685 - Questions for John Lithgow, Waiting 9 Seconds for Engagement

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - September 19, 2011.
#685 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,464 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2011 - Over 1,265 Colleagues Registered!

1. Questions for John Lithgow on Storytelling?
2. 9-Second Pause - - - Learner Engagement Soars!
3. Godspell Cast as Learners.

1. Questions for John Lithgow on Storytelling? On November 8th, I will be conducting an in-depth interview on the power of Storytelling with the actor John Lithgow during Learning 2011. He is a Tony®, Emmy® and Golden Globe® Award Winner, with dozens of films, plays, television shows, books and more under his belt, including Footloose, Dexter, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Shrek and The World According to Garp. Lithgow is a passionate believer in the Power of the Story and Storytelling.

So, help me construct my “Actor’s Workshop” interview with John Lithgow. Send me one or more questions or lines of conversation that I can pursue with him. Even if you can’t attend this event, we will post an in-depth summary of his remarks. Send me a note to emasie@masie.com  Thanks!

2. 9-Second Pause - - - Learner Engagement Soars! The other day, I was asked by a journalist for the one tip that I would give to people who want to improve learning and training. They probably thought that I would give a very “Learning 4.0” type answer. Instead, I focused on the number of seconds between the time an instructor asks a question and the next sound that they make! Unfortunately, most teachers ask, “Any questions?” and, in less than 3 seconds, start to speak again, often saying, “OK, let’s go on!” It takes a learner many seconds to recognize that you have stopped teaching and asked for a question, review what you said, evaluate what they would like to ask, formulate the question, raise their hand and then ask it! Not possible in 3 seconds!!!! So, extend your wait time to at least 9 seconds and the levels of learning engagement will soar!

3. Godspell Cast as Learners: As many Learning TRENDS readers know, we are investors in the revival of Godspell that is coming to Broadway in just a few weeks. This weekend, we had the opportunity to meet the cast – incredible, young, talented and passionate singers and actors. It is fascinating to see the learning curve that they are on now as they rehearse and shape their roles and this new version of a classical play. Watching them formulate Godspell is fascinating and I realized that they are many of tomorrow’s musical and acting stars. Check out the website at http://www.godspell.com

Special Note: We have updated the list of over 220 sessions to be offered at Learning 2011 - check it out at http://www.learning2011.com/sessions

Yours in Learning,

Elliott Masie.
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

684 - 201 Learning Sessions List Published

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - September 14, 2011.
#684 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,459 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2011 - Over 1,193 Colleagues Registered!

201 Learning Sessions List Published

We have just published the list of 201+ Sessions to be presented at Learning 2011 (Nov 6 to 9 - Orlando, Florida):

http://www.learning2011.com/sessions        

Yours in Learning,

Elliott Masie.
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

683 - 9/11 Learning Perspectives: Peters, Covey, Blanchard, Cain from 2001

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - September 9, 2011.
#683 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,453 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2011 - Over 1,107 Colleagues Registered!

Special Note: 9/11 Learning Perspectives from 2001 - Covey, Blanchard, Peters & More.

In the days right after 9/11, I reached out to several key business authors and thought leaders to ask them for perspectives on what a manager might do (or not do) with their teams in that emotional and uncertain time.

We posted 2 - 4 minute audio podcasts from Steven Covey, Tom Peters, Herman Cain, Ken Blanchard, Scott O’Grady, Diane Hessen, Marshall Goldsmith and others. Every author I called gladly did these unrehearsed perspectives and tens of thousands of colleagues around the globe listened to these clips. I have re-published the page and would encourage you to listen to a few of these “in the moment” perspectives from those raw moments in 2001:

http://www.masie.com/perspectives

Yours in Learning,

Elliott Masie.
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

682 - Gamification Cautions; Learning at Facebook, Starbucks & Southwest Airlines

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - September 6, 2011.
#682 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,449 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2011 - Over 1,107 Colleagues Registered!

1. Gamification Caution - Mechanics Aren’t Design!
2. Learning at Facebook, Southwest Airlines & Starbucks.

1. Gamification Caution - Mechanics Aren’t Design! One of the “hot” buzz words these days in Learning circles is “Gamification”  The idea, which on the surface is compelling, is to apply the elements of game theory and game design to a learning activity, like earning badges or getting virtual awards, in order to increase learner engagement and influence behavior. 

While I have been a long-time fan and proponent of Serious Gaming for Learning - the application of game design to learning design - the world of “Gamification” is more heavily focused on game mechanics, where one would simply add “a game layer” and get results. For example, take a compliance eLearning course and add one or more of the following game mechanics: score ratings, leaderboards, virtual badges or even real gifts. While it may alter behavior, it could just as easily either trivialize or backfire. The problem is not about applying the powerful world of gaming and competition: it is about the oversimplification, in my opinion, of the design process. It will take way more design and organizational change to introduce these elements into the organization than simply linking to a vendor for gaming badges or virtual prizes.

There is a parallel in the world of gaming in classroom training. We have all been in a seminar where the leader announces that we are going to start with an “Ice Breaker Game”. These might work or they might truly evoke a large groan from the audience. If they are designed right - with the experience and focus of the audience at top of mind - an ice breaker might really get a group learning process started.  But, more often than not, they are seen as a “cute” ritual, which many hope will just be over so they can dive into the content of the program. Games in the classroom are more complex than just picking a “Game Idea Card” and adding it to the agenda.

Let’s collectively explore how we can leverage new technology, social media and evolving designs to increase engagement and support performance and learning. Elements of game design are key, as will be apps and technologies that allow for lower cost deployment. But, don’t jump on the bandwagon thinking that you can take an unvisited SharePoint site and turn it into a highly valued Knowledge Village by dispensing Gamification tokens to users. For every quickly deployed Gamification for learning program, there will be a dozen ways in which learners can game the game to get around the system.  One colleague showed me a macro deployed in an organization to add short, automated comments to collaborative spaces in order to get higher Gamification scores and badges. Gaming Design is a great opportunity space for learning, but let’s not just roll with the hype and forget the critical role of design, experimentation and organizational change!

2. Learning at Facebook, Southwest Airlines & Starbucks: Ever wonder how Facebook uses social elements for Learning? How does Intel put Learning “inside” @ Intel? Does Learning @ Southwest Airlines take a very different route? Or, is a café culture embedded into Learning @ Starbucks?

At Learning 2011, we are asking 12 major “brand name” organizations to provide you with an up-close and deep overview of Learning @ Their Organization:

- Learning @ Facebook.
- Learning @ Farmers.
- Learning @ Intel.
- Learning @ Humana.
- Learning @ MetLife.
- Learning @ SC Johnson.
- Learning @ Southwest Airlines.
- Learning @ Starbucks.
- Learning @ Hospital Corporation of America.
- Learning @ The U.S. Senate.
- Learning @ Wendy’s.
- Learning @ Xerox.

In the mix of over 220 choices at the event, the “Learning @” sessions will be intriguing ways to take a look at how a well-known organization approaches learning: each in a different and distinct fashion.

We have asked Learning Leaders from each of these organizations to provide an overview of learning as well as focus on a key change, transformation or alignment to their corporate strategy. For example, how does Facebook leverage its social and agile culture as part of their learning strategy?

Check out my Design Decisions Blog for Learning 2011 for more details: http://tinyurl.com/3zwj87s -

Yours in Learning,

Elliott Masie.
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

681 - Back to School Energy; Music Licenses for Learning

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - September 2, 2011.
#681 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,441 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2011 - Over 1,087 Colleagues Registered!

1. “School Days!” A New Year Begins After Labor Day.
2. Music Licenses for Learning - Design Decisions.

1. “School Days!” A New Year Begins After Labor Day: In just 4 days, my New Year begins. You see, I still think of the year as starting the first day of school, which was the day after Labor Day (here in the U.S.) as I was growing up.

The start of school meant a new teacher, new school books, new subjects to master and a deep dive into learning - after a great summer vacation.  It often meant some new clothes (or at least some new hand-me-down clothes from a neighbor), a new loose leaf notebook (with plastic reinforcements to keep the pages from tearing) and a few other school supplies.

Decades later, my year still starts right after Labor Day. Here are a few of the things that I will be doing on Tuesday, my virtual first day back at school:

* School Supplies - I’ll stop at the store and buy one or two new notebooks, pens and other school supplies.
* New Calendar - I’ll get a 2011 - 2012 Academic Calendar to hang on my wall, marking the Sept. to Sept. year cycle.
* Books Ordered - My Amazon account is busy as I buy eBooks and hardcovers to enjoy in this new year. I got 6 yesterday!
* Goals and Objectives - My whiteboard will get cleaned and the staff will see my targets for the next few months with a fresh eye.
* Registration Spikes - Once September starts, we watch a marked spike in the rate of registrations for Learning 2011 as people start to focus on the Fall.  We already have 1,087 colleagues signed up, but it will rise as it is now the Fall season.
* Style Shifts - Almost every Fall, I try to change up one aspect of my style: how I approach work or life.  This year…hmmmmm?

I find myself feeling the excitement of the kid going back to school as Labor Day comes around. I reach out to friends I haven’t spoken to since June, share summer stories and make plans to connect now that the “School Year” has started.  And, feeling alive and focused as a learner is great.

So, am I alone in this?  If you also think of the year as starting in September, send me a note to emasie@masie.com  .

2. Music Licenses for Learning - Design Decisions: If you walk into a session at Learning 2011 in Orlando in November and hear some music playing, it will be legal. We have a Code of Conduct at The MASIE Center to have full licensed rights to any music that we play at an event.

While it would be simple to just pop in a CD that we bought, or download a song from iTunes, or play a streamed clip from the web, it would not be legal or appropriate.

So, we use several music licensing bureaus, such as ASCAP and BMI, to have an event-wide license for Learning 2011. We pay between $800 to $1,300 per year (based on number of days and participants) and are fully covered.

Another strategy is to just use “royalty free” music, but I love to have familiar tunes and even songs that relate to the themes of the sessions: “Respect” for a talk about roles in Learning or “Lean on Me” for mentoring strategies. Knowing that we can play almost any song, I have fun in the next 9 weeks picking a play list for the General Sessions and breakouts.

Many events don’t bother with licensing or assume that the hotel has paid a fee. But, to be in full compliance, we are doing the paperwork for music licenses for the 4,000 ears that will be at Learning 2011 in just 66 days. Follow along with our Design Decisions blog at http://www.learning2011.com/designblog

Yours in Learning,

Elliott Masie.
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

680 - Webinar No Shows?; 1,000th Registration for Learning 2011

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - August 30, 2011.
#680 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,434 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2011 - Over 1,008 Registered Already!

1. Webinar No-Show Rates?
2. 1,000th Registration for Learning 2011!

1. Webinar No-Show Rates? One of the “dirty” secrets of the learning world is the high rate of no-shows for live virtual events like webinars.  Some organizations report no-show rates as high as 40% to 60%.  In other words, for every 10 people who pre-register for a webinar, 4 to 6 do not attend live.  Some of the factors include:

* Life Gets Busy: When business realities change, attendance at a live webinar is often seen as less important and individuals or their managers drive the no-show decision.
* Watch it Asynchronously: A number of people decide that they were not planning to actively participate in the live discussion, so why not watch the streamed version later (and even be able to use the fast forward feature that is missing on the live feed)?
* No Consequences: The no-show rate goes DOWN when there are consequences, either in terms of certification, lost tuition or peer/manager comments. The rate goes UP when the participant’s absence has no ramifications.
* Value Against Time: When participants feel that the ratio of total information shared to time spent will be low, they make a decision to skip the webinar. I signed up for a one-hour briefing and then realized that I could read the author’s PDF and get almost as much information in 5 minutes.
* Outcome Objectives: I have watched few webinars framed as instructional events with clear outcome objectives. Rather, a webinar is often framed as a content flow or even a thinly-masked sales pitch for a product/service.  As the outcomes are clearer and more valuable to the learner, the no-show rate goes down.
* We Need Creative Designs: When webinars first started, they were mirroring the classroom, emphasizing PowerPoint and a few questions. As we have added video and other functionalities, it is time to experiment with very different webinar designs, emphasizing interaction, collaboration and project-based learning. Many people no-show because of the “brand” of the webinar, which can be altered with creative design approaches.

Most organizations have accepted the no-show rate and even book 40% fewer lines/licenses for an event. We would love to hear from Learning TRENDS readers about the no-show rates your organization experiences and your thoughts/strategies. We will compile these without attribution and publish them next week.  Send a short note to meghan@masie.com

2. 1,000th Registration for Learning 2011! We are delighted to announce that the 1,000th colleague has registered for Learning 2011. Nancy Nagdeman is a Supply Chain Curriculum Manager at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in Vermont. Welcome, Nancy, and we look forward to learning with you in Orlando in November.

Save money by using the Advanced Registration Discount at http://www.learning2011.com

Yours in learning,
Elliott Masie
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

Hurricane Content & Learning Resources

TO: Learning & Training Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie, Learning TRENDS Editor

RE: Hurricane Readiness Content, Resources and Learning Assets

As Hurricane Irene heads towards the East Coast of the United States, many of our colleagues are focused on Readiness for Response.

Here are a few of the learning resources that you may want to use or share with your teams:

- FEMA - Video and Content Assets from FEMA Director and Staff: http://www.fema.gov.

- National Hurricane Center -  Preparedness: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/disaster_prevention.shtml.

- Ready America - Hurricane Info - http://ready.gov/america/beinformed/hurricanes.html.
 
- iHurricane HD Apple App (Free) - http://tinyurl.com/3qxwkf3.

- Powerful Video on Hurricane Survival - http://oceantoday.noaa.gov.

These are just a few of the resources that organizations are sharing with employees and families.

The team at The MASIE Center is thinking of our colleagues in the path of the current hurricane.

“Prepare for the Worst & Pray/Hope for the Best”
 
Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

679 - New Roles for Learning Designers; Makeup for High Def Learning?

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - August 23, 2011.
#679 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,431 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2011 - Over 927 Registered Already!

1. High Definition Makeup for Learning?
2. New Talent in the Learning Department - Article and Perspective!

1. High Definition Makeup for Learning? - Today, I spent a few hours considering the role of makeup for High Definition Video used in learning events. Follow this interesting design decision at: http://www.learning2011.com/designblog  .

2. New Talent in the Learning Department: I recently wrote a column for CLO Magazine about the shift in our needs for traditional instructional designers.  Here is the text for our Learning TRENDS Readers:

“New Talent in the Learning Department - By Elliott Masie”

If you were able to add five new people to your Learning Department, what roles and skills would you hope to enhance in your team?

This is an intriguing question that we have been asking CLOs over the past year and one that I suggest you ask yourself as you evolve your organization’s learning strategy. As learning technologies, workforce dynamics and content models change, we need to take a fresh, brave look at the talent requirements of our own function.

My conversations with CLOs have uncovered two approaches for adding new talent to the Learning department. In fact, many CLOs have advocated pursuing aspects of both of these approaches.

Learning Competencies 2.0: One approach is to take a look at the changing nature of learning in our organizations and to recruit a new set of professionals with very different skillsets to develop the next generation of programs. CLOs have mentioned these examples of roles that would be on their wish lists:

* Librarian: As the amount and format of content both created and used in the organization multiplies, a key challenge is “discoverability”. How will learners find the right nuggets of content? A modern librarian will be able to add extreme value with metadata, search readiness, content taxonomies and federated search models.
* Learning App Developer: This is someone who can rapidly put together a learning app - to run on a device like a tablet or smart phone - that aligns with a single learning offering or that is focused on a specific role/task in the organization. Don’t look for someone with a college degree in this area, but an agile app developer could supercharge the learning department.
* Community Mayor/Gardener: Sites like SharePoint can be ghost towns when leveraged for a learning program. They need leadership and someone to remove the “weeds”. Community management is a growing competency as we shift toward communities of practice and distributed collaboration.
* Video Competencies: You don’t need a videographer, but a learning department will benefit greatly from someone with skills and experience in the use of video for storytelling. Editing techniques, framing perspectives, meta-tagging and even the development of video templates will be critical as the organization adds large amounts of user created and scripted video to the knowledge mix.
* Workplace GPS/Performance Support Designer: I anticipate that we will have fewer traditional instructional designers as we expand our content/context offerings. One role that organizations could deeply benefit from is a designer with competencies in building “learning-at-the-moment-of-need” solutions like performance support or workplace GPS. Assistance should pop up and be readily available as workers perform new tasks or forget key steps. This professional can increase your team’s capacity by significant leaps.

These roles could be developed within your current staff, but most CLOs were looking at the opportunity to bring in some very different and fresh “blood” into the learning function. 

Business Acumen & Experience: A second approach to adding new talent to the learning function addresses the fact that many CLOs feel the need to beef up internal business knowledge/experience within their learning groups. They reach out to high performers within key business units and attempt to recruit them for a short- to medium-term stint in the learning department. This gives the learning function:

* Greater Internal Subject Matter Expertise.
* Business Language & Fluency.
* Tighter Alignment with Real Business Requirements & Metrics.
* Networking within the Learning Function.
* A Shift in the Career Path of the Learning Team – from Career Learning Professionals to Developmental Roles for Rising Leaders.

This model has been used successfully in at least two worlds: pharmaceutical sales and military organizations. Drug companies have recruited top sales reps or managers, who are on their way to their next positions, for several-year assignments in the learning department. Likewise, the Air Force has made a stint in the learning and education function a core career step for high potential staff.

Organizations taking this approach often create a boot camp and mentoring process to bring the business focused staff to readiness on learning projects.  Caution: we are not turning these folks into instructional developers or designers! The goal is to use their business acumen to drive and focus learning projects on the needs of the front line workforce.

Another benefit of adding experienced folks from the operational side of the organization is to shift the “brand” of the learning department. Several Fortune 500 companies have reached out to business leaders to become CLOs; that immediately changed the “C” suite’s and the rest of the organization’s perception of that role.

The learning professional of the future may naturally combine both of the approaches I’ve mentioned, but for now, let’s explore how we can add this type of talent to our teams and get ready for the next wave of learning opportunities.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

678 - HP TouchPad Demise, Session Titles, Take the Lead Book

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - August 22, 2011.
#678 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,429 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2011 - Over 927 Registered Already!

1. HP TouchPad Tablet Demise - Lessons in Usability Focus.
2. Session Titles Matter & Seating Formats.
3. “Take the Lead” - New Book from Betsy Myers.

1. HP TouchPad Tablet Demise - Lessons in Usability Focus: I was quite sad when I heard the news that HP was abruptly ending its new HP Tablet product. At The MASIE Center, we have been testing and experimenting with each new tablet that reaches the marketplace. We have run lab tests on both of Apple’s iPads, a range of Android tablets, the Blackberry Playbook and, most recently, the HP TouchPad tablet.

While we are vendor neutral at the Center, I am continually looking at the “affordances” for learning that each new technology might provide organizations. When we tested the HP TouchPad, we were convinced that it was the best competitor to the iPad to date. The video and audio were great, the design had many upsides and we could see the value of a second major player in the marketplace. In addition, HP was deeply focused on how the TouchPad would integrate with Enterprise IT, something that has been more difficult for early deployers of the iPad. But, something nagged us as we were working with the TouchPad, and that was Usability. 

In the new world of mobile devices and apps, Usability is taking on a second dimension of “Rapid Intuitive Functionality”. In other words, put a device into someone’s hands and they almost instantly see the affordances and can get things done - without prompting or instructions.  In this regard, the iPad has been built from the group up around these Usability characteristics. The HP TouchPad had great engineering, but it was hard to see the same sense of deep Usability. It would have been awesome to have seen the TouchPad launch with several “skins or templates” that were truly mapped to how people worked - Executives, Sales Personnel, Restaurant Workers, Doctors - showing Rapid Intuitive Functionality in an Enterprise-Ready tablet device.

I am saddened to see the TouchPad and HP rapidly exit the Tablet Marketplace. As someone who is using a tablet for 80 percent of his work, I really want to see active competition from major players to continue innovation and competitive designs. Sigh! Watch for new tablets (or hybrids) that may come from unpredicted players like SONY or Samsung, or even a publisher like Bloomberg or News Corp.  Lessons learned: a fresher view of Usability and new tablets will need a major new “affordance” to compete in this space.

2. Session Titles Matter & Seating Formats: We have added two daily entries to our blog on Design Decisions.  One focuses on the importance and process of naming sessions and workshops.  And, the other explores the challenge of deciding how to seat 2,000 people at a General Session - either theater style or in tables of rounds with 8 or 10 per table.  I am enjoying exploring these decisions in our Day by Day Design Blog for the 77 days until Learning 2011.  Check out these two latest entries at http://www.learning2011.com/designblog

3. “Take the Lead” New Book from Betsy Myers: I am very proud to announce a new leadership development book from a great colleague and friend, Betsy Myers. “Take the Lead: Motivate, Inspire, and Bring Out the Best in Yourself and Everyone Around You” will be published in the next three weeks and is a powerful perspective on leadership, mentoring and balancing our approaches as leaders.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter, well known Harvard Business School professor, said, “Betsy Myers, adviser to US presidents and longtime advocate for women, shares her considerable experience and wisdom with everyone who cares about high-level and everyday leadership. This charming, engrossing book will particularly excite and empower women, who will treat this book as their personal mentor and apply Myers’s principles to enrich their lives.”

For full disclosure, I am mentioned in the book as one of Betsy’s mentors and was honored to contribute a quote about it. Betsy is one of the most interesting leaders that I have ever known in my life and we are rich mentors to each other. She will be at Learning 2011, focusing on Women in Leadership and how we can expand our thinking around leadership development.

You can pre-order the hard cover or Kindle version of “Take the Lead” at http://tinyurl.com/betsymyers

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

677 - Design Decision Blog - Day By Day to Learning 2011

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - August 19, 2011.
#677 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,427 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2011 - Over 927 Registered Already!

Special Note:

I have started a special blog for the next 80 days - Design Decisions for Learning 2011.

Each day, we are making very key design decisions about content, process, hospitality and technology for the 2,000 participants that will be coming to Learning 2011.

I love the process and am often asked what is like to design this event. “What is involved in inviting President Clinton to speak?” or “How do you balance innovation with 101-level content in the design?”

So, in the next 80 days, I will post a daily entry about the design process. 

Check it out at:  http://www.learning2011.com/designblog

Today, for instance, I added entries about:

* Do we build a Learning Cafe with steamed drinks for participant mingling and collaboration?
* Let’s create an App that will allow people to take notes on their Tablets directly to a digital version of the Program Guide.

I hope you will enjoy looking over my shoulder and am always up for questions to emasie@masie.com

There are almost 1,000 people registered as of today and we have loads of exciting additional content and features to be added in the weeks ahead.

Once again, check out the blog at: http://www.learning2011.com/designblog

(And thanks to Ken Davenport, Producer of Godspell, for the idea of a day by day design blog.)

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

676 - Shoe Reports, Balancing Learning Discussions, Tablet as a Decision Support Tool

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - August 15, 2011.
#676 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,418 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2011 - Over 927 Registered Already!

1. Sensible Shoes for Training and Teaching - Great Responses.
2. App’s Change Decision Process - Horse Auctions in Action.
3. Balancing Learning - Theme for Learning 2011!

1. Sensible Shoes for Training and Teaching - Great Responses! One of the most interesting waves of responses from TRENDS readers came last week, after I asked for your ideas for “sensible shoes to wear when doing stand-up training.” My inbox was swamped with shoe names, pictures, stories and ideas. Clearly, training is a physical as well as intellectual activity. But, there are also the issues of appearance and expectations. Here is the summary from the wave of responses:

Among responding trainers, Clarks and Rockports were the most popular shoes choices for comfort and style. Below, you’ll see the breakdown of preferred shoes among female and male trainers.

Top choice for women: Dansko shoes and clogs. Runner up: Clarks, specifically the Unstructured collection

Least Popular: Heels! If necessary, the suggestions were to go low heel, or even low and wide for balance. Aerosoles and Easy Spirit recommended.

More popular shoes: Born, Crocs, Keen, Merrell, New Balance walking shoe, Nike, Converse, Cole Haan, Reebok.

Overwhelming choice for men: Rockport walking shoe, Encounter. The variety of widths available makes this a popular choice.  Runner Up: Cole Haan loafer with Nike Air technology in the soles!   

Next top choices: Clarks (the Unstructured collection once again); Ecco brand in tie styles.

Other popular shoes: Asics, Merrell, Crocs.

Readers also sent in these shoe wearing tips for trainers:

* Switch shoes halfway through the day. For women especially, rotate heels with a comfortable clog.
* Invest in orthotic inserts.
* Clogs and mules are great for the traveling trainer: easy on and off at airport security.
* Switch up with a fun shoe for last day or round! Shoe conversation can be a memorable closer or interesting icebreaker.
Selected Thoughts:
* “I once heard a story about Ronald Reagan keeping a second pair of dress shoes under his desk to change into in the afternoon. His father was a shoe salesman and taught him that trick to feel fresh on his feet for the second half of the day. And my training experience confirms that this totally works!”
* “My shoe choice depends on the audience.  I have found through trial and error that one way to get instant respect is to come to the class 1.5 times more formal than the audience.  So the exact shoe depends on the outfit.”
* “Somewhere long ago, I remember reading a survey that indicated the two things that learners remembered the best about every instructor were their shoes and their nails.  They would forget instructors’ names, outfits, content, even color of the hair but seemed to retain these two items.”
* “You’ve got to look the role, but you need to survive the day.” 
* “Of course, I think the best classes are those where the participants are doing most of the work, so that doesn’t require me to stand much at all!!”
* “I can tell you from experience that miserable feet make for a miserable day, so it’s best to take care of them so you can focus on more important goals!”

2. App’s Change Decision Process - Horse Auctions in Action: I watched a process of decision making being altered by the use of an App for the iPad this weekend. In Saratoga, there are very famous horse auctions where hundreds of top yearlings are viewed, inspected and then sold. Up until this year, each buying team walked around the various barns with a thick catalogue, scribbling notes and making evaluations of the horses they inspected.
Since the MASIE Stable was shopping for another horse, we gave our trainer an iPad and suggested that she download a new free app from Equineline that has the complete catalog in digital format. But, even more importantly, the App allows for detailed evaluations to be added, including ratings for each horse on physical characteristics, vet inspections and overall rankings, along with detailed notes. These can then be sorted and shared.  We watched dozens of buying teams, walking the barn areas, tablets in hand, making and sharing assessments. And, in the heat of the auction, these ratings were on the laps of buyers (including our trainer), helping to inform choices and targeted price ranges.

While we didn’t get the horse we wanted this time, one big take-away was the value of a Performance Support app, organized around a shared data set, with the ability to add notes, rankings and ratings - as part of a collaborative decision making system. Many non-techie owners, trainers and vets were seen sporting their digital “horse GPS” systems, impressing me with the speed of adoption once an app is optimized and simplified to a specific and high value decision process.  You can check it out at http://tinyurl.com/horsegps

3. Balancing Learning! - Theme for Learning 2011: A core theme is emerging for our Keynotes, Case Studies and Conversations at Learning 2011: “Balancing Learning!” One of the key challenges that learning professionals are facing is how to creatively and strategically balance innovation, design elements and learning choices for workplace training, learning and development. Here are a few examples:

* Balancing Innovation & Tradition in Learning.
* Balancing Digital Content & Face-to-Face Contact.
* Balancing Authored Designs & UserCreated Content.
* Balancing Memory & Referenced Information.
* Balancing Mobile/Social & Classroom/eLearning.
* Balancing Global Processes & Local Culture.
* Balancing Compliance & Performance Drivers.
* Balancing Production Values & “Good Enough” Content.
* Balancing Social Knowledge & Corporate Policy.
* Balancing Deep Skills & Broad Perspectives.
* Balancing LMS Models & Evolving Learning Methods.
* Balancing Our Careers & Personal Lives.

We are excited to ask our Keynoters, Faculty and Participants to discuss the challenges of Balancing Learning!  The innovations we are seeing in the world of learning and knowledge are exciting and create many new design options. But, let’s not fall in love with the hype! We have a great opportunity to experiment our way to new points of “Balance” as we evolve organizational and workplace learning strategies. We now have over 927 colleagues registered for Learning 2011 (Nov 6 to 9 - Orlando, Florida). Info and registration at http://www.learning2011.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
email: emasie@masie.com

675 - will.i.am and Learning 2011 Keynoter on TV, Open Content for Learning

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - August 11, 2011.
#675 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,414 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2011 - Over 746 Registered Already!

1. will.i.am and Learning 2011 Keynoter on ABC Sunday!
2. Comfortable/Sensible Shoes for Trainers?
3. Cathy Casserly from Creative Commons on Open Content.

1. will.i.am and Learning 2011 Keynoter on ABC Sunday! If you share my hope that the next generation will embrace science and technology as a field of interest, please watch or tape a very cool television program on ABC this Sunday. will.i.am, along with the Black Eyed Peas, has produced a 1 hour program focused on FIRST Robotics and how to make science cool to kids. As you may know, I serve on the Board of FIRST, founded by Dean Kamen, one of our keynoters at Learning 2011. will.i.am came to the FIRST Championship in St. Louis earlier this year, brought along the Black Eyed Peas and gave the students a live rock concert they will never forget. This show, which also features spots from Bono, Miley Cyrus and Justin Timberlake, will give you a sense of the excitement that science, robots and challenges can bring to the lives of our students. Check out the preview video at http://iamfirst.dipdive.com/ and watch or tape the show this coming Sunday at 8 PM Eastern on ABC.  And, you will get a chance to meet Dean Kamen at Learning 2011.

2. Comfortable/Sensible Shoes for Trainers? A simple question for my Learning TRENDS readers who do stand-up training. What shoes do you wear to be comfortable in class all day long? Formal shoes, heels, sneakers? Please send me a short note to emasie@masie.com with your shoe wearing choices and I will do a summary in a future TRENDS. (Personally, I wear Tubes Sneakers, but I am my own boss.)

3. Open Learning Content! Cathy Casserly, Creative Commons CEO:  We are honored to announce that the CEO of Creative Commons, Cathy Casserly, will be one of our keynoters at Learning 2011 (Nov 6 to 9).  She will be addressing the opportunity and challenges of bringing more learning and organizational content into the “open” space and how our field can leverage the standards and efforts of Creative Commons. For example, as corporations create more content that can be used internally and externally, how do we clearly label the intellectual property rights that travel with the content?  And, as our designers or users build content from external sources, what are the permissions that flow with that content? We are very excited to have Cathy Casserly, one of the most influential thought leaders in the content field, as a keynoter at Learning 2011. Details at http://tinyurl.com/435crj7

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

674 - Summer Reading, Mobile Safety Learning, More Buys

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - August 3, 2011.
#674 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,403 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2011 - Over 746 Registered Already!

1. Summer Reading List from TRENDS Readers.
2. Over 11,000 Downloads of “Learning Strategies” eBook.
3. Apollo Buys Remedial Education Tool Company.
4. 95 Days to Learning 2011 - Disney Mobile Learning Examples.

1. Summer Reading List from TRENDS Readers: A vast number of suggestions poured in from Learning TRENDS readers about things that they are reading this summer - on the back porch, beach or at their desks. We have posted a sample list of these books, along with the colleagues that suggested them. It is a fascinating slice of professional and personal topics. Check it out at: http://www.masie.com/summerbooks

2. Over 11,000 Downloads of “Learning Strategies” eBook: In the last 21 hours, over 11,000 colleagues around the world have downloaded our new, free, open source eBook: “Learning Strategies!” This 104 page, non-commercial and non-sponsored collection of perspectives from CNN, CIA, Farmers Insurance and others has gone viral around the learning world. If you would like to access a copy, just go to http://www.learning2011.com/strategies
Thanks to our contributors and Nigel Paine for editing this timely publication. Watch for more from The MASIE Center in the months ahead.

3. Apollo Buys Remedial Education Tool Company: In the continuing merger and acquisition world, Apollo, the parent company of U of Phoenix, today purchased Carnegie Learning, Inc., a publisher of research-based math curricula, including the adaptive Cognitive Tutor(R) math software, for $75.0 million. In a separate transaction, Apollo also announced it has agreed to acquire related technology from Carnegie Mellon University for $21.5 million, payable over a 10-year period. It is interesting to see the valuation of education tools aimed at adaptive testing, tutoring and curriculum. We are predicting similar interest in “Personalization” of content and curriculum, down to the “Class of One” concept in the corporate learning marketplace

4. 95 Days to Learning 2011 - Disney Mobile Learning Examples. Every day, Learning 2011 gets closer and I get more and more excited about its design and content. Today, we confirmed a live video feed from the Disney Parks by Greg Hale, Disney Chief Safety Officer, to demonstrate how Mobile Devices are being used for safety learning and support. We are excited to bring the over 1,700 participants right into various workplaces during Learning 2011 to see new learning technologies in action. Save $ and register early at http://www.learning2011.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

eBook - "Learning Strategies" for Download

TO: Learning, Training & Performance Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie, Editor - Learning TRENDS

RE: eBook - “Learning Strategies” for Download

Here is a free, Open Source eBook from The MASIE Center:

Learning Strategies!
Including articles from CNN, CIA, Farmers Insurance and others.
104 Pages - Edited by Nigel Paine.

Download: http://www.learning2011.com/strategies

We hope you enjoy this resource.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

673 - Google Effects on Memory - Info at Our Fingertip Consequences?

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - July 28, 2011.
#673 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,349 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of Learning 2011 - Over 746 Registered Already!

Special:  “Google Effects on Memory: Cognitive Consequences of Having Information at Our Fingertips”

A recently released study caught my eye this month, focusing on the changing nature of how learners deal with memorization.  Dr. Betsy Sparrow, a psychology professor at Columbia University, has been studying the impact of the access to search engines on learner’s expectations and processing of memory.  Her work, which is done with several colleagues, was so fascinating that it was covered by The New York Times and PBS.  And, I reached out to her and she has agreed to be a keynoter at Learning 2011 in November in Orlando.

Here is the abstract of Dr. Sparrow’s paper in Science Magazine: “The advent of the Internet, with sophisticated algorithmic search engines, has made accessing information as easy as lifting a finger. No longer do we have to make costly efforts to find the things we want. We can “Google” the old classmate, find articles online, or look up the actor who was on the tip of our tongue. The results of four studies suggest that when faced with difficult questions, people are primed to think about computers and that when people expect to have future access to information, they have lower rates of recall of the information itself and enhanced recall instead for where to access it. The Internet has become a primary form of external or transactive memory, where information is stored collectively outside ourselves.”

There is a great video interview with her at our site:

http://www.learning2011.com

Dr. Sparrow and her collaborators, Daniel M. Wegner of Harvard and Jenny Liu of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, staged four different memory experiments. In one, participants typed 40 bits of trivia — for example, “an ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain” — into a computer. Half of the subjects believed the information would be saved in the computer; the other half believed the items they typed would be erased.

The subjects were significantly more likely to remember information if they thought they would not be able to find it later. “Participants did not make the effort to remember when they thought they could later look up the trivia statement they had read,” the authors write.

A second experiment was aimed at determining whether computer accessibility affects precisely what we remember. “If asked the question whether there are any countries with only one color in their flag, for example,” the researchers wrote, “do we think about flags — or immediately think to go online to find out?”

In this case, participants were asked to remember both the trivia statement itself and which of five computer folders it was saved in. The researchers were surprised to find that people seemed better able to recall the folder.

“That kind of blew my mind,” Dr. Sparrow said in an interview.

The experiment explores an aspect of what is known as transactive memory — the notion that we rely on our family, friends and co-workers as well as reference material to store information for us.

I am very excited to have Betsy Sparrow join us at Learning 2011.  I will be interviewing her in one of the opening keynote session and she will participate in our new Research to Practice sessions, where there will be drill-down conversations about the impact of this type of research on our learning design.

Once again, check out the video interview of her at http://www.learning2011.com and click on Dr. Sparrows picture on the home page.

This is one of the really fun parts of being the Designer of our annual global event. I get to reach out to really smart and creative people doing great work in fields that have impact — and then get to introduce them to the critical world of workplace learning. 

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com