example, if it was a standard ILT experience, and there were fifteen students, one student raising their hand puts everyone else's learning on hold till that learner's question was answered. By using the CBT to get the learners' feet wet, questions can be addressed individually (which is more comfortable, I've found for adult medical professionals).

Additionally, by using CBT straight away, it puts MIH ("Mouse In Hand") and gets learners cued in straight away to the fact that this is a computer application. Too often, those of us with the knowledge fall in love WITH our knowledge and try to train it via standard lecture. By allowing the users to jump right in, they start making connections right away, where they might not have before. Then, when the group 'regroups', they already feel experienced in the topic at hand and can begin to discuss more finite details of the application. And, really, when it's all said and done, when you're dealing with an adult audience, you're looking for pragmatic, you're looking for practical - let's not hide it, let's start clicking! (Side note - The adult audience point is also why we don't go with 'strictly CBT', as they still need that 'traditional' experience to feel comfortable).

Finally, there's the time factor. By alleviating the 'group questioning' referenced above, and the typically 'tangential' nature a lecture based class would take, we've been able to cut typical class time in HALF (which, for anyone well-spoken on the art of the ROI, you know that's pretty huge). By doing so, not only have we saved human resources, time, and, therefore, money, we've been able to double, and in some cases triple, the number of class offerings we as a training team can make. The ROI here touches on so many levels.

Long story short, as I tell a lot of folks, this solution works and works HUGE for us. There's no such thing as a 'universal solution; to training needs (let alone application simulation training needs). I can say with utmost certainty that in a similar organization, looking to tackle a similar task, such an approach would be worth, at least, taking a long look at. The money, time, and personnel saved are priceless, but, then again, so is an effective training product that allows learners to get in, get out, and get using.

Back With A Vengeance (and an extra kid)

2009-11-17T12:47:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been a while, but with the development load being what it is, and the whole adding another kid to the family thing (no pressure), let's just say time has not been readily available (despite my most rapid development). More substantial entry to follow shortly, but the rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated...talk to you all soon.

SR

Murder Was The Case

2009-06-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been seeing a lot of press in our industry about the death of ID and how it signals so many negative trends, such as deficits in end product quality. The scholar that resides inside of me says of course - that's logical. The more time you take to map out and plan things, the more time you take in analyzing your audience and their tasks, the better your end training product will be. It's good to be methodical about laying out a blueprint, of sorts, but how many times do you have to put it on the page (in preparation for the stage) when placing it directly on the stage, after rehearsing it for years, would prove much more economical, efficient, and effective?

I'm here today to fess up to a crime...a grave and serious one in our industry. I show no remorse for what I've done, and I would do it again and again - I have killed Instructional Design (in my little microcosm, anyway).

I can hear all the academics screaming, saying that each product is a unique chance to address a unique group of learners. And that's where academia separates vastly from real world design/development. I've been doing my gig (which I've started lovingly referring to as "Hyper Development (c)") for coming up on 5 years. In the beginning, I went to each of the 'sub-teams' I was doing development work for and I started getting the same basic concept back. I created a module template, my team created a PowerPoint template for the 'SME's we were to work with, and, really, the analysis work was in the client's lap. They came to us and said "We need 'x'", being familiar with what we do and how it was to come out looking. The results have been nothing less than stellar, the ROI's beyond impressive, and the case studies the same (when little old me can rapid prototype better, faster, and cheaper than a major automotive company, there's good things going on here).

So, ID's dead to me...I said it. I don't miss it, and I certainly don't mourn its passing. I will however say this - if you are just starting conversions to CBT, or don't have a system-wide standard template in place, it might be too soon to remove ID from your process. There's a reason analyses are such a backbone to our practice - they're smart, they're good, and they're meaningful. Of course, it would also be nice to gather up all the doctors to sit around the table and talk about the best course of treatment for every patient that comes through our doors. But if someone comes in, bleeding out and crashing fast...well, hopefully you see my point. While these analyses are valid and valuable, they are not always practical or feasible(increasingly moreso as our field develops better, stronger, faster practices).

If you love your analyses, and you cling to the information they provide - great. But if your management catches wind as to how fast, say, a group like mine can turn product around, be ready to justify your 80 hours of analyses for a 2 hour project. Be ready to explain how the pages upon pages of information you've compiled helps to make your training unique. Be ready to explain how understanding the learner helps the learner to feel better, and how those feelings translate to a positive ROI...

Leave it to the pros...seriously.

2009-06-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

I apologize, once again, for my spotty (at best) attendance on this wonderful platform. Things are, shall we say, crazy with work and personal (we're expecting #2...due date Christmas Eve), but I'll try to stay focused on the work-based, as there's a lesson that I already knew, but is being learned by many. And it all starts with a simple analogy:

Take your favorite car that you own, give the keys to someone who's never driven before, and tell them to travel from point A to point B. Without my saying anything further, what would you expect to happen? Simple, right? CRASH, BOOM, BANG...repeat as necessary. If someone doesn't know the inherent workings of something (they know that cars transport people, beyond that...), how can you possibly expect them to take good care and be a safe 'driver'.

Some of you in the industry are probably putting it together...maybe some aren't. I'll speak in vague terms, so as not to draw professional flak, nor to be unprofessional (I'm going for caustic, not 'cost-you-your-job'-ic). Let's say a certain training organization has handled a regulary scheduled yearly influx of new staff members. And LET'S JUST SAY this training/onboarding was 1 day and that these new starts were coming from different 'departments'. LET'S JUST SAY this group has brought these folks on board for four years going, and everything was working well enough.

Enter your people in the respective departments who now say "We want to train these new starts. We want to do it our way, with our spin on things, but you (the training team in question) need to do it all for us." So, these departments design what they think is solid training and what they THINK is education, only to have the original training team be forced to be the messenger - to carry out this ill-thought, ill-prepared agenda. And now, instead of one day of the training team being devoted to training, they are pulled from their regularly scheduled duties for more than TWO WEEKS to work with each 'client', if you will.

Those of you quick on the calculators can probably figure, pretty quickly at that, the increase of 'cost' when you go from one 8-hour day to eleven of them. Those of you that develop and deliver training KNOW what happens when an over-eager SME tries to yank control on a project/module/etc. And those of you who have ever done classroom training know that it's a much more attainable task to teach to the middle line, specializing instruction afterwards, then it is to as you go along.

This HYPOTHETICAL situation I'm sure/I know is all too common in the industry, and it happens when you've worked with a group long enough that they begin to get that glazed look in their eye that equals "Training sure looks easy...I bet I could do it". It's only when they try to that they realize CBT doesn't just randomly generate from a computer program, lessons take time to plan (and that's from ME...king of rapid proto), and training takes panache, if I may be so bold. It takes a trainer to train.

Bottom line, kids - Leave it to the experts. We get it done more quickly, more efficiently, and more cost-effectively. Stick to your areas of expertise, we'll stick to ours.

CBT Monkey Thought of the Day

2009-05-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

(Yes, I know...I am a slacker of a blogger...so sorry...)

Here's a little nugget of knowledge I've found to be true when working in the realm of CBT for internal clients - Want to have these clients be more understanding of your timelines and how the review process works w/r/t CBT? Let them develop the source material for you!

As we work predominantly with Adobe Captivate, our niche training market is to recreate the user experience of using an Electronic Medical Record. We've gotten away from Captivate's innate functionality which is to captuare motion and interaction on a screen and, instead, create more of a 'simulation' than a 'demonstration' by utilizing static images and required actions. So, that's what we (the deisgners/developers) do...

Part of working with Electronic Medical Records is realizing that there's not just one EMR...there's many subdivisions beneath this umbrella and, as such, many areas of specialty. Examples include, but are certainly not limited to: Outpatient, Inpatient, Surgery, Emergency, and so on. For us (the team of two) to go in, navigate around whatever specialty area is requesting CBT to be developed, and capture not only screenshots, but accurate screenshots would require functionla knowledge that only the 'subdivision' analysts and users would have.

Solution? We created a PowerPoint based template that directly mirrors our Captivate template both in form and function. In the PowerPoint version, though, all fields are editable, so that the SMEs can insert their approved (and, what's more, CORRECT) verbiage/explanations. The SMEs can also Alt+PrntScrn for each 'click of the mouse', as we tell them, and paste each screen into PowerPoint. Highlight the area you want focused on with the pre-made highlight box, add your text...and you're done! Not only is the subject material accurate, but it's in a format that allows the client the chance to see what it looks like as a CBT, rather than just having a figurative picture in their head until 2 or 3 weeks later.

The first question I get asked about this method is usually, "How do you get your SMEs to do this?" Quite simple, really - If you explain to a SME that (a) Allowing me (the developer) to go through and attempt to capture screens/action correctly will only end up in endless edits/corrections, (b) This method will allow you to more easily translate updates/changes to the developer (instead of having to recreate the source doc over and over again), and (c) Preparing the source document like this will cut the time it takes for your course to go-live AT LEAST in half....well, if you explain these things, they tend to like the idea.

Does it take the SME more time? Up front, yes - but when it comes off, Version 1.0, looking like it's been through a couple of rounds of edits, the benefits of this method of Subject Matter Documentation are pretty clear.

If any of you (the three people that might read this) have any questions, just let me know. Let's hear it for monthly updates!

To all the non-trainer managers out there...a word from our acidic sponsor:

2009-04-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

If there is a deficiency in performance on your team, it is YOUR responsibility to address this. The employee exhibiting the deficiency cannot know, because it (the deficiency) was created by your never showing them what they needed to do in the first place. Stop shifting blame, start taking responsibility - we're all trainers, to an extent. Start acting like it.

Still very much alive...

2009-03-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Just haven't had the chance to collect my thoughts upon returning to the mass chaos that is my employment. To put it simply, I left with a very empty plate and, within a week of returning, currently have approximately 20 courses being developed (or redeveloped, as it were) between myself and my 'other self'. Sound like fun? Didn't think so...

Kvetching aside, though, the next entry I scribe (and I assure you it's coming soon) will be centered around one single, solitary question my Program Director asked me, unsolicitedly, upon my return: "So, this Twitter thing...should we know about that?"

The 2.0 revolution has begun...details to follow...

Future entries...

2009-03-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

eLearning Guild's annual gathering was a blast! Taking a break from the blog, but some upcoming entries will include:

- Overall thoughts of AG09
- Verbal Economy - My linguistic concept expanded and explained
- Healthcare Instructional Technologies - Why so different?

Talk to you all soon!

Session 1002: Letting Go of the Words - Writing eLearning Content That Works (Ginny Redish, Chris Willis)

2009-03-13T06:32:00.001-07:00

Ginny Redish is a founder of Redish & Associates, Inc and an author. Chris Willis is CEO of Media 1.

The theme of this presentation will be "Content as Conversation". Introducing the concept of eLearning as conversation and writing eLearning content as conversation will be topics covered.

Information gets from the designer/developer to the learner in the old model by means of 'one-way transmission'...from PC to student. Faulty because one way does not allow for active questioning...they get what they get. Instead, an improved model involves an innate understanding between the designer/developer and learner. An important concept to remember is that learning is not pouring information into the learner's head, but rather a conversation (involving concepts like Active Learning, Hands On, Brains On, and Active Engagement). (Side note - I really like the concept of 'brains on' learning...what a great term...)

Write Conversationally...

Think of what you are writing as part of a conversation, rather than cold hard fact (isn't this what I was doing before the powers that be told me to trim back the verbiage?). The presenter recommends developing and using personas in eLearning (yes, Topher, you might have been right...the human face makes the instruction process much more conversational and, as such, much more comfortable for a learner...makes them feel understood).

We can learn useful principles from linguistic research on conversation...

HP (Paul) Grice holds four maxims of conversation. They are assumptions about conversations and contain expectations we all have as speakers and listeners in a face-to-face conversation:

Maxim 1 - The Maxim of Quality (Truth) - Do not say what you believe to be fault, Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence

Maxim 2 - The Maxim of Quantity (Information) - Make your contribution as informative as is required for the current purposes of the exchange, Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.

Maxim 3 - The Maxim of Relation (Relevance) - You can talk about stuff, or you can talk to people...

Maxim 4 - The Maxim of Manner (Clarity) - Avoid obscurity of expression, Avoid ambiguity, Be brief, Be orderly

Writing eLearning content as conversation...

Applying Grice's maxims, here are some guidelines to writing eLearning as conversation:

- Don't hog the conversation
- Take turns by including useful headings
- Start with the context - on pages, in paragraphs, in sentences
- Write the conversation - active voice, personal pronouns
- Respect the learner's time - short sentences, strong verbs
- Be clear - use simple words, explain technical terms
- Think in scenarios

Steve Krug's book, titled "Don't Make Me Think", was referenced as a goldmine and the presenter mentioned that, based on this book, she should write on called "Don't Make Me Read" (again, based on Grice's maxims).

Activity involving the fumigation of yams (not as scary as it sounds) illustrates that information usually comes to us from SMEs with specifics up front and general topic info at the end. The problem of creating coursework laid out like that is that once a learner starts to read, you have a couple of seconds to catch them. If they see "Methyl Bromide" up front, they won't read on and realize it's what they need to read about "fumigation of imported yams". Give the topic first...sound advice.

When people get instruction without context, do they wait for the rest of the instruction or do they jump to act? Great question...even on the sentence level, we should be putting the context FIRST rather than anywhere else (Ex: Give the context before the required action).

Active versus passive voice was covered (I'm in heaven)...while passive is more conversational, active is more direct and the subject/verb agreement indicates a more direct correlation between the action and who should do the action. Fine line to tread...Ginny also brought up using writing to "you" (the learner) and how it personalizes the material to the learner without getitng too bulky. (Note - This is a practice I'd like to start implementing more and more in our own product, despite provider opposition).

Steps, not paragraphs...awesome. Anytime you have a list where you are repeating 80-90% of the information, with only 10-20% differentiating, use a table rather than paragraphs or lists. Awesome again. Tables work because of their "If/Then" setup.

Summary/Conclusion

eLearning is a converastion in which you should be accurate, brief, relevant, and clear. The most important thing we can remember in all of this, while we may keep in mind these adjectives it should be, is that it is a CONVERSATION, not a dictation or lecture.

I could not be happier that this was my last session that I attended...not because I'm glad the conference is over, but because this was BY FAR my favorite session. It took my English teacher disposition, paired it with eLearning practices and...wow...just wow. I learned a bit about why and when to use lists, headings, and tables, but I also was able to relate (hardcore) to Ginny as a linguist and as a 'wordy' overall. (The fact that she dropped my term (Verbal Economy) a couple of times after I brought it up couldn't have made me more proud).

Again, landslide victory - this session was the perfect ending to a perfect week...great, great, GREAT presentation Ginny...thank you so much!

Session 901 - Beyond the Blend: Optimizing the Use of your Learning Technologies (Bryan Chapman)

2009-03-13T05:02:00.000-07:00

Bryan Chapman is owner/founder of Chapman Alliance and a research partner with eLearning Guild. He is also associated with the Brandon Hall Awards and the Training in Action Awards program.

Presenter puts The Family Feud game format out there because there's no one right answer...good concept. Did an activity, using the Family Feud format, citing the top 7 reasons why people don't use simulation based learning, especially from a rapid development standpoint: Cost, Too Much Time, Steep Learning Curve, Hard to Integrate, Why should I? (user resistance), Not in PowerPoint, and Lack of Creativity.

Mr Chapman wrote Chapter 22 in the ASTD HandBook, title of the chapter being Learning Technology Primer. The diagram he referenced had the LMS front and center, with "Off the shelf" pre-built courses, Virtual Classroom Synchro. Learning, Authoring Tools, Self-Paced/Service Online Learning, Learning Content Management, and Informal Learning (Knowledge on Demand).

Bryan covered his company's rapid prototyping model: (1) Initiate (Learning Strategy Design, etc.), with the following in a cycle: (2) Implement (Learning Infrastructure Implementation, Courseware development, Evaluation, Rapid Development), (3) Innovate (Informal Learning Strategy, Single-Source/Multimode Delivery), (4) Inventory, (5) Improve (the edit process), and (6) Impress (basically, show off your polished product).

How long does take to create learning? (A study by Mr Chapman)

An hour of classroom learning - 36 hours
An hour of eLearning - 221 hours (comparison to classroom is a ratio of 36:1)
An hour of PowerPoint based online learning - 33 hours (Low range ~ 12hrs, High ~60hrs)
An hour of simulation based learning - 750 hours (WHAT?!?! This is crazy!! Speaker referenced soft skills as opposed to hard skills, but still...)

How do you clock rapid development?

IBM's Learning Model was reviewed. IBM found that 60% of their training was more 'fact-based' learning (Word docs, White papers, Student Guides, Product Knowledge, etc.). They came to the conclusion that they shouldn't be training this 60%, these facts, in the classroom (agreed!). This 60% of computer based, then, was covered before they graduated to higher level concepts (Role Play, Practice, Self-Assessment, etc.), with these higher level concepts accounting for 20%. This all culminates in a 20% Instructor Led Culminating Experience.

(Bryan brought up a good point that to develop 100% of training with captivate is tedious...hmm...what could we do with some of that 60% that isn't necessarily screenshot based...just thinking out loud about my situation...)

So how much time should all this take? Look back to the number of hours, referenced above, and apply to the following:

- Fact Based, developed with Rapid Authoring Tools
- Rapid Simulation Development
- Classroom Development Model

Why Gagne is wrong...and why Remember/Do is right

Instead of 7, 9, or a hundred thousand different theoretical concepts, the ID model that simplifies it all the way down is "Remember, Do". Looking at Bloom's Taxonomy, every one of the six stages can be classified into either one (basically, three and three). Don't optimize on what technology you pick, but on satisfying the objectives within your organization.

The Power of Content Management

Yum!, a chain restaurant management company, has 900,000 empoloyees worldwide, 34,000 restaurants, and open 3 new restaurants a day (with 30-35 average employees per site). There is a need for customized, regionalized need for training at each location (see: KFC in China). Their prior methods of content management involved a set of binders containing ~300 Word docs. They employed manual page customization by location, by inserting or removing pages based on corporate edict.

Now, everything is done through XML, with a customized needs menu that creates the appropriate, regional and need specific training documentation that they need at each site.

The Power of Informal Learning

Jay Cross defines it as "that which is not directed by an organization or somebody in a control position". Agree/Disagree? Food for thought, as he's running short on time...but, if you agree, why and if you disagree, why not?

Summary/Conclusion

Bryan touched on a lot of things that I either knew or knew a part of already, but just having the dialogue helps to snap a routine-driven brain out of its standard cycle. Main takeaway here is Are we teaching fact level knowledge (the 60%) in the classroom or via simulation? If so, why are we still doing that and what can we do to get away from it, free up the resources doing it, and reassign the resources otherwise? Definitely gave my brain a good scratch...great job, Bryan!

Session 711 - Case Study: Team-based Development of Simulation-Based Application Training (Alana Meeker & Michele Stouffer)

2009-03-12T11:28:00.001-07:00

Alana Meeker and Michele Stouffer represent Ford Motor Company, both Instructional Designers.

The fable of Re-Learning eLearning - How process and priduct changed to meet the needs of a specific project

Quick overview of the case study - Training on Finance Software to be delivered to a golbal audience of new and existing users. Five finance modules, plus an overview to be developed. Application training ONLY was demanded...as they put it, "no fluff".

One thing I noticed straight away when looking at their content was that it was very simple in its design and appearance - clean, nearly clinical. They use on-screen 'coaches', as they put it, that is a human face giving instruction, rather than a cold, hard text caption alone. Peoplesoft is used to develop their course shell, and Captivate is used to develop their simulation.

(Note - I will try to remain as objective as possible here, but, well...if you know me, you know what I do, and you know what I do it with (Captivate))

After developing the courses, they submitted their material to their 'masters' and they determined that anything aside from the actual application simulation was what they considered to be 'fluff'. Right away, I hold issue with this because you have to set up simulations...give the background, if you will. To launch someone straight away into a simulation is like jumping into an ice cold pool or hot bath...

Two issues were identified: Limited time and resources and Knowledge Transfer (SME to ISD, then ISD to developer). Here again, it seems like a major overstaff for what I'm looking at. Why couldn't the SME work directly with an ISD/Developer, especially considering the course was being developed in Captivate? Presenters identified aggressive timelines as an issue, but at this point I really don't see that...

Three problems identified that needed to be addressed before this conversion could be addressed. First, was a redesign of the course 'shell'. They were able to launch six courses from one page. (I'm still not quite on their page as to why this was such a herculean task?)

Secondly, they had to adapt their process to meet an aggressive timeline, and their solution was to adapt their current process to meet an aggressive timeline, which involves storyboarding and a simulation script. (Looking at the process, why so many steps?? I realize I'm very close to the content, but still...13 steps?) A great question came up - What is the difference between a storyboard and this separate "simulation script"? The presenter explained that they're different...but why?

Lastly, they had to design a new template for the revised process and a new shell, overall. Over four years, I've revised our process several times...When we develop, how we develop, how we get the SME involved, and so on. And, again, I fully recognize that there are separate difficulties associated with working alongside an external client. But this is not a huge task...deisgn your new process, submit it for approval, and implement.

So, as I understand it...January to June 15th, 10 staff members, 6 courses with 30-35 slides, on average, each. Maybe healthcare is just simpler content...but I don't know...

Summary/Conclusion

I realize I'm very close to this material, so I'm certainly much more opinionated than I normally would be, viewing a presentation, say, that I'm not ingrainedly familiar with. And, again, I understand that not only are our clients in house, but they're in house IT, so it's easy for them to work it in PowerPoint, then submit to us. That said, I just don't follow how any of this is rapid. From my standpoint, it all appeared pretty routine, if not lax in some of the timelines and/or staffing scenarios mentioned.

Session 610 - Leveraging Technology with Human Expertise for Rewarding Results (Skip Marshall)

2009-03-12T10:00:00.001-07:00

Skip Marshall is the Director of eLearning for Intelladon.

What is Learning?

More than just the transfer of knowledge from point A to point B, it's about transferring the knowledge AND augmenting learner behavior. Doesn't matter if they've learned it, it matters if they do it.

The organization's definition of Learning includes Employee/Operation manuals, ILT, OJT, Safety Sheets, FAQs. A learner's take on it, however, involves things such as Podcasts, TV Networks, Online Curriculum Maps, Virtual Learning, Informal Learning, Internal Social Networking and Collaboration Platforms.

Discussion came up as to what groups/industries use/allow 2.0 social technologies. Academia proved the majority that was on Facebook, whereas some corporate folks were as well. The topic came up as to why it is/isn't allowed. Was determined that there should be a separation between personal and professional social networking...

Where do businesses provide learning?

- Content Management Systems
- Learning Management Systems
- Learning Content Management Systems
- Shared Drives

Where do learners seek it?

- Learning on Demand
- Wikis (Confluence, Wikipedia)
- Blogs
- Social Networks

Interesting thing to note - The U.S. Navy is using Wiki technology...just found that interesting and would love to hear more about how it's used...

Learning as a Means

The question posed - Why would any executive allow for multiple LMS-es? Decentralization occurs and, previously, there were 'fat' budgets. Now, though, it's a different story...there's a call across most industries to consolidate back to one platform, for both budgetary and organizational concerns.

Skip's solution? One platform for all your needs through Sharepoint: Individual, Team, Division, Enterprise, Extranet, and Internet...it does it all! QLogic case study illustrated the way in which it can be used to be COMPLIANT (<-- big word in healthcare!).

Another solution presented centered around Cornerstone Talent Management System. Three core features: (1) Engages employees through a highly graphical approach, (2) MyTeam feature pulls in the concepts of Goals, Tasks, and Training and allows management that ability to track short-term assignments, and (3) Integrates Learning, Compliance, Performance, Compensation, and Succession.

Summary/Conclusion
There's no one solution that works for everyone...this really sums up the entire session. For as ideal as we can be, no one solution will work across the board. But the bottom line is that these technologies are out there and, for learners to take us seriously and become experts, we have to begin to come over to their side of expectations, rather than sitting/hiding behind organizational expectation. Great presentation, Skip!

Session 504 - The Evolution of All Things 2.0 (Brent Schlenker)

2009-03-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

Had to take a break here...my hands are starting to lock up on me, I've been blogging so much. Brief overview of this can be summed up thusly:

Learning in Web 2.0 should be 5able:

- Searchable
- Linkable
- Editable
- Taggable
- Feedable

And the greatest quote, lending credibility to 2.0: WE are smarter than ME.

(Example: Journey found their new lead singer, Arnel Pineda, on YouTube)

Keynote Speaker - Day Two - Bill Tancer

2009-03-12T05:33:00.000-07:00

From Bill's bio: Bill Tancer is the world's preeminent expert on online behavior. He is general manager of global research at Hitwise, the world's leading online competitive intelligence services company. He is widely quotede on the latest Internet trends. He appears as a frequent guest on CNBC and has been quoted in major print and online media. Bill writes a weekly column for Time magazine called "The Science of Search".

(Bill won his science camp talent show by reciting Pi to 200 digits...I like this guy already)

It all started with a junk email from Time.com, that Bill almost deleted, asking if he wanted to write a column. Instead of deleting it, Bill replied to it "sure". Lesson one = check your junk email!

Mystery Searches, Prom Dresses, and the Ultimatum Theory

Bill showed an example of data collected by Hitwise - 1/1 to 1/5 had the most search traffic, annually, for diets than any other time during the year. The lowest, conversely, was in and around Thanksgiving. This trend exists year after year.

The most popular retail search is for Prom Dresses and, again, the real spike occurs in early January. The problem with this, though, was that retail stores began marketing their dresses in March. The disconnect was clear. Hitwise aided the industry by providing the data and, essentially, expanded their sales period of prom dresses from March - May to January - May, doubling their annual sales. Awesome use of the data!

Prom dresses aside, engagement ring sales, in brick and mortar, spiked the week after Thanksgiving. Bill's data showed it was actually the week before Thanksgiving (for what reason {"I'm not going home empty handed"} he's not sure), but, again, HitWise data was pointing out an inefficiency in the marketplace.

Women Wrestlers, Economic Predicitons, and The Narrative Fallacy

Dancing with the Stars is a popularity contest...and, therefore, searches on the stars could, essentially, predict who was going to win...or so Bill thought. Stacey Keibler came in as the most searched, Drew Lachey and Jerry Rice second and third. But Stacey didn't win...what happened? What was the intent of the search? Five words - Hot Pictures of Stacey Keibler...perhaps the 'searchers' weren't really Dancing with the Stars fans...

You have to go beyond the search term and look at the actual intent of the search - and, thus, The Stacey Keibler Correction Coefficient was formed. Intent as well as content...Other areas of application included unemployment filing and home sales. Not nearly as interesting as women wrestlers, though...

Cognitive Dissonance and the Adult Entertainment Industry

Cognitive Dissonance means to answer a question posed to you in the best possible light. Observed behavior doesn't contain CD, but how you sayyou behave differs from how you actually behave. Bill asked the audience how many people frequent adult entertainment sites, and nobody raised their hand. Would this not, then, dictate that the internet is porn free? Of course, we know different...(not from personal experience, mind you)

Somebody's not telling the truth...this is one of the most extreme examples of CD. Narrative Fallacy was also covered, referring to when you sample a large amount of data, it's very easy to look through the data and filter out, if you will, the data that suits your needs best. The remaining data is left by the wayside...

An example of Narrative Fallacy - The CEO of Estee Lauder said that as times got tough, sales of more affordable luxuries (in this case lipstick) go up. HitWire study of this trend just happened to coincide with the Stock Market crash. The study showed that while sales of lipstick went up, it was more to do with the "Lipstick on a Pitbull" comment than the 'affordable luxury' concept.

Is eLearning Recession-Proof?

As the economy has been going down, users are stepping away from online commerce and focusing more on online education...a form of 'self-betterment'. Interest in eLearning went way up as the economy went way down. An interesting trend with this data - Individuals in the higher income brackets showed the greatest increase in visits (going from about 9% to about 13%), whereas it actually dropped in lower income brackets.

Summary/Conclusion

- Observed behavior provides unique insight into changing consumer sentiment.
- eLearning, both from the perspective of insitutions and platforms, is moving opposite of the economy.

Great presentation, overall. The fact that eLearning is going in the opposite direction of the economy is a great sign for those of us in this industry. What's more, this might actually be able to drive more for us, whereas other departments are going through cutbacks. This data will definitelybe used when I get back...hopefully for some Captivate 4 love!

Session 307 - Forceps, Scalpel, Captivate... (Me!)

2009-03-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

To all the folks who survived my session:

A world of thanks for making my presentation enjoyable! You all were a great audience to have and it was your input and intelligent questions that made it just a great time!

Thanks again,
Shawn

Session 208 - Using Wikis in Instructor-led Training (Rachel Troychock)

2009-03-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

What is a Wiki? A collaborative, sharing, creativity-based information community...they're editable, linkable, searchable, and, again, collaborative.

It all started for KPMG based off of two concepts - Web 2.0 and Going Green. Specifically, they used Sharepoint, as part of 2.0, which was, in essence a team blog. From there, there was a Kickoff Meeting, which consisted of clients and management. This spawned a design meeting and one of the initial kickoff questions was "Can we embed a PowerPoint on a Sharepoint page?".

Fast forward, acceptance later, Train the Trainer sessions occurred, allowing the training staff to illustrate their knowledge of the new 2.0 concepts. Once the trainers were trained, the actual participants received their training. With all trained and the functionality in place, the only thing left was to establish a Support Team for this new technology.

The way they utilized Wikis in four separate generations. These included:

1st Generation - Replacement of paper guides, Wiki pages, Document repository
2nd Generation - Glossary
3rd Generation - Online activities, capturing of feedback
4th Generation- Threaded discussion for question box

From an ROI perspective, using Wikis in instruction saves 10,000 sheets of paper per 30 person instructor led training session. Beyond this, the costs of printing and shipping were saved, along with there being a more flexible development period and development time was cut in half. User response was overwhelmingly positive, citing that the Wiki was great and that they enjoyed not having three ring binders.

Overall, for me, these are awesome concepts to listen to, but given the nature of my organization, it's hard to conceptualize where any of this will fit in. One thing that started circulating around my head again was the concept of Epic Forums...an online community that would allow Epic users to submit and answer one another's questions. But it comes down to, again, the life or death nature of a wrong answer - a lot can happen if something's not answered right in healthcare. Nervewracking, but I think there is something there that can be worked with...more to come on this, I'm sure. (And, BTW - Ideas always welcome!)

I've given in...

2009-03-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

I'm on Twitter, at the behest of someone who will remain nameless, but whose name rhymes with Staple Boystock...

http://twitter.com/rosler

Session 104 - What Activities are Needed? (Patti Shank)

2009-03-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

How do songbirds learn their songs?

Objectives for this presentation are to (1) Determine which practice activities are needed and (2) Consider ways to build these activities online.

Focusing on the "How-To's", the presenter used an example of performing a workplace violence threat assessment. The overall goal is to make selecting activities easier and make the activities mroe valuable. Out of the three steps (Uncovering the DOs, Converting the DOs into activities, and Selecting media to support), we mainly focused on the second step.

We looked at the first step briefly - Uncovering the DOs (recall facts, find and make use of information, etc.). Basically, this is task identification. Look at the DO types and assign them to specific DOs. Once you've identified these tasks, or DOs (if you will), you need to identify the practice activities. The overall flow looks like this:

Do Types --> DOs --> Practice Activities --> Media

An example would be as follows:

(5) Complete Needed Steps --> Perform a Threat Assessment --> Threat Assessment Completed and Submitted to HR --> Threat Assessment form, etc.

Another general breakdown of this concept: What do they need to do? What don't they know how to do? What can they do to learn it? What do we need to help them learn?

Overall, this presentation covered assigning appropriate activities to appropriate tasks, all the while making sure these activities are appropriately administered (ex: If the DO is online or computer based, the activity should be, as well). A nice, in-depth look at instructionally appropriate activities for specfic learning tasks.

"The songbird must babble before they can sing" - but the songbird must listen to another bird, not pop radio...

Keynote Speaker - Day One - Jeff Howe

2009-03-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

The Suburban Morons...seriously? Fluevog? This guy's already a class act in my book, content aside...

*ahem*

Crowd Sourcing - The analogy goes like this: A lot like Old Faithful...but it's not about the water that sprays out, rather it's about what's below the surface...the magma, the pressure, etc. It's not something I've ever really thought about before, or really knew about - but I've participated in it more than I've known.

Practically, I can't see a tie in to what we do, but that's not to downplay it in the slightest...it just means my industry is a bit more tight gripped in the way we do things. Thinking to other, less rigid industries, I can see an amazing amount of applications.

Crowd Sourcing = cheap labor, input for free...and you can't argue with that.

My apologies...I got so engrossed in Jeff's presentation that my details are a bit sparse, but there are four tenets that lend themselves to the rise of Crowd Sourcing. They are:

1.) The Amateur Renaissance
2.) The Open Source Revolution
3.) The Democratization of Production
4.) The Rise of Online Communities

Again, great presentation - I can definitely see value in Crowd Sourcing for other industries. I don't know that I'd ever be able to find a use for it, creating CBT for the Healthcare industry (specifically, an EMR with very specific processes), but who knows...they said four years ago that CBT wouldn't work either!

Up and running

2009-03-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I swore I'd never blog again...but, given that I'm here, amongst my peers, immersed in the glorious technological glow of eLearning...time to start again.

I'm currently at AG09 and soaking in the first keynote...sounds good so far...more to come.