Tech Learning Stage – “Smart Content – It’s Not Just for Web Marketing Anymore” (Clark Quinn)

(It’s beginning to get like a broken record, but as soon as I saw Clark’s name, I knew I had to attend.  I am BEYOND pleased I did so…this could not have been more relevant.)


SHOES, AMAZON, MOVIES, TRAINING

Clark opens up with a site selling shoes.  It has all of these smart options…waterproof, hiking, etc.  It intelligently allows us to find just what we want.  Amazon, Netflix?  Same thing.  “People who bought this would buy X, Y, or Z.”

Now, why can’t we/don’t we do this for learning?  Imagine now you’re looking for a specific piece of content from a course.  “People who found the content in this course valuable liked these courses.”  But we can’t do it by hand.  We can’t hand cobble all these X’s and O’s…these puzzle pieces together.  It should be easier…SMARTER…for learners to find more specifically just WHAT THEY WANT.

Clark poses the question: “How many people have content out on their servers or their LMS that is out of date?” EVERY FLIPPING HAND WENT UP.  It all comes down to Content Governance.

“I have a visceral reaction to technological hype.  Remember when virtual worlds were going to be the cureall for everything?”  ß I love this guy.


STRUCTURE, STRUCTURE

“It’s hard to get stuff to stick in our head.  We’re better at pattern matching.”  No more knowledge dump/knowledge test.  Continual innovation in how we learn, how we train, how we teach is the ONLY way to continue to cycle…continue to improve.  Individual innovation is busted.  Creative friction is key to this change, key to this innovation, and key to starting the discussion re: moving our training from e-learning to smart content…to intelligent systems. 

“How many of you have portals in your organization?  How many of you have multiple portals?  How the hell do you find anything?” ß It’s like he’s reading my mind at this point…honestly, this is one of the GREATEST burdens to our day to day.  Why must the material in the portal be different from the material in the LMS?


WHERE DO I FIND IT ALL?

Having the components accessible is key to allowing the learner to practice, re-practice, and re-learn what it is they need to do their job.  Knowledge should be a whole learning experience.  And it should be outlined as such.  You don’t need to re-create, but you do need to re-purpose. 

Again, on a personal note, a colleague of mine and I just had a discussion re: including more ‘rich’ materials for takeaway after class or after the learning experience (in the case of CBT training).  We shouldn’t be just focusing on what we need for the day…for the class…for the CBT…but what that learner needs 3 months…6 months down the road.  While I feel like I’ve had this discussion before, I feel it falling into place a bit more easily here.


CONTENT MODELS

You separate the pieces out by Introduction, Body, Job Aids, Assessments, and so on.  Clark shows an example that, admittedly, was VERY daunting.  And, yet, he assured that with such a model, once you get your head around it…TRULY get your head around it…it’s work, but the payoffs are big. 

Once you have it managed like this, you can have a search engine that can comprehend the structure and, wonder of wonders – searchable content.  You’re not going to get it right the first time, you’re going to need flexibility to do this, but the benefits are great.

On a personal note (again), this seems doable, but we will need to bring someone in with more XML/CSS knowledge than any of our team currently has.  It will take some money, some time, but with those two small things, what a great, great thing for our training materials to be indexed, managed, and made more accessible than ever before?

“I don’t care about big data…I want big insights. It’s mining the big data that matters.”

That quote is SO indicative of the problem.  We focus on the big piece…the module, the class, the agenda…and we focus on it as one piece.  “What do we do tomorrow?”  You start thinking about granulating your content and describing it.  It won’t pay off right away.  We overwrite in eLearning already.  We should focus more on “What’s the least I can do for you?”…be more minimalist. 

CONCLUSION

What can I say?  It’s what I knew already, at least what the problem is.  But the answer has eluded…not completely, but enough.  With Clark’s insight and very plain-spoken solution, I think it’s time to refocus our efforts on granulating…on focusing on the more individual elements of our product, not just our product as one concrete block.  As I mentioned before, I know Clark, I think he’s brilliant, and this presentation proved no different.  My hope is that this is the first step in a long walk when I get back home…

Formal Learning + Performance Support + Social Media Systems = TRUE eLearning

Session 114 - Sketchnoting: How to Capture Ideas and Concepts with Visual Narratives (K Thorn)

(Again, the more of these I attend, the more I find myself going to sessions of folks that I know and absorbing from them.  I like to blame this trend, more than anything, on the fact that the people I like, I happen to like, at least in part, because of their awesomeness - both personally and in e-learning.)


SKETCHNOTING - WHAT IS IT?
Per Kevin, it's taking notes in a visual way.  Your handwriting, but embellishing with figures, drawings, and other adornments.  It's not restrictive to papers...digital form (a la Tracy Hamilton) works, as well, on an iPad, tablet, etc.  It's a process of listening, processing the information, then transferring it from the grey matter to the stage.  It's a more advanced means of doodling while on a call, or scribbling in the margins during a meeting.  You need to make a conscious decision prior to the meeting, then just do it.  If you are focused in such a way, your retention will improve exponentially.


SUPPLIES

Pens, paper, pencils...oh my.  Kevin could apparently spend a lifetime in a Hobby Lobby.  Organizes his tools in PVC pipes laid horizontally (awesome idea).  Specific tools of the trade:

Pens - Faber Castel Pitt, Prismacolor Premier, ZIG Millennium, Micron, Uni Ball Signo Gel Pen (These kinds of pens are the kinds that you love writing with, and get a bit of a cold sweat if you lose.)  Faber Castel Pitt Grey Tone set is recommended.

Paper - The 'heavier' the paper, the better the paper will take the ink.  Standard printer paper is known as 20lb paper (500 sheets = 20 lbs).  Moleskin and sketchbook paper can come in as high as 86lb, hence why the pen feels better on this type of paper.


LIVE SKETCHNOTING

Benefits - Improves listening skills, aids in more efficient processing of information, visualizes information more easily.

Downfalls - Intimidating to try and keep up, can create self-pressure and anxiety (how do I do this?), inability to process/sketch-in mistakes.

Tips - Arrive 10-15 minutes early, sit near front of the screen, be under good light source, pre-sketch the title/name/header (overall idea), and include the conference or hashtag name. 

POST SKETCHNOTING

Benefits - Shorthand for recording, you can use pencil, you can clean things up later.

Downfalls - More time later, temptation to perfect/erase, sharing of the sketchnote is delayed.

Tips - Identify talks (the sessions, keynotes, etc.), and set a time after the session, etc. to sketch.


FORMATS

Formats include: Header with columns, All columns (no header), All rows, Hub & Spoke (start center, stem out), "S" Flow, Spiral.  Really, at the end of it all, it's any format that works for you...that assists in your understanding of the session, talk, etc.  Each segment of the talk/session should be its own 'region' on the paper.  (**You can practice with TED talks, or even TV shows...)  Use flow, whatever way makes sense to you.  Use different styles of boxes or different types of arrows to show different types, meanings, etc. 


WHO AND WHERE

Characters (Who) add visual appeal that may help pull notes into that emotional context where mood and tone are needed.  Start with a simple stick figure...be that simple.  Add details to add character.  Per Kevin, "add mittens, booties, and alter the center of gravity (slanted line for body), and you can do anything".  The characters should help tell the story...use small kids to help model the drawings.  Remember - It's not really about the face or the drawing...that's just support.  The note itself is the main star.  Location (Where) adds context.


TEXT AND DIALOGUE: HEADERS AND TITLES AND CAPTIONS AND QUOTES

Bigger, bolder pen for main headers, smaller point for sub-headers.  Practice?  Do the alphabet 100 times...all in different styles.  You want it written down, fast, in your style, but you don't' want to be focusing on the art more than the session itself. 

Kevin uses lower case for captions, and upper case for quotes to add impact.  Visually, you can differentiate between the two styles.  Speech bubbles are just...well, bubbles.  Draw a circle, draw a tail on it.  Speech = solid line, thought = puffy, whisper = dash, outburst = jagged, etc...


ICONS AND CONCEPTS

The importance of symbolism/symbology is huge.  Keep your icons and symbols simple, but smart.  Always remember, while you may share it, it's still PRIMARILY for you.  As simple as you need it to be...Concepts are hard, though.  Kevin gave an example of morality.  How would you sketchnote morality?  Definitely higher end material, but possible (though, likely, a more personal meaning and, so, likely to be difficult to share.)

(**Sketchnoting is like math...like your times tables.  The more you do it, the less time you need to do it AND the more kneejerk/reactionary it becomes.)


OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER

- Create your own style.  No reason to copy.  Be inspired, but be original.
- The page does not have to be filled.  Write, sketch until the points have been recorded.
- Use symbols and icons wherever possible.  They're quick, but it takes time and practice.
- Keep your pen or pencil moving...constantly.  Stopping means you have to start again.
- Make mistakes! Love them, they're how you're going to learn.


CONCLUSION

What an awesome session this was...seriously.  Such a different way to look at things and, on the heels of doing things that don't necessarily make you comfortable (from this morning's keynote), it's a really cool new way to look at things differently.  With a natural predisposition towards art myself, this is a natural flow between.  A lot of the points that Kevin brings up, though, I will have to watch for - erasing, overperfecting, etc.  On the other hand, being a live blogger already, this could work!

Be in the moment...be in the knowledge of the moment, and much like teaching, touch on all the modalities you can.

Featured Session #3 - "Show Your Work: The Payoffs and How-Tos of Narrating Work" (Bozarth)

**Disclaimer: I am a fanboy of Jane Bozarth's.  I attend what I can of hers while at conferences.  She is a 2 quart carton of amazingsauce.  In other words - This will not necessarily be impartial, shall we say.**
(Recap of the presentation materials at http://www.diigo.com/user/jbo27712/showyourwork )

"Last year this was an ignite presentation for three minutes.  Now it's a book." 

"Our state employee discipline policy is 47 pages long, then HR gets mad that managers aren't carrying it out." 

WHAT DOES LEARNING LOOK LIKE

In an organization, we deal very often with much formal endeavors, but more often than not, the informal events are more impactful with regards to learning.  Hallway convos, workplace engagement while completing a task, etc....they're all going on. 

Instead, we're jammed into silos...How many times have you finished a product and found someone had already done something similar, or found the info you needed a day or two too late?  And you can't just add social media on top of a silo structure...it doesn't work.  We need to be more permeable, more accessible, and less frustrated.

TACIT KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Let's get away from complicated processes and models.  How can we keep it NOT cumbersome...not another TPS report? 

WHY DO PEOPLE SHARE?/INTENTIONAL LEARNING: ONBOARDING

How many of us have new employees that can't fathom why they have to sit through all that...'stuff' up front?  Everyone.  BUT...one organization was mentioned that required their new employees to blog twice a week, and they began to embrace it.  They began to understand by sharing their thoughts.  YouTube is another venue for that Sharing-Based Learning...essentially like a video blog. 

As Jane works in government, she referenced that the state is under more and more pressure to maintain more transparency.  Still, their 'stuff' is composed in government-ese.  She references a blog from the UK...provides names, projects, and so on. Provides the 'open window' concept...you see real people doing real work.  Where else can we do this?

DemoFest is a prime example of when and how people share to learn.  It is people showing their work...showing JUST WHAT THEY DO.

The benefits?  Explicit, transparent leads to more open forum for suggestions, elimination of rework, easier evaluation of employees' performance, and several others.  The benefits are there, but how do we make this happen?  How do we encourage that change to occur?

"If you don't work out loud, management won't see it at all."THIS IS WHY I DID IT THAT WAY

Having people articulate the "WHY" of what they did can be very useful.  Font selection alone, as given example, really spoke volumes:  You wouldn't think twice, not being a typesetter (digital), but this guy in this example showed just how important it could be.  And it's important.  Maybe not immediately to you, but to someone.  Allow people to show that.

BEFORE/AFTER/IN PROGRESS WORK

The videos we see on YouTube are typically the end piece.  What happens in the middle?  At the beginning?  Towards the end before the finish?  All of these points can show information, can teach lessons, can give guidance.  Show it, keep it open, let people see it - It helps.  This smacks true for what I do - Prior to sharing the SME template with the clientele, there was a lot of misunderstanding and not getting it.  When I explained the "why" and showed the process (so much so that I engaged them in it), they gained new knowledge, a new respect, and an overall 'got it' team attitude.

ASK FOR HELP

Reaching out can create a super-powerful crowdsourced end-product.  And we can amplify our work.  A State Legislation's definition of Professionalism grew from a small group effort, to a poster in an Australian workplace kitchen.  2 days' time...a whole globe away.  Awesome.

NARRATE - TALK AS YOU GO..."SAY IT OUT LOUD"

Don't just narrate training...narrate as YOU learn.  Terry Brock narrated his learning process of how to convert video to iPad.  Bob Ross, crazy hippie painter that he was, would narrate his own learning, even his mistakes (happy little mistakes).  Google Glass in the operating room will allow med students to learn through the eyes of residents...students teaching students.  If the dialogue is there, the opportunity to absorb will be, as well.  What's more, when accidents happen, go with it...don't be perfect...be a learning experience for someone. 

(Side note - My Live Blogging is pretty much a live, unfiltered narration of what I'm learning in each of the sessions I'm in.  Phenomenal.)

We enjoy things like DevLearn, because it's a community of practice...we're around like minded people.  We understand each other. 

"You say you want innovators and creative thinkers, but then you hire people who follow the rules."

CONCLUSION

Information should be free.  It should be shared.  People should be able to see what other people are doing...not just to be nosy, but to be aware...to be made intelligently aware of other efforts occurring. Keep sharing simple - There are enough wordswordswordswords going on...choose the medium that makes sense for what you're sharing.  Choose what makes sense.  Draw a picture, take a picture...don't just rely on the recipe card, be the Snapguide.  You could have a 97 page recipe, or you could take 6 pictures.  Let's stop making it difficult...share smart. 

Keynote Speaker #1 - Jeremy Gutsche "Unlocking Cool"

TREND HUNTER

"An Intellectual Can of Red Bull", this Jeremy Gutsche fella seems like he's ready to rock and roll. 

He opens with a question:

"It's not the questions that change, it's the answers that do." - Peter Drucker

"Why should I pick you?  For eLearning...what is it you do?" 

He references a Harley Davidson exec, and his response wasn't about the bike...it was about making someone be afraid of them.  Steve Jobs wanted people to love the look and lick the buttons.  Red Bull's CEO wanted people to embrace a state of mind.  What's it all mean?

You are not selling a PRODUCT.  You are selling an EXPERIENCE.

He shows an Old Spice commercial from the 60s, then shows a modern one...referencing that we were a 'bullet point' delivery culture, now?  You knew it was a dollar from Shulton Labs back then...now?  Who cares about the price, who cares about the lab...there is a sculpted man referencing every possible (stereotypical) dream a woman would want.  That Old Spice is getting bought.

CHAOS = OPPORTUNITY

Fortune magazine was founded in 1929, three months after the Wall Street crash, priced three times more than the New York Times.  They grew their subscribers to half a million during the Great Depression selling a magazine that was the price of a wool sweater.  Why?

Decisions were being made in Manhattan that made that crash happened.  This magazine gave a look behind the corporate curtain.  And people wanted that.  Peoples wants had CHANGED.

We're here for something different...something better.  Somehow, we need to take what we do to the next level.  We're currently experiencing history's greatest period of change.

"A company's culture is the seed to its destruction."  In the 90's, a Kodak exec offered up the concept of a website that would share pictures of people's faces over the internet.  Didn't happen.  Bill Gates approached Britannica about digitizing their encyclopedias, they refused.  He went to Funk and Wagnalls, they accepted - And we know that as Encarta.  But even Gates, wise as he was, didn't connect the dots and charged for Encarta.  We got together...and got Wikipedia.

SUCCESS LEADS TO COMPLACENCY

Success leads you to repetition...it kept food on our plate.  Farm, harvest, do the same thing next year that worked.  There's inspiration all around us, but we have to tap into it.  Problem is, the act of being inspired has become distracting.  And relying on gut instinct is problematic, so say the least.  So how do we FIND BETTER IDEAS FASTER?

Jeremy covered his methods of innovation...crowdsourcing and crowdfiltering.  Jeremy lost his dad a month ago, and mentions what an inspiration he was: A Charismatic Entrepeneur and kickass dad (Personal Note - Yes he was, Jeremy...we can see it in you.).  Long way about, Jeremy was clearly inspired by his dad, took that inspiration, and grew it forward.  Month old magazine subscriptions, door to door donuts, and a 16 year old night club owner...clearly Sig laid a path for Jeremy's inspiration and innovation.


TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AT THE NEXT LEVEL:

- HUNT OVERLOOKED OPPORTUNITY
- KNOCK ON DOORS (PEOPLE ARE LAZY)
- SCOUR THE WORLD FOR IDEAS

(I'll admit...I stopped blogging and started listening.  To encapsulate/summarize - His Dad taught him to look beyond the success of the moment.  Look towards what could be done, not what needs to be done.  Kind of awesomely emotional, he wrapped this segment with his dad's rules:)

SIG GUTSCHE'S LESSONS FOR SUCCESS

- Family first.
- Be genuinely interested in others.
- Be ambitious.
- Make people feel like they're a part of what you're doing.
- There is always upside in times of difficulty.


CULTURE EATS STRATEGY

Adaptive organizations:

-  Change perspective
-  Destroy intentionally
-  Fail with purpose
 - Are obsessed with their customers

The example: Smith Corona is "The BEST typewriter company in the world"...they still hold that title!  "When you're successful, you don't need to change"  When corporations fail, we focus more on absorbing/obtaining their customers rather than changing our own gig...we're focusing on doing what it was our failed competition was doing, rather than focusing on changing to ensure future success (or at least make an educated guess at what could garner it). 

Per the Smith Corona CEO - If you use the term Buggy Whip, you're destined for failure.  Smith Corona was poised to merge with Acer...it held on, too white knuckled, to what it was they DID.  What happened?  They went bankrupt, and Acer went on to be the 2nd leading laptop maker in the world.  Change or die.(Gutsche goes on to expound his traits of adaptive organizations.  Beyond engaging...emphasizes the importance of not just making emotional connections, but CULTURAL connections. Example: Iron Eyes Cody vs Don't Mess With Texas campaign (littering))

CONCLUSION
One of the quotes I'll take away is this: Situational framing dictates your outcome.  There is no status quo...there is no reason to do today what we did yesterday, at least not completely.  Culture needs to be read into, needs to be felt, needs to be embraced. 

"There is no point of innovating if you think you already know the answer."  It's time to STOP doing what we're good at.  It's time to stop doing what we know and try to step into/be more open to the complete possibility of what could be.  Make friends in other industries and begin to embrace what it is you don't know, rather than being afraid of what you don't.

For me?  It's time to stop thinking I know it all, and realize I don't.  Awesome, awesome, awesome keynote...what a great way to start the week.

Introduction - "I Blame Sandy" - Dave Kelly

Energy, Hurricane Sandy stories, and an awesome speaker, in general: This guy is Dave Kelly.

"The greatest source of professional development comes from the relationships you have with your peers."

Brief intro, but super poignant...kind of follows on the heels of my previous post.  "Community"...it's what the Guild is about, it's what we're about, and it's where most of our relationships come from...this very room.  So comforting and, given the evening's events last evening: Good conversation, good food, good drinks - I can't help but not only believe this wholeheartedly, but completely endorse it. 

Dave wrapped by thanking us.  Thank you, Dave, for making me/us aware for just how lucky we are to be here.  Not just at DevLearn, but among our peers...our friends.

Just as an aside...re: eLearning Guild events, in general...

As I sit here listening to Skrillex's Bangarang pumped through the PA at DevLearn, I had a "moment":

I was just talking with the wonderfully talented Tracy Hamilton Parish and we agreed - There's really not a better conference experience than eLG.  It's not necessarily about the event itself, or the venue, or the agenda.  It truly is one of the greatest 'battery recharges' one can professionally do, and it's due in large part to the absolute mind vault the event becomes.  I won't embarrass anyone by necessarily naming them (*cough*JaneBozarthSteveHowardSARAHGilbertTrinaRimmerCammyBeanSeanPutmanDaveKelly*cough*), but, again, as Tracy pointed out last night - it's about learning from the people in particular, not necessarily the facts themselves.

Okay...moment over...move along.

Live from DevLearn 2013...

Been quite some time, but I'm back...this blog is back...ready to bring you the latest and greatest (at least that I attended) from DevLearn 2013 in Las Vegas!  Stay tuned!