609 - Snow Triggers Telework, Demise of the Desktop, Performer Support?
March 5, 2010 Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 5, 2010.
#609 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,891 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host: Virtual Leadership LAB & Seminar - Saratoga Springs
1. DC Snowstorm Triggers Teleworking.
2. Google Predicts Demise of the Desktop.
3. What is Performer Support?
1. DC Snowstorm Triggers Teleworking: I had the honor of meeting this week with the US Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven Chu, and the Director of the US Office of Personnel Management, John Berry. The topic of snow in Washington came up and we discussed the shift in Teleworking. John Berry stated that over 1/3 of Washington area workers at the OPM and GSA logged on to the Agency’s computers, even though the government was officially closed. Secretary Chu said he was tempted to come to work, but functioned from home for 3 days to set an example. He did come in on the last day, along with some of his staff, since he reported, “we really missed each other!”
Contrast this with 2008 when only 8.7 of eligible employees did any teleworking. These senior Cabinet officers talked about the desire of the workforce to be able to stay connected and support each other in times of crisis. And, that it would trigger a broader conversation about flexibility of workplace footprint - mirroring changes in leading organizations like BestBuy that are highly flexible about hours and location as long as measured goals are achieved.
2. Google Predicts Demise of the Desktop: John Herlihy, Google’s VP of Global Ad Operations, has claimed that desktop PCs would become “irrelevant” in three years down the line. Addressing the Digital Landscapes Conference in Dublin, Herlihy predicted a bleak future for desktop PCs as smartphones and netbooks, along with other gadgets, are evidently gaining ground over them. In his keynote speech, Herlihy said, “In three years time, desktops will be irrelevant. In Japan, most research is done today on smart phones, not PCs”. This echoes Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s comments that “Global sales of smartphones and other high-end handheld devices have been soaring at a rapid pace and would very soon surpass sales of traditional PCs.” This has huge implications for the learning field as we look towards supporting learning through a new and broader range of mobile-based resources. Learning designers will need to refocus their design sensibilities towards a smaller footprint and very different type of learning application.
3. What is Performer Support?: One of my favorite approaches is Peformer Support. From my Spellcheck to my GPS, the concept of being able to learn what I need at the moment of need is always appealing. Conrad Gottfredson and Bob Mosher, who are our resources on Performer Support, have supplied an informative definition:
Performer Support (PS) is any learning modality, resource or asset that is accessible and applicable at the moment of need. It is embedded in the work process such that the learning is accessed in the context of the work flow and helps solve a very specific business problem. Fundamentally, PS can be grouped into two categories: Paper-based or Electronic. Paper-based is the oldest form of Performance Support and one that’s taken an unfortunate backseat to its more “flashy” counterparts. Paper-based PS includes job-aids and quick references. These tools can be seen in most work spaces in the form of yellow “post-it notes” surrounding someone’s monitor, but they can also be a much more elaborate, structured and individually tailored form factor designed to optimize their overall effectiveness. Electronic PS, often called EPSS, is typically found on a PC, BUT is increasingly accessible on MP3 players and other hand-held devices. Many of us remember the earliest forms of this solution as the “F1” key or help menu found in most of the early PC applications.
We have a few seats still open in our intensive and hands-on LAB and Seminar on Performer Support that will be held in Saratoga Springs, NY on March 17 to 19th.
For information and registration: http://www.masie.com
Yours in learning,
Elliott Masie
Contact: emasie@masie.com
MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Virtual Leadership: Skills for Leading Distributed Teams.
* Performer Support LAB & Seminar.
* Video for Learning LAB & Seminar.
* Learning 2010 - Oct 24 to 27 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com