573 - SCORM Updated, Robert Kennedy Speech, Learning System Governance
April 6, 2009 Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - April 6, 2009.
#573 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,699 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
1. SCORM Updated
2. Learning Systems (LMS) Governance Issues
3. Bobby Kennedy and A Ripple of Hope
1. SCORM Updated: “The United States Defense Department announced today the 4th edition of its Web-based e-learning standard, used by government, commercial and international agencies, allowing organizations to easily exchange online learning, training and educational content. Known as the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) 2004, this e-learning standard ensures the learning experience and performance data tracking is consistent in the distribution of training courses via the Internet, and allows for online collaboration between users.
“SCORM 2004 4th Edition provides a significant step forward for the department and e-learning communities in general. The proper use of SCORM reduces training time or training costs by a third, by encouraging organizations to reuse established content and reformat that content for their needs,” said Robert Wisher, director of the ADL Initiative. “The updates represent a technical achievement for the Defense Department and our many users, and I’m very pleased we’ve met this important milestone.”
More information on SCORM can be found at http://www.adlnet.gov
2. Learning Systems (LMS) Governance Issues: One interesting question that organizations grapple with is “Who Should Own the LMS or LCMS?” The issue of Learning Systems Governance is a key and changing one. In some organizations, there is a defined Governance Group, consisting of representatives of Learning, Training, IT and Business Units who share ownership. In other organizations, IT owns the LMS and there is a client relationship with various business units. And, in some organizations a key business unit (eg. Leadership Training or Compliance) steps up to be the key owner of the Learning System and partners with other units on cost and deployment. Finally, some organizations are experiencing “covert” installs of LMS and LCMS systems by business units with unique needs (eg. Sales or Global Groups) that don’t want to wait for a centralized governance decision. These issues will be worked at our upcoming Learning Systems Roundtable, to be held in Chicago next week, with over 100 participants on April 15 and 16th. Info at http://www.masie.com
3. Bobby Kennedy and A Ripple of Hope: Last Wednesday, I was the guest of Ethel Kennedy and the Kennedy Family at the premier screening of “A Ripple of Hope” about Robert Kennedy’s speech on the day that Martin Luther King was assassinated. It was very powerful to watch this documentary with the Kennedy family and guests, including Martin Sheen and Jeff Greenfield, who was RFK’s speechwriter. The power of the words that Bobby Kennedy spoke to a crowd in Indianapolis that was ready to riot were so moving and stirring.
The text of that short speech is at: http://www.rfkmemorial.org/lifevision/assassinationofmartinlutherkingjr/
Seventy-six American Cities had riots following the King Assassination, but not Indianapolis - in full measure due to the words of Robert Kennedy. It was the first time that he spoke in public about his own brother’s death. In a few days, it will be Passover and we’ll be reading the speech as part of the sedar at the Masie household.
Yours in Learning,
Elliott Masie
Contact: emasie@masie.com
Upcoming MASIE Center Services & Events:
* Social Learning LAB & Seminar: June 17 - 19, Saratoga Springs, NY
* Learning Systems Roundtable: April 15 and 16 - Chicago
* Learning & Government Briefing: April 28 - Washington, DC
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com