872 - 1,600 Learning Colleagues to EPCOT; Learner Maturity; 12 TONY Nominations

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - April 28, 2015.
#872 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,890 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Directions in Dallas, Seattle, Chicago & New York City.

1. 1,600 Learning Colleagues to EPCOT for MASIE Celebration!
2. Learner Maturity for Learning Modes.
3. 12 TONY Nominations for An American in Paris.

1. 1,600 Learning Colleagues to EPCOT for MASIE Celebration! This year will be my 25th annual Learning event: Learning 2015! So, on Tuesday night, November 3rd, after our afternoon sessions, I will be taking 1,600 Learning Colleagues from around the world for a fun evening celebration at EPCOT, including their Wine & Food Festival, the Fireworks and an EPCOT-wide MASIE Learning Gamification Challenge.

Details at http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/item/epcot-tuesday-pm.html

2. Learner Maturity for Learning Modes: One of the most frequent questions that I am asked by corporate learning leaders concerns the “Maturity” levels of learners for self-management of learning activities. Clearly, some learners are ready and ripe to drive their own learning. Some are quite accustomed to organizational leadership on this issue. But, how do we measure or dialogue about Learner Maturity?

I use one of the models about maturity, such as Blanchard’s Situational Leadership, to consider:

* Maturity on the Learning Task.
* Maturity on the Performance Target for the Learning Task.
* Maturity on Self-Direction as a Learner.
* Maturity with Current Learning Methods and Options.

Clearly, as the maturity is low, one might assume a higher level of corporate direction - at least at first - for the learner. And, as the maturity on one or all of these scales rises, our design can shift to Collaborative, Consultative or Self-Directive. We should add this conversation to our learning dialogues about a learner’s role in driving learning.

3. 12 TONY Nominations for An American in Paris. MASIE Productions is in 7th heaven today as one of our shows, An American in Paris, was nominated for 12 TONY Awards. This is an amazing experience and a deep honor for the cast, crew and producers. We have been involved in this show for several years and flew to Paris as it was previewed at the end of last year. The Broadway production combines dance, music, great acting and a compelling story of change following the end of World War II. The TONY Awards will be in June, but our team already won by the recognition of these nominations. Details at: http://www.anamericaninparisbroadway.com/

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Chair, The Learning CONSORTIUM

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning Directions - Dallas, Seattle, Chicago and NYC in June.
- Gamification & Learning LAB - Led by Elliott Masie - June 23-25, 2015 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4th - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie

871 - White House UpSkill Forum on Friday

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - April 22, 2015.
#871 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,859 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Directions in Dallas, Seattle, Chicago & New York City.

1. Elliott Masie at White House UpSkill Summit on Friday.
2. Games for Learning Perspective.
3. Steve Wozniak - The “WOZ” to Keynote Learning 2015.

1. Elliott Masie at White House UpSkill Summit on Friday: I am honored to be one of the facilitators at the White House UpSkill Summit this Friday. 

On Friday, April 24th, several CLOs from our Learning CONSORTIUM and I will attend the White House Upskill Summit, joining 150 employers, labor leaders, foundations, non-profits, educators and tech innovators from across America who are answering the President’s call to action and equipping workers of all ages with the skills they need to advance into better-paying jobs. The White House will announce new commitments being made by public and private partners in response to a call to action launched by the President in January “to help workers of all ages earn a shot at better, higher-paying jobs, even if they don’t have a higher education.”

We will post a summary of the dialogues and UpSkill examples from key corporations on Learning TRENDS next week. It is exciting to have this key topic, of interest to our major employers, as the focus of this White House gathering and announcement.

2. Games for Learning Perspective: On Tuesday, I was at the US Dept. of Education Games for Learning Forum in New York City. 150 innovators in the worlds of education, gaming, gamification and learner engagement gathered for an intense dialogue. I had several “aha’s” during my conversations at the Games for Learning event:

- We need to extend the conversation about Games to also look at adding Engagement, Playful Learning, Simulation and Collaboration to our classrooms and digital learning environments.
- There were key demonstrations of using an ongoing Game as a format for a multi-session, face-to-face event with challenges, badges and learner graphics as an alternative design strategy.
- Research is emerging on how games, gamification and simulations can impact learners of multiple generations and learning styles.
- A new set of standards for Learning Simulations are being developed with the US Dept. of Education.  The MASIE Center will work on extending this standard to corporate users.

Key sessions are now viewable online at http://livestream.com/g4c/g4l

If you are interested in a wide and vendor-neutral deep dive on Learning and Gamification, please check out our upcoming LABS at The MASIE Center. Info at http://www.masie.com

3. Steve Wozniak - The “WOZ” to Keynote Learning 2015: You may have already seen our announcements and press releases about our next Featured Keynoter at Learning 2015 (Nov 1 - 4, Orlando, FL):

- Steve Wozniak - The “WOZ” - Co-Founder of Apple Computers and Lifelong Innovator & Educator.
- Information at http://www.learning2015.com

We have had a volume of new registrations for Learning 2015, following the announcements of both Steve Wozniak and Sal Khan as Keynoters. Stay tuned for more in the coming months.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Chair, The Learning CONSORTIUM

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning Directions - Dallas, Seattle, Chicago and NYC in June.
- Gamification & Learning LAB - Led by Elliott Masie - June 23-25, 2015 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1 - 4 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie

Woz - Steve Wozniak - Keynoter at Learning 2015

TO: Learning, Training & Performance Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie, Host - Learning 2015
DATE: April 20, 2015

RE: “Woz” - Steve Wozniak to Keynote Learning 2015!

I am honored to announce Steve Wozniak as a Featured Keynoter for Learning 2015, November 1 - 4 in Orlando, Florida:

Featured Keynoter: “The Woz” - Steve Wozniak - Co-Founder, Apple Computer, Innovator & Lifelong Educator
Details: http://www.learning2015.com

Steve Wozniak has been a Silicon Valley icon and philanthropist for more than thirty years. He has helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple’s first line of products (the Apple I and II) and influenced the popular Macintosh. For his achievements at Apple, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology by the President of the United States in 1985, the highest honor bestowed on America’s leading innovators. In 2000, he was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame and was awarded the prestigious Heinz Award for Technology, The Economy and Employment for single-handedly designing the first personal computer and for then redirecting his lifelong passion for mathematics and electronics toward lighting the fires of excitement for education in grade school students and their teachers. He is Chief Scientist at Primary Data and is a published author with the release of his New York Times bestselling autobiography iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon in September 2006 by Norton Publishing. In 2014, he was awarded the Hoover Medal, a prestigious honor given for “outstanding extra-career services by engineers to humanity”, and was inducted into the IndustryWeek Manufacturing Hall of Fame.

We will have a deep, interactive interview with “Woz” on these key issues:

- Innovation.
- Learning Personalization.
- Technology: Real vs. Hype.
- Skills for Design.
- Shifts in Education & Content.
- Responsive Learning Systems.
- People, Technology & Change.

There will be 6 Keynotes (including Sal Khan), over 150 Learning Sessions, MeetUps, and many more elements that include an active Gamification component in our design. We are pleased to have the following learning suppliers among the Sponsors of Learning 2015: ANCILE, Andromeda Simulations International, Bluewater Learning, Inc., CEB, Clarity Consultants, CrossKnowledge, DuPont, EdAssist, GP Strategies, Harvard Business Publishing, Interactive Services, Intrepid Learning, Inc., Kaplan University, Maestro, Management Possible, MLink, OpenSesame, Richardson, Safari, SkillDirector, Skillsoft and Xerox.

Learning 2015 will be the 25th Annual MASIE Learning Conference and we have created a new website for it that will include a weekly Design Blog to share engagement and design elements. Check it out and take advantage of the Early Registration Discounts at http://www.learning2015.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2015

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie

870 - LinkedIn Buys lynda.com for 1.5 Billion; Testing Amazon Echo

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - April 10, 2015.
#870 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,849 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Directions in Dallas, Seattle, Chicago & New York City.

1. LinkedIn Buys lynda.com for $1.5 Billion - Not an April Fools Message.
2. Testing Amazon Echo - Talking to My Speaker & Cloud.
3. Gamification & Learning LAB - New Section Added in June.

1. LinkedIn Buys lynda.com for $1.5 Billion - Not an April Fools Message: I was quite surprised by a message yesterday announcing that LinkedIn has purchased lynda.com (an eLearning site) for $1.5 Billion. Details at: http://www.cnet.com/news/linkedin-to-acquire-online-training-site-lynda-com/

Why surprised? Just a few days ago, as part of my annual April Fools Learning Trends message, I said, “LinkedIn leaders are convinced that a learner’s resume will have a key role in expanding learning. As a worker enrolls for a class, “LinkedLearn” will relate the content to the learner’s previous positions and work experience. If one shifts their job from a bank to a restaurant, their onboarding eLearning on how to work at the order counter will use visuals and even videos from a banking example. “LinkedLearn” is aimed at truly adaptive learning design. It may also leverage feedback from the last 10 years of a worker’s performance reviews.”  This was not a prediction - just a joke. But, I guess good jokes have some element of truth and prediction.

It will be interesting to see how LinkedIn leverages the resources and assets of lynda.com in the coming years. Stay tuned for more perspectives.

2. Testing Amazon Echo - Talking to My Speaker & Cloud: This week at The MASIE Center, I have been testing a new technology: Amazon’s Echo. It is a high quality speaker, about one foot tall and 3 inches wide, that takes some of the function of Apple’s Siri and rolls it into a Cloud-based Music, Knowledge and Control Center.

First, I plugged it in and downloaded an Echo app to my smartphone. It links to my Amazon Prime Account and the building’s wireless system. Then, just by calling the Echo’s name - “Alexa” - I can then ask for the weather, latest news or almost any song or album. It does an instant search of Amazon Prime Music and starts to play in less than 2 seconds.  And, it also will make me laugh if I say, “Alexa, tell me a joke.” Additional features are being added, including control of household appliances and linking multiple Echos together in different rooms.

Check it out at http://www.amazon.com/oc/echo  It is $199 and has a 3 month waiting list. I am intrigued about how it could also access a corporation’s knowledge or intranet for spoken assistance to a worker sitting at a desk or working on a factory floor. And, I have had fun with instant songs and much needed jokes.

3. Gamification & Learning LAB - New Section Added in June: We have sold out our first Gamification & Learning LAB, with a waiting list, for May. So, I have opened up a second section that will be held in Saratoga Springs, NY from June 23 -25. Register soon as we are already filling seats in this hands-on LAB.  Details at http://www.masie.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Chair, The Learning CONSORTIUM

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning Directions - Dallas, Seattle, Chicago and NYC in June.
- Gamification & Learning LAB - Led by Elliott Masie - June 23-25, 2015 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie

869 - Learning as a Habit, Experience Design, Connected Classrooms

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - April 7, 2015.
#869 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,845 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning Directions in Dallas, Seattle, Chicago & New York City.

1. Learning as a Habit? Research Findings & More.
2. Experience Design! A Blog Post.
3. 4 Monitors in a Classroom?
4. An American in Paris Opens.

1. Learning as a Habit? Research Findings & More: We are pleased to publish the first wave of findings from our Learning as a Habit Research Project at The MASIE Center. For the past three months, Jennifer Cheng, a research fellow on leave from PwC in Hong Kong, was resident at our Center and conducted a deep dive into the core idea of how people make learning a habit on a daily or weekly basis. Based on a survey of over 500 colleagues from around the world and intensive interviews with several dozen corporate executives, Jennifer published a Learning as a Habit white paper and infographic, and we also placed the raw survey results in Open Source. Please download these interesting assets at:

Learning as a Habit Paper and Infographic: http://www.masie.com/learninghabits   .

On a personal level, I have been building two learning habits. I am watching a TED video almost every day. And, I am wearing a button with a learning question or statement on my clothing every day. The first is triggering many thoughts and learning patterns - and others have been sending me cool videos to watch. My buttons - for example, today’s is “Personalize Me” - launch fascinating conversations with others. We are very intrigued how a learning system might support an employee’s learning habits with suggestions, reminders and connections.

If you are interested in conducting the next stage of research on Learning as a Habit - I would love to hear from you.  Send me a note to emasie@masie.com And, thanks to Jennifer Cheng and PwC for your support of this research. More to follow!

2. Experience Design! A Blog Post: I have started my annual Design Blog for the decisions and choices as we build Learning 2015. Today, there is a post about moving towards Learning Experiences as a core part of our event design.

“Experience Design! Learning Experiences are opportunities for Learning 2015 participants to be actively involved in doing, touching, experimenting, designing, challenging or other Engagement models of learning. One of our regular Experiences has included learning and then competing on a timed team challenge of how quickly and safely you can change the tires on a NASCAR vehicle:

Here are a few coming attractions of the Experiences you can choose to engage with at Learning 2015:

- Gamification LAB - Experiment with Gaming for Learning!
- Food Experiences - Cooking as a Metaphor for Design!
- MeetUps - Instant Conversations & Challenges!
- Ed Tech Jam - Brand New & Emerging Tech for Learning!
- The Connected Classroom - Teaching in a New Design!
- 30 Under 30 - Supporting the Next Generation of Learning Leaders!
- Wearables & Learning - For Knowledge & Learning!

To read the entire Experience Design Blog post, go to: http://www.learning2015.com/index.php/item/expereince-design.html

3. 4 Monitors in a Classroom? Start to say “goodbye” to the projector and screens in our classrooms. As the cost of larger monitors drops (you can buy a 55” monitor for as little as $900) it is possible to redesign classrooms into Connected Labs. By placing large LED/LCD monitors in each corner and hooking them up to a single computer through a long lead HDMI, you are able to reach out to remote locations for subject matter experts via Skype, Linx or Webex. The connected classroom is so much more flexible for leveraging high engagement of learners and bringing in multiple experts for short conversations or background. It will take a new style of teaching but the yield for your learners and budget can be huge.  We have built a Connected Classroom at The MASIE Center and will have a Connected Classroom LAB at Learning 2015.

4. An American in Paris Opens: As you may know, we also have a MASIE Productions group that is involved with producing Broadway shows. This Sunday, we will be at the Opening of “An American in Paris” at the Palace Theater in Times Square. It is an amazing show, combining awesome dancing, the music of Gershwin and direction by one of the leading choreographers in the world - Christopher Wheeldon. It is a magical show and if you get to New York City in the coming year, check it out at http://www.anamericaninparisbroadway.com/  And, keep your fingers crossed for us as the critics’ reviews are published on Sunday night!

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Chair, The Learning CONSORTIUM

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning Directions - Dallas, Seattle, Chicago and NYC in June.
- Gamification & Learning LAB - Led by Elliott Masie - June 2015 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie

868 - Facebook, LinkedIn Release Free LMS; Apple Watch to Monitor Saying No

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - April 1, 2015.
#868 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
56,839 Readers - www.masie.com - twitter: emasie - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - Orlando, Florida, USA

1. Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter Introduce Free LMS.
2. Apple Watch to Feature “NO” Coaching Monitor.

1. Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter Introduce Free LMS: Today, 3 of the leading Social Media companies in the world announced a series of free alternatives to the traditional Learning Management Systems:

- Facebook Introduces “FaceLearn LMS”
- LinkedIn Introduces “LinkedLearn Career Learning Systems”
- Twitter Introduces “TweetLearn System”

The three companies are jointly recognizing the growth of learning - from assigned training programs to a lifelong learning process.

Facebook leaders feel that workers will more easily accept “FaceLearn” than a traditional LMS.  “FaceLearn” will allow you to learn a topic with your friends, to LIKE or UNLIKE an instructor and to integrate personal experiences into corporate learning. They hope that workers might touch their “FaceLearn” apps as often as 4 to 10 times an hour, radically increasing the presence of learning systems.

LinkedIn leaders are convinced that a learner’s resume will have a key role in expanding learning. As a worker enrolls for a class, “LinkedLearn” will relate the content to the learner’s previous positions and work experience. If one shifts their job from a bank to a restaurant, their onboarding eLearning on how to work at the order counter will use visuals and even videos from a banking example. “LinkedLearn” is aimed at truly adaptive learning design. It may also leverage feedback from the last 10 years of a worker’s performance reviews.

And, Twitter leaders are focused on using learners’ reactions throughout a workday to inform the learning processes of other folks. They hope that employee bonuses will be linked into the “Follow” level of a worker, multiplied by the performance of not just the employee but the performance of those that follow them. It will be a whole new model of collaborative compensation.

Needless to say, the traditional LMS companies are shocked by the joint announcement of these three new systems. And, the price of using these three LMSs on an enterprise level will be FREE to the company as the revenues will be generated by advertising and leveraging big data.

All 3 systems will integrate with each other and will use a common profile and biometric shared password. They will push a new SCORM/xAPI/TinCan alternative into SwipeLearn API.

The MASIE Center will be tracking the rise of these systems and anticipates future systems from Instagram and even a connective social learning program from Match.com. Welcome to the strange future.

2. Apple Watch to Feature “NO” Coaching Monitor: When the Apple Watch appears at the end of April, look for a new performance support tool that will monitor the verbal statements of the wearer and provide feedback when a phrase is used too often.

Marshall Goldsmith, the well-known management coach who encourages CEOs to reduce the times they say the word “NO”, has been working with Apple to have a “NO” monitor app. It will count and display the frequency of how often one says “NO” to categories of people, ranging from employees to customers to family and friends. Consequence choices include:

- CEO agrees to donate $20 to a designated charity for each time she/he says NO.
- The Apple Watch will glow with a specific color as the levels of NO change.
- A wearable ankle band can be linked to the Apple Watch to vibrate or even provide a low grade shock.
- A family member (such as your 8 year old) gets a daily graph of the CEO’s NO utterance rate.

This will open up a new field for Learning Professionals to create a Learner Feedback formula for feedback and personal behavioral change.

NOTE: April 1st is my favorite day for stretching the words in Learning TRENDS - as many countries celebrate April Fool’s Day - with satire, even stretching the view of learning futures. But, please don’t yell NO - the Watch might be listening.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Chair, The Learning CONSORTIUM

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
- Learning Directions - Dallas, Seattle, Chicago and NYC in June.
- Gamification & Learning LAB - Led by Elliott Masie - May 4 to 6 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Learning 2015 - Nov 1 to 4 - Orlando, Florida.

Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com - twitter: emasie