It's time for another edition of the Learning and Development Roundup! (See also previous editions at the archive page.)
Jane Bozarth Introduces TrainingBookReview.com Industry veteran and expert author Jane Bozarth has started a new website called TrainingBookReview.com. This is a new blog, sponsored by HRDQ. Bozarth was for some 10 years a book review writer for Training magazine, and describes that at this new blog she will be reviewing "a few new books," but also have a focus, at least to start, "on some classics in the L&D literature." She has kicked things off with a review of Figuring Things Out: A Trainer’s Guide to Needs and Task Analysis (Zemke & Kramlinger, 1982). For fans of Jane's book reviews, know that she continues to also review books focused on e-Learning at her new column with Learning Solutions magazine, the latest of which is a review of Clark Aldrich's new book The Complete Guide to Simulations and Serious Games. Keep up the great work Jane!
Ten Myths About Video in E-Learning And speaking of the online Learning Solutions magazine, it recently had a two-part article by Stephen Haskin titled "Ten Myths About Video in E-Learning." In part 1, he takes on what he considers to be myths such as the issue of Mac versus PC for creating videos, the software available, whether you need a streaming server to play your videos, and the issue of mobile devices. In part 2, he covers topics including HD, internal networks, frame rates, and importantly, the cost and skills required for video production. Although the topics covered are broader than the use of video in e-Learning contexts alone, Haskin has done e-Learning developers a service by sharing insights on so many issues of video production in one place.
What Will Workplace Learning Technology Look Like in 2015? That was the "big" question posed for the month of May at ASTD's Learning Circuits blog. Responses to this provocative question came pouring in, and by now include postings from Tony Karrer, Clark Quinn, Clive Shepherd, and many others. Note to self: check back in five years to see who was correct!
Better Design Doesn't Take Longer And speaking of Clark Quinn, in a recent article at eLearn magazine, "Better Design Doesn't Take Longer!", he argues in favor of better design in the development of learning content. He makes his case on the grounds that it really doesn't take any longer to produce well-designed content and learning experiences, and obviously (almost by definition) good designs will yield better outcomes. He admits the one caveat to his position about it not taking any longer: "after an initial transition period." That is, he is arguing for a long-range perspective, by noting that an investment in some time up front can be more than justified by the benefits you will reap in the future.
An Interesting Take on the iPad from a Usability Guru And speaking of design, Jakob Nielsen is a very well-known usability expert. So when he publishes a 93-page report on the usability of the latest technology wonder device, it is worth your time to pause and at least hear what he has to say. You can download this report for free, or if time is short at the moment, start by simply reading this article from the Guardian, "Jakob Nielsen critiques the iPad's usability failings." Lots of food for thought, as the Learning and Development industry begins to consider the use cases for the iPad, and future competing tablet devices too.
On the Forgetting Curve and Ways to Improve Retention Although I recently wrote a post that linked to these two items, I wanted to again draw attention to them. On May 28, both Charles Jennings and Donald Clark wrote about a similar topic, both invoking what is known as "the Forgetting Curve." These postings are both worth reading, so here again are the links:
On Mobile Learning Are you up to speed on the current state, and the possibilities for the future, of mobile learning? If not, then I encourage you to read Ellen Wagner's article "When Mobility Meets Learning" from the April/May issue of Elearning! magazine. After setting the stage with a typical run down of the explosive growth of mobile devices, Wagner provides several reasons why mobile learning hasn't taken off equally as quickly. She then describes several attributes that a rich mobile learning experience will involve: ubiquity, access, richness, efficiency, flexibility, security, reliability, and interactivity. She then shares nine critical questions to ask when you are planning a mobile learning initiative -- a good list!
The Latest on Social Learning As I noted in my reflections on the recent ASTD ICE 2010 conference, social learning is one of the hottest topics in the L&D industry today. There continues to be a great flow of good articles, postings, and resources on this important subject, so I will again list a few from recent weeks here. See also the many links in my blog posting "The Great LMS Debate," in which social learning plays a central role.
"Implementing Social Learning" -- from the April/May issue of Elearning! magazine, this article includes descriptions of social learning from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland and Telus Corporation. The latter's success with social learning was also recently described in a case-study from Microsoft here.
Updates from Element K As usual, I'll end this roundup posting with links to our newsletter service that we launched last year. Each newsletter includes several articles of relevance to the Learning and Development field, as well as updates about Element K events and our latest product releases. You can see the latest newsletters here: March, April, May, and June.
It's time for another edition of the Learning and Development Roundup! (See also previous editions at the archive page.)
Training Magazine, Goodbye Old Friend A great many print publications are struggling financially these days, with some becoming online-only publications and others closing down entirely -- so each new announcement does not come as a complete surprise. But for many veterans in the training and development field, the recent news of Training magazine folding up shop came as sad news indeed. Over several decades, many have received significant education through its pages, while others were given a platform to share their knowledge or first spread their wings as industry experts.
Karl Kapp has done a good job of bringing together the reflections of a half-dozen people who have blogged at the news of the demise of Training magazine. His blog posting also provides a solid list of alternate resources that remain as outstanding sources of learning, training, and development articles and news. If you aren't subscribed to most or all of these, definitely check them out!
Learning Circuit's February Big Question: Instruction in an Information Snacking Culture? At the ASTD Learning Circuit's Blog, Tony Karrer noted a trend that many of us are seeing lately: "we seem to be snacking on information, not consuming it in big chunks." As the February "Big Question," he then asks us all to reflect on this phenomenon: Are people really "snacking" more? Do we therefore need to think about instruction differently, and if so, in what ways? Is this shift a problem, and if it is, how so exactly? See the blog posting links to the blog responses so far.
Two Recent Articles on Mobile Learning ASTD's T+D magazine has recently had two good articles about the growing trend of mobile learning. In my view, both are worth your time to read:
"Smartphones Make IBM Smarter, But Not As Expected," by Nabeel Ahmad and Peter Orton. Appropriately enough, ASTD has made this article available as an audio podcast so that you can listen to it on your favorite mobile device!
"Can You Hear Me Now?" (PDF), by mobile learning expert Judy Brown. She asks: "Is mobile access to learning and performance support a part of your learning architecture? If not, you may want to re-evaluate."
On Learning Styles Will Thalheimer writes a good blog called Will at Work Learning, which he describes as being "Will Thalheimer's research-based commentary on learning, performance, and the industry thereof." He recently authored a post titled "Learning Styles Reviewed by Association for Psychological Science AND FOUND WANTING". In short, Will is reporting on a recent review of the evidence (commissioned by the Association of Psychological Science) for the benefits of using "learning styles" in creating instructional content. Interestingly, the review found that "there is no adequate evidence base to justify incorporating learning-styles assessments into general educational practice." Read his posting for more on the findings -- including the scope of what can be concluded from the review and what cannot -- as well as Will's thoughts as both a researcher and consultant.
The Latest Insights on Social Learning I continue to find the flow of good articles, postings, and resources on social learning to be almost overwhelming. So as I did in the last two round-ups, I'll provide some of the latest "gems" for you here:
Updates from Element K As usual, I'll end this roundup posting with links to our newsletter service that we launched in 2009. Each newsletter includes several articles of relevance to the Learning and Development field, as well as updates about Element K events and our latest product releases. You can see the latest newsletters here: December, January, February, and March.
It's time for another edition of the Learning and Development Roundup! (See also previous editions at the archive page.)
More Predictions for 2010 In roundup vol. 9 I linked to several industry leaders providing predictions for 2010. I have found many more such articles and blog postings since then, and they are almost always a fascinating read. Here are some of the best that I didn't link to last time around:
eLearn Magazine has again gathered predictions from a few dozen industry experts, including Stephen Downes, Jay Cross, Clark Quinn, Roger Schank, Jane Hart, Elliott Masie, Allison Rossett, Saul Carliner, Janet Clarey, Karl Kapp, Bryan Chapman, Mark Oehlert, Charles Jennings, and more. In addition, see the bottom right of this posting, where they provide links to their annual predictions from 2002-2009 -- it is fascinating to see how many were hits and misses from years past
"Predictions and Plans for 2010" The January Big Question at ASTD's The Learning Circuits Blog is on the subject of predictions for the new year. There are over 20 response postings from folks like Jeanne Meister, Jay Cross, Clark Quinn, Bill Brandon, Clive Shepherd, and many more.
Tony Karrer, creator of eLearningLearning.com, and author of the eLearning Technology blog, has also posted his predictions for 2010. He writes this as a top-10 list, but with the tenth spot left undecided with a request for readers to chime in.
Mobile Learning in 2010 And speaking of predictions for 2010, with the exception of one of the experts from eLearn Magazine's gallery, many are predicting that mobile device use for learning will continue to grow in 2010, and possibly even (finally) burst out a bit. Mobile Learning guru Judy Brown does a good job bringing together the various mobile learning predictions in her post "2010 Forecasts." And Robert Gadd chimed in the first week of January at his new blog, mLearning Trends, with his mLearning predictions for 2010.
How Has the Internet Changed Your Learning? The latest blog posting from Elliott Masie at LearningTown (login required) is titled "How Has the Internet Changed Your Learning?" Over 30 LearningTown members have chimed in with perspectives so far. If you aren't a member of LearningTown yet, now is a great time to sign up and join this discussion!
Learning in 3D It doesn't get much more cutting edge than considering the various ways learning can occur in immersive 3D virtual worlds. And few if any are more expert in this subject than the duo of Karl Kapp and Tony O'Driscoll, authors of the new book Learning in 3D (Amazon link). They have also been quite innovative in how they are promoting their book, such as launching on a "blog tour" composed of interviews at various L&D experts' blogs. Further, they have created a useful website, www.learningin3d.info to both promote their book and provide visitors with helpful resources on the topic of "learning in 3D." Bookmark this one!
The Latest Insights on Social Learning I continue to find the flow of good articles, postings, and resources on social learning to be almost overwhelming. So as I did in the last roundup, I'll provide some of the latest "gems" for you here:
"Social Learning Strategies Checklist" - Partially as preparation for a great presentation they gave at the Training 2010 conference last week in San Diego, David Wilkins and Kevin Jones have created and made freely available a list of dozens of questions organizations should ask when implementing social learning.
Updates from Element K As usual, I'll end this roundup posting with links to our newsletter service that we launched in 2009. Each newsletter includes several articles of relevance to the Learning and Development field, as well as updates about Element K events and our latest product releases. You can see the latest newsletters here: November, December, January, and February.
I'll admit it: I'm hooked on m-learning! By m-learning I of course mean mobile learning, or perhaps more precisely, mobile-device-based-learning. I listen to a wide range of content via hand-held devices, sometimes my BlackBerry, but most often my rather simple, older generation iPod.
Although it took some time to get into the habit of carrying content around with me, I’ve since found myself productively using time that would have otherwise been wasted. Some examples of times when I watch, or more often simply listen, to what I would consider "learning content":
Driving to work.
Waiting at the airport, or riding on planes.
Waiting in long lines (e.g., at the post office).
While exercising.
What I listen to that can broadly be considered "learning content" is also quite varied. My favorite is probably the articles of The Economist magazine. Every article of each issue is available as downloadable MP3 Audio. I wish all the magazines I subscribe to offered this—Wired magazine, are you listening?
There is one other magazine that comes close to what The Economist offers, and it is one from our own Learning and Development industry. ASTD's T+D Magazine offers many of its articles as free audio downloads. You can see which ones are available by looking at the end of each article and checking for the podcast indicator.
Naturally, working for Element K, I have access to a lot of great learning content that we produce and content provided by our partners. Some of this content is available in formats that will work on mobile devices. For instance, we provide some of the content from selected Business Skills courses (around 100 of them by now!) as Audio MP3 files. I've listened to some of this content, in areas such as personal productivity, and found it to be a useful alternative when I don't have time to sit at my computer and take the full e-learning course.
But some of my favorite mobile learning content actually comes from some of our partners. I have three examples here. The first was a short-term situation that arose for me last summer. My wife and I were taking a vacation in France, but I took Spanish in high school and college, not French. So in order to learn some basics, I listened to several Audio MP3 vocabulary builder and dialogue lessons from the beginning-level French content provided by our partner Living Language. That was perfect for me for the week or two before the trip, and even the plane trip over the Atlantic.
I also regularly listen to book summaries as audio files from our partner GetAbstract. I love the concept of book summaries: I don't have time to read all the good business-related books that come out each year, but I do have time to read brief abstracts of them, or even better, listen to those abstracts on my drive into work.
And finally, our content partner 50 Lessons provides some 700 or so short video interviews of CEOs and other experts on a range of business topics. I've gone through the entire collection, created a list for myself of the ones I want to view, and then each month I tackle a dozen or so—sometimes watching them, sometimes just listening to the audio track. Either way, I get the value they provide.
Mobile Learning or "m-learning" surely has a very bright future. Who doesn't have one or more cell phones, iPods, or other mobile devices? And who hasn't had some downtime at the airport or felt they could better use their time while driving to and from work? The possible learning opportunities are significant, but so are the challenges including:
Varying technology support on different devices (e.g., Flash is not supported on the iPhone or iTouch).
Inherent content difficulties due to the small screen space, limited device memory, etc.
Varied device implementations across organizations, making off-the-shelf solutions more difficult than for browser-based e-learning.
Varied devices within organizations, making consistent content deployment to all users more difficult
We've witnessed a flurry of industry research and reports this summer, including items from Brandon Hall, Masie’s Learning Consortium, and the eLearningGuild. These are all geared toward helping learning leaders in organizations understand the mobile learning landscape—both its current reality and future potential.
Further, over at LearningTown! the groups for "Podcasting for Learning" and "Mobile Learning" have the fourth and fifth most members—another sign of the exploding interest in this area.
Many organizations have by now experimented with podcasting or other initial mobile content delivery initiatives. But consider the following partial list of possibilities for the use of mobile devices in learning and performance support contexts:
Pre-work for an ILT class session (introductory material, set context, etc.)
Follow-up for an ILT class session (reinforcement of key points)
Performance Support / Just-In-Time / Reference solution (for cases where laptop/desktop access is problematic, and users need info on the job)
Review of key concepts for exam preparation
Providing summary or key content only (such as book abstracts)
Corporate communications (CEO updates or other regular organization news)
For formal learning, especially where the content can be broken up into very discrete pieces (such as language learning)
Assessments of learning
What is your organization already doing with mobile devices for learning, and what plans, ideas, or needs do you have for the future? Please leave us comments to share your thoughts on this exciting topic!
There are different ways to determine the popular topics and top trends in any industry. You can conduct surveys, review what research reports have to say, or look into what the hot topics are with bloggers in the field.
After attending over a half-dozen conferences in the past year, I realized that another way to gauge forward-looking trends in the learning and training industry would be to categorize all of the conference presentations and see what topic areas occurred most often. So I did that for six conferences that ran from October 2007 through April 2008:
Training Tech
Learning 2007
DevLearn 2007
Training 2008
ASTD TK 2008
eLearningGuild Annual 2008
Before getting into the results of this exercise, I want to note that there is a definite level of subjectivity involved here. Depending on what topic categories you chose to sort by, your results would vary. Also, even with the same category scheme, any two people might assign the categories differently. So take these results with those caveats in mind—this wasn't a scientific exercise, but rather one that provides a rough guide regarding what is being "talked about" the most in our industry.
Also, a large number of presentations were either on the very basics of developing e-learning and other training materials, or were on topics that were not easily categorized. I didn't want to spend days and days on this exercise, so if it wasn't fairly obvious from the title and description what the talk was about, I included it in a large "miscellaneous" category.
That said, here are the top eight topic categories (other than miscellaneous), and the number of presentations for each (there is overlap, as a presentation can be categorized in more than one area):
Web 2.0 / Collaboration (64)
Serious Gaming / Robust Simulations (62)
Mobile Learning (52)
LMS and LCMS (51)
Using Rapid E-learning Tools and Techniques (51)
Virtual Classroom / Synchronous / Webinars (29)
Immersive Learning / Virtual Worlds / Second Life (28)
Performance Support / Informal Learning (27)
As you can see, there is a bit of gap between the top five areas which each had 50+ sessions, and the bottom three which each had 27-29 sessions. I tracked another dozen or so areas, but each of those had less than 20 sessions.
I consider three of these areas—LMS, Rapid E-Learning, and Virtual Classroom/Webinars—to be more mature from a vendor perspective than the other five. Innovation is occuring in all of these areas, but some have a longer history than others.
I'll have more to say on these results in the future, but for now let me ask you: Which of the top eight areas above are you using for learning and training in your organization? Which are you investigating for potential use in the future?
Please use the comments form to add your thoughts about this blog posting and these questions. I look forward to hearing from you!
