857 - Middle East Learning Report; Courses in the Air; LABs for Learning Professionals

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - December 2, 2014.
#857 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,763 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Innovations Retreat - Jan 7 to 9th.

1. Middle East Learning Report & Perspectives.
2. Idea: Courses in the Air.
3. Learning LABS in 2015.

1. Middle East Learning Report & Perspectives. I had the honor of keynoting at two Middle East Learning and Development gatherings in the past 3 days.

First, I was one of the keynoters at the Middle East Organizational Learning gathering. We had the WOW experience of holding this meeting with senior learning leaders from the UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and other countries in the Parliament Chamber of the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi.  (It was the equivalent of holding a national learning conference on the floor of the U.S. Congress). Right before I spoke, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia addressed the role that learning must play in developing economies.

Last night, I was interviewed at a special dinner in Dubai for Learning Leaders. My interviewer Syed Sherazi spent an hour drilling me with questions about the state of learning changes. We then had an interactive dinner conversation with colleagues from a wide range of companies, government agencies and other countries in the region.

My takeaway from both experiences is the intense role that learning plays, and more importantly WILL PLAY, in developing countries. A few notes and observations:

- Learning Personalization is key. They see personalization assisted through choices and adaptions by learners, designers, their managers and ultimately with Big Learning Data.
- Global Learning Means Divergence. Sometimes “global” means a single message in a single style. But, it is key that global learning honor the traditions, cultures and earlier-in-life learning experiences of each segment of the workforce. We need to find a deeper way to embrace and sustain divergent approaches to learning.
- Granularity is Key. Learners and designers want shorter segments of content, more focused social/collaborative formats, and a more adaptive approach to curriculum.
- Assessment - Deeper and More Difficult. There was a clear sense that learning assessment, particularly in the eLearning area, is too broad and too easy. They wanted assessments that would give learners a more precise “Score Card” of their readiness on dozens of micro-topics. And, to make assessments more difficult with the expectation that a learner might want to take a test several times before achieving success.
- Emotional Intelligence!!! The same conversation was had with the CLOs in the rooms as we have had with CLOs and government leaders in the US. Skills must be mapped to emotional intelligence with the latter being key to long term employment success.
- Mobile is the Only Option. They view mobile not as an enhancement but rather as the first and often only access that workers may have to online assets. They want Mobile Learning Apps and more.

I will post links to the various conversations from these conferences when they are online, in a few weeks. On a personal note, it was amazing to meet two colleagues who each had been reading Learning TRENDS from Egypt and Abu Dhabi since 1988. While it was the first time we met face to face, we have had many shared mind-to-mind moments and interactions over the years.

2. Idea - Courses in the Air: There were representatives from airlines, Aviation Authorities and even Panasonic, which makes the interactive movie and TV systems on long distance airplanes. So, I rolled out one of my “aha ideas” that I would love to see invented sometime: Courses in the Air.

What if a passenger could choose to take a mini-course on a 4 to 14 hour flight? It would be a MOOC in the Sky with video, reading and interactive elements, and someday might even include a real time video chat function as well. The learner could strive to earn a “badge” or roll several badges up into a certificate or degree program that they pursued over several years of flights. It would be an intriguing element to add to international travel.

3. Learning LABS in 2015: We are pleased to announce 3 Learning LABS for Learning Professionals that will be hosted at The MASIE Center in Saratoga Springs in 2015:

- Learning Innovations Retreat & LAB: January 7 - 9, 2015.
- On The Job Learning & Performance Support LAB: January 20 - 22, 2015.
- Video & Learning LAB: February 10 - 12, 2015.

We have had many registrations for these programs already and space is quite limited. They are hands-on and roll-up-your-sleeve LABS. Check out the content and online registration at http://www.masie.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Chair, The Learning CONSORTIUM

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning Innovations Retreat at Elliot Masie’s LAB - Jan 7 - 9, Saratoga Springs.
- On The Job Learning & Performance Support = Agile Learning - Jan 20 - 22, Saratoga Springs.
- Video & Learning LAB - Feb 10 - 12, Saratoga Springs.
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1 – 4, Orlando, Florida.
Upcoming:
- Gamification and Learning LAB.
- MOOCs and Corporate Learning LAB.
- Learning Strategy & Learning Leadership.
- Leadership Development Evolves.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie