What your next generation of employees grew up on- mLearn: Toys=Tech

Jonathan Nalder gives us an interesting perspective in his post:
jnxyz eNews: mLearn: Toys=Tech

If you don't believe that mLearning is coming fast, look at what your next generation of employees are growing up learning on.

Christmas Wish List - The Ultimate mLearning Package

I've recently run across what I consider the ultimate mLearning package from Sony- OK, so this isn't really anything to do with mLearning, but it has to be the ultimate tech gift for the geek like myself.

The James Bond 007 UX Spy Gear Bundle-



This ultimtate package includes:

VAIO UX Micro PC (VGN-UX280P7)

The VAIO® UX Micro PC is so small and lightweight even Q himself wouldn't believe it's a full-functioning PC. This remarkably compact dynamo features a 4.5" widescreen display*, an Intel® Core™ Solo Ultra Low Voltage processor and Microsoft® XP Professional.

Cyber-shot® Digital Camera (DSC-T50/JB)

Channel your inner spy as you capture spectacular photos—even in low light without a flash—with the ultra-compact Cyber-shot® DSC-T50/JB. This slim and sexy camera features a 3" touch panel, 7.2 megapixels and 3x optical zoom.

VAIO® UX Bluetooth® GPS Receiver

Hit the open road for your next mission and leave your maps at home. Using this Bluetooth® GPS receiver*, you can turn your UX Micro PC into a portable navigation assistant.

Aluminum Attaché Carrying Case

Originally home to a folding sniper rifle and ammo, the Sony version of the Bond attaché case contains custom foam cutouts that provide a snug-fitting, secure home for your non-lethal precious cargo. The attaché is constructed of black aluminum and features an embossed 007 Gun Logo.

If the Micro PC isn't to your taste, a TX bundle is available with the TX series laptop.

I suppose I can only dream... or hope for the ultimate development trade agreement :->

Read more about the new VAIO UX Notebook here:
Sony VAIO VGN-UX280P 4.5" Notebook PC (Intel Core Solo Processor U1400, 1 GB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive)

? mLearn: The Perfect Ed Tech Device?

In this article, Jonathan Nalder explores if the new $100 mini-laptops or advanced handheld (or $140 depending on the model) are the 'perfect' mLearning device.

jnxyz eNews: mLearn: The Perfect Ed Tech Device?

While the prospect of a $100 laptop does expand the possibility of mLearning being widely accepted, in my opinion, this is not the seed of any sort of mLearning revolution.

Many years ago, as mLearning was just beginning to sprout, Clark Quinn put it best when he stated that mLearning is (paraphrased):
The Right Content
delivered to
The Right Device
at the
Right Time
in the
Right Context

Where we as eLearning practitioners seem to fail is we keep looking for the perfect device to support mLearning. Instead, it is time to realize that the perfect mLearning device is whatever device our audience already has.

This could be a cell phone, PDA, laptop, iPod, or other device.

The mLearning revolution will take off when eLearning professionals undergo an evolution and start creating content that can be reused by all sorts of devices and formats, both mobile and static.

As long as we wait for the right device, our audience will pass us by and the revolution will fizzle.

(Ambient Insight) US Mobile Learning Market Reaches $460 Million in 2006

Ambient Insight research identifies top revenue opportunities for m-learning suppliers.
Seattle, WA (PRWEB) November 28, 2006 -- Ambient Insight today announced two reports on the 2006-2011 US Mobile Learning market. Executive overviews of the reports are available for free at http://www.ambientinsight.com/Reports/MobileLearning.aspx

The market for Mobile Learning products and services across all the buyer segments is growing by 27.2% and will exceed $1.5 billion by 2011. There are now waves of new products hitting the market including language learning, test prep, training podcasts, personal learning tools, location-based services, device-embedded reference, wireless decision support, and handheld continuing education content."Unlike elearning which is dominated by corporate buyers, Mobile Learning is being driven by consumer, government, and healthcare buyers," said Sam Adkins, chief research officer.

Packaged content will account for the largest revenues for suppliers throughout the forecast period. Adkins breaks out revenues for seven distinct types of packaged content in his report.

..read the rest here...

eLearning Guild November Big Question- Are our models (ISD, ADDIE, HPT, etc.) relevant in the future?

The November 'big question' from Learning Circuits is probably one that is challenging us all right now: Are our models (ISD, ADDIE, HPT, etc.) relevant in the future?

I actually asked myself this question shortly before the 'big question' was asked.

In my article 'Choose the Right Door' I explore the conflict of traditional ID modeling with the breakthroughs in Learning 2.0 theory. I found that the master of eLearning, Thiagi, has long before any phrase of Learning 2.0 or Web 2.0 found a way to balance these trends with his Four Door approach to learning.

Click here to read the article.

eLearning Professionals, Are you LinkedIn?

LinkedIn has been called the MySpace for business professionals.
If you are an eLearning, I would love to have you as part of my LinkedIn network.




My profile is here:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mnehrling

You can contact me through LinkedIn with the e-mail address mobilelearn@gmail.com or mnehrling@alltel.net.

Intuition announces world first(sic) in mobile learning via PDA?

I question the validity of the claim about this being a first, but it still is an interesting step forward..
..snip..
Intuition announces world first in mobile learning via PDA

Financial services institution first to use BlackBerry® for learning on the
move Intuition, the technology-enabled learning expert, has announced the deployment of the world’s first fully trackable mobile e-learning course for PDAs such as BlackBerry®. The course has been developed for financial services institutions, and enables users’ progress to be tracked and recorded automatically, making mandatory training easier to deploy, more convenient and fully auditable.

Read the rest here:
http://www.bobsguide.com/guide/news/16707.html

Friday- Luminary eSeminar Series: A New View of eLearning Design: Reforming the Perpetrators of Bad Behavior

Thanks to Tom King for sending me information on this seminar:

Luminary eSeminar Series: eLearning, Sales & Marketing

A New View of eLearning Design: Reforming the Perpetrators of Bad Behavior ›
Friday, December 1, 20061:00 PM - 2:00 PM US/Eastern

A New View of eLearning Design: Reforming the Perpetrators of Bad BehaviorPresenter: Michael W. Allen, Ph.D., CEO, Allen Interactions Inc.Borrowing from the psychology of behavioral change, we will talk about the kinds of learning events that can change behaviors. We will also look to change management techniques for guidance on developing highly successful performance improvement campaigns.

10 Reasons E-Learning Initiatives Fail (and how to avoid them!)

GeoLearning is hosting a webinar on December 6th, 12pm CST- 10 Reasons E-Learning Initiatives Fail (and how to avoid them!).

From the invite:

If you’ve ever headed up an enterprise e-learning initiative, you know the path to success can be fraught with pitfalls. This 1-hour virtual session will address the top 10 reasons e-learning initiatives fail and—more importantly—how they can be avoided. You’ll learn about the potential oversights and missteps involved in building a business case, identifying requirements, selecting technology and content, evaluating services, and launching a successful program. If you’re a stakeholder, manager or play a supporting role in your organization’s e-learning initiative, this session will arm you with the practical know-how to avoid the biggest pitfalls.

This 1-hour virtual session will address:

• How to build an airtight business case and align your e-learning strategy with your organization’s core business objectives.
• How to identify “pain or gain” issues within your organization to win buy-in from executives, functional managers and front-line employees.
• How to use a systematic approach to evaluate e-learning vendors, technologies and services.
• How to plan the rollout of your e-learning initiative for maximum impact and success.
  

Register for this complimentary webcast online at www.geolearning.com/10reasons.

The Learning Circuits Blog: What simulations are good at capturing that books are not

From The Learning Circuits Blog: What simulations are good at capturing that books are not.

Follow up to read the paper on simulation constructs. http://www.cs.brown.edu/publications/conduit/conduit_v15n2.pdf

Mobilemind

Tom King @ Mobilemind has an interesting article worth a second look:
Effective learning is more than Flash interactions

...snip...

Too often we use ADDIE and elearning like a defibrillator-- perhaps rescuing the organization during the current "crisis," but doing little or nothing in terms of the big picture planning for preparation, ongoing "treatment", coaching/support and transition to sustained independent performance. Crisis solved. But what about the heart patient with an exercise-free, high-cholesterol, high-stress lifestyle? Would the medical community just move on and wait for the next incident?

Time really does fly.....

I cannot believe it has been a month since I posted anything to mLearning-World. With a large pilot training launch that required 200% attention to taking a nice week long sabbatical from anything work and computer related during Thanksgiving, I feel very refreshed and ready to explore.

For everyone who has sent me e-mails asking me to look at their projects or other issues, I promise to catch up shortly. For all of the open questions on LearnCircuits, some questions will have to come in small chunks.

For myself, the past month has been a full learning opportunity, not always good. Some key lessons I have learned:

• Those who believe in eLearning stand by it to the bitter end- Those who believe in traditional learning, likewise, stand by it to the bitter end- rarely do those on either side of the issue look at the benefits of blending those styles.
• One cannot, in less than a month, rush out a pilot eLearning replacement program and expect it to be welcomed or immediately improve upon a blended solution that has been in development for years.
• A pilot launch is, in itself, a learning tool- especially when trying something new or shaking up 'the system'.
• sometimes it is good to be just a cog. A successful car has one engine made up of many cogs.
• Brent may have the right idea regarding being a free agent.
• Life goes on. A successful project is one you can grow and learn from, not one that always makes everyone happy.

All in all, this seems like a vent but it really isn't. As you can tell, my recent project didn't go to the standard I like to achieve. While there are many factors for this, all we can do is learn lessons and move on. I still believe that this was a success in proving a concept, especially considering we are comparing a three week developed course to a course that has been developed, re-developed and perfected over the past several years. Considering the L3 results were almost identical- I am not completely dissatified with what happened.