882 - Sitzprobe?, Learning Design Video, Badges for Interests

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - July 29, 2015.
#882 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,962 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - 789 Colleagues Now Registered!

1. Sitzprobe - Putting it Together.
2. Elliott Video on Learning Design.
3. Badges for Learning Interest, Too.

1. Sitzprobe - Putting it Together: The other day I went to Williamstown, MA for a Sitzprobe.

Ok, you are probably thinking that it is a medical exam.  But, it is a theatrical event that is key in the production of a new musical.

MASIE Productions is supporting the development of a new musical, Unknown Solider, which is being produced at the Williamstown Theater Festival.  The Sitzprobe is the day when the orchestra musicians and the singer/actors come together for the first time.  Each group has been rehearsing independently, but on the day of the Sitzprobe, they came together in a rehearsal hall and the fullness of the show started to come together.

As we do theatrical productions, I am continually reminded of the relationships between that world and the learning production world.  Instructional design and delivery has much preparation, diagnosis and material polishing, but we often skip the key moments in the production process - where it all fits together. 

As the Sitzprobe progressed, there were perhaps a hundred small or even medium changes to the music, pacing and dramatic delivery.  Imagine if we were to apply the same rigor as we add content, context, slides, learner activity, assessment and engagement to a class or eLearning module. 

A Wikipedia Definition: Sitzprobe is a German term used in opera and musical theatre to describe a seated rehearsal—the literal translation of Sitzprobe—where the singers sing with the orchestra, focusing attention on integrating the two groups. It is often the first rehearsal where the orchestra and singers rehearse together.

2. Elliott Video on Learning Design: Here is a 10 minute video about our Learning Design Process for Learning 2015. We get many questions from folks about how the content, context and engagement come together, so I thought it would be helpful to put together a video on our process: http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/item/learning-2015-design-video.html

3. Badges for Learning Interest, Too: Badges are often discussed as indicators of skills, accomplishments or experience. We can also include “Learning Interests” as a possible badge. Imagine if you were learning a new language or working on a certification, such as Project Management. It would be cool to have a badge that would tell your colleagues about your learning interests and goals. I would guess that many would have some helpful perspectives or even ask you if you wanted to practice Spanish over lunch. Let’s expand our Badging Models.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2015

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