An Experiment: Predictive Marketplace on Future of Learning!

Dear Learning Colleagues:

Take part in an interesting experiment about "Predictive Marketplaces".
We have created a marketplace where hundreds of learning colleagues can place "play" bets on this question:

"What will employees, in 2009, use as their PRIMARY tools for everyday learning in the workplace?"

http://home.inklingmarkets.com/market/show/3714

Go to this totally free site, register and you will be given $5,000 play dollars to buy stocks for answers such as Classes, PodCasts, Classroom, Video Conferencing and others.

The theory is to use a Predictive Marketplace as a tool for gathering the wisdom of the crowds. This marketplace will remain open until April 1st.

http://home.inklingmarkets.com/market/show/3714

I am intrigued to have you as part of this experiment. Feel free to send comments to emasie@masie.com

Yours in learning,
Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center & Learning CONSORTIUM

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

434 - Mini Y2K? Emergency Room Simulation, Compliance Management

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 5, 2007.
#434 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,389 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. Mini-Y2K-Learning/Training for Daylight Change?
2. Emergency Room Medical Simulation at Home!
3. LMS as a Compliance Management System.

1. Mini-Y2K-Learning/Training for Daylight Change? Next weekend, many corporate IT managers will have a mini-Y2K experience! When the U.S.
Congress shifted the start of Daylight Savings Time by one month, little did they realize the computing implications. This puts the U.S. out of sync with much of the world on time zones, with scheduling implications for business travel and even web conferences.

But, the largest impact can be seen in corporate investment to prevent a Mini-Y2K, when servers, desktops and other devices need to be instantly reset for a time change that is not part of their core programming. The New York Times recently reported that U.S. companies will spend about $350 million on computer fixes for this situation.

I would love to hear from TRENDS readers about any involvement that corporate training or learning departments have with this situation. Have organizations created e-Learning or other resources as part of the planning? Send me a note to emasie@masie.com and I will send a summary in a few days.

2. Emergency Room Medical Simulation at Home! Nintendo Wii has released a new simulation - Trauma Center: Second Opinion. The player is presented with a series of patients who have serious conditions. You are prompted to use a variety of medical interventions, from scanners, to medicines to scalpels and surgical needles. You stand up ... with a wireless device in each hand and "operate" on the patient, complete with very graphic detail and feedback. This is taking game-based simulation to the next era and is only $49. I can't wait to see authoring systems that will more easily support corporate simulations. Check it out at http://www.atlus.com/tcso/index.html

3. LMS as a Compliance Management System. One of the fastest growing uses for Learning Management Systems is Compliance Management. Many corporate deployments are being driven by the Compliance Tracking, Reporting and Management requirements of legal and other departments. A number of major corporations are building Compliance front ends to their LMS deployments, to allow compliance focused executives more direct control over the Learning System. There are also conversations afoot for Compliance APIs that will allow for more automatic transfer of data to regulatory agencies.

Compliance and the LMS is one of the topics that we will be addressing at LMS 2007 - Learning Systems User Group, to be held in Las Vegas, NV on April 12 and 13th. Join several hundred colleagues for a vendor-neutral discussion. http://www.lms2007.com

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

Elliott Masie's Free Briefing Module on Learning System Changes

TO: Learning Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie, Learning CONSORTIUM
DATE: March 1, 2007
RE: LMS and Learning Systems Changes - Free Briefing

Why are so many organizations Leaving, Changing or Evolving their deployments of Learning Management Systems?

I have created a free, vendor-neutral, 25-minute, on-line briefing module focused on these key changes impacting LMS and LCMS choices:

http://www.lms2007.com/changes

"Changing Learning Systems: Forces & Disruptions"

Changing Learners
Changing Content Models
Changing Business Processes
Changing Learning & IT Models
Changing Marketplace

This content is based on our research with our 240 member Learning CONSORTIUM. We are tracking a rate of more than 30% of corporations in LMS and LCMS "reconsideration". This on-line module includes my audio comments on the key business drivers that are impacting LMS selection and change.

http://www.lms2007.com/changes

In addition, I would like to invite you and your colleagues to participate in our LMS 2007 - Learning Systems User Group, to be held in Las Vegas on April 12 and 13th. This will be co-hosted by Cushing Anderson (IDC), Nigel Paine (former CLO of the BBC), Tom King (MASIE Center Fellow) and will feature a special keynote by Malcolm Gladwell (author of "Tipping Point" and "Blink"). Last year's event was sold out and closed. So, please register early!

Hope you enjoy this briefing. We will be sending two additional briefing notices on upcoming segments called "Learning is Tribal" and "LMS meets Search and Google".

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
The MASIE Center & Learning CONSORTIUM

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

428 - Correction and Nintendo Wii Stands Up

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Jan 30, 2007.
#428 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,314 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. OOOPS, I Added a / .
2. Nintendo Wii: Gaming Stands Up!


1. OOOPS, I Added a / (A simple / makes a Huge Difference). Yesterday, I sent out a note to my closest 53,000 colleagues and added a / at the end of a URL for some of our PodCasts. Unfortunately, our LearningWiki doesn't forgive that mistake and you weren't able to access these very cool interviews. So, here is the corrected URL and article:

Corrected URL: http://www.learningwiki.com/topics

* Mini Topics on Learning Podcasts: Brooke Thomas from our team here at The MASIE Center, interviewed nine learning colleagues who were presenters of Mini-Seminars at Learning 2006. These are short, targeted PodCasts about key learning challenges:

* Robert Parry, Western International University - Engaging Students in the World of Online Learning - What Works?
* Michael Sunnarborg, Target - Impacts and Benefits of Blended vs.
Instructor Led vs. e-Learning.
* Eren Rosenfeld, Merrill Lynch - Training Via Blackberry: Tackling the Transformation of Course Design and Delivery.
* Doug Chasick, CallSource - Career Transitions: From Classroom Instructor to Distance Learning.
* David Shoemaker, eCornell - Formal vs. Informal Learning- Is the Course Dead?
* Catlyn Gregory, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu - How to Get Stakeholders'
Acceptance For Something New, Nifty and Cool, Instead of Doing the same Old Thing.
* Barbara McKnight, Countrywide Home Loans - Holding Learners Accountable After a Learning Event.
* Carolyn Henning, Accenture - Improving Training Effectiveness Through Strategic Planning.
* Andrew Teasdale, Humana - Do Instructional Designers Need to Understand Learning Theory?

Click here for these PodCasts: http://www.learningwiki.com/topics

2. Nintendo Wii: Gaming Stands Up! The MASIE Center has been testing the new Nintendo Wii in our Learning Lab. We had 45 colleagues from around the world spending hours playing and exploring the new interface model designed for the Nintendo Wii. Basically, you stand up and move your hand, holding the wireless device, as the interface to the games.

This turned into an unpredicted level of social interaction! People stood close and were actually physically involved with the swings, batting, bowling and boxing movements of the person playing the game. We observed an almost instant acceptance of these games from people who had rejected many of the console games on XBOX and Playstation. Our training and learning colleagues were fascinated by the potential for using this wireless interface for corporate training, simulation and performance. We'll keep you up-to-date on our research on this topic.

Check out the review of the Nintendo Wii, written by my colleague, Jim Louderback, Editor of PC Magazine:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2058406,00.asp

I would love to hear your comments and learnings if you are using the Wii.
Send me a note to emasie@masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* LMS 2007 User Group: April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas.
* Learning 2007: October 21 - 24 - Orlando.
* Extreme Learning LAB: May 9 - 11 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Membership in Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

427 - 16 Free Learning PodCasts

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Jan 29, 2007.
#427 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,314 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

16 Free Learning PodCasts!

We've been busy during January, creating a host of targeted Free PodCasts on a wide range of Learning Topics. So, here, LIVE from Saratoga Springs, is a flurry of short, non-commercial, interviews and learning segments:

* Marshall Goldsmith on "What Got You Here Won't Get You There". This is the title of Marshall's latest bestseller, focusing on unsuccessful habits of successful people. Listen to my 13 minute interview with Marshall:
http://www.learningwiki.com/marshall

* CEO Interviews of LMS Companies: I thought that it would be valuable to hear from the President or CEO of the major LMS/LCMS companies. I interviewed six of these leaders for 10 minutes each, focusing on Trends in the Learning Systems field and their company's roadmap for 2007:

SumTotal, Don Fowler.
Saba, Bobby Yazdani.
Meridian, Paul Somerville.
Outstart, Massood Zarrabian.
TrainingPartner, Justin Hearn.
EEDO, John Hudson.

Click here to listen to these Podcast Interviews:
http://www.lms2007.com/library

* Mini Topics on Learning Podcasts: Brooke Thomas from our team here at The MASIE Center, interviewed nine learning colleagues who were presenters of Mini-Seminars at Learning 2006. These are short, targeted PodCasts about key learning challenges:

* Robert Parry, Western International University - Engaging Students in the World of Online Learning - What Works?
* Michael Sunnarborg, Target - Impacts and Benefits of Blended vs.
Instructor Led vs. e-Learning.
* Eren Rosenfeld, Merrill Lynch - Training Via Blackberry: Tackling the Transformation of Course Design and Delivery.
* Doug Chasick, CallSource - Career Transitions: From Classroom Instructor to Distance Learning.
* David Shoemaker, eCornell - Formal vs. Informal Learning- Is the Course Dead?
* Catlyn Gregory, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu - How to Get Stakeholders'
Acceptance For Some Thing New, Nifty and Cool, Instead of Doing the same Old Thing.
* Barbara McKnight, Countrywide Home Loans - Holding Learners Accountable After a Learning Event.
* Carolyn Henning, Accenture - Improving Training Effectiveness Through Strategic Planning.
* Andrew Teasdale, Humana - Do Instructional Designers Need to Understand Learning Theory?

Click here for these PodCasts: http://www.learningwiki.com/topics

Hope that you enjoy these and watch for a slew of additional interviews in the weeks ahead.

NOTE: LMS 2007 - Learning Systems User Group: We are rapidly filling this annual gathering focused on LMS/LCMS Tune Ups. April 12 and 13 in Las Vegas. Complete information at http://www.lms2007.com

LMS 2007 User Group Invitation

TO: Learning & Training Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie
DATE: January 9, 2007

Invitation to LMS 2007: Learning Systems User Group.
April 12 and 13, Las Vegas, Nevada.
http://www.lms2007.com.

Dear Colleague,

The world of Learning Systems isn't simple or easy! Owning, buying, deploying or improving a Learning Management System or Learning Content Management System can be a corporate challenge (or even career threatening project). And, as organizations begin to switch or consolidate their LMS/LCMS systems, it is getting even more complex.

You are invited to the only vendor-neutral event that is solely focused on Learning Systems. LMS 2007 is a User Group for organizations that have deployed an LMS/LCMS or are preparing to pick or change their Learning System.

I will be hosting and facilitating all of LMS 2007. I am joined by our co-host Cushing Anderson, the Program Director of IDC's Corporate Learning and Performance Research. In addition, Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Blink and Tipping Point, will lead a special keynote presentation at LMS 2007.

As part of a User Group, you will have a unique chance to hear from other learning executives who are using your own or a different LMS. We will explore the BEST and WORST practices of leveraging Learning Systems. In addition, we will be interviewing the CEOs of the key LMS and LCMS providers to get the scoop on their plans and challenges.

Dates for LMS 2007 User Group are April 12-13. Location is at the new Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Space is limited. (Last year we had 465 learning executives attending and had to close registration.) For complete information and registration go to:

http://www.lms2007.com

Any questions, send an email to emasie@masie.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie, Host LMS 2007

P.S. If you are a LMS provider and are interested in sponsorship and a demonstration desk at LMS 2007, please contact ch@masie.com

426 - Year of Learning Excellence and Experimentation

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Jan 4, 2007.
#426 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,305 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. The Year of Learning Excellence & Experimentation.
2. Electronics and Learning: CES Preview.
3. SONY Reader: Holiday Gift and Review.

1. The Year of Learning Excellence & Experimentation: Happy 2007 to Learning TRENDS Readers. Thanks for all of your wonderful Holiday Greetings and Santa's Learning Wish Lists.

Our focus for 2007 will be on Learning Excellence & Experimentation. The MASIE Learning LAB will be launching a series of public experiments to better understand how we can evolve our classroom, e-Learning and corporate-wide learning resources to achieve greater Excellence.

The themes at our 2 major events: LMS 2007 (Learning Systems User Group) and Learning 2007 will focus on Learning Excellence and Learning Experimentation. We believe that there is much work to be done to hone our models, technologies, content and structures to achieve Excellence.
And, it is time for us to more honestly share our failures and mistakes as well as just our "best practices".

2. Electronics and Learning - CES Preview: We have a team of colleagues in Las Vegas as the Consumer Electronics Show that is about to begin today.
This has evolved into the largest and perhaps most important technology show in the world. While the focus of CES is on gadgets and media, there is much to understand about the connection between Electronics & Learning.
Here are a few examples:

* Mobile and Broadband to the Hand: Our employees will soon have greater bandwidth and media functionality on their mobile phones than on their desktop. This is a "tipping point" moment to reconsider how we move content and knowledge to their hands.
* High Definition Soars: The "bar" is being raised on high definition media experience and expectations. What does that imply for learning content that is still low definition page turning?
* Video Conference to Video Presence: As video becomes a constant experience rather than a scheduled event, what are the implications for the delivery of learning and coaching?
* Rapid and Widespread Publishing/Development: The tools of content creation are getting easier and more widely accessible. Content will change a great deal in 2007. Are we ready?
* The Search on Steroids: Search engines and functionality will take a huge step forward with increased personalization and preference seeking.
Search will include a Social Networking capability. How does it relate to learning design and consumption?

We will send out a series of CES Reports exploring these topics. It is interesting that IBM has returned to the CES show after more than a decade away. Last time they were here, they were touting a 56 K modem technology.
Today, they are rolling out a Virtual World and Gaming Technology for Supply Chain Management.

3. SONY Reader - Holiday Gift: Talking about Electronics and Learning, one of the gifts that I received that now lives in the MASIE Learning LAB is a SONY Reader. This is the latest slimmed-down form factor of a device that you can hold in your hand to read books, articles or even your own PDFed documents.

It is actually quite cool and provocative! It weights about 9 ounces, has a bright and long-lasting screen, supporting over 7,500 page turns on a single charge. I was able to buy several books online and also download a host of reports. I took it on a trip and comfortably read and highlighted key sections. When my eyes were tired, a single button enlarged the typeface and I got quite nimble at browsing my way through material. No offense, but it even travels well to the men's room for continued reading
:)

Check it out at http://www.sony.com/reader We are doing continued tests and will see how it works in an upcoming Leadership Class at the facility of a Fortune 500 member of our Learning CONSORTIUM.

MASIE Center Learning LAB Events & Services:
* Extreme Learning LAB - Jan 17-19 - Saratoga Springs, NY (Only 9 seats remaining).
* LMS 2007 (Learning Systems User Group) - April 12-13 - Las Vegas, NV (Early Registration Now Open).
* Learning 2007 - Oct 21-24 - Orlando, FL (Early Registration Now Open).
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM (250 Global Companies Collaborating on Learning Excellence).
* Keynote Speeches & Learning Strategy Coaching by Elliott Masie.
For Information & Resources: http://www.masie.com

425 - A Santa Learning Wish List

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Dec 22, 2006.
#425 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,298 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. Elliott's Santa Learning Wish List.
2. 2006 Dollars Left? Forward Spending Options.
3. A Personal Note.

1. Elliott's Santa Wish List: Even a Jewish guy can visit Santa with a wish list. So, I made up my Learning Wish List and have sent it as an XML file to Santa, via his secure Web Site. I thought I would share a few of the items on my Learning Wish List:

* Open Source Learning Content: Let's stop reinventing the wheel each time we create new content. Santa, please bring us a collaborative way for organizations to share content and extend it in an Open Source fashion.
In fact, Santa, if you bring it, our Learning CONSORTIUM will provide the leadership for this cool project!

* Easy Meta Tagging: Every time we create a piece of content, from this note to presentations, give us an easy way to add information (metadata) like keywords, source and more.

* Video Conference Acceptance: Santa, while I know you do a lot of travel on December 24th, most of the year, I would assume you want to keep in touch with your community without the reindeer's labor. If only we could get wider acceptance of Video Conference as a tool for communication and learning. Throw in a bit of high-definition if you can.

* Hype Buster Spray: Look in your bag and see if there is a can of Hype Buster that we could apply to our field. I'd love to spray it on most of the press releases and reports that come across my desk. Protect me from phrases like "The World's Leading Provider of..." or "World Class LMS". Just one can, Santa: just one can of Hype Buster!

* My 1958 Chemistry Set: This one is pretty personal, Santa. Could you find me a replica of my Global Hobby Chemistry Set from 1958? It was so cool and included test tubes, chemicals that changed color and sometimes gave off smoke and wierd odors. It had a burner to heat up stuff and a Microscope and more. I've looked in the stores, but I guess we are being safer with our kids. But, I'd love to do a few more experiments that I didn't get to when I was 8. (Also, if you have an Erector Set from 1957, I'll take one of those, too).

I'd love to hear your Learning Wish Lists for Santa. I'll send them off to the North Pole for possible action. Send them to emasie@masie.com

2. 2006 Dollars Left? Forward Spending Options: We've heard from several TRENDS readers who have the nice situation of wanting to spend some 2006 Budget figures before the end of the year. We can process your registrations or memberships for:

* Learning 2007 - Oct 21 to 24, Orlando, Florida.
* LMS 2007 - Learning Systems User Group - April 12 and 13, Las Vegas.
* Learning CONSORTIUM Membership - $5,000 per Organization for 2007.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar - January 17-19, Saratoga Springs.

Just go to http://www.masie.com for information and registrations. If you have special End of the Year Spending Requirements, send us a note to emasie@masie.com

3. A Personal Note: Thanks to the hundreds of folks who wrote Holiday Greetings to me after my note about the first night of Hanukkah. It was touching to connect with colleagues of all faiths about faith.

As we approach the season of Christmas, my wife's Holiday, we are looking forward to gathering with family and celebrating the spirit and magic of Christmas. Hug your loved ones and let us learn together for Peace on this Earth.

Elliott and Cathy Masie.

424 - Patents by Google, YOU Publishing and Learning Implications

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Dec 18, 2006.
#424 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
53,295 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host of LMS 2007 - April 12 & 13 - Las Vegas, NV, USA.

1. Patent Search Activity - Check Out Google!
2. Time's Person of the Year - YOU - Content Implications.
3. Extreme Learning LAB - 12 Spaces Left.

1. Patent Search Activity - Check Out Google! I've been quite concerned about some "iffy" patents in the learning area. A new tool from Google has made it much easier (and cheaper) to explore the strange world of granted
patents: Google Patents Online.

Check out this service at http://www.google.com/patents

Then, add phrases like learning, e-Learning, instructional design, curriculum and learning management

You'll see a host of interesting and, at times, "defensive" patents.

Time's Person of the Year - YOU - Content Implications: Time Magazine has designated "YOU Publishing" as the Person of the Year. The growth of MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Blogs and Wikis are at the center of this focus. As content is more easily created and disseminated by YOU, we will see increasing opportunities and challenges in the learning world:

* Learning Systems (LMS, LCMS and Content Management) will need to deal with a much larger and more informal range of content - rapidly and widely published.
* Dynamic Content continues the shift from Read-Only to Read/Write/Change/Improve/Comment. Instructional designers will need to adapt their models to cope with content that will evolve beyond their control.
* Social Networks & Learning: We are just beginning to explore the impacts of social networks on how learners will contextualize and internalize information and knowledge.
* YOU Content and Compliance Lawyers: How will legal folks who live in the land of Compliance cope with content published by YOU?

3. Extreme Learning LAB - 12 Spaces Left: Start the New Year with a 3-day, very intensive Lab and Seminar that I teach a few times a year. Our Extreme Learning LAB will take place in Saratoga Springs on January 17-19. We only have a dozen seats left in this learning experience that addresses Mobile Learning, Rapid Development, Informal Learning, PodCasting, Gaming and Simulations. Info at http://www.masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Events & Services:
* LMS 2007 - Learning Systems User Group: April 12-13 Las Vegas, NV.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar: Jan 17-19, Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Learning 2007 - Oct 21-24, Orlando, FL.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM - Join 244 Global Organizations!
Information at http://www.masie.com