173 - A Giant Step Forward for e-Learning Standards!

1. A Giant Step Forward for e-Learning Standards! The world of learning
took a giant step forward this week at the Department of Defense's ADL
(Advanced Distributed Learning) Plugfest. The goal was crisp and they
succeeded. Put forward a specification for the reuse, redeployment and
interchangeability of learning content. The "specification" was the SCORM
model (www.adlnet.org). During the Plugfest, attended by a wide range of
industry e-Learning providers, the SCORM (Sharable Courseware Object
Reference Model), was tested, experimented with and shown to allow for one
set of content to move to and from a variety of Learning Management Systems.

The heart of this giant leap forward is a shared vision that organizations
will have highly valuable collections or repositories of learning content in
object formats. These objects would be used in both e-Learning and
instructor led training. Learning Management Systems would hold the
sequence and formats for the use of these objects, so that the same content
could be used for an on-line tutorial, a virtual classroom and an in-house
class. SCORM was incorporated into a wide range of both content collections
and Learning Management Systems in attendance at the Plugfest. In addition,
there are a wider set of providers that are working on SCORM integration,
who could not fit into the limited space for this thinktank meeting.

We will see Learning Standards in this calendar year! The first steps were
taken by groups such as IMS, AICC and IEEE. The SCORM focus moves us
forward another big step. At TechLearn 2000's World e-Learning Congress, we
will ask the major corporations in the U.S. and internationally, to provide
support for these standards. Their support, leveraged with the support of
the Pentagon and the Federal Government, will rapidly accelerate the road to
effective and innovation-ready standards.

A small warning. You will hear a large number of SCORM "ready" claims. The
process of being "certified" is still ahead of us. What is critical right
now is for organizations to get involved in the discussion and for vendors
to work with the SCORM model and test software to move this process forward.
Ultimately, being compliant with standards will not provide a competitive
advantage, but will be assumed! A big thanks goes to the gang at ADL, with
special acknowledgement to Paul Jesukiewicz, Director, ADL Co-Lab; Philip
Dodds, SCORM Technical Chair; Wayne Hodgins, Chair IEEE, Learning Object
Metadata [LOM] Subcommittee; and Mike Parmentier, Head of ADL.

You can read the details and view the streamed video at www.adlnet.org
(select Plugfest). And, the TechLearn 2000' World e-Learning Congress
information is at http://www.techlearn.com

2. PC Expo - TechLearn 2000 Pre-Conference Briefing Scheduled: One of the
benefits that all REGISTERED ATTENDEES of our upcoming TechLearn 2000 (World
e-Learning CONGRESS) event receives is access to a series streamed video
briefing by Elliott Masie and the MASIE Center staff prior to the event. We
are producing the first briefing on Wednesday, when we will be heading to PC
Expo (huge technology conference in New York City) and we will ask the
question: What technologies will impact Learning in the next 12 months?
If you are already registered for TechLearn 2000, you will receive a link
and password next week to view this briefing....starting next week (and
participate in an interactive dialogue on the topic)

So, head to our website at http://www.techlearn.com and register for
TechLearn 2000 now! You can pay later, but you will then be able to
participate in a wide range of pre-conference activities. Join the almost
1,000 folks already registered. Dates: November 12 to 15, 2000!

172 - Special Report from London, England - SmartForce Conference

Special Report from London, England - SmartForce Conference

1. e-Learning Called e-Learning Internationally?

Today, we will have only one item in TechLearn Trends. During the coffee
break this morning after my keynote at the SmartForce Conference in London,
the subject of translations of the term e-Learning popped up. There were
folks from 10 different countries around the world and they all reported
that e-Learning was used as the English version: e-Learning. I was curious
if any of them had translated e-Learning to their native language, or was it
one of the "internet age" terms that stayed in English.

The reporter from Sweden reported that e-Learning is how they are using it
his country, even though they are working hard to translate most terms to
their native language.

So, here is a request from The MASIE Center to our international readers.
If you are from a non-English speaking country, could you send me a quick
email to emasie@masie.com and let us know if you are using e-Learning in
your native language, English and any perspectives on the usage. I will
compile these and get them back out on Thursday with the next Trends.

Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Publications;
* e-Learning 2000 Europe: Dublin, Ireland - July 10 and 11, 2000 ---
Details at www.masie.com/dublin

* TechLearn 2000 + The World e-Learning CONGRESS: November 12 to 15, 2000
--- Orlando, Florida --- Details at www.techlearn.com

Plus.... READ a FREE COPY OF Learning Decisions Monthly Newsletter On-Line
at www.learningdecisions.com This is the only vendor-neutral monthly
newsletter that has 2,000 person research studies every month. Only $195
per year with discounts at all MASIE Center Events.

171 - HP Funds 5 e-Learning Research Projects; Cell Phone Users Beware; $100,000 On-Line MBA Program?

1. HP Funds 5 e-Learning Research Projects: Hewlett-Packard Company today
announced it has awarded five research grants to academic institutions around the globe
to study how people learn in Net-centric environments:

* University of Texas at Austin/Norwegian University of Science and
Technology -- How adult learners acquire knowledge in Net-centric environments
* University of Oslo, Norway -- Models for integrating technology into problem-based learning
* University of Lige, Belgium -- Best practices in designing a Web-based curriculum
* Global Learning Center, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Technology -- Exploring the application
of mobile phones for e-learning
* India Management Association -- Effectiveness of e-learning among working adults.

The MASIE Center salutes HP's commitment to funding research in this area. We will bring you updates of the results of these projects in future TechLearn Trends articles.

2. Cell Phone Users Beware - Information Leakage and Digital Collaboration Manners:
The strangest things happen in the Digital Age. Here I was, minding my own business at Gate 27
in O'Hare Airport. A guy sits down next to me and whips out his cell phone. In a voice that could
be heard at Gate 28, he starts to negotiate a job change. All could hear him and none wanted to.
Especially me, since he was moving from one training company to a new e-learning venture, both
of which I know well. It got very uncomfortable when he started to talk about the client lists
"that I know I can bring with me". I tapped him on the knee, told him that he was talking about stuff
that he probably didn't want others to know about. Yet, he continued, and shifted into salary information
that we all could hear. When he concluded, I introduced myself and told him that he should think twice
about having these conversations on cell phones with a voice that booms. Lesson learned... Digital
Collaboration requires technology and common sense/customs. Digital Collaboration sometimes
gives us a false sense of privacy. We have to develop customs and habits that are community appropriate
as we develop new connectivity. Other lesson learned: you never know who is listening in an airport lounge!

3. $100,000 On-Line MBA Program?: A new joint venture from the London Business School
with the Columbia Business School in New York would create a global executive MBA. It would include
seminars in both New York and London as well as distance learning over the internet. The cost -
a cool $100,000 - makes it the most expensive MBA launched by London Business School and
probably the most expensive university course anywhere in the world. "It has an advantage over any
other MBA course in that it exposes the participant to two alumni networks, not just one," says Dean
John Quelch. The course is part of the LBS' attempt to develop distributed learning over the internet.

4. VH1 Save the Music Foundation Selected as Key Charity for TechLearn: We are proud to
announce that TechLearn 2000 + The World e-Learning CONGRESS, to be held in Orlando, Florida
in November have selected the VH1 Save the Music Foundation as our key Charity. The MASIE Center
will make a substantial donation from the proceeds of TechLearn to this innovative program that provides
musical instruments to schools. In addition, we will conduct an On-Line Silent Auction and ask participants
to bring used instruments to TechLearn to donate to the program. There will be a wide range of TechLearn
events, including a charity golf tournament sponsored by Centra and other events that will bring our
corporate support of this program to a substantial level. Information on TechLearn is found at
www.techlearn.com
Information on Music in the Schools can be found at http://www.vh1.com/insidevh1/savethemus/index-who_we_are.html

Upcoming MASIE Center Event:
e-Learning 2000 Europe: Dublin, Ireland - July 10 and 11, 2000 Info at www.masie.com

3 Minute Survey - What Do We Know About e-Learning?

TO: Learning, Training and Technology Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center

Please take 3 minutes to complete our latest TechLearn Trends/Learning Decisions Survey:

"What Do We Know About e-Learning Survey"

What do we know or don't know about e-learning? What are the key knowledge
elements that will help us build new models of delivering learning via
technology. This month's survey will build an industry wide Knowledge Map
and highlight key areas where we need to collectively learn more.

Just go to http://www.masie.com/survey/ and fill out our 3 minute survey.

Executive summary of results will be posted in TechLearn TRENDS in a few weeks.
We really appreciate your involvement in our surveys!

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
The MASIE Center

170 - Results of Survey: Learning at Our Desks & High Speed Learning in Hotels?

1. Results of Survey: Learning at Our Desks: Here is an executive summary
of our recent Learning Decisions Newsletter research on the ability (and
preference) of learners to learn at their desks. There were 2,474 responses
from learning and training professionals during the week of May 15, 2000:

Where would you ideally want to take an important e-Learning event?
47% - At my desk
20% - In a learning center or conference room
21% - At home

When would you most likely take an e-Learning offering at your desk?
16% - Before work
17% - After work
16% - At lunch
29% - During work
2% - On my days off

How would you describe your ability to concentrate when you take an
e-Learning offering at your desk?
15% - Easy to concentrate
35% - Fairly easy to concentrate
35% - A bit distracting
15% - Very distracting

Activities that make it make it difficult to concentrate on e-Learning:
33% - Phone calls
15% - E-mail Checking
43% - Interruptions from colleagues stopping by
3% - Ridicule from unsupportive colleagues
7% - Consequences from unsupportive manager

As you can see, there was a 50 - 50 split in folks that could easily
concentrate at their desks during normal work hours. For complete data
reports and our analysis, including multi-tasking research results,
subscribe to Learning Decisions Interactive Newsletter ($195 per year, with
monthly research on e-Learning) Just go to http://www.learningdecisions.com

2. High Speed Learning in Hotels? I am in Chicago this morning and noticed
that this is the third hotel in a row that has high speed internet access in
my room. For only $9 a night, I have hooked up my laptop to a DSL high
speed connection. This broadband access is rapidly becoming a norm in
business level hotels. It will create a new ability for travelers to hook
up for high-speed access to e-Learning experiences. Interestingly, the home
page that pops up when you start to use these optional services do not
include a LEARNING option, alongside SHOP and DINE menu choices. That will
change in the next few months. We will also see major organizations make
deals to have VPN services, allowing travelers to work behind their
corporate firewalls. For an example of one of these providers see
http://www.cais.com (It is ironic to write this note, as I started a
national effort to have modem ports put into hotels in July 1986. Back
then, you had to move the bed and open the wall plate to install a phone
line for your 300 baud modem.)

3. Tom Peters (TechLearn Keynoter) Video Streamable As a ramp up to
TechLearn 2000, we are providing content segments from our major keynote and
special session speakers. Here is a two hour video seminar from Tom Peters
on "Creating Work that Matters".
http://webevents.broadcast.com/wyncom/peters91099/archive_100799.asp

At TechLearn 2000 + e-Learning CONGRESS, Tom will speak on the topic of
Reinventing Training. You can register for TechLearn (Nov. 12 to 15 in
Orlando) at http://www.techlearn.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events:
* e-Learning 2000 Europe in Dublin, Ireland on July 10 and 11th (http://www.masie.com)

169 - President Clinton Appoints Advisory Committee on Expanding Training Opportunities; Higher Education and Private Sector Engagements Blend for e-Learning; Bluetooth Wireless this Summer?; Digital Collaboration Scan Great Place to Start

1. President Clinton Appoints Advisory Committee on Expanding Training
Opportunities: President Clinton appointed Elliott Masie and 13 others to
the Advisory Committee on Expanding Training Opportunities to provide an
independent assessment of how the federal government can encourage the
effective use of learning technology to provide more accessible and
cost-training for all Americans. It will study the progress made by the
Federal government in its use of technology in training programs. The
Committee will also provide an analysis of options for helping adult
Americans finance the training and post-secondary education needed to
upgrade skills and gain new knowledge, including grants, tax incentives, and
low-interest loans. The co-chairs are Ms. Christine Hemrick from Cisco and
Ms. Hilary C. Pennington, Jobs for the Future. Members include Dr. Anthony
P. Carnevale, Educational Testing Service and Jerry J. Jasinowski, National
Association of Manufacturers. I would love to receive ideas and input from
TechLearn TRENDS readers as input. Send notes and ideas to
advisory@masie.com

2. Higher Education and Private Sector Engagements Blend for e-Learning:
Keep a close eye on the exploding set of deals that are being cut between
higher education and private sector groups for content creation and delivery
in the e-learning arena. For example, the media baron Rupert Murdoch has
linked his giant News International company with the 18-member university
network Universitas 21 in a move designed to capture a large share of the
rapidly growing global market for online higher education. Our office has
received calls from several dozen new ventures that include higher education
institutions aiming to take their e-learning projects "private" or securing
partnerships with commercial groups. There are key issues that are
floating around the higher education community including:

* Do faculty members own the content of their on-line courses?
* Can a faculty member use the name of their "home" university when teaching e-learning courses
for another group?
* What does the commercialization of a brand name university do the asset value of the institution?

It makes sense that in the search for rapid and large amounts of content
buyers are turning to universities --- organizations in the business of
creating and disseminating content. Watch closely, this will get more and
more interesting in the next 12 months.

3. Bluetooth Wireless this Summer? There has been a long-awaited new
wireless technology called Bluetooth. It seems that you will finally see
Bluetooth enabled gadgets on the market this summer. Bluetooth uses the
2.45 GHz frequency and works with devices in a range up 25 to 100 feet.
Applications that are coming to market include: synchronize your laptop,
palm device and cell phone via wireless; keep your mobile phone in your
briefcase and use a Bluetooth wireless headset; and in-classroom
connectivity of all learners to a "class-net". IBM, Motorola and Ericsson
are all readying Bluetooth capabilities for summer and fall launches.

4. Digital Collaboration Scan Great Place to Start: One of the
conversations that came from our recent Digital Collaboration event was the
need to conduct a "Collaboration Scan" within your organization. It is
likely that there are several silo's of first wave experiments with digital
collaboration underway within any enterprise. The learning group may be
launching a virtual classroom. The sales group may be using NetMeeting for
sales events. The support center may be using a Business to Business
collaboration tool for adding video to the support process. It is a great
time to "SCAN" the organization and find these skunk works projects. The
results of this survey will give you a valuable map for how to build
cooperation and enterprise wide strategies for the future of Digital
Collaboration.

5. e-Learning 2000 Europe Briefing Grows: We are very excited about our
e-Learning 2000 Briefing that will be conducted in Dublin, Ireland on July
10 and 11th. We have added several additional speakers including:

* Charles Pritchard, Digital Media Centre, Ireland - Using Telematic Facilities for Remote Teaching
* Martyn Sloman, Ernst & Young, UK - Management Education in an e-Learning World
* Paula Young, PricewaterhouseCooper, UK - Simulations in Training

In addition, we will be presenting a major award to the Irish Government for
their leadership in growing the e-Learning field. There are 103 seats
available at this premier event. We even have a group of U.S. attendees
combining a trip to Ireland with a 2 day learning event. Go to
http://www.masie.com/dublin for information and on-line registration
MASIE Center Events and Services:

* TechLearn 2000 + The World e-Learning CONGRESS - November 12 to 15, 2000 -
Orlando, Florida (www.techlearn.com)

* Learning Decisions Interactive Newsletter - Monthly Research Based Newsletter from
Elliott Masie (www.learningdecisions.com)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

168 - Special Edition from Lisbon, Portugal

(Special Edition from Lisbon, Portugal)

e-Learning with an International Flavor - Portugal Style

I saw a very different face for e-Learning yesterday during a visit to
Lisbon, Portugal. The first e-Learning Conference in Portugal was sponsored
by AcademiaGlobal.Com, a new learning portal launched by the Portugal
Telecom (the national telephone company) and Tracy International (a long
standing training and performance company). There were 350 leaders from
around Portugal at this one day event, including the Mayor of Lisbon, CEO's
of major corporations and HR/Training leaders. It was an amazing experience
to hear the phrase e-Learning role off the tongue of the Mayor, as he
articulated the key role that technology enhanced learning would have in
helping Portugal compete in the New Economy. It was striking to see the
head of the national telecom company articulate that LEARNING CONTENT was
critical to the future of the telecommunications industry.

As I gave the opening keynote for this convocation, I was struck by the
"political" content of the conversation. Every speaker from Portugal linked
e-Learning to economic, societal and political agendas. They saw e-Learning
as a national opportunity which would enable them to address these key
issues:

* The ability to provide learning to a broader range of citizens, throughout their lives,
regardless of location.
* The ability to provide strategic training to fill a current or sudden skill gap in the
labor marketplace.
* The ability to provide access to international expertise with a localization of both
language and context.
* The ability to export Subject Matter Expertise from Portugal to the global economy.
* The ability to use e-Learning across the entire Supply Chain, from customers to
suppliers to partners, allowing companies in Portugal to be more agile in competing in
e-Marketplaces.
* The ability to leverage collaborative technology to link learners throughout Portugal
and Portuguese speaking countries.

While there was clearly a commercial venture on the table in the announcement of a new
learning portal, the attendees saw this with great national pride. It was going to be a Portugal
e-Learning mechanism. The television stations were there, the national newspapers and
magazines were there and there was a deep sense of the country taking the next step on the
road to the Internet Economy process. They were going "e-Learning!"

The questions that arose during the breaks were also different from those
that are common at training events in the States. There were very few
technology or tools questions. The focus was almost entirely on how
e-Learning would alter the texture and culture of organizations and the
learning establishment. One gentleman was very excited about the role that
e-Learning might have in his ability to retain employees, while a CEO talked
to me about the impact of Collaboration Tools on openness and trust within
organizations. In many ways, they were skipping the technology stage and
going to the process issues that were key to implementation.

For the past few years, I have been predicting the increased role that major
telecoms would have in the learning marketplace. The participation of
Portugal Telecom gave immediate stature and confidence to this new project.
Folks felt that they would be able to integrate e-Learning into the national

infrastructure of communications. Their involvement made the technology
issues seem much smaller. Watch for similar investments and involvements
from other Telecoms.

AcademiaGlobal.Com is going live this summer. They are using Centra as the
digital collaboration tool and partnering with a wide range of content
providers in Portugal and beyond. Leon Navickas, President of Centra, was
at the event and talked about the expansion of digital collaboration beyond
the confines of training events to a broader set of collaboration processes
throughout the organization. As a deeply verbal culture, there was
excitement about role of IP based live dialogue in these processes.

e-Learning is clearly not an American phenomena. The majority of IT
e-Learning is built in Ireland and India. The governments of nations are
seeing e-Learning as a strategic issue. The excitement and commitment to
e-Learning in countries such as Portugal will take the field forward at
lightening speed.

We invite you to our upcoming e-Learning 2000 Europe Briefing, to be held in
Dublin, Ireland on July 10th and 11th. You will see a wide range of
approaches to e-Learning from an international perspective. Information and
on-line registration are available at http://www.masie.com

Invitation to TechLearn 2000 + The e-Learning World Congress

TO: TechLearn Trends Readers
FROM: Elliott Masie

I would like to personally invite you to participate in our annual gathering of the learning and training profession:

TechLearn 2000 -- including -- The World e-Learning CONGRESS
November 12 to 15, 2000 - Orlando, Florida USA

TechLearn 2000 will include a number of very powerful and different features to help organizations deal
with the frenzy, opportunity and HYPE of e-learning. We are NOT A TRADE SHOW. You will be treated
as a COLLEAGUE rather than a PROSPECT. Here are a few of the reasons why you and your
colleagues should head to TechLearn 2000:

* Keynotes including: Tom Peters, Benjamin Zander, Elliott Masie, Loretta LaRoche and others
* The World e-Learning CONGRESS - Let's Define What is Needed to Take Learning to Next Level
* The MASIE Center e-Lab: Experiment with New Models of Learning and Process the Results with Colleagues
* RFP Open Review Sessions: Hear competitive perspectives on specific organizational requests for proposals.
* The 21st Century Training: Trainers are not going away.. our roles are evolving. What is next for trainers.
* Learning Decisions Executive Forums: For Training Managers and Learning Officers focusing on Strategy.

For details and on-line registration go to: http://www.techlearn.com

We already have 879 registered attendees. Register today and start receiving pre-event briefings
and resources.

Throughout the year you receive TechLearn TRENDS as a free resource. This is the only event
where you can gather with other readers and help invent the future of the world of learning and
technology. Plan to come to Orlando for TechLearn 2000.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
President
The MASIE Center
The Learning and Technology ThinkTank

3 Minute Survey - Can We Learn at Our Desks?

TO: Learning, Training and Technology Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center

Please take 3 minutes to complete our latest TechLearn Trends Survey:
Can we learn at our desks?
One of the most frequent conversations about e-learning is the ability of
folks to learn in busy and multi-tasking settings. Please take a few
moments and give us your opinion.

Just go to http://www.masie.com/survey/ and fill out our 3 minute survey.

Executive summary of results will be posted in TechLearn TRENDS in a few weeks.

Yours in learning,

Elliott

167 - Survey Results: Roles and Expectations for e-Trainers; What I Learned on My Defense Department Tour!

1. Survey Results: Roles and Expectations for e-Trainers: Several weeks
ago, we conducted a survey on the role of trainers in the e-learning
experience. There were 2,119 respondents from all over the globe. We asked
respondents to IMAGINE an on-line learning experience that has been designed
as the equivalent of a 2-day instructor led class that includes a great deal
of content, simulations, practice and resources. Here's what we found:

- 88% of learners and 91% of managers want a trainer assigned to this e-learning experience.

- 62% of learners and 63% of managers would be more likely to select an e-learning class,
if a trainer were part of the package

- 34% of managers are willing to pay a premium of 25% to have an e-trainer; however, less than
10% of managers are will to pay 75% or more for the added benefits

The following is a sample set of data showing the value that LEARNERS place on various e-trainer roles.

-- Trainer monitors progress including contacting learner if stopped in middle of the program
High Value 25.5%
Moderate Value 35.2%
Minimum Value 23.2%
No Value 7.2%
Negative Impact 8.9%

-- Trainer evaluates project work and provides feedback and assessment
High Value 67.6%
Moderate Value 22.9%
Minimum Value 7.5%
No Value 1.5%
Negative Impact 0.6%

-- Trainer builds and facilitates an on-line learning community of "Course 101" participants
High Value 43.9%
Moderate Value 38.5%
Minimum Value 15.0%
No Value 2.2%
Negative Impact 0.4%

-- Trainer is available via telephone (real-time or call back) to respond to content questions
High Value 35.3%
Moderate Value 38.3%
Minimum Value 21.4%
No Value 4.5%
Negative Impact 0.5%

-- Trainer is available via e-mail or threaded discussion to respond to content questions
High Value 83.5%
Moderate Value 13.8%
Minimum Value 2.2%
No Value 0.5%
Negative Impact 0.0%

Detailed results and analysis of the data is being distributed to all Learning Decisions Interactive Newsletter subscribers. If you would like to subscribe, go to www.learningdecisions.com.

2. What I Learned on My Defense Department Tour! Last week, I returned from
an incredible 9 day tour sponsored by Secretary of Defense William Cohen.
Ironically, it was a week before I turned, 50, so this was truly an
adventure. I was part of a group of 60 business leaders (including the CEO
of Ameritrade), government leaders (Attorney General of Wyoming) and
journalists (Charles Cook from Charles Cook Washington Report). We were
flown off of aircraft carriers, rescued by the 82nd Airborne from the roof
of an embassy under siege, toured a nuclear submarine and spent dozens of
hours talking to the young men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. I will
be writing a more detailed Learnings Reflection report that I will
distribute to Trends readers in a few weeks. But, here are a few "ripe"
aha's that hit me on our tour:

* Simulation is Essential: As we spent time in the military, it was apparent
that simulation is accepted as a core element in their culture and
workplace. Of course, they have to "practice", since we don't want real
warfare going on unless necessary. Yet, the role of simulation was even
more pervasive. In every branch of the military, I saw a high use of and
thirst for additional simulation models and technologies. As the internet
becomes available throughout the services, the desire for Distributed
Simulation and laptop based simulations were key. I had a chance to use 4
different simulation setups during the tour and saw the power of
sim-learning on a personal level. In fact, I returned to The MASIE Center
and am planning a monthly 2 hour simulation, where we will stop normal work
and practice an extreme situation, to see how we as an organization might
respond. Look for a larger footprint of simulation at TechLearn 2000, based
on my experiences.

* Role of e-Mail in Culture: One of the really profound changes that we saw
was the role of e-mail to link deployed forces with their families back at
the base. On ship, they had over 1,000,000 emails go through their server
in a 5 month deployment. The Captain reported that he had a 300% drop in
the number of sailors that had to return home due to family crisis. There
is a sense of on-going contact with the larger world, while on deployment.
It also took some intense culture changes as well, with shifts in the family
power structure now that the sailor could stay in touch during those
periods. Watch for the role of internet based video in the next 24 months
expand the process dramatically.

* Ship Based Learning: We saw both e-learning and also new models of
distance learning on the tour. One interesting element was a submarine
officer who has a goal of every member of his crew getting at least a 2 year
degree, via an on-line program, before he rotates out in 2 years. He has
made college study a top goal of his ship. We saw an Army group that takes
actual community college instructors with them on deployment. The
instructors are available to teach classes on strange shifts, including the
2 AM to 6 AM watch.

* e-Learning Standards: There was a wide spread interest and effort to
adopt service wide standards as the Department of Defense heads towards
e-Learning. The Advanced Distributed Learning Project (www.adlnet.org) was
on the "radar screens" of senior officers throughout the military. I had a
chance to talk with Secretary Cohen and the Joint Chiefs of Staff about the
role that standards such as SCORM and the overall ADL efforts have to play
not only in the military but also in the wider world of corporate learning
efforts. Secretary Cohen was well briefed on the efforts and saw it as a
key example of how DOD and the private sector can create innovation
together. He told me that it was a piece of their effort to add e-business
approaches to respond more rapidly to the changing world we live in. "We
don't know the character of our future assignments, enemies or allies. We
don't know the technologies we might be using or the rules of engagement.
Therefore, we have to create rapid ways of providing rapid, on-going
learning to our troops around the world.", said Secretary Cohen to a
question I posed to him during our meeting.
Watch for the full report on Trends in a few weeks.

3. Digital Collaboration Conference: Last Call - There are only a few days
left to register for our joint conference with ASTD - Digital Collaboration.
May 22 to 24 in Dallas. Go to http://www.masie.com/digital for details.

SAVE THE DATES: (www.masie.com)
TechLearn 2000 November 12 to 15th Orlando, Florida
e-Learning 2000 EUROPE: July 10 and 11th Dublin, IRELAND

Elliott Masie Selected by Secretary of Defense Cohen for Tour

Dear TechLearn Trends Readers:

I am honored to have been selected by Secretary of Defense William Cohen to take an intensive
one week tour of the United States Department of Defense capabilities next week. I will be part
of a small group of civilian leaders from the worlds of finance, entertainment, education, labor
and business, as we meet with Secretary Cohen and the Joint Chiefs of Staff and visit key military
installations across the country.

I will be focusing on the ways in which the Department of Defense is training and preparing the
troops for the Digital Age. Throughout the week you will receive a special version of TechLearn
Trends as our group participates in the following activities. We will file several stories and briefings
from this 14 hour a day program...

Here is the summary of our trip from Secretary of Defense's invitational letter:

Washington, DC, kick-off where the group will join in discussions with me, Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff General Henry H. Shelton, and other senior military and civilian officials
Cheyenne Mountain and Schriever AFB, CO, to visit the North American Aerospace Defense
Command, the Space Warfare Center and 50th Space Wing to view satellite and security
operations
Mountain Home AFB, ID, to see firsthand an Air Expeditionary Force, the Air Force of the future
Fort Bragg, NC, to visit soldiers of the Army's XVIII Airborne Corps and Special Operations Forces
Camp Lejeune, NC, for a Marine Air-Ground Task Force capabilities exercise
Training Center Yorktown, VA, where you will observe Coast Guard operations involving cutters,
helicopters, and maritime security operations
An aerial refueling while on route between military visits
Norfolk, VA, to visit naval facilities where you will see the capabilities of the Navy's Special Forces
and fly out to an aircraft carrier
I am honored to represent the Training field on this trip. I want to thank the folks at the Advanced Distributed
Training group (www.adlnet.org) for nominating me to participate in this annual Joint Civilian Orientation
Conference. If you have any questions or areas of interest that you would like me to "cover" in the Trends,
please send me a note to a special email address: jcoc@masie.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie

A Special Essay: The Road to "Natural" Digital Collaboration

A Special Essay for TechLearn Readers: April 25, 2000
The Road to "Natural" Digital Collaboration
By Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center

If I told you that we were going to have a conference call, the steps would
be natural. You would want to know the number to call, perhaps with a
password or ID. And, in a few seconds or a couple of minutes, you would be
n a telephone conference, focusing on the content rather than the
technology.

It wasn't always like that. A decade ago, telephone conference calls were
preceded by days or hours of anxiety, testing of phone lines and a learning
curve that scared off many users. I remember leading a conference call in
1985 that required that I have two telephones to my ear, using one to
communicate with the "control center" and the other to talk to fellow
participants on-line.

We walked a road to get to the "Natural" state of telephone conferences as
digital collaboration. Multiple positive experiences, maturing technology,
full compliance with standards and a price point that made the decision to
use a conference call model "a no-brainer".

What is the road to the natural use of a wider set of digital collaboration tools?

Video-conference technology is awesome, yet the logistics can be daunting.
Almost every time that I schedule a keynote speech or meeting via
videoconference from my office setup, there is a flurry of testing and
free-floating anxiety. Will it work? Do our systems like each other?
Even though we are both using standards based systems, the process is far
from natural. And, for many folks in vid-con sessions, they are distracted by the
technology. Will it evolve to natural? Sure, but it will take the same elements as
the telephone conference call: loads of positive experiences, maturing technology,
full compliance with standards and a friendly price point. Vid-con technology
is one of the great inventions of the 20th century but is often found gathering dust
in the conference room of the CEO.

In the next 36 months, digital collaboration technology will explode on the
scene. Accelerated by the popularity of the Internet, we will have the
opportunity to have 1-to-1 and larger group Experiences of collaboration
and community. Watch for systems and services that will allow individuals
and organizations to use Digital Collaboration for these core functions:

Learning, Knowledge Transfer, Planning, Meetings, Selling, Supporting,
Coaching, Customer Contact, Relationship Development, Family Gatherings,
Family Rituals, Interviewing, Shopping, Litigating, Researching, Managing
and many, many more.

The technology will come to us in both generic packages that allow a broad
category of collaboration as well as function specific services that allow
us to launch an event with a single click.

The challenge is to make these technologies work so well that they
disappear from our radar screens and allow us to focus on just the
relationships and content. We have to work hard to rapidly get to
"natural" collaborations.

Vendors of Digital Collaboration tools must work together to extend their
standards compliance and provide simple checking and setup procedures. I
should not have to call a call center prior to attending a virtual meeting
or classroom. We should be "collaboration ready" and have the ability to
dive into a meeting or on-line relationship without a "techie" moment
first.

Organizations implementing Digital Collaboration will need to address the
process issues of people working together with technology. There is a
skill set to using a shared white board. There is a skill to delivering a
speech over a video-conference system. There are wonderful and awful
examples of a distance learning experience. We can't expect our colleagues
to automatically adapt to new models of collaboration. There will be
learning, coaching and modeling processes that must happen before we get to
"natural collaboration".

Just as there is a process of Instructional Design for developing
instructional experiences, we believe that there is a parallel process of
Collaborative Design to create the best uses of digital collaboration
technology. We need to learn how to assess the needs of the groups
involved and select media that is appropriate to the outcome objectives.
And, we envision the development of collaboration templates that will
embody a design for ideal use of tools in a given situation (e.g. A
template that walks the group through a highly interactive video conference
for an employment interview, including application sharing of resume and
job description documents.)

Finally, there are new roles that we must invent and perfect to make
Digital Collaboration really soar. Facilitators, community builders,
virtual coaches and other roles will evolve that will make Digital
Collaboration work effectively and naturally.

This is a great time to start the experimentation process. We should find
teams within our organizations to lead pilots for leveraging existing and
new technologies for effective collaboration. It would be great if the
"owners" of collaboration technology were not techies but rather
process-oriented folks in the HR, Training or Business areas.

The MASIE Center and ASTD will be addressing these key issues at our
upcoming Digital Collaboration Conference to be held at the ASTD National
Conference in Dallas, Texas on May 22 to 24, 2000. Information is
available at http://www.masie.com/digital/

166 - George Washington University Develops e-Learning Tool for Faculty; Growth of Wireless Access to Internet Coming at Hurricane Force Speed

1. George Washington University Develops e-Learning Tool for Faculty --- Now to Market: GWU
developed a tool for their faculty to make the leap into the world of e-learning. The goal was to
create an on-line content authoring, delivery and management system for faculty to use for
both "digital surrounds" of classroom based courses as well as for fully on-line
offerings. Technicians at the university decided to create a courseware system, which
was eventually named "Prometheus," for the Greek god who provided fire to man.
Now, the university as entered the commercial market as it attempts to sell it to other universities.
This is a trend that we should be focused on, as multiple higher education groups take their
internal e-learning tools to Level 2 and potentially to market. The news story about this tool
and effort can be found in the Chronicle of Higher Education:
http://chronicle.com/free/2000/04/2000042001u.htm

2. Growth of Wireless Access to Internet Coming at Hurricane Force Speed:
Over the past 12 months, The MASIE Center has been monitoring the growth of
(and venture development for) wireless access to the internet. Simply,
imagine your cell phone or palm computer device able to make queries of the
internet for instant display. While we might start with queries for stock
prices, access to email and checking the time for the local movie theater,
the commercial and e-learning opportunities are huge. Placing the power of
the internet in a wearable and mobile device changes dramatically people's
perceptions of how it can be used. Already in Finland and Japan there are
major uses of mobile internet access underway. Commercial applications will
include queries to ERP and other corporate databases as well as the use of a
form of Instant Messenger. Watch for coaching and other e-learning
processes to rapidly expand to wireless internet access. A study was just
released by IDC that predicts that wireless "surfers" will outnumber wired
ones by 2003:
http://www.computerworld.com/home/print.nsf/CWFlash/000412D4A2

3. Learning Quotation: John Wooden
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."
---- John Wooden

4. Benchmark Paper on Internet Based Distance Education Released: We
recently received a copy of a paper that was developed by the Institute for
Higher Education Policy (and supported by National Education Association and
Blackboard). The paper focused on Benchmarks for Success in e-learning.
While it is entirely focused on higher education, it is a good read for all
that are looking at the effectiveness issues of e-learning. The PDF file is
viewable at: http://www.ihep.com/quality.pdf

5. Help! 5 Minute Survey on the Role of Trainers in e-Learning: We already
have over 1,300 responses, but we would like more. Could you take a few
minutes to complete our April survey on your wishes for the roles of
trainers in an e-learning offering. Executive summary of the results will
be published in 2 weeks. Just go to: http://www.masie.com/survey/

Upcoming MASIE Center Events: (info at http://www.masie.com )
* Digital Collaboration Conference (with ASTD): May 22 to 24 Dallas, Texas, USA
* e-Learning 2000 - Europe: July 10 and 11 Dublin, IRELAND
* TechLearn 2000 + e-Learning 2000 World Congress: November 12 to 15, Orlando, Florida, USA
* SUBSCRIBE to Learning Decisions Interactive Newsletter: Only $195 Per Year
www.learningdecisions.com

5 Minute Survey: Role of Trainers in e-Learning

TO: Learning and Training Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center
RE: 5 Minute Survey: Role of Trainers in e-Learning

What will be the role of a trainer or faculty member in an e-learning experience?
Please take a few minutes to complete our survey on this topic. Pretend to
be a learner in an e-learning situation and value the possible roles and
activities of an "on-line trainer"

Just go to: http://www.masie.com/survey/

If you have an internal distribution list and would like to forward
this request to your colleagues it will enrich and expand the data for
this survey.

An executive summary will be posted in a future edition of TechLearn Trends
and complete data will be available to subscribers of my Learning Decisions
Interactive Newsletter.

Yours in learning,
Elliott Masie
www.learningdecisions.com

165 - The Clash Between the Stock Market and the Learning Marketplace; Digital Surrounds Research

1. The Clash Between the Stock Market and the Learning Marketplace: We are
monitoring a growing disconnect between the conversation in the Stock
Market world re: e-learning and what is actually happening in the Learning
Marketplace, where real buyers are buying real products and services.
Over the past few months, I have been getting very restless as I hear the
size of the predictions coming from Wall Street about the growth of
e-Learning. Clearly, this is an incredible segment where we will see large
scale implementation of learning with technology, but I am not sure that I
fully trust the size of the predictions that are being driven by folks
wanting to secure funding for the space. The ramp up rate in actual
corporations seems to be steady but more realistic then predictions that
50% of all learning will be e-learning in a short timeframe.

Likewise, it is a good time to take a look at the advice that e-business
stock players are giving e-learning companies. They would have us drop all
of our instructional language, package ourselves as B2B projects, decrease
the services component of our businesses and it just doesn't make sense.
Now, more than ever, we need robust authoring tools and systems, we need
the ability of groups to access services and we need large scale content
collections.

The stock market is a great way to raise capital. Yet, the real
marketplace that I am interested in lives in the actual building of
e-learning capabilities within real organizations. We are seeing some
confusion "back-wash" into the learning marketplace from the size of the
hype of the capital markets. e-Learning will be a business for decades to
come, let's measure it in more than 90 day cycles!

2. Digital Surrounds Research - Executive Summary: Several weeks ago, we
conducted a survey on the sue of Digital Surrounds, the addition of
e-learning components to traditional instructor led, classroom based
training experience and enhance the offering by adding technology before,
during and after the in-person meeting. Here is an executive summary:

Components Organizations Are Currently Using in Digital Surrounds:
Email Access to Instructors - Post Class (67%)
Links and Resources to Internet - (57%)
On-Line Pre-Work (39%)
On-Line Assessment and Testing (38%)
On-Line Courseware and Textbooks (38%)
FAQ Listings (28%)
Virtual Classroom or Chat Room Scheduled (18%)
Digital Field Trips in Class (165)
Media Streaming of Classes (11%)

In each of these categories, the 1,360 respondents reported significant
planned growth of Digital Surrounds. Alarmingly, when we asked
respondents about trainer readiness and acceptance of integrating
technology and training, 62% felt some of their trainers were skeptical or
resistant to integrating technology and training.

The in-depth results and analysis of the data is being distributed to all
Learning Decisions Interactive Newsletter subscribers. If you would like to
subscribe, just go to www.learningdecisions.com.

3. Virtual Resource Site for Teaching with Technology from UMUC-Bell
Atlantic: Here is a great site with super resources for Teaching with
Technology. Posted by University of Maryland University College and
Bell-Atlantic. Check it out:

http://www.umuc.edu/virtualteaching/vt_home.html

4. Learning Quotation: Passenger on Delta Airlines Flight

I was sitting next to a engineer from Oklahoma on a flight last week. When
we got to talking about e-learning, this is what he said:

"I want to learn something new everyday! If you can help me access
structured knowledge chunks on a daily basis, that will be a dream come
true. But, they have to be engaging, easy to use, audio and video based
where appropriate, from a source I trust and work without a hitch on my
desktop and home based laptop. If you can deliver that, sign me up!"

5. Digital Collaboration Conference with ASTD Focuses on Corporate
Collaboration: We are getting a great response to our new event, Digital
Collaboration, that will be held in conjunction with the ASTD Conference in
Texas on May 22 to 24th. The conversation at this event will be about more
than just e-learning. We will look at how organizations will leverage
technology and new processes to link and collaborate with employees and
customers. Help invent the next era of digital collaboration. On-line
registration and information at http://www.masie.com/digital/