Friday
Dec311999
134 - The QUESTION MARKS in On-Line Learning; Protect Thy Domain: Check and Protect Ownership; E-Commerce Transactions Grow in Training Industry
December 31, 1999
1. The QUESTION MARKS in On-Line Learning? Lately, I have been adding a
cautious question mark at the end of the phrase On-Line Learning. Here are
some of the reasons why:
* Should we call it On-Line Learning? We believe that the phrase on-line
learning is a transitional one. Ultimately, we want to focus on the content
rather than the delivery. In fact, some of the major corporations
implementing learning over the intranet have consciously decided to NOT CALL
IT On-Line Learning. "We want to make all of our offerings LEARNING, with
the emphasis on the content and skills rather than the location and delivery
system", says Sue Holmes from Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
* Does it work YET? Some On-Line Learning really is effective. Other
pieces of On-Line Learning are at the early stage of development? And,
other stuff is just boring. The same could be said true of classroom
training. So, the key is to not posit On-Line Learning as THE solution or
as a DONE deal, rather as an area of exploration and expansion. Let's not
get caught up in the "e-makes it hot" fad. Clearly, technology will play a
key role in knowledge transfer...let's not make it !. We are still at the ?
stage.
So, at TechLearn '99, we will be positing the phrase On-Line Learning?, with
a question mark, to make sure we address these and other key questions
around effectiveness, branding and titling. We believe that the
conversation is broader....how do we build the best use and blend of
technologies and delivery, including classrooms, for learning in the digital
age?
2. Protect Thy Domain: Check and Protect Ownership. Make sure that your
domain name is safe. Do a scan of who owns the .org and .net version of
your domain names. We recently were surprised to find that a competitor
had registered the .net and .org versions of our domain names for one of our
conferences. Luckily, we have the Federal Trademark for TechLearn and were
able to get the domains changed from pointing to their site. If you want to
check out who owns the variations on your corporate domains go to:
http://www.geektools.com/whois.html
3. Learning Quotation: Horace Mann
"Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great
equalizer of the conditions of men -- the balance-wheel of the social
machinery. "
- Horace Mann, considered to one of the "fathers" of American Public
Education
4. E-Commerce Transactions Grow in Training Industry: I was asked recently
about how e-commerce is changing the business side of the training and
learning field. There is a profound and rapid shift towards the use of
on-line transactions for the registration of people coming to events,
seminars and conferences. On a recent survey, we found that 82% of training
managers wanted to be able to have registrations for learning events totally
self-service in the next 12 months. At The MASIE Center, we have found
this to be a profound change. For example, three years ago, only 9% of
attendees for TechLearn registered over the web. In 1998, we had 35 to 50%
register on-line. This year, we have take 92% of our registrations via
on-line methods. That means that 92% of 1,421 attendees have gone on-line
and completed the transaction. And, all before we send out a printed
brochure. This means that we can shift the marketing budget from large
brochures to investing in content. It also means that our phones ring a lot
less and we can dedicate more of our customer service time to exceptions
rather than core transactions. (Go to http://www.techlearn.com to see our
on-line registration process).
5. learningauction to Expand: Bill Cosby Meeting For Auction + Procurement
Section Coming: Now, a meeting with Bill Cosby is up on the auction block
at http://www.learningauction.com We have folks bidding to meet Dr. Cosby
in a small reception at TechLearn (for charity). There are now over
200 items up for auction at this NO FEE site.
Coming Soon: We will be adding a Request for Bids Procurement Section. Corporations and organizations can post their requirements for training and learning products and services and receive responses from providers. Starting in August 1999, this service will be a NO-FEE site donated by the MASIE Center.
THANKS for dozens of great suggests for the ASTD & MASIE Center Research
Project. If you would like to submit additional ideas, send them to
study@masie.com
cautious question mark at the end of the phrase On-Line Learning. Here are
some of the reasons why:
* Should we call it On-Line Learning? We believe that the phrase on-line
learning is a transitional one. Ultimately, we want to focus on the content
rather than the delivery. In fact, some of the major corporations
implementing learning over the intranet have consciously decided to NOT CALL
IT On-Line Learning. "We want to make all of our offerings LEARNING, with
the emphasis on the content and skills rather than the location and delivery
system", says Sue Holmes from Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
* Does it work YET? Some On-Line Learning really is effective. Other
pieces of On-Line Learning are at the early stage of development? And,
other stuff is just boring. The same could be said true of classroom
training. So, the key is to not posit On-Line Learning as THE solution or
as a DONE deal, rather as an area of exploration and expansion. Let's not
get caught up in the "e-makes it hot" fad. Clearly, technology will play a
key role in knowledge transfer...let's not make it !. We are still at the ?
stage.
So, at TechLearn '99, we will be positing the phrase On-Line Learning?, with
a question mark, to make sure we address these and other key questions
around effectiveness, branding and titling. We believe that the
conversation is broader....how do we build the best use and blend of
technologies and delivery, including classrooms, for learning in the digital
age?
2. Protect Thy Domain: Check and Protect Ownership. Make sure that your
domain name is safe. Do a scan of who owns the .org and .net version of
your domain names. We recently were surprised to find that a competitor
had registered the .net and .org versions of our domain names for one of our
conferences. Luckily, we have the Federal Trademark for TechLearn and were
able to get the domains changed from pointing to their site. If you want to
check out who owns the variations on your corporate domains go to:
http://www.geektools.com/whois.html
3. Learning Quotation: Horace Mann
"Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great
equalizer of the conditions of men -- the balance-wheel of the social
machinery. "
- Horace Mann, considered to one of the "fathers" of American Public
Education
4. E-Commerce Transactions Grow in Training Industry: I was asked recently
about how e-commerce is changing the business side of the training and
learning field. There is a profound and rapid shift towards the use of
on-line transactions for the registration of people coming to events,
seminars and conferences. On a recent survey, we found that 82% of training
managers wanted to be able to have registrations for learning events totally
self-service in the next 12 months. At The MASIE Center, we have found
this to be a profound change. For example, three years ago, only 9% of
attendees for TechLearn registered over the web. In 1998, we had 35 to 50%
register on-line. This year, we have take 92% of our registrations via
on-line methods. That means that 92% of 1,421 attendees have gone on-line
and completed the transaction. And, all before we send out a printed
brochure. This means that we can shift the marketing budget from large
brochures to investing in content. It also means that our phones ring a lot
less and we can dedicate more of our customer service time to exceptions
rather than core transactions. (Go to http://www.techlearn.com to see our
on-line registration process).
5. learningauction to Expand: Bill Cosby Meeting For Auction + Procurement
Section Coming: Now, a meeting with Bill Cosby is up on the auction block
at http://www.learningauction.com We have folks bidding to meet Dr. Cosby
in a small reception at TechLearn (for charity). There are now over
200 items up for auction at this NO FEE site.
Coming Soon: We will be adding a Request for Bids Procurement Section. Corporations and organizations can post their requirements for training and learning products and services and receive responses from providers. Starting in August 1999, this service will be a NO-FEE site donated by the MASIE Center.
THANKS for dozens of great suggests for the ASTD & MASIE Center Research
Project. If you would like to submit additional ideas, send them to
study@masie.com
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