Learning Design and Performance Improvement

Class without rooms - by World Mag

2009-10-03T21:56:00.003-04:00

I often read World Magaizine and was particularly glad to see their perspective of online higher education in "Class without rooms".

One good quote that actually came from a Washington Monthly article...

...the day is coming—sooner than many people think—when a great deal of money is going to abruptly melt out of the higher education system, just as it has in scores of other industries that traffic in information that is now far cheaper and more easily accessible than it has ever been before.

tweetGrid

2009-09-20T19:04:00.000-04:00

Nice little website grid for monitoring several twitter topics at once. This is more entertaining than watching all the scrolling lines on CNN or MSNBC.

Government Cloud Computing

2009-09-16T21:05:00.004-04:00

Obama administration is making a push for the Government to utilize cloud computing. They've opened http://www.apps.gov/. In the article, they also talk about Google dedicating a Government cloud. Obviously, this won't be for everyone, but should help cut down costs for the largest IT user.

Cost of eLearning

2009-09-14T19:00:00.002-04:00

Great post by Tony Karrer on eLearning costs. Summarizes several methods and tools for estimating elearning costs.

Maintaining Technology Currency

2009-09-12T23:25:00.000-04:00

At ASTD 2009, I discovered that Elearning! was going to start offering a Government version to their magazine. Given the specific target audience for this magazine, I anticipate several good articles coming out of this publication in the future.

Here is an article on Currency and Learning Technology. The article provides a good exercise to help you evaluate how well your organization does in terms of conceptual adoption. A couple of good quotes...

Creating training environments that reduce time away from the core business activities while increasing speed to competence should be the holy grail of any effective training department.

Conceptual adoption is a fundamental barrier that trumps all other barriers to adopting new technologies, including funding, IT support, and development time.

Rapidly identifying the potential benefit of a new technology certainly is a determining factor of successful corporate learning.

Issues with eLearning

2009-09-08T11:10:00.000-04:00

A SlideShare on eLearning, games, engagement, and flow. No references to back up the stats, but I think we've all seen example eLearning courses like slide #8.

September Big Question

2009-09-07T19:52:00.002-04:00

After a rather lengthy absence dealing with some difficulties with the birth of our second little girl, I'm working on getting back into regularly reading and posting blog entries.

Some low hanging fruit comes in the form of the Learning Circuit's Big Question for September. The question investigates working with SMEs. I once heard the statement that SMEs make the worst trainers. While it's certainly a generalization in order to make a point, the truth is that SMEs may often breeze through critical information that a novice would not understand. On the other side of the coin, it's obvious that ISDers can't work without SMEs (i.e. we all can't have SME level knowledge in the variety of disciplines that we will work on over the years).

I've "worked" with several SMEs who thought they knew everything and would not accept any help in their instructional endeavors. There will be a small percentage that will not change...and I think you need to just wait for them to retire or move on to a different position:-) For the rest, there is a certain level of education that will need to be done on both sides. Coming from the learning standpoint, we must show value added. This could involve very briefly summarizing key learning theories; it should involve outlining potential pitfalls; it should involve asking questions to help formulate the needs.

Most importantly, I've found that it helps out a lot when you emphasize that our emphasis is increasing learning. When SMEs see that we value students/learners/trainees as much (possibly more) than they do, it will help break down barriers.

NEWSeum app

2009-02-03T21:23:00.002-05:00

Here is a nice little Flash application of Web 2.0 technology. This is a nice little tool to browse the news, but it is also extremely valuable if you are an analyst that needs to constantly stay on top of the news in different parts of the world.

Accessible Government

2009-01-08T19:11:00.000-05:00

In a two for one deal...this Sunday's edition of the Washington Post also had an article showcasing Arlington County's new virtual presence. The Arlington County Government has a cyber-office where visitors can read promotional posters, meet with economic development officials, gather market research, and conduct presentations and brainstorming sesssions with the intent of promoting economic development. As the article notes, the hope is to give visitors an idea of where the county is going in the future and let the visitors be a part of it.

Schools Got Game

2009-01-06T19:26:00.000-05:00

This Sunday's edition of the Washington Post had a very good article on the role of serious games in schools. It mostly had a very positive spin on the role games can play in education. I don't think the article will be particularly "enlightening" to anyone that has been tracking the emergence of serious games, but it is good to see the article made the front page (granted it was the front page of the "Metro" section which is the third section...but still, it's progress; two years ago the article probably would've been buried in "Lifestyles" section).

Lessons from Gamers

2009-01-04T20:32:00.000-05:00

I was flipping through a video game magazine that came as a free subscription after getting a Wii for Christmas, and I came across an interesting article on how to do "achievement" right. Achievement in a game is critical to game flow (i.e. that "magical" state where gamers can't put the game down because they need to beat the next level, unlock the next secret, etc.). I was struck by how the learning community can learn a lot about how to build achievement into our simulations and games.

The "Dos"

Use achievements to lure players into checking out a game's entire feature set.
Chart the players progress toward unlocking achievements.
Lead players through your campaign with incremental achievements.
Implement achievements that are unlocked after the completion of the game.
Reward players for challenging themselves.
Weigh achievement points to properly reflect how people play your game.
Make sure the achievements back up the time investment.

The "Don'ts"

Force players to play a game in an unnatural way to get achievements.
Make the majority of your achievements dependent upon higher difficulties.
Have the "achievement unlocked" message appear over text.
Reveal major plots in the achievement text.
Require people to spend a specific amount of time with your game.

Want a free education?

2008-12-30T20:27:00.002-05:00

The University of California at Berkeley has a special section on YouTube where they have uploaded selected courses (the full thing), special events, and lectures. From what I've read, I think they have had streaming video as far back as 2001. Great example of a school leveraging open-source video as a learning tool.

Bad Economy = Boost in Distance Learning?

2008-12-21T22:43:00.000-05:00

Here is an interesting article that goes against some of the doom-and-gloom that economists (and some in the learning blogosphere) are complaining about. There have been other articles that state that when the economy goes bad, people should look at going back to school to increase their skill sets.

The only bad thing about this article is that it seems to hint that "education" funds would be a safe place to invest. Seems eerily similar to the claims that investing in .coms was safe, and buying 3 houses was safe, etc. My rule of thumb is that if other people are writing about it, then you probably already missed the significant profit curve. Nevertheless, it is an interesting perspective that not all may be disasterous in the learning field.

Is Technology Rewiring Our Brains?

2008-12-13T22:25:00.002-05:00

I received a very interesting article from the Director at our organization. The article (available from the San Diego Tribune) asks the question of whether or not technology is rewiring our brains.

While violent video games have gotten a lot of public attention, some current concerns go well beyond that. Some scientists think the wired world may be changing the way we read, learn and interact with each other.
There are no firm answers yet. But Dr. Gary Small, a psychiatrist at UCLA, argues that daily exposure to digital technologies such as the Internet and smart phones can alter how the brain works.
When the brain spends more time on technology-related tasks and less time exposed to other people, it drifts away from fundamental social skills like reading facial expressions during conversation, Small asserts.
So brain circuits involved in face-to-face contact can become weaker, he suggests. That may lead to social awkwardness, an inability to interpret nonverbal messages, isolation and less interest in traditional classroom learning.

Our Director encouraged us to walk down the hall and talk to colleagues a little more often and send emails a little less often. The irony of all of this is that he sent the article via email...thankfully, the irony was not lost on him and he joked about it.

Obama continues to leverage technology

2008-12-10T22:08:00.000-05:00

Regardless of one's political stance, it is impossible to ignore the President-elect's use of technology to reach out to the nation (and world). In some instances, this has proved useful for him (i.e. in helping him reach voters), and in some cases he will have to forgo its use (i.e. having a President carrying/using a wireless device has obvious security issues).

On the use of technology, I received an article from a colleague indicating that Obama has appointed two Second Life innovators to his "Innovation Agenda" team. I think it is way to premature for anyone to start celebrating that the white house, congress, DoD, etc. while have an official presence in Second Life as there are issues with putting official U.S. agencies open to the world. However, it is an interesting observation, and one that could boost the popularity of virtual worlds.

Another description of Web 3.0

2008-12-04T21:49:00.002-05:00

Here is an article describing what a CEO from a marketing company envisions Web 3.0 will be. It will be interesting to see how the next phase of the Internet really does take shape and how the learning community can (hopefully) capitalize early on in the evolution. For other insights into what Web 3.0 means, take a look at the Wikipedia entry for Web 3.0 (ahhh...the irony of checking Web 2.0 technology to see what Web 3.0 might be like. I think that is part of the issue, until someone sees Web 3.0 in action, it's difficult to pinpoint for the broader community).

Combating Terrorism the Web 2.0 Way

2008-12-01T22:40:00.002-05:00

Several Web 2.0 entities (YouTube, Facebook, Howcast, Google) plus some academics and the Department of State will be gathering next week to kickoff the Alliance of Youth Movements Summit. The goal is to find ways to use media to counter the messages of violence, extremism, and oppression.

It will be very interesting to track the progress of this movement on the "areas of interest". There is a lot of potential to make some serious changes in the quality of the message being delivered to young people in different countries.

State of the Blogosphere 2008

2008-11-23T18:51:00.001-05:00

A colleague recently returned from a trip to Singapore where he saw a briefing on the state of the blogosphere. The presentation can be found here. It has some great statistics and numbers for anyone who is looking to build a case for blogging.

Technorati

2008-11-19T06:37:00.000-05:00

This is something similar to what Tony Karrer is looking at doing specifically for the e-Learning field. Technorati is a collection of all of the blog postings on a variety of news topics. Sort of like a Blogosphere Gazette.

eLearning Learning

2008-11-12T19:07:00.004-05:00

If you want to stay up to date without going through the hassle of searching multiple web sites, blogging, networking, reading journals/magazines/books, taking classes, attending conferences...basically everything you should be doing, then here is a great web site.

eLearning Learning is "a community that tries to collect and organize the best information on the web that will help you learn and stay current on eLearning." It's particularly great for people who don't have an RSS reader.

Can an ex-NFL player just enjoy the game?

2008-11-03T19:26:00.003-05:00

Can an ex NFL player go to a game and just enjoy the game like an average fan, or do they spend the whole time critiquing every last play?

In my previous post on the "quality" of training that I'm subjected to, there is an interesting revelation to be found. Note that I did not go into an all out bashing of the learning curriculum like I have seen so many other learning folks do. I've seen so many colleagues that could not get past the lack of ________ (objectives, instructional strategies, interaction, feedback, and the list goes on).

It makes me wonder if sometimes we as learning people are so caught up finding the negative things wrong with training, that we actually learn less than the average person does. I wonder how much of our cognitive load is taken up with thinking "how this could be better" rather than thinking "how can I get the most out of it".

This isn't to say that we should not strive to improve the learning. After all, that is the profession we are in and it is a noble goal. However, we have all gone through some type of mandatory training or training sponsored by an external organization where we know that our thoughts and comments will have little (if any) impact. It seems like it is these situations where learning folks may struggle the most. Sort of like an ex-NFL player who knows what needs to change, but can't get on the field to change it...maybe that's why so many of them turn into broadcasters and critics :-)

Going through training...the old fashioned way

2008-10-29T20:38:00.003-04:00

I've been hit with two separate training courses that I need to go through at the same time (while still doing my full-time job).

The first is a DAU course on Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) training. Unfortunately, this is the epitomy of death by PowerPoint (4 days...over 500 slides). Uggh...There are still so many improvements that can be made in the training and education field. I guess I still need to wait for my buddy Mark Oehlert (the self-proclaimed learning technology evangelist) to leave his gaming fingerprint on the COR 222 course.

The second is a little more exciting. It is a PM course offered through ESI International. It is a completly online course and they have done an average job on making the course interactive. They used story to place the student in the middle of a company as a new PM working through different scenarios, but that is where the excitement stops. When you, as the PM, are told to go to your laptop, bookshelf, or noteboard, you still end up reading large chunks of content.

These personal experiences reveal that there is still a lot of work we need to make. Working in the training R&D field, I realize that I have a tendancy to think that we are actually further ahead than we really are. There is still a lot of mediocre training that is being pushed to students.

My New Work Computer

2008-10-25T10:32:00.001-04:00

That's right...we just got a brand new Dell XPS M1730 gaming laptop at work. It's "technically" not mine as I'll have to share it, but we got it in order to test, evaluate, and demo the latest simulation and gaming projects we are working on. Plus you never know when the occasional Rainbow 6, Splinter Cell, etc. game may make it on there for "testing" purposes.

I still haven't had a chance to use Vista that much (other than playing with demo models in electronic stores). Once our IT guys received the laptop, they came to me and said it had Vista on. We both sort of looked at each other and said, "better go with XP." Now that IT is done with it, it is ours for the test drive.

Where I've been...

2008-10-22T20:23:00.005-04:00

I received an email last week from a friend (and mentor) who encouraged me to update the blog. He had recommended me to Training Magazine as "an up-and-coming professional", and thought it would be a good idea if they saw recent posts. Not sure if anything will come out of it, but the email was a good reminder that it's time to get back in the game.

It has been a very busy couple of months. My wife and I have moved into a new house (which in this market, was still not easy), and the house has required a lot of TLC to get it into working condition. I know have a small yard to mow and tend to. After renting for 3+ years, it is taking some time to get use to the challenges of home ownership. I've also been doing a bit of traveling...Seattle, Orlando, Detroit, and a day trip to Gainesville, FL (note to self...17 hour working days are not fun). I also had an article that came out (in Military Training Technology) and a couple of papers that will be presented at I/ITSEC. On top of all that, my wife and I are expecting our second child.

I had some time to reflect on the purpose of blogging. While I found it very useful professionally, I found myself comparing to those who seem to be able to blog as part of their profession. I came to the realization that while at my current job (where blogging is definitely not permitted), I would never be the 30-posts-a-month guy. I'm convinced that someone could honestly spend 24 hours a day reading and reflecting on all of the eLearning, Web 2.0, technology, mLearning, training, education, simulation, gaming, etc. information that is out there. My focus moving forward will be to blog when I am able to and not let the feeling of "having to blog" drive how I spend (or don't spend) my time in the evening with my growing family. All that said, I'm still looking forward to blogging on a more regular basis and reflecting on my professional growth over the coming years.

Behavioral Modeling and Simulation

2008-06-30T21:06:00.009-04:00

The National Research Council recently came out with a rather lengthy book on modeling individual through group level behaviors and cultural variables. This is a very big topic in the Government right now. One of their chapters was on "Games" and how they could contribute as a tool for social and organizational modeling. Specifically, they were looking at MMOGs. While I don't recommend the entire book for the casually-interested (the book is geared primarely for the Department of Defense Modeling and Simulation community), the chapter on games was interesting. The council considered the application of games in three distinct roles:

Games as an Interaction Medium
Games as a Set of Engaging and Immersive Models
Games as an Interactive Laboratory

Overall, there were some good points and there were some sketchy points at best (not to mention a lot of what I would call "subjective claims" that did not have cited references...not a good sign coming from a National Research Council).

One interesting "prediction" was that...

The biggest change coming in the next few years will be in the underlying models of human and organizational behavior, particularly with respect to the modeling, display, and input of human emotion into the interactive game.

They go on to say that games will add communication modalities such as visual display, auditory display, haptic display, and two-way emotional communication and display. Not to burst a portion of that bubble, but there are already several game projects that include these more advanced interfaces. Many are still in university and Government labs, but even back in 2001, there was/is a game called "The Journey to Wild Divine" that incorporates biofeedback.

IABTI Conference

2008-06-19T19:33:00.001-04:00

My colleagues and I recently submitted a paper/presentation for the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI) Conference. This was their annual training and technology conference. We presented on some of the training programs we are working on, and we also gave a primer on trends in the learning field.

One of the more remarkable things was a simple question asked by my colleague. Presenting to a room of about 100 people, she asked who had heard of "Web 2.0". Guess how many people raised their hands? 2. I think we picked the right audience to give this presentation to :-)

My biggest realization is that sometimes it is imperative that we get out and brief these concepts to people who may not know about them instead of hyping ourselves up by continuing to brief ourselves in the learning community. I'm not saying that learning conferences are bad...far from it. It's just that sometimes we suffer from briefing ourselves to make us appear smart, rather than reach out to those that we intend to help.

Graduation...Finally!

2008-06-17T19:15:00.003-04:00

Even though I completed all of the requirements for the dissertation back in October, I had to wait until this June to finally walk. Despite some hesitations about even wanting to fly down for the ceremonies, I was still urged to go, and I was definitely glad that I did. It brought some nice closure to the degree.

This first picture is actually me going up the stage to pick up a fake diploma...

Supercomputer (Games contribute...again)

2008-06-12T21:00:00.000-04:00

The Government has unveiled the latest supercomputer that is billed as the world's fastest computer (read the article here). A team of scientists at LANL and IBM built the computer (named "Roadrunner") that is twice as fast as IBM's Blue Gene computer system (which happened to be 3 times faster than any other supercomputer in the world).

To put things in perspective, the article offers this comparison...

if every one of the 6 billion people on earth used a hand-held computer and
worked 24 hours a day it would take them 46 years to do what the Roadrunner
computer can do in a single day.

Of intersting note is that the scientists also give a lot of credit to games for making this possible (game naysayers continue to be silenced). They took the basic chip design of Sony's playstation and advanced its capabilities. They even refer to it as a "very souped up Sony Playstation". This definitely has a lot of value in the ever increasing world of Modeling and Simulation. Well done...now we will just wait for 18 months, and we will have this computing power in our cell phones :-)

iPhone 2.0

2008-06-11T09:27:00.000-04:00

Most folks have probably already seen the latest unveiling of the new iPhone (cheaper and faster). For those who haven't, you can read the article here. The new iPhone promises to address the #1 concern of the previous model (namely the speed of the network...currently locked down by AT&T). In addition, Jobs also rolled out a handful of new applications for the iPhone (from improved wireless computing to music making software).

Of particular note is that Jobs has a vision to compete with the market leading Blackberry in business use. While this could certainly be considered a BHAG (read Collins "Good to Great" if you don't know that that means), there is a lot of ground work that needs to be done to crack into that market. They've taken some steps with working with Microsoft applications, but many hurdles still await...I'm not exactly sure that the Gov't will be jumping on the iPhone bandwagon anytime soon.

Performance Improvement and ePerformance

2008-06-09T19:23:00.000-04:00

Tony Karrer recently did a post on his blog regarding ePerformance. He also has a few good links to Learning Circuits articles on the topic, including this one that serves as a primer. This is a topic that I've written about several times on this blog, and I will continue to emphasize its importance on the community.

I was asked the other day what the real difference was between performance improvement and training, because after all "isn't the goal of training to improve performance?" I answered, 'yes'...however, not all performance can be improved with training. I started back at the basis of a needs analysis and explained that a needs analysis in the training field (i.e. a TNA) is conducted with the intervention already selected (i.e. training). A 'real' needs analysis aims to get at the core of the performance problem and recognizes that the intervention may be training or a process improvement or employee selection or a job aid or ...

I like how Tony defines ePerformance in the Learning Circuits article as a combination of eDevelopment (i.e. performance reviews, development plans, informal learning, etc.), eInteration (i.e. 1-to-1 email, online communities, discussion threads, etc.), and eSupport (tools, job aids, resources, knowledge bases, etc.). Blending Tony's points with what I wrote previously, the key to ePerformance is to look at key at quick interventions that are results-oriented.

Learning Styles (this time using the gender variable)

2008-05-22T22:14:00.001-04:00

Here is yet another article containing information on learning styles differences. This time calling out the variable of gender. Interesting that the facts posited are very poorly (i.e. missing) referenced.

AI in Second Life

2008-05-21T22:03:00.002-04:00

Here is a USA Today article on artificial intelligence in Second Life. Based on a project I'm currently involved in, this has proven to be a bit challenging (and limiting), but as the article points out, Second Life offers some great advantages for advancing AI:

Inexpensive platform for testing
Focusing on the code/algorithms/etc. without figuring out the robotics
Lots of user input
Ability to accomplish virtual (put realistic) tasks

Another Discussion on Learning Styles

2008-05-12T19:42:00.001-04:00

Here is a video from CNN that discusses "race" and learning. Obviously, this is a very sensitive topic, but one take away is that the emphasis is unfortunately put on "race" and "learning styles" when it should be put on the individual.

And if you are wondering why I used quotes around the term "race", here is an excellent talk on why "race" does not exist...most people mean to use "ethnicity" rather than "race".

The Big Question (May 2008)

2008-05-05T21:17:00.005-04:00

The Big Question on the Learning Circuits Blog for May 2008 is whether or not there are or should be learning design differences for Digital Natives.

My initial reaction to all of this was a resounding "Yes", but upon deeper reflection, I think there are some underlying issues that make these questions premature (at best) and irrelevant (at worst).

Some of the sub-questions to the "Big Question" include:

Do you believe that we have to design, develop and deliver instruction differently for the so-called Digital Natives?
Are there differences in learning expectations and styles or can we just design good instruction and know that it meets all generational needs?
If you have an audience that includes natives and immigrants, how can you effectively design instruction without breaking the bank?

For the first bullet (do we need to design, develop, and deliver instruction differently for Digital Natives), my answer is a resounding "Yes" and "No". "Yes" because Digital Natives deserve better than page-turners; "No" because I don't think the way we are training Digital Immigrants is good at all, and we owe it to all learners to have comparable learning opportunities. The underlying issue is whether or not the current way that Digital Immigrants are being taught is good. Immersive learning (whether you are talking games, simulations, virtual worlds, etc.) have been shown to be useful for all age groups. I would hate to see people come away from this question assuming that Digital Natives should receive the technology-ladened, immersive environments while Digital Immigrants are fed the same old page-turners. Also, there are numerous flawed research studies out there that have already attempted to compare learning gains using differing instructional methods.

Putting issue #1 aside, the majority of professionals undoubtedly recognize that technology has impacted the way Digital Natives have grown up. However, claiming that different instruction needs to be provided to Digital Natives based on a generalization, brings up the issue and risk of ignoring the importance of an audience analysis. There are many Digital Natives that are not as fluent with technology, and conversely there are some Digital Immigrants that excel at the trade craft of Digital Natives.

Case in point...one of my colleagues recently told me about a story while she and her husband were on a cruise. Her husband had stopped by the arcade on board the cruise ship. He played (and beat) some kids at one of the video games. The kid who lost, walked away and muttered (to the surprise of my colleague's husband), "I can't believe I lost to an old guy". He is only 32 years old.

The last issue I'll address regarding the questions above is that of learning styles (bullet #2 above). I've written previously about the attacks on learning styles, and I admit that I still have my doubts that learning styles even exist. In order to avoid rehashing my previous post, I will just point folks back to the importance of motivation rather than learning styles.

My conclusion for the Big Question, is that we need to get serious about addressing learning design for everyone...not just Digital Natives.

FCVW (Day 2)

2008-04-30T22:22:00.000-04:00

Day 2 at the Fedaral Consortium on Virtual Worlds was a little less eventful. There were two panels (one with international speakers and one with developers). There were also a series of workshops on different interest areas surrounding VW's (i.e. Education and Training, Development, Governance/Policy/Acquisition, Security, etc.).

I attended the Education and Training workshop. Much of the discussion surrounded best practices, communities of practice, and combining resources to help build a VW picture/strategy for organizations. Much of the information will be pushed to the FCVW wiki. The moderator (Paulette Robinson) discussed the four major areas of work being done in VW's to date:

Information delivery
Meetings
Some training and education
Analytical interactions (more recently)

FCVW (Day 1)

2008-04-28T07:46:00.001-04:00

I attended the Federal Consortium on Virtual Worlds last week, and apart from several technical/sound glitches, the conference went very well. There was a large contingent of Federal agencies interested in leveraging the potentials of virtual worlds for improving training, education, collaboration, etc. These are a few notes from Day 1.

Larry Johnson from New Media Consortium (NMC) was the keynote speaker. He emphasized that the community was gathered to discuss "worlds" (not "games"), and that many saw VW's as the evolution of the 3D Internet. He highlighted that VW's would develop in ways that we have not even imagined yet (think back to the early 90's and how many didn't see the potential of the Internet for sharing music, international calls, etc.). The Internet capture our attention...we just had to think outside of the box. Trends that (will) lead to the success of VW's include:

Putting people at the center of the network
Increasing computing power to represent 3D visualizations and data
Allowing users to generate content

Over the next 4-5 years, Larry encouraged the audience to watch for the following:

Moving flatweb to 3D web - there will be a continuance of this (including leveraging mash-ups).
Keep an eye on Linden - with a new CEO and lower costs, they are aware of the shortcomings of SL and are actively looking to overcome and partner with solution providers. Also need to watch for open source solutions...long-term, this tends to be the solution that wins out.
Security, Privacy, and Intellectual Property are critical - these are major issues that need to be overcome with in virtual worlds.

Maj Gen Erwin Lessel (USAF) provided an excellent talk on the future of Air Force education and training. The current move is towards USAF 2.0 (which means more of a focus on KM, Continuous Learning, and Precision Learning). The USAF is also working on a concept called MyBase which is a virtual 3D portal (exploratory and interactive) for the purposes of recruiting, education, training, and operations.

There were also a few good panel discussions with members from the private sector and government members. One interesting list from Curtis Conkey (NAWC) was on the difference between games and VW's (as a side note, I think some of these categories are limiting as games do not necessarily fit the descriptions provided):

VW's are "24/7" while Games are "as needed"
VW's are "persistent" while Games are "clean slate at start"
VW's are "moderate fidelity" while Games are "high fidelity"
VW's are "large teams" while Games are "small teams"
VW's are "security issues" while Games are "isolated"
VW's are "remote presence" while Games are "physical presence"
VW's are "Internet" while Games are "local net"

Steady Stream of Virtual Worlds

2008-04-23T19:42:00.002-04:00

The past week (and upcoming two days) seems to be filled with a steady stream of information on virtual worlds.

First, I attended the Corporate Advisory Council at Bloomsburg University. Although "virtual worlds" was not the emphasis for this Spring's RFP (it actually was for last year's), Karl Kapp always gives out nice, short, little white papers on a topic of interest. This year, the white paper was called "Real World Instructional Design for Virtual Learning". He gives a brief overview of virtual worlds (a.k.a. metaverses), and then discusses advantages and disadvantages of different design activities. The design activities ranged from synchronous activities to self-paced exploratory activities. The design activities included:

Classroom Emulation
Role Play
Scavenger Hunts
Guided Tours
Operational Applications
Critical Incident

The bottom line that Karl drew is that the basic tenants of instructional design still apply in virtual worlds. He mentions that "building an environment in a metaverse and turning the learners loose to go 'learn' without guidance, goals, or objectives will not lead to effective learning."

Then, Monday morning, the latest version of Training & Simulation Journal arrived. The cover story was called "Gathering of Avatars: Harnessing the potential of virtual worlds". It contained three articles on virtual worlds: one was basically an introduction to virtual worlds, another was an article on how the National Guard is using a virtual world, and the last was an article by COL Howard of TRADOC. The article by COL Howard was particularly encouraging because he basically gives a swift kick to the DoD (and Government at large) to stop arguing about the downfalls (like security vulnerabilities) of virtual worlds and look at the advantages.

During the next two days, I will be participating in the Federal Consortium on Virtual Worlds at the National Defense University. I will actually be presenting a paper there on a project I'm working on. The inaugural meeting last November drew almost ~500 individuals in person and in world. That's right, the conference was (and will be over the next two days) available through NDU's islands in Second Life. I'm looking forward to a couple of days of seeing how much growth there has been since the inaugural conference in November. From the looks of it, there are already several more agencies and organizations that are looking into virtual worlds.

April 2008 Big Question

2008-04-04T18:54:00.005-04:00

The Learning Circuits Blog big question for April is "What would you like to do better as a Learning Professional?"

The simple answer to this question is "push back more." This can be applied on many levels, but I am primarily speaking of pushing more on ROI and evaluations. I learned very early on that Analysis and Evaluations are the first things to get cut from a learning project. In actuality, the same is true for many technology related projects.

While some of the projects I'm involved in do include an Analysis and Evaluation, there are other times where customers and colleagues come to me with a problem worded as a solution (I need XYZ training), and given the lack of time (both at the project level and personally), quickly moving out seems to be the only viable option.

The good thing is that I work in an environment where there are many needs, and often times the first gut reaction is a piece to the larger puzzle. The bad thing is that this keeps me in the mind set of "I'm not doing anything wrong" and sometimes the large puzzle doesn't get put together.

I've posted before that I think the number one issue facing the field is the lack of ROI and evaluations being done. This was all fine and dandy for several years, but with the current "recession" and job market slow down, the Learning Professional will once again need to show the value added.

HMDs to EMDs

2008-03-28T20:13:00.000-04:00

There have been a lot of discussions over the years regarding the usefulness of head-mounted displays (HMDs). While there has been a lot of promising research, the big issue is, frankly, the size and bulkiness of the displays (especially when trying to integrate into the gear of Soldiers and Marines who already have helmets and are maxed on what they are carrying). The solution = eye-mounted displays.

This was one of the interesting items I heard while I was over in Singapore (sort of ironic that I had to travel to Singapore to hear about something that was being done in the states). A research team at the University of Washington has created contact lenses with micro-circuitry (read Article 1 and Article 2). The first article touches on some of the applications that this technology could have (i.e. displays for pilots, video-game projections, and telescopic vision for soldiers). Really, the applications are endless (think augmented reality applications for driving, working, etc.). Granted, this is still a long ways off, but definitely has the potential to deliver all of the promises (and then some) of HMDs in the size of a contact lens.

To Singapore and Back

2008-03-24T07:18:00.000-04:00

I just returned from a rather whirlwind trip to Singapore in which I held a few business meetings. While I won't (can't) get into the nature of the meetings, there was an interesting story developing while we were over there.

In a story that hasn't made much news over here in the U.S., a terrorist leader escaped from a Singapore jail about 3 weeks ago. While many Singaporeans are embarrassed at this lapse in security, there are some hopes that their advancements in technology will help capture the escapee. In fact, shortly after the escape, all Singaporeans received an SMS message on their cell phones, PDAs, etc. with a picture and description of the individual. That's a text message to 4+ million people!!!! Yet we can't even get a text message out to students on a university campus.

Catch-up

2008-03-11T23:17:00.000-04:00

I've been holed up for the past several days (and nights) reviewing over 200 proposals. I'm a little over half way through, but needed to take a mental break before embarking on more reviews tomorrow.

One thing became abundantly clear as I was reading. There is still so much work that needs to be done in the model, simulation, and gaming field specifically and e-Learning field in general. In a way, I guess that should be encouraging since it provides a degree of job security. However, there are many disjointed efforts going on and despite recent attempts to standardize one or more domain (think SCORM, HLA, etc.) there is a long way to go. It's true that many companies thrive off of the disjointed nature, but this is driven largely by financial lenses.

As part of my mental health break, I dusted off Clark Aldrich's book titled "Simulations and the Future of Learning" from my bookshelf in order to see how close we were getting to the "future". His first chapter (called "Do you want fries with that e-Learning") has always been my favorite. In it he discusses what the world would be like if e-Learning truly worked. Some of the epiphanies include:

Training people would be more powerful than lawyers
Schools would have class sizes of 5, not 25
Education would be a multi-billion dollar annual export
E-Learning would produce buzz

We still aren't quite there:-) Unfortunately, I still think we tend to gravitate more toward Clark's analogy to the fast food industry (i.e. low cost...high profit...at the expense/health of the individual).

SBUX (Retraining or Stunt)

2008-03-04T07:11:00.002-05:00

I have to credit my wife for sending me this article (she's more of a Starbucks fan). No doubt, most people were aware of Starbucks recent move to close all of its stores for mandatory training. On the surface, the learning community may applaud the effort as a company puts an emphasis on training its employees.

However, here is an alternative view (and one that I think is probably more in line with the real purpose behind the move). Some consider the move more of a marketing stunt than a real concentrated effort to improve the performance of employees.

Anyone who's spent any time wasting away in 15-minute lines for coffee, watching in horror at the collective incompetence, inefficiency and, often, rudeness of the baristas will know that that training session alone won't do much to fix things.

Wearing my Human Performance Improvement hat, this certainly has the appearance of a marketing stunt used to generate free press. First, I haven't heard of any type of performance analysis done by SBUX, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. The bigger issue is why the only solution seems to be the 3 hours of training. When dealing with a performance issue (which SBUX has certainly acknowledged one exists), training is rarely the only intervention needed. Will this generate a quick turnaround for SBUX's fortunes...perhaps in the short term. Will this generate the long-term improvement that SBUX needs...unlikely.

Wii Fit

2008-03-03T21:52:00.000-05:00

Related to my previous post on Wiihabilitation, Nintendo has the Wii Fit that has been out for several months now. I haven't seen much on it since it's release at E3, but it is an interesting technology to keep an eye on.

Check out the video. It looks both fun and...somewhat healthy (gasp). There goes another argument about why video games are useless:-)

No More Typing 101

2008-02-27T16:07:00.000-05:00

In one of final presentations as Microsoft chairman, Gates indicated that one of the biggest bets they are making is that

People will increasingly interact with computers using speech or touch screens rather than keyboards - see USA Today article.

There are certainly advantages to that bet (one of the primary ones being the speed at which people will be able to interact with computers). I think the 5 year timeline may be pushing it. This concept is not new, yet mainstream use has still not been realized...but I guess if you have a couple billion dollars to throw at R&D you could make it happen.

Need for ISDers

2008-02-25T21:19:00.003-05:00

There has been a lot of recent posts and discussions in the blogosphere regarding the value added of Instructional Systems Designers. Karl Kapp provides a great synopsis and take on the issue. I am not going to try to add another separate entry into the mix, but rather point readers to his existing post and comments...where you can also read more of my comments.

Bottom line...I agree 100% with Karl. Certified/degreed/etc. ISDers are needed...I would add "desperately needed" because the more people take up the ISD role who aren't qualified for it, the more money it will cost, the less business results will be accomplished, and the field will be reduced to a hobby instead of a profession.

The Cost of Technology

2008-02-20T21:10:00.002-05:00

Thought this was an interesting, but not surprising, little article (Pound for Pound: Blackberry costs more than an Apache Helicopter).

Are you fascinated with your job?

2008-02-18T11:45:00.000-05:00

According to a recent article in the Daily Oklahoman, if you answered "yes" you are in the minority (30% of respondents answered "yes"). The somewhat encouraging news is that 90% want to be fascinated with their job.

Management consultant, Ken Tucker, is coming out with a book later this month that goes into much more detail on his research, but his main discovery is that workers have this amazing desire to want to be fascinated with their job. He found that fascination impacts productivity. One quote from the article:

A symptom of (fascination) is they (employees) lose track of time. It's getting lost in what you do. It's being energized doing a task when other people are being fatigued.

This begs the question...how do we increase our fascination with our jobs? I can honestly say that some of the best days at work are the ones where I am constantly learning something new and solving complex problems. The impact of how little I knew something going into the day, fascinates me throughout the day.

Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies

2008-02-13T22:02:00.002-05:00

Several months ago, I wrote a post on the Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies by Jane Hart. They do a lot of great work on organizing the plethora of tools out on the market. Thanks to a little encouragement from Karyn Romeis, I submitted my Top 10 Tools for 2008 that I find myself using to manage my own learning and/or performance improvement. You can see my list here.

I definitely encourage anyone who is active in the learning community to submit their lists. It's free at it doesn't take a lot of time at all.

Wiihabilitation

2008-02-11T19:29:00.000-05:00

A co-worker sent me this article today on how Nintendo's Wii is being used for rehab therapy. Interestingly, patients mention that the normal rehab exercises can be downright boring (note how you can substitute "patients" for "students" and substitute "rehab exercises" for "educational program" to characterize many critiques of education).

Part of me wonders when articles like this will stop receiving press simply because it is not "news" anymore. It's amazing that some people are genuinely surprised that games have something good to offer. Several years ago, people would talk about how games were mentally engrossing (like it was a bad thing), but this article talks about how games that are mentally engrossing actually help the patients because it takes their minds off of the rigor of the exercises.

Mail Tracker

2008-02-07T21:52:00.000-05:00

I've never been convinced of a mailing company's encouraging words that I can track my order online. It is true that you can see when the package goes from one distribution point to another, but the tracking number would be useless if the package was actually lost or fell of the truck en route.

That's all about to change...soon you will be able to put a paper-thin GPS device in your mail to really help track your package. The USPS is experimenting with the technology to find bottlenecks and delays in the system, but the article does also highlight the potential of being able to track every movement.

This is really a nice way of seeing how technology can be used to identify performance improvement problems. Bottlenecks! Delays! Lost products! These are not problems that are limited to the mailing industry.

Social Network Failure

2008-02-05T19:36:00.000-05:00

Jon Chase from Popular Science recently wrote an article on the etiquette of social networking sites. Ultimately, he is still pro-social networking sites, but he raises a lot of good points about the etiquette on these sites. Excerpt from the article...

Once you’ve joined a social-network site and built up a profile, it becomes a free-for-all. Too many of us think it’s perfectly reasonable to spam complete strangers into joining their network of “friends,” with no introduction or explanation offered. That seems petty, but when you regularly get a dozen daily requests, burnout is inevitable and the whole point is lost—if not the site (anyone out there still hanging on Friendster these days?). Business types get flooded with requests to be Linked In or to vouch for someone, and in the end they un-Link in frustration.

I found myself agreeing with him on many points. Although, I have not "un-Linked In", I have to admit that it hasn't lived up to what I had hoped. I recognize that some of that has to do with my inability to devote time to establishing new and maintaining old connections, but the random invite with no explanation is frustrating. I moved to Gmail about two years ago to get away from the spam that I was getting in my Hotmail account. Unfortunately, I've been playing around with different social networking sites (plus receiving all of the "Great Saving" emails from any number of companies) that I have, in essence, spammed myself.

Instructional Design - If, When, and How Much?

2008-02-01T22:10:00.001-05:00

The latest Big Question for the Learning Circuits Blog is:

For a given project, how do you determine if, when and how much an instructional designer and instructional design is needed?

I think the really obvious answer to this question is..."it depends". There are so many variables that play into a performance problem that will change the answers to the if/when/how much questions. How much should you use a developer? Well, it depends on what you're building. How much of an architect should you use to design a house for a family? Well, it depends on what their needs are. All that said...the answer to the "when" question should be "early"...even for the initial analysis because a quality instructional designer will be able to identify if this is, in fact, a project that requires a training intervention. An instructional designer doesn't add much value if he is brought in after the system is developed.

Another variable is the skill of the individual instructional designer. Yes...not all instructional designers are created equally. Some are happy with designing WBT/CBT for the rest of their careers; some have never considered instructional design implications in a game based environment. In 2001, Marc Prensky wrote a popular book "Digital Game Based Learning" where he uses a page to discuss whether or not instructional design is helping or hurting. He uses quotes such as:

Nine times out of ten, if you see a great training program, you'll find it wasn't created by someone schooled in ISD and following that process (actually a Thiagi quote from Training magazine in April 2000).

and

Designing effective learning does not, I believe, require any formal instruction or specialized knowledge. Rather, it takes a thoughtful and creative approach to reaching the desired outcomes.

In reality, Prensky's criticism could be applied to many other disciplines (i.e. you don't need to have any formal instruction or an MBA to be a good project manager). Too often though, the thoughtful and creative approach of an individual is not considered in project planning.

The bottom line is that you can't answer these questions until there is an element of analysis into the problem. I'm afraid that if you had the answers to these questions before an analysis was conducted, you've created a solution before you ever understood the problem.

The New Local Paper

2008-01-28T19:21:00.000-05:00

It's getting harder to come across people who still read their local news paper (or watch the local news for that matter). Especially in cities (like D.C.), I think reading local events is more of an exception rather than the rule.

Well if your local paper doesn't have RSS feeds or anything like that, you can just wait for a few more years until "EveryBlock" makes it to your neighborhood. EveryBlock tauts itself as a one stop shop for everything related to your neighborhood in order to enable you to keep track of what is happening. Really, it's just an extension of RSS feeds, but it's nice that it does all of the work for you. From the EveryBlock website...

EveryBlock filters an assortment of local news by location so you can keep track of what’s happening on your block, in your neighborhood and all over your city.

I mentioned you may have to wait a couple of years, because they only have data for Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. I expect to see Washington D.C. coming up shortly. For me, this would be especially useful for checking out upcoming events and crime statistics in the neighborhood. The Washington Post does have a tool that helps with that (you need to register for an account), but I tend to only look at it once in a great while.

Library of Congress' Photos

2008-01-25T07:54:00.000-05:00

For those not fortunate enough :-) to live in the Washington D.C. area, you may have never gone to the Library of Congress (I've actually only been once just to take some pictures...I really should join some time). Anyway, the Library of Congress recently added over 3,000 photos to Flickr.

Their reason for doing so (excerpt from the Library of Congress website):

Offering historical photograph collections through Flickr gives the Library of Congress a welcome opportunity to share some of our most popular images with a new visual community.

Internet Pajamas!!!!

2008-01-22T20:45:00.000-05:00

In my previous post, I had a link to the Mixed Reality Lab in Singapore. One of their projects is on building Internet Pajamas. To me, this is sort of creepy...but I love how it shows the realm of the possible in the field of mixed reality.

Description from the MXR website...

Internet Pajama is a novel wearable system aimed at promoting physical interaction in remote communication between parent and child. This system enables parent and child to hug one another through a novel hugging interface device and a wearable, hug reproducing jacket connected through the Internet. The hugging device is a small, mobile doll with embedded pressure sensing circuit that is able to sense varying levels of human force. This device sends hug signals to a haptic jacket that simulates the feeling of being hugged to the wearer. It features high fidelity, air pockets actuating to reproduce hug, heating elements to produce warmth that accompanies hug and color changing display to indicate distance of separation between the end users.

Where is all the augmented reality?

2008-01-21T10:10:00.000-05:00

Ever since the term "augmented reality" was coined in 1990, there has been a fascination with the technology and concept. Unfortunately, it seems like the technology never makes it out of the R&D labs and into mainstream use.

As with a lot of other technology, the military has been the leaders in investing time/money toward augmented and mixed reality. At I/ITSEC, there are always a handful of developers showcasing their augmented reality technology...and actually, this year I saw a dramatic increase in what is possible. Obvious applications for soldiers and Marines are 1) real-time information and graphics overlaid on vision in order to enhance performance, and 2) blended virtual and real information to create realistic training environments.

In actuality, augmented and mixed reality is just a subset of embedded information and training. I think that the real crux is in the paradox that technology is successful and disseminated if it is able to disappear and be hidden to the user. Often times, the technology is most successful when it doesn't require training to succeed (i.e. look no further than video games...players are not interested in reading the user manual; they just want to play). As the technology gets smaller and is increasingly integrated into existing displays (i.e. sunglasses, windshields, etc.), we will see an explosion of possible uses.

There is a lot of information out on the Internet about augmented reality. Just a few to wet the appetite...

ASTD Article - written in 2004, but still has some great points on the trends.
Mixed Reality Lab - a lab associated with the National University of Singapore. They do a lot of interesting projects in the field. The link is to their current/completed project list.
Mixed Reality - Wiki entry on the topic.

MIT Research

2008-01-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

Back when I first started getting into the field, I remember reading some articles and publications from Kurt Squire and James Paul Gee who were tied in to some of the research that MIT was doing on games for learning. MIT has come out with some more good research.

Specifically, in 2005, the MacArthur Foundation at MIT undertook a new grant-based initiative. They recently released the results of the two-year effort. Here is the link for the series of interdisciplinary studies in the field of digital media and learning. There is a lot of good information in these six books. They are free for download and definitely worth a read (or at least a glance since there is ~1,200 pages of reading material).

The six books are:

Civic Life Online: Learning How Digital Media Can Engage Youth

Digital Media, Youth, and Credibility

The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning

Digital Young, Innovation, and the Unexpected

Learning Race and Ethnicity: Youth and Digital Media

Youth, Identify, and Digital Media

Web 2.0 Enables Trash-Talking

2008-01-17T22:48:00.000-05:00

One great thing about Web 2.0 is that it enables a whole new level of trash-talking. For example, my brother and I have been emailing each other and going back and forth the past few days over which is better: cats or dogs (I have a cat...he has a dog). In an effort to state our individual cases the loudest, we have both spent time searching the YouTube archives for video that supported our claims.

Unfortunately, this video does not serve the "cat fans" well. I find this particularly funny because we have a cat and we have a child gate; however, our cat jumps over the gate much better.

FAS TWiki for Virtual Worlds

2008-01-16T22:23:00.000-05:00

I came across a TWiki on Virtual Worlds funded by the Federation of American Scientists. This is a great resource for keeping up to date (or getting up to date) on anything and everything in Virtual Worlds.

After quickly browsing through their list of Virtual Worlds (there are a lot), I came across an interesting article and website in their Recent News section. It is a website devoted to Virtual Law. This is a topic that has definitely flown under the radar (or I just missed the articles)...and for all of the 2008 predictions that have been floating around, here is an interesting top 10 predictions for Virtual Law in 2008.

Forget WiFi...here comes Eye-Fi

2008-01-14T22:05:00.000-05:00

To be honest...Eye-Fi isn't actually meant to replace WiFi, but rather complement it. Here's a description of Eye-Fi from Fortune:

What the Eye-Fi does is automatically stream photos from your digital camera via your Wi-Fi network to your PC or an online photo service. What the Eye-Fi team has done essentially is wrap a service around a common flash memory card and a low-power Wi-Fi chip from Atheros (ATHR). It’s these lower power Wi-Fi chips that are extremely interesting, when you start thinking about other services they enable.

These "other services" are nothing earth-shattering, but they are neat little capabilities. Eye-Fi would enable communication between a host of devices and gadgets:

It could be smarter light switches that turn off and on via an e-mail or text message, or LCD picture frames that stream your e-mail to your bedside and upload a recipe to the kitchen screen every day before dinner. Or maybe some slick mini-display that scrolls updates from your Facebook friends on one side, reads you the news on the other, and does any number of other things that you find important or entertaining.

Probably will involve an increased emphasis on security for the wireless network. It wouldn't be good having someone else be able to turn your lights on/off.

Salary and Compensation Report from The eLearning Guild

2008-01-11T07:37:00.000-05:00

I was just perusing The eLearning Guild's 2008 report on salary and compensation for the the industry (you can join for free to read the report). On the whole, The eLearning Guild does some excellent research, but my one gripe is that sometimes they drill down so much that the data is not very useful. This is a result of the extremely small number of data entries they receive for certain metrics (i.e. there are several instances where only one person fits the breakdown).

I know this is hardly their fault for not being able to get more people to respond and they are only trying to provide as much visualization of the data as possible, but what is someone to do when they read that one male (age 60-70) is making $15,000 as an intern, while another male (age 50-60) is making $83,000 as an intern? As any statistician knows, the higher the sample size, the more likely it is to be representative of the population. I think reporting on data sets of "1" are misleading at best and give someone (in this case...interns) in the industry a greatly skewed sense of what is to be expected.

I'm not just picking on The eLearning Guild. Training Magazine does the same thing.

Top 10 Wireless Trends

2008-01-08T20:30:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of predictions in learning technologies for 2008, I came across this list of Top 10 Wireless Trends for the New Year. This list is below, but I would also recommend reading the article to understand more of what they mean:

1. Wireless networks will remain the domain of wireless operators.

2. The first Android (Google's mobile platform) phones hit the market.

3. Cameraphones will get even fancier.

4. Mobile phone ads will come to a cell phone screen near you.

5. WiMax will become available.

6. Openness will continue to dominate the wireless lexicon.

7. Nokia will become a major mobile software player.

8. Getting lost will get harder.

9. More touchscreens.

10. Silicon Valley will become a wireless industry hot spot.

Gadgetmania

2008-01-07T19:59:00.000-05:00

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is going on in Las Vegas this week. Since it is closed to the general public, I have to resort to living vicariously through journalists and bloggers who are fortunate enough to attend the event.

CNN is sending a host of journalists to cover the show. They have several articles that are worth a read. One article covers Bill Gate's last speech at CES as the CEO of Microsoft. In it, he talks about the future of the Xbox platform, voice recognition in phones, the future of data storage and collaboration in the Internet Age, and the future of TV (MS will be broadcasting this summer's Olympic Games using their Silverlight software).

I foresee several tech gadgets that will impact the learning field being unveiled at the show. Here is a link to a list of 14 gizmos that will be unveiled at the show.

Value of Predictions

2008-01-04T19:37:00.000-05:00

I've been reading a few posts on 2008 predictions. Stephen Downes wrote a post that critiqued and graded several of the 2007 predictions. It was an interesting read, but I found myself agreeing with some of the concerns Karl Kapp raised about the whole grading activity...especially the portion of grading your own prediction. Stephen gave himself an A-; however, his "prediction" on the trend of video continuing in popularity is very much of the "more of the same" prediction that he criticizes other people for. Also, since the personal learning environment didn't happen (which he said it would) and paid content and software remains strong (which he said it wouldn't), it begs the question of why the A-. Yes...the Wii may have been the greatest tech story of the year, but this hardly had a earth moving shift on the learning market.

All that being said, Stephen does bring up good points on what makes a good prediction. That is, it should actually happen, and it should be precise and novel. This helped me revise my original prediction, but in the end, I guess I don't get that wrapped up about predictions in general. Someone that guessed it correctly this year could fail miserably next year. I think the real value is seeing what different people from different expertise view as up-and-coming areas in the learning field because it expands your horizon.

What I actually appreciated most about Stephen's post was his summary of what happened in the learning field in 2007 (which probably wasn't his original intention). Because there were such a wide range of predictions, it was a nice little recap of the field in 2007.

The Big Question for January

2008-01-01T14:13:00.000-05:00

After returning from a nice, long Christmas/New Year vacation, I've been playing catch-up on emails and blogs (thank goodness for Google Reader). One of the interesting posts was Tony Karrer's "Big Question" for January. The question is "What are your predictions for Learning in 2008?" Back in October, I did a short post on the numerous amount of claims, predictions, and trends (usually displayed as a Top 10 list).

I indicated in the post back in October (and the prediction remains for 2008) that the number one trend will be an emphasis on performance improvement. We've already seen some of the shift with web 2.0 technologies and getting employees information when and where they need it. In 2008, there will be more than one learning initiative that will fail simply because it did not consider the desired performance of the individual. I believe that this also ties into a larger accountability requirement for the field. Specifically, the field will be held accountable for the claims we are making (i.e. Games will increase X; allowing employees to blog will add Y; a Wiki will result in Z; etc.). This will be the number one hurdle that informal learning technologies will face.

I think in 2007, the learning field looked like it slowed down, but in actuality it just grew in a different direction. I would agree that grown-breaking growth in formal learning slowed, but we saw tremendous potential and growth in informal learning. In order to sustain that growth, there will need to be data that supports the claims.

One other thing that I think we will see in 2008 is the release of brain-controlled programs for learning and performance improvement on tasks. These have been in the R&D stage for a few years (specifically for controlling video games, but 2008 will mark the release of this technology for the learning field.

I'm interested in reading what other predictions there are for 2008. In the end, I believe each year holds great promise for the learning field and the year will most likely be marked by controlled growth. "Controlled growth" meaning there will be some fads that come and go, but in the end, the field will be better off next year at this time.

Behaviors vs. Accomplishments

2007-12-18T20:11:00.000-05:00

In a previous post, I mentioned the differences between wants, needs, and results. Taking this a step further, people too often focus incorrectly on behavior. In performance improvement, the focus is on accomplishments. Thinking about behavior is premature and dictates a particular solution (heard this at an ASTD Conference a few years ago). In Instructional Design, the instructional goal is similar to an accomplishment and the instructional objectives are similar to behaviors.

The issue is that many people jump right into the behaviors (i.e. read instrument panel correctly) instead of accomplishments (i.e. safe landings). Accomplishments are the result of behaviors. You do not need to observe each individual behavior to know if an accomplishment was met. That is, failing on one behavior could lead to a total failing of an overall accomplishment.

...and probably more critical to your job...CEOs care about accomplishments; not behaviors.

Musings from PopSci

2007-12-15T15:56:00.000-05:00

I always find Popular Science an interesting read, mostly because there are many applicable items to the field of Instructional Technology. The past couple of issues have had at least one article on the video game industry.

In this months issue, there is an article about an innovator that is helping people overcome their fears, including how virtual reality simulations are being used in this battle. Although this isn't a new concept (there are articles from 1996 documenting this potential use of virtual reality), but it is good to see mainstream media begin to pick up on the potential benefits of games and virtual reality.

Other interesting items include a brain activated, video game controller (this has been in the works for years, but looks like one company is planning to release the hardware next year) and two new words for 2008: Blogical (illogical ramblings found online) and Exergaming (the action of playing videogames that do double duty as exercise regimens). The last word could definitely be used to describe the Wii as there have been several recent articles about how the Wii has been used in nursing homes.

I recommend reading PopSci with an eye towards how the different technologies could be used in the learning domain. There is even something for those fixated on the traditional method of sending folks to one location for instruction (i.e. there is an article on hypersonic travel which would allow us to travel from New York to Tokyo in 2 hours...that way, at least your workers won't be out of the office as long).

Learning Measurement

2007-12-12T19:33:00.000-05:00

For those who haven't seen it, Will Thalheimer is doing a series of posts over the next couple of days on Learning Measurement. He pulls together a lot of his thoughts and research done with the eLearning Guild.

His reasons for getting involved in learning measurement are fourfold:

The performance of the learning-and-performance field is severely deficient—often creating learning that is not remembered and/or not utilized on the job.
Of the forces that control and influence our industry and the practices we use, measurement is one of the most critical.
Currently, our measurement practices provide us with poor and biased feedback about our performance as learning-and-performance professionals.
Because we do poor measurement, we don’t get good feedback (nor do our stakeholders), and so we have very little motivation to critically examine our practices—and improve them as valid feedback would suggest.

I definitely recommend reading this series over the next couple of days as it has implications for all of us interested in actually progressing the field (as opposed to a lot of research that gives the appearance of progression). Personally, I know I still have a lot to learn regarding proper measurements.

Early Christmas Present

2007-12-10T19:21:00.000-05:00

I received an early Christmas present from my university yesterday. It was a bound and signed copy of my dissertation. All I'm waiting on now is the diploma...maybe that will be a new years present:-)

Wants vs. Needs vs. "The Mysterious Third Option"

2007-12-05T19:52:00.000-05:00

Maybe it's the holiday season that brings this out every year, but we often seem to confuse wants and needs...especially this time of year. I want another piece of pie...do I need it? Certainly not! I want an iPod Touch for Christmas (subtle hint dropped)...do I need it? Maybe more so than a piece of pie.

It's amazing how many people confuse wants and needs in government, industry, and academia settings...and many times, people don't know the difference between the two. "I want sales training" often implies the same as "the staff needs sales training"...both meaning that if you don't deliver sales training, your career may be over soon.

But before embracing the needs-based approach, we need to take a hard look at results. The results-based approach goes one step further than the needs-based approach. It asks the question, "What is the result and how is it tied in with the business goals?" This draws the connection between the goals of the business and the problem. Otherwise, training may be a very viable solution to a need, but if the need is not aligned with the goals of the business, it is inconsequential at best and counterproductive at worst. One simple way to find out if you are dealing with a want, need, or result, is to ask the question to the person bringing the request..."Is this a want, need, or result?" Often throwing in the word "result" will make them stop and think about how this impacts the bottom line.

So...in actuality, the iPod Touch will result in an increased knowledge and awareness of mobile technology, and an extra piece of pie will result in a wider waistline. Only one of those results is desirable :-) We'll see what happens...

The Big Question

2007-12-03T20:48:00.000-05:00

Tony Karrer is moderating "The Big Question" on the Learning Circuits blog. The question for December is "What did you learn about learning in 2007?"

Obviously, there were many things I learned in 2007 (I think most people can say this or else there are some serious issues). I've learned just how small the training community is and how if you know a few key people, you can pretty much cover the community (I've appreciated getting to know Tony, Mark, Karl, etc. more). I've also learned that I do not like the dissertation process very much (it's done, so I will never be doing that again).

But I think the biggest thing I learned about learning is the importance of informal learning on performance improvement. In 2007, I've been more convinced that the field of performance improvement is the backbone of everything related. To say you "are in the field of training" is to limit you to a very small niche". To say you "are in the field of performance improvement" covers many domains and ultimately is the basis for what we are trying to impact as professionals. When there is a performance problem, we do a great injustice if we automatically pick up our tools for training. Rather, the performance problem could very well be solved by numerous interventions. We cannot discount the importance of informal learning. Take for example games...no one tells you the rules in advance and most people never bother to read the instruction manual before playing the game (at I/ITSEC, I was in a session with Mark Oehlert where they asked the question, "Who reads the instruction manual before playing a game", and one person (out of ~100) actually raised his hand...Mark and I both were shocked that even one person raised their hand). Another good example is using Google, Wikipedia, etc. To my recollection, I have not had one day (while in the office) where I have not searched the Internet for some piece of information.

I/ITSEC Day 3

2007-11-29T14:04:00.001-05:00

I'm currently sitting at the Orlando airport getting ready to head back home from a great I/ITSEC conference. Today was spent wrapping up on the expo floor. Although I always wish that I had more time to spend with some of the vendors, I did manage to cover the entire explo floor. I attended one paper session on experiential learning. Ironically, the presenter was a colleague I use to work with at the National Defense University while I was at CTC. It wasn't planned, and he was only filling in because the primary speaker couldn't make it. This year (more than all of the previous years of attendence), I've realized how small the simulation and game community is. Probably the reason I did not get to spend more time on the expo floor is that there were many friends and colleagues I found along the way.

Anyway, head over to Mark Oehlert's blog if you would like to see his take on I/ITSEC.

I/ITSEC Day 2

2007-11-28T20:39:00.000-05:00

Activities from Day 2 at I/ITSEC:

1. Best Practices for 3D Procedural Animation - This was a paper session presented by NGrain. The best practices included: letting the SMEs do the animation, compress the animation for light-weight delivery, model orientation should be done on the table or ground, consistency (in model rotation, view angle, textual call-outs, etc.), use audio for multi-sensory absorption, and include interactivity and practice. They also mentioned that one of the true benefits of 3D models is the "Transparent View" that allows users to see inside the model. They also found that transparency works better than highlighting certain parts.

2. Attack on Learning Styles...Again - I went to yet another paper session that discussed whether or not learning styles exist (see my previous post on this topic). The presenters echoed the learning style skeptics' claims that the research does not support the claims people are attributing to learning styles. Specifically, they found that 1) there is no compelling empirical evidence that matching a style to instructional strategy or teaching style increases learning, 2) a discussion of learning styles may provide a common language for discussing learning, and 3) the nature of the task, learner's prior experience, and understanding of how the content will be used are keys for design.

3. DoD Training: Impact of Gaming Technologies - I then sat through a rather large panel on the impact of Gaming Technologies. I emphasize "rather large" because Mark Oehlert and I were bemoaning when there needed to be 9 panelists. Especially when they were all saying pretty much the same thing (interoperability, security, tools for customization, etc. are all needed). 9 panelists = 1 and 1/2 hour session. Worse than that...9 panelists = 9 answers during the Q&A. Those issues removed, it was still good to see the interest that the military and industry has in leveraging video game technology.

The day also included a lot of walking on the expo floor and some after hour receptions with colleagues.

I/ITSEC Day 1

2007-11-27T21:41:00.000-05:00

I'm attending the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) which is the premier conference for the DoD on all things simulation and training related. It's always an enjoyable conference. The exhibit floor is huge (it has to be in order to fit the flight simulators and mega-booths), and it is always great seeing friends from the blogosphere, fellow colleagues, and even someone who goes to my church.

The theme for the conference is "Maintaining the Edge. Transforming the Force". Today (which was actually the second day of the conference, but my first day) started with the opening ceremonies where we heard keynote addresses by a general from the Air Force and a retired general now in industry; a General/Flag Officer Panel where we heard speakers talk about the needs of each service; and two paper sessions on games and learning. Some of the topics that were discussed...

1. Distributed Learning - The Air Force general made a request that was echoed by several following panelists and speakers. The request was that training must be provided when and where it is needed. Although obvious to many in the community, there is still surprisingly a lot of work needed. Specifically, how will we deliver training...

in a distributed environment
without T1 lines
on mobile devices
when they need it

2. Interoperability - Despite a lot of talk, there are still a lot of proprietary systems that are causing the field to take "steps back".

3. Game-based learning - Both the keynote addresses and the panelists expressed the importance of leverage game technology. I also attended two paper sessions discussing 1) whether or not game-based learning really works (by Rick Blunt at the ADL Co-Lab), and 2) whether or not soldiers are gamers (by Jim Belanich). Interestingly, the answer to the first question is "Yes...it does" and the answer to the second question is "No...they aren't".

Challenges with "Training"

2007-11-25T21:44:00.000-05:00

The last few days have been silent due to an extended holiday with family celebrating Thanksgiving and my daughters first birthday. I also had some time to reflect on one particular meeting that occurred at work the day I left for the holidays. Actually, it has been a topic that I have seen continue to surface in my workplace...and I suspect I am not alone.

The issue is concerning the word "training" in a title of a group or individual's position. The group I support has the word "training" in the title, but I have been (and will continue) to emphasize that our emphasis is on performance improvement...if training happens to be one of the interventions, then so be it. Regardless, the title of containing the word "training" is not likely to change. For one, many see training as something tangible. For others, the word training is comfortable and accepted in the U.S. Government to mean many different things.

Human performance technology is so much more than just training. ASTD refers to HPT as a "systematic process that links business strategy and goals - and workers' abilities to achieve them - with a variety of interventions, including education and training." Unfortunately, HPT can be stymied by reducing time lines and eliminating the most important phase in the process...the analysis phase. How often have we heard the line, "we know what the problem is...just build this training."?

Always make a push for analysis that focuses on performance improvement; not a preconceived notion of a training problem!!!!

Federal Consortium on Virtual Worlds

2007-11-19T07:44:00.000-05:00

I attended the Federal Consortium on Virtual Worlds at the National Defense University on Friday. This was the "first annual" event put on by IRMC, and overall, it was a success. It sparked a lot of great conversations in real world. It was also broadcast in Second Life...I was looking for some of the folks I know in Second Life, but didn't see anyone I recognized. Here's a rundown of the talks:

Dr. Childs (Director of IRMC) started off the consortium borrowing the concept of Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants that Marc Prensky coined. He also stressed that the wisdom of the group is greater than the wisdom of the individual.

Dr. Susan Stucky (IBM) was the keynote speaker. She had a good presentation with bits of valuable information, but it seemed a little scattered and really didn't get into the details of how IBM is applying virtual worlds (other than an example of how they conduct rehearsal exercises"). One important point she made (and this will continue to need to be made a point) was that many people are busy reinventing the present. When TV came along, people held the same structure from radio (i.e. sitting behind a desk) to present the news. When e-Learning came along, people held the same structure from classroom and text (i.e. put books online). In virtual worlds, we need to make sure we do more than just put presentations and e-Learning in the virtual world. Dr. Stucky also talked about issues in virtual worlds:

Security (see my post on Dangers of Web 2.0)
Privacy
Standards
Interoperability

She also highlighted the benefits of virtual worlds:

More effective collaboration --> lower costs
Less travel --> lower costs
Fail-safe learning environment
Create a shared context
Learning by doing

Eric Hackathorn (NOAA) did a great presentation called "SL 101" using SL. It was great for the real world audience to see the SLers who were in attendance.

Sue Singer (Linden Labs) talked and showed more in SL and discussed how SL relies on learning collaboration. She also talked about the key in SL is blending the information between the 2D (or old Internet) and the 3D Internet.

The afternoon consisted of two panels. The first was a SL Government User Panel with representatives from NOAA, NASA, and CDC. The second was a Virtual Worlds Panel with representatives from Forterra, Active Worlds, and National Guard. The second panel discussed other virtual worlds such as OLIVE, Active Worlds, and EM Nexus.

Overall, the push to virtual worlds was real, but it was a controlled push because folks in the Federal government certainly recognized the issues that come with virtual worlds. It was very encouraging to see people were not just identifying issues, but were talking about how to resolve the issues.

Searching for Signs of Student Engagement

2007-11-15T19:59:00.000-05:00

Here is an interesting interactive map from USA Today that measured student scores on 5 benchmarks:

Level of Academic Challenge
Active and Collaborative Learning
Student-Faculty Interaction
Enriching Educational Experiences
Supportive Campus Environment

There were two things that particularly stood out. First was the definition of "Active and Collaborative Learning". The "active" part involved asking questions, contributing to class discussions, and making presentations. How discouraging it is to see this as the "benchmark level" of active learning?!?!

Perhaps more concerning is that the average score on this benchmark was a little under 50%. This tells me that universities aren't even doing a good job at this basic level of active and collaborative learning.

CNN presence in SL

2007-11-12T13:02:00.001-05:00

Here is an article about how CNN recently opened a i-Report (user generated news reporting) location in Second Life. Many are familiar with the i-Report concept in the real world, and the SL i-Report will function in much the same way in Second Life. Residents will be able to share events that are happening around the world.

It will be interesting to see how this presence works (i.e. Will residents care about events that have happened in the past? Will there be news worthy events or will it turn into a subtle form of marketing for increasing traffic flow at a certain location? How will residents react to the concept of being "filmed"?).

Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies (+ a little venting)

2007-11-09T17:38:00.000-05:00

I've been able to spend more time digesting the resources and information on the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies (see my previous post on Top Ten Lists). This is truely an excellent resource for new and seasoned learning design and performance improvement professionals. Jane Hart provides a great resource that I find myself returning to frequently.

Some of the valuable information that I've found include:

Directory of Learning Tools - Range from traditional development tools to collaboration and information sharing tools. Categorized by the type of tool (i.e. blogging, interactive, authoring, etc.) and also differentiates commercial and free tools.
Top 100 List - This is the infamous list that polled 100+ professionals on their top learning tools.
Conferences - I've been looking for a list of learning design and performance improvement conferences, and came across this list that provides a good basis.
E-Learning Handbook - A good starter guide on the field (only partially completed...but does summarize topics on informal learning, performance improvement, and serious games and virtual worlds).

I can only image how challenging it is for the Centre to stay current on the latest tools. There is a lot of overlap in some of the tools currently available. Just take for example "one" company...Adobe. There is overlap even in the tools that they offer (granted, some of this can be attributed to the Macromedia/Adobe merger, and they are beginning to trim some of the fat...see Authorware). I know...competition is good for prices, but do we really need 1,800+ tools!!! It makes it very challenging to differentiate and sift through the finer details of each. Many thanks to the folks at the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies for doing a lot of the leg work for us.

Generation Gaps

2007-11-07T18:50:00.000-05:00

Here is an article from CNN on debunking some of the generation gap myths specifically concerning work ethic and work environments. The myths they look at are:

Young workers love change
Gen X- and Y-ers lack a strong work ethic
They disrespect elders
Younger workers prefer to go it alone

Their conclusion is that the different generations aren't really all that different as some people make it seem...which has some elements of truth when you look at work ethics in general; however, even the author recognizes differences in how the work is accomplished and the different perceptions that exist.

Now...throw technology into the mix and you can really see the difference in the generation gaps. Take, for example, this chart from Business Week on what different age groups are doing on the web (used after visiting Karl Kapp's blog).

Google Does It Again

2007-11-07T18:02:00.000-05:00

Here is an article from the Washington Post about how Google intends to help the egos of husbands around the U.S. Now, instead of having to stop to ask for directions, husbands can just pretend that the car needs to be refueled and then look up the directions on these new gas pumps :-) Another great step by Google to push its services "whenever and wherever" they are needed.

Dangers of Web 2.0

2007-11-06T07:30:00.000-05:00

In light of balanced reporting, here is a cautionary article on the dangers of Web 2.0 technology. In actuality, it really isn't a different issue than what we see in Web 1.0...security.

"We've already moved on and started to look at Web 2.0 technology, when Web 1.0 wasn't secure yet; What we're seeing is advanced uses of the same sorts of attacks that were used before."

Worms, virus, and phishing attacks seem to have found a new sandbox to play in:

"Social networks become a breeding ground for Flash worms," said Orrin. He pointed to the MySpace QuickTime worm attack from last December that attacked users' profiles, rewriting them with links to phishing sites. "By loading the video, a million people viewed the video and were attacked by the virus in a single evening."

In actuality, I really don't see how this would cause a decline in Web 2.0 use anymore than the same attacks would cause a decline in overall web use. The user still needs to approach with caution and guarded trust.

More Research and Education in Virtual Worlds

2007-11-03T13:49:00.000-04:00

Continuing the theme from the previous post, there are some good resources resources for educators and researchers interested in using virtual worlds in their disciplines. Linden Labs actually provides a great deal of the resources for Education and Non-Profit Organizations. SimTeach uses a wiki to establish a community for sharing information in virtual worlds. They also include a list of universities who are using SL and a list of guidelines for educators in SL.

Research Potential of Virtual Worlds (SL and WoW)

2007-10-29T19:01:00.000-04:00

William Sims Bainbridge wrote an article recently for Science on the new potential that virtual worlds hold for scientific research. Specifically, he looks at the research potential that Second Life and World of Warcraft have in the fields of social, behavioral, and economic sciences. He notes that the two virtual worlds hold different opportunities for research:

Second Life is especially well designed to mount formal experiments in social psychology or cognitive science, because the researcher can construct a facility comparable to a real-world laboratory and recruit research subjects. World of Warcraft may be better for non-intrusive statistical methodologies examining social networks and economic values.

Compared to the real world, virtual worlds have the potential to recruit thousands of research participants (when I struggled to get 100) with diverse backgrounds in order to conduct research spanning longer time frames. Bainbridge points to a few researchers who are beginning this approach of using virtual worlds to conduct research.

However, as Bainbridge notes, there are challenges to this approach. For example, the player's perception of his/her avatar or character ultimately impacts the decisions that are made and (depending on how the study is constructed) the validity of the data. Bainbridge notes that in SL the entities are referred to as "avatars", because they express the identities of their human owners; however, in WoW the entities are called "characters" which implies a psychologically distant association with their entities (i.e. puppets, toys, etc.). Bainbridge also highlights how some of the real-world research processes will (or will not) translate into the virtual world (i.e. Institutional Review Boards, informed consent forms, anonymity, etc.).

Regardless of the challenges, virtual worlds certainly hold promise for up-and-coming researchers. Ask anyone who has gone through the academic research process, and they are most likely to say that the most challenging part of the whole process was to find and coordinate all of the research participants. Virtual worlds offer some interesting potential to even breakdown the research hurdles. Bainbridge ends with:

Many virtual worlds may foster scientific habits of mind better than traditional schools can, because they constantly require inhabitants to experiment with unfamiliar alternatives, rationally calculate probable outcomes, and develop complex theoretical structures to understand their environment.

A Hodge-Podge of Top Ten Lists for Learning and Performance Improvement

2007-10-26T20:22:00.000-04:00

I stumbled across another "top ten learning trends" list today, and I got to thinking, "it seems like everyone has a top 10 list of where the industry is going." I did some searching and found several interesting lists. I've included the lists below, but I need to make a few caveats and general observances. First, I'll refer to all of these as "lists" (rather than "trends"), because they don't show evidence of the level of analysis and data collection required of "trends". Second, many of the lists are so general that it is difficult to distinguish if they are referring to technologies for learners, designers, developers, managers, etc. Anyway...onto some of the lists...I know there are many more that are not included below.

This was a list on the top ten smart technologies for schools that I found when I first started getting into the field. It is a little old, but it is interesting to go back and see what folks were saying a couple of years ago (just like it will be interesting to look back at this post a few years from now).

1. Voice to Text
2. Next Wave
3. Hybrid Computing
4. Virtual Reality
5. Artificial Intelligence
6. Telementoring
7. Assessment on the Fly
8. Digital Video Production
9. Fingerprint Recognition
10. The Brain

This is a list by Clark Aldrich on the Top 11 Trends for Organizational Learning.

1. Google
2. Blogs
3. Wiki's
4. Open Source
5. IM/VOIP
6. Ambient Information
7. Mobile phones as content inputs/outputs
8. Podcasts
9. Computer games driving educational simulations
10. Growing training budgets
11. More decentralized college programs

I think this list from World Wide Learn could be classified as a "trend" as it is based on research from a number of different sources. However, it does not get into specifics on how the data was collected (i.e. longitudinal, one-time snapshot, etc.) or who provided the insight (managers, developers, etc.).

1. Application Service Providers offer more quick start options
2. Companies integrate e-learning into their infrastructure
3. Churning skill sets require e-learning initiative
4. E-learning cuts the cost of high quality content
5. E-learning levels professional playing field around the world
6. Gamers bring interactive skills to e-learning
7. Governments deploy e-learning at all levels
8. Partners and collaborators use e-learning to get everyone on the same page sooner
9. Wireless technology helps e-learning initiatives "cut the cord"
10. E-learning's Movers and Shakers

Tom Werner posted a list from a recent conference he attended. This is a list of the top nine non-learning innovations affecting learning.

1. Performance Support
2. Gaming and Simulations
3. Self-Publishing
4. Collaboration
5. Web Services/Mashups
6. High-Bandwidth to the Hand
7. New Input Devices
8. Video and Image Search
9. Embedded Devices

This is a list by Tony Karrer on the top 9 e-learning trends. To Tony's credit, he also did a very interesting (but self-acknowledged "crude") analysis on the hot topics in the industry. I found this list more amusing than any of the other top 10 lists.

1. E-learning 2.0
2. Virtual Environments
3. Open source and free tools
4. Do-it-yourself learning
5. Course and courseware fading
6. Emergent systems
7. Composition, Add-ins, Mash-ups
8. Move towards easier/faster tools
9. Shift in LMS

If the above lists have not included something, then this list on the Top 100 Tools for Learning 2007 probably will include it (it's actually 150). I'll only include the top 10. This list was compiled from an open invitation to learning professionals who were asked to mention tools that were used for either their learning, "creating learning", or "delivering learning" (quick side note...see my previous post on whether or not learning can be created and delivered).

1. Firefox
2. del.icio.us
3. Skype
4. Google Search
5. PowerPoint
6. Wordpress
7. Gmail
8. Google Reader
9. Blogger
10. Word

To see the top 10 lists of the individuals who contributed to the list above, go to the Top 10 Tools for E-learning. It includes lists from Karl Kapp, Jay Cross, Stephen Downes, and about 100 people I've never heard of, but value their insight.

I considered throwing in my own $0.02 by creating a list, but decided I would just highlight the number one overall "trend" in the field...and that is the continual movement toward human performance improvement. With this overall direction, the professional is free to select the tool and technology that best accomplishes this mission (regardless if it is the latest/coolest trend).

Epistemology for Life vs. Epistemology for Learning

2007-10-23T20:32:00.000-04:00

In my free time, I've been reading and reflecting on books concerning faith and apologetics, and over the past couple of years, I've been wrestling with whether or not one can have an epistemology for life and an epistemology for learning. First some background, then my answer.

Epistemology is a philosophical study concerning the theory of knowledge. The theories are broad and really run the range of beliefs. These beliefs can be anchored in theism, pre-modern, modern, and post-modern world views. Without getting into details of different world views, it is suffice to say that everyone has a world view and certain beliefs. These world views shape our decisions, beliefs, and how we interpret events.

Contrary to much of the post-modern movement which espouses a world view in line with relativism, I definitely believe in absolutes and an absolute truth. This is the only logical conclusion. For example, someone who rejects absolutes and says all things are relative...is in fact making an absolute statement (this is often referred to as the liar paradox). I had a colleague who's professor was pushing constructivism (which views all knowledge as constructed) as the correct learning theory. However, this professor failed to see the irony in what she was doing. In fact, she was not allowing students to "construct" their own knowledge in line with her theory, but rather telling them what was an external reality. I once considered myself a constructivist (in terms of learning...never in terms of life) until I really began to unwrap the inner workings of the theory. So what am I left with.

One may say, "Well, if you are an 'objectivist', then you will stick with the lecture and sage-on-the-stage method for learning because instructors are the source of all knowledge". That's not really the case either. From all of my other posts, one can see the value that I believe games and simulations have. So how do the two mesh. Discovery-based learning and experiential/experimental learning are just as useful for learning absolutes. In fact, I am 100% confident that no instructor/teacher/professor/etc. fully grasps all of the knowledge in their domain, so it makes sense that students can discover new information in different ways.

This is probably going to be a topic that I revist occasionally. It is certainly a topic that has consumed thousands of pages in books. Suffice it to say...I don't think one can really separate their epistemology for life from their epistemology for learning. I think many have tried, but rarely will you find a relativist who is relative in their application of every day life.

SCORM and MMOGs

2007-10-19T19:57:00.000-04:00

I just read an article in Military Training Technology about how the Joint Advanced Distributed Learning (JADL) Co-Laboratory is working on a project to "research methods for enabling interoperability, accessibility, and reusability of SCORM compliant learning content in 3-D virtual worlds". Although this article was published in the October issue, I went to the JADL website and found that the project kicked off in May 2007. Regardless, this effort promises to advance the integration of SCORM and MMOGs by researching training opportunities, the characteristics of learning content for delivery in MMOGs, and user interface issues. The developers will build a prototype of the interaction.

Hopefully, this will be a successful way to blend the billions of $$$ invested in conventional CBT/WBT with the promises of interactive game worlds. However, it remains to be seen whether or not shareable content objects can be incorporated into a game and still maintain the characteristics of games (i.e. fun, challenge, competition, engagment, etc.).

ROI Links

2007-10-16T18:03:00.001-04:00

I can say very confidently that more people read Tony Karrer's blog than this blog, but for anyone who hasn't seen Tony's blog yet, he has a great post on ROI and Metrics in eLearning. He is conducting research for an upcoming article on ROI and Metrics. It's a very hot topic and should be worth the read.

Professional Gamers

2007-10-15T19:41:00.000-04:00

I should create a new label called "you have to be kidding me". Since I love sports, I frequent the ESPN website. While on there, I found an article on Professional Video Game Players. As with most professional sports, I think they are highly overpaid for what they do (but then the argument always is that they wouldn't get paid that much if it wasn't beneficial for the people paying them). The article talks about one individual having a $250,000 contract (plus prize money for winning). Remember that the next time you tell your kids that they can't make a living off of gaming.

Unfortunately, the article doesn't do much to dispel the image that society has of gamers.

ROI for Web 2.0

2007-10-10T19:39:00.000-04:00

In my previous post, I made a call for studies on the pros/cons of Web 2.0 technologies. A second part of this quest for measurable effects touches on ROI. Based on a serious of comment exchanges on Tony Karrer's blog, this may prove to be more difficult than I thought.

ROI is heavily dependent on several factors unique to individual corporations, and there is no guarantee that one corporation's ROI results are indicative of another corporations. Additionally, ROI on Web 2.0 technology will not be easy since it involves a lot of variables that are difficult to quantify (let alone attribute value to). Despite these difficulties, I still believe it is a worthwhile pursuit. I will continue my pursuit to find articles (basic research or ROI) highlighting the cost/benefit of Web 2.0 technology.

Research for Web 2.0

2007-10-08T22:12:00.000-04:00

Tony Karrer has an interesting post (eLearning Technology: Thomas Davenport and Blogging - He is Wrong!) on a book he is reading. Based solely on the paragraph Tony posted, I would agree that Davenport is being inconsistent for he claims that the benefits of blogging have not been measured, but then claims that blogging has decreased productivity without providing a basis for his claims.

This search for empirical data led me to do a few quick searches on Google Scholar with no concrete studies done (a few case studies, interviews, etc.). I would love to hear of any quantitative (or more likely, qualitative at this point) studies on the pros or cons of Web 2.0 technologies for learning, performance improvement, and knowledge management. Much like the field of simulation and gaming, I suspect that there will be some studies that emerge over the next couple of years that claim the negative value, but most will be able to demonstrate positive effects.

Back from Hawaii

2007-10-04T16:40:00.000-04:00

I just got back from a week of meetings in Hawaii (I know, I can't complain). It was great being in Hawaii; however, I think I am a little sick because one of the things that I was interested in seeing was the Wiki Wiki buses at the Honolulu airport. I didn't think of taking a picture of them until now, so I will link to a picture of the buses using none other than Wikipedia. It was neat to see the "birthplace" (in name) of a great Web 2.0 technology.

Speaking of Web 2.0 technologies, I'm still catching up on reading blogs, but wanted to reference a good post by Tony Karrer on Wikis, Blogs, Social Bookmarking, Social Networking, and RSS.

A New Convert????

2007-09-25T23:04:00.000-04:00

Our family PC is on its last leg, and my wife and I have been toying around with getting a new computer. I did the normal search on the Dell website, and then last night, I decided to head on over to Apple since I have been hearing some positive things about them. I use to write Apple off as a "trendy" organization that had a cult following them, but after I began looking around the website, I started leaning very heavily to purchasing an iMac.

I have also been notably late on jumping on the "iPod" bandwagon, and I think that I am going to be happy I did. I came across the iPod Touch and was instantly sold on it. Basically, it has the user interface of an iPhone without the phone capability...and it can still connect to wireless access points.

No...I am not getting paid by Apple to write this. I am admittedly one of the PC users that have fought against Apple for too long. Although I am not an Apple user yet, the last two days (including a trip to the Apple store in DC tonight) have been eye opening. I sit here amazed at how simple and intuitive their user interfaces are. In this age of ever increasing technological options, I think one of the keys is still user interface design. If it is not intuitive, you will loose "customers" (substitute "learners" where appropriate). Time is a valuable commodity and you cannot "get it back", but by making technology seamless and usable, it stands a better chance of marginalizing time spent on task.

Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning - Blog Book Tour

2007-09-24T07:05:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the eleventh stop on the Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning blog book tour. For the past two weeks, the author, Dr. Karl Kapp, has been facilitating a tour of 15 different blogs (see scheduled stops) each contributing their own perspectives on the book.

At first glance, some may think this is just another book praising the potentials that serious games and other technologies offer in learning situations. However, Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning incorporates a fundamental issue that is bigger than just using games in learning...namely, the issue of the retiring Boomer generation and the impact on organizational knowledge. No doubt, the issue of the retiring Boomer generation has received a lot of attention. Articles, such as those found at The Oakland Tribune and CIO, touch on the issue of Boomers taking an entire generation of knowledge with them once they retire. Even articles indicating that many Boomers will continue to work well into retirement (i.e. CNN) recognize that Boomers will most likely be working in a field with "more purpose".

Unfortunately, I think the media has caused such a scare that organizations are focusing on trying not to lose knowledge (0r limiting the losses) instead of focusing on how they can use this time to become a more effective business. One of the great things about Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning is that Karl Kapp does not focus on trying to limit the amount of knowledge loss caused by retiring Boomers, but rather views this as a strategic opportunity for organizations to become more effective in how knowledge is transferred, shared, and used in order to become more successful...a classic "glass half-empty" vs. "half-full" case.

Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning looks at the group (Gamers) who will be filling the void from the departing Boomers. Karl begins the book by debunking the common myths surrounding Gamers and begins to address the educational value that games have. An example of how he shows the differences between Gamers and Boomers that particularly stuck out in my mind is:

"...incoming gamers have grown up in a vastly different world than the boomers did. Gamers have different ideas about connectivity, reporting hierarchies, learning, and communication, all forged while playing games, manipulating gadgets, and surfing the web."

Anyone who has been reading this blog knows that I am finishing up writing my dissertation, and I can say that this book helped me strengthen the argument in my dissertation. I've cited it over a dozen times in my dissertation. Although it's great for helping write dissertations, the book is useful for designers through C-level executives to help transfer knowledge from Boomers to Gamers.

The bottom line is that Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning belongs in the library of anyone who is interested in organizational knowledge, performance improvement, and learning design. This is not just a book for those interested in serious games. I highly recommend this book for any organization (corporate, academia, government, etc.) who either has retiring Boomers or incoming Gamers...which pretty much covers every organization. To order a copy of the book, please visit Amazon or Pfeiffer.

Learning Can't Be Sold

2007-09-19T20:11:00.001-04:00

Well, I seemed to have writer's block tonight as I tried to think of a blog topic ahead of my big debut along the Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning Book Tour (coming to a Blog near you September 24th, 2007). When all else fails, find a great post on someone else's website and post your own thoughts. I didn't have to go far until I found a rather humorous, but sincere, post by Mark Oehlert.

Mark was "expressing" his feelings about people over using the term "learning" as if it is something that could be sold. I ran into a issue trying to post my comment, but borrowed an idea from Tony and just posted my comment on my blog.

Mark...Hilarious post. Through the ranting and raving of the post (accurately labeled "Arrghh"), there were some great points. Too many folks hide behind the "well-it's-just-a-matter-of semantics" argument, but fail to see how important semantics really is. I think some people don't like to use "training" (too narrow and behaviorist) or "education" (too academic focused); they don't want to combine them (because then it's just too long), so instead they look at the goal of training and education and try to sell you the goal (learning and performance). I'll help you take up your cause and ask to see "a learning"

We do need to be careful when we use the term learning (or performance for that matter) that we really to mean the outcome of what training and education hope to accomplish. And as Mark indicates, we need to avoid claiming that we have "a learning" that can be sold.

Who knew I'd be quoting "Patch Adams"

2007-09-18T19:13:00.000-04:00

"You're focusing on the problem. If you focus on the problem, you can't see the solution. Never focus on the problem. Look at me!...See what no one else sees. See what everyone else chooses not to see out of fear and conformity and laziness. See the whole world anew each day."

- Arthur Mendelson as he was trying to show Patch Adams how many fingers he could really see

The second to last sentence is particularly useful to the learning and performance field. How often to we succumb to the "we-need-a-training-program" out of fear (either of telling a higher up that we need to investigate the issue more closely or of branching out into a solution beyond the training fingertips), conformity (go with the flow and don't tell the boss there might be a larger issue), and laziness (simply put...training can be easy; worse still...basic PowerPoint can be put together by anyone)?

USCG Human Performance Technology (HPT) Workshop

2007-09-15T10:12:00.000-04:00

I attended the U.S. Coast Guard Human Performance Technology (HPT) Workshop in Williamsburg, VA this past week for the first time. I got a chance to meet up with some industry colleagues and some fellow Bloom U Alumni (Jenna Kuhns and Chris Reese). The workshop was a lot smaller than some of the other conferences I've attended in the past (i.e. IITSEC, ASTD, Training, etc.), but it was sort of nice to get a way from the assortment of vendor displays and just focus on the sessions.

As with every conference I've attended, the sessions ranged from "very informative" to "I can't believe I just wasted 50 minutes of my life". Some of the less informative sessions tended to focus on a specific tool and/or application of that tool, and one session was structured like an ADDIE 101 session disguised under the title of "Building training that maximizes performance". I've summarized some of the more informative sessions below.

I started by attending the "E-Learning Trends" session by Rich Arnold from Unitech (pretty cool website too if you get a chance to check it out). I always enjoy attending the e-learning trends sessions just to see if everyone is "trending" in the same direction. Rich was a great speaker and a lot of his trends were right on target. He also noted that, in a sense, there are no e-learning trends. In fact, e-learning is a mechanism; not a panacea. E-learning crosses performance improvement, education, and training. If you are curious, his top ten trends (in no specific order, except for #1) are:
1. Technology used to support realistic performance
2. E-learning fused with school and mobile ILT
3. Performance parameters growing faster than costs
4. E-learning = Training (Show + Tell), Simulation (Do + Consequences), Games (Do + Consequences + Story).
5. Solution blending includes EPSS
6. Mobile and wireless
7. Shift from individual to team-based training
8. Adding haptic interfaces and "real" tools (i.e. weapons). See Karl Kapp's insight from a recent conference he attended.
9. Actual role-training simulations to practice missions
10. Media and environmental modeling becoming more cost effective

Another great session was "Learning Happens" by Ron Chapman. He offered several great pieces of information and helped reinforce things I had already heard. He started by sharing why "learning" was important (ideas = competitiveness, retiring boomers, job satisfaction and retention, etc.) and discussed differences between training and learning. He also indicated that the number one cause of problems in the workplace is a human performance issue. He also mentioned that 80% of learning occurs outside of the classroom. This is surprising (more discouraging) when there are still so many people out there that believe only "purposeful activities" occur through formal instruction (See Tom Werner's post on how Gagne thought this). Ron Chapman also drew an illustration about how performance problems should be viewed as an iceberg..."events" could be considered the very top of the iceberg, "processes/decisions" are right underneath it, and "culture (forces and pressures)" are the bulk of the iceberg that sits below the water. Most of our effort is spent on conducting "events" (i.e. more training courses, etc.) whereas we have increased leverage and opportunity for learning and change as we move below the waterline. Granted, the culture is harder to change, but that is what needs to change in many circumstances.

The last session I'll summarize was a session on "Professional Certification: Myths and Realities". The session had a panel that discussed some of the pros and cons (although it was mostly pros) of becoming certified. This session was particularly interesting to me in light of one of my previous posts. The session was good, but I think it stopped short of really showing the benefit of becoming certified. On top of that, they really didn't distinguish the differences between the certifications, and they bordered on saying that different companies will recognize different certificates depending on which one they are more familiar with...not as a matter of utility. I think certification is important, but I would hate to see several different organizations begin to offer similar certifications with no differences between them. That only will make it harder for practitioners (and corporations) to figure out if they are getting the best.

I also attended a sessions on Podcasting, HPT for the warfighter, and how people learn which were all very good. I would recommend the workshop (especially for the costs...free) for anyone that is looking to get away from the big conferences and get more personal.

Naming Interactive Content

2007-09-13T22:43:00.000-04:00

Just got back from the Human Performance Technology Workshop in Williamsburg, VA. More posts (both good and bad) in the coming days, but I've been playing catch-up with some of the blogs that I read.

Clark Aldrich has an interesting post (and poll) regarding the names given to this emerging field of interactive content. He lists the top 10 names used to describe the field and then invites readers to vote on their favorite.

Brainage for Nintendo DS

2007-09-10T20:13:00.000-04:00

Interesting marketing slogan that caught my eye as I was reading USA Today Online the other day. It said, "Grandparents Day is Sunday, Sept. 9th. This year, spoil them with the Nintendo DS Bundle Pack."

I, of course, had to click the advertisement trying to figure out how they were marketing a Nintendo DS for Grandparents. Turns out, Brain Age has developed a series of games for the Nintendo DS to help keep the mind sharp. They call it Brain Training and is geared towards sharpening the mind.

Just thought it was interesting how some people say games are "dulling minds" while others say games are "sharpening minds".

Blog Book Tour (Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos For Learning)

2007-09-08T11:43:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I received an email from Dr. Karl Kapp regarding participating in an upcoming Blog Book Tour for the book he authored - Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning. There will be 14 stops along the way and my scheduled stop will be on September 24th. This is a first for me, so I'm very excited. On Monday, September 10th, Karl will be posting links to all of the blogs that are participating in the book tour.

Just a quick "pre-Book Tour" reaction to Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning, I had the privilege of receiving the book before completing my dissertation, and I was very glad I did. I was able to incorporate several of his concepts into my dissertation that helped strengthen the literature review and hypotheses. Karl has done an excellent job capturing the approaching dangers of the retiring boomer generation from the learning viewpoint...but more on that on the 24th.