382 - SkyScout, Trends for CEOs, Presentation Performance Support

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 21, 2006.
#382 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
52,193 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com

1. SkyScout - Stars, GPS & Learning - Gadget For Elliott!
2. Presentation Performance Support.
3. CEOs Respond to 4 TRENDS.
4. LMS 2006 Adds 2 More Hotels.

1. SkyScout - Stars, GPS & Learning: The SkyScout, which will be released later this year, is a learning tool that I must have! You point this small handheld scope to the sky. It has a GPS which tells you with text or audio about the exact stars that you are viewing. It will cost about $400 and is on my birthday gift list. (Are you reading this, Mrs. Masie?) Check it out at:

http://www.celestron.com/skyscout/new/index.php

Watch for more of these educational tools to combine GPS, content and learning.

2. Presentation Performance Support: While I am not a big fan of long PowerPoints, I have been impressed with new products that are assisting the Presenter/Trainer in making their presentations. The latest is Ovation from Serious Magic. I downloaded the demo last night and found a performance support tool for a presentation. Using the 2 screen feature in Windows, it gives the presenter a private view with current and future slides, a scrolling teletype of notes and a countdown clock for each slide and the remaining time in the presentation. It also allows for random access to key slides based on audience questions. And, it has a drill down option for greater depth on a slide and a variety of templates. You can get a free demo at: http://www.seriousmagic.com

3. CEOs Respond to 4 TRENDS: This weekend I presented a speech to several hundred CEOs of energy and communication companies. The topic was "4 Trends To Watch". They all connected back to learning, knowledge and performance. The response from the CEOs was quite powerful and launched a good many dialogues about the future of learning and technology in their organizations. Here is the quick list:

* Self-Service: Employees and customers are moving rapidly towards a comfort and even assumption of self-service for transactions.
* Search vs. Menu: Fewer websites are being accessed via a click from a menu and more from a free text search process.
* Media Timeshifting: Increased use of TIVO and Digital Recorders at home are leading to an expectation of the ability to timeshift most media watching.
* Peer Validated Knowledge: People are increasingly balancing expert knowledge with peer validation and ratings.

4. LMS 2006 Adds 2 More Hotels: We are delighted to announce that the registration for our new LMS 2006 User Group (April 6-7, Las Vegas) event is exceeding our expectations. With rooms almost filled at the conference hotel, we have added two additional nearby hotels in Las Vegas. There are now 23 LMS Suppliers as key sponsors of this first multi-vendor LMS User Group. Please register soon to avoid being closed out! Information at http://www.lms2006.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services:
* Membership in the Learning CONSORTIUM.
* LMS 2006 - April 6 and 7, 2006 - Las Vegas.
* Learning 2006 - November 5-8 - Orlando.
Information and registration at http://www.masie.com

381 - LMS Expectations Rise, Learning Scouts, Squidoo

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 13, 2006.
#381 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
52,174 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com

1. Appoint 5 Learning Scouts.
2. Squidoo - A Custom Place.
3. LMS Expectations Rise.

1. Appoint 5 Learning Scouts: Every learning executive should appoint at least 5 Scouts. A Learning Scout is a team member who has the intentional mission of keeping you up to date on an area and providing a unique perspective. Here are five suggestions of Scouts to recruit from your employee base:

* Youngest Generation: Find a "youth" in your workforce and make them a scout. Ask them to keep you up to date on how they (and their friends) collaborate digitally, learn things, read books (if they do), approach their careers and view your learning offerings.

* Retiring Generation: Go to the other end of the generational scale and appoint a person about to retire in the next year. Ask them the same questions plus how they would like to be involved in the knowledge transfer of what they have learned over their careers. Warning: they may be way more digital than you assume.

* Global Scout: Find one person who does not work in the home country of your company and ask them to give you on-going perspectives about learning from their point of view. Check to see if they are feeling like a 2nd or 3rd "world" member of your knowledge team.

* Tech Scout: Find one or more folks to monitor emerging trends in technology. I have a scout who tracks changes in DVD standards. Another one is a gamer with challenging views about information transfer. I have asked one person to be my scout about changes in RSS feeds and Social Networks. Some of your best tech scouts do not work in the IT department!

* Faith Scout: Find one person who is deeply religious or spiritual in your organization. Ask them about the connection between their belief systems and learning/training offerings. Explore the role that their faith has in workplace conversations.

Scouts aren't formal job descriptions. And, they don't have to report to you. They are another set of eyes, ears and souls in the organization.
Take them to lunch once a quarter. Ask them to send you an occasional email. Good executives need great scouts!

2. Squidoo: Seth Godin is one of the brightest people in the world of the internet. He has launched a very cool and impressive new site called http://www.squidoo.com "Find hand-built, recommended, relevant information fast" is the tag line. Check it out. Imagine each of your subject matter experts having a Squidoo.

3. LMS Expectations Rise: As we ramp up for our LMS 2006 User Group, we are detecting an increased pressure on Learning Management Systems implementations. The attendees for the upcoming event are reporting:
* Compliance Pressure - Use of the LMS as a core Compliance Management Tool.
* Retention of Talent Pressure - Requests to have the LMS as an "engine"
that drives increased retention of talent.
* Meaningful Metrics Pressure - Need for greater linkage with business metrics to yield measures of the impact of learning on performance rather than consumption.
* Informal Content Pressure - As more content is shifting to informal formats, the LMS needs to be re-tuned to authentically deal with a wider continuum of knowledge models.
* Governance Pressure - Registered participants are reporting significant changes in LMS and LCMS governance and decision models.

Space is limited at the LMS 2006 User Group event, to be held in Las Vegas, April 6 and 7. Registration includes the LMS 2006 Yearbook.
Information at http://www.lms2006.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* LMS 2006 - April 6 and 7, 2006 - Las Vegas.
* Extreme Learning Lab & Seminar - April 19-21 - Saratoga Springs.
* Learning 2006 - November 5-8 - Orlando.
* Membership in the Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information and registration at http://www.masie.com

380 - Pandemic (Bird Flu) - Learning Readiness Plans

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 10, 2006.
#380 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
52,165 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com

Special Note: Pandemic (Bird Flu) and Learning Readiness

There is growing concern about the impact of a Pandemic (Bird Flu) outbreak and the impact on business and society. The MASIE Center is launching a "Readiness Conversation" amongst learning professionals to share resources and launch a number of projects.

Impacts could include disruption of travel, global market changes and employee distraction. What should our organizations be doing to prepare and create a readiness plan? What is the role of learning departments in this readiness planning? Can organizations share resources and create free e-Learning modules to use if this tragedy hits?

We are creating an open Wiki focused on Pandemic Bird Flu Learning Readiness. We have added some key links to resource sites:

Go to http://www.learningwiki.com/pandemic

We look forward to working with a wide range of NGO and other organizations on these projects. Hopefully, the Pandemic will not occur, yet preparation is important.

Feel free to contact me at emasie@masie.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* LMS 2006 - April 6 and 7, 2006 - Las Vegas.
* Extreme Learning Lab & Seminar - April 19-21 - Saratoga Springs.
* Learning 2006 - November 5-8 - Orlando.
* Membership in Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information and registration at http://www.masie.com

379 - Update: Bono, Learning Tipping Point, Odd Times, LMS Governance

Update: Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 9, 2006.
#379 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
52,156 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com

1. e-Learning Regulations Evolving - A Tipping Point?
2. Dinner with Bono - Reflections on Commitment.
3. Tips for Trainers: Odd Times Are Remembered.
4. Learning Management System Governance.

1. e-Learning Regulations Evolving - A Tipping Point? The United States Congress is about to remove a restriction on distance education in higher education. This move can be seen as a "tipping point", reflecting the rates of acceptance of e-Learning on the campus (and society at large).

In 1992, Congress passed a regulation, called the 50% Rule, that prevented any college that enrolls more than half of their students from a distance or offers more than half their courses on-line, from participating in federal student aid programs. This rule was triggered by a rash of diploma mills and low quality correspondence courses.

But, much has changed as our field has evolved and mainstream colleges add e-Learning options for both campus based and remote students. There have been waivers already for institutions like Capella and Jones International. Watch for steady increases in e-Learning offerings and blended models at campuses throughout the U.S. There is still debate underway about the 50% Rule, but most expect Congress to eliminate this rule.

2. Dinner with Bono: Last Friday, my wife and I had the extreme honor of having dinner with Bono, the lead singer from U2. The event was hosted by the Center for Association Leadership. We talked with Bono about his passionate campaign to deal with key issues confronting Africa, including AIDS, Hunger and Debt Reduction. He is effectively leveraging his fame (including winning the Grammy Awards last night) to bring together leaders from every corner of society. There was a sentence he said to us that keeps ringing in my brain:

* "WHERE you are born should not predict IF you will live!" *

I would urge Learning TRENDS readers to explore Bono's website for his DATA organization. We are planning to volunteer our resources to add learning professionals to this effort. Go to http://www.data.org

3. Tips for Trainers: Odd Times Are Remembered: A simple tip is to re-start breaks at odd times. Rather than say "We will be back in 15 minutes at the quarter hour", try "We will be taking a 14 minute break and we'll start again at 2:14". It is amazing how learners take even break times and add a pad of 5 or 10 minutes. But, when you use an unusual length break and get very precise, people comply at a whole new level.
Plus, it is fun!

4. Learning Management System Governance: This is a key issue and often ignored in organizations. Companies investing in an LMS or LCMS must create a governance plan to effectively measure and manage the impact of these learning systems. All too often, the attention to the LMS by senior managers ends once the system goes "live" or is seen as an outsourced issue to the IT department. There is a dramatic difference between LMS installs that have strategic Governance Plans and those that don't. These plans should include:

* Representation from stakeholders including Talent Management, HR, Business Units, Compliance Officers, IT and Training/Learning Functions.
* Quarterly Review meetings that focus on Utilization, Yields, Velocity, Scalability, User Patterns and Reporting to Decision Makers.
* Switching the "metaphor" of the LMS from an Enterprise Database used to report learning consumption to an Enterprise Engine that drives both organizational and individual behaviors and actions.

LMS and LCMS Governance will be a big topic at our LMS 2006 User Group in Las Vegas on April 6 and 7. We have over 180 folks registered and 20 LMS companies as sponsors of this event already, and space is limited. For information go to http://www.lms2006.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* LMS 2006 - April 6 and 7, 2006 - Las Vegas.
* Extreme Learning Lab & Seminar - April 19-21 - Saratoga Springs.
* Learning 2006 - November 5-8 - Orlando.
* Membership in Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information and registration at http://www.masie.com

378 - Rapid On-Boarding; Talent Search at Masie Center

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 2, 2006.
#378 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
52,014 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com Learning 2006 - Nov
5-8 - Orlando - www.learning2006.com

1. Report from ASTD TechKnowledge: Design & Development Evolving.
2. Rapid On-Boarding Imperatives - Your Input.
3. Talent Search at The MASIE Center.

1. Report from ASTD TechKnowledge - Design & Development Evolving: I just returned from Denver, where I presented the Keynote at ASTD's TechKnowledge event. Here is a slice of the "buzz" from the participants and suppliers:

- Design and Development Tools Wanted - lots of demand and interest in tools that allow Subject Matter Experts and line managers to create and design e-Learning and knowledge modules and resources.
- Compliance Drivers - a great deal of current investments in e-Learning is being driven by compliance needs. In some organizations, compliance reflects over 60% of the learning efforts.
- Invitation Innovations - more creativity needed to find ways of inviting learners to participate in learning activities.
- Benchmarking Key - I made a major point in my keynote about the need for our field to do a lot more active benchmarking, with common metrics, between organizations. Both ASTD and The MASIE Center Learning CONSORTIUM are great places for this key activity.
- Career Shifts - a lot of conversation about new career models for our field, beyond trainer, instructional designer or learning manager.

2. Rapid On-Boarding Imperatives: We are hearing a lot about Rapid On-Boarding requirements of organizations. Learning professionals are struggling to find ways of adding staff rapidly to organizations and to do a better job of the process of adding new folks to the culture of the organization. This is way more complicated and subtle than a series of orientation sessions. For example, the role of "buddies" may be more powerful than formal mentors. Here is an interesting article from Harvard Business School on the topic:

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item.jhtml?id=4884&t=leadership

3. Talent Search at The MASIE Center: We are looking for 2 key people to join the staff of The MASIE Center and our Learning CONSORTIUM. As we expand the services and projects at our learning "thinktank," we are seeking some unique professionals who would love to work with our members on the future of learning. Send me a detailed note about your interests and background to emasie@masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services:
* Learning Management Systems 2006 - Las Vegas - April 6 and 7.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar - Saratoga Springs - April 19-21.
* Learning 2006 - Orlando - Nov 5 - 8.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com