Instructional Design Share Spot

Understanding Generation Y

2009-09-03T15:24:00.008-04:00

I was running late and the traffic on Route 1 South was not helping me in the least. I finally made it to my destination, the Mid-NJ ASTD Chapter meeting. They were hosting the presentation "Wake Me When It's Over: Keeping generation Y Engaged in the Classroom".

I'm intrigued for two reasons. One, being still fairly new to training and development, I like to expose myself to new and relevant information of my industry. Second, I knew the guest presenter.

Kim Rowe is a founding partner of Agentive Sales and Marketing Solutions. We worked together on a project creating e-learning courses in my previous job and I wanted to keep in touch with her.

I arrive just in time to catch the end of the opening announcements, but not soon enough to get any of the breakfast offered. I'm starving. I find a seat and pull out my laptop to take notes. I notice that I'm the only one with a laptop. Everyone else is using pen and paper. I wonder if this is an indication of the generation gap and part of what I will learn about in the presentation. Also, I am the youngest in the room, the only Gen X. Everyone else is a Baby Boomer.

Wake Me When It's Over: Keeping Generation Y Engaged in the Classroom

There are four generations in the workplace now. Well actually closer to three because the Veterans are mainly retired.

There are 70 million people born between 1980 and 2000. They are as large population wise as the Baby Boomers were. They are much larger than Generation X. This means that members of Generation Y will rise through the work ranks much quicker than Generation X and in some cases quicker than Boomers.

This brought up some discussion from the group. One of the members had already had a Generation Y manager. This brought up talks about company loyalty and 'putting in your dues' before you can advance. I responded with "I would be apt to give more respect to someone who was promoted because of her ability than because of her seniority."

So who is Generation Y?
Kim had a great exercise where we partnered up and in 60 seconds, write down as many words that describe what we thought defined Generation Y. Then we shared our lists with the rest of the group.

Some that were listed:

computerized
non-verbal
visual
ambitious
ADD - no attention span
tech-savvy
entitled
environmentalist
multitasking
collaborative
independent
curious

What was interesting is that someone realized that their describing words went quickly to the negative connotation. Gen Y was described as lacking interpersonal skills because they mainly communicate via text (phone, IM, email, blog, Facebook...) When put in a work environment where one-on-one communication is more prominent, they falter.

But does a different communication style mean that it's better or worse?
Communication via text, especially when work groups are spread over various locations, is becoming more of the corporate norm.

There are significant preconceived notions about what Gen Y is. But not all members of Gen Y (or any group) behaves like the stereotype. Its important not to push your generational ideals onto another one.

A generation is a group of people who share similar experiences in their formative years. For Gen Y, they were teenagers during the 90's. Lived through the biggest economic boom and bust, 9/11, Columbine, Gulf War, grunge music.

Gen Y's expectations are all about speed. Technology has made communication immediate. They don't think lineally, they skim and jump around (like surfing the web). They think in branches. They want to know what they need to know. Background info isn't necessary. If they think it's important, they can always look it up later.

Kids have been brought up in a cocoon - they have never been unsupervised. In their highly-scheduled adolescence going from one activity to another, they have become multi-tasking experts as a result. They get good at doing what they 'have' to do, and nothing more -- because there just isn't enough time. As a whole, they prefer socializing in groups and grow up in team environments.

This generation is more diverse and expects more diversity - race, age, cultural... There is more awareness and comfort level with people different than themselves-. Older generations can't project their experiences on Gen Y. They have different frame of references and might not relate.

Tips for Training Gen Y

Tell them why it matters.
- link to the big picture
- create multi-generationals training groups
- tell stories of patients, customers, other employees, real people
- their motivating factors are different than their parents. create a community
Show them what it means to them
- attach the WHY to every process
- show them what exceptional performance looks like. Set the expectation of success.
- use assessments - how do they rate among their peers, identify their strengths/weaknesses
- link it to career goals
Engage Them
- let THEM figure it out
- have them learn it well enough to teach it to others
- offer branched curricula
- make it experiential - let them come up with their own solutions
- let them get the background info prior to a classroom. Use the classroom for the interactions.
Do it fast
- take many breaks
- no more than 10 minutes at a time
- make it active
- move fast, then double your speed
- make it fun and playful
Make it interactive
- use eye-candy
- customize the learning
- don't waste valuable classroom time in one-way, lecture presentations

When you are the trainer, be who you are. Don't try and be something you're not if you're 50 don't pretend you're 20. Set your ground rules early and explain your credentials. And get rid of tired cliches.

Creating an elearning portfolio

2009-06-16T05:52:00.004-04:00

I have been struggling with the idea of putting my personal online elearning portfolio together for months. I just finished my Masters degree and I needed to market myself in Instructional Design. But the problem was that I didn't have the material I really wanted to put together something that really represented me and my skills.

The problem is that I didn't really know what should be represented. I didn't have samples of the development work I did at my previous job two years ago, and I didn't want to show sample of the projects I was currently working on.

Tom Kuhlmann again posts a relevant and timely blog article on the importance of developing a personal elearning portfolio.

Now I have a starting point to pull together samples, or to create new ones that showcase the important elements:

Instructional Design
Graphic Design
Diversity of projects
Project Management
Writing
Technology

I'll start...right after my vacation.

Becoming an Extrovert

2009-06-11T09:04:00.001-04:00

I'm not shy, but I don't really like to initiate 'hey, look at me' moments. That's going to need to change.

Yesterday I went to my local ASTD Chapter meeting to watch a presentation on using simulation software for online training. I'm always interested in different software and how people use it. But the real reason for me for going is to network.

Now that I'm not working, I need to find ways to do some meaningful interactions. I can only be on the computer for so long until my fingers start to bleed and my eyes fall out of my head. Although, this time around I'm keeping much more engaged with Facebook, Twitter, Second Life, webinars and blogs than when I was laid off 4 summers ago.

Anyway, at last night's meeting after I found a seat and unpacked my laptop, I got up and went over to a group of people talking to each other and introduced myself. I know it gets easier the more you do it, but it was still a small hurdle to get over.

The good part is that I wasn't alone in feeling this way. The conversation I interrupted was how they have been coping with being 'in transition'. (That's a nice way of saying "I ain't got no job".) Attending these meetings were their way of networking. Collect a business card, add them to your LinnkedIn profile, move on. They have been collecting contacts like they were baseball cards.

Which is exactly what I've started to do as well.

Performance Learning Filter

2009-04-23T20:14:00.009-04:00

Today I watched a webinar presented by Allen Interactions on Performance Learning Filters.

Typically, there are three types of training.

Information & Awareness training courses just provide suface content. Its purpose is to transfer knowledge. But with more effort, training can extend deeper to teach learners how to apply the knowledge and to ultimately increast performance by fostering behavior change.

The Performance Learning Filter, when applied, can move a training course from the surface level Information & Awareness level down to further, more performance-driven levels.

Context - The content must be presented in the same way that the learner will be expected to act upon it in his/her job.

Challenge - The learner must be able to think about the information and apply it on the job.

Activity - This is the physical response the learner does to the challenge. Clicking on something with the mouse, dragging one object to another location. The activitydetermines how a learner makes a decision based on the challenge presented.

Feedback - The response that is provoded to the learner to show his/her effectiveness to the challenge.

When you are designing a course, ask yourself if it has all four parts of the filter. If it does, then your course moves beyond the surface into more performance-based learning.

View presentation PDF.
View recorded version of webcast.

New technology - the threat to our information

2009-03-16T12:47:00.001-04:00

The best argument for using social networking technology in corporate training.

New technology - the threat to our information

View more presentations from normanlamont.

Graphic Symbols: The 5th Language

2009-03-12T15:54:00.007-04:00

Kevin Thorn, AutoZone, LLC. (personal eLearning blog)

Before I came to this session, I would have said that I only communicate in one language, English.

There are 5 language in which to communicate.

Spoken
Written - symbolic form of our spoken language
Math - symbols for concepts and data
Body - language of expression or gesture
Graphic - visual language

Look at that! I can now say I can communicate in 5 languages!

Check out all the corporate logos we all know and love. They are all speaking in a language.

Since the beginning of man, communication occurred with graphics. Think cave paintings and Egyptian hieroglyphics. The Mayan culture had their own graphic language (which strangely enough look like iPhone app icons).

Sequential Art: A Graphic medium are images that are used to convey a sequential narrative. Will Eisner believed that comics had teaching potential.

Now, let's all draw some simple shapes... a rectangle, a triangle, a circle. Simple shapes in just the right order, position and size can create recognizable concepts through images.

Images, turned into symbols turned into words. Now, reverse that. Take your spoken language and revert it back to written language and back into picture language.

If you get stuck drawing a concept, break it down into its core components.

Now we're recreating this clown.

Break it down into core components: big nose, crazy hair, big shoes, poofy hair, big smile... Once you focus on the individual elements and not the big picture, then drawing doesn't seem that impossible.

It doesn't need to be perfect or professional, it just needs to convey your message.

Any problem can be make clearer with a picture and any picture can be made using the same simple set of tools and rules. - Dan Roam

Squares, circles, rectangles, lines and dots... all you need to make the world go round.

Reuse your symbols to create new images. With a library of symbols, you can become the master of your own graphic domain.

An object is first a shape, that shape occupies a space, that space defines the object. An object is a shape that occupies a space.

Take a glass:

And break it down into basic shapes: a warped rectangle and a squished circle. It's not really that hard.

It's time to build a better taco! (you had to be there)

Great session, Kevin!

Rapid, Reusable, and Custom: How to Use Flash & XML to Streamline eLearning

2009-03-12T14:26:00.006-04:00

Gayle Beebe, Bottom-Line Performance, Inc.

Today Gayle going to identify ways to use XML and Flash in eLearning, how to change XML to alter a Flash template, analyze best practices and compare and share tips and tricks.

XML - eXtensile Markup Language. It's open standard, meaning that you can use your own tags. So the computer and the human can understand the codes.

Some tools:

Adobe Dreamweaver (more complicated than it's worth for XML)
XML Notepad Editor (free!)
Microsoft Notepad (free!)

Advantages to using XML

Interoperable
Content is external from the engine/design
Faster load times
Write your own set of tags

Disadvantages

A lot of upfront work
Need an applicaiton to run XML
code must be well-formed

Streamline eLearning by creating user-friendly templates for IDs and Flash developers.

Gayle's showing how to update XML code using XML Notepad. <

>

First the discussion was about the virtues of using XML & Flash. A little antsy because I know this already. But then she got into the code of XML and Flash's Action Script. Woah... it's too late in the day and my head is crammed with too much stuff to look at code. Plus watching her code on the screen was way too hard becasue the text was way too small.

This may have been cooler if it was a hands-on session. Demonstrate how changes in XML show instantly in the Flash output.

Good takeaway -- show a screenshot of the Flash template page and clearly identify the content areas and their associated character/line count available. Excellent for the IDs to know exactly what their paramaters are.

Using templates frees up your developers to make more custom animations or more templates.

Some other good takeaways that will benefit the team back in the office:
Consistent naming standards
Folder and file organization structure
Gayle's Sample Files (Session 710)
Plan for success:
Create and maintain a detailed programming plan
Craete an environment that fosters communitcaion



Making the Grade: Quality Assurance for eLearning Design at Penn State
2009-03-12T12:56:00.011-04:00
Amy Garbrick, Penn State University

Already excited with this session because of the handouts provided: a course review worksheet, an inspector input worksheet and a whole thing on eLearning design standards. Hallelujah! Finally something I can use to make our courses better. I've been talking about trying to apply standards, but could never find standards to adhere to.

This session is all about how PSU developed quality standards, implemented them and the process of how they did it all.

The problem at PSU:
course design & development varied among colleges, designers, ect. No one standard. Some developed by faculty, some by teams, some new, some old.
Can PSU decide on design standards (visual).
PSU QA standards based on Quality Matters.

QA Standards are a set of 12 standards and determining what metrics will be measured to know if courses have met these standards, as well as developing best practices for course design. PSU went through a lengthy process to get the results they have today.

Quality Assurance documents at PSU:
The Standards
Instructor Input Form (for course review)
completed by course faculty developer to provide additional information about the course
Course Review Worksheet
They can be used for a new course, to review an existing course, to provide feedback to IDs.

While quality and consistence has benefits, there are some challenges are on flexibility, and internal 'political' hurdles.

Group Work to assess a PSU course based on one of the 12 standards. We're checking #9 Learning Activities and Assessment.

Biggest eyeopening moment: what corporate sees as interactive is very different than what higher education sees as interactive.

The group activity really didn't seem as effective as I expected. The focus of this was geared more towards higher education training and I'm on the corporate side. I think the best thing I got out of this session are the handouts. I would have been more excited if the session covered how PSU came up with the standards or presented a walk-through on how they applied the QA on a particular course.

I started to glaze over when the conversation turned to Moodle, Blackboard, type of course management systems. Again, not corporate based so less relevant to me.

Hopefully the next session is better for me.


The Powerful Webcomic Approach: Learning from Smithsonian
2009-03-12T10:35:00.007-04:00
Daniel Bilton, Booz Allen Hamilton
Robert Costello, Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (NMNH)- responsible for electronic educational outreach

Stories are experience simulators. They provide the information, the context and the models that people need to make decisions. (There's that context word again!)

How do you turn a boring story into a sticky story that produces action?

Case study (boring)
Provide the teaching point, definition and the scenario. Too much facts, but not enough feeling or attention spend on the background stimulus. Where's the human factor?

Action story
Introduce the nurse and what she notices about the patient. ... (then into a compelling story of how the nurse saves the day and what happens). The discussion after the story talked about the learning point. The story provided simulation (knowledge and how to act) and inspiration (motivation to act).

Sticky Story SUCCESS Checklist
Simple
Unexpected
Concrete
Credible
Emotional
Sparks Action or, Provides a Solution
(from Made To Stick book)

Stories are good vehicles for many types of communications.

The Smithsonian needed to expand reach and teach scientific learning objectives. So they had to: increase the public understanding of the process of science, increase pubic awareness of NMNH research and increase the understanding of forensic science.

How evffective is storytelling? Among middle and high school students (NMNH target audience), they are technically savvy, connected and play video games, watch movies and read comic books.

So in the MNNH project, the main storyline hero is  a character that the audience can relate to. Provide the storyline, give the hook and blend in the lessons, objectives, practice examples and scenarios. The story was based on a true story: a bone forensic mystery found in a cellar in Colonial America. The coolest part... the character even got her own Facebook page!

The webcomic got the audience to become emotional about the training. They became empathetic about the characters in the story. (As well as the other SUCCESS factors)

How popular are comic books? Have you seen the magna section in Barnes & Noble? And those reading... not just nerdy boys. There are plenty of magna for girls, too. Young female creators are also among the hottest new comic artists. So don't think that just because it's comic style that it won't be accepted!

Visual storytelling is sticky and an effective instructional approach.

NMNH didn't do a game because it needed to be done quick, and get acrosss a lot of information. And no audio either because of the cognitive load issues. Most read faster than the audio can run.

Sketches done on the comics. Then focus groups with middle and high school kids to get their reaction. The kids in the gropus played out the characters to see if the jokes and learning were received properly. Turns out, they got the story and provided great feedback on the language (lingo) used, font style, and other stuff that could only come from the target audience.

The story is a passive experience, but there was the goal to engage the learners into apply what they learned through exercises. They could dig deeper into the information, make their own judgement calls or compare their answers with other learners.

The story used collaboration in an online community and that made them pay more attention to the story (lesson). Try: instead of a regualar multiple choice question that provided an answer, make it a polling question where you can see the results of other learners.

The results of Google Analytics on the course:
bounce rate low -- good! People are sticking around -- for about 9.5 minutes!
the target audience is middle & high school kids, but survey respondents on "how old are you" indicate that 66% is older than 46!
Favorite parts of the comic:
generates more interest
liked the mystery aspect
visuals great for memory and learning
The ABC Approach to telling a Sticky Story
Action - What is the starting event?
Background - What is the situation?
Conflict - What needs to specifically happen?
Development - What happens and who is involved?
End - What is the key take-away?

Lessons Learned
ID's shoudl think of themselves as writers
Apply SEction 508
Try to use social media networks 
Really interesting session!!


AG09 - Day Two: Opening & Keynote
2009-03-12T08:35:00.019-04:00
Let's talk about Ah-Ha moments from yesterday.
Jenna Delaney's ah-ha moment "I did it! Finally!"
Sean: "I'm not as alone in joy/misery as I previous thought."
Shout out to the tweople and bloggers in the back of the room by the power outlets!

Recognition by LINGOs to Greg Davis - 2009 Volunteer of the Year. He delivers all his training online from Panama. Corporate partner of the year is Articulate. So now I need to check out LINGOs more. The concept is interesting.
LINGOs (Learning for International Non-Governmental Organizations) works to improve the performance, lower the cost and increase the effectiveness of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs.) Together, LINGOs member agencies provide humanitarian relief and development assistance in over 125 countries around the world. By working together, LINGOs agencies and partners increase the impact of their work by sharing learning resources.
Keynote Speaker, Bill Tancer
Click: What Millions ARe doing Online and Why It Matters to You as an ELearning Professional

Bill Tancer is the general manager of global research at Hitwise, the world’s leading online competitive intelligence services. Or really, a datageek. How so? He entered the talent show at Science Camp in high school and WON! Don't forget to celebrate Pi day! (3/14)

"To become aware of the possibility of the search is to be onto something." Walker Percy

He got started as a writer by given an assignment, then Googling "how to write a magazine column". Immediate need? Immediate search. Immediate learn.

Hitwise's data sampleis massive... can't get into the stats now. Can't read the slide.

So he gets stranger. He has this obsession with prom dresses (?!). Specifically the search terms on 'prom dresses'.

"What is the one thing people is searching to buy on the internet?" Prom Dresses. The spike occured the first week of January. Strange because retailers put out the marketing for prom dresses in March.

Turns out the answer was given by the GM or a teen magazine who approached Tancer at a presentation. The teen magazines started putting out their prom dress promotion in January to change consumer behavior. Solved.

Another data story: data also shows huge spike for the term "diet" starting Jan 1... but drops sharply on Jan 5. Go fugure. Know when "diet" is the lowest? Thanksgiving.

About engagement ring search data...
The search spike is the week before Thanksgiving. Jewelery stores marketing on engagement rings are right after Thanksgiving. WTF?

The theory is: girls bring guy home to meet family. Guys pressured to get an engagement ring. OR... guys are searching before Thanksgiving to get information on them, comparison shop, before they actually make the purchase after Thanksgiving.

An ah-ha moment: Dancing With The Stars is really a popularity content. Therefore, he predictited the winner by checking out the search term data on the contestents. Turns out he was wrong in his prediction. But he was excited that he was wrong. Why? Becasue he's a datageek.

On closer analysis, the data reveals the real reasons why the DWTS search results were skewed. The searchers weren't fans, but sex-starved males checking out the hot contestent. You have to pay attentionto the intent of search as well as the search results.  "The Stacy Keilber Correction Coefficient (SKCC)."

Applying the SKCC to housing sales, Tancer predicted how the housing market was going to go. His prediction was wrong, but he was "almost right".

Cognitie Dissonance - the difference between giving an honest answer and giving an answer that you think is the one someone wants to hear. But really, actions speak louder than words. For example, if you ask "who visits porn sites?"... crickets. But when you look at the data of visits to pron sites they're through the roof. So... who's lying?

The Narrative Fallacy: creating a story after the fact so that an event will seem to have an identifiable cause. (See Nassim Nicholas Taleb and his book Black Swan).

The data also suggest that as the market tanks during this recession, eLearning enrollment increases. So, is eLearning recession proof? Enrollment at online universities and online components of brink & morter universities show it's a fact. The higher income people are taking advantage of going back to school.

The value of Twitter: you can listen and and to any conversation in the Twitterverse. Tancer found his value in it when he gave an immediate plug to his book to someone who had just asked if it was any good. For more data, check out search.twitter.com and trends.google.com.

Corporate eLearning isn't forgotten. They haven't gotten the same huge increase as university eLearning, but searches for eLearning platforms have increased. Technology companies are leading the way, followed by education, online retailers and the entertainment industry.

So...
Observed behavior provides unique insight into changing consumer sentiment.

Great Keynote!! I guess I'm a datageek, too!


AG09 - Wednesday Recap
2009-03-11T22:01:00.011-04:00
Wow, what a full day.  Now that I can relax in my pj's I can review my notes, tweets and blog posts and make some sense out of what I saw and heard today.

Jeff Howe's keynote presentation on Crowdsourcing was an interesting concept. Got a problem? Share it with the un-named, un-faced public and their collective knowledge and creativity can often return a soltuion that is revoltuionary. There is little to no cost for the problem poster, the talent pool for the problem solvers is endless and the recognition that the problem solvers receive is payment enough for their efforts.

I liked the examples he presented, threadless.com and istockphoto.com becasue I actually use both of those sites.

I snuck out a little early to attend Tom Kuhlmann's presentation at the ID Zone, "Is Rapid E-Learning a Myth?" What I enjoyed most about Tom's session is that it wasn't an Articulate advertisement, but practical application of using a rapid e-learning tool, any tool, to develop engaging learning courses. I read his blog religiously and greatly appreciate all the tips and tricks he provides. But I am a newly converted Articulate lover and I was able to get my product specific questions answered by Tom later in the afternoon. I can't wait to get my hands dirty with Quizmaker and Engage.

My first session of the day was with Patti Shank on "What Activities are Needed?" I never read her books or seen her before. My first thought was 'Damn! This woman has a mind that's all over the place!' Patti is an energetic person who self-admittadly does not think linearly. At times it was hard to follow where she was going, but overall, I enjoyed her session. I didn't blog or tweet while her session was going on because my laptop was recharging. I had to revert to notetaking 1.0 -- pen and paper.

Learning is about DOing (which will be a recurring theme today), so training should be about opportunities to practice what learners will ultimately DO on the job. She shared a cute and interesting tidbit: even songbirds need to learn how to sing. They practice just like the rest of us.

There are three steps to her process:
Uncover the DO
Convert the DO into activities
Select media to support the activity
Then came lunch. Yum!

After lunch I attended Will Thalheimer's session on Situation-based Learning Design. I was looking forward to his session since I've heard him present at a webinar and I follow his blog. He uses research to back up his message: if you make your learning context similar to the work context, there is higher incidence of recall and the learner does the right thing at the right time. I took notes and posted them separately.

I was looking forward to the session by the Suddenly Smart team "A Better Way to Design and Build Immersive eLearning". The premise was intersting:  there was to be audience participation & presenter challenge -- collect a topic from the audience that presents a performance need. Then, while Robert does the presentation, Blake will build the course that meets the performance need using the rapid development tool, Smartbuilder.

However the first 15 minutes were back and forth conversations to a few individual members of the audience and completely left out the rest of the audience. They spent so much time trying to get the details of the course they were going to spontaneously build that they forgot that they had an actual session to present. I left quickly after that to find something that was more interesting, which is a shame because I would have really liked to learn more about immersive eLearning.

Instead, I went back to the ID Zone and listened to "Game On! Can You Have Fun and Learn?" with Metcalf and Oehlert. Turns out you can. I arrived late so I didn't do a full blog on this, but I did tweet a lot. Casual games (solitaire, tetris, etc) are simple games that aren't graphic impressive. But how many hours have you found yourself glued to the screen?

Games are really just a simulation with scoring. (See Kongregate for casual games with a social aspect.) They are naturally 'sticky'. People are more easily engaged in a game than in traditional training. What if you were to incorporate casual games with a social aspect (such as a chat window). Then you would see how people learn from each other and created teams. And if you think about it, that's how most people's work environment are as well, formed in teams. So, games for gaming sake probably won't be the answer. But if you align the game objectives with the learning objectives, then you have something that can be really effective.

My last session of the day was also an ID Zone presentation. "Once Upon a Time: The Impact of Storytelling on your Design". This also got its own blog post. I liked this session. They helped you plan out how to organize the components of developing a good story: the objective, facts, the situation, the charaters, the plot and finally the resolution.

It was a good, long day. Can't wait for the next one.


ID Zone: Storytelling in eLearning
2009-03-11T15:47:00.010-04:00
You are a natural born storyteller! Every time you tell a joke, relate an incident, explain facts & figures, talk about your childhood, recreate the steps in a task... See, you can do it.

How does storytelling relate to eLearning?
For design:
confirm what to cover (objectives)
decide how to cover it (design)
For content:
using scenarios
For motivation & evaluation
sell the course to futures learners (WIIFM)
learn how peiple are using the couse in real life
Stories and scenarios can be used interchangeably. Scenarios are real-file stories with a purpose. A really good story can become a really good scenario.

Nonfiction stories in eLearning
Those stories are captured from direct observation or interviews. These are true events. Nonfiction stories can put the learning into context for the learner and make the resulting training more relevant.

Fiction stories
They may be based on real-life scenarios. Often a composite of many experiences. They can be used as cautionary tales or to model exemplary behavior.

So, let's create a story...

First, let's create an objective.
Demonstrate a useful, non-traditional way to use a toothbrush.

A good story contains:
facts
situation
characters
plot (conflict)
resolution (ending)
Next, the facts:
Who does this? Define the user categories.
What are their goals?
There are many useful ways to get more from life from a used toothbrush.

Where does this happen and in what circumstance?
You can reuse an old toothbrush at home, at work, for cleaning,  or other creative projects.

Characters really bring the story to life.
Personas represent characters' similarities and differences. Personas are composites of user analysis and turning it into a particular character. Also a user profile. They're not one real person, not a sterotype but an archetype,  and not your average joe. They have specific properties.
They include:
name/picture
job title
demographics
goals and tasks in relation to the subject
environment
a quote that sums up what matters most to the persona.
If you have a persona for your characters, they can be developed more 'realisticly'. Now, where can you find the domographic info to develop your characters? Think creatively. Customer profiles, Department of Labor statistics, direct observation.

Now, what's the conflict?
BAck to our example. Kathy, our character is having trouble keeping the areas of her sink clean. 

The resolution?
Kathy heard from a friend that a toothbrush could help. 

Now yout can take that, put it all together, and you can build a scenario that is more robust. Remember elementary school? A scenario is really a story problem.

Change the persona, and the whole scenario changes. Instead of grandma Kathy, how about Paris Hilton or MacGyver?

Go and have fun. How can you use it in your design, in your content and in your evaluation?


Situation Based Learning Design
2009-03-11T12:55:00.020-04:00
Situation-Based Learning Design: Research Insights for Enhanced Remembering and Performance
Will Thalheimer, willatworklearning.com

It's just about standing room only in Will's session. Glad I came early and swiped a chair next to a power outlet. These seats are scarce!

It's important to create metaphors that are understandable by "real people".

This session is to share the evolution of the concept of "situation-based learning".

Goal for eLearning designer:
get learners to act differerntly
to perform far-reaching tasks
to retrieve the information they need to apply what was learned
How we Learn / Encode
an environmental cue can trigger a memory
our mind searches the information
from rehearsal, we apply the knowledge
If learners don't access the information (application need) soon enough after training, it becomes difficult to impossible to retrieve.

Retrieval = Learning - Forgetting + Spontaneous Remembering.
Don't forget the forgetting factor. Include opportunities for learners to retrieve the information in regular intervals otherwise the learning is lost.

Situation-based learning begins with the magic question: "What do we want out learners to be able to do and in what situations do we want our learners to do those things?"

SEDA - Real-world application process to situation-based learning
Situation
Evaluation
Decide
Action
Having a goal by itself is not enough to perform an action. If you have an intention, then the action is more likely to take place.

The problem is presenting concepts without providing practice. This turns into a test of memorization. Or provide decisions with no actions. Or provide inadequate evaluations of situations. Or offer a decision without proving the proper situation to apply. All bad and doesn't provide adequate results.

All steps must be followed through to allow the learner to retrieve the knowedlge at the appropriate time.

We absorb more than just the learning message. It's the learning message and background stimuli (noise, sights, smells, emotions, etc.). When it comes down to retrieving the information, memories of background stimuli can also trigger the retreival event. Multiple cues (triggers) improve the retreival results.

A practical example: you're in the kitchen and remember to get something out of the living room. You go to the living room and forget want you needed. So you go back to the kitchen and remember what you needed in the living room. Your background stimulus (location) triggered the memory.

Move from topic-based to situation-based design. By aligning the situational cues to real-world events, the retrieval is more effective.

Summary
By aligning contexts, we can create spontaneous remembering
Start designing differently - based on what learners should DO and not KNOW
Benefits = more remembering, better results



ID Zone: Is Rapid e-Learning a Myth?
2009-03-11T09:44:00.009-04:00
Tom Kuhlmann, Articulate
Author of the Rapid E-Learning Blog

Finally, after reading his blog for months, I get to put a face to a name!

Rapid isn't a myth, it 's a reality. Its' not PPT to Flash. (Bad PPT = bad e-learning). Rapid eLearning is the allowing the software to automate the production process for you.

It's not how great your tools are, is how great you're getting the information to the learner.

10 (really 4) you need to know about e-learning:
Types of authoring tools
Form based
Freeform
Screencast
You are the bridge between the client and the learner
You need to create that environment that will help the learner actually learn.
Make rapid elearning your default position
Start thinking that that's the approach you'll take. Then as the needs presents itself, look for hybrid, then custom solutions. Save your Flash designers' skill sets (and budgets) for more complex, challenging projects. 
There's more to it than the course
Check out some examples:
CPR Demo
Learner has the option to get info linearly, or jump into the activity. 
JustLeapIn.com
3D Virtual reality tool that can be imported into PPT for a more engaging exprience
Tinychat
Embed a chat room to allow learners (or maybe even a SME) to interact real time Creates sort of a blended-learning environment
You can include interactive development, despite the limitaitons you might have with the tools you have.


AG09 - Keynote Speaker
2009-03-11T09:33:00.002-04:00

Jeff Howe, Wired Magazine

Crowdsourcing: Why the power of the crowd is drivin the future of business

Jeff's video explanation of Crowdsourcing:
The internet created a virtual crowd that comes together through shared interests. When a company takes a job that was once performed by employees and changes it to an open call, undefined position  to the general public. Photography is an example. Digital SLR, Photoshop & the Internet make amateur photographers now providig their work to stock photo sites. These groups come up as organicaly by people formally know as customers. Online communities are the building block of crowdsourcing. Shows that people can come together and create organized units.

The Warped Tour grabbed his interest on how the participants have a creative relationship with the tools to create their art. The art isn't about the technology but how the 'kids' used it to seemlessly create thir own works. It's not about content. It's about everyone having a changed relationship with their products. There is a blurring of the lines of producer and consumer.

Example: Threadless.com. User created designs for t-shirts. Then, users can vote on t-shirt designs. The tasks are things that can happen in 30 seconds. Revenue exploded. What started as an idea to please their designer friends, the site creators are now 'doing very well for themselves." What does the crowd do for Treadless?
gives cheep labor by creating the designs
designers become pseudo-famous because their designs are everywhere
marketing & advertising (Threadless Street Team) Threadless never spent $ on an advertising budget becaues their users do all the free advertising.
 
instant metrics for consumer demand
 

Example: iStockphoto.com. User genereated photos for general use. Pay by credits, not by photo. Created to benefit the community. Photographers have a place to publish their work. Designers have a place to purchase cheep photos.

Cardinal Rule of Crowdsourcing:
Ask not what your community can do for you -- ask what you can do for your community. 

... left early to attend ID Zone.


Designing Scenario-based eLearning
2009-03-10T20:41:00.006-04:00
Today was the first day of the eLearning Guild's Annual Gathering 2009. I took the Designing Scenario-based eLearning certificate program.

Tom Eucker, a colleague of Ruth Clark started off talking about his experience, then brought up this statistic:
The US spent $134 Billion on training in 2007! (ASTD: 2008 report) Most of that (62.2%) is salaries, development, admin, etc. Classroom training has been leading the charge, but technology is rapidly gaining ground. Most of the technology has been self-study. But classroom will never go away. There's always the human element that people like to be around other people to get their perspective. Most relevant in complex and deep topics.

Info
Inform: to present information
Perform: to build skills
near transfer - the training is similar to real life; precedural; routine tasks
far transfer - learn a generic ability, but it can be applied to different situations; strategic skills; problem solving
Scenario-based learning is geared for far transfer learning.
There is a shift happening from near-transfer to far-transfer situations. Routine tasks are being done by machines. Workers are being asked to do more problem-solving, troubleshooting tasks.

Three course architectures:
Receptive
sit back and absorb
lecture; video documentary
best to inform learners. 
appropriate for anyone
Directive
bottom up; short lessons
rule/example/practice + feedback
most software training is directive
best for near-transfer goals
appropriate for novices
Guided Discovery
problem-centered
inductive approach
scenario-based learning
best for far-transfer goals
best for learners who have some prior knowledge


Three views of learning
Transmisssion
absorbtion teaching view
Receptive
Behavioral
instructive teaching view (provide examples & drill)
directive
Knowledge construction
inductive teaching view
guided discovery
provide learners with the skill to create their own connections in their head so they can recreate the correct response later on.


Three levels of knowledge:
explicit (stuff you can read in a book, take a class, etc)
implicit (learn by doing; the experts know the problems that novices won't know. Basis for scenario based learning)
tacit (subconscionous knowledge where the person doesn't know how he knows)
SBL & Architectures
Directive
Guidelines -> examples -> scenario
Guided discovery
scenario -> derive guilelines


Experiential Learning
Experience (provide examples)  [inductive approach: 1+2] SBL
Process (develop rules)
Generalize (create rules & examples) [deductive approach: 3+4]
Apply (do it)
SBL Synonyms
problem based
goal based
scenario based
cognative apprenticeships
games / simulations
cased based
experiential
challenge based
role play
interactive storytelling


Key Features of SBL
evident problem / trigger event / job assignment
lessons provide case/background information
manage flounder (of content, not technology) with guidance (let them go down the wrong track for only a short time)
access to knowledge and skills (experts, consultants)
feedback provided
intrinsic - the result of decision making built into the scenario
instructional - popup text to work the scenario
time compression
mistakes are ok - you learn more from the mistakes you make rather than the successes you achieve.
holistic vs. linear (choose your own adventure)
inductive vs. instructive
opportunities for reflection
Design Features (posted separately at tinyurl.com/ag09-p1 )
Begin with an authentic job problem
job specific
linkd to learnign objectives
designed at the right level of complexity
incorporates procedure, knowledge and starategic elements of the job
provide acces to case related info
job realistic
easy to find and access
reflect normal job sources
linked to case objectives
manage flounder factor
closed (more guidance) vs. open (many choices) design
simple to complex problems (give them feeling of success to start)
provide guidance
instructor
collaborative groups
model solutions
worksheets
pedagogical agents
provide access to knowledge and skills
traditional tutorials
online experts
links to docs and presentations
examples and models of best practices
email to instructor/coach (to get to the tacit knowledge that can't come from the training)
plan scenario feedback
peer comparisons
model answers
intrinsic-consequential
instructional
expert review & comments
Differences between text, video and animation in learning
Animation / Video returned higher test scores in application test and their satisfaction
so long as the animation/video has a distinct purpose.
THere's a balance to the complexity of a SBL
narrow scope / broad scope
directive architecture / guided discovery
problems as a trigger to thinking / problems as enging
low-end media (text/graphics) / video; animations
behaviorial task analysis / cognitive task analysis
branched scenarios / open simulation
defined outcomes / variable outcomes
instructor lead training / e-learning
Design Plan for SBL
task deliverable (learning objective)
what is the desired final outcome
trigger event
what initiates the problem? What's the storyline to start it?
case data (givens)
what kind of data will be provided
where is it located
feedback
intrinsic
instructional
reflection opportunity
process comparison
rationally comparison
feedback - replay
Program Design
Branched scenario
closed design (fixed set of decisions and responses)
choose your own adventure
good for linear scenarios
MEnu
list (navigation) of all elements available to the learner
non-linear
Full simulation
open design
sequence doesn't matter
simulation engine determines situations and outcomes
Virtual World (Second Life)
open ended



Answering the call
2009-02-25T09:33:00.002-05:00

Last night President Obama gave his first State of the Nation address to congress. One of the three areas his administration will invest in to secure our nation is education.
In a global economy, where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity. It is a prerequisite....So tonight I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be a community college or a four-year school, vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma.
This is good news to me because this means that there is a place for me and the work I want to do. My challenge is now finding how I fit in.


Doing More with Less
2009-01-15T17:20:00.002-05:00
I went to the Mid-NJ ASTD Meeting today to attend the presentation "Doing More with Less: Adding Value in a Turbulent Economy" presented by Michael Schiavoni & Nicholas Russo.

Here is a presentation of my summary.




War Games
2009-01-07T19:26:00.002-05:00
The NBC Nightly news ran this story about an Army recruiting site in the Franklin Mills Mall in Philadelphia, PA. But it's not your typical recruitment center. It's a place where people can play video games -- war simulation games -- to experience the front lines of an Army unit in a war zone.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy


As a marketing tool, I think it's brilliant. It targets young adults who are into video games. The facility has cutting-edge technology and is pretty much an opportunity to 'try before you buy'.

As a learning tool, I also think it has many of the characteristics mentioned in my previous post:
Personalized and goal based - Individuals are part of a team to accomplish a mission. This parallels the goals and missions defined by military units.
Coaching and immediate feedback - I'm not sure if there is coaching, but there is definitely immediate feedback based on the learner's actions. You can see if your shot was on target, or if you are not careful and get killed.
Flexibility - The outcome of the simulation is based on the learner's actions. The simulation will be different each time it is used. Just as in combat, a soldiers actions have consequences and they must learn how to act and at what appropriate time.
Simple, intuitive navigation - There isn't time to sit down and read the instructions. Just like in combat, learners must be able to hit the ground running.
Hard fun - Because it is a simulation, learners have the chance to make mistakes, see the outcome, overcome challenges and try again.
What are your thoughts about the Army Experience? Do you see the learning value is these simulations and video games?


Hard Fun
2009-01-07T11:01:00.005-05:00
It's time to come back to this blog. I'm on my last class for my masters degree and I think I can at least use my final project as a focus.

But in the meantime, I came across Rick Nigol's blog entry on what lessons he learned from using Wii Fit. He matched them to the same goals that should designers should strive for in creating e-learning courses.

Personalized and goal based
Coaching and immediate feedback
Flexibility
Simple, intuitive navigation
Hard fun
It's important to me to be continually reminded on what elements make for a good e-learning course. I'm not doing any ID work at my current job -- yet, but I can see where the deficiencies are in the projects that are being developed. So I learn from examples and non-examples.

I especially like the last bullet, hard fun.

Learning something doesn't need to be a chore or so boring where the only 'interaction' is clicking on a "Continue" button. Learning should be challenging and relevant. It should make you think and not be afraid to fail. You should be able to take whatever facts and concepts that are presented and use them in a meaningful manner. It shouldn't be easy, because face it, life never is. But it should be fun.

I will keep this phrase in my mind as I start to develop my own courses.


Scenario-go-round
2008-09-03T09:54:00.005-04:00
Compliance courses rarely have learners lined up for hours for the opportunity to enroll in them. In most cases, learners take these courses not because they want to, but because they have to. Intrinsic motivation versus external enforcers.

There is information that the company feels is important for the learner to get from the course, so one option may be to provide the content in a linear presentation format. However, because the information does not satisfy an immediate need for the learner, it may be difficult to really learn from it.

An alternative is to present situations where the learner will use the knowledge and skills of the course in real-life scenarios. By getting the learner to think and make decisions will help process the information and integrate it into their knowledge base.

Tom Kuhlmann presents three questions that he asks before building scenarios for training programs.
What situations require the learner to know this information?
By putting learners in real-life situations, they will be able to apply it to their work more easily.

What choices could they be expected to make in that circumstance?
The choices offered should be real and not so obvious. My making the learner stop and think about their actions, that increases the value of the training. 

What are the consequences of those choices?
You could provide very concrete feedback statements. Or, you could continue building the scenario on top of the learners' choices. In many situations, there isn't a direct cause-effect relationship, but a domino effect where small deviations can combine into a larger result.



Spreading myself too thin?
2008-09-03T09:23:00.002-04:00
I wasn't really aware of how much a nerd I am until now.

I am currently enrolled in an online university to get my Masters in Eduction, focusing on Instructional Design for Online Learning. I have 12 credits until completion. In two weeks, I will start a Train the Trainer certificate program at my local community college. And I just enrolled (for audit) in an online course on Connectivism and Connective Knowledge just for the curiosity of it.

What's strange is that no one is making me do this. I have no real reason for perusing all this other than the desire to know stuff. For the past 2.5 years, the stuff I want to know is all about education and instructional design. Who know, maybe in another 2.5 years, I'll want to know more about the mating rituals of Peruvian cockroaches. But today, it's about education.

I'll keep you posted as to what happens.


Break the chains of learning
2008-08-05T10:48:00.007-04:00
The player navigation is just a way to get from one piece of information to the other.  That’s not instructional design.

Another great post from Tom at the Rapid E-Learning Blog. It discusses the problem with locking the navigation to a course to force all learners to go through the content linearly.

This piggybacks on the last post regarding the Whole Brain model. Learners learn differently. Trying to force a learning style on someone that doesn't fit is likely to cause problems.

Instead, design a course that compels the learner to want engage with the course.
Guide the learner through the course, rather than forcing the navigation.
Give the learners the freedom to demonstrate their level of understanding.
Make the content relevant to the learners.
It's time to give the learners more credit. Many want to click right through because they expect the training to be stale, they are not clear on how its relevant to their jobs and it doesn't cause much of an impact. By designing courses that focus on a desired outcome rather than a delivery of content, the learners will appreciate the courses more... and they're much more fun to build.


The Whole Brain Model
2008-08-01T12:03:00.007-04:00
"We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are" - The Talmud

Have you noticed that people learn things in different ways? For example, I am a visual learner. I need to see an illustration, photo, or video of something to understand how it works. Someone else might just be able to read a description to understand it. And another person needs to be able to manipulate it before it makes sense to her.

This relates to the concept of Multiple Intelligences and it shows that people have unique learning styles. Courses need to evolve from one-dimensional presentations to a more flexible style that can really reach a broader audience of learners.

The Whole Brain Model
The Whole Brain Model is based on the concept that our different modes of learning are distributed among the four quadrants of the brain. Each quadrant is focused on specific thinking processes. However while you may be stronger in one of the quadrants (I fluctuate between A and D), you have some degree of all quadrant traits in you.


These connections between the four quadrants are there, but they may be weak. So when faced with a learning method that is not a learner's dominant style, there may be uncomfortable, unpracticed or frustrating experiences. On the other end of the spectrum, if you cater only to the dominant learning style, then there is less of a challenge and the training becomes boring.

The idea is to find that balance between boring the learner and anxiety.


Source: Biech, E. (Ed.). (2008).  ASTD handbook for workplace learning professionals. Alexandria, VA: ASTD Press.


Teach them how to think, rather than do
2008-08-01T11:30:00.005-04:00
Telling ain't training. It's been said before many times. Yet, many courses still take the approach  of 'just tell them what they need to know'.

Well, Cathy Moore brings up a good point when she says "It’s easiest to just tell them what to do, but what we need to do is to teach them how to think."

Adult learners want to know that the time they invest in training will be immediately valuable to their job. Part of  accomplishing that is  to present scenarios that  do not portray solid  black-or-white  instances. Let there be some ambiguity, because that's what real life is, right?

Remember, the goal of training is to change behavior. So give learners a chance to make decisions and then show the results of those decisions. Not all of them will be the correct ones, but by understanding why it was incorrect and how to improve upon it will be more effective than just clicking through multiple choice quizzes.


What Everybody Ought To Know About Instructional Design
2008-07-22T12:39:00.000-04:00
Article: What Everybody Ought to Know About Instructional Design

It answers the question “What is the role of the instructional designer? And how do I convey that to my clients and subject matter experts?"

The article is worth the read, but I’ll summarize:

The instructional designer is to help learners make sense of the new information they get [from e-learning courses].
ID’s help the learner focus on very specific pieces of information by providing context and perspective.
ID’s help compress the learning process saving time and money.
ID’s present a clear and meaningful purpose for the learners.



When Less Is More
2008-07-08T12:36:00.000-04:00
Quite often in the compliance courses, much of the content deals with the  history of the different compliance laws, why they were put in place and every  other back story. Just how much of that content is necessary when developing a  course?
  
 A great article today titled "Build  Better e-Learning Courses By Getting Rid of Some of the Content" lists three  critical questions to determine which content is 'need to know' versus 'nice to  know'.
  
 What is the learner supposed to do at the end of the course?  Should they accomplish a specific task or solve a certain problem?  
What course content will help the learner meet the course  objectives? Sort the content and identify which pieces the learner  needs to meet the course goals.  
How will the learner use this in the real world? If knowing  the chairman of the Department of Justice won't help the learner identify when  HIPAA laws are being violated, then don't include it in the course.


The 'need to know' information doesn't need to be ellimated entirely; it just  needs to augment the course content instead being the course  content. If the learner seeks it out or finds it necessary, it can be available  as resource information or links to additonal documentation.


Measurement Job Aid
2008-07-02T12:34:00.000-04:00
As a follow up to my last post, I found a handy 1 page job aid that helps  in determining if the measurement tool in an eLearning course is as good as it can  be. 
  
 Downoad  PDF




Telling Ain't Training
2008-06-05T12:30:00.000-04:00
An interesting  article from Adobe brings up the question "How do you know that they know?".  
  
 Typically at the end of a course where the learner is given a wealth of  information, the method for assessing any knowledge gained is by going through a  multiple choice test. But just because they can answer questions correctly, does  that really mean that they can perform correctly?
  
 Frank Nguyen provides 5 steps to developing an eLearning assessment  process:
 Identify instructional objectives  
Categorize objectives  
Select appropriate assessment  
Draft assessment items  
Develop assessment items
 Categorize Instructional Objectives
 Instructional objectives can be put into 5 categories: fact, concept,  process, procedure and principles.

Select Appropriate Assessment
  
 Based on the five different instructional objectives categories, you can  use several assessment methods. The table below lists recommended and possible  assessment methods.


Granted, the selling point for this article was to use Adobe Captivate, but the  information is valid and very valuable.


Compliance 2.0
2008-06-05T12:29:00.000-04:00
I got the idea for my 'Compliance 2.0' Lunch 'N Learn session from a  webinar called "Compliance Training: Going Beyond the Check-it-off-the-list  Approach". 
  
 The main theme here is when the primary goal becomes checking compliance  training off the HR's to-do list, then the focus is on the delivery of training,  not the behavior change needed to become compliant.
  
 In my presentation I listed 4 points:
 Context is king  
Develop relevant content from business goals  
Answer the 'what's in it for me' for the learner  
Behavior change = Action learning
 I will put my presentation online soon, but you can see the recorded webinar  from the eLearn  Campus website. You will need to register, but its free.



eLearning Samples
2008-05-22T12:28:00.000-04:00
Again, Cathy Moore has a collection of samples of interactive graphics and  simulations that can serve as great inspiration. Please take some time to go  through the items on her list, I don't think you'll be disappointed. 
  
 Some samples that I find most noteworthy:
  
 Crimescene  Game. This branching scenario evaluates your performance on the questions  asked and your ability to gain the right information to solve the crime.  
Skeleton  Game. Expands upon a simple drag and drop exercise to be more engaging.  
Nursing  Simulation. Another branching scenario where your decisions are judjed.  
A.S.K.  Learning: e-Learning Portfolio. Click on the e-Learning Portfolio link on  the right side, then check out their stuff. The Cisco HR Onboarding  program and Westpac Relationship Management piece are  nicely done. (Turn your Popup blockers off)
 Not every project needs all the bells and whistles, but this list  demonstrates how simple interactives can have as much impact as an elaborate  one.



5 Ways To Make Linear Navigation More Interesting
2008-05-21T12:27:00.000-04:00
Click. Click. Click. Next. Next. Next. 
  
 Some client ask for it: courses that guide the learner from page to page.  And since the client is the ultimate boss...
  
 Well, Cathy Moore has some ways to make the best out of this limiting  presentation style. 
  
 In her slideshow,  she poses 5 techniques to incorporate.
 Ask a question  
Use and incomplete sentence  
Suggest a sequence; build a list  
Compare and Contrast  
Create a dilema



Providing Learners With Feedback
2008-05-21T12:21:00.001-04:00
Download PDF Files

Providing Learners With Feedback: Part 1
Providing Learners With Feedback: Part 2

Here are some of the insights from the two-part 88-page research report:


The most important thing to remember about feedback is that it is generally beneficial for learners.

The second most important thing to remember about feedback is that it should be corrective. Typically, this means that feedback ought to specify what the correct answer is. When learners are still building understanding, however, this could also mean that learners might benefit from additional statements describing the “whys” and “wherefores.”

The third most important thing to remember about feedback is that it must be paid attention to in a manner that is conducive to learning.

Feedback works by correcting errors, whether those errors are detected or hidden.

Feedback works through two separate mechanisms: (a) supporting learners in correctly understanding concepts, and (b) supporting learners in retrieval.

To help learners build understanding, feedback should diagnose learners’ incorrect mental models and specifically correct those misconceptions, thereby enabling additional correct retrieval practice opportunities.

To prepare learners for future long-term retrieval and fluency, learners need practice in retrieving. For this purpose, retrieval practice is generally more important than feedback.

Elaborative feedback may be more beneficial as learners build understanding, whereas brief feedback may be more beneficial as learners practice retrieval.

Immediate feedback prevents subsequent confusion and limits the likelihood for continued inappropriate retrieval practice.

Delayed feedback creates a beneficial spacing effect.

When in doubt about the timing of feedback, you can (a) give immediate feedback and then a subsequent delayed retrieval opportunity, (b) delay feedback slightly, and/or (c) just be sure to give some kind of feedback.

Feedback should usually be provided before learners get another chance to retrieve incorrectly again.

Provide feedback on correct responses when:
a. Learners experience difficulty in responding to questions or decisions.
b. Learners respond correctly with less-than-high confidence.
c. All the information learned is of critical importance.
d. Learners are relatively new to the subject material.
e. The concepts are very complex.

Provide feedback on incorrect responses:
a. Almost always.
b. Except:
i. When feedback would disrupt the learning event.
ii. When it would be better to wait to provide feedback. 

When learners seek out and/or encounter relevant learning material either before or after feedback, this can modify the benefits of the feedback itself.

When learners are working to support retrieval or fluency, short-circuiting their retrieval practice attempts by enabling them to access feedback in advance of retrieval can seriously hurt their learning results.

When learners retrieve incorrectly and get subsequent well-designed feedback, they still have not retrieved successfully; so they need at least one additional opportunity to retrieve—preferably after a delay.

On-the-job support from managers, mentors, coaches, learning administrators, or performance-support tools can be considered a potentially powerful form of feedback.

Training follow-through software—that keeps track of learners’ implementation goals—provides another opportunity for feedback.

Feedback can affect future learning by focusing learners on certain aspects of learning material at the expense of other aspects of learning material. Learners may take the hint from the feedback to guide their attention in subsequent learning efforts.

Extra acknowledgements (when learners are correct) and extra handholding (when learners are wrong) are generally not effective (depending on the learners). In fact, when feedback encourages learners to think about how well they appear to be doing, future learning can suffer as learners aim to look good instead of working to build rich mental models of the learning concepts.



PowerPoint sucks, take two
2007-03-15T08:44:00.000-04:00
This is a point that bares repeating... a lot.

(Taken from Seth Godin's blog)
Bullets Are For the NRA
Here are the five rules you need to remember to create amazing Powerpoint presentations:
  No more than six words on a slide. EVER. There is no presentation so complex that this rule needs to be broken.
No cheesy images. Use professional stock photo images.
No dissolves, spins or other transitions.
Sound effects can be used a few times per presentation, but never use the sound effects that are built in to the program. Instead, rip sounds and music from CDs and leverage the Proustian effect this can have. If people start bouncing up and down to the Grateful Dead, you’ve kept them from falling asleep, and you’ve reminded them that this isn’t a typical meeting you’re running.
Don’t hand out print-outs of your slides. They don’t work without you there.
The reason I keep bringing this up is to hopefully force the point that there is no prize for putting as many words and crappy clip art on a slide.


Breeze is not always the answer
2007-03-09T08:53:00.000-05:00
In a department where time always seems to be short, the technology solution for online courses generally turns out to be Breeze. The problem is that this delivery method is decided on before the design of the course material has been created. The content should drive the technology, not the other way around.

One project that I'm currently working on is to create an online tutorial for new users of a new application that is being purchased for the company. The tutorial should allow new users to quickly learn the tasks needed for their job. Examples and scenarios should use real-world situations users would experience on the job. Existing materials include the user tutorial of the application vendor.

I already know that time and budget is tight and one of the constraints is that audio will not be used in the tutorial. This means that users will need to rely on text or simulations to lean the tasks. Reading large amounts of text on paper is daunting enough, reading text online is even worse.

The project manager already is suggesting that Breeze be the delivery method. I disagree. Here's why.
Breeze is essentially PowerPoint. Who wants to read slide after slide of paragraphs of text and bullets?
Often words are crammed into a slide to get as much information in a possible. If the text is getting too small, users have no opportunity to change the font size. They're stuck with what is given to them.
The real estate given for the presentation is less than half of the available screen size. This is because Breeze wraps its presentation is their own branding skin, with navigation bars and pretty backgrounds. So in a text-heavy or simulation-heavy tutorial like this one, users will either have to strain their eyes to view 680x800 worth of content into a 400x300 size viewing area, or click through a lot of slides.
There are other delivery options that may be better suited for this project.

HTML pages would be much easier for a user to absorb text.
They can adjust the font size to one that makes readability better and the page length is not finite.
Flash can be embedded in for demonstrations or simulations with much less hassle than trying to embed it into PowerPoint.
Content edits can be handled much easier and publishing changes would require less testing. If a change is made in Breeze, everything has to be retested once its been published because Breeze has a habit of being unpredictable.
Flash would also be a delivery option. But it requires a stronger technological skill set -- much higher than all of the team members of this project. Also, the development time would be greater than if HTML or Breeze (shudder) was used.

My point is, the specific delivery tool can't be the driver for developing content. The needs of the  project will determine which delivery tool to use.


Adding Eye Candy
2007-02-12T12:42:00.000-05:00
I know you have seen in countless other presentation/training documentation that brains will  melt out of ears when subjected to looking at slides that contain nothing but text. Adding some visual interest will not only save the brain, but can aid in the comprehension of what it is you are trying to present.

The (good) use of images is one way to spice up a presentation. But what if you're not a photographer, can't draw or don't know the difference between hi-key and low-key? A post on the Presentation Zen site, "Where can you find good images?" has a bunch of great lists of different sites where you can get images to use. Check them out!


Content Readability
2007-01-05T13:35:00.000-05:00
When you create content for training, how do you know if you’re writing to a reading level that will suit your audience? There are several studies that recommend developing content for a fifth grade reading level. But how do you know if you’ve done that?
    There are two readability tests that can be used and both can be analyzed quickly in Microsoft Word. 
    The Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) is a formula (see it here) that returns scores which indicates how easy material is to read. Higher scores indicate material is easier to read where lower numbers mark harder-to-read passages. 
    As a rule of thumb, scores of 90–100 are considered easily understandable by an average 5th grader. 8th and 9th grade students could easily understand passages with a score of 60–70, and passages with results of 0–30 are best understood by college graduates.
    The second is the Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level Formula translates the 0–100 score to a U.S. grade level, making it easier for teachers, parents, librarians, and others to judge the readability level of various books and texts. It can also mean the number of years of education required to understand this text, relevant when the formula results in a number greater than 12.
So, how do you find out the readability level in Word?
In the Tools menu, click on Options.
Click on the tab Spelling & Grammar
Click on the checkbox Show Readability Statistics
Now when you do a spell/grammar check, on completion a popup windo will appear that will give statistics on the readability of your document. The last section of the popup has both the Flesch Reading Ease and the Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level results.  


Breeze 5 and Flash Player 9
2006-12-18T13:01:00.000-05:00
With the BMS-wide rollout of Flash Player 9, you may experience problems with Breeze 5 presentations recently created.

Here is the issue, reason and solution as stated from Adobe:

Issue
There is an issue for users who have both Breeze Presenter and Adobe Flash Player 9 installed on their machines.  When attempting to create Breeze Presentations with embedded Flash content the content does not display properly.

Reason
The issue occurs because of a Flash Player component registration change that is inconsistent with previous naming conventions.

With Flash Player versions up to Flash Player 8, the Shockwave ActiveX container was identified as "ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash.1."

With Flash Player 9 this is now identified as "ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash.9." Since Breeze Presenter is looking for "ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash.1" it does not expect or recognize the new naming convention, thus publishing is not successful.

Solution
Engineering has created a DLL that fixes the problem, which will be rolled into a Presenter update in the next version of Breeze.

To address this issue before the next release follow these steps to install the DLL.

Download the the correct DLL from
ftp://breezeext:bif4mh$$@zip.adobe.com/patches/ppt2swf.zip
Browse to the C:\Program Files\Macromedia\Breeze 5 folder.
Find the ppt2swf.dll file and rename the file to pp2swf.old
Unzip the file downloaded file and place the file in the C:\Program Files\Macromedia\Breeze 5 folder.
Republish any Breeze Presentations that contain SWF files.



Rapid e-Learning Grows Up
2006-12-15T13:36:00.000-05:00
Rapid e-Learning tools such as Breeze, Captivate and Articulate were made to take the developer out of developing online training modules.  But as these tools become easier, it allows anyone to click a few buttons, enter in some text and ta-dah... instant online training module.

We all remember the web sites of those who just got a WYSIWYG HTML editor; the blinking text, numerous font styles, horrid patterned backgrounds. Just because the tools were there, it doesn't make one a web designer.

Joe Fournier writes in his article "Rapid e-Learning Grows Up", SMEs and Intructional Designers should form partnerships to produce more effective learning with rapid e-learning tools.
Subject matter experts many times don’t know how to teach; they just know their subject...The SMEs may produce the source content—in PowerPoint or Office format—but that base material gets greatly enhanced when a professional instructional designer adds interactions and edits the material.



10 Damaging E-learning Myths
2006-12-15T11:31:00.000-05:00
I came upon this article and immediately found it relevant to what was discussed recently. The clients frequently dictate what they think should be included in the training -- regardless of what a task / needs analysis says.

The ten myths listed in the article are all worth investigating, but the first three deserve front page recognition.
Volume = value. E-learning tends to be priced in terms of hours of learning content   produced. The problem is that value is becoming   equated with volume of content rather than the degree to which a   solution meets the training need.
We are producing content. Many customers still approach suppliers with the question, "How   much will it cost to turn this content into e-learning?" It doesn´t matter how much quality content is produced if it doesn´t lead to a change in learner knowledge, attitudes or behaviour.
We must include all of the content. Customers   frequently seem to believe that it is their duty to cram as much   content as is possible within an e-learning programme. They   don´t seem to realise that displaying content offers no   guarantee that it will be understood, recalled and used in the   workplace.

This list could be used to educate clients as they impact the outcome of our work considerably.


The argument for templates
2006-12-15T11:07:00.000-05:00
One of the responses to the LSS Employee Satisfaction Survey is that learning templates and procedures are highly requested. This article says that all e-learning should be templated.
The most common way that e-learning developers try to keep costs down – other than using cheap labour offshore – is through template systems and libraries. The idea is simple: by having re-usable components of various sorts, e-learning can be produced quickly, at reasonable cost, at established quality levels.

The article goes on to list 4 principles to create an effective template strategy:
Templates must exist, and interact, at different levels of scale.
Templates must support every part of the design and development process.
Templates must be based on sound theories of learning, and of learning design. 
Templates must be designed to accumulate knowledge around them. 

The article sums up with "e-learning should be almost entirely templated, An effective templating strategy will result in better e-learning, happier learners and clients and lower cost production."


SCORM Answered
2006-12-15T10:43:00.000-05:00
AICC, SCORM, XML... it all sounds like alphabet soup, right?

Well, we should be paying more attention to what these acronyms mean.

Let's start with SCORM (since it was the first one I found online.)

In a nutshell, SCORM is a set of specifications for developing,          packaging and delivering high-quality education and training materials          whenever and wherever they are needed. SCORM-compliant courses leverage          course development investments by ensuring that compliant courses are          "RAID:"
Reusable: easily modified and            used by different development tools,
Accessible: can be searched and            made available as needed by both learners and content developers,
Interoperable: operates across            a wide variety of hardware, operating systems and web browsers, and
Durable: does not require significant            modifications with new versions of system software.
For more information, you can take an online course. Click on the "Lessons" menu item and follow the steps to register -- it's free.
This lesson discusses:
       The history, goals and current organization of ADL,
The rationale for the SCORM specification (why do we need this),
The alphabet soup of this world (the acronyms), and
The ADL guidelines for developing online content.



Five ways to reduce PowerPoint Overload
2006-12-08T15:36:00.000-05:00
It's inevitable. PowerPoint will be used to deliver the training message. And with so much information to be delivered, slides are often over run with text. You don't have to fall victim to this problem.

Cliff Atkinson's article "Five ways to reduce PowerPoint Overload" provides guidelines to keep the presentations more effective.
Write a clear headline that explains the main idea of every slide.
Break up your story into digestible bites.
Reduce visual load by moving text off screen and narrating the content.
Use visuals with your words instead of words alone.
Remove every element that does not support the main idea.

Yes, I'm sure you've heard it all before. But this is a good article for you to keep around to remind you.

P.S. In case you want even more proof, check out the top ten slide tips. My favorite tip? Number 4 - Use high quality graphics.


Article: "Making e-Learning More Fun"
2006-12-08T13:45:00.000-05:00
Just the thought of sitting through another Breeze presentation to learn about some financial accounting policy can make any busy employee cringe. But that doesn't have to be the case.

In the US, e-learning has taken on the approach that in order for it to be effective, it must be effective and any fun is considered a distraction. Well the article I'm showcasing today says that's all wrong.

Learning providers need to make learning fit the way people work rather than insisting on it being a totally separate function. If we make it more enjoyable, so it is memorable and engaging, then it's likely to be more effective.

David Thomas' article 'Making e-Learning More Fun' is an interesting read. He asks the question, "If fun, pleasure and stimulation are so important for learning, then why is so much e-learning so dull?" Even boring subjects like financial accounting can be made more effective if we leave out the over-done pages and pages of text. How many times did they have to do that in school?

Adult learners bring their whole lifetime of experience to any learning situation, so we need to think in terms of problem solving rather than just content. If the learning is relevant to them, they will be far more willing to learn.


Spice up training with stock photos
2006-12-05T12:50:00.000-05:00
Frustrated trying to find good images to use in your presentations?

There are now 439 more professional photos available for your use. These stock photos were purchased from Getty Images and contain numerous business, computer, and concept images.

You can find them at I:\Sharedoc\_iStockPhotos


Authenticating Breeze presentations
2006-12-01T16:48:00.000-05:00
Letting Plateau know when someone has completed a Breeze presentation is easy. With a simple Flash insert and an addition to some HTML code, you can create a seamless way for users to authenticate a Breeze presentation.

The files and instructional document can be found on the shared drive at I:\LSS_ALL\CWD\New Prod Dev Archive\
Development\Online_Development\code_examples\
plateau_completion


First, take the file PlateauComplete.swf and insert it on the last page of the PowerPoint presentation. Don't put it directly on the stage or strange code will appear when published. Instead, drag the SWF file to the side, off the stage, and it will be included. Then publish your presentation.

A file index.html will be created. Open up an HTML editor and make one change to the file.  Add the following line of code right before the ‹/body› tag:

‹iframe id="postFrame" name="postFrame" style="display: none"›‹/iframe›

That's it!

-Claudine


Training Examples
2006-12-01T13:09:00.000-05:00
I came across these demos of online training and thought it would be interesting to share. They incorporate audio/video and use real-life scenarios to help explain the topic.

Midi Demos

(If you're asked to log in, you can use my BMS email address)

-claudine


The training is done...now what?
2006-11-30T19:10:00.000-05:00
This semester I have been taking a course called the Evaluation and Assessment of Instructional Design. It discussed Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Evaluation and Return on Investment. It was very useful but it got me thinking. What kind of evaluation methods do we use here?

Once the course is developed and put out on Plateau, do you ever get feedback on how the course was received? Did the students enjoy taking it? Did they actually learn anything? How do we know that what we're doing works?

"Measuring E-learning's Effectiveness" is an article that lists the five areas that must be measured in order to know if our training was effective:
Enrollments. "Is the audience showing up?"
Activity. "Are people moving through the course?"
Completion. "Did they finish?"
Scores. "How well did he/she score?"
Feedback/Surveys. "Did they like it?"
These questions only account for the first two levels of evaluation, Reaction and Learning, but they are the stepping stones to determining students' attitudes towards the courses we are developing. We can't do our work in a vacuum; feedback is necessary for growth.

Be on the lookout for a CWD Idea Sharing meeting in the near future.

-Claudine


11/30/06 Meeting Materials
2006-11-30T16:08:00.000-05:00
For those of you that missed today's meeting, Pat did a great job, and has loaded the materials that he distributed on the shared drive at I:\Sharedoc\CWD Group\Reference Documents\Flash\BCF_Course_Guidelines.

It's very valuable infromation, especially the course framework (which can be used for any course in Flash) and the accompanying XML file.

Any questions, let Pat or me know.
thanks,
Mike

---
By the way, you can check out an example of a course with Pat's template here.
BCF - Module 3: Intro to FCM


And so it begins...
2006-11-30T14:51:00.000-05:00
The wheels have started turning for a more unified LSS instructional design team.

Mike has started the CWD Idea Sharing weekly meetings where we can become more knowledgable and skilled in instructional design. This will help us all become stronger team members and to build LSS into a more consistent group.

This site is an extension of the weekly meetings. Here we can post ideas, share relevent web sites or be a discussion board on ID topics. I hope that with the new year together we can help this group evolve.