586 - CNN Action Video Lab at Learning 2009, Innovation Article, Smokers in the Classroom?

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - July 30, 2009.
#586 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,774 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host - Learning 2009 - Nov 8-11 - Orlando, Florida

1. CNN to Host Video Action Lab at Learning 2009!
2. “Platforms for Collaboration” - Innovation Article.
3. Old Memory: Smokers on the Right Side of the Room.

1. CNN to Host Video Action Lab at Learning 2009! We are honored to have CNN host a special “Video Action Lab” at Learning 2009. To demonstrate the ability of rapidly utilizing “User Video” for learning and support, we will provide cameras and coaching to a group of participants at Learning 2009. Over several days, led by Ben Coyte (CNN’s Newsgathering Training Supervisor), they will hone their skills as they shoot and edit targeted video clips that could be used in their organizations. Yes: video can be quick, simple, low-cost and effective!

In addition, we will deeply explore the changing expectations of learners for the use of video in their learning process. Updates for Learning 2009 can be found at: http://www.learning2009.com

2. “Platforms for Collaboration” - Innovation Article. Here is an article that focuses on three types of Collaboration Platforms: Exploration, Experimentation and Execution. As organizations leverage collaboration, how do their objectives shape the format and style of the process? Written by By Satish Nambisan from RPI for the Stanford Social Innovation Review, it’s worth a read. Download the article at http://www.ssireview.org/images/articles/2009SU_Feature_Nambisan.pdf

3. Old Memory - Smokers on the Right Side of the Room?: I was with a group of colleagues that I have known for over 25 years this past weekend. We were reminiscing about training challenges from decades ago. One that I brought up was how to handle smokers and non-smokers in a classroom. Yes, smoking was allowed in offices and classrooms at that time. So, the decision was do you create a Smokers’ Table in the classroom or have people integrated throughout? And, if you had a Smokers’ Table (or side of the room), were you fostering an In Group/Out Group in the program? It was actually quite a challenge and design decision in those days.

Elliott Masie
Contact: emasie@masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Services & Events:
* Learning 2009: Nov 8 to 11 - Orlando, FL
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM (Over 240 Fortune 1000 Organizations)
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com
Follow Our Twitter Feeds: http://www.twitter.com/emasie

585 - On-The-Job Training, 10 Ways Sessions & Disruptive Learning Technologies

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - July 23, 2009.
#585 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,769 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host - Learning 2009 - Nov 8-11 - Orlando, Florida

1. On-the-Job Training - A Second Look.
2. “Disruptive Learning Technologies” by Tony O’Driscoll at Learning 2009.
3. 10 Ways Sessions - 5 Minutes on 10 Strategies!

1. On-the-Job Training - A Second Look: I was interviewed this week by a journalist from London who asked what my current “Rant” was about Learning. My answer surprised me: “On-The-Job Training!” The phrase OJT was used extensively for decades but has sort of fallen off the learning and training radar screen. Yet, when you ask a dozen workers in almost any organization about how they learned their job - most will point to On-The-Job Training. If we define OJT in the broadest sense, it might include all of e-Learning and Performer Support technology. But, zoom in a bit and think of the process of one worker teaching another worker how to do a task in the workplace, and we still have a huge chunk of learning activity. Ironically, most organizations don’t deeply focus on how to make On-The-Job Training (or Learning) more effective. I believe that the learning field needs to “re-appreciate” the importance of OJT in several ways:

* Training Managers: Let’s train our managers in how to best leverage OJT - from techniques to time allocation.
* Job Descriptions: Let’s put OJT into the Job Descriptions of many of our workers - so that they see time spent on training peers as a legitimate and appreciated part of their roles.
* Blended OJT: Let’s explore how to best combine e-Learning with OJT.
* OJT Lesson Plans and Support Tools: Let’s develop highly specific “road-maps” of content and context to use in OJT.
* OJT 2.0: It will be fun to develop a new and future-facing view of OJT that includes Social Learning, Performer Support and more.
* Researching Best Practices in OJT: It is time for the learning field to take a fresh look at best practices and evidence-based research on the use of OJT.

I would love to hear from Learning TRENDS readers about the topic of OJT. Send a note to emasie@masie.com

2. “Disruptive Learning Technologies” by Tony O’Driscoll at Learning 2009: One of our most popular keynoters from last year’s Learning conference was Tony O’Driscoll. Tony is on the faculty at Duke University and is a great thinker on the “Disruptive” (eg. Good and Bad) nature of technologies for learning. He has been exploring the impact of 3D, Virtual and other Social Media. We are pleased to announce that Tony will be featured in creative “blended/virtual” keynote segment at Learning 2009. Tony and I will explore the reality, hype and organizational implications for a range of Disruptive Learning Technologies. Registration at http://www.learning2009.com

3. 10 Ways Sessions - 5 Minutes on 10 Strategies! We have been experimenting with a format for high intensity and high utility agendas for face-to-face training: 10 Ways Sessions! These are scheduled for one hour (or at most 90 minutes) and are all targeted at workable “ways”. For example, a one hour session for managers in your organization could be organized called “10 Ways to Engage Teleworkers”. The facilitator reaches out to find 2, 5 or even 10 different folks that will each lead a rapid-fire 5 minute segment on a “way”. It is timed, moves along and often asks the participants to add the last 1 or two “ways”. I have been using this technique on webinars and video conference events as well. In fact, at Learning 2009, we are presenting a range of “10 Ways” sessions including:

* Ten Ways to Increase Learning Efficiency
* Ten Ways to Market Learning
* Ten Ways to Make Learning More Global “Ready”
* Ten Ways to Revise and Reframe Leadership Development
* Ten Ways to Improve Search Skills/Results
* Ten Ways to Increase Content ReUse

A few tips to facilitators and designers: Add a visible count-down timer, sequence the “ways” carefully, focus on action steps (less on theory) and have a shared set of follow-on resources, links and assets.

Elliott Masie
Contact: emasie@masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Services & Events:
* Learning 2009: Nov 8 to 11 - Orlando, FL
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM (Over 240 Fortune 1000 Organizations)
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com

584 - How-To Videos Abound, Tablet Factors, Learning Agility

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - July 15, 2009.
#584 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,766 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host - Learning 2009 - Nov 8-11 - Orlando, Florida

1. How-To Videos Abound!
2. Tablet Form Factors & Learning?
3. Learning Agility, Value Pricing & No Risk.

1. How-To Videos Abound! There is a significant growth happening in the use of short instructional videos. Imagine a 3-minute video that describes how to get the travel voucher approved or how to clean your BBQ grill. We are tracking the interest in and deployment of these “How-To” learning objects, in and outside of the Enterprise. You can visit a number of websites that are aggregating (and sometimes producing) short instructional videos:

http://www.howcast.com (high volume site)
http://www.wonderhowto.com (growing site)
http://www.clipchef.com (cooking example)

Some of these, like HowCast, are produced with an attitude and “edge”, and a standard instructional format. Others are more free form. Either way, the usage of and participation in these sites is growing rapidly. People want to get short bursts of high-value instruction on a wide range of topics.

In the organizational world, I am seeing similar projects. One learning colleague added a site called “WorkAround” to his intranet to show people how to get around rule jams in his organization. Another colleague has added a user-rated “How-To” site to their mix of learning resources.

These videos are being produced without a lot of “Hollywood” and are valuable because they are “grassroots”. Do an experiment in your organization and you will be shocked. Try this sample out - “How To Shop For a Digital Camera”:

http://www.howcast.com/videos/207867-How-To-Buy-a-Digital-Camera

2. Tablet Form Factors & Learning? A short TREND Prediction: Watch the rise of tablet and netbook size form factors for computers that will be used by your learners. Tablets with touch may be released by Apple later this year - also prompting Tablet-like Apps. Start a conversation with your designers about how they may adapt to the smaller screen size and begin to leverage the functions of netbooks and tablets.

3. Learning Agility, Value Pricing & No Risk: Learning 2009 is growing with great excitement. We have over 400 people already registered for our annual event (Nov 8 to 11 - Orlando). Here are a few updates:

* Learning Agility - We have added a special Theme on Learning Agility: Organizational Learning Agility, Learner Agility and Learning Technology Agility. We will present research and applications on this key topic.
* Value Pricing: With constrained and reduced learning budgets in many organizations, we have reduced all of the fees for Learning 2009 to be less than our 2008 Rates.
* No Risk! In addition, since anything can happen in UnCertain Times, we have eliminated all Cancellation Charges.
* Free Learning 2009 Online Academy - This is new follow-up online course, for Learning 2009 attendees only, taught by our Faculty from November to March!

The Learning 2009 site is now updated and live. Check out the range of activities, including a very low-cost post-conference Cruise. Go to http://www.learning2009.com

Elliott Masie
Contact: emasie@masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Services & Events:
* Learning 2009: Nov 8 to 11 - Orlando, FL
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM (Over 240 Fortune 1000 Organizations)
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com

583 - Learning Budgets, White House Input, Miss Matzo Arrives, Learning Challenges

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - July 1, 2009.
#583 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,756 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host - Learning 2009 - Nov 8-11 - Orlando, Florida

1. Learning Budgets & Resources Barometer: Please Participate!
2. White House Request: Open Government Ideas
3. Bring Your Challenge to Learning 2009
4. Miss Matzo: New Horse in Training
5. Learning Leaders Fieldbook: Download and Share.

1. Learning Budgets & Resources Barometer - Please Participate! Every three months, The MASIE Center is surveying learning professionals around the world about shifts in their Learning Budgets and Learning Resources. We will publish the results in one week. Would you please take 5 minutes to respond to this important anonymous survey?

http://www.masie.com/survey/barometer2

2. White House Request - Open Government Ideas: As part of an experiment in citizen engagement, The White House is asking for input via a “rated wiki” on an Open Government Initiative. President Obama issued a Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government in which he called for recommendations on making the government more transparent, participatory and collaborative. The White House Open Government Initiative is crafting these recommendations in an open fashion with your input. They are asking for draft recommendations that translate good ideas and lofty principles into specific actions that can be taken to achieve open government.

If you would like to participate in or just view the nature of this experiment in “collaborative policy drafting”, go to http://mixedink.com/OpenGov

3. Bring Your Challenge to Learning 2009: We are adding an interesting new activity to our Learning 2009 event in November:

“Bring Your Learning Challenge to Learning 2009”

If your organization would like to get ideas, feedback and perspectives on a major learning challenge that you are facing, we will schedule a one-hour session - with select peers - to provide high-impact input. If you have a challenge that you would like to add to our agenda, please contact Brooke at brooke@masie.com

4. Miss Matzo: New Horse in Training: As many of your know, we own MASIE Stable, which races a few thoroughbred horses. It is fascinating to watch their development and see the parallels to our world of training and learning. We just acquired a new horse and named her Miss Matzo. She is a two-year-old and will race in Saratoga in just a few weeks. I took my video camera to the track one of the first mornings that she worked out. If you would like to watch a view of her as she exercises and then visits a horse spa, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYqq2i7IaDI

5. Learning Leaders Fieldbook: Download and Share! We have had tens of thousands of colleagues download and share our latest free e-Book, the Learning Leaders Fieldbook. To get your copy, just go to http://www.masie.com/fieldbook

Have a safe and healthy July 4th Weekend!

Elliott Masie
Contact: emasie@masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Services & Events:
* Learning 2009: Nov 8 to 11 - Orlando, FL
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM (Over 240 Fortune 1000 Organizations)
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com