222 - New Habits of an e-Learner

#222 - - - October 19, 2001 - - - 42,319 Readers
*** Elliott Masie's TechLearn TRENDS ***
e-Learning, Training and e-Collaboration Updates
Host of TechLearn 2001 - Oct 28 - 31 - Orlando, Florida

New Habits of an e-Learner
Confessions by Elliott Masie

I can get pretty weird as an e-Learner. After approximately 500 hours as
an on-line learner in a wide range of courses and activities, I notice
some new habits have emerged. I'll share a few with you and ask for the
same in exchange (see bottom of article). Deep breath. Here goes:

* Browsing is What the Browser Was Designed For: I browse! I sample a
wide range of learning programs as part of my choice. If you were to look
at the Learning Management System report from our organization, you would
see that my non-completion rate is code red high. Actually, those include
browsing ones. It is the digital form of auditing a class in college the
first week and then dropping the ones that I didn't like. But, the way
that I choose a class is to start it conditionally. Actually, isn't
browsing what the browser was meant for!

* Triple Tasking: I triple task! When I am participating in a
synchronous e-Learning class or session, I am usually doing three tasks at
once. I am participating in the event at hand (via listening, watching or
clicking). However, I find myself using a second laptop in my office to
do both one more task (such as email or instant messenger), but I am also
jumping ahead of the instructor's pace. Sometimes, it gets to be a 4
level multi-task with food or print material. My wife Cathy will ask if
I can concentrate that way and I tell her that I love to learn in this
style.

* Talking While I Learn: I normally don't talk to myself, except, when I
am e-Learning! My staff states that I mutter, talk to the screen and have
been known to throw a piece of paper at a learning screen. In fact, the
more engaged I am the more that I seem to talk. It is downright dangerous
when I am wearing a headset, since my voice gets way too loud. Actually,
I find my talking a good way of getting engaged in the process.

* I Compete With Instructional Times: When an author says that a module
can be done in 30 minutes, it is like the firing gun at a track meet. I
compete the with times, as a side game for my interest and motivation. It
is a good thing that most e-Learning offerings don't have a Top Scores
Page, or I would really get time competitive. Now, sometimes I find
myself having to choose between comprehension and completion. I will not
tell you the choice in this format. :)

* I Copy, Paste and Send: When I am in the middle of a cool e-Learning
course, I tend to copy, paste and send content segments to myself (for a
form of note taking) and to colleagues who I think might be interested in
the topic. It might not be totally kosher, but I find myself doing it a
lot.

These are neither positive or negative behaviors. Just ones that I have
noticed about myself, as I am in the e-Learner mode. I would love to hear
from TRENDS readers about your changing behaviors when you are a learner
at a screen.. Send me a note to emasie@masie.com

Elliott

* TechLearn 2001 - Oct 28 to 31 - Orlando, FL www.techlearn.com
* Skills for e-TRAINERS LAB - Dec 5 to 7 - Saratoga Springs, NY
www.masie.com

221 - Sessions & Case Studies at TechLearn

#221 - - - October 11, 2001 - - - 42,257 Readers
*** Elliott Masie's TechLearn TRENDS ***
e-Learning, Training and e-Collaboration Updates
Host of TechLearn 2001 - Oct 28 - 31 - Orlando, Florida

1. Seven FREE Pre-Conference Sessions at TechLearn
2. 41 Corporate Learning Case Studies at TechLearn

We are pleased to announce seven FREE 1/2 pre-conference workshops for
attendees of TechLearn 2001 (to be held in Orlando on October 28 to 31st -
www.techlearn.com):

Bob Pike: Creative Training Techniques for Web-Based Training
Elliott Masie: Re-Thinking Learning in Difficult Times: A Planning
Briefing Focused on Tighter Economies and Travel Reduction
Daryl Conner: Human Due Diligence: How to Assess the Human Issues that
Determine the Success of e-Learning Initiatives
Steve McMillen: Stress Without Distress: Living and Working in a Changing
World
Ed Cohen: Setting Your Course: A Working e-Learning Strategy Session
Bob Pike: Classroom Training Isn't Dead - But the Way It's Done Could
Kill It
Allison Rossett: Beyond Multimediocrity: A Tour of Instructional Design
Basics

In addition, we are proud to announce this list of over 40 Corporate Case
Studies (non-commerical) by implementing organizations at TechLearn:

Shell International Exploration & Production B.V.: The Learning Process
The Hartford: Implementing an LCMS
Compaq Computer Corp.: ROI - Measuring Success in a New Learning
Environment
Bank of America: Adopting Live e-Learning Training Initiative
Cisco Systems, Inc.: Reaching Engineers With Synchronous and Asynchronous
Training
3Com: e-Learning: Your Link to Stronger Sales Partnerships
US Secret Service: Delivering CPR Via Video Conferencing
Freddie Mac: Career Transition Program �" A Holistic Approach
Shell International Exploration & Production B.V.: Shell's Experience With
On-line Coaching
DaimlerChrysler: How to Design an Interactive, Experiantial, Engaging Web
Based Training Program
The Proctor & Gamble Company: A Blended Learning Case Study
Texas Instruments Inc.: How Texas Instruments Inc. Expanded e-Learning
into e-Services
Eastman Chemical Company: Magic in the Mix: A Case Study in Blended
Solutions
Saudi Aramco: Growing an e-Learning Corporate Culture
Reuter's Professional Services, Inc: Jump Start Your e-Learning With
e-Orientation
DaimlerChrysler: Creating A Seamless Experiential Learning Process
Cisco Systems: Using Animation to Teach Technology
The Proctor & Gamble Company: Establishing and Nurturing an e-Learning
Community of Practice
Bank of America: Skills Training for Distance Trainers
Accenture: The Many Faces of Simulations
Thomson Corporation: Talent Management Web Tools for Senior Executives
William Scotsman: Live e-Learning: Full Enterprise Software Rollout
The World Bank Institute: Reaching Across Borders - A Case for Blended
Learning
Microsoft: Skills Analysis Online
PricewaterhouseCoopers: An Inductive Cocktail: Online Performance
Simulations With Blended Learning
Wisconsin Technical College System: Creating Reusable Learning Nuggets in
a Technical College System
Bank One: Using Blended Learning for Enterprise Wide System Conversion
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center: Can Cops Learn Online
Bank One: Where Did All the Paper Go
Solucient: No Speed Limits: 6 Road Signs to Guide Your Blended Learning
Strategy
Microsoft: The "Learning Portal" Making the Technology Work
Cisco Systems: The Reality, Pain and Success of Implementing RLOs
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Overcoming Political Barriers
to Enterprise-Wide e-Learning
Accenture: Implementing a Virtual Classroom Environment
AARP: Bringing e-Learning to Aging Boomers
GE Card Services: Your e-Learning Developer Can Be Anywhere, Anytime - Do
You Have a Sound Design Process
Intel Corporation: Taking Intel e-Learning Primetime
Anheuser-Busch: Selecting the Appropriate Learning Management System : How
Do You Decide
ACI Worldwide: Knowledge Sharing and Delivery Using a Knowledge Base

We hope you will join the over 1,600 registered attendees for TechLearn.
Just go to www.techlearn.com for information and registration

220 - Counting the Steps to Instant Collaboration; e-Learning Advice: Buy Small and Fast!; Trainer Tip: Community Based Note Taking

#220 - - - October 9, 2001 - - - 42,224 Readers
*** Elliott Masie's TechLearn TRENDS ***
e-Learning, Training and e-Collaboration Updates
Published by The MASIE Center: http://www.masie.com
Host of TechLearn 2001 - Oct 28 - 31 - Orlando, Florida

1. Counting the Steps to Instant Collaboration
2. TechLearn Keynoter's Daughter on Survivor 3
3. e-Learning Advice: Buy Small and Fast!
4. Trainer Tip: Community Based Note Taking

1. Counting the Steps to Instant Collaboration: As we build Digital
Collaboration capacities in our organizations, a great metric to use is
"Steps to Instant Collaboration". This basically is the number of steps
it would take for 2 individuals or 2 groups of people within your
organizations to start collaborating via technology.

For example, most people that are using Video Conferencing still have 4 to
6 steps to have a video call, including scheduling, technical testing,
establishing connections, etc. That would be far from instant, especially
when compared to the number of steps it would take to have a telephone
call between 2 people.

We are using the Steps to Instant Collaboration as a way of measuring the
ease of use and extent of integration that exists within your organization
for enabling rapid and easy digital collaboration. We have to make
launching a shared web view of data or slides as easy as picking up the
phone. We have to make launching a video conference as natural as going
to a meeting room.

2. TechLearn Keynoter's Daughter on Survivor 3: If you follow the series,
Survivor, there is another connection to the world of training on this
current season of the show. Kelly Goldsmith is a member of the Boran
Tribe. She is the daughter of Marshall Goldsmith, one of the leading
management coaches and a keynoter at TechLearn. No one knows how well
Kelly did on Survivor, but if you are a fan, you can check out her
biography (and root for her). Info at:
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor3/survivors/kelly_b.shtml

3. e-Learning Advice: Buy Small and Fast! In a dialogue today with one
of the leading CEO's in the e-Learning field, I got a bit of insight into
how their company is handling the current economic challenges. The motto
they are using with clients is to: Buy Small and Fast! In other words,
if you can't make the large scale enterprise level purchase, scale back
your budgets but move quickly. That gets you started and moves you
forward.

4. Trainer Tip: Community Based Note Taking: This is a tip that I have
been using for 20 years! Buy a notebook and offer this to the class a
set of group notes. (You can also use a laptop if you have good
keyboarders). Each person is responsible for one hour of note taking.
They really dig in and do extensive note taking for their section, then
pass the notebook or laptop to the next person. At the end of the class,
everyone gets a copy of the notes. This creates a great set of
perspectives on the content and also can be combined with notes and slides
from the instructor.

TechLearn 2001 Update: There are 1,600 folks registered for TechLearn
2001 to be held in Orlando on Oct 28 to 31. We have just added several
additional sessions dealing with Computer Security Education,
Intergenerational Learning and e-Coaching. The main hotel will sell out
the room block by the end of this week, but there are secondary hotels
available at Disney. Complete information and registration is available
at http://www.techlearn.com

219 - From London: Organizations Creating Digital Collaboration Strategies; Organizations Creating Digital Collaboration Strategies

#219 - - - October 4, 2001 - - - 42,198 Readers
*** Elliott Masie's TechLearn TRENDS ***
e-Learning, Training and e-Collaboration Updates
Published by The MASIE Center: http://www.masie.com
Host of TechLearn 2001 - Oct 28 - 31 - Orlando, Florida

Special Report from London

1. Organizations Creating Digital Collaboration Strategies
2. Dr. Paul Mayberry of U.S. Dept of Defense Featured at TechLearn
3. Learning Quotation
4. Organizations Creating Digital Collaboration Strategies

1. Organizations Creating Digital Collaboration Strategies: I am on a
quick one day trip to London to present at an e-HR Briefing. One of the
dialogues that was ripe amongst the human resource executives from Europe
and Asia at this event was the immediate need to create wider Digital
Collaboration Strategies. In light of the recent events, on both an
economic and political front, many of the HR executives need to
dramatically expand the ability of their workforce to collaborate through
technology. While there are pockets of video, audio and web based
conferencing capacity throughout the organization, there are few companies
with enterprise Strategies for leveraging Digital Collaboration.

The MASIE Center is working on a paper that we will publish in a week here
TRENDS on ways to create a Digital Collaboration Strategy within the
organization. If you have any ideas that you would like to add to this
paper, please send me a note at emasie@masie.com

2. Dr. Paul Mayberry of U.S. Dept of Defense Featured at TechLearn: We are
honored to announce that Dr. Paul Mayberry from the U.S. Department of
Defense has just been added to our program at TechLearn. Dr. Mayberry
serves as the focal point on all issues and activities related to the
readiness of U.S. armed forces. He will be providing a unique
perspective of the process that the Pentagon faces in ensuring the
readiness of U.S. forces for both peactime contingencies and the crisis
that we are facing at the moment. Dr. Mayberry will be featured at our
General Session and will also join the dialogue with Jack Welch during his
keynote. The Advanced Distributed Learning Team will be at TechLearn, to
be held in Orlando, Florida, on October 28 to 31, providing updates on the
SCORM standards as well as gathering input and ideas from the community at
TechLearn about effective models for learning and training innovation.
Once again, Mike Parmentier will close TechLearn with a take-home trip
report prepared by his team for each attendee to use as they summarize the
content and dialogues from the Conference. (Info and on-line registration
is available at http://www.masie.com We have over 1,600 attendees
registered for the event and hotel space is limited).

3. Learning Quotation:

"In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find
themselves equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists."
- Eric Hoffer

4. Shift To Expense Side Investments for Learning Projects: In the past
several weeks, we have seen a number of organizations that were moving
towards making significant enterprise wide learning investments slightly
press the pause button. In each of these situations, the organization
decided to move forward through a series of expense side procurements
rather than make a large capital investment. Several organizations chose
to secure an ASP type model for a yearly fee, to get the capability of a
Learning or Content Management System, without making the trip through the
investment approval process. In another situation, an enterprise wide
investment in a learning system was delayed for a year while two of the
business units in the company moved forward with an out-sourcing of
learning content and services contract. We are tracking other ways in
which organizations are adapting to changing availability of investment
dollars.

Upcoming MASIE Center Events:
* TechLearn 2001 - Orlando, Florida, October 28 to 31 - www.techlearn.com
for info and registration
* e-Learning Suppliers: Deadline for inclusing in the TechLearn Resource
Bag is next Wednesday. Contact Jennifer for details at jennifer@masie.com
or 518-587-3522