274 - Technology for the Classroom: e-Timers

TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb. 26, 2004
#274 - Updates on Learning, eLearning and Training
47,012 Readers - The MASIE Center - www.masie.com

1. Technology for the Classroom: e-Timers
2. Six MASIE Center e-Learning Events Announced

1. Technology for the Classroom: Ce-Timers: It is important for us to
continue to leverage technology for learning activities WITHIN the
classroom, as well as on-line courses. I have been using a very simple and free application that has been very effective, a Count Down Timer.

When I run courses here at the Center and learners are working in small groups or teams, I use a simple countdown timer that runs on my computer and is projected on screens in our classroom. If the group has two or five minutes to discuss a task, this keeps them all in the role of timekeeper. And, if someone wants us to discuss a topic, I will often as how much time they would like us to allocate and then launch the timer and it keeps the whole group on time. Here is a web-based timer that I use:

http://www.masie.com/stream/timer.htm

2. Six MASIE Center e-Learning Events Announced: Here are six programs, including two new events that The MASIE Center is offering in the near
future:

* e-Learning Hispanica (Miami) June 22-23 (e-Learning for Spanish Speaking Learners)
* Learning Management Systems Special Interest Group (Las Vegas) March 8-9
* e-Learning Briefing (Baltimore) April 19 (1 Day Update)
* Virtual Classroom/Collaboration Special Interest Group (Las Vegas) March 10-11
* VidCon 2004 Update (Baltimore) April 20 (1 Day Briefing on Video
Conferencing)
* e-Learning SKILLS LAB (Saratoga Springs) May 24-26 (Hands-On Seminar and Skills Retreat at The MASIE Center)

Information & Registration: http://www.masie.com

273 - Universities Create Open Source LMS System; Results of Learning "DNA" Question

TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb. 18, 2004
#273 - Updates on Learning, eLearning and Training
46,993 Readers - The MASIE Center - www.masie.com

1. Universities Create Open Source LMS System
2. e-Learning Hispanica Announced
3. Results of Learning "DNA" Question

1. Universities Create Open Source LMS System: Four universities have
announced a $6.8 million collaborative venture to create open source
courseware tools and related software for higher education institutions. The Sakai Project is a collaboration of Indiana U, MIT, Stanford and U of Michigan at Ann Arbor. In addition, funding from the Mellon Foundation is supporting this effort. Here are their deliverable goals:

"Enterprise Services-based Portal, a complete Course Management System
with sophisticated assessment tools, a Research Support Collaboration
System, a Workflow Engine, and a Tool Portability Profile as a clear
standard for writing future tools that can extend this core set of
educational applications."

There is an active dialogue about how this will either compete or
complement the work of private courseware management providers like
Blackboard and WebCT. And, an open question is whether enough resources can be harnessed in the Open Source model to build reliable offerings.

TRENDS will be tracking the Sakai Project in the coming months.
Information is available at http://www.sakaiproject.org/

2. e-Learning Hispanica Announced: Advisors Wanted: The MASIE Center is proud to announce e-Learning HISPANICA, to be held in Miami, Florida on June 22 and 23, 2004.

e-Learning HISPANICA is the first event that will bring together the
e-Learning field from both Spanish speaking countries in the Americas and Europe as well as companies that are providing Spanish e-Learning as a second language option to their employees worldwide.

The event will be translated to both Spanish and English and we are
looking for Advisors for this event. If you are developing, delivering or selling e-Learning in Spanish, please send a note to emasie@masie.com

Also, mark the dates on your calendar and we will provide more information in the coming weeks.

3. Results of Learning "DNA" Question: Talking of international use of e-Learning, we had a strong response to my recent question about the "DNA" of learners around the world.

The vast majority of the respondents (which mostly reflected readers from Europe, Asia, North America, and Latin America ) attributed the
differences to numerous cultural and personal factors. The DNA "strains" that were consistently mentioned for how e-Learning differs globally included:

* Learner's Background: experience, skills, professional and personal
roles
* Learner's Preferences: learning styles, motivation...context
* Communication style
* Educational Experience: rote memory, clear-cut lesson plans vs. one
which encouraged questions, controversy and debate
* Social Needs: team oriented vs. more a individualist approach
Environment: formal, tight structure vs. informal, interactive
* Corporate Culture and Values: the DNA of the organization itself

A summary of comments can be found at http://www.masie.com/trends/dna/

Upcoming MASIE Center Events:
- Learning Management System Special Interest Group (SIG) - Las Vegas - March 8 and 9, 2004
- Virtual Classroom/Collaboration Special Interest Group (SIG) - Las Vegas - March 10 and 11, 2004
- e-Learning Skills LAB - Saratoga Springs, NY - Next Week
Info and registration: http://www.masie.com

272 - Does Learning "DNA" Differ Around the World? & Small Cameras in Classrooms!

TRENDS by Elliott Masie -- February 10, 2004 #272-Updates on Learning, eLearning and Training
46,975 Readers - The MASIE Center - www.masie.com

1. Does Learning "DNA" Differ Around the World?
2. Small Cameras in Classrooms!
3. MASIE Skills Lab Has 7 Spaces Open

1. Does Learning "DNA" Differ Around the World?: I am in London this morning, at a meeting of our e-Learning CONSORTIUM. There is a hot dialogue going on this morning about how e-Learning differs in various regions of the world. Reports from Brazil, Japan, England and the U.S.
seem to indicate that learners might bring a sort of "Learner DNA" to the task of e-Learning. This may be based on how their education system is organized, the verbal traditions in their culture and the assumptions about interaction in each region. I said that I would add comments from TRENDS readers to our conversation. Send me a quick note to emasie@msaie.com and I will share our findings back out next week.

2. Small Cameras in Classrooms!: Make an investment in a small, $1,000 camera mounted on the wall in the back of your classrooms. These can be controlled by ethernet and can be leveraged for both real time stremaing of events and/or capturing of the proceedings to be used as e-Learning content in the future. We have added these to our rooms at the Center and find we can easily capture (without disruption) an event at the drop of a hat.

3. MASIE Skills Lab Has 7 Spaces Open: There are only 7 spaces left in our popular e-Learning Skills LAB to be held in Saratoga Springs, NY on February 23 - 25th. This is a very hands-on, interactive 3 day lab that focuses on the skills for deploying e-Learning in medium and large organizations. Complete information at http://www.masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events:
* BizLearn: Business of Learning (Baltimore)
* LMS Special Interest Group SIG (Las Vegas)
* Virtual Classroom/Collaboration SIG (Las Vegas)
* e-Learning Skills LAB (Saratoga)
* e-Learning Hispanica (Miami)
Info at: http://www.masie.com

3 Minute Survey on Learning Management Systems

TO: Learning and Training Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center
RE: 3 Minute Survey on Learning Management Systems

It is a good time to take a quick snapshot of how Learning Management Systems (LMS) are being deployed (or not deployed) in organizations. Take a few minutes to participate in our vendor-neutral survey on LMS (even if you do not have one). Just go to:

http://www.masie.com/survey/

The results will be compiled and published in TRENDS in the next ten days.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
The MASIE Center

Upcoming MASIE Center Events:
- Skills for e-Learning LAB
- Learning Management Systems SIG
- Virtual Classroom/Collaboration SIG
- BizLearn: The Business of Learning
Complete agendas and info: http://www.masie.com

271 - Virus Readiness and Training Report

TRENDS by Elliott Masie
#271-Updates on Learning, eLearning and Training
46,911 Readers - The MASIE Center - www.masie.com Host of: LMS and Virtual Classroom SIG Events in March

Virus Readiness and Training Report
By The MASIE Center Staff - February 2, 2004

According to ComputerWorld, computer virus attacks cost global businesses an estimated $55 billion in damages in 2003 and analysts say the number of attacks between January and June 2003 exceeded 70,000, which is about twice the rate for 2002. With almost one major virus attack every month in 2003, this year began just as it had ended �" with more incidents.
As a result of the last week’s Mydoom virus and its variants, one of the fastest-spreading viruses in history, the MASIE Center surveyed 44,000 TRENDS readers by asking the following 3 questions:

1. How are you teaching your employees about each new worm or virus?
2. Is this being done with "memo" or with an e-Learning module?
3. Are you doing any assessment to see how well people understand?

Nearly 60 organizations (many international) responded. The companies ranged from small to large, educational to governmental with the majority of responses and the trends cited in this report representing corporations.

According to ComputerWorld, computer virus attacks cost global businesses an estimated $55 billion in damages in 2003 and analysts say the number of attacks between January and June 2003 exceeded 70,000, which is about twice the rate for 2002. With almost one major virus attack every month in 2003, this year began just as it had ended �" with more incidents.

Training by Broadcast Messages
From the responses received, “teaching” employees about each new worm or virus is handled internally (by the Information Security or Information Technology department)) and happening overwhelmingly via email. Most companies also make use of the company portal (sometimes with a pop-up warning of the attack that you need to read NOW), post it on the company’s home page and/or send out a voice bulletin to all employees in combination with the emails �" all denoted with a sense of urgency. The email is sent either by the IS or the IT department and tends to be very directive in
nature: What is the problem? What should you look for? What to do/not do?
Next steps? Where to get more information? Who to call for questions?
etc.. Some emails even “forced” the person to install the latest virus protection.

An interesting comment mentioned treating a technological virus much like a biological virus: 1) system wide vaccination, 2) providing information concerning the needs for protection and describing the means of transmission, 3) methods of containing an infection and 4) providing follow-up care. And of course, “when in doubt, throw out!” Virus hoaxes were also mentioned as a nuisance and growing concern.

Key Protection
While some felt that every attack was an opportunity for training and that it was a good idea (an e-Learning module in particular), many felt that emails and infrastructure blockades (files, filters, anti-virus protection
etc.) were sufficient and were doing their job IF properly installed and procedures were followed. Timely communication is, of course, the real key
- more like “real time learning.”

One Best Practice mentioned several times considers teaching staff about virus/worms (Security 101) by implementing a series of education "awareness" briefings on Information Security (45 minute presentations via classroom and webcasts.) The content is overall Security, virus/worms in particular and each employee's role in the process/cycle. An interesting part is that the session is conducted by the CIO, who reports to the CEO, and that it is the CEO who sends the message to employees strongly urging each to attend the sessions and take the follow-up detailed self-paced training. Thus by involving both executives, the level of importance/urgency is made known to all.

Opportunities for Zero-Tolerance
No organization mentioned currently conducting assessments (except by possibly having the Help Desk monitor the situation) so perhaps this is the biggest area for opportunity �" the follow-up care for the next time.
Also the need to be able to communicate in many ways to field personnel who use PocketPC’s, wireless phones and other such devices as e-mails are not sufficient any more in these days of decentralized, remote and unwired operations and personnel.

From all indications, e-Learning modules for educating employees would be a bonus, but organizations with anti-virus software at the e-mail gateway, well-documented and adhered-to business and employee practices and procedures, and rapid-responding communications should be able to stop any virus from spreading. But employees don’t always understand the procedures and the repercussions of not following them, so as an industry, this is our “teachable moment” and window of opportunity as just one virus or worm that gets through, is one (or two if you consider replication) too many!

Upcoming MASIE Center Events: http://www.masie.com LMS SIG and Virtual Classroom SIG - March in Las Vegas BizLearn 2004 - April in Baltimore e-Learning Skills LAB - February in Saratoga Springs e-Learning Briefing - February in London

PS: Here are just a few of the companies that responded to our instant
survey:

American Airlines
Achieve Global
Aspen Tech
Berlitz
Brownstone Publishers
Cognistar
Commercial Federal Bank
Concord Consortium
ConocoPhillips
Consumers' Co-operative Refineries Ltd.
CORGI Group
CUNA Mutual Group
Eaton Consulting Group
Experian
Fireman’s Fund
Fleet Boston
FlyTrap interactive.com
Freddie Mac
H-E-B
Intel
Intermedia Design
International Comfort Products
IRS
J. Farrington Consulting
KunskapsSystem AB
Littler Mendelson
LogicaCMG
LSILogic
Lucent Technologies
Michigan Department of Labor Economic and Growth MicroPower New Zealand Child, Youth and Family Service NYATEP OraKnowledge, Inc.
NTL
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Perforus
Perkins Coie
Property Casualty Insurers
Prudential
RELATE Corporation
Schreiber Foods
Schuylerville Central School
Sensei Associates Inc.
Siemens
Staples, Inc.
State Farm
State of North Dakota
The Northern Trust
UNICEF
United Airlines
Watson Wyatt
Wendy's International
West Mercia Constabulary
Weyerhaeuser
Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering
Wisconsin Department of Transportation