614 - Consumer LCD/Plasma Screens in Learning Spaces

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 30, 2010.
#614 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,904 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning and Government - Special Forum in Washington, DC

Special Note: When Consumer LCD/Plasma Screens Become Affordable - Implications for Learning

We just bought two 55 to 58 inch High Definition LCD and Plasma screens for our classroom at The MASIE Center and only paid about $1,500 for each. The drop in price and growth in size and features of these display devices provides us with an interesting moment to think about re-formatting our learning spaces.

We built our building in 2001 and bought really fine 42” screens and high-powered projectors to give learners and trainers many options.  But, 9 years later, the technology was feeling old. So, off we went to our local stores and electronic centers to shop for replacements.

It is fascinating to see what our new 55”-58” television sets offer as “affordances” for learning:

* We have hooked up a new High Definition Video Conference system that allows us to have real telepresence at speeds up to 5 gigs of bandwidth.
* At the other end of the video spectrum, we now display our CLO, Jonathan Kayes, coming from his office in Virginia, via Skype, but displayed in full size with “good enough” video - and an amazing sense of presence.
* Multiple computers (Windows and Mac) are hooked up to the televisions via HDMI cables as well as old fashioned VGA.

The size of the monitors has moved us from reliance on projectors and, at this price point, we can create a very immersive environment with many monitors capable of displaying different or similar images.

We even had my colleague Jonathan participate in a 3-day class via desktop video as a continual presence and occasional co-teacher from a large screen in the corner of our classroom/lab space.

I am bringing one of these new screens into my office later this month and will use it for regular staff interactions as well as moments when I want to do video conferencing from my desk but have a full size colleague displayed.

I am always on the lookout for price and technology changes in the consumer marketplace that will have potential impacts on the learning environments in our organizations. The shift in costs and size of these new screens seems to be one of those moments.

Yours in Learning,
Elliott Masie
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Virtual Leadership: Skills for Leading Distributed Teams.
* Learning & Government Briefing.
* Video for Learning LAB & Seminar.
* Learning 2010 - Oct 24 to 27 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

613 - Government and Learning; Lawsuits Hit LMS Field Again.

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 29, 2010.
#613 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,895 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning and Government - Special Forum in Washington, DC

1. Learning & Government Briefing.
2. Law Suits Hit LMS Field - Sigh - Again!
3. Virtual Leadership Focus for Rising Leaders Programs.

1. Learning & Government Briefing: The learning field in government organizations is undergoing significant changes. From large retirement “bubbles” to stimulus funds flowing for learning oriented projects to changing models of learning delivery (video, mobile and distributed), we are tracking a high rate of change for both government learning departments and the suppliers that sell to the government. It even extends to new learning efforts that include courses and assets aimed at citizens as part of the Obama Administration’s IT 2.0 efforts. We are pleased to announce our 2nd annual Learning & Government one-day briefing, to be held in Washington, DC on May 3rd. Complete information and registration at http://www.masie.com

2. Law Suits Hit LMS Field - Sigh - Again! Sadly, I must report that a number of LMS companies have just been sued by IPLearn, a group that holds a number of patents in the learning world. This group pops up every few years as they target another LMS company with several patents that they received under the questionable “Business Process Patent” statute a decade ago. In several instances, they were able to get the LMS company to settle, after a very expensive pre-trial discovery process. I have served as a free witness to the defendants as I believe these patents were improperly awarded and there is significant prior art, dating back decades, that would contradict many of the patent claims. This time, they have sued a large collection of LMS companies: Learn.com, Inc., Certpoint Systems, Inc., Meridian Knowledge Solutions, LLC, Netdimensions Ltd., ND Services, Inc., Emtrain, HRSmart, Inc. and Perot Systems Corp.

For example, they claim invention of this from 1999: “A method and a system to teach a user a subject based on his questions. The system allows the user to control his learning process, and helps to fill in gaps of misunderstanding in the subject.” We will be reaching out to the field for help in gathering prior art that existed prior to these patent claims.  And, there is a major Supreme Court decision pending about the validity of this genre of Business Process Patent. Stay tuned.

3. Virtual Leadership Focus for Rising Leaders Programs: As The MASIE Center works with leadership development groups around the world, we have noticed a sharp increase in the inclusion of segments addressing Virtual Leadership. Programs for rising leaders are increasingly adding modules to teach leadership skills for a distributed team. These range from how to build trust across time zones and increased use of video technology, to extending presence globally and how to engage dispersed team members in culture and process. If you would like to take a look at some of the topics that we have been tracking, look at the graphics on the site for our Virtual Leadership LAB and Seminar at: http://www.masie.com  We will be offering another section of this program in a few weeks and there are a few seats still available.

Yours in Learning,
Elliott Masie
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Virtual Leadership: Skills for Leading Distributed Teams.
* Learning & Government Briefing.
* Video for Learning LAB & Seminar.
* Learning 2010 - Oct 24 to 27 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

612 - 30 Under 30, Legal Departments & Learning Sitdowns

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 19, 2010.
#612 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,895 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning and Government - Special Forum in Washington, DC

1. Learning Challenges For and From Legal Departments.
2. Virtual Leaders Increase Skype and Video Calls.
3. 30 Under 30! Developing the Next Generation of Learning Leaders!

1. Learning Challenges For and From Legal Departments: It is time to take your corporate legal department to lunch for a major sitdown! Legal departments are being challenged by learning and are one of our major challenges. As we evolve the processes for creating and delivering content, taking advantage of digital connections, social networks and collaborative approaches, the voices of concern are being heard from legal departments.  Here are some of the challenges that The MASIE Center has been tracking:

* What to Capture? Should every digital communication be captured? We don’t tape most corporate telephone calls, but should be capture every minute of video conferencing? When do we allow for some conversations to “evaporate”?
* Is Web Content Kosher? As our learners and instructors go to the web for content and examples, is all legal and kosher? What are the processes to keeping the learning department legal? When do “fair use” rights cover classroom use of copyrighted content?
* Who Owns Collaborative Content? When a learner contributes something to an online class, who owns that content? If someone makes a video as an employer, can we continue to use their image after they leave to go to a competitor? What digital rights releases should we create?
* Home Based Learning? What are the legal and wage implications for employee access to learning content from home?

The MASIE Center is going to launch a series of discussions with legal departments of major corporations on these and other learning issues. If you would like to be part of that discussion, would you send a note to me at emasie@masie.com

2. Virtual Leaders Increase Skype and Video Calls: Quick observation about corporate use of Skype Video. In our LABs, over 70 percent of the companies reported that there was new and growing use of Skype Desktop Video between leaders and employees, especially those located globally or working from home. While most IT departments have not blessed Skype and there are other corporate desktop video solutions, we are fascinated by this distributed video leadership model. On a personal note, as I work with our new CLO, Jonathan Kayes, who just joined us from a similar role at the CIA, we are using Skype Video between 2 and 4 times a day. It is, in fact, easier than making a call and faster than Instant Messenger. I am noticing a rise in the “affective” nature of these calls and it is creating a presence of Jonathan here in Saratoga and me in his home office in Virginia. Next week, we are adding a stand-alone Skype Video Phone to the MASIE Center staff dining table, to include him in the informal and social moments. These trends and approaches are core to our Virtual Leadership LAB & Seminar, to be held in Saratoga in April. Info at http://www.masie.com

3. 30 Under 30! Developing the Next Generation of Learning Leaders: I am tired of seeing mainly 40, 50 and 60 year old colleagues in the audience of learning events! We have just launched a new project called “30 Under 30” to support and develop the next generation of learning leaders in our field. For 30 colleagues who are below the age of 30, we will provide a host of resources, highlights and deep discounts at Learning 2010. It is our effort to coach, support and LISTEN to the next generation of learning professionals in our field. Complete details at http://www.learning2010.com/30under30

Yours in Learning,
Elliott Masie
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Virtual Leadership: Skills for Leading Distributed Teams.
* Video for Learning LAB & Seminar.
* Learning 2010 - Oct 24 to 27 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

611 - Apolo Ohno to Keynote Learning 2010: Extreme Learning and Performance

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 11, 2010.
#611 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,895 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.

Announcement: Apolo Anton Ohno will Keynote Learning 2010 - Topic: Extreme Learning & Performance.

Each year, one of my favorite tasks is to invite provocative speakers to keynote our Learning event. In the past, we have hosted Capt. “Sully” Sullenberger, Chef Bobby Flay, General Colin Powell and Bill Cosby. Each has provided an interesting perspective into the world of learning, education and performance from their personal life story and experience.

It is a great honor to announce that Apolo Anto Ohno will be one of our keynoters at Learning 2010, to be held in Orlando, Florida from Oct 24 to 27th. I will interview him and he will present on “Extreme Learning & Performance”. 

“You put your mind to something, you give 100 percent, sacrifice and dedication, anything is possible.”

He will speak about the learning process he took to become the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian in history. We will also discuss his route to winning “Dancing with the Stars” as he needed to learn a whole new domain, including mastery of the Cha Cha, Tango and Waltz.

Like Olympic Speed Skating, learning needs to be agile, quick, filled with mastery and based on a vision, goal and path to achievement.

Read the complete announcement along with a video of Apolo Ohno in training mode at http://www.learning2010.com

Early Registration is now open. Save money by bringing a team to Learning 2010.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Chair, The Learning CONSORTIUM
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Virtual Leadership: Skills for Leading Distributed Teams.
* Performer Support LAB & Seminar.
* Video for Learning LAB & Seminar.
* Learning 2010 - Oct 24 to 27 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

610 - Jonathan Kayes, New CLO at MASIE Center's Learning CONSORTIUM

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 9, 2010.
#610 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,895 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host: Virtual Leadership LAB & Seminar - Saratoga Springs

Welcome to the new MASIE Center’s Learning CONSORTIUM Chief Learning Officer! Jonathan Kayes has joined The MASIE Center’s Learning CONSORTIUM as the Chief Learning Officer. He recently completed a 27 year career with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), most recently as their Chief Learning Officer.

It is a dream come true for us to be able to add a senior and deeply experienced CLO to our team. I am so excited to have Jonathan Kayes as our partner in researching and developing new models for the future of organizational and personal learning. Since 2001, Jonathan’s work at the CIA has been focused primarily on training and education - including building new organizational learning strategies and incorporating multiple instructional approaches and new technologies to reach a largely globally deployed workforce.

Jonathan will be working with our Learning CONSORTIUM’s 240 global members as well as directing projects in our Learning LAB at The MASIE Center including: Learning Radar Screens, Changing Learning Function Roles, Learning Costs, Mobile Learning, ePub and a wide range of LAB Projects involving CONSORTIUM companies around the world.

Here is a statement from Jonathan about his new role with The MASIE Center and his interests/passions:

“I am truly a lifelong learner and my favorite days are days when I learn something I didn’t know at the beginning of the day. Connecting people is something I love to help happen. When I know that two people share similar interests or one has expertise in an area which another person really needs, I try to provide a virtual or actual handshake.

One my greatest joys has been in serving as a Chief Learning Officer. The CLO gets to work with various constituencies from the C-Suite to the newest employee coming in for orientation. I very much look forward to connecting with and sharing learning with the CLOs, aspiring CLOs, learning leaders, and learning professionals. Trying something new really excites me. Sometimes I have to try it several times, or from several angles, but chewing on that new thing while you get to think about how to apply it is fun and surprisingly productive. I’m really passionate about avoiding staying the same. I don’t believe in change for its own sake, but when you look at almost anything, you see the problem with never leaving your comfortable rut. The world changes even if you don’t.

In solving most problems there are two or three possible ways to skin the cat which will all work. I think we should try method A for a couple of years and then be willing to go back and see if maybe method B or C would work well for us too. I love helping someone find their own passion and give that person support so that they can thrive and grow. That provided the joy in management for me and I hope that will come about in some of my activities with The MASIE Center.

My brain circuits start firing in all directions when I can link knowledge from one sector with an application in a totally different sector. I love listening to people talk about their ideas, discoveries, projects and programs because it adds new possibilities for connections.”

Please join me in welcoming Jonathan as our new CLO. His announcement and pictures are at http://www.masieweb.com/newclo  Jonathan’s email is jonathan@masie.com

There will be another exciting announcement about our keynote speakers at Learning 2010 in just a few days. Stay tuned.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Chair, The Learning CONSORTIUM
email: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Virtual Leadership: Skills for Leading Distributed Teams.
* Performer Support LAB & Seminar.
* Video for Learning LAB & Seminar.
* Learning 2010 - Oct 24 to 27 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM Info and Registration:
http://www.masie.com

609 - Snow Triggers Telework, Demise of the Desktop, Performer Support?

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 5, 2010.
#609 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,891 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host: Virtual Leadership LAB & Seminar - Saratoga Springs

1. DC Snowstorm Triggers Teleworking.
2. Google Predicts Demise of the Desktop.
3. What is Performer Support?

1. DC Snowstorm Triggers Teleworking: I had the honor of meeting this week with the US Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven Chu, and the Director of the US Office of Personnel Management, John Berry. The topic of snow in Washington came up and we discussed the shift in Teleworking. John Berry stated that over 1/3 of Washington area workers at the OPM and GSA logged on to the Agency’s computers, even though the government was officially closed. Secretary Chu said he was tempted to come to work, but functioned from home for 3 days to set an example. He did come in on the last day, along with some of his staff, since he reported, “we really missed each other!”

Contrast this with 2008 when only 8.7 of eligible employees did any teleworking. These senior Cabinet officers talked about the desire of the workforce to be able to stay connected and support each other in times of crisis. And, that it would trigger a broader conversation about flexibility of workplace footprint - mirroring changes in leading organizations like BestBuy that are highly flexible about hours and location as long as measured goals are achieved.

2. Google Predicts Demise of the Desktop: John Herlihy, Google’s VP of Global Ad Operations, has claimed that desktop PCs would become “irrelevant” in three years down the line. Addressing the Digital Landscapes Conference in Dublin, Herlihy predicted a bleak future for desktop PCs as smartphones and netbooks, along with other gadgets, are evidently gaining ground over them. In his keynote speech, Herlihy said, “In three years time, desktops will be irrelevant. In Japan, most research is done today on smart phones, not PCs”. This echoes Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s comments that “Global sales of smartphones and other high-end handheld devices have been soaring at a rapid pace and would very soon surpass sales of traditional PCs.” This has huge implications for the learning field as we look towards supporting learning through a new and broader range of mobile-based resources. Learning designers will need to refocus their design sensibilities towards a smaller footprint and very different type of learning application.

3. What is Performer Support?: One of my favorite approaches is Peformer Support. From my Spellcheck to my GPS, the concept of being able to learn what I need at the moment of need is always appealing. Conrad Gottfredson and Bob Mosher, who are our resources on Performer Support, have supplied an informative definition:

Performer Support (PS) is any learning modality, resource or asset that is accessible and applicable at the moment of need. It is embedded in the work process such that the learning is accessed in the context of the work flow and helps solve a very specific business problem. Fundamentally, PS can be grouped into two categories: Paper-based or Electronic. Paper-based is the oldest form of Performance Support and one that’s taken an unfortunate backseat to its more “flashy” counterparts. Paper-based PS includes job-aids and quick references. These tools can be seen in most work spaces in the form of yellow “post-it notes” surrounding someone’s monitor, but they can also be a much more elaborate, structured and individually tailored form factor designed to optimize their overall effectiveness. Electronic PS, often called EPSS, is typically found on a PC, BUT is increasingly accessible on MP3 players and other hand-held devices. Many of us remember the earliest forms of this solution as the “F1” key or help menu found in most of the early PC applications.

We have a few seats still open in our intensive and hands-on LAB and Seminar on Performer Support that will be held in Saratoga Springs, NY on March 17 to 19th.
For information and registration: http://www.masie.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Contact: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Virtual Leadership: Skills for Leading Distributed Teams.
* Performer Support LAB & Seminar.
* Video for Learning LAB & Seminar.
* Learning 2010 - Oct 24 to 27 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com

608 - Video for Learning Modes, 1964 World's Fair?

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 2, 2010.
#608 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
54,885 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host: Virtual Leadership LAB & Seminar - Saratoga Springs

1. Video Learning in So Many Modes.
2. Video Conferencing at the 1964 World’s Fair.

1. Video Learning in So Many Modes: I am struck by the wide variety of uses for video in learning that are on our menu as designers. As I inventory how we are using video at The MASIE Center, the list is long and growing:

- Video “YouTube” Story Segments.
- Video PodCasts.
- Video Reports - Webcam Captures.
- Produced Video for Learning Modules.
- Skype (on every one of our desks at work).
- Webinar Video Elements.
- High Definition Video Conferencing (up to 4 Megs).
- Telepresence Video (Beyond 6 Megs).
- Flipcam and iPhone Video Clips.
- Webchat Video.
- Video Capture of Seminars and Classrooms.
- Video Keynotes - Live and Asynchronous.
- Video Guests in Workshops and Conferences.
- Video Coaching.

The introduction of video into almost every aspect of our learning and work tasks is profound and “disrupting”. As designers, we must experiment with these formats, looking for evidence and appropriate use cases and examples of when not to use video. Rising bandwidth, lowered equipment costs, ease of editing and growing expectations of learners will make video a profound component of our learning efforts going forward. I would be quite interested in hearing from Learning TRENDS readers about their experiments with video.  Send me an email to emasie@masie.com

(If your budget allows, we have a deep dive LAB on Video for Learning in Saratoga Springs later this month. Go to http://www.masie.com for info and registration. Eight seats available.)

2. Video Conferencing at 1964 Worlds Fair: I was a kid when I did my first video conference. In a pavilion at the 1964 Worlds Fair in Flushing, NY, I sat with my parents as we used a video phone to a booth 100 feet away where my brother was sitting. We all thought that video phones were just a year away. Here is a photo of that videophone: http://tinyurl.com/ydzxl9v  Now, I find myself Skyping from my laptop and having detailed meetings from our high-def videoconferencing room. It took 46 years, but it is still way cool! (Note, that is not me in the picture —- but it could have been in appearance and moment!)

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
Contact: emasie@masie.com

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
* Virtual Leadership: Skills for Leading Distributed Teams.
* Performer Support LAB & Seminar.
* Video for Learning LAB & Seminar.
* Learning 2010 - Oct 24 to 27 - Orlando, Florida.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM
Info and Registration: http://www.masie.com