433 - LMS Reconsiderations and 24 Hour Development Cycles

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 28, 2007.
#433 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,378 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. Why People LEAVE or SWITCH an LMS?
2. A 24 Hour Development Experience.

1. Why People LEAVE or SWITCH an LMS? The MASIE Center has been tracking the reasons why organizations are leaving (or switching) a Learning System (LMS or LCMS). Here are five big factors that are driving LMS/LCMS
reconsideration:

LMS Switch Due to Changing Content Models:
* Expanding from Formal to More Informal Content.
* Moving from Single Source to Wider Content Creation.
* More Content in Blended Formats.
* Globalization and Localization Requirements.

LMS Switch Due to Changing Learner Populations:
* Employees, Customers, Channel.
* Global and Worldwide Language Requirements.
* More Self-Service Assumptions.
* From Single Business Unit to Enterprise Deployment.

LMS Switch Due to Changing Business Processes:
* Compliance, Compliance and Compliance Requirements.
* Integration with Talent Management (Competencies, Performance, Retention).
* Complex Content Approval Workflows.

LMS Switch Due to Changing Learning Governance and IT Models:
* Outsourcing.
* Shared Learning Services.
* Growth of Web 2.0 and Web Services.

LMS Switch Due to Changing Marketplace:
* Mergers and Acquisitions.
* Move to Hosted and Web Services Models.
* Consideration of Partial Open Source.
* Technology Platform Pressures (New vs. Legacy).

These factors play key and varied roles in the LMS/LCMS reconsideration process.

You are invited to join several hundred fellow learning professionals at our LMS 2007 - Learning Systems User Group event in Las Vegas on April 12 and 13th. http://www.lms2007.com

2. A 24 Hour Development Experience: I've been having an interesting "Flatter World" development and learning experience over the past two months. We are about to role out a new community website for our Learning CONSORTIUM. I added a full time programmer, Brijesh, who works for The MASIE Center from Ahmedabad, the financial capital of the state of Gujarat in India.

Every night at about 11 pm in New York time, Brijesh and I spend a half hour working on this project. Then, I head to sleep and he digs in. The next morning at 7 am, he joins me in a video conference by Skype from either my living room or the coffee/bagel shop in Saratoga Springs. It is a 24 hour development process, passing the work back to us and then our team continues in our daytime. Our "bookend" conversations have been fascinating global expereinces, as we learn from each other. The use of video conferencing, whiteboards and shared collaboration space has made this an intriguing learning adventure for me and our team. The most challenging elements have been to explain the process to my wife and to figure out whether to say good morning or good evening.

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* Performance Support LAB & Seminar: April 25-27 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* LMS 2007: April 12-13 - Las Vegas, NV.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar: May 9-11 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Learning 2007: Oct 21-24 - Orlando, FL.
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

432 - DIY: Do It Yourself Trends; LMS and Web 2.0; Trainer's Tip

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 26, 2007.
#432 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,365 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. DIY! Do It Yourself Computing & Learning Trends.
2. LMS 2007: Web 2.0 Challenges Content Assumptions.
3. Trainer's Tip: Ask Them How They Learn!
4. PodCast: Bill Byron Concevitch on Counter-Intuitive Selling

1. DIY! Do It Yourself Computing & Learning Trends: Do It Yourself is a term that is often applied to home repair and projects. Yet, it is also quite appropriate to use it as a descriptor of a significant change in the world of computing and learning.

A recent article by Dion Hinchcliffe in ZD Net has been provoking my
thinking:

"The idea of DIY (Do It Yourself) is to get developers and IT departments out of the demand loop and letting users self-service themselves. Like spreadsheets and desktop databases have been used for years by end users to build simple apps, with the rise of reusable, portable Web parts and feeds allows the assembly of an entire spectrum of Web apps that don't require true software development skills. Given the right tools that guide users down the right paths (palettes of pre-tested, approved parts, built-in security, versioning and configuration management), DIY might become a major force for leveraging the largely untapped The Long Tail of software demand, instead of becoming a giant support headache for public Web companies and internal IT departments. Let's enable end-users to create enterprise mashups out of the widgets, badges, gadgets, and open Web services increasingly available on Web sites and from major software vendors like Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and many others."

In the same way, we can imagine what Content Widgets might add to the creation of learning assets. As DIY evolves for Computing and Web Use, there WILL be a parallel development of Do It Yourself Content creation.
Here is the link to the ZD Net Article and I would love to hear your comments by email to emasie@masie.com -
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Hinchcliffe/?p=81&tag=nl.e622

2. LMS 2007: Web 2.0 Challenges Content Assumptions. Our LMS 2007 (Learning Systems User Group) will also tackle the challenge and future addressed in the first element of today's TRENDS. The power of Web 2.0 creates both an opportunity and significant challenge to how we assemble and distribute content. Are our Learning Management Systems and Learning Content Management Systems ready for broad scale content creation and Do It Yourself content assembly? Join several hundred of your colleagues at LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 in Las Vegas. (Featuring: Cushing Anderson, Malcolm Gladwell and Nigel Paine). Information at http://www.lms2007.com

3. Trainer's Tip: Ask Them How They Learn! One of my favorite questions to ask learners attending a classroom based program is:

"How do you learn?"

Ask the question and be quiet for a full minute. Just listen and they will tell you an incredible amount about how to help them succeed as learners.

4. PodCast: Bill Byron Concevitch on Counter-Intuitive Selling. I recently interviewed Bill about his new book, Counter-Intuitive Selling: Mastering the Art of the Unexpected, which focuses on a very different model of how organizations can approach the selling and marketing process. Bill is a long-time leader in the learning field and you will find his book and interview to be thought provoking. PodCast and Transcript at http://www.learningwiki.com/concevitch

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* Performance Support LAB & Seminar: April 25-27 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* LMS 2007: April 12-13 - Las Vegas, NV.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar: May 9-11 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Learning 2007: Oct 21-24 - Orlando, FL.
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

MASIE Center Presents: Performance Support LAB

TO: Learning Colleagues
FROM: The MASIE Center

You are invited to participate:

Performance Support LAB & Seminar
"Learning at the Moment of Need"
April 25 to 27, 2007
MASIE Center Learning LAB
Saratoga Springs, NY USA

We are honored to offer this event, taught by two of the leaders in the world of performance support:

Conrad Gottfredson and Bob Mosher

There are times when formal training and learning are NOT the right solution. This is a new and highly interactive three-day, hands-on "deep dive" into the world of Digital and Paper-based Performance Support. Let's leverage the world of the web, emerging models of knowledge sharing and dramatically changing pressure for speed-to-competency!

Space is limited to 40 learning professionals. Complete information at http://pslab.masie.com

Register early. Any questions, please contact info@masie.com


Other MASIE Center Programs:
* LMS 2007 - Learning Systems User Group - April 12-13, Las Vegas
* Extreme Learning LAB - May 9-11, Saratoga Springs, NY
* Learning 2007 - October 21-24, Orlando
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM
Info at: http://www.masie.com

431 - A Funeral and Blizzard.

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 14, 2007.
#431 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,357 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. A Funeral and A Blizzard.

Dear Trends Readers,

It is a tender and tough two days for us in Saratoga Springs.

My father-in-law, Ed DiMiceli, passed away on Saturday. Many TRENDS readers met Ed, Cathy and AnneMarie's father, when we drafted him to work as a "volunteer" to work at our conferences.

Ed was a lifelong educator, working in schools as a teacher and administrator. He and I would often talk about the links between education in the K-12 sector and the corporate training field. I remember his thought about how teachers think about in-service education:

"Avoid teaching "new" education theories to experienced teachers! Give them two ideas that they can use in the classroom tomorrow and they will become better teachers. Better yet, let them hear the ideas from each other rather than an admininstrator. Trusted tips work best!"

I smiled when I saw that the funeral home had gone interactive with their listings. His obituary is now online with an interactive guest book:
http://www.burkefuneralhome.com/guestbook-view.asp?id=1138

One other irony at this time of sadness for our family is the snow blizzard that is happening right now in Saratoga Springs. As the head of a school district in Upstate New York, Ed was obsessed with snow. He would monitor the weather to decide if schools should be closed. So, he is now smiling down at the blizzard that is visiting our city on the same days as his Viewing and Funeral.

On this Valentine's Day, we remember Ed with great fondness and love. His wife, Diane, and his children, Cathy, AnneMarie, Eric and Brian, have lost a wonderful father and husband. And, I have lost a wise advisor and low-cost volunteer worker at our Learning Conferences.

Life is short and fragile. Let us always live it with gusto and learning!

The MASIE Center will be closed on Thursday in honor of Ed DiMiceli.

Elliott Masie
emasie@masie.com

430 - Changing Content and LMS; PhD Program for CLOs

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 8, 2007.
#430 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,345 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. Wharton PhDs for CLOs and Learning Executives.
2. No More Passwords - Time for a Keychain!
3. LMS Challenge: Content Revolution.
4. Classroom Without Chairs.

1. Wharton PhDs for CLOs and Learning Executives: I have the honor of sitting on the Board of Advisors for a new PhD and Masters Program for Learning Leaders (CLOs and others) that has just launched as a collaboration of Wharton and University of Pennsylvania. "The Executive Program in Work-Based Learning Leadership" is a tough, rigorous and innovative program that has almost 20 senior leaders as students in the first "cohort". Fellow members of the Board include two of the first CLOs in the country, Steve Kerr and Bill Wiggenhorn, as well as senior learning executives from Home Depot, IBM and MTV.

The candidates are from a wide range of companies, including the CLO of JetBlue (Mike Barger) and other major organizations. Over the coming years, this program has the potential to both increase the research base of learning as a business force as well as prepare the next generation of learning leaders. More info:
http://executiveeducation.wharton.upenn.edu/clo.cfm

2. No More Passwords - Time for a Keychain! It is time for us to stop the password craziness. Not only is it hard to remember your dozens of passwords, it is also not very secure. A modest alternative is to use a plug-in USB key that would validate who we are at that computer. The key could add biometric validation such as a fingerprint or could have a one instance password. The fewer passwords that are sent in the open space of the internet the better and this could go a long way in reducing spam and scams.

One thought would be to add a small piece of memory on this keychain to include each person's medical records. I was recently in an emergency room with a relative where a keychain with a visual of a historical X-Ray would have saved time, money and worry.

3. LMS Challenge - Content Revolution: As we prepare for LMS 2007, which already has almost 200 colleagues registered, we have been surveying major organizations about their key challenges in deploying Learning Systems.

The changing nature of content is a key challenge! We are tracking the following changes in content formats:

* A smaller percentage of content is branched e-Learning.
* A larger percentage of content is shorter more user navigated modules of documents.
* PDFs are evolving as the primary file format accessed by users in many settings.
* PodCasts are quite difficult to integrate into many LMS tracking systems.
* Users are wanting to see the ratings of specific content choices by colleagues within their companies who have similar positions.
* Content is being developed by more people, fewer instructional designers and leveraging non-instructional documents with greater frequency.

The challenge of changing content is a major opportunity and nightmare for LMS Deployments. We will be talking about this trend with key suggestions from your peers about how to address new content models. Come join us at LMS 2007 in Las Vegas on April 12 and 13. Info at http://www.lms2007.com

4. Classroom Without Chairs: A senior executive in Washington recently told me about a class that he runs with new managers that does not have any chairs in the room. It is a 90-minute stand-up class in a room with 4 walls covered with whiteboards and everyone holding a marker. It is a wild and innovative format. I am interested if anyone else has experimented with removing the chairs from their classes. Write to me at emasie@masie.com

Check Out our New Website: http://www.masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events:
* LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13, Las Vegas.
* Learning 2007 - Oct 21 to 24, Orlando.
* Extreme Learning LAB - May 9 to 11, Saratoga Springs.
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM.
Complete info at http://www.masie.com

429 - Ning - Build Your Own Social Network; LMS Tune=Up

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 2, 2007.
#429 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,321 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. Ning - Build Your Own Social Network.
2. New MASIE Center Site Beta.
3. Take Your LMS for a Tune Up.

1. Ning - Build Your Own Social Network: I am impressed with the new and free Social Networking capacity building system, Ning. You can create your own social network, make it open or closed, and easily add/delete/create the features you desire. These can include forums, blogs, member data bases, You Tube type video and more. What is most interesting is their approach to an "Open Source" model. You can see and clone any development done by another Ning site. I would be interested in asking a number of our TRENDS readers to build course/class models on Ning. Access the site at http://www.ning.com and then send me a link to your site. We'll publish these in a future TRENDS. This is great example of Web 2.0 design.

2. New MASIE Center Site: Talking about design and Open Source, we have just launched the beta version of a new MASIE Center web site. Built on the Joomla platform, an Open Source Content Management System, our test site will contain an ever evolving set of functions, content and experimentation. As we experiment with new learning technologies in our LAB, we will add these to the site. Check it out at http://www.masie.com

3. LMS Tune Up: The theme of our LMS 2007 Learning Systems User Group is "Take Your LMS for a Tune-Up". We have already had over 150 learning colleagues register early for this event. This vendor-neutral User Group will take place in Las Vegas on April 12 & 13. I am pleased to announce that Nigel Paine, the former CLO at BBC, will be joining us as a special keynote and resource host. Complete information at http://www.lms2007.com

Upcoming MASIE Events & Services:
- Learning 2007: Oct 21-24 - Orlando.
- LMS 2007: April 12-12 - Las Vegas.
- Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar - May 9-11 - Saratoga Springs, NY Complete information at http://www.masie.com