660 - Starbucks at LeadershipDev, Robots and Weight Loss Logging

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - April 28, 2011.
#660 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,265 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.

1. Starbucks Leadership Development Director @ LeadershipDev 2011.
2. Robots: At The MASIE Center and Will.i.am for FIRST.
3. Collaborative Logging Supports My Weight Loss.

1. Starbucks Leadership Development Director @ LeadershipDev 2011: We have two very exciting announcements about LeadershipDev 2011, our new event focused on changing the models for leadership development:

* Michael Wright, Starbucks Director of Leadership Development, will provide one of our featured case studies. Michael was previously the Head of Microsoft China University and has a unique perspective on the relationship of leadership and organizational development.
* Research to Practice: The Doctoral Students at the University of Pennsylvania/Wharton CLO Program will be designing and conducting the Leadership Development Trends research project for LeadershipDev 2011. They are building a set of benchmarking surveys on Leadership Development practices that will be conducted prior to LeadershipDev and will form the basis for an in-depth discussion on patterns and design dimensions in Executive, Mid-Level and First Line leadership programs.

LeadershipDev 2011 will take place in Las Vegas, NV on June 14 and 15. Info and registration at http://www.leadershipdev.com

2. Robots: At The MASIE Center and Will.i.am for FIRST! A couple of learning and robots items:

* Robots and Will.i.am: In a few minutes, I will be flying off to St. Louis for the finals of the FIRST Robotics Championship. I am on its Board of Directors. Thousands of students, along with their mentors, are converging in St. Louis for a 3-day competition of the robots they have designed and built in the last six weeks. It is an amazing experience to see the students celebrate the power of science, technology and engineering - with creativity and pizzazz! We have a special guest for the students this year: Will.i.am will be performing a private show, along with a few special guests. This is a great way to make STEM education cool and kids who are techies feel even cooler! Info about FIRST at http://www.usfirst.org/

* Meet The MASIE Center Robot: We have been testing a video conferencing robot that has remote control capabilities from anywhere in the world. Called VGO, it could allow a learner or teleworker to navigate a workplace, interact with colleagues and do a wide range of tasks. See our MASIE Center LAB video of our new “staff” member: http://www.masie.com/mcrobo

3. Collaborative Logging Supports My Weight Loss: Like many folks, weight has been a challenge for me at times in my life. For the last few months, I have been engaged in a personal learning experiment to look at the impact of collaborative logging on my own wellness. I worked with a doctor who specializes in lifestyle medicine and developed an exercise and nutrition approach that would work for me. The new dimension has been the use of a collaborative logging system where I enter, in real time, everything that I am eating and all of my exercise. I can do this from my smartphone, iPad or PC and it is then viewed by a doctor and nutritionist, who give me very regular feedback and suggestions.  It has been fascinating to see how it has helped me to modify my own behavior. Being a numbers person, it is like a personal Profit/Loss statement, with a Board of Advisors watching on. I am now several inches slimmer and several dozen pounds lighter - and feel great. For your info, I have been using fatsecret.com but there are many other online logging systems. I feel great and will do everything I can to integrate this “transparency” into my wellness for years to come.

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

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* LeadershipDev 2011 - June 14 & 15 - Las Vegas, NV.
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Learning Essentials LAB - May in Saratoga Springs.
* Video for Learning LAB - May in Saratoga Springs.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

659 - Good Enough Video is Great, Classroom of Future Results, Volunteers Needed

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - April 11, 2011.
#659 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,252 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host: LeadershipDev 2011 - June in Las Vegas, NV.

1. “Good Enough” Video for Learning May Be Better.
2. Classroom of the Future Survey Results.
3. Please Volunteer for e-Learning for Kids!

1. “Good Enough” Video for Learning May Be Better: Over the past 18 months, I have watched a shift in our expectations for the production quality of video used for learning. Just a short while ago, corporate training and learning videos needed to reflect almost “Hollywood” production quality; yet, recently, as we are more comfortable watching YouTube-type video outside of work, our acceptance of “Good Enough” video - often short, to the point and almost in home video mode - has risen dramatically. Learners seem to thrive on the “Good Enough” values because of:

* Speed to Publishing - These are fresh and often reflect very recent changes or observations.
* Voice of the Field - They often have a sense of authenticity, reflecting the voice of the field vs. HQ.
* Duration - They tend to be to the point and are more likely 3 to 7 minutes long vs. 15 to 30 minute “films”.
* Quantity - Due to the lower cost and overhead, they are resulting in a wide range of video to choose from.
* Rankable - Many are allowing workforce ranking of these videos to allow the best to rise to the top.

Of course, it is key that the audio be clear, the focus (video and content) be high and, please, watch the lighting.

Note: We have just 8 seats left in our May Video for Learning LAB that I teach in Saratoga. “Good Enough” is our mantra. Details at http://www.masie.com

2. Classroom of the Future Survey Results: We are pleased to announce that over 640 organizations around the globe responded to a recent survey by The MASIE Center, looking at future and current uses of the classroom. Contrary to rumors, the classroom does not seem to be going away. In fact a wide percentage of respondents are seeing an increase in classroom demand. But, the length, size and format of classes are changing. And, we have very compelling data on what technologies and affordances organizations want in their future classrooms.

Refreshing the Classroom by The MASIE Center - Joyce Chan & Elliott Masie, Researchers Complete results and analysis at:
http://masieweb.com/classroom2011

3. Please Volunteer for e-Learning for Kids! One of the most powerful non-profit efforts in our field is “e-Learning for Kids”. This global foundation reached over 2.3 million children in 190 countries last year (35% usage in the US) with its free courseware. Currently, it is launching a new project that will offer a complete K-6 Math curriculum. The goal is to develop 150 e-lessons in 2011, and they need all the help they can get! They need volunteer learning professionals to volunteer some of their time to work on these courses.

This is a very important and wonderful thing to do! Each year, our Learning Conference donates $5,000 to e-Learning for Kids and recruits volunteer designers to help with the next batch of courses. They need your help now! If you are a learning professional, this is important work that you can do in your spare time and impact kids around the world. Go to http://www.masie.com/ekids and volunteer.

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

MASIE Center Seminars, Events & Services:
* LeadershipDev 2011 - June 14 & 15 - Las Vegas, NV.
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Learning Essentials LAB - May in Saratoga Springs.
* Video for Learning LAB - May in Saratoga Springs.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

658 - Classroom Temperatures, Random Leader Selection & More

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - April 1, 2011.
#658 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
55,244 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.

1. Depreciation Deductible for Knowledge Loss?
2. Classroom Temperature Research - The Big Chill.
3. Random Selection of Leaders - Wheel of Management.
4. Fertility Rates of Online Learners Drop?

1. Depreciation Deductible for Knowledge Loss? There are several cases making their way through tax court at the moment related to Knowledge Management and the tax implications of outdated skills and information. With the speed of business increasing, organizations are realizing that their investments in training and learning programs may actually have a shorter “half-life”. So, three Fortune 500 companies have taken the bold move of attempting to declare an accelerated depreciation deduction for loss of knowledge in their workforce. For example, one technology company has calculated that their system changes almost 34% each year. Therefore, their balance sheet of Workforce Knowledge should reflect a 34% depreciation or loss each year. Another company is attempting to claim that their older workers are showing signs of less long term corporate memory, which should also be reflected in a tax deduction. If this trend continues and is validated by higher courts, we may see the extreme of a company showing the bulk of their profits resulting from high speed knowledge loss by their workers. LMS companies take note: you might want to start building a “ROI of Memory Loss” module to sell to the accountants of your current learning clients.

2. Classroom Temperature Research - The Big Chill: I spend a lot of my time leading seminars in a classroom. One of the most vexing problems is to get the room temperature just right. You would think we could just set the thermostat to a comfortable temp and that would be it. But, NO! People have diverse needs and desires for temperature settings. We have developed a guideline for predicting temperature settings for a class, based on content, difficulty, time of day and controversy of the topic. Here are a few of The MASIE Center recommendations:

* Start of Class: 70 Degrees F.
* Presenting a New Pricing List (with 10% increases): Increase Temperature by 10%.
* People With Myers Briggs of ENTP: Place them right below the ceiling fan or blower.
* Teaching a New ERP or HR System: 64 Degrees F. If an Oracle System - 1 Degree Lower.
* When Teaching a Video Online Seminar from Hawaii: Instructor should wear a sweater or long sleeves.

I recently purchased an app for my iPhone, which allows me to upload the agenda for the class and easily shift temperatures as we move through modules. The classroom of the future may contain personalized thermostats for each learner, allowing them to select the right learning air temperature in the 3 feet surrounding them. 

3. Random Selection of Leaders - Wheel of Management: We are always on the lookout for new models of Leadership Development. I was amused and fascinated by a technique used by a company in Finland - “Random Selection”. With a younger workforce, they were experiencing some team issues following the selection of one person to be promoted to leadership. Plus, they reported that their younger workers were less interested in careers that involved managing people. So, they adopted a Game Show model. Every six months, new leaders for each team are selected at random using a large “Wheel of Fortune”. The name of each employee is placed on the wheel and the newest employee gets to spin the wheel. When the wheel stops, that person is placed in a 3 week blended learning experience on management competencies and then they are declared “Leaders”.  If the wheel lands right between two names, both are made “co-leaders” and the unit experiments with collaborative leadership.

First reports are that there are “no significant differences” between this random model and their more traditional selection criteria. One upside is how excited everyone is on the day of the wheel spin. People bring in covered dishes, music and it keeps high interest in leadership. They are preparing to experiment with using this technique for their CEO starting next year. Stay tuned for more updates.

4. Fertility Rates of Online Learners Drop? Media has been reporting a dramatic decrease in the fertility rates of couples, where the male was getting an online degree while working. It seems that laptops on the lap raise the temperature of the lap by 2 degrees, resulting in some changes. When I mentioned this to the Association for Online Universities, they tried to pay me $30,000 not to mention it. But, TRENDS will always be on the side of full disclosure. So, please look into taping a pot holder on the bottom of your laptop while taking online MBA courses from home. Your future children will thank you!

April Fools is my favorite day for writing TRENDS. If you want to read a few of our previous April Fools editions check out #617, #572 #513 and #439.

And one favor: if I did “fool” you, send me a quick note to emasie@masie.com

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

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* LeadershipDev 2011 - June 14 & 15 - Las Vegas, NV.
* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.
* Learning Essentials LAB - May in Saratoga Springs.
* Video for Learning LAB - May in Saratoga Springs.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com