Learning Futures Invitation

TO: Learning and Training Colleagues
FROM: Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center Learning CONSORTIUM
RE: Invitation to Learning Futures 2006 and Extreme Learning Lab

I would like to invite you and your colleagues to participate in two new programs focused on the changing world of learning:

Learning Futures 2006.
Dublin, Ireland - Trinity College.
July 10 and 11th.
Featuring: Malcolm Gladwell (Blink) and Nigel Paine (BBC).
http://www.learningfutures.com.

Extreme Learning LAB.
Saratoga Springs, NY @ The MASIE Center Headquarters.
July 24th to July 26th.
http://www.xlearn.com.

The Learning Futures 2006 event will bring together colleagues from around the world to dialogue and investigate the future of learning in our organizations. Dublin, Ireland is a great city and we are honored to be hosting this at Trinity College, one of the oldest learning institutions in the world, founded in 1592. Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Blink and Tipping Point will be our featured guest. I will be joined by Nigel Paine, head of People Development from the BBC. In addition, Learning Officers from many other countries will be part of this interactive event.
Space is limited. Register at http://www.learningfutures.com

The Extreme Learning Lab is a unique 3-day, small group, hands-on immersion into the world of Gaming for Learning, Informal Learning, Simulation and PodCasting. Learn, Experiment and Work in our 10,000 square foot building with evolving technologies and a team of expert coaches. The Extreme Learning Lab is limited to 40 participants.
Register at http://www.xlearn.com

If you have any questions, please contact Anne Marie at amh@masie.com or call 518-350-2216.

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie
The MASIE Center
http://www.masie.com

386 - Boomerang Workers, Content and Competencies, Blackberry for Learning

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 30, 2006.
#386 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
52,376 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - Over 435 Registered!

1. Boomerang or Returning Workers - Are You Ready?
2. Content, Competencies and Compliance: LMS Concerns.
3. Blackberry Learning Experiments - Volunteers?

1. Boomerang or Returning Workers - Are You Ready? As the length of tenure of our employees becomes shorter, we are also seeing an interesting trend of returning or "Boomerang" workers. These are individuals who are re-joining your organization after a few or many years. In some situations, returning workers are coming back for a 3rd time.

There can be great advantages of putting out the Welcome Mat for returning workers. They already have experienced your culture, bring the wisdom of working at more than just 1 organization and have often been well trained in the years after their first departure. Yet, few organizations have a process for tracking and re-recruiting "Boomerang" workers. It is an interesting conversation to raise with your Talent Management Officer:
What can we do to creatively leverage "Boomerang" workers? How is the on-boarding of a Boomerang hire different?

2. Content, Competencies and Compliance - LMS Concerns: As I prepare to host our LMS 2006 event in Las Vegas next week, we have been surveying our
435 participants about their key interests and topics. Here are a few of the phrases that are coming from the LMS deployment community:

- Content: How to manage content being developed by non-learning departments? How to manage non-instructional content used for learning (eg. podcasts)? How to manage global enterprise wide content harvesting?
How to add LCMS capacity to current LMS deployments?

- Competencies: How to integrate competency management into LMS deployments? How to create meaningful measures of organizational competency levels? How to map invitations to learning to competency profiles? How to experiment with e-portfolios?

- Compliance: How to use an LMS as a Compliance Management Tool? How to accomplish compliance requirements with "sampling" rather than full universe testing? How to find motivational elements for employee self-service compliance activities?

We will be tackling these issues at LMS 2006. I will post an executive summary in TRENDS after the event. If you would like to register for the handful of remaining spaces, go to http://www.lms2006.com

3. Blackberry Learning Experiments - Volunteers? We are looking for several Learning TRENDS readers to participate in an experiment on the use of Blackberry devices in learning programs. If you are a current Blackberry user and would be willing to spend an hour or two over the next few months exploring how organizations could use them for content, community and coaching, send an email to mollie@masie.com Thanks!

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* LMS 2006 - Las Vegas - April 6 and 7.
* Learning 2006 - Orlando - November 5 to 8.
* Learning Futures! - Dublin, Ireland - July 10 & 11.
* Membership in Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com

385 - 18 Wishes for an LMS

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 21, 2006.
#385 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
52,350 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - Over 347 Registered!

18 Wishes for an LMS!
By Elliott Masie
(This article originally appeared in Chief Learning Officer magazine, www.clomedia.com)

"Hey, Learning Management Systems, can you dance?" It is time for learning executives to have a heart to heart conversation with their LMS.
Ask them if they are ready to dance to the music of performance, profitability, talent management and extreme learning.

Tell your LMS that your company is ready to have it step up from its early role as an Enterprise Database of learning activities. Now, you want it to become an ENGINE to drive business and talent outcomes.

Don't be shy. Tell the LMS exactly what you want. Let me be your coach in this process. Take my LMS wish list as a "cheat sheet" when you go in to talk to your system. Note how I am telling the LMS straight-up what I want from it:

1. LMS, I want you to be able to personalize and target invitations to learn for each of our employees based on current projects, performance goals and critical events in our business.

2. LMS, I want you to create a "dashboard" for each manager that highlights, in real time, how their teams are learning.

3. LMS, I want you to be our Compliance Tracking System. As rules and regulations change, inform our employees and customers and offer updated learning modules.

4. LMS, I want you to integrate into our Social Networking Systems.
Sometimes, the source of knowledge is not a class but rather a conversation with a colleague down the hall with the exact right experience.

5. LMS, I want you to observe the learning styles of our workforce and offer learning options appropriate for each employee, content domain and situation.

6. LMS, I want you to get ready for more Extreme Learning. Let us use you to leverage the power of PodCasting, Wikis, Blogs and other emerging content models.

7. LMS, I want you to become part of our browser. As associates do their work, they should be able to click on a button and interact with the LMS for content, context, future learning needs and collaboration.

8. LMS, I want you to be more integrated with our business objectives. As we roll out new products, change our strategy, realign our workforce or add new customers, you need to be hooked into the process in real time.

9. LMS, I want you to work with a wider range of devices. Our workforce is moving towards less time in front of a desktop or laptop and more interaction with PDAs and mobile devices.

10. LMS, I want you to handle the growing use of content at the object level. Business is moving fast and often, the learning needs are small:
just a chunk of the right content, now! Stop calling that a non-completion. It is a learning moment and a success.

11. LMS, I want to have access to more reusable content. Part of the promise of the LMS and SCORM was reusable and sharable content. I want our organization to be able to access more content internally and in external affiliations. Where does Open Source content fit into your future?

12. LMS, I want you to be able to create portable learning digital transcripts for our employees. When someone leaves our company, they should be able to take a digital record of their learning history and certifications.

13. LMS, I want you to work closer with your cousins, Document Management and Knowledge Management. The three of you are deeply connected in terms of our business strategy but I rarely see you hanging out together or even talking to each other.

14. LMS, I want you to keep track of how valuable other employees found each learning offering. Just like Amazon, some of your best value will be in sharing peer reviews of content.

15. LMS, I want you to facilitate multi-language learning. Some of our employees speak English quite well, but learn best in their native tongue.

16. LMS, I want you to be able to facilitate informal learning. When I send someone to a conference, hire a coach, buy a set of books or make a development assignment, you don't seem that interested. Remember, most corporate learning is informal.

17. LMS, I want you to become part of our Emergency Management Plan. When a crisis hits, I'd like to be able to turn to you find competencies and to deliver extremely rapid content.

18. LMS, I want you to provide a macro-assessment of how the organization is approaching learning investments, bench marked with other similar organizations around the world.

In other words, tell your LMS that you want it to dance! The LMS providers have built high-powered databases that are ready to be ENGINES.
It is time for you to add the processes and focus to make your LMS dance for you!

(We will be working these issues at our upcoming LMS 2006 User Group Event in Las Vegas on April 6th and 7th. There are over 400 Learning Executives registered for LMS 2006 and it is sponsored by 26 of the LMS and LCMS provider companies. Information and registration at http://www.lms2006.com )

384 - Happy St. Patrick's; Podcast on Leadership; Adderall Question

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 17, 2006.
#384 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
52,254 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - Over 347 Registered!

1. Happy St. Patrick's Day: Learning Futures in Ireland.
2. Free Podcast: Leadership Development Trends.
3. Adderall and Corporate Learning: A Question.

1. Happy St. Patrick's Day! Learning Futures in Ireland: First of all, Happy St. Patrick's Day to our TRENDS readers. I'm wearing Green today and have fond memories of the two years I spent working in Dublin right after graduating college. May your celebrations be joyous.

This is a perfect day to announce a new program that The MASIE Center & The Learning CONSORTIUM will be offering in Ireland this summer:

Learning Futures!
Trinity College - Dublin Ireland.
July 10 and 11, 2006

This new event will address the future of learning and how learning will impact our organizational futures. We will take an in-depth look at the future of LMS systems, Gaming, Informal Learning, Competencies, Collaboration and Globalization. Colleagues from Europe and around the world will be participating in this event that I will host at Trinity College, Dublin. If you would like to receive information, please send a note to mollie@masie.com The website for Learning Futures! will open in a few weeks.

2. Free Podcast - Leadership Development Trends - I recently interviewed John Alexander, the President of The Center for Creative Leadership, about the trends in leadership development. This interview is available in Podcast, Audio Download and Text Transcript versions at:

http://www.learning2006.com/university

3. Question about Adderall and Corporate Learning: We have been asked by a member of our Learning CONSORTIUM to see if there are any organizations that are confronting or dealing with the impact of employee us of Adderall type drugs. These are prescriptions focused on Attention Deficit Disorder. A significant percentage of college students are officially or unofficially using Adderall to help with studying. Here is a recent news article about the topic from a campus newspaper:

http://www.masie.com/adderall

And, there are reports that this continues when they enter the workplace.
I will be doing a report on this issue. If you have any experience or perspectives on the Adderall and workplace/learning implications, could you send me a confidential note. We'll provide a longer report in a future TRENDS. Send the note to emasie@masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* LMS 2006 - Las Vegas - April 6 and 7.
* Learning 2006 - Orlando - November 5 to 8.
* Learning Futures! - Dublin, Ireland - July 10 & 11.
* Membership in Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information and Registration at http://www.masie.com

383 - 48 Hours in a Flatter World

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - March 1, 2006.
#383 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
52,199 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com

48 Learning Hours in a World Getting Flatter, By Elliott Masie

In the last 48 hours, I have come to better understand and experience Tom Friedman's "The World is Flat". I wanted to share a few of my personal learning experiences and experiments in these 2 days:

Saudi Arabia by Video - Tuesday Morning - 1:30 AM: Sitting in my office in Saratoga Springs, NY, I deliver the keynote address to the Higher Education establishment in Saudi Arabia on the future of e-learning. We are connected via an internet based Video Conference setup. The men are in one room, the females are in another room and Elliott is in his office.
The the next sixty minutes, we have a robust dialogue about learning, generational changes, globalization and how to integrate local culture into emerging e-Learning models. No powerpoints, little formality and a very provocative discussion occurs across the net. I envy their strong coffee being poured for dignitaries in the front row and they wonder about the snow outside my office. We talk about "digital tribes", blended learning, rigour for e-Learning and generational differences in knowledge processing. We are struck by our common use of Google as our starting point for knowledge access.

Board Meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio By Video - Tuesday 9:30 AM: As a member of the Board of Operation Respect, I am supposed to be in Ohio for an important meeting, but the calendar won't support the trip. So, I point my internet video-conference to the Board Room and jump right into the proceedings. I actually find myself more engaged by video then I usually am in person. Plus, I can do some other tasks and some context work during the process.

Tom Friedman by Web - Tuesday 11:00 AM: I leave the Board meeting to participate as a student in a live (via web) e-Learning segment by Tom Friedman, produced by Linkage. The topic is "The World is Flat" and the content and quality of the delivery is awesome. Using a 133 kps stream, I see a live and highly animated video of Friedman discussing the key "flatteners of the world" - and the impact for knowledge, collaboration and the economy. Learners telephone, fax and email great core questions to Friedman and it is one of the richest 90 minutes of learning.

Leadership Coaching by Video - This Morning: As I send off this note, I'll be heading into a quarterly coaching session that I lead, via video, with the leadership of a telecommunications company. Every few months, we gather together - connected by video - and discuss emerging and disruptive trends in the technology, knowledge and business world. It is efficient, focused and easier to schedule.

Tonite: Australia Defence Department by .WAV File & Phone: At 6:30 PM, I will go "down-under" via a lower tech model of collaboration. I have produced a 20 minute video, responding to key questions from the Australia Defence Department on changes in the learning world. They have downloaded the .WAV file. The group will view this short video and then call me by phone for a question and answer session. Then, off to dinner and catching up on some sleep.

The world FEELS flatter. The technology of video-conferencing over the internet is getting way better and groups are getting more comfortable working creatively. I feel honored to have working relationships with learning colleagues around the world and blessed to live in a time when the flatter world is making for richer relationships. I welcome your stories about a flatter learning world, send them to emasie@masie.com

Warm regards, Elliott

Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services:
* LMS 2006 - April 6 and 7 - Las Vegas.
* Learning 2006 - Nov 5 - 8 - Orlando.
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

382 - SkyScout, Trends for CEOs, Presentation Performance Support

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 21, 2006.
#382 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
52,193 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com

1. SkyScout - Stars, GPS & Learning - Gadget For Elliott!
2. Presentation Performance Support.
3. CEOs Respond to 4 TRENDS.
4. LMS 2006 Adds 2 More Hotels.

1. SkyScout - Stars, GPS & Learning: The SkyScout, which will be released later this year, is a learning tool that I must have! You point this small handheld scope to the sky. It has a GPS which tells you with text or audio about the exact stars that you are viewing. It will cost about $400 and is on my birthday gift list. (Are you reading this, Mrs. Masie?) Check it out at:

http://www.celestron.com/skyscout/new/index.php

Watch for more of these educational tools to combine GPS, content and learning.

2. Presentation Performance Support: While I am not a big fan of long PowerPoints, I have been impressed with new products that are assisting the Presenter/Trainer in making their presentations. The latest is Ovation from Serious Magic. I downloaded the demo last night and found a performance support tool for a presentation. Using the 2 screen feature in Windows, it gives the presenter a private view with current and future slides, a scrolling teletype of notes and a countdown clock for each slide and the remaining time in the presentation. It also allows for random access to key slides based on audience questions. And, it has a drill down option for greater depth on a slide and a variety of templates. You can get a free demo at: http://www.seriousmagic.com

3. CEOs Respond to 4 TRENDS: This weekend I presented a speech to several hundred CEOs of energy and communication companies. The topic was "4 Trends To Watch". They all connected back to learning, knowledge and performance. The response from the CEOs was quite powerful and launched a good many dialogues about the future of learning and technology in their organizations. Here is the quick list:

* Self-Service: Employees and customers are moving rapidly towards a comfort and even assumption of self-service for transactions.
* Search vs. Menu: Fewer websites are being accessed via a click from a menu and more from a free text search process.
* Media Timeshifting: Increased use of TIVO and Digital Recorders at home are leading to an expectation of the ability to timeshift most media watching.
* Peer Validated Knowledge: People are increasingly balancing expert knowledge with peer validation and ratings.

4. LMS 2006 Adds 2 More Hotels: We are delighted to announce that the registration for our new LMS 2006 User Group (April 6-7, Las Vegas) event is exceeding our expectations. With rooms almost filled at the conference hotel, we have added two additional nearby hotels in Las Vegas. There are now 23 LMS Suppliers as key sponsors of this first multi-vendor LMS User Group. Please register soon to avoid being closed out! Information at http://www.lms2006.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services:
* Membership in the Learning CONSORTIUM.
* LMS 2006 - April 6 and 7, 2006 - Las Vegas.
* Learning 2006 - November 5-8 - Orlando.
Information and registration at http://www.masie.com

381 - LMS Expectations Rise, Learning Scouts, Squidoo

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 13, 2006.
#381 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
52,174 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com

1. Appoint 5 Learning Scouts.
2. Squidoo - A Custom Place.
3. LMS Expectations Rise.

1. Appoint 5 Learning Scouts: Every learning executive should appoint at least 5 Scouts. A Learning Scout is a team member who has the intentional mission of keeping you up to date on an area and providing a unique perspective. Here are five suggestions of Scouts to recruit from your employee base:

* Youngest Generation: Find a "youth" in your workforce and make them a scout. Ask them to keep you up to date on how they (and their friends) collaborate digitally, learn things, read books (if they do), approach their careers and view your learning offerings.

* Retiring Generation: Go to the other end of the generational scale and appoint a person about to retire in the next year. Ask them the same questions plus how they would like to be involved in the knowledge transfer of what they have learned over their careers. Warning: they may be way more digital than you assume.

* Global Scout: Find one person who does not work in the home country of your company and ask them to give you on-going perspectives about learning from their point of view. Check to see if they are feeling like a 2nd or 3rd "world" member of your knowledge team.

* Tech Scout: Find one or more folks to monitor emerging trends in technology. I have a scout who tracks changes in DVD standards. Another one is a gamer with challenging views about information transfer. I have asked one person to be my scout about changes in RSS feeds and Social Networks. Some of your best tech scouts do not work in the IT department!

* Faith Scout: Find one person who is deeply religious or spiritual in your organization. Ask them about the connection between their belief systems and learning/training offerings. Explore the role that their faith has in workplace conversations.

Scouts aren't formal job descriptions. And, they don't have to report to you. They are another set of eyes, ears and souls in the organization.
Take them to lunch once a quarter. Ask them to send you an occasional email. Good executives need great scouts!

2. Squidoo: Seth Godin is one of the brightest people in the world of the internet. He has launched a very cool and impressive new site called http://www.squidoo.com "Find hand-built, recommended, relevant information fast" is the tag line. Check it out. Imagine each of your subject matter experts having a Squidoo.

3. LMS Expectations Rise: As we ramp up for our LMS 2006 User Group, we are detecting an increased pressure on Learning Management Systems implementations. The attendees for the upcoming event are reporting:
* Compliance Pressure - Use of the LMS as a core Compliance Management Tool.
* Retention of Talent Pressure - Requests to have the LMS as an "engine"
that drives increased retention of talent.
* Meaningful Metrics Pressure - Need for greater linkage with business metrics to yield measures of the impact of learning on performance rather than consumption.
* Informal Content Pressure - As more content is shifting to informal formats, the LMS needs to be re-tuned to authentically deal with a wider continuum of knowledge models.
* Governance Pressure - Registered participants are reporting significant changes in LMS and LCMS governance and decision models.

Space is limited at the LMS 2006 User Group event, to be held in Las Vegas, April 6 and 7. Registration includes the LMS 2006 Yearbook.
Information at http://www.lms2006.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* LMS 2006 - April 6 and 7, 2006 - Las Vegas.
* Extreme Learning Lab & Seminar - April 19-21 - Saratoga Springs.
* Learning 2006 - November 5-8 - Orlando.
* Membership in the Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information and registration at http://www.masie.com

380 - Pandemic (Bird Flu) - Learning Readiness Plans

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 10, 2006.
#380 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
52,165 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com

Special Note: Pandemic (Bird Flu) and Learning Readiness

There is growing concern about the impact of a Pandemic (Bird Flu) outbreak and the impact on business and society. The MASIE Center is launching a "Readiness Conversation" amongst learning professionals to share resources and launch a number of projects.

Impacts could include disruption of travel, global market changes and employee distraction. What should our organizations be doing to prepare and create a readiness plan? What is the role of learning departments in this readiness planning? Can organizations share resources and create free e-Learning modules to use if this tragedy hits?

We are creating an open Wiki focused on Pandemic Bird Flu Learning Readiness. We have added some key links to resource sites:

Go to http://www.learningwiki.com/pandemic

We look forward to working with a wide range of NGO and other organizations on these projects. Hopefully, the Pandemic will not occur, yet preparation is important.

Feel free to contact me at emasie@masie.com

Yours in learning,

Elliott Masie

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* LMS 2006 - April 6 and 7, 2006 - Las Vegas.
* Extreme Learning Lab & Seminar - April 19-21 - Saratoga Springs.
* Learning 2006 - November 5-8 - Orlando.
* Membership in Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information and registration at http://www.masie.com

379 - Update: Bono, Learning Tipping Point, Odd Times, LMS Governance

Update: Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 9, 2006.
#379 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
52,156 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com

1. e-Learning Regulations Evolving - A Tipping Point?
2. Dinner with Bono - Reflections on Commitment.
3. Tips for Trainers: Odd Times Are Remembered.
4. Learning Management System Governance.

1. e-Learning Regulations Evolving - A Tipping Point? The United States Congress is about to remove a restriction on distance education in higher education. This move can be seen as a "tipping point", reflecting the rates of acceptance of e-Learning on the campus (and society at large).

In 1992, Congress passed a regulation, called the 50% Rule, that prevented any college that enrolls more than half of their students from a distance or offers more than half their courses on-line, from participating in federal student aid programs. This rule was triggered by a rash of diploma mills and low quality correspondence courses.

But, much has changed as our field has evolved and mainstream colleges add e-Learning options for both campus based and remote students. There have been waivers already for institutions like Capella and Jones International. Watch for steady increases in e-Learning offerings and blended models at campuses throughout the U.S. There is still debate underway about the 50% Rule, but most expect Congress to eliminate this rule.

2. Dinner with Bono: Last Friday, my wife and I had the extreme honor of having dinner with Bono, the lead singer from U2. The event was hosted by the Center for Association Leadership. We talked with Bono about his passionate campaign to deal with key issues confronting Africa, including AIDS, Hunger and Debt Reduction. He is effectively leveraging his fame (including winning the Grammy Awards last night) to bring together leaders from every corner of society. There was a sentence he said to us that keeps ringing in my brain:

* "WHERE you are born should not predict IF you will live!" *

I would urge Learning TRENDS readers to explore Bono's website for his DATA organization. We are planning to volunteer our resources to add learning professionals to this effort. Go to http://www.data.org

3. Tips for Trainers: Odd Times Are Remembered: A simple tip is to re-start breaks at odd times. Rather than say "We will be back in 15 minutes at the quarter hour", try "We will be taking a 14 minute break and we'll start again at 2:14". It is amazing how learners take even break times and add a pad of 5 or 10 minutes. But, when you use an unusual length break and get very precise, people comply at a whole new level.
Plus, it is fun!

4. Learning Management System Governance: This is a key issue and often ignored in organizations. Companies investing in an LMS or LCMS must create a governance plan to effectively measure and manage the impact of these learning systems. All too often, the attention to the LMS by senior managers ends once the system goes "live" or is seen as an outsourced issue to the IT department. There is a dramatic difference between LMS installs that have strategic Governance Plans and those that don't. These plans should include:

* Representation from stakeholders including Talent Management, HR, Business Units, Compliance Officers, IT and Training/Learning Functions.
* Quarterly Review meetings that focus on Utilization, Yields, Velocity, Scalability, User Patterns and Reporting to Decision Makers.
* Switching the "metaphor" of the LMS from an Enterprise Database used to report learning consumption to an Enterprise Engine that drives both organizational and individual behaviors and actions.

LMS and LCMS Governance will be a big topic at our LMS 2006 User Group in Las Vegas on April 6 and 7. We have over 180 folks registered and 20 LMS companies as sponsors of this event already, and space is limited. For information go to http://www.lms2006.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* LMS 2006 - April 6 and 7, 2006 - Las Vegas.
* Extreme Learning Lab & Seminar - April 19-21 - Saratoga Springs.
* Learning 2006 - November 5-8 - Orlando.
* Membership in Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information and registration at http://www.masie.com

378 - Rapid On-Boarding; Talent Search at Masie Center

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Feb 2, 2006.
#378 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
52,014 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com Learning 2006 - Nov
5-8 - Orlando - www.learning2006.com

1. Report from ASTD TechKnowledge: Design & Development Evolving.
2. Rapid On-Boarding Imperatives - Your Input.
3. Talent Search at The MASIE Center.

1. Report from ASTD TechKnowledge - Design & Development Evolving: I just returned from Denver, where I presented the Keynote at ASTD's TechKnowledge event. Here is a slice of the "buzz" from the participants and suppliers:

- Design and Development Tools Wanted - lots of demand and interest in tools that allow Subject Matter Experts and line managers to create and design e-Learning and knowledge modules and resources.
- Compliance Drivers - a great deal of current investments in e-Learning is being driven by compliance needs. In some organizations, compliance reflects over 60% of the learning efforts.
- Invitation Innovations - more creativity needed to find ways of inviting learners to participate in learning activities.
- Benchmarking Key - I made a major point in my keynote about the need for our field to do a lot more active benchmarking, with common metrics, between organizations. Both ASTD and The MASIE Center Learning CONSORTIUM are great places for this key activity.
- Career Shifts - a lot of conversation about new career models for our field, beyond trainer, instructional designer or learning manager.

2. Rapid On-Boarding Imperatives: We are hearing a lot about Rapid On-Boarding requirements of organizations. Learning professionals are struggling to find ways of adding staff rapidly to organizations and to do a better job of the process of adding new folks to the culture of the organization. This is way more complicated and subtle than a series of orientation sessions. For example, the role of "buddies" may be more powerful than formal mentors. Here is an interesting article from Harvard Business School on the topic:

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item.jhtml?id=4884&t=leadership

3. Talent Search at The MASIE Center: We are looking for 2 key people to join the staff of The MASIE Center and our Learning CONSORTIUM. As we expand the services and projects at our learning "thinktank," we are seeking some unique professionals who would love to work with our members on the future of learning. Send me a detailed note about your interests and background to emasie@masie.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services:
* Learning Management Systems 2006 - Las Vegas - April 6 and 7.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar - Saratoga Springs - April 19-21.
* Learning 2006 - Orlando - Nov 5 - 8.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

377 - Training Mistakes Survey Results, One Touch Conversations and More

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Jan 20, 2006.
#377 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
52,003 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com Learning 2006 - Nov 5-8 - Orlando - www.learning2006.com

1. Training Mistakes Survey Results.
2. Communities One Touch on Mobile Phones.
3. Robust Conversations on "Every-Day Learning"

1. Training Mistakes Survey Results: In December, over 700 Learning TRENDS readers submitted their lists of the most common Training Mistakes. This was a fun and informative set of data. We are presenting the results in two formats:

To see the Executive Summary and also comment in our wiki:
http://www.learningwiki.com/mistakes

To view the entire set of data and Executive Summary in PDF Format:
http://www.masie.com/mistakes.pdf

2. Community One Touch Calls on Mobile Phones: It may be very hectic and perhaps aimed at a younger generation, but I reviewed a new feature from several mobile phone service providers: One Touch Community Conference Calls. The user defines a set of community members. These could be friends or colleagues. The phone displays a sort of Instant Messenger list, which indicates which ones are available or not available. One touch and all of these people are placed into a conference call. I tried this yesterday and was struck by its possible use for smaller groups, for rapid knowledge sharing or brainstorming. In some countries, folks are using this to say goodnight to their entire family. Good night, John Boy :)

3. Robust Conversations on "Every-Day Learning": There is a robust conversation occurring on our Learning Wiki. Great ideas and thoughts from around the world on Every-Day Learning (and some challenges) in the areas of firefighters, airlines and manufacturing. Check it out at:

http://www.learningwiki.com/daily

Add your own comments and perspectives. We love the "wisdom of the crowds"!

Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services:
* Learning Management Systems 2006 - Las Vegas - April 6 and 7.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar - Saratoga Springs - Jan 25-27.
* Learning 2006 - Orlando - Nov 5 - 8.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

376 - Let's Discuss Every-Day Learning!

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Jan 13, 2006.
#376 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
51,999 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com
Learning 2006 - Nov 5-8 - Orlando - www.learning2006.com

"Every-Day Learning?"
A TRENDS Interactive Conversation!

Most organizational learning is occasional learning. Sometimes, very occasional. A worker might attend a class once a year. And, they might take an e-Learning module every few weeks. But, things change every day!
What about an approach called "Every-Day Learning?"

I am not talking about informal or self-service learning, which are both highly important. In this instance, I am proposing a structured model of daily learning activities. Here are a few examples:

* A police officer gets into a squad car, which is now equipped with a wireless PC. As part of the check-in routine, they must take a short module of learning content, prior to leaving the parking lot.

* Flight attendants go to a briefing prior to the start of a flight.
They participate in a short peer-taught lesson from a daily curriculum.

* Customer service reps respond to a daily scenario, built from 2 difficult incidents the previous day. Their responses are shared in a collaborative environment. Each day, this scenario becomes the buzz of the call center.

* A leadership development program is broken into 200 modules, delivered once a day to each senior succession candidate. Each is asked to respond and share.

* Field sales representatives build a daily module covering a learning from a sales call. These are then sent to other sales reps around the country.

Let's challenge our assumptions of learning delivery timing. What if we were to create some modules or activities that became a daily part of the work pattern, for just a few minutes at a time?

What are the pros and cons of a model of "Every-Day Learning"?

Let's discuss this. Go to our interactive wiki and leave a comment or write a longer note:

http://www.learningwiki.com/daily

I will summarize these back in a Learning TRENDS next week.

Thanks,
Elliott

Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services:
* Learning Management Systems 2006 - Las Vegas - April 6 and 7.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar - Saratoga Springs - Jan 25-27.
* Learning 2006 - Orlando - Nov 5 - 8.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

375 - TV via Internet - Learning Implications: CES Report

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Jan 9, 2006.
#375 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
51,985 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com
Learning 2006 - Nov 5-8 - Orlando - www.learning2006.com

TV via Internet - Learning Implications: CES Report from The MASIE Center.

The primary discussion at the just-ended Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was Television over the Internet. Announcements from Google, Microsoft, Apple, Cisco, Verizon, Yahoo and others all focused on the expanding capability (and market) for delivering television content over the internet. Terms like IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) are being used to describe a rapidly expanding capacity to deliver video content to your desktop, mobile phone or other devices, via broadband internet connections, on-demand and to your specifications.

The MASIE Center is exploring how these trends and market investments may impact organizational learning approaches. Here are some Learning TRENDS and emerging examples for our readers to ponder:

* "Videoification" of the Web: Apple has cut the way with the release of their video iPod and the sale of TV shows for $1.99 a piece. New services from Microsoft, Yahoo and others are rapidly expanding this marketplace.
Video PodCasting is starting to emerge as an additional vehicle for content distribution. We believe that this may be an early "tipping point"
for the "Videoification" of the web.

Currently, most internet usage is text based with a mild level of graphics and a sprinkling of audio/video. If the growth of video content continues, the user may increasingly come to accept and expect video content from their web experience. This raises serious development hurdles for content producers and also requires new models for tagging and search processes.
However, we believe that there will be a steady increase in the demand for video for learning activities.

* Personalized Control Rooms: Check out the recent announcement from CNN of their CNN Pipeline product. The user is given a video control room that contains four live feeds from CNN sources as well as access to a huge level of stored images. They can switch the "feeds" the same way the control room at CNN is doing, selecting images, stories and perspectives as desired. Imagine providing this same offering to learners. Rather than a single storyline or instructional path, they are given multiple sources, including some live peer interaction and they can choose which one to select. Imagine being in a webcast with 5 windows, including a live feed from the instructor, application sharing, remedial content and the ability to search archives. The learner may increase their expectation of switching and choosing the scene or shot or perspective of their choice.
For example, there may be a "nay sayer" feed from someone who disagrees with the perspective of the presenter. Check out the CNN Pipeline and get a glimpse of the future. http://www.cnn.com/pipeline/
Their video quality is amazing and gives a sense of how far streaming over the internet has advanced.

* Video to Devices: On my belt is a new cell phone, the Viper from Motorola with service from Verizon. There is a new service called V Cast, which brings broadcast quality video to my phone from a variety of sources. Right now, I can access news and entertainment highlights. But, in a short while, there will be access to a broad range of content, including corporate-specific or learning focused content. The ability to distribute just in time video content to the hands of our workforce is intriguing. Imagine retailers, banks or other customer-facing organizations using this technology to provide short blasts of content to the entire workforce or on-demand access.

There is an interesting story by a USA Reporter who used this service to "kill time" while waiting for a flight as they were leaving CES this week:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2005-01-12-baig_x.htm

* Digital Cameras at Work: Learning organizations should take a fresh look at the use of digital cameras (video and still) as tools for corporate learning. I could not find a single company that is currently teaching their employees to utilize digital cameras as knowledge/learning tools.
While we whip out these cameras, along with our cell phone cameras, at any family event or outing, they are not really recognized as assets for organizational knowledge capture. It is time to take a fresh look. When someone comes back from an event, why not do a short video interview with them, rapidly edit and tag it and share it back out? Think of other times when we might be able to leverage "citizen capture" as part of our learning efforts. Many will point to the "poor quality" or "lack of editing" as a reason to avoid their use. Let's see how we might use these tools as part of the knowledge feed of our organizations.

Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services:
* Learning Management Systems 2006 - Las Vegas - April 6 and 7.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar - Saratoga Springs - Jan 25-27.
* Learning 2006 - Orlando - Nov 5 - 8.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

374 - LMS Next Hurdles; 20th Anniversary of The MASIE Center

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Jan 1, 2006.
#374 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
51,934 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com Learning 2006 - Nov 5-8 - Orlando - www.learning2006.com

1. 20th Anniversary of The MASIE Center.
2. Learning Management Systems - The Next Hurdles.
3. An In-Store Handheld Shopping Experience.

1. 20th Anniversary of The MASIE Center: Happy New Year! As we start 2006, I remembered that it is the 20th Anniversary of The MASIE Center.
In 1986, I started the Center as a thinktank focused on the future of learning. Over the years, we have addressed a wide range of learning and technology themes, including Computer Training, CBT, e-Learning, Extreme Learning and Collaboration. And, we have launched many key events for the industry including Computer Training & Support Conference, TechLearn, Learning 2005 and now the LMS 2006 event. I want to thank Learning TRENDS readers and our Learning CONSORTIUM members for their support and interest. We will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of The MASIE Center with new experiments, new collaborations and even more "attitude" about the need for learning in our organizations. We look forward to the next 20 years of working together!

2. Learning Management Systems - The Next Hurdles: The key challenge for most organizations using Learning Management Systems (and Learning Content Management Systems) is to turn them into "engines" for learning. How do we use our LMS to drive these business requirements?
* Compliance.
* Invitation.
* Informal Learning.
* Customer Knowledge.
* Rapid Development.
* Talent Retention.
* Balanced Scorecard
* Speed and Velocity of Change & On-Boarding.
* Globalizing Learning.
We will be focusing the work of the Learning CONSORTIUM and The MASIE Center on many of these key issues in the coming months as we work with both LMS providers and Learning Executives in implementing companies.
(Note, LMS 2006 registration is now open at www.lms2006.com)

3. An In-Store Handheld Shopping Experience: I had a very cool shopping experience in the Container Store in New York City. I was handed a PDA as I entered the store, linked to my credit card and address of our corporate apartment in Manhattan. All I had to do was scan the bar codes of any products that I wanted. Pictures, details, inventory data and quantity desired were displayed. I walked around the store, pointing and buying.
I then handed it back at a desk near the door, had a receipt printed and three hours later it was delivered to our apartment (for only $15 delivery charge). My mind has been swirling with the implications for this type of in-store shopping experience.

Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services:
* Learning Management Systems 2006 - Las Vegas - April 6 and 7.
* Extreme Learning LAB & Seminar - Saratoga Springs - Jan 25-27.
* Learning 2006 - Orlando - Nov 5 - 8.
* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information at http://www.masie.com

373 - First Aid PodCasts; John Diebold Dies; Mobile Knowledge Networks

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - Dec 27, 2005.
#373 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.
51,812 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas, NV - www.lms2006.com

1. Ignored Knowledge Networks: Mobile Phones.
2. First Aid Pods - Just in Time Performance Support.
3. John Diebold Passes - Technology Visionary.

1. Ignored Knowledge Networks: Mobile Phones - I was in New York City for the recent subway strike. New York City did a great job of coping with the shutdown of the trains and buses and the population coped with super spirits and cooperation. However, it was interesting that the government had not included the mobile phone network as an element in its "readiness"
planning. Here are a few examples:

* Taxis were given new rules governing both special strike fares and the pooling of passengers. Almost every taxi driver in New York has a cell phone and could have received an instant text or voice message with the updated rules.
* Special restrictions were placed on bringing commercial vehicles into Manhattan prior to 11 am. Once again, commercial drivers could have been linked into a mobile knowledge network with regulation updates and even traffic advice.

The mobile phone is a network that is increasingly cutting across economic boundaries. Let's include these devices as part of our homeland security knowledge networks, allowing for instant learning and communication to the masses.

2. First Aid Pods - Just in Time Performance Support: Here is a great illustration of using PodCasting for Performance Support. FirstAidPod has created some audio (and graphic enhanced) PodCasts that walk you through emergency first aid procedures such as CPR. This is an intriguing use of PodCasts to mobile devices. Imagine being able to access a collection of 100 Emergency Procedures with step by step coaching.
Check it out at http://www.firstaidpod.com (Thanks to our colleague Keith Fieldhouse for this reference).

3. John Diebold Passes - Technology Visionary: We note the passing of another great thinker in the world of technology - John Diebold. He was a pioneer in automated manufacturing, electronic record keeping and the creation of corporate networks. He was also one of the early visionaries about the potential of technology to address societal issues. His book "Automation", published in 1952, predicted the future of programmable devices. I heard him speak in the early 1980's about the potential for advanced medical record systems that would facilitate better health care delivery.

Preview: Consumer Electronics Show Reports for Learning: Every January, Learning TRENDS provides updates from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, focusing on new products that may impact the field of learning.
Watch for Learning TRENDS reports from CES in early January.

Upcoming MASIE Center Events & Services:
* LMS 2006 - April 6-7 - Las Vegas.
* Learning 2006 - Nov 5-8 - Orlando.
* Extreme Learning Lab - Jan 25-27 - Saratoga Springs, NY.
* Membership in our Learning CONSORTIUM.
Information & Registration: http://www.masie.com