Saturday, December 16, 2006

Windshield Time?

Looking down today while driving, I was thinking of a term I heard at an earlier mLearning conference called 'Windshield Time'.. this is the time your employees go to and from clients.. Initially, I thought this was an untapped field waiting to explore.. I even snapped a pic to show all the available learning modes available to me during a short commute... The challenge is.. your employee is driving to visit a client, how will your training get their attention? Why listen to training versus listening to the latest U2 album? mLearning, like all learning modes needs WIIFM- What's In It For Me... Without WIIFM, it is just another term or fad.....

Friday, December 15, 2006

mLearning World on your Mobile

mLearning World on your Mobile

MLearning-World.com now has a URL just for your mobile phone.

http://www.2mlearn.mobi

On your phone's browser, you simply can type 2mlearn.mobi and you will be directed to a news feed from mLearning-World that is formatted for whatever handset you are viewing this page on.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

eLearning DevCon 2007 - Dates and Call for Presentations

If anyone is interested:
eLearning DevCon 2007 - Dates and Call for Presentations

I have less than a month propose a presentation! Ouch.. Looks like I have a job for my Christmas holiday.

If you are interested in presenting at eLearning DevCon 2007, submit a proposal at www.elearndevcon.com. If your proposal is submitted and accepted by 1/9/2007, as a thank you we will provide you with a complimentary pass to the conference, pay for all of your meals, and we'll pay for your lodging at the residence halls at the conference.

We've had some great presenters in past years and I expect we'll have an equally
great lineup this for 2007. Registrations will open on 12/15. Check back at
www.elearndevcon.com soon for up to $150 off when you register early. And, check out who is going to be our keynote next year! Coming up soon!

Will at Work Learning: Assessment Mistakes by E-Learning Developers

This artcle stings:

Will at Work Learning: Assessment Mistakes by E-Learning Developers

While I don't fall into the category of those who only do L1 'Smiley' sheets, I know that often I could be going into L3 & L4 (ROI) studys a lot more. Generally, like most professionals, 90% of assessments seem to stop at the L2 level.

We've made it a goal next year to incorporate more L3 & L4(ROI) studies into our learning. Hopefully Will's results will be better next year.

Will at Work Learning's Storefront Learning Challenge

Will at Work Learning has an interesting challenge- the Storefront Learning Challenge

Explanation: One of our goals in the learning and performance field is to enable transfer, to help our learners minimize forgetting so that they can remember what they've learned over a long long time. This contest has no rules except this one: Try to capture in a storefront photograph, some insight, truth, or humorous notion regarding our field---the training, development, learning, performance, e-learning field(s). Give it a title, caption, and/or explanation if you like. Tell us the earth location of the storefront.

I humbly submit:
Closed Knowledge (Asakusa Japan)

Although many learning metaphors can be derived from Closed Knowledge, what stood out to me was that- Learning Will Happen. Even if we don't design or deliver the learning- aka, the Store is Closed, our students will find a way to learn. Our participants are hungry for knowledge and they will come to us for it. If we are 'closed' that doesn't mean learning stops, it simply means that our students will get knowledge from other sources.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

NLP in Education

This is something that most designers overlook, but is a great resource for eduction- NLP or Neuro-linguistic Programming.

From Wikipedia: The term "Neuro-linguistic programming" denotes a set of models and principles meant to explore how mind and neurology (neuro), language patterns (linguistic), and the organization of human perception and cognition into systemic patterns (programming) interact to create subjective reality and human behaviors.

Basically, NLP is the use of language techniques to program the listener to accept or be open to a certain message.

In the article, NLP in Education - A Magnificent Opportunity, Don A. Blackerby explores how we can use this in educational settings.

Some of the NLP modeling skills he uses are:


  • Spiritual/Greater System – Attempts to communicate or change at this level affects our experience of being a part of a much vaster system. Answers the question of, who else does this serve? Or, what is the greater purpose or vision?
  • Identity – Attempts to communicate or change at this level affects self-image and overall purpose. Answers the question of, who am I?
  • Beliefs and Values – Attempts to communicate or change at this level, affects the motivation and permission by affecting the reasons that we do it. Answers the question of, why do I do it?

  • Capabilities – Attempts to communicate or change at this level, affects behavioural actions through a mental map, skill or strategy. Answers the question of, how do I do it?

  • Behaviour – Attempts to communicate or change at this level, affects specific actions taken within the environment. Answers the question of, what do I do?

  • Environmental – Attempts to communicate or change at this level, affects the external constraints a person has to live within and react to. Answers the questions of, where and/or when and/or with whom do I do it?


  • Of course, this is the proverbial tip of the iceburg in NLP. Simple tasks such as using a students primary cognitive response to help clear communication paths provides the facilitator a great tool in overcoming barriers.

    The more we know about the psychology of the human mind, we can look back at our primary instructional models in an entirely new light.


    I would like to pose the question to my readers, have you used NLP or other psychological tool in your educational models? What were your results?

    The Learning Circuits Blog: Convergence Learning

    Great read, The Learning Circuits Blog: Convergence Learning

    Snip..
    Convergence Journalism: from the convergence of technologies that has taken place with digitization, to economic convergence in media ownership, through to the journalistic convergence that is seeing both a combination of media forms into one 'multimedia' form, and a multiplication of delivery systems.

    Wondering if the learning profession has such a term, I Googled it and came across this interesting definition from KERIS - the Convergence Learning Model is founded upon cognitive sciences and operates on three impetuses: the psychology of learning, pedagogical change, and technological advancement. From a psychological view, the model addresses intrinsic motivation based on Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory. From a pedagogical view, the model provides a link between formal and informal learning to the benefit of each. Finally, the model is implemented using ubiquitous computing technologies...

    Read the rest here: