911 - Stacking vs. Replacing LMS; Learner as Content Producer

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 31, 2016.
#911 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,230 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Directions Briefings: NYC, Seattle, Chicago & LA in June.

1. Learner as Content Producer?
2. Stacking vs. Replacing the LMS/LCMS!
3. Learning Directions Briefings in June.

1. Learner as Content Producer? More of the learning consumed by learners has been created, compiled or produced by sources other than internal Learning & Development groups. We have been surveying a significant shift in the origin of content used by employees of our organizations.  Increasingly, we are seeing these as the source of content:

- Search Found Content.
- Public Content Collections - TED Talks, YouTube, Others.
- Peer Created Content or Collaborations.
- Curated Content by Learners.
- 3rd Party Content from External Providers.

The “meta” trend is that the organization is building less and less of the content in a formal designer mode. In fact, the Learner is often becoming a “Learning Producer” through their own assembly and selection of content from a wider and wider set of resources. It will be interesting to track how learners expand and hone their skills of being their own “Producers” and how learning functions leverage this to help curate a more effective and efficient set of learning choices for the rest of the enterprise.

2. Stacking vs. Replacing the LMS/LCMS! While many organizations have grown beyond the current capacities of their Learning Management Systems and LCMS, there are significantly fewer corporations choosing to make the major capital and implementation investment of replacing their entire enterprise learning technology.  Rather, we are seeing more “Stacking”, which means accepting the role of the existing LMS as the base system for the organization and then adding Stacks or Layers on top that will create added and more targeted functionality.  Some of the Learning Stacks include:

- Competency or Talent Management Layers.
- Assessment or Feedback Layers.
- Compliance or Regulatory Layers.
- Career Development Layers.
- Collaboration and Social Networking Layers.
- Gamification or Engagement Layers.
- Globalization Layers.

In other words, some organizations are shifting from replacing their LMS to adding these technologies on top of the LMS. Some may be limited to a specific line of business or segment of learners.  Others are layered in almost as extensions of the LMS, using the core code for transaction tracking and shared data exchange - but the functionality is found in the layer.  One might call it a “LMS Inside” approach.

We will be exploring the Stacking model for Learning Management Systems at our upcoming Learning Systems event in Chicago on April 27 and 28.  Over 150 learning leaders are already registered.  Details at http://www.masie.com

3. Learning Directions Briefings in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles & Seattle: Each year, I have the honor of leading 1 day Learning Directions briefings in cities across the United States.  Here is the list of our upcoming Learning Directions Programs:

- New York City - June 1st.
- Los Angeles, CA - June 7th.
- Seattle, WA - June 9th.
- Chicago, IL - June 15th.

Learning Directions Briefings have a limited enrollment to keep the discussions interactive and engaging.  Details and online registration at: http://www.masie.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - May 17-19 (2 spaces left) or July 12-14, Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More! - April 27 and 28, Chicago, IL.
- Learning Directions Briefings: June in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Chicago.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

910 - Sleep and Learning, Compliance Concerns, Learning Directions

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 21, 2016.
#910 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,232 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More! April in Chicago.

1. Sleep, Grades, Social Life - Pick Two!
2. Compliance & Learning Concerns, Please!
3. Learning Directions Briefings: Chicago, New York, Los Angeles & Seattle.

1. Sleep, Grades, Social Life - Pick Two! There is a direct relationship between sleep patterns and learning. And, it shows up with clarity on college campuses.  We are impressed that Huffington Post is launching a “Sleep Revolution College Tour”, coming this spring to 50 campuses across the United States, drawing on the latest science to raise awareness and spark a national conversation about the importance of sleep and the dangers of sleep deprivation.

To help students embrace sleep as a performance enhancer rather than something that gets in the way of achievement and success, they are working with brands, including Sleep Number, JetBlue, Marriott, Jawbone, Cocomat, Spotify, Lands’ End, Fresh, Sleep Shepherd, Headspace, and others to host “sleep fairs” on campuses to give students tangible tools and data to learn better sleep habits and make small but transformational changes in their lives.

Sleep deficiency can also impact the learning capabilities of adults in the workplace. It is more difficult for employees to learn new content when their sleep balances are off. Family responsibilities, second jobs, sleep apnea and other pressures can leave our employees with attention distractions. 

Check out the “Sleep Revolution College Tour” website for some intriguing ideas: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/the-sleep-revolution-college-tour_b_9515194.html

2. Compliance & Learning Concerns, Please! This coming week, our Learning CONSORTIUM will gather 50 learning leaders in Washington, DC to dialogue and discuss the growth of “Compliance and Regulatory” related learning programs.  In some industries, there are reports of 40% to 75% of learning programs that are defined by Compliance, Regulatory or Accreditation requirements.  We will be exploring ways of adding more efficiency to the learning and assessment dimensions of the compliance reality in our organizations.

I would love to get a list of “Compliance & Learning Concerns” that TRENDS readers might share with us.  If you could make an impact on how the learning and assessment side of Compliance and Regulatory effort could evolve, send me a note to emasie@masie.com  

We will share an executive summary of our discussions in several weeks.

3. Learning Directions Briefings in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles & Seattle: Each year, I have the honor of leading 1 day Learning Directions briefings in cities across the United States.  Here is the list of our upcoming Learning Directions Programs:

- New York City - June 1st.
- Los Angeles, CA - June 7th.
- Seattle, WA - June 9th.
- Chicago, IL - June 15th.

Learning Directions Briefings have a limited enrollment to keep the discussions interactive and engaging.  Details and online registration at: http://www.masie.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - May 17-19 or July 12-14, Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More! - April 27 and 28, Chicago, IL.
- Learning Directions Briefings: June in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Chicago.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

909 - Khan Academy and Learning Systems, Miss Matzoball Wins Stakes

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 16, 2016.
#909 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,225 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More! April in Chicago.

1. Learning Innovations - The Killers?
2. Khan Academy Leader at Learning Systems Forum.
3. Miss Matzoball WINS Stakes Race!

1. Learning Innovations - The Killers? We just finished hosting 43 learning leaders from around the world at our Learning Innovations LAB in Saratoga Springs.

One of the intriguing conversations centered around “Who are the Killers of a Learning Innovation?”  In other words, which types of opposition will rise up to squash and “kill” a learning innovation that has promise? The diverse group of participants shared this list of potential Innovation Killers:

- Ritual Lovers: People who are in love the rituals and traditions of corporate learning delivery.
- IT Conservatives: Technical folks that see learning innovations as pushing the role of IT beyond the transaction mode.  For example, they see video as an unpredictable demand on bandwidth.
- Risk Managers: Innovation will increase the risk of some projects failing. Risk managers (or risk sensitive colleagues) may not be able to tolerate risk of failure.
- Instructional Design Professionals: Many learning innovations will push beyond the scope of traditional instructional design, which does not normally include search or workflow learning technology.
- You - The Innovator: Strangely, our own enthusiasm for a learning innovation may overstate the benefits and weaken the reality of the new project’s reality brand.

I loved leading the Innovations LAB.  We are scheduling two more sections of our Learning Innovations LAB: May 17-19 or July 12-14 in Saratoga Springs, NY.  Space is limited and details are available at http://www.masie.com

2. Khan Academy Leader at Learning Systems Forum: Sal Khan has created quite a force in learning through the work of his non-profit Khan Academy. We hosted Sal as a keynoter at Learning 2015 and had a chance to meet his President and COO, Shantanu Sinha. We had great dialogues about applying the Khan Academy learning model and technology to the world of workplace learning.  They have an adaptive learning platform where students have answered over 4 billion exercise problems.

I am honored to say that Shantanu, in an evolving role with Khan Academy, will be one of my speakers at our upcoming Learning Systems Forum in Chicago an April 27 and 28. I will interview Shantanu about the approach that Khan Academy has taken with both Learning Systems and Machine Learning to track and adapt to learner progress. And, we will explore the future links to workplace learning. We now have 110 participants signed up for Learning Systems. Information is available at http://www.masie.com

3. Miss Matzoball WINS Stakes Race! We are so excited that our horse Miss Matzoball won her first Stakes Race at Gulfstream in Florida on Saturday. This is the top level of racing and Miss Matzoball (horse number 5 with a jockey wearing pink silks) won an amazing victory. It is about one minute long and fun to watch. Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3va5zhRmIOw

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - May 17-19 or July 12-14, Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More! - April 27 and 28, Chicago, IL.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

908 - eLearning as Change; Dyslexia Emulation; Masie Team Expands

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 7, 2016.
#908 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,219 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More! April in Chicago.

1. eLearning as Social Change Force.
2. Dyslexia Website Emulation.
3. MASIE Center Seeks New Team Members.
4. Learning Systems Questions!

1. eLearning as Social Change Force: I recently spent one week in Manila, Philippines as a keynoter for a global learning conference.  It was a fascinating and mind-expanding experience to explore what the role of digital learning can be in a developing country with a large poor and rural population.

At the conference, I was interviewed by TV personalities and journalists, focusing on the potential and power for leveraging eLearning as a tool for economic development. Fellow keynoters, including a nun who is a president of a University, pointed to the role that eLearning could play to provide skills, career potential and expanded opportunity in rural areas.  Building more schools or even accessing more teachers would require significant funding and political shifts. But, making learning resources (ala Khan Academy or eLearning for Kids) available immediately expands the learning window - without large expenditures.

Many families in the Philippines have one or more relatives working overseas to gain wages.  Skype and digital video is allowing the “ex-pat” relatives to be part of the coaching and mentoring of children back home.

In the U.S., we rarely talk about eLearning from this perspective, but when we look at knowledge and skill development in developing areas, the role of digital learning resources, along with apprenticeships and alignment of learning to jobs that can be done without traveling away from home, is a potent and powerful opportunity.  The MASIE Center will be expanding our conversations with global innovators in eLearning to support these efforts.

2. Dyslexia Website Emulation: Have you ever wondered how a colleague with Dyslexia experiences the challenge of reading? Victor Widell, a developer, has created a site that emulates Dyslexia processing of reading. Remember, a percentage of your workforce has some degree of Dyslexia.  Check out this emulation at: http://tinyurl.com/dyslexia99

3. MASIE Center Seeks New Team Members: We are seeking one or two more members of the MASIE Center/MASIE Productions Team and are looking for people who would be excited to work on a range of projects focused on learning, innovation, dynamic meetings and more. Ideally, one person would be based here in Saratoga Springs, NY but we are also open to considering colleagues who would work remotely. This role would be ideal for someone in the early stages of their learning career, but it could also be adapted for a recent retiree who wants to stay involved in learning innovation. Skills include relationship building with learning colleagues in our CONSORTIUM, helping with meeting planning, learning technology experiments and working with Elliott on a wide range of new ideas and projects. If this intrigues you, please send a confidential note to jobs@masie.com with some of your background and why you would be intrigued to be a part of Team MASIE. 

4. Learning Systems Questions! As we design our upcoming event, Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More, to be held in Chicago on April 27 and 28, I am pondering a long list of questions that learning leaders have been raising about the state of Learning Systems in 2016.  Here are a few of the questions, challenges and innovations:

- “Our LMS is starting to be out of date, but there is no funding for a major replacement.  What are other companies doing to enhance, extend, refine or work around tired Learning Systems?”
- “Personalizing Learning is a major strategic objective for 2016/2017. How are organizations leveraging LMS and LCMS to support personalization?”
- “Video is growing radically as our primary delivery format, but our LCMS and even LMS are lagging behind in capability.  How do we play catch up?”
- “The Talent System used by HR is now pitching a Competency Based LMS model. Is that integration a trend?”
- “What skills do our Learning Systems administrators need to support Big Learning Data?”

These are just a few of the questions we will address at Learning Systems in Chicago in April. Details and registration at: http://www.masie.com

** Special Note - MASIE Horse Miss Matzoball had a victory race in Florida a few weeks ago.  Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eTkKWBiu30
And, Miss Matzoball is scheduled to run in a Stakes Race at Gulfstream on Saturday, March 12th.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - May 17-19, Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More! - April 27 and 28, Chicago, IL.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com 

907 - Question of the Week Model, Philippines Visit, Great Microphones

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 13, 2016.
#907 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,211 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Assessment, Evaluation & Research LAB - April in Saratoga Springs.

1. Question of the Week: Employee as Learner!
2. Elliott Masie to Philippines This Week.
3. Microphone Adds Audio Fidelity.

1. Question of the Week: Employee as Learner! What if an employee created a Question of the Week?  I can imagine working in an organization where each colleague crafted and publicized a personal Question of the Week.  Here might be a few examples of Questions of the Week:

- What are faster ways to get our procurement requests approved at HQ?
- How are the sales of our new product line going, compared to our competition?
- Can I modify my customer profile searches to get more focused results?
- What are the next steps in qualifying for advanced certification?
- Anyone have suggestions that would help me raise my performance review ratings for delegation effectiveness?

One of the best forces to spike the learning culture in a workplace is to create, float and honor questions from colleagues.  Questions of the Week might create a culture shift that would honor the curiosity of each colleague and empower conversations around individual and common queries.

I used this technique in a Leadership Development program that I hosted a few years ago.  We actually created a Question of the Day model and each participant wore a new nametag with their daily curiosity.  About 30% of the conversations during the breaks hovered around these questions.  Imagine how our Questions of the Week might become viral with corporate social networks.

Can you do me a favor and send a note with an example of your Question of the Week?  Send it confidentially to emasie@masie.com

2. Elliott Masie to Philippines This Week: On Monday morning, I will be flying from New York to Manila, Philippines for a 9 day visit with learning, corporate and theater colleagues.

First, I will be giving a keynote at the Learning Summit in Manila to workplace and learning colleagues.  Details at: http://www.goalonlinelearning.org/learningsummit2016/

Next, I am excited to meet with fellow learning colleagues and readers of Learning TRENDS.  If you could meet for a drink and conversation in Manila on Friday, Feb 19th, please send me an email to emasie@masie.com 

While in Manila, I will be meeting with theater producers and organizers to explore the opportunity to bring our Broadway Show to Manila in 2017.

I am very excited to visit and collaborate with my colleagues in the Philippines.  It is one of the most active developers and innovators in the world of learning (and theater).  Stay tuned for a video report during my trip.

3. Microphone Adds Audio Fidelity:  As we use video chat, Skype and webinar formats to collaborate with our colleagues over distance, it is interesting to look at the fidelity of our audio. 

Way too often, the microphone we use is a small, internal and non-adjustable mini-device in our laptops or desktops. Sometimes the hole above the internal microphone is on the side or even back of the screen.

There are several USB microphones that we have been using at The MASIE Center LAB that cost approximately $99.  The Neat Widget Desktop USB Microphone is awesome and also very cool looking.  It reminds me of the microphone used on older TV or radio shows.  And, it has multiple audio inputs that can be adjusted to make your audio capture perfect, for a sole voice or a group conversation.

Check it out at: http://www.amazon.com/NEAT-Widget-Desktop-USB-Microphone/dp/B015NBV3JM 

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - May 17-19, Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Assessment, Evaluation & Evidence LAB - April 5 to 7, Saratoga Springs, NY
- Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More! - April 27 and 28, Chicago, IL.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

906 - Elections and Gamification; Assessment/Evaluation LAB

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 10, 2016.
#906 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,207 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More! - Chicago in April.

1. Elections & Gamification: Oh Myyy!
2. Assessment, Evaluation & Evidence LAB Announced.

1. Elections & Gamification: Oh Myyy! Watching the coverage of the United States Presidential election campaign has been a very strange experience. No matter what your political party or leanings, it is strange to watch how the media (and the candidates too) have invoked a Gamification approach to Election Coverage.

My working definition: Gamification is the concept of applying game mechanics and game design techniques to non-game situations (e.g. learning or shopping) to trigger higher levels of engagement.

I watched 4 hours of election coverage in the past day, as the results of the New Hampshire Primary were covered. It was stunning to observe how much gamification was invoked:

- Leader Boards: The television stations used the same graphic packages from sports coverage to show macro and micro level Leader Boards.  Position on the leader board was significant, even if there were only 500 votes between two candidates in the middle of the pack.
- Threshold and Levels: Reporters created these thresholds or levels that candidates were asked to predict against. For instance, will you be at the top of “Former Governor Lane”?
- Positions in Game vs. Positions in Policy: There was an amazing lack of deep conversation about the policy implications of each candidate’s approaches. Rather, the positions were seen as short term strategy to gain higher position on the Leader Boards.
- Voters in the Game, Too: Interviews with voters also took on the gamification approach.

And, perhaps most interesting was the sense of a multi-week game or reality show, where we the viewers were expecting that contestants would be thrown off the show.  The interest in the “election show” is sustained with continuing big waves of ups and downs, much as one might see on an episode of Survivor or Dancing with the Stars.

This is not a political rant on my part.  And, it is not triggered by or aligned with Donald Trump’s presence.  In fact, it is applied to both parties and to seemingly the entire spectrum of coverage.  For some reason, the US viewing public has “asked for” or is responding to Gamification of election coverage.

Like Gamification it can drive engagement, add energy and provide a more personalized sense of competition and challenge. And, like Gamification, it is a set of gaming elements applied to a non-game.  And, I have noticed that many of my conversations with friends and colleagues about the election have been tipped towards the Gamification side rather than exploration of difficult challenges that will require competent and agile leadership.  Would we select the CEO of our Fortune 500 company in this fashion?  Or, is the engagement level of the Gamification dimension adding to citizen involvement and participation?

So, does it help or hinder the process of democracy or leadership selection?  I would love to hear from TRENDS readers on your views. Send me a note to emasie@masie.com

2. Assessment, Evaluation & Evidence LAB Announced: I am honored to announce a new program, focused on the tricky topics of assessing and evaluating learning:

Assessment, Evaluation & Evidence LAB!
Led by: Doug Lynch and Elliott Masie.
April 5 to 7, 2016 in Saratoga Springs, NY USA.
http://www.masie.com    .

Our Assessment, Evaluation & Evidence LAB will examine these key changing factors:

- Tools are evolving and hint at better ways of capturing and analyzing data. Shifts in LMS, LCMS, Assessment and Talent Systems will impact or facilitate your efforts.
- Pedagogies & Learning Approaches give us new ways of helping learners improve their understanding and performance.  As learners drive more of their own learning choices, our assessment approaches are affected.
- External Factors are forcing us to teach different people new and different things. For example, what is the role that TED Talks have in leadership development – even though they are not prescribed by the organization?

Space is limited and complete information is online at http://www.masie.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - May 17-19, Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Assessment, Evaluation & Evidence LAB - April 5-7, Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More! - April 27 & 28, Chicago, IL.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23-26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

905 - Barracuda Bowl for Learning - Our Own Shark Tank

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 1, 2016.
#905 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,199 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More! - Chicago in April.

1. Barracuda Bowl for Learning: Shark Tank for New Systems.
2. Grease LIVE - Idea Jump to Internal Virtual Event?
3. Announcing: 3rd Learning Innovations LAB in May.
4. Follow Elliott Masie on Twitter: @emasie

1. Barracuda Bowl for Learning - Shark Tank for New Systems: What if we had a “Shark Tank” show for new Learning Systems Ideas? What if the developers, inventors or venture startups had to present their ideas quickly to a group of learning professionals - and got clear and unfiltered Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?

While we don’t have Mark Cuban as a panelist, I am assembling the Learning Barracuda Bowl at our Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More event in April. 

We will invite a small group of developers and startups focused on the world of Learning Systems to present their ideas - and the hundreds of participants will be our Barracuda Bowl panelists. It is a compressed way to get some deep feedback as designers target the corporate learning space. Come join us. Details at http://masie.com/Learning-Systems/our-design.html

2. Grease LIVE - Idea Jump to Internal Virtual Event? Last night, millions watched an interesting story/theater/TV show: “Grease Live”. It was an elaborate production of a theater or movie version of Grease that is world famous. It was interesting to watch how they did this show live - on a huge set - so that the audience felt it was part of the happening now reality of the show.

It got me thinking about a challenge that many organizations have to meet: engaging the widest audience of employees, who are often scattered around the world, in a corporate event. Streaming a one-day or two-day-long conference generally does not work. People don’t/can’t engage for that duration with full attention. Yet, just streaming segments from an event may be helpful, but folks often skip those because they are not live.

What if major organizations took a lesson from Grease Live and other theater being delivered live on TV  and created a short and targeted events, delivered live to the entire workforce?

Imagine a well-designed 75 minute “show” that included leaders, field employees and even some entertainment. It could be done once a year to engage the workforce. The “live” quality will create buzz and build a much bigger audience. Be brave if you are a retailer and consider closing your stores for 90 minutes to engage every employee. And, of course it can always be offered via on-demand streaming afterward.

Something to consider. If there is a TRENDS organization that wants to try this, I will volunteer my time as a co-producer to help with the experiment. Write me at emasie@masie.com

3. Announcing: 3rd Learning Innovations LAB in May: Our Learning Innovations LAB (with a Learn-A-Thon) is one of our most popular courses. The LAB in March is almost filled, so we have just added the 3rd Learning Innovations LAB this year: May 17-19th in Saratoga Springs, NY, USA. Come join us if you want to do a deep immersion for 3 days in the changing world of learning technology and innovations.  Details and online registration at http://www.masie.com

4. Follow Elliott Masie on Twitter - @emasie: As many of our colleagues increase their use of Twitter as one of their social feeds, you can always follow me at @emasie. Random notes and resources posted occasionally.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - March 14-16 or May 17-19, Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More! - April 27 and 28, Chicago, IL.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

904 - Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social and More; Hot Water and Bandwidth Costs

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - January 26, 2016.
#904 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,195 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More! - Chicago in April.

1. Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More! - Chicago in April.
2. Hot Water Free - Bandwidth Costs?

1. Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More! - Chicago in April:  2016 is a perfect time for an industry conversation about our Learning Systems. Learning organizations are deploying, shifting, extending, refining, switching and re-thinking their Learning Management System, LCMS, and Collaborative & Social Systems - and looking ahead.  We are honored to announce a new event:

Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More!
April 27 and 28, 2016 - Chicago, IL, USA.
Elliott Masie, Host & Curator.
http://www.masie.com/learningsystems    .
 
Here are some of the key focus points:

* Learning Systems are evolving and new capabilities are emerging from other educational sectors: Khan Academy, K-12, Higher Education, Social Networks and non-traditional providers. 
* Learning Systems are extending to the worlds of Talent, Machine Learning, Badging, Big Data, Learning Personalization and beyond. 
* Learning Systems are morphing and requiring deeper readiness for Mobile Learners, Learning Personalization and Compliance/Regulatory Requirements.
* Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More will bring together a collaborative group of senior learning leaders, learning systems designers, learning innovators and global colleagues in Chicago on April 27 and 28.  Our Forum will take a sharp look at current and future roles for today’s and tomorrow’s Learning Systems.

Here are some of the key questions and topics that we will explore at Learning Systems: LMS, LCMS, Social & More:

- Current Deployment and Shifts in Learning Management Systems.
- Can Learning Systems Support Learning Personalization?
- The Evolving Role of “Search” & Learning Systems.
- So Many Learning Systems in One Company? Why? And the Future!
- The Role of Big Learning Data, xAPI & Learning Systems.
- Talent and Learning Systems: Acquisitions and Integrations?
- Learning Systems and User Created Content: Trackable?
- Learning Apps and Learning Systems: From Portals to My App!
- Assessment, Evaluation and Learning Systems: An Evidence Model.
- Social Side of Learning Systems: Webinars, Collaboration & More.
- 3 CLOs’ Views of Learning Systems: Embracing, Extending or Frustration.
- User Experience & Learning Systems.
- Learning Systems, Badging, Credentials & Career Focus.
- Costs, Budgeting & Futures of Learning Systems.
- Real Time Benchmarking of Learning Systems Yield & Challenges…

For details and online registration: http://www.masie.com/learningsystems   .

2. Hot Water Free - Bandwidth Costs? Many TRENDS readers book hotel space for learning meetings, classes and events.  One of the strange things (and costs) is the rising price of bandwidth for your participants.

When you book your room, costs for food, coffee, AV and other elements are predictable. But, there is a rising cost for bandwidth access for your participants. Meeting planners have to answer questions about projected bandwidth needs such as:

- How many people will be at the meeting?
- How many of them will have mobile devices? (starting to be 90% to 99%)
- How many wireless devices will each have? (could be from 1 to 4 - including laptops, tablets or phones).
- How many parts of the hotel meeting space will the participants be in that require wireless access? (from 1 to many)

Then, the hotel will have to turn to the wireless supplier and the costs start to rise.  There is a calculation of the total bandwidth that your group might use.  And, the total number of devices that will be on - requiring a large number of modem points.  And, perhaps this is replicated in multiple places at the meeting space.

It is not unusual to get a proposal for wireless costs that could be in the thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars!

It is a tough moment.  The hotels want to provide the meeting spaces and wireless capacity that is needed.  Most hotels are not “pre-wired” for high levels of access.  So, there is often the need to crank up the hardware and add additional streams of bandwidth.  Strangely, many hotels don’t make much money on it since it is handled by the wireless provider under contract. 

As a meeting producer, each year I have conversations with hotels about the strangeness of paying for wireless access for my participants.  I often say, with a smile, that I don’t have to pay extra for hot water in the bathrooms based on the number of people who are washing their hands during a break.  But, our wireless capacity is lagging behind the wireless demand for participants.  Be direct! Negotiate! And understand that we are in a bandwidth gap for the next few years.  But, don’t break the bank and keep thinking about those motels a few decades ago that had signs outside that said:  Free TV - Free Air Conditioning - Free Hot Water.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - March 14 to 16 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

903 - eLearning Course Abandonment, Learning Innovations LAB in March

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - January 15, 2016.
#903 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,184 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Innovations LAB - March in Saratoga Springs, NY.

1. Abandonment in eLearning Courses?
2. Learning Innovations LAB - New in March 2016!
3. Invite to Allegiance in NYC on Saturday, January 23rd!

1. Abandonment in eLearning Courses? We are tracking a sharp rise in the abandonment rate in eLearning courses with multiple sections. Learners take the first session but don’t return for the next section. This can be seen acutely in the MOOC category where there is often an 85% abandonment of registered learners after the first few segments.

Let’s look at this with a curious eye. Why are learners successfully taking the first modules but not completing the entire thing?

- Interest Fulfilled! The learner “gets it” from the first module and does not really want to drill down to the finish. They are “learning skimming” the way one might with a newspaper article.
- Return If Needed! The learner feels they can always return at the moment of need later on - if they need it. The first module got them started and they can navigate back if needed.
- Forgot to Return! Our learners are busy. They want to return but things happen. And, many organizational Learning Systems don’t cutely remind the learner to return.
- Slippery Slope! Many learners want to return but will feel embarrassed to return to a scheduled session if they missed one segment. It’s a slippery slope.
- Sequence Locked! Some learners want to jump ahead to take a future segment, but the course may be locked to only allow sequential pathing.
- Non-Motivational Transition! While we initially pitched the course to the learner, many designers just assign the next segment. Keep pitching.

Learning Producers need to watch and learn from Television Producers about changing models of participation. Online video is getting shorter and we are allowing the viewers to either marathon or stretch out the viewing pattern, while still passing the needed Assessments. Learning Abandonment is a factor to include in our User Experience Design. We need to listen to the learning behaviors of our learners.

2. Learning Innovations LAB - New in March 2016! I just finished leading a powerful 2 1/2 day event in Saratoga called Learning Innovations LAB. Twenty-six learning colleagues from organizations around the world came together to experiment with and innovate possible new learning approaches in a Learn-A-Thon model. It rocked!

So, we are announcing the next session:

Learning Innovations LAB (and Learn-A-Thon).
March 14 to 16, 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY USA.
Details and Registration: http://www.masie.com

Space is limited, so please register early.

3. An Invitation to Allegiance in New York City with MASIE Productions: We are excited to be Producers of Allegiance - an exciting, entertaining and moving musical on Broadway. We have scheduled a special gathering of our Learning friends and colleagues to join us in New York City at 2 PM on Saturday afternoon, January 23, 2016. Allegiance stars George Takei, Lea Salonga and Telly Leung. http://www.allegiancemusical.com

I have blocked a set of discounted great seats ($75) and we will watch Allegiance together. Then there will be a special “Talk Back” with our group and some of our stars. I will join the Talk-Back to both moderate and also explore the relationship between theater and learning. And, we will have some eating and exploring options afterwards. There are just a few seats left. If you would like to attend, please send a note to productions@masie.com as soon as possible. Can’t wait to see our learning colleagues at the theater next week!

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - March 14 to 16 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Gamification, Engagement & Learning - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

902 - What Data Does the Learner Desire?

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - January 4, 2015.
#902 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,179 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Innovations LAB - January in Saratoga Springs, NY.

1. What Data Does the Learner Desire?
2. Learning LABS in January.

1. What Data Does the Learner Desire? A few days ago, I received an email from Amazon Prime Music with Elliott Data. They sent me a fascinating snapshot of the music that I listened to from Amazon Prime over the past year - including artists, songs and albums. I was surprised by some of the data and I actually was moved to expand my music selection into several genres that were quite low on my “scorecard”. In other words, my Elliott Music Data gave me a useful feedback perspective to help Elliott shape my music selections.

So, what would a Learning Data Snapshot look like? Imagine a process that would give each learner a snapshot of the data surrounding their learning activities. Personally, I would love to see how I spent my learning time by media mix: % of learning time using video, text, structured eLearning, social collaboration, classroom, etc. I would love to see data on my patterns of completion or non-completion of learning resources. And, the list starts to grow.

In the past 2 years, we have seen the growth of Big Learning Data. I wrote a book with ATD on the topic and we have seen organizations increasingly gather Bigger Data Sets on learning. However, we have not seen the growth, yet, of Learning Snapshots that provide feedback, trending and analysis for a learner of his or her own learning approaches/behaviors - and even comparison with peers.

Big Data works best when there is a mutual sense of value. I love getting an annual summary from American Express of corporate spending, including trends, that provide feedback on expenditures.

So, what would YOUR Learning Snapshot look like? What are a few of the data sets that you would love to see on a future Learner Data Snapshot?

Could you take a minute and send me a sentence or two with your ideas to emasie@masie.com? I will be working on this topic over the next few months and will gladly share a summary of responses with the Learning TRENDS community.

2. Learning LABS in January: This month, I am honored to be hosting two highly interactive Learning LABs at The MASIE Center in Saratoga Springs.  There are just a few spaces still open in the LABs:

- Learning Innovations LAB (Including a Learn-A-Thon) - January 12 to 14.
- Gamification, Engagement & Learning LAB - January 26 to 28.

Details and registration information are available at http://www.masie.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Gamification, Engagement & Learning - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

901 - Rocket Lands and My Tesla, Theater Invite

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - December 23, 2015.
#901 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,175 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Innovations LAB - January in Saratoga Springs, NY.

1. Rocket Lands on the X and My Tesla: Innovations in Action!
2. Holiday Learning Exploration!
3. An Invitation to Allegiance in New York City with MASIE Productions.

1. Rocket Lands on the X and My Tesla: Innovations in Action!  This was a really exciting week for me - based on a rocket that landed back on earth perfectly!

Exactly, one year ago, my new Tesla arrived.  Not only was I driving an all-electric car, but over the year the car upgraded itself with loads of new features.  One of the features included Auto-Steering and Automatic Self-Parking.  Quite fun to see the car use its 20+ sensors and cameras to steer or park without the need for hands on the wheel.

This week, Space-X, another Elon Musk company, made history by launching a rocket into space to deliver satellites into orbit - and then return the launch booster rocket to a perfect vertical landing on an X marked on a pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida.  Normally, these expensive boosters end at the bottom of an ocean, adding huge costs to each launch.

There is a key relationship between my driving experience in the upgrading Tesla and the rocket landing perfectly from space: both are the result of deeply integrated and expansive creativity applied to new technology in two diverse fields - space travel and car driving.  Yet, it is the integrated knowledge that Musk’s companies and engineers have harvested that is so exciting.

I love owning a car that is an ongoing science experiment. Sure, with the price of gas down to $2, it is not a pure economic return. But, the regular innovation and pushing of envelopes - both engineering and behavioral - are so exciting.  If you want to share my excitement check out the SpaceX video/photos at http://www.spacex.com/webcast/  And, here is the Tesla Auto-Steer Video: http://techcrunch.com/2015/10/14/watch-this-self-steering-tesla-model-s-drive-itself-and-us-down-the-highway/#.f89dpmu:kb7I

2. Holiday Learning Exploration! Over the holiday vacation, I usually spend some time exploring new learning trends and technologies. Here are a few items that we are exploring:

- IOT and Learning:  What are the implications for “Internet of Things” and learning and performance?
- Aggregated Assessment: Imagine a daily question that rolls up to a certification or performance indicator.
- Multi-Site Webinar Production: How do we weave together content experts from multiple locations into a high energy “experience”?
- Learning Apps: Rapidly creating apps that are laser focused on a learner’s needs and requirements.
- Dynamic Badges: Take the “scout badge” model and make it life-long and dynamically pushed.
- Learning Curation: What’s the role for a curator and/or a curation algorithm in learning organizations?
- Creative Compliance: Moving from massive assessment to targeted compliance sampling for increased results.
- The Empowered Learner: What happens when the learner truly gets power - even for design and delivery choices?

These are some of the innovations that we will be exploring and writing about.  And, if you would like to dive into many of them, be part of our Learning Innovations LAB in Saratoga Springs from January 12 to 14. We have 8 seats still available.  Details and last minute registration at: http://www.masie.com

3. An Invitation to Allegiance in New York City with MASIE Productions: We are excited to be Producers of Allegiance - an exciting, entertaining and moving musical on Broadway. We have scheduled a special gathering of our Learning friends and colleagues to join us in New York City at 2 PM on Saturday afternoon, January 23, 2016. Allegiance stars George Takei, Lea Salonga and Telly Leung. http://wwww.allegiancemusical.com .

I have blocked a set of discounted great seats and we will watch Allegiance together - and then there will be a special “Talk Back” with our group and some of our stars.  I will join the Talk-Back to both moderate and also explore the relationship between theater and learning. And, we will have some eating and exploring options afterwards.  If you want more information, please send me an email to emasie@masie.com and I will send you details.  It will be an AWESOME afternoon.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Gamification, Engagement & Learning - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

900 - Video Clips and Curated Content Now Online

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - December 17, 2015.
#900 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,154 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Innovations LAB - January in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Special: Video Clips & Curated Content Now Online from Learning 2015

This is one of my favorite Learning TRENDS of the year.  After a wonderful and dynamic Learning 2015 in Orlando in November, we are now honored to place dozens of video clips and over a hundred resource files in Open Source for free access online.

Most of our keynote sessions have been curated into discreet clips and are now posted. There are several speakers for whom we do not have license to place them online. And, we will add more content in the weeks ahead. We are delighted to use colorful Graphic Illustrations as the canvas backdrop for the keynote video clip selections:

Go to: http://www.learning2015.com/curated

In addition, there is content from most of the seminar sessions as well as other curated elements at the above sight. Enjoy, refer and leverage this content. Thanks for your support.

Registration for Learning 2016:

We have already received quite a few Very Early Registrations for Learning 2016, which will be held from October 23 to 26 in Orlando, Florida. To take advantage of the Very Early Registration Discounts or to start organizing a learning retreat at Learning 2016, go to:

Learning 2016 Info and Registration:
http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/learning-2016-early-info.htm

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Gamification, Engagement & Learning - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

899 - Memorization Specifics; Streamed Theater: "Daddy Long Legs"

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - December 9, 2015.
#899 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,145 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Innovations LAB - January in Saratoga Springs, NY.

1. Do I Memorize It? Or, Have Navigational Readiness?
2. First Free Broadway/Off-Broadway Streamed Theater!
3. Tech Recycle Tables at Work.

1. Do I Memorize It? Or, Have Navigational Readiness? When you structure a learning activity, from a class to an e-Learning program, what level of recall do you expect of your learner?

- Memorization? They can fully recall the new information without prompts?
- Assisted Memorization? Given a small prompt, they can recall it from memory?
- Overview Recall? The learner understands the overview (concept) but does not memorize details?
- Navigational Readiness? The learner does not “know it” but is ready to access or search for it?

We could add to this list as we look at the various flavors of memorization. Some of these will be personal choices by the learner herself while others will be decided by the Designer/Producer of the learning activity. It would be great if the learning field were more explicit about the differentiation - from a design, expectation and even acceptance point of view. 

2. First Free Broadway/Off-Broadway Streamed Theater! Here is a personal invitation to watch, free of charge, an awesome theater experience - streamed live on Thursday, December 10th. “Daddy Long Legs”, produced by my friend and colleague Ken Davenport, is a delightful musical now featured in New York City. Ken is experimenting with offering a free worldwide viewing of this powerful and funny play.  There are multiple time zones and I would love some of our Learning TRENDS colleagues to check it out.

Details and free signup at for Daddy Long Legs, Thursday - December 10th:
http://www.daddylonglegsmusical.com/livestream/

3. Tech Recycle Tables at Work: Our employees have more and more used but still workable technology at home. As we upgrade our tablets, phones and other digital devices, there are rarely good places to have them continued to be used, rather than sending them to the recycle dump. What about setting up a Tech Recycle Table at work, where folks donate smaller sized tech for use by fellow employees or to be passed along to schools, community centers or neighbors that would deeply value something like a laptop (even if it is 4 years old)?

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Gamification, Engagement & Learning - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

898 - I'm Taking Online Classes from Usher and Dustin Hoffman

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - December 4, 2015.
#898 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,136 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Innovations LAB - January in Saratoga Springs, NY.

1. I’m Taking 2 Online Classes from Usher and Dustin Hoffman.
2. Analysis of Our Search - An Intriguing Metric.
3. Gamification & Engagement - Cousins for Impact.

1. I’m Taking 2 Online Classes from Usher and Dustin Hoffman: When I woke up this morning, I took an Acting Performance Class from Dustin Hoffman.  And, this afternoon a Singing Performance Class from Usher. 

Now, while I am a Broadway Producer, I don’t aspire to sing or act on a theater stage.  But, I am intrigued by leveraging the celebrity and experience of “hero” level subject matter experts for an online class.

This is a venture called MasterClass and offers courses with a dozen asynchronous classes featuring the teacher, including activities and office hours.  These courses cost about $50.

While it is just the beginning of my experience, I decided to do some research - and have enrolled a few Broadway actors and non-actors in the sessions - that will expand to include Kevin Spacey, Serena Williams and others as the teachers.

Do “hero” teachers add to the learning cycle beyond enrollment interest? Intriguing! I will share more feedback as we experiment.  MasterClass is at http://www.masterclass.com

2. Analysis of Our Search - An Intriguing Metric: I wish for a personal and simple metric that I can look at every week or month, which is an analysis of all of my searches from both Mobile and Desktop devices. It would be a fascinating mind-map of my searches.  And, it gets really interesting if we could roll up the searches of a group of people - for instance, all new employees in a group. It would be cool to have that feedback loop.

3. Gamification & Engagement - Cousins for Impact: A few TRENDS readers have asked me why I combined the topics of Gamification and Engagement in our January LAB.  My experience with experiments and projects in the Gamification field led me to add Engagement into the mix. The sustainability of a gaming element - especially aimed at learning or performance - seems to rotate around the level of Engagement that the employee has and grows. We can build fun or cute games, but what we are looking for is deeper Engagement and mixing in some elements of social or collaborative Engagement.  As we blend Gamification and Engagement, including elements of collaboration that are not explicit game elements, we have a higher chance for Impact and Sustainability.

Gamification, Engagement and Learning LAB - January 26 to 28, 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.  Info and registration: http://www.masie.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Gamification, Engagement & Learning - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

897 - Learn-A-Thon Model, Short Video Mentoring, Coin App

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - December 1, 2015.
#897 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
57,122 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2016 - Oct 23 to 26, Orlando, Florida.

1. Learn-A-Thon Model.
2. Short Video Mentoring Explored.
3. COIN - 1 Card for Many Credit Cards.

1. Learn-A-Thon Model: As many TRENDS readers know, I am a fan of and experimenter with the Hackathon model: a creative way to pull together a group of people - many with computer coding skills - to create a working prototype of a new app or program, in a few days of working intensely. I helped create a Broadway Hackathon model last year with the NY Public Library at Lincoln Center that created very cool new apps in 2 days with the only expense being pizza for lunch.

But, as we applied this model to the world of learning, the challenge was that the hackathon was most appreciated and engaging for people who write code. So, we developed a new model called:

Learn-A-Thon.

The difference is that the Learn-A-Thon will imagine a new method, learning process or even a technology system/app, but it is brainstormed by subject matter peers regardless of their coding skill.  They will dream, stretch and even sketch out what a process or an app might look like, but not actually build the app in real time. 

The IT process of creating the actual code can be put down later - or even overnight remotely - but the emphasis is on the User Experience and the Learning Process.

We have experimented with the Learn-A-Thon model in several of our classes and are now rolling it out as a major function at The MASIE Center.

The first public implementation of the Learn-A-Thon will be at the upcoming Learning Innovations LAB to be held in Saratoga Springs from January 12th to 14th. We invite you and your colleagues to take a stimulating, start-of-the-year retreat and participate in this high energy program, which includes the Learn-A-Thon. Details and online registration at http://www.masie.com

2. Short Video Mentoring Explored: Sometimes all one needs as a learner is a few minutes of conversation or feedback from a peer. That is the core of On-The-Job learning. And, as we add video and more distributed workers, we need to stretch the process. We have been tracking increased use of short Video Mentoring sessions - sometimes using Skype or corporate video desktop systems - to connect a learner to a mentoring peer in another location. The fun part is that the duration can be very short. For example, someone who is learning a new sales process might have the option of dialoging for 3 to 5 minutes - a few times each day for a week - with an experienced sales person located in another part of the world. Their mentoring is not meant to be behavioral coaching; rather, it is focused on what the learner is about to do - or what they just did. In the sales example, pre-brief a sales call or do an autopsy after a failed sale. 

This process does not take much infrastructure and can be amazingly engaging for both the learner and the mentor! Try it!

3. COIN - 1 Card for Many Credit Cards: We have been experimenting with a new application called “Coin”. It is a high tech single card onto which I securely load the data from a range of my credit cards. It synchronizes with my mobile phone and is only authorized when I use a code on the card or turn it on by the nearby mobile phone. It allows me to go from many to 1 credit card - and to get ready for a smaller wallet. The synchronizing of data to a digital format is intriguing and may lead to other applications for corporate access and security. Here is the link: http://onlycoin.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2016
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Gamification, Engagement & Learning - January 2016 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2016 - October 23 to 26 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com