Learning in Difficult Times Workshop Offered at TechLearn

Re-Thinking Learning in Difficult Times: Special Planning Briefing by
Elliott Masie Offered as Pre-Conference Workshop at TechLearn 2001

We have added this special pre-conference workshop to the TechLearn 2001
agenda to address some of the immediate changes that are impacting the
learning and training field. TechLearn will be held in Orlando, Florida
on October 28 and 31.

Elliott Masie will conduct an interactive, 3 hour planning briefing for
organizations developing strategies to cope with the current difficult
times that we all face. This will be held on Sunday morning, October
28th. Benchmarking based procedures will be presented and discussed that
include:

* Learning and Training During Staff Reductions - How can the learning
function be used for rapid internal re-deployment and for employee morale
maintenance during staff reductions and layoffs?
* e-Learning When Investments are Difficult - What happens to enterprise
wide strategies for e-Learning deployment when organizations cannot
provide investment approvals? Can e-Learning be implemented without
significant costs?
* Digital Collaboration as an Imperative - Organizations are changing
their view of digital collaboration tools in the light of recent travel
restrictions. How can organizations rapidly deploy a wide range of digital
collaboration tools to provide alternative delivery of learning, training,
meeting and sales processes?
* Blended Learning Models for Difficult Times - What are easy to implement
changes that can be made to existing classroom programs to rapidly convert
them to blended learning models?
* Budgeting for Tighter Times: How are major corporations changing their
budget projections for the coming year? Decreased to reflect less revenue
or increased as a tool to make organization more competitive and nimble?

Data from research The MASIE Center has done will be presented in detail
during this session. This is a planning briefing. These issues will be
discussed frankly by Elliott Masie and participants will have an
opportunity to assess how their organizations are responding to the
current difficulties compared with similar groups. Each participant will
complete a planning grid to reflect current and ideal strategies for
addressing these hard issues.

For information about TechLearn and the various pre-conference workshops,
please go to http://www.techlearn.com

218 - Results: Survey on Training Reactions to Current Crisis

#218 - - - Sept 21, 2001 - - - 42,164 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

Results: Survey on Training Reactions to Current Crisis

This survey was done at the request of our Human Resource and Training
colleagues, as they have worked to design a corporate response to recent
events. The survey was taken by 1,609 training and human resource
professionals from 25 countries around the world (86% U.S. and 14%
international). The data was collected on 11 am on Sept 19th to 5 pm on
Sept 20th. We wanted to give a very rapid turnaround on the data, so here
are the raw results and a few preliminary comments. The MASIE Center will
track changes in the months ahead. Complete data with graphics available
at:

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

About 45% of organizations indicated an increase in the use of digital
collaboration tools such as audio, video and web based conferencing.

The data indicates that HR departments were active in providing immediate
perspective and offers of support to employees. In the short term, there
were a lot of meeting cancellations, though we are seeing many of those
rescheduling in the near future.

There has not been a wide spread ban on travel, though increased
sensitivity to employee comfort with travel at this time.

Here are the text based results:

1) What outreach to employees has your organization done in reaction to
these events:
83% e-Mail or letter to employees from senior management
51% Counseling or support services offered
43% Meetings or in-person discussions for employees
42% Cancellation of organizational meetings
17% On-line dialogues, websites or threaded conversations
13% Shift in sales process (including stopping sales outreach for a while)
15% Other

2) Has your organization CANCELLED ANY training offerings due to these
events?
53% No
47% Yes

3) Has your organization ADDED ANY training offerings due to these events?
88% No
11% Yes

4) How, if any, has the organization's travel policy changed?
37% Employees may make personal choice not to travel at this time
35% No change
13% Special permission is required to travel at this time
4% There is a "no exceptions" freeze on travel at this time
1% Employees may not travel together at this time
10% Other

5) Have recent events increased your organization's use of collaborative
technologies like teleconferencing, video teleconferencing, virtual
classrooms, etc.? (Check all that apply)
55% No change
32% Increased use of telephone conferencing
18% Increased use of video conferencing
16% Increased use of instant messenger and email
14% Increased use of web based classroom conferencing

6) If there have been changes in the use of learning technologies, do you
expect these changes to be:
40% Too soon to know
37% No Change
17% Long-term
7% Short-term

Warm regards,

Elliott Masie

217 - 2 Minute Survey on Training & Collaboration Changes After Disaster

#217 - - - Sept 19, 2001 - - - 42,111 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

2 Minute Survey on Training & Collaboration Changes After Disaster

Dear Colleagues,

We have had dozens of emails and calls from our colleagues in training,
learning and human resource departments asking for a quick benchmark on
how other organizations are responding to the tragic events at the World
Trade Center and Pentagon. Their questions relate to changes in class
offerings, travel and use of digital collaboration/e-Learning.

Would you kindly take 2 minutes to respond to this instant survey:

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

We will compile the results and publish complete analysis tomorrow in TRENDS.

Warm regards,

Elliott Masie
The MASIE Center

216 - Learning Over Time: A More Natural Model

#216 - - - Sept 10, 2001 - - - 42,041 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

Learning Over Time: A More Natural Model
A TechLearn Think Piece
By Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center

We naturally learn over an extended time! While the information transfer,
classroom based course or screen based e-Learning activity may be a one
time event, the learning process always extends. The opportunity for
Learning and Training professionals is to extend our model (and reach)
over a longer timeframe.

This simple notion, that learning should be extended over time, applies
equally to both on-line and classroom offerings. In the case of the
classroom, there is a natural tendency for the instructor and the learners
to view the experience as defined by the start and stop of the class.
What happens after the last moment of sitting is seen as “icing on the
cake” or deeply optional. Yet, we have decades of experience to confirm
that what happens after the learner leaves the class may be the MOST
CRITICAL element in the path to knowledge and performance.

Likewise, there is a tendency to define an e-Learning offering in terms of
the first and last module. While there may be a set of resources and
tools for continuing learning, the footprint of the experience is mostly
defined by reaching (or failing to reach) the last module. Much of
on-line assessment is done within minutes of the last module, often
without time to reflect, apply to real world work or to transfer to the
workplace. Most of the time when I learn something significant on-line,
it takes a few hours or days or weeks to cement that knowledge in my brain
and behaviors.

In both of these modes, technology and evolved training processes provide
the organization and the learner expanded opportunities to extend the
timeframe of learning. Classrooms can be extended with a Digital
Surround, offering on-going access to materials, intense Communities of
Learning/Practice and revised scheduling that may return the learners to a
follow-up session in person or on-line at a defined later date. The last
minutes of the class change dramatically when the learner and the trainer
know that the process is not finished and there is a contract for
continued engagement.

Extending the classroom over time provides a few challenges, in allocation
of resources, time of the instructor and how to administratively “book” an
open-ended learning experience in a Learning Management System. And, it
will change the view of learners and their managers, when the class does
not have a finite ending. However, we can still create a benchmark time
when there is a clear assessment project and the organization can certify
(or not certify) competency. However, the classroom takes on incredible
power when it can be extended over time, with networks of access back to
subject matter expertise, coaching and assessment.

In the same way, e-Learning can also be viewed with a more open-ended
model of time. A learning session can map through months or years, with
varied levels of learner involvement and intensity along the way. In a
few organizations, the learner may move from a Phase I, where there is
expected progress to a Phase II, where the emphasis is more on continuing
learning and update. A learner’s self-concept about a subject might shift
from “I know that!” to “I know and am continuing to Learn about that!”

The extension of learning over time is one of the really exciting
possibilities that e-Learning provides. I would be interested in hearing
from TRENDS readers about how they are “playing” with time in the planning
and delivery of learning programs. Send me a note to emasie@masie.com
We will have a working discussion about extending the footprint of time at
TechLearn 2001 to be held in Orlando, Florida on Oct 28 to 31st. Info and
on-line registration at www.techlearn.com

215 - Does the Classroom Have a Self-Concept Problem?

#215 - - - Sept 4, 2001 - - - 41,987 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

Does the Classroom Have a Self-Concept Problem?
A TechLearn 2001 Think Piece
By Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center

This morning I had a really strange conversation. I was meeting with
three colleagues in the learning field and realized how everyone's facial expression went sour when I mentioned the classroom. Is the classroom a dirty word? Does classroom training suffer from a public relations or self-concept problem?

It is undeniable that e-Learning has taken the bulk of the spotlight in the last 20 months. There are dozens of seminars, trade shows and
magazines all about ways to do learning without ever having to enter the classroom. In fact, a good number of learning vendors go out of their way to tout their ability to classroom-proof your learners. There are new press releases every day about Learning Management Systems or Virtual Classrooms. Yet, I can't find a single press release about new white board paper or other nifty tools to make the classroom a better environment for learning.

When the benefits of e-Learning are rolled-out, almost every presentation compares and contrasts the approach to the “old” model of classroom training. It is cool to be an e-coach, e-trainer or e-learner. However, if you show up at a local trainer’s meeting and state that you love teaching stand up classes, people often move to the other side of the room, not unlike the reaction to the litter in Alice's Restaurants (sorry, a 60's reference!).

I am probably as guilty as most folks in this industry for the poor rap that the classroom has gotten in recent days. I stood up at a Lakewood event several years ago and told the trainers "To Get Wired or Get Fired!" But, I didn't mean that the classroom would be sent to the woodshed.

And, I marvel at the wonderful ways in which I can deliver learning
experiences from my e-Lab without ever having to get on an airplane. Yet, I feel sorry for the undeserved reputation that the classroom has
suffered.

I do not believe that the classroom is dead! In fact, the more that I
take e-Learning courses, the more I am drawn into a classroom for a very different type of experience. The classroom can be a great approach to learning delivery when:

* The learning activity involves discussion or live role modeling.
* The learning target is a motor skill that requires the use of equipment.
* The audience is small and it is easier and cheaper to put a subject
matter expert with a learner, than to produce a digital learning module
that will be used by just a few people.
* The content requires intense concentration for an extended period of
time, which may not be available at the workplace.
* The event is a ritual or landmark event that will signal a major
benchmark or promotion in one’s work history.
* The learning activity is linked to a social objective to meet and work
with colleagues or executives.
* The bulk of the content is gained from a Socratic dialogue with fellow
learners.
* The subject matter is not appropriate to an on-line experience.
* As a strong learner/manager preference or a change of pace.

While there is a significant increase in the use of e-Learning and Blended Learning, we have not seen the death or demise of the classroom. There are changes afoot in the classroom world:

* Shorter duration classes.
* Use of pre-class and post-class learning via technology.
* Developing Communities of Learning or Practice surrounding the class.
* Targeting of classroom learning via Learning Management Systems.
* Use of simulation and other e-Learning resources in class.

Let us respect the role and power of the classroom, at the same time that we explore the capabilities and potential of e-Learning. Ultimately, we will drop the “e” from our dialogue and talk about the most strategic formats and technologies to support learning and performance…. And the classroom will be one of them.

So, I tell you without shame, that I love to teach in the classroom. In fact, I am teaching a 3 day program starting tomorrow. I love the
doughnuts (though I am eating more healthy these days), but more
importantly, I respond to the magic that happens when motivated learners gather together in a room. And, I look forward to extending that magic beyond the last hour of the class with a range of powerful technologies. Long live the classroom! May it evolve as a cherished item in our training toolkit.

Note: There will be a range of sessions aimed at New Roles for the
Classroom at TechLearn 2001, to be held in Orlando, Florida from October
28 to 31, 2001. Info and registration at http://www.techlearn.com