205 - Special Report: I'm A Digital Visitor to a Trade Show

*** Elliott Masie's TechLearn TRENDS ***
e-Learning, Training and e-Collaboration Updates
Published by The MASIE Center http://www.masie.com
Host of e-Learning EUROPE - Dublin, Ireland - July 9 & 10
Skills for e-TRAINERS: Monthly Sessions
TechLearn 2001 �" Oct 28 to 31 Orlando, Florida

(Special Report: I'm A Digital Visitor to a Trade Show)

As I am typing this, people are watching me concentrate in Orlando. I am sitting in my “flash studio” in our new e-Lab building in Saratoga Springs, connected via video-conference to a MASIE Center booth at ASTD's trade show.

Lately, with all the e-Learning conferences popping up around the country, I decided to not travel to them, but attend a few in an e-Fashion.

Hooked up via an ISDN connection, using a portable video conference
device, I am sitting in my little studio, with a weatherman’s blue screen chormakey in back of me. I am projecting various backgrounds (from an outside shot of our building or even a great view of Hawaii.)

It is fascinating to see people's surprise at being able to talk with me, over the distance. Perhaps even more surprising, as they are standing in a huge trade show floor all about e-learning and distance learning. Ironically, we are one of the few booths where people are actually presenting using the tools. Most are talking about e-Learning.

Some of the key questions that folks are asking from the trade show floor:

- How do I actually blend together e-Learning with classroom and other
informal learning processes?
- How do we author quickly, and still keep the instructional design values in e-Learning?
- How do we conduct due diligence to check out if suppliers are likely to be around in the future?
- What should we do about implementing standards such as SCORM and IEEE?
- What is real and what is hype?
- When will content be highly compelling and much more interactive?
- Do we need a Learning Management System (LMS) and/or Content Management System (CMS)?
The marketing blitz continues at an incredible rate at these shows. The size of the booths are huge and the give aways and promotional parties are lavish. Ironically, we did not see many of the senior managers from large companies, as these key decision makers tend not to attend trade show events. And, as many of our e-Learning Consortium members tell us, the issue is not to find out what products are services are available but rather to figure out how to deploy e-Learning strategically in their organizations.

It is fun to be a virtual attendee! I am wearing shorts (which are below the camera line), doing email and writing notes (including this one) and sleeping in my own bed at night. A few old friends actually sat in front of the camera and screen at our booth and we had a lengthy catch-up call.

When someone asks a question, I can access a slide or picture for
explanation. In some ways, we have had folks be more honest and open in this situation, as they drop their voice to whisper.

At TechLearn, we will be bringing in a host of e-Coaches to work with
attendees in this fashion, in small booths to provide coaching and advise from locations about the world.

Ironically, video-conferencing is still underused and under-innovated. In the past week, PictureTel, the largest provider was purchased by Polycom, so it will be interesting to see where this technology goes. I am using videoconferencing almost every day or two, providing over 40 keynote speeches a year via ISDN and doing one or two consulting assignments a week in this format. At last, I can talk about e-Learning without traveling to make the speech.

Well, I will get back to the video booth duties. Thanks for listening.

MASIE Center Services & Events: www.masie.com


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204 - e-Learning Perspective: Value in the Supply Chain Process; e-Learning Tip: Leverage the Classroom for e-Learning Comfort; e-Learning Concern: Quality Impatience

1. e-Learning Perspective: Value in the Supply Chain Process - I had the
privilege of addressing 1,000 manufacturing executives earlier this week.
For these folks, the internet is alive, well and achieving significant
gains as it dramatically changes the Supply Chain process. As customers,
suppliers and manufacturers are linked together for instant information
and supply chain management, the gains to the bottom line are incredible.
I spoke with several senior executives who were seeing 5% to 8% gains in
the gross margins as a result of applying supply chain technology to their
manufacturing and distribution processes. They took to the e-Learning
conversation with a vengeance! For them, e-Learning can address a number
of the time/cycle glitches that occur as products are ordered,
provisioned, manufactured and shipped. Their eyes opened wide as they
imagined a network that would provide just-in-time learning on product
features and requirements. They were deeply enthusiastic to add Digital
Collaboration to the growing "exchange" models that are being developed by
leading manufacturers. My learning ... shift my eyes internally to look
at the roles that the internet and e-Learning can play in adding
efficiency to INTERNAL PROCESSES. (Supply Chain Learning will be a focus
at TechLearn 2001 www.techlearn.com)

2. e-Learning Tip: Leverage the Classroom for e-Learning Comfort - One of
the most effective ways to introduce and train new learners how to learn
in an e-Learning environment is to use the traditional classroom as a
setting. A number of training departments have begun to introduce a
module into every classroom event that uses the e-Learning interface in
their organization and familiarizes the learners with this model. The
classroom is a great evangelical setting for e-Learning and also sends the
strong message that Blended Learning is the future. The learner sees the
trainer using and talking about e-Learning with comfort and begins to make
the connection with the range of blended options.

3. e-Learning Concern: Quality Impatience - I have had several intense
conversations in recent days about the QUALITY of eLearning programs.
People will often say, "But when will e-Learning be awesome!" I believe
that we have to look at the field as an ever improving art and science and
to place quality into that context. Web pages from five years ago were
jokes when we look at them today, but they were exciting and business
enabling five years ago. We learned how to use the medium and began to
understand the human response to technology. In the same way, e-Learning
is getting better and better. We have to consider several things when
judging the quality of e-Learning:

- Don't Just Compare e-Learning to the Classroom! Look at what it can do
on it's own, where it can reach people that will never get to the
classroom and how it can change the process of how we share knowledge.
Look, if a telephone call is never as good as seeing and hugging a good
friend, yet that does not destroy my perception of its value and quality.
- Separate Technology from Methodology: Some of the constraints of
e-Learning are more in the technology arena, with the new process of
sharing media like voice and video over the net. Let's judge quality from
a technology perspective and then also judge quality from the experience
of learning activities perspective.
- Quality May be Cultural and Generational: What one person gets all
excited about may be very different than another person of a specific age,
position or culture. I love to ask what people really like about
e-Learning experiences and what do they hope it will "grow into" in the
years ahead.

4. Senator Charles Schumer Visits Our e-Lab: We had a surprise visit
today from New York Senator Charles Schumer to our e-LAB in Saratoga
Springs. He wanted to take a close-up look at how e-Learning was
developing and discuss the role that bandwidth will play in the growth of
knowledge transfer. Senator Schumer took a drive on a Virtual Classroom
and immediately went to the concept of how their meetings at the Senate
would change with Digital Collaboration Tools. We talked about the role
that learning plays in both government and politics and how e-Learning
might impact the process. The Senator was also intrigued with the role
that asynchronous capture of live events might have on how citizens could
participate in decision making at all levels of government. (He also
loved the Bee Gees that were playing on our e-LAB sound system when he
came to the new building.) Note: There are still spaces in one of our
upcoming e-LAB Skills for e-TRAINERS sessions in Saratoga at the end of
June - www.masie.com)

Upcoming MASIE Center Events: Info and registration at www.masie.com
- e-Learning EUROPE 2001 - Dublin, Ireland - July 9 and 10
- TechLearn 2001 + Blended Learning Symposium - Orlando - Oct 28 to 31
- Skills for e-TRAINERS: Monthly Sessions in Saratoga Springs - June 2001

203 - e-Learning Perspective: Blended as Multi-Method; e-Learning Tip: Technical vs. Content Support; e-Learning Concern: The Day After The LMS; Learning Executive Focus: Better Targets for ROI; The Hype Level of e-Learning

1. e-Learning Perspective: Blended as Multi-Method - The use of Blended
Learning is the quiet little secret about e-Learning. Almost every
organization that we visit is doing more Blended Learning than the
industry is talking about. By Blended, I am referring to Multi-Method
Learning. The use of more than one strategy or delivery system for
learning. If we look at ourselves as a learners, we are all natural
multi-method learners. We take a classroom based course and we spend
minutes to talking to peers outside the classroom about the content. We
read a book and then we talk to our family or colleagues about it. We
take an on-line class only to find that we are picking up the phone to
talk to an instructor for support. We need to recognize the Multi-Method
nature of learners. However, most of the e-Leaning products and services
only give lip service to Multi-Method. Remember, people will blend,
either overtly or covertly. Let's keep the focus on the LEARNING part of
e-Learning. (Note: We have just added a Blended Learning Forum to this
year's TechLearn 2001 event in October -- www.techlearn.com)

2. e-Learning Tip: Technical vs. Content Support - One of the tips that
came from a recent meeting of our e-Learning CONSORTIUM was to build a new
button into e-Learning environments (live or asynchronous). This button
would allow a learner to define if they needed technical support or
content support. So often, one is in the middle of presenting a virtual
classroom, only to have a learner raise their hand and then ask a
technical question. What if they could raise a technical vs. content
hand, with the question being handled by different people based on
content. One of the great frustrations of e-Trainers is how much time
they spend on resolving technical issues. (Note: We have opened up a new
section of our popular Skills for e-Trainers program - June 27 - 29 at the
MASIE e-LAB in Saratoga Springs)

3. e-Learning Concern: The Day After The LMS - As organizations are
adopting Learning Management Systems (LMS) for enterprise wide efforts, we
are hearing a concern that needs to be addressed by both vendors and the
industry. "What do we do the day after the LMS is installed?" This
question reveals a parallel between LMS and large ERP Data Base projects.
Organizations MUST define both an LMS technology but also a LMS
METHODOLOGY approach. The LMS yields a wealth of data and functionality
for the organization, but how will they CHANGE their learning processes
the day after the LMS goes "live"? Ultimately, this may be where we see
the role of integrators and process focused organizations, as they add a
methodology layer on top of LMS technology.

4. Learning Executive Focus: Better Targets for ROI - We continue to get
daily questions from organizations on how handle requests for ROI data
from senior management for the broad spectrum of new training approaches,
including e-Learning. The two measures that seem to be taking hold in the
field include:

a) TIME TO MARKET: How much more rapidly can organizations launch a new
product or service, as the result of using learning and technology
approaches? Time to market hits a high resonance point for both employee,
supply chain and even customer focused e-Learning efforts.

b) TIME TO HIRE/DEPLOY: How much more rapidly can organizations hire and
deploy a new staff member? The nimbleness of an organization to add and
utilize new staff as conditions change is perceived as a tangible ROI for
e-Learning investments.

5. General Pulse: The Hype Level of e-Learning? There continues to be a
two headed view of e-Learning in the field. On the one hand, we have
never had more interest and actual implementation of e-Learning in large
scale organizations. On the other hand, the total expenditures on
e-Learning have not been matching the huge predictions that many in the
media have touted. And, at the same time there is a natural process of
start-ups fading, in a very crowded marketplace.

The HYPE that drives me crazy can be categorized by three sentences that
we all hear way too often:

a) "We are the LEADING provider of e-Learning!" I am now tracking 219
companies that use that phrase in their marketing pitches. Leadership is
proven by the gains that organizations achieve using good products and
strategies. Of course we are are interested in how many other
organizations are using a product, but let's back it up with clear case
examples and focus on leadership through performance!

b) "Our product WORKS WITH product X!" What does it mean when a company
says they now strategically work with other products? Does it mean that
the work has been done to make these 2 pieces of software interface, or
does it mean that for a large fee we will try to make them work? Let's
talk more about real standards and documented functional integration.

c) "e-Learning will be 72% of all Learning by 200x!" These predictions do
not map to what real companies are doing. The reality is that
organizations are adding significant learning with technology options to
their training plates. In some cases, virtual classrooms and on-line
training is growing dramatically. Remember that the bulk of
current learning does not take place in a classroom. It takes place in a
context of informal settings. The classroom will change, our processes
will change and our learners' expectations will change. The "e" in
e-Learning will vanish in a couple of years and we will accept that
learning will leverage the technology resources of our organizations to
increase effectiveness. But, let's be careful about throwing too many
predictions into corporate PowerPoint presentations that may come back to
haunt us.

Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services: www.masie.com
- e-LEARNING Europe 2001 - Dublin Ireland, July 9 & 10
- Skills for e-TRAINERS - Saratoga Springs, Monthly Sessions
- TechLearn 2001 + World e-Learning CONGRESS + Blended Learning Forum -
October 28 to 31 - Orlando, Florida
- Learning Decisions Monthly Research Newsletter -
www.learningdecisions.com

202 - Learning Invitation Process Needs Innovation

1. Learning Invitation Process Needs Innovation: One of the arenas of
e-Learning that we believe needs more innovation is the INVITATION
PROCESS. I have watched a number of major organizations implement a
Learning Management System and a host of content, only to do a poor job of INVITATION. In many situations, a one time e-mail was sent to the workforce announcing e-Learning opportunities, only to get an
underwhelming response.

The MASIE Center is advocating that Learning Management Systems, Content
Management Systems and Virtual Classroom Systems increase their innovation
and development in the INVITATION PROCESS. We need to create
sophisticated and engaging ways of inviting and re-inviting learners to
participate in events. This may include integration with calendering,
continous presence on the worker's desktop and a robust personalization
effectiveness model. For example, what does Pat, a senior manager, want
as a style of invitation to attend (and return) to an e-Learning event.
What works and what does not work? How do we engineer INVITATION around
learning style, calendar, work load, performance review and other factors.
As you consider various e-Learning tools and systems, ask the suppliers
for their model and approach to INVITATION.

2. European e-Learning MASIE Event in July: The MASIE Center is honored
to announce the 2nd Annual event in Europe:

e-Learning 2001 Europe
July 9 and 10, 2001 in Dublin, Ireland

This 2 day intensive gathering is focused on the ever changing state of
e-Learning and learning technology, with a special emphasis on Europe. We
will address current European efforts as they relate to the development of
an e-Europe and cultural differences in learning on an international
basis. Complete information at www.masie.com

Note:Skills for e-Trainers (New Section Added) - We have just added a
fourth section for our popular Lab and On-Line Class on Skills for
e-Trainers held in our e-LAB in Saratoga Springs. There are spaces
available from June 27 to 29th. Info and registration at www.masie.com

201 - e-Learning and Human Resource Executives

*** 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

e-Learning and Human Resource Executives

Over the past several weeks, I have addressed several conferences where more
than 1,000 Human Resource executives and directors were in attendance. As
the conversation turned to e-Learning, the HR executives provided some key
perspectives and lines of questioning. I kept a running list and diary of
those dialogues to share with our TechLearn TRENDS readers:

* e-Learning in a Time of Layoffs: Several vice-presidents of HR talked to
me about their new need for e-Learning as a part of their strategy for
implementing and surviving significant layoffs and reductions in force.
They saw e-Learning poised as a fast reacting tool to help them cross-train
and re-deploy the staff that remained. In addition, they were planning to
offer access to e-Learning collections and courses as part of termination
packages. One HR leader from a large telecommunications group said that
she was turning to e-Learning as a way of providing training while staying
off the radar screen of expenditures that could be perceived as reducible.

* Skills Assessments and Inventories: A good number of comments about
e-Learning focused on what the future of skill assessment and skill
inventories might look like. While there is still an open question
about how much companies might be willing to pay for skill inventories,
there was strong interest in finally being able to have skills (and
recently verified competencies) available as part of an ERP system and a
driver for learning and training investments.

* Digital Collaboration and Communities Highly Ranked: When I took a few
informal polls about the types of e-Learning that the HR leaders were
personally excited about, the words digital collaboration and communities
got lots of votes. The HR perspective was extremely favorable towards the
development of communities of learning, communities of practice and
communities of support. In addition, there was a fever for using virtual classrooms.

* Covering the Teleworker: Many of the HR executives have been faced with
the challenge of making sure that learning opportunities were being evenly
offered to staff working as teleworkers. A fair number of folks drilled
down into ways in which e-Learning could be harnessed for teleworking.

* The X Generation Learning Style: Conversations got quite heated when we
turned to the generational differences in learning styles. One company
sent a team of 5 HR associates who were under the age of 26 as a way of
getting a different perspective. These folks were emphatic about moving
away from the metaphor of the classroom for e-Learning offerings. They
thought that their peers wanted to visit Knowledge World, access on-going
content and not feel at all like they were in something that sounded like
or looked like a class. They were shocked that we did not have lots of
multi-player, on-going simulation learning experiences.

* Business and Soft Skills Development via e-Learning: I triggered a
number of heated debates about the effectiveness of e-Learning for
behaviorally targeted courses in the soft skills/business skills arena.
While many groups are successfully using e-Learning in this knowledge
domain, there were pockets of resistance about how to deeply impact people
through e-Learning. The most common solution seemed to be in the Blended
approach.

* High Potential Leaders: One of the arenas where HR executives were
shopping for ideas and even products was in how to use and leverage
e-Learning as a development and retention tool for high-potential
employees. A number of companies have high-potential programs that
identify future executives and focus development attention on this group.

A good number of Fortune 500 companies are shopping for new models for
blending e-Learning into their high potential employee programs.
There was an overall sense of excitement, tempered by uncertain economic
times, when it came to implementing e-Learning in their enterprises. One
intriguing data point!. At an event with over 600 HR executives, I asked
the group to indicate how they learned to do their jobs. NOT ONE PERSON
indicated that they learned to do their job in a classroom. They were
struck by the disconnect between where the bulk of learning really takes
place in an organization and where the majority of learning resources and
efforts are targeted. Adding e-Learning to the mix of corporate offerings
is one way in which the HR executives see expanding the reach and reality
of training expenditures.

(Note: We are adding a major HR Executive Briefing to TechLearn 2001.
This briefing will provide unique sessions for senior HR managers on the
changing role and face of training, as well as provide input to the larger
TechLearn community about learning from their perspectives. Go to
http://www.techlearn.com to register for TechLearn 2001 to be held in
Orlando, Florida from Oct 28 to 31th.)

MASIE Center Opens New e-LAB & ThinkTank

I am pleased to announce the opening of the new MASIE Center e-LAB &
ThinkTank Headquarters in Saratoga Springs, New York, USA. We are now
moving into our 10,000 square foot, $2,000,000 facility designed for the
study and exploration of e-learning and other collaborative forms of
training and knowledge transfer.

I would like to ask a favor of our colleagues. We are going to bury a
Learning Time Capsule next week at our dedication ceremony. We would like
to include notes from thousands of learning and training professionals with
their predictions and hopes for the future of learning and performance. If
this Time Capsule were opened in 10 or 50 years, we would love to see what
our readers predicted.

Please send me a note to: capsule@masie.com and we will include your comments.

Also, please note that starting on Monday, April 9th, our new telephone
number will be 518-350-2200 and our new physical address will be:

The MASIE Center
95 Washington Street
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Mailing address will continue to be PO Box 397, Saratoga Springs, NY, 12866, USA

We hope to host you at our exciting research and briefing facility in the
coming years and to serve you with advocacy and leadership in the world of
training and learning.

Warm regards,

Elliott Masie

2 Minute Survey: eLearning & the Stock Market?

Please take 2 minutes to complete our latest TechLearn Trends Survey:
"e-Learning and the Stock Market: Does it Matter?"

This survey will take a look at how closely training and learning
professionals and their companies follow the status of e-Learning companies
that are publicly traded on the stock market.

Go to http://www.masie.com/survey/
and fill out our 2 minute survey. Results will be posted in TRENDS in several weeks.

200 - A Look at e-Learning in Brazil - CEO Perspectives; LMS and CMS Evolving; Trainer Tip: Real Time PowerPoint

1. A Look at e-Learning in Brazil - CEO Perspectives: I had the honor of
presenting the keynote address at the first e-Learning Brazil event, in San
Paulo. There were 40 CEO's at a special briefing and almost 400 training
folks at the conference the next day. There was a keen interest and
thirst in accelerating the adoption of e-Learning in this large and
wide-spread country. Here were some of the comments from your colleagues
in Brazil and a few of my observations:

* They want to make sure that the e-Learning approaches of higher education
and corporation are compatible.

* They want to be able to rapidly move towards e-Learning, without starting
with a huge capital investment right at the beginning.

* A strong desire to make sure e-Learning maps to the culture and language
of Brazil, while opening the door to worldwide knowledge access.

* CEO's intrigued by Time to Market and Time to Hire/Train ROI issues.

Congrats to Francisco Soelti from MicroPower for launching this event and movement in Brazil.

2. TechLearn 2001 Registration Now Open! We are pleased to announce the
opening of registration for our annual gathering of learning and training
professionals - TechLearn 2001. Here are the details:

TechLearn 2001 and The World e-Learning CONGRESS
October 28 to 31, 2001 - Orlando, Florida, USA
Info and On-Line Registration: http://www.techlearn.com
Hope to see you all in Orlando in the Fall!

3. LMS and CMS Evolving: There is growing dialogue about the differences
between Leanring Management Systems and Content Management Systems. We are
hearing about a confusion in the marketplace concerning the difference
between systems that are managing the learning transaction and those that
are focused on managing the content. In two week, at our Business of
e-Learning Summit in Las Vegas, we will ask the vendors in attendance to
help clarify the differences and we will share them with TRENDS readers.
If you are a vendor and would like to participate in this key dialogue,
please go to http://www.masie.com/biz

4. Trainer Tip: Real Time PowerPoint - One technique that trainers can use
to add dynamic learning to the classroom is to use PowerPoint in a slightly
different mode. Rather than use the screenshow view of a set of slides, I
use the edit mode. This allows me to EDIT, REVISE and ADD content on the
fly. If I am doing a brainstorming activity, I record the ideas right into
a slide. The group starts to see PowerPoint as an e-FlipChart.

Upcoming MASIE Center Events: www.masie.com
* Skills for e-Trainers: (New Session Opened) June 13 to 15th
* Business of e-Learning: Las Vegas, March 29 and 20
* TechLearn 2001: Oct 28 to 31, Orlando, Florida

199 - Should e-Learning Be Private? The Case for Digital Evaporation!

*** Elliott Masie's TechLearn TRENDS ***
e-Learning, Training and e-Collaboration Updates
Published by The MASIE Center http://www.masie.com
Host of Business of e-Learning Summit - Las Vegas, NV

Should e-Learning Be Private?
The Case for Digital Evaporation!

Is all e-Learning "on the record"? Does every question posed by a learner
become part of the corporate record and available to the manager of student
and lawyers in case of litigation? Does the practice components of an
e-Learning course, including intermediate failures in a simulation, become
part of a student's "permanent record card"?

I would like to make the case for selective "Digital Evaporation!" This is
a zone of safety where learners can ask questions, have dialogues and
practice without a digital record being created. This is a zone of privacy
that acknowledges that learning is a process that occurs best when risks
can be taken, where trainers can speak "off the record" and where the words
and messages evaporate.

We are raising this issue due to the default activity of creating and
archiving digital records of digital experiences, including e-Learning
processes. As Learning Management Systems become more prevalent, let us
raise a curious voice to ask if all learning information should be stored
and "managed" and what elements should just "evaporate".

There are public policy, corporate policy and ethical issues at stake as
well as human behavior patterns. Perhaps two short stories will illustrate our concern.

1) Last year, I had the privilege of taking a tour of U.S. military
installations, look at training and learning processes. While on an
aircraft carrier in the Atlantic, I spent an hour with a Navy pilot who had
recently flown a dozen missions in Bosnia. I asked him how he had learned
to become an excellent pilot. Without a pause, he said: "My most powerful
learning's happened when I crashed my plane in the simulator. When I can
fail and then look at my failure, in that safe environment, I am in the
full learning zone!" I asked him if his simulation crashes were part of
his Navy record. He said, "No! The Navy lets us use the simulator to
understand the limits of equipment and our skills. As long as we
eventually pass the qualification tests, the intermediate test results
"evaporate".

2) Recently I visited two major pharmaceutical companies and dialogued
about the impact of privacy in a regulated environment. The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) reviews and approves all training materials used to
prepare their sales reps to visit doctors and hospitals. This review keeps
the training in alignment with the approved uses of their products. Both
companies raised the issue of what happens as e-Learning is added to the
instructional process. Do they keep and submit questions from learners to
the government for approval? What happens when a student asks a question
... does the on-line answer of the trainer become part of the companies
archives? Do they submit the tapes of all virtual classroom discussions to
opposing legal teams in case of a litigation?

I would argue that in both situations there is a role of Digital
Evaporation. Pilots should have the opportunity to use a simulator to
improve their skills, without losing a future promotion because they had
one more intermediate failure during a session in a simulator. Likewise,
why should we pressure a regulated company to keep and submit eLearning
student/instructor dialogues when we don't have that expectation in a
traditional classroom. Learners can ask risky or stupid or even
politically incorrect questions in a safe classroom and we trust the
competency of the instructor to keep the company in the ethical and legal zone.

If we make every dialogue and learning experience a part of the corporate
record, we risk losing the environmental factor that cultivates learning:
TRUST. If I am in a management development class and provide an example of
a former manager's behavior who was dysfunctional, I want the conversation
to EVAPORATE. In some situations, trust requires a level of confidentiality.

So, how can we balance organizational needs to monitor learning with the
need to create an environment where mistakes and honesty can happen without
consequence as part of the learning process. I would be very interested in
your comments and ideas. Send them to emasie@masie.com and we will include
them in a future TechLearn TRENDS

198 - 50 Minutes to Keynote and Quake Hits: e-Learning to Rescue

*** Elliott Masie's TechLearn TRENDS ***
e-Learning, Training and e-Collaboration Updates
Published by The MASIE Center http://www.masie.com
Host of Business of e-Learning Summit - Las Vegas, NV

50 Minutes to Keynote and Quake Hits: e-Learning to Rescue

Seattle, Washington 3:00 PM: It was 11:00 AM this morning and I was in my
hotel room in Seattle, getting ready to present a Keynote Address on
Technology Trends to 1,000 participants at a Direct Marketing Association
Conference. Tweaking my PowerPoint, when all of a sudden the hotel started
to rock and roll. We were having an earthquake. What is the speaker to do?

After the rocking settled and it was clear that the hotel survived without
damage, the question was: Will the Speech Happen? Hundreds of people
leaving Conference Center and reports of falling ceiling tiles and overall
stress. So, one keynoter with no keynote to deliver.

Hmmm. Let the conference organizers know that is what e-Learning was
invented for! So, once I can get out of Seattle, I'll make a 60 minute
streamed version of the speech that I was going to give (with appropriate
new stories) and stream it out to the participants from the DMA.

Now, the next question, is how to get to McDonalds in Chicago for a keynote
about e-Learning tomorrow. Hmmm..

Stranded in Seattle!

Elliott Masie

197 - e-Learning Focus: Ignore the Stock Market - Watch the Implementation

*** Elliott Masie's TechLearn TRENDS ***
e-Learning, Training and e-Collaboration Updates
Published by The MASIE Center http://www.masie.com
Host of Business of e-Learning Summit - Las Vegas, NV

e-Learning Focus: Ignore the Stock Market - Watch the Implementation

This item may be a bit of a "rant", as I am quite concerned about current
and upcoming developments in the e-Learning field which might have an
impact on perceptions of this exciting field.

In the next few months, you will hear about a few e-Learning suppliers that
might merge, evolve or even disappear. While many suppliers are doing
quite well, some e-Learning ventures are running out of venture capital and
are having a tougher time getting next round funding. Some e-Learning
players are not seeing the large contracts come across their desk as
quickly as they might have expected. And, like many technology fields,
there are pockets of layoffs and reductions on the radar screen for some
e-Learning companies.

Does this mean that e-Learning is in trouble? It depends on which
indicators that you watch!

The MASIE Center primarily tracks the health of e-Learning by working with
large and medium size organizations that are implementing technology for
learning for their employees. For example, our e-Learning CONSORTIUM
represents companies with over 5,743,000 employees. When we ask them for a
status check on e-Learning they report:

* Strong corporate support for steady growth in e-Learning offerings.
* Learners asking for e-Learning as an OPTION when offered training.
* Steady movement towards selecting a Learning or Content Management System.
* Steady movement towards using Virtual Classroom Technology.
* Demand for new models of authoring content.
* Desire to lower the "hype" factor in predictions about impact of e-Learning.

So, if we hear, as we may, about a company in our field having financial
difficulties or a stock price dropping to nil, let's not get confused.
e-Learning the hot stock market craze may not be as healthy as some would
like, especially in times when stocks in general are doing poorly. And,
there will be companies coming in and leaving the space.. it is natural and healthy.

What we have to do is to refocus our attention on the steady and hard work
that is underway in organizations around the globe that are leveraging the
power of technology to EXTEND the delivery of skills and knowledge to the
workforce. e-Learning is a lot more than a craze that will be measured in
a quarter to quarter set of financial reports. There is a fundamental
shift in how organizations are planning to develop and deliver learning.
It will be seen in changes within organizations and by selective purchases
of products and services from suppliers. Measure e-Learning by how it is
changing learning, not just by cash register results.

Upcoming Events from The MASIE Center: http://www.masie.com
* The Business of e-Learning: Las Vegas, Nevada - March 29 and 30th
* Skills for e-Trainers @ The MASIE Center - May 30 - June 1
* TechLearn 2001 + World e-Learning CONGRESS: Oct 28 to 31 - Orlando, Florida

196 - Integrate Classrooms into e-Learning Strategy; Results of e-Learning Authoring Survey

1. Integrate Classrooms into e-Learning Strategy: In a recent review of
several Corporate e-Learning Strategies, we were struck by the absence of
the mention of the classroom. While it makes sense that an "e" strategy
would focus primarily on the electronic delivery of training resources, the
reality in the field is that classrooms are not disappearing (though they
are changing their footprint and role) and that an organization cannot
afford to have a Learning Strategy AND an e-Learning Strategy without
tighter integration. There are key ways in which technology can EXTEND the
footprint and impact of the classroom. And, there are similar needs to
leverage classrooms, in old and new formats, to EXTEND the power of web
delivered training and learning resources. Caution!!!

2. Results of e-Learning Authoring Survey: We recently conducted a
TechLearn TRENDS and Learning Decisions Survey on e-Learning Authoring
tools and approaches. 1,615 responses were recorded the week of January
15th. Here are the results:

When a unit of e-Learning content is being developed internally, which
tools are you using: (In order of use)

* Document Creation Tools (e.g.. PowerPoint and Word Processing)
Weighted Score 85

* Web Development Tools (e.g.. Dreamweaver or FrontPage)
Weighted Score 71

* Learning Specific Authoring Tools (e.g.. Authorware or Toolbook)
Weighted Score 52

* Programming Tools (e.g.. Visual Basic, C++)
Weighted Score 47

* Authoring within a Learning Management System (e.g.. Blackboard or Learning Space)
Weighted Score 38

We are tracking a trend towards more and more of e-Learning content being
authored with everyday document tools.

3. The Future of e-Learning Industry Tackled at Summit: Vendors from
around the world in the e-Learning field will be working on panels at the
Business of e-Learning Summit to be held in Las Vegas on March 28 and 29th.
The vendors and suppliers will work up a series of future scenarios, with
the cooperation of a Buyer's Panel from major implementing organizations.
If your organization provides e-Learning services or products, plan to
attend! On-line info and registration at www.masie.com

4. Learning Quotation: This one was submitted by Claudia Escribano:
Pooh, if you ever need me and I'm not around, you must remember this:
You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.
- AA Milne

5. AHA's in HAHA's: Humor Project Conference: One of my lifetime friends,
Joel Goodman, heads up a great organization, The Humor Project, that looks
at the roles of humor and creativity in organizations and lives. They host
The 16th Annual International Conference on “The Positive Power of Humor &
Creativity,” held in Saratoga Springs, New York from March 30-April 1,
2001, is the largest event of its kind in the world. This program has
attracted more than 14,000 people from all 50 states and 6 continents.
This learning-filled, laughter-fueled conference is designed to be fun, but
not for fun as it takes a light look at the serious implications and
applications of humor and creativity in business, training, and education.

Check it out at www.HumorProject.com

Upcoming MASIE Center Events and Services (www.masie.com):

* Learning Decisions Interactive Newsletter: $195 Per Year for Monthly Research

* Save the Dates: TechLearn 2001 - October 28 to 31 in Orlando, Florida
(Registration opens up next week!)

* The Business of e-Learning Summit and Conference - Las Vegas, NV - March 29 and 30

195 - e-Learning in Harder Economic Times

1. MASIE Center e-Lab & Headquarters Almost Finished: Pardon our absence
over the past several weeks! We have been obsessed with completing a $1.5
Million Dollar e-Lab & MASIE Center Headquarters in Saratoga Springs. We
are in the final weeks of construction of this new building, designed to
research, test, dialogue and invent new models of learning in the digital
age. The Center has a testing suite for running Learning Usability and
Technology Scorecards on new e-Learning technologies. We also have special
teaching and learning suites to train folks on how to be a virtual
classroom instructor. And, we will be loading in the largest collection of
e-Learning products, technologies and examples to provide a library and
research capability for organizations implementing in this area. To take a
peek at the construction in process: http://www.teleworks.com

2. RFP for e-Learning Processes Raging: January 2001 has been a month for
RFP development and solicitation in the e-Learning field. We are tracking
over 42 major efforts by large companies that will result in a Request for
Proposal (RFP) for a Learning Management System, Virtual Classroom, Content
Integrator or Strategy Development in e-Learning. The RFP Process can be a
difficult and tricky one for both buyers and bidders. Our e-Learning
CONSORTIUM has launched a Task Force to collect models of successful RFP's
and to provide a new take on the process. If you have any thoughts or
perspectives to share with the RFP Task Force, please send an email to
rfp@masie.com

3. e-Learning in Harder Economic Times: We just completed a scan of
organizations to find out what the impact of harder economic times would be
on e-Learning investments and projects. Here are a few perspectives:

* Most see e-Learning as surviving (with a few bumps) from a tightening
budget process. Learning will need to be quicker, less expensive and more
responsive in tighter budget times.

* Organizations may find it harder to get a large sum for buying a learning
system and may shift to an ASP (or hosted) model for LMS, to keep the
outflow of dollars smaller.

* The need to align with Business Objectives is even more critical.
Executive teams are asking for Cost Reduction, Direct Savings and Impact on
Business Lines in the proposals for e-Learning efforts.

* Do not portray e-Learning as a DOT.COM effort, but link it to a Click and
Mortar strategy, adding effectiveness to an existing business process
rather than suggesting a "new economy" radical alternative.

If you have other views or perspectives, send them along to
economy@masie.com and I will post them in a future TRENDS.

4. Business of e-Learning Summit: Arthur Miller
We are pleased to announce that Arthur Miller, the host of PBS Media & Society Show and
Faculty Member of Harvard Law School will keynote at our 4th Annual
Business of e-Learning Summit and Conference, to be held in Las Vegas,
Nevada (USA) on March 29 and 30th. This is a vendor only interactive
event, where we take a look at the business side (and profit side) of
e-Learning. Arthur Miller will also be interviewed on the intellectual
property issues of e-Learning, as well as host a Socratic Panel of
e-Learning Managers and CEO's. Details and registration at http://www.masie.com/biz/

3 Minute Survey: How People Are Building e-Learning

Please take our quick survey on:

"How People are Building e-Learning?"

Just go to http://www.masie.com/survey/

This survey will provide an international scan of the methods organizations
are using to develop e-Learning programs. Summary of the results will be
posted in TechLearn Trends in a few weeks.

Thanks, Elliott Masie

194 - Senator Kerry's Web Education Commission Report Released; Trainer's Monitor Style Bias

1. Senator Kerry's Web Education Commission Report Released: The hard
work of the Web Based Education Commission, chaired by Senator Bob Kerrey
is now available for downloading on the internet. Go Get It! This report,
The Power of the Internet for Learning, focuses on the wide range of
e-Learning applications and specific recommendations to move this field
forward. You can view this report at http://www.webcommission.org

2. Robot Comes to Live at The MASIE Center: A new presence is roaming the
halls of The MASIE Center in Saratoga Springs. He is called Einstein Werb,
the assigned name of our mascot, the SONY AIBO 210. This small, cuddly,
metal dog, is a wonderful early example of what robotics and more
importantly human/robot interaction may be all about. AIBO and the owner
go through various stages of training and adaption. Our staff can be seen
calling Einstein, working on "fetching skills" and petting the robot/dog on
the three sensor points. It contains cameras for vision and distance
perception and a wide range of cool features. You can check out the AIBO
at http://www.us.aibo.com
Note: I was struck this Christmas that 20 years ago I had a brand new Radio
Shack Model I computer that could barely do a little visual doodle on screen and
was all caps. Wonder what robotics may look like in 20 years.

3. Trainer's Monitor Style Bias: As a classroom trainer as well as an
e-Learning advocate/analyst, I find myself continually having to overcome
my bias on style. Every trainer has a way they love to learn and they love
to teach. We are all convinced that our style works for us and often
confused that it will work for everyone. Unless I am very intentional, I
tend to reduce the number of styles that I embed into my training efforts.
Monitor your own style bias, whether it is for classroom or on-line
training. Am I always conceptual followed by procedural? Am I directive
or consultative? Do I always provide five point slides for each concept?
Whenever I remember that every group of learners will contain a good number
of learners that have totally different styles, the quality of my training
efforts improve dramatically!

4. Tired of Typing with Keys?: MSNBC has a great article on emerging
alternatives to typing with traditional keyboards. Check it out at
http://www.msnbc.com/news/498762.asp?0nm=-1GS

Upcoming MASIE Center Offerings:
* e-Learning Briefing Taught by Elliott Masie, January 22 and 23, 2001 in
Seattle, Washington. Register on-line at http://www.masie.com
* Learning Decisions Interactive Newsletter: Monthly interactive research
newsletter for the e-Learning Field. Only $195 per year. Information at
http://www.learningdecisions.com