With improved bandwidth and availability of high-speed wifi, advances in assistive technology, lower-cost hardware (laptops, handheld devices, touch-screen monitors, etc.) and new, easy-to-use web applications, the elderly have more access to a wide array of information and services, from email to lifelong learning.
There is no reason keep the elderly isolated and out of touch from their families, no matter how far away they might be. The initial investment can be quite modest, especially if a nursing home or assisted living center takes an approach similar to ones taken by hotel business centers. They have two or three workstations, each of which is equipped for their clientele's needs, which would include the right kind of software and hardware (detailed below).
Support staff could be available during certain times of the day. There would be a time limit for work on the workstations (20 minutes, perhaps). Although many of the elderly users would have their own computers, having a small computer center would help keep everything running smoothly, and would help with individuals with vision, hearing, or mobility issues. Having a support team would also be very helpful for those residents with cognitive challenges.
Benefits
*Connection to family
Everyone needs a support group, and, it goes without saying that people need people. However, the quality of the connection is often compromised in a nursing home or in assisted living where the connections between individuals are of necessity, or of commerce. Having a vital, daily connection to one's family can provide an emotional anchor for individuals who are going through a phase of life where they feel lonely, fragile, and cut off from caring alliances. Advancing into old age can be a frightening experience, and the elderly often feel the sting of prejudice and patronizing attitudes. They often appear to go into a downhill slide immediately after moving to assisted living. Is the slide real or not? Many times, what looks like a cognitive decline is, in reality, shame and fear.
*Cognitive stimulation
Not only do videos, audio, and images provide stimulation, the interaction brings another level of engagement. The major difference between retrieving information with a computer and watching it on television is the fact that computers are interactive. Numerous learning styles and strategies are accommodated through an array of computers, web applications, and information sources. Cognitive stimulation exercise for the elderly can yield very positive results.
*Connection to prior knowledge
The elderly are immensely valuable to our society, not only because of their knowledge, experience, and wisdom, but also because they show us our humanity. We have points of contact -- and often those points are through shared experiences, and also through prior knowledge. Having access to wifi and a solid computer with good web applications and reliable repositories of information can keep that prior knowledge alive through web searches, readings, and connections with friends and family. Individuals can connect prior knowledge to new experience and feel they are continuing to evolve and to grow.
*Connection to outside world
It's worth repeating. Perhaps the most immediately jolting experience for the individual who enters assisted living is the loss of a connection to the outside world. Television and radio are not true connections. If anything, television and radio reinforce the sense that the elderly individual has been marooned on a faraway planet that no one wants to visit, although people from the outside world are comfortable with transmitting sound or images to the faraway planet (!) Since radio and television do not offer the opportunity to communicate back to the source, it does not take long for the elderly residents in an assisted living center to wonder if they have become pariahs -- simply by virtue of age and diminishing physical abilities. Having an interactive connection is extremely valuable.
*Lifelong Learning / Continuing Education
Some of the most motivated learners are those who are living in assisted living or eldercare facilities. Taking courses provides connections to lived experience and prior knowledge, and stimulating the neural pathways helps individuals make connections, develop new problem-solving techniques, and to feel self-confidence. Sharing work with others, or continuing investigations into one's interests -- often memoirs, literature, history, comparative religion, science, or medicine -- develops self-esteem and a renewed sense of self-respect. Creative writing courses, and those dealing with stories (community, family, personal) are quite popular. It is also often a goal to complete a degree -- often a master's degree. At any rate, since the 1990s, the concept of "elderlearn" has been vital on college campuses. It's time to move it inside the walls of assisted living.
Essential Applications
*e-mail
*Facebook
*Flickr
*YouTube
*News feeds
*Search (google / bing / yahoo) on key words
*Online libraries / repositories of pertinent information
Essential Hardware
*Large monitor
*Touch-screen monitor
*Memory sufficient for graphics / video (RAM)
*High-capacity video card
*Desktop (rather than laptop)
*Microphone
*External speakers
*Webcam
*DVD player / recorder
*Touchscreen option
*Camera (detachable) for images / video
*Kindle reader (scalable text)
*iPad reader (scalable text)
Workstations for Visually / Hearing / Cognitively Impaired
*Hearing Impaired
Close-captioning
High-volume, high-quality speakers
Headphones
*Visually Impaired
Large print / scalable images
JAWS assistive technology (audio)
screen-readers (news / e-mail, etc.)
*Cognitively Impaired
Easy to navigate menus
Simple text, large text
Two or three dedicated applications, very easy to use
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
New Master's Degrees Change as the World Changes
A recent set of articles in New York Times Sunday edition (Jan 3, 2010) highlighted how master's degrees are bellwethers of new directions. Because master's degrees generally do not require a large number of hours, many colleges and universities have used the flexibility of interdisciplinary master's degrees to tailor student studies to individual goals, interests, and career opportunities. The obvious critique is such degrees can be trendy, and perhaps, arguably rather useless if there are massive paradigm shifts. But, the same can be said for traditional master's degrees. One can safely say that the bloom is off the rose of the stolid, traditional MBA, and to be at all competitive one must be sure to enter an MBA program that at least has a modicum of "sustainability studies" emphasis.
The article provided food for thought, and prompted a contemplation of some of the emerging trends and degrees. In doing so, one can gain an appreciation of the skills that are valued, and emerging industries that will potentially hire "niche" workers.
Homeland Security: After 9/11, many colleges and universities scrambled to assemble master's degree programs in Homeland Security as a continuation of Criminal Justice programs. Frankly, it appeared that there might be an oversupply just a year or so ago, as Iraq changed direction and budget issues resulted in layoffs at police departments, government agencies, and private security providers. Now, thanks to publicized security concerns, there is a renewed interest in the programs. There are a few new twists: language studies, cross-cultural studies, and emergency management have been added into most curricula.
CyberSecurity: This is a very specialized field that requires individuals to evaluate and remedy vulnerabilities within systems. Students become operational in computer networks, programming, and systems. This is an important program, but one can't help but suspect that some programs could be overly general, and deal with issues on a systems level, and never provide the hard-core math, computer science, and skills-training to make the graduate truly valuable. The extreme value to a company, the government, or military is the individual's ability to do things "hands-on" as well as to understand certain things about human behavior, marketing developments, and social networking in order to respond to emerging technologies.
Educational Leadership: This has been an extremely popular program for teachers who must have master's degrees for permanent certification, or who wish to move forward in their careers and become administrators of private schools, charter schools, or even community college programs. The best programs emphasize organizational development, and require students to have a project-based approach where they develop plans for schools or educational institutions. It's also important to include public policy training, educational technology for transformation, curriculum development, and teacher training programs. Informational technology may also be a focal point. Avoid programs that do not incorporate case studies and which do not require students to build a plan to rebuild a school.
Individualized MBAs: The MBA that can be somewhat customized to the individual's interests and goals is more important than ever. For example, an MBA program may allow an individual to focus on health care administration and to even take courses in specific areas, such as urgent care entrepreneurship. It can also be more theoretical in nature, and look at the interplay of sustainability and public policy as they relate to enterprises.
Sustainable Communities: There are any number of variations on the sustainability theme, all of which hold enormous promise in a world that must look at sustainability as a reality in a world that sees itself as increasingly interconnected, and where energy and environmental concerns are squarely at the center. An international scope is often a key characteristic. A good program will go to lengths to let the students develop a deep understanding of the concept of sustainability, and will provide significant grounding in "green" practices in various industries, including construction, transportation, healthcare, and manufacturing. In addition, programs look at individuals, communities, and the world -- each from a different set of criteria that discuss how to develop an enterprise, a community, and a household with an eye to long-term viability. Avoiding boom-bust mindsets is a part of the emphasis. Encouraging creativity and new solutions is equally important.
The article provided food for thought, and prompted a contemplation of some of the emerging trends and degrees. In doing so, one can gain an appreciation of the skills that are valued, and emerging industries that will potentially hire "niche" workers.
Homeland Security: After 9/11, many colleges and universities scrambled to assemble master's degree programs in Homeland Security as a continuation of Criminal Justice programs. Frankly, it appeared that there might be an oversupply just a year or so ago, as Iraq changed direction and budget issues resulted in layoffs at police departments, government agencies, and private security providers. Now, thanks to publicized security concerns, there is a renewed interest in the programs. There are a few new twists: language studies, cross-cultural studies, and emergency management have been added into most curricula.
CyberSecurity: This is a very specialized field that requires individuals to evaluate and remedy vulnerabilities within systems. Students become operational in computer networks, programming, and systems. This is an important program, but one can't help but suspect that some programs could be overly general, and deal with issues on a systems level, and never provide the hard-core math, computer science, and skills-training to make the graduate truly valuable. The extreme value to a company, the government, or military is the individual's ability to do things "hands-on" as well as to understand certain things about human behavior, marketing developments, and social networking in order to respond to emerging technologies.
Educational Leadership: This has been an extremely popular program for teachers who must have master's degrees for permanent certification, or who wish to move forward in their careers and become administrators of private schools, charter schools, or even community college programs. The best programs emphasize organizational development, and require students to have a project-based approach where they develop plans for schools or educational institutions. It's also important to include public policy training, educational technology for transformation, curriculum development, and teacher training programs. Informational technology may also be a focal point. Avoid programs that do not incorporate case studies and which do not require students to build a plan to rebuild a school.
Individualized MBAs: The MBA that can be somewhat customized to the individual's interests and goals is more important than ever. For example, an MBA program may allow an individual to focus on health care administration and to even take courses in specific areas, such as urgent care entrepreneurship. It can also be more theoretical in nature, and look at the interplay of sustainability and public policy as they relate to enterprises.
Sustainable Communities: There are any number of variations on the sustainability theme, all of which hold enormous promise in a world that must look at sustainability as a reality in a world that sees itself as increasingly interconnected, and where energy and environmental concerns are squarely at the center. An international scope is often a key characteristic. A good program will go to lengths to let the students develop a deep understanding of the concept of sustainability, and will provide significant grounding in "green" practices in various industries, including construction, transportation, healthcare, and manufacturing. In addition, programs look at individuals, communities, and the world -- each from a different set of criteria that discuss how to develop an enterprise, a community, and a household with an eye to long-term viability. Avoiding boom-bust mindsets is a part of the emphasis. Encouraging creativity and new solutions is equally important.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
New Directions and a New Decade for E-Learning: 12 Predictions
The new decade will be a time of great change in e-learning, and we're already getting a glimpse of it. Many of the changes are driven by new technologies, but even more are emerging in the aftermath of economic crisis, and the changes in the way people work, interact, and obtain information.
E-learning will be affected in many areas,
1. Continuing growth in online courses.
Colleges and universities will continue to expand offerings of online courses. This may surprise some, but a study by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities-Sloan National Commission on Online Learning reports that more than one-third of public university faculty have taught an online course. The full report is available at http://www.sloan-c.org/APLU_Reports.
2. Focus on cross-disciplinary programs.
Programs that span disciplines to go into new high-growth areas such as primary-care health care, home health care, sustainable business, green technology, green building, and "smart" energy technology will continue to attract students.
3. Career-related courses will grow.
Career colleges that offer "green" trades, health care certificates and degrees, and training in emerging technologies and sustainable business will boom, particularly if they incorporate an apprenticeship or internship that leads to employment.
4. Budget challenges mean trimming add-ons in online courses.
Despite the growth in online courses and course offerings, there has been a decline in overall university budgets. Cost-cutting means furloughs for staff and administration, and trimming overhead costs. Many of the applications and "add-ons" that colleges used to purchase will be replaced by opensource solutions, integrated Web 2.0 applications, and simple (yet effective) substitutes.
5. Stimulus spending in technology impact to be felt.
The move to expand access to high-speed Internet and to improve information / energy infrastructure is already resulting in an uptick in usage of higher technology solutions. The "trickle-down" of smartboards and wireless connections will result in a higher percentage of web-enhanced courses as well as a conversion to digital resources, libraries, and learning object repositories.
6. More use of opensource software such as Moodle (http://www.moodle.orgg), DotNetNuke (http://www.dotnetnuke.com/), and Joomla (http://www.joomla.org/)
Moodle is already proving itself to be a hardy, flexible survivor in the LMS wars. DotNetNuke is an excellent social networking solution for organizations that can't afford the randomness of relying on LinkedIn or Facebook, but are not up to the high cost of Sharepoint. Joomla's content management flexibility allows people to wean themselves slowly from legacy systems, and to avoid high-cost custom solutions (Oracle, etc.). What's nice about Joomla is that it can power portals and websites as well. Python (http://python.org/) will continue to be a useful programming language for integrative solutions.
7. Mobile learning integrated into online courses for anytime, any place data access
Ubiquitous learning is gaining speed as the watchword of the new decade. Any place, any time, and -- this is most important -- any device -- will be key. Obtain information, interact, and share from multiple sources of information. Increased access is a given. What is less certain is how open the information will be.
8. Social networking starts to be used in e-learning to focus and filter information.
Controlled social networking that can be accessed via mobile device will continue to be very useful in the quest for ubiquitous learning solutions.
9. Twitter: enhanced student support in online courses and programs.
Finding how to harness Twitter to help develop learning communities is one of the most exciting challenges of the upcoming year.
10. High growth elearning programs in high-growth careers.
Health: Home health care, health care reform, primary care expansion, structural changes in medical care delivery and coverage
Business: Sustainable business, "green" business, new finance and private equity changes
Technology: "smart" technology that assists in the quest for energy efficiency, automation, robotics, control / monitoring
Energy/SmartGrid: control and monitor energy generation, use, distribution, infrastructure maintenance,
11. Expansion of online Advanced Placement (AP) programs, seamless integration of high school and college.
12. Webinar restructurings: Rise in synchronous (which are archived and available as asynchronous) modules used for training and in online courses.
E-learning will be affected in many areas,
1. Continuing growth in online courses.
Colleges and universities will continue to expand offerings of online courses. This may surprise some, but a study by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities-Sloan National Commission on Online Learning reports that more than one-third of public university faculty have taught an online course. The full report is available at http://www.sloan-c.org/APLU_Reports.
2. Focus on cross-disciplinary programs.
Programs that span disciplines to go into new high-growth areas such as primary-care health care, home health care, sustainable business, green technology, green building, and "smart" energy technology will continue to attract students.
3. Career-related courses will grow.
Career colleges that offer "green" trades, health care certificates and degrees, and training in emerging technologies and sustainable business will boom, particularly if they incorporate an apprenticeship or internship that leads to employment.
4. Budget challenges mean trimming add-ons in online courses.
Despite the growth in online courses and course offerings, there has been a decline in overall university budgets. Cost-cutting means furloughs for staff and administration, and trimming overhead costs. Many of the applications and "add-ons" that colleges used to purchase will be replaced by opensource solutions, integrated Web 2.0 applications, and simple (yet effective) substitutes.
5. Stimulus spending in technology impact to be felt.
The move to expand access to high-speed Internet and to improve information / energy infrastructure is already resulting in an uptick in usage of higher technology solutions. The "trickle-down" of smartboards and wireless connections will result in a higher percentage of web-enhanced courses as well as a conversion to digital resources, libraries, and learning object repositories.
6. More use of opensource software such as Moodle (http://www.moodle.orgg), DotNetNuke (http://www.dotnetnuke.com/), and Joomla (http://www.joomla.org/)
Moodle is already proving itself to be a hardy, flexible survivor in the LMS wars. DotNetNuke is an excellent social networking solution for organizations that can't afford the randomness of relying on LinkedIn or Facebook, but are not up to the high cost of Sharepoint. Joomla's content management flexibility allows people to wean themselves slowly from legacy systems, and to avoid high-cost custom solutions (Oracle, etc.). What's nice about Joomla is that it can power portals and websites as well. Python (http://python.org/) will continue to be a useful programming language for integrative solutions.
7. Mobile learning integrated into online courses for anytime, any place data access
Ubiquitous learning is gaining speed as the watchword of the new decade. Any place, any time, and -- this is most important -- any device -- will be key. Obtain information, interact, and share from multiple sources of information. Increased access is a given. What is less certain is how open the information will be.
8. Social networking starts to be used in e-learning to focus and filter information.
Controlled social networking that can be accessed via mobile device will continue to be very useful in the quest for ubiquitous learning solutions.
9. Twitter: enhanced student support in online courses and programs.
Finding how to harness Twitter to help develop learning communities is one of the most exciting challenges of the upcoming year.
10. High growth elearning programs in high-growth careers.
Health: Home health care, health care reform, primary care expansion, structural changes in medical care delivery and coverage
Business: Sustainable business, "green" business, new finance and private equity changes
Technology: "smart" technology that assists in the quest for energy efficiency, automation, robotics, control / monitoring
Energy/SmartGrid: control and monitor energy generation, use, distribution, infrastructure maintenance,
11. Expansion of online Advanced Placement (AP) programs, seamless integration of high school and college.
12. Webinar restructurings: Rise in synchronous (which are archived and available as asynchronous) modules used for training and in online courses.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Interview with Dara Feldman, The Heart of Education: E-Learning Innovators Series
Many people think of iPhone applications and elearning as something they can do to learn a language or listen to lectures. However, there are other possible avenues, which include areas of ethics, and developing a positive self-concept and self-efficacy. One example is the organization, The Heart of Education, which has helped develop a set of cards for use on the iPhone. They focus on student empowerment, and helping students gain self-confidence.
Welcome to an interview with Dara Feldman, Heart of Education. In addition to her work with The Heart of Education and The Virtues Project, she is an instructional coach for DC Public Schools. Feldman worked in Montgomery County Public Schools, in Maryland, for over 20 years and has taken on this new challenge with the trust that The Virtues Project will help transform DCPS.
1. What is your name, affiliation, and connection to e-learning?
The name of our organization is The Heart of Education. Our connection to e-learning is that we have a free online 30 minute introduction via the National Education Association’s (NEA) Online Academy. http://neaacademyondemand.framewelder.com/presentations/Virtues%20Project.html
We have also created iPhone applications of the virtues cards so that they can be accessible anytime, anywhere. In addition, we have are leveraging the power of Web 2.0 to connect people of like minds and hearts via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and to share the 5 Strategies of The Virtues Project to empower individuals to be the best they can be.
2. What is The Heart of Education? What is your philosophy of e-learning -- how do you see communities and e-learning relating to each other?
The Heart of Education is part of the global grassroots Virtues Project which INSPIRES INDIVIDUALS to live more authentic, joyful lives, FAMILIES to raise children of compassion and integrity, EDUCATORS to create safe, caring and high performing learning communities & LEADERS to inspire excellence and ethics in the workplace.
This award-winning program was honored by The United Nations as a model global program for all cultures and is being used to transform individuals, families, schools, businesses, organizations and communities in over 90 countries.
As Thomas Friedman wrote, “The World is Flat”. Technology has helped to shrink the world and give us access to people, places and ideas with the click of a button. With the use of Web 2.0 tools, including social networking sites and tools such as Skype, the world is our community. The Virtues Project gives us 5 Strategies for unifying global citizens.
3. How do you create conditions for learning in The Heart of Education?
The Heart of Education is about making meaningful connections. Focusing on creating caring relationships is the foundation that fosters prime conditions for learning and that is what The Virtues Project is all about. My thesis, The Power of Virtues Language to Inspire Learning, can be downloaded from the NEA site.
4. What do you hope to accomplish with The Heart of Education?
Our hope is that The Virtues Project will spread to all schools across the US by 2012 to transform education by bringing more joy, meaning and purpose back into teaching and learning.
5. Have you had any unique experiences as you've unfolded your plan? Please share two or three brief stories.
The journey of The Heart of Education has had many exciting surprises. It all started when I was honored as Disney's 2005 Outstanding Elementary Teacher of the Year and found out about The Virtues Project. Then having The Virtues Project Founders ask me to be their Director of Education was an honor. The fact that the NEA came to us to develop an online course was amazing.
6. What are your plans for the future?
We will continue to offer personal, professional and organizational development to people all over the world. In addition, we are planning to create a highly interactive online course around The Virtues Project. We are going to revamp our websites. Finally, we will launch our PositiveNews4U site where we will Twit positive news that people share with us from all over the world.
***
Limited time only: Free Download of e-Learning Survival Guide!
Welcome to an interview with Dara Feldman, Heart of Education. In addition to her work with The Heart of Education and The Virtues Project, she is an instructional coach for DC Public Schools. Feldman worked in Montgomery County Public Schools, in Maryland, for over 20 years and has taken on this new challenge with the trust that The Virtues Project will help transform DCPS.
1. What is your name, affiliation, and connection to e-learning?
The name of our organization is The Heart of Education. Our connection to e-learning is that we have a free online 30 minute introduction via the National Education Association’s (NEA) Online Academy. http://neaacademyondemand.framewelder.com/presentations/Virtues%20Project.html
We have also created iPhone applications of the virtues cards so that they can be accessible anytime, anywhere. In addition, we have are leveraging the power of Web 2.0 to connect people of like minds and hearts via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and to share the 5 Strategies of The Virtues Project to empower individuals to be the best they can be.
2. What is The Heart of Education? What is your philosophy of e-learning -- how do you see communities and e-learning relating to each other?
The Heart of Education is part of the global grassroots Virtues Project which INSPIRES INDIVIDUALS to live more authentic, joyful lives, FAMILIES to raise children of compassion and integrity, EDUCATORS to create safe, caring and high performing learning communities & LEADERS to inspire excellence and ethics in the workplace.
This award-winning program was honored by The United Nations as a model global program for all cultures and is being used to transform individuals, families, schools, businesses, organizations and communities in over 90 countries.
As Thomas Friedman wrote, “The World is Flat”. Technology has helped to shrink the world and give us access to people, places and ideas with the click of a button. With the use of Web 2.0 tools, including social networking sites and tools such as Skype, the world is our community. The Virtues Project gives us 5 Strategies for unifying global citizens.
3. How do you create conditions for learning in The Heart of Education?
The Heart of Education is about making meaningful connections. Focusing on creating caring relationships is the foundation that fosters prime conditions for learning and that is what The Virtues Project is all about. My thesis, The Power of Virtues Language to Inspire Learning, can be downloaded from the NEA site.
4. What do you hope to accomplish with The Heart of Education?
Our hope is that The Virtues Project will spread to all schools across the US by 2012 to transform education by bringing more joy, meaning and purpose back into teaching and learning.
5. Have you had any unique experiences as you've unfolded your plan? Please share two or three brief stories.
The journey of The Heart of Education has had many exciting surprises. It all started when I was honored as Disney's 2005 Outstanding Elementary Teacher of the Year and found out about The Virtues Project. Then having The Virtues Project Founders ask me to be their Director of Education was an honor. The fact that the NEA came to us to develop an online course was amazing.
6. What are your plans for the future?
We will continue to offer personal, professional and organizational development to people all over the world. In addition, we are planning to create a highly interactive online course around The Virtues Project. We are going to revamp our websites. Finally, we will launch our PositiveNews4U site where we will Twit positive news that people share with us from all over the world.
***
Limited time only: Free Download of e-Learning Survival Guide!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Revisiting Moodle
It is often difficult for learning management systems to keep up with social networking and collaborative technologies. Their architectures are a bit clunky, and even when they allow embedded html to link into social networking, it's often difficult to incorporate them in an outcomes-based way. Further, they are not dynamic and it is difficult to integrate mobile activities and devices.
In these cases, Moodle, as an open-source solution, is often overlooked. The basic structure and philosophy of Moodle are simple: object-oriented, with a focus on reusability of components, and a very transparent structure that rests on a foundation of forums, which makes it very friendly to interaction and collaboration. Further, the flexibility of Moodle makes it ideal for programs ranging from certificate programs to graduate programs such as an online MBA program.
Ideal for Small and Evolving Programs
Moodle is instantly appealing to fledgling programs. After all, the price is right. It's free. Granted, nothing is really free, and the trade-off with opensource is the fact that it's necessary to do the IT work oneself. There are hosting solutions such as MoodleRooms, which are affordable for the individual instructor or small institution.
Moodle does not look much like other learning management solutions such as Blackboard, Desire2Learn, Angel, or the old WebCT. If anything, it reminds one of an expanded discussion board, with customizable add-ons. Student information systems can integrate fairly easily, which makes a "soft launch" or pilot program a viable option. This kind of approach is effective for graduate programs, professional programs, as well as independent study and professional development. One is limited only by the limits of one's imagination.
Moodle's emphasis on reusable content objects makes it fairly easy to make changes to individual courses and to an entire curriculum. It's also fairly easy to save objects in repositories that can be shared by other instructors and the instructional design / technology support. Moodle lends itself to convenient, enterprise-wide content management.
The fact that Moodle allows faculty and the institution to be responsive to evolving student and organizational needs, and educational objectives is a core benefit. For example, if the school wants to be able to tweet students in the event of an emergency, Moodle is much more effective than using email to do so. One can embed applications and integrate them in order to enhance functionality.
Emphasis on Interactivity
With the forum structure as its foundation, Moodle's core architecture rests on interactivity. However, Moodle's capability extends much further than simple posting to a discussion board. Students and instructors can post photos, videos, audio. In addition, they can embed an integrated application which allows content sharing as well as collaboration.
The fact that the forum is so interactive is engaging. Students like to see if their posts have provoked a response. They also like to comment on each other's posts, and to respond in kind. Relevant, engaged interaction is motivating, and one can guide the interaction toward achieving outcomes.
Collaborative learning activities (Wikis, Glossaries) in Moodle replicate the kinds of activities that students do in their everyday computing lives. Most students are comfortable with wikipedia, so to be able to contribute to their own wiki encourages a belief in one's capabilities and an "I can do it" attitude. Contributing to a collective body of work lets people learn by observing others performing a task. Further, Moodle makes it easy to ask and to answer questions.
Student presentations can take many forms, including portfolios and galleries. This makes it easy for the student to assemble a portfolio or to make a presentation. Presentations can be synchronous (taking advantage of chat and embedded whiteboards), and asynchronous (archived powerpoints, etc.).
Interacting with mobile devices, including smartphones, is easily done in Moodle as well. For example, students can post to Flickr or to Facebook, which can be embedded within the course shell. Posting remotely, and building on existing resources is important. At the same time, it's important to include a cautionary note when incorporating social networking because it can take one away from one's primary learning objectives, if one is not careful. Further, extraneous, non-course-related materials may slip in, which could prove distracting, even embarrassing.
Future of Moodle
Moodle will continue to evolve to meed needs of users. As an open-source program, development of updates has not always proceeded as smoothly as hoped, and times of economic crisis tend to be particularly challenging. On the one hand, the fact that opensource is free increases the demand. On the other hand, increased adoption by schools, and the development of mobile and other applications, puts pressure on Moodle to bring out new editions and to enhance capabilities.
In these cases, Moodle, as an open-source solution, is often overlooked. The basic structure and philosophy of Moodle are simple: object-oriented, with a focus on reusability of components, and a very transparent structure that rests on a foundation of forums, which makes it very friendly to interaction and collaboration. Further, the flexibility of Moodle makes it ideal for programs ranging from certificate programs to graduate programs such as an online MBA program.
Ideal for Small and Evolving Programs
Moodle is instantly appealing to fledgling programs. After all, the price is right. It's free. Granted, nothing is really free, and the trade-off with opensource is the fact that it's necessary to do the IT work oneself. There are hosting solutions such as MoodleRooms, which are affordable for the individual instructor or small institution.
Moodle does not look much like other learning management solutions such as Blackboard, Desire2Learn, Angel, or the old WebCT. If anything, it reminds one of an expanded discussion board, with customizable add-ons. Student information systems can integrate fairly easily, which makes a "soft launch" or pilot program a viable option. This kind of approach is effective for graduate programs, professional programs, as well as independent study and professional development. One is limited only by the limits of one's imagination.
Moodle's emphasis on reusable content objects makes it fairly easy to make changes to individual courses and to an entire curriculum. It's also fairly easy to save objects in repositories that can be shared by other instructors and the instructional design / technology support. Moodle lends itself to convenient, enterprise-wide content management.
The fact that Moodle allows faculty and the institution to be responsive to evolving student and organizational needs, and educational objectives is a core benefit. For example, if the school wants to be able to tweet students in the event of an emergency, Moodle is much more effective than using email to do so. One can embed applications and integrate them in order to enhance functionality.
Emphasis on Interactivity
With the forum structure as its foundation, Moodle's core architecture rests on interactivity. However, Moodle's capability extends much further than simple posting to a discussion board. Students and instructors can post photos, videos, audio. In addition, they can embed an integrated application which allows content sharing as well as collaboration.
The fact that the forum is so interactive is engaging. Students like to see if their posts have provoked a response. They also like to comment on each other's posts, and to respond in kind. Relevant, engaged interaction is motivating, and one can guide the interaction toward achieving outcomes.
Collaborative learning activities (Wikis, Glossaries) in Moodle replicate the kinds of activities that students do in their everyday computing lives. Most students are comfortable with wikipedia, so to be able to contribute to their own wiki encourages a belief in one's capabilities and an "I can do it" attitude. Contributing to a collective body of work lets people learn by observing others performing a task. Further, Moodle makes it easy to ask and to answer questions.
Student presentations can take many forms, including portfolios and galleries. This makes it easy for the student to assemble a portfolio or to make a presentation. Presentations can be synchronous (taking advantage of chat and embedded whiteboards), and asynchronous (archived powerpoints, etc.).
Interacting with mobile devices, including smartphones, is easily done in Moodle as well. For example, students can post to Flickr or to Facebook, which can be embedded within the course shell. Posting remotely, and building on existing resources is important. At the same time, it's important to include a cautionary note when incorporating social networking because it can take one away from one's primary learning objectives, if one is not careful. Further, extraneous, non-course-related materials may slip in, which could prove distracting, even embarrassing.
Future of Moodle
Moodle will continue to evolve to meed needs of users. As an open-source program, development of updates has not always proceeded as smoothly as hoped, and times of economic crisis tend to be particularly challenging. On the one hand, the fact that opensource is free increases the demand. On the other hand, increased adoption by schools, and the development of mobile and other applications, puts pressure on Moodle to bring out new editions and to enhance capabilities.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Interview with Tim Riesterer, E-Learning / Training Case Study: Power Messaging (R) Virtual
Real-world education and training needs have quirky issues and time challenges that make you wonder, Does anyone else go through this? E-Learning Queen realizes we can all learn from each other's experiences, success stories, and "lessons learned." So, welcome to another installation of our new "E-Learning Case Study Series." In this interview, we talk with Tim Riesterer, CMO and SVP, Strategic Consulting, Corporate Visions (www.corporatevisions.com), who had a challenge when launching training for Power Messaging® Virtual.
Please describe a case in which you successfully used e-learning. Include the following:
**what was your need?
As a marketing and sales consulting company, we work with numerous organizations on strategies for articulating and nailing down their sales messaging. We recently launched Power Messaging® Virtual, moving an intensive, two-day, in-person training event to a two-week e-learning course.
This course combines modular, online coursework with interactive Web conference coaching to drive home important concepts and, through our modular content library, enable instant and easy refreshers post-training.
The impetus for this e-learning program was client demand. In this tough economy, many of the companies we work with have been saddled with budget cuts and travel restrictions – meaning that bringing sales reps together for onsite training has become cost-prohibitive. For others, sacrificing time in the field for travel and onsite training was simply too detrimental to productivity. The on-demand (i.e., view at any time) format of new our coursework alleviates these pressures and allows the sales reps who participate to view materials at a time that is convenient for them.
**why e-learning?
As a training company, our capacity to train increased exponentially through the use of pre-packed e-learning modules. We can literally be in multiple places at once, imparting expertise on-demand. And our trainers are still able to periodically touch base with attendees through live, virtual training sessions and by providing one-on-one coaching access – making the process even more personal.
Another advantage for our clients is that they can have access to this training program exactly when they want it. Waiting for a particular trainer or for a particular training venue to become available might have meant, in the past, that they missed a valuable window for training before a key launch or kick-off. Now, through e-learning, we can conduct training in a completely hassle-free way.
Also, as many companies move their kick-offs to a virtual environment, it allows us to participate with our training content because we’ve got materials that they can plug and play. We can create a virtual training program to meet their needs – that can then be integrated into their virtual kick-off environment.
**what technologies did you use? software? hardware?
We created a Web portal that houses Brainshark on-demand presentations. As I mentioned, these presentations – which include audio, embedded videos, interactive exercises and quizzes, workbooks, attachments and more – can be viewed by our customers at their convenience. You can see an example and program demo here: www.brainshark.com/cvi/PMV_salesDemo.
Upon registering for the program, all individual participants receive a password for accessing materials. An automated calendaring function alerts participants to the Brainsharks they should be viewing and places the virtual coaching sessions right in their Outlook calendars.
These customized coaching sessions – where participants can practice the skills they learn – occur at the end of each week. We use Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro and WebEx for this live coaching, and equip our trainers with Webcams so they can see their classes.
**how did you go about conducting the e-learning?
As mentioned, we use online, on-demand presentations from Brainshark to provide info to our participants in an engaging and memorable way. Brainshark is used to deliver the bulk of our e-learning content and to conduct quizzes and comprehension checks – on topics ranging from how to create impact and connect with emotion, to how to make complex stories visual and abstract stories concrete. Then, our weekly Web conferencing sessions provide interaction, practice and feedback, where participants get to ask questions about the materials they consumed and gain confidence in their ability to apply the new skills.
How many people participated?
Although we only rolled this out a few months ago, we’ve already seen great demand and have used this e-learning program with leading Fortune 500 companies and smaller businesses as well.
Once the e-learning was created, we’ve also leveraged it to significantly enhance pre-instruction work for our traditional classroom training. We’ve been able to provide a more powerful blended learning model to improve preparation and transform the onsite work into more scenario-based practice (versus technique instruction). We’re making much better use of the classroom time for what it’s best for – examples and exhibition.
What was their background with technology? Did you have any challenges with "comfort level"?
We haven’t experienced any technology challenges for participants so far. We’ve been doing a lot of work with tech-savvy companies though – so sales people there are predisposed to using all different types of technologies and tools.
Even still, the technology we’re using is incredibly easy to use. For example, to watch a Brainshark presentation, participants simply click on a link, and they’re instantly brought to a hosted training module – no downloads, installations or special programs required.
How were the instructors trained / oriented before they gave the training? Were they nervous? Did they have any doubts?
As mentioned, our Brainsharks are pre-recorded content, so there was no need to train instructors for that portion. Subject matter experts uploaded PowerPoint presentations that they had created, and then used Brainshark to synchronize their voice with the slides – as well as add in video, other multimedia, quizzes, etc.
For the virtual coaching sessions, we practiced beforehand with our instructors. Many had been used to being in a physical classroom and were not as accustomed to the virtual way, so to alleviate any anxieties and ease the transition, we created an in-the-office environment for them, as they delivered their virtual sessions – providing flip charts, markers and even special lighting to recreate a classroom feel.
After a few sessions, instructors really began to get a kick out of the experience, and also appreciated the lack of travel and the reprieve from being on the road all the time.
Was there any anxiety or uncertainty among the learners? What was it? How did you work with them?
To prevent anxiety and uncertainty, we try to acclimate learners with our e-learning processes before the program even begins. They participate in a live, half-hour webcast – or watch an archived version of the webcast – that provides an explanation of how the two weeks of training will unfold.
The webcast explains how their passwords work, how we push out calendar invitations, how the technology functions and more.
Also, as more and more companies adopt some form of e-learning – be it for sharing product info, disseminating training or conducting webcasts – we’re seeing that many of our participants have prior experience with these solutions and are very adept at using them. This is no longer an unfamiliar or unnatural act for many of these people.
How did you know that learning took place? What kinds of assessment did you have?
Each of our 17 Brainshark modules – spanning various sales messaging and conversation skills – incorporates quizzes and virtual workbook activities. Through Brainshark’s granular tracking capabilities, we can provide reporting on which activities were completed, how much content was viewed and how quiz questions were answered.
Workbook exercises can also be pushed to a manager, coach or instructor for review. Depending on our clients’ requests, we can push this info out to them as frequently as they want to see it – so they can remind sales reps to get going and congratulate those who are on track for completion.
What were some of the immediate results? How did you decide whether or not the experience was a success or a "nice try"?
We surveyed our program participants to determine the efficacy of our e-learning initiative. We’ve gotten rave results – after the course, 92% of the participants rated the Power Messaging Virtual experience as better than other online training they’ve taken, and 86% rated it as better than other on-site, instructor-led, courses that they had attended.
What were some of the "lessons learned"?
Although many companies use e-learning to convey product information, some are hesitant to use it for skills training and selling behavior modification – thinking that a live, in-person environment is the best way. Our experience shows that e-learning for skills training is certainly a viable – and many times preferred – method. With the right amount of coaching, contact and interactivity, e-learning skills training can be a great success.
We also learned that for those companies who still insist on onsite skills training, a blended approach using more e-learning instruction and virtual forums to complement the onsite will significantly improve the impact on behavior change.
Do you have a case study to share? Send a tweet at @beyondutopia.
E-Learner Survival Guide: Free download.
Please describe a case in which you successfully used e-learning. Include the following:
**what was your need?
As a marketing and sales consulting company, we work with numerous organizations on strategies for articulating and nailing down their sales messaging. We recently launched Power Messaging® Virtual, moving an intensive, two-day, in-person training event to a two-week e-learning course.
This course combines modular, online coursework with interactive Web conference coaching to drive home important concepts and, through our modular content library, enable instant and easy refreshers post-training.
The impetus for this e-learning program was client demand. In this tough economy, many of the companies we work with have been saddled with budget cuts and travel restrictions – meaning that bringing sales reps together for onsite training has become cost-prohibitive. For others, sacrificing time in the field for travel and onsite training was simply too detrimental to productivity. The on-demand (i.e., view at any time) format of new our coursework alleviates these pressures and allows the sales reps who participate to view materials at a time that is convenient for them.
**why e-learning?
As a training company, our capacity to train increased exponentially through the use of pre-packed e-learning modules. We can literally be in multiple places at once, imparting expertise on-demand. And our trainers are still able to periodically touch base with attendees through live, virtual training sessions and by providing one-on-one coaching access – making the process even more personal.
Another advantage for our clients is that they can have access to this training program exactly when they want it. Waiting for a particular trainer or for a particular training venue to become available might have meant, in the past, that they missed a valuable window for training before a key launch or kick-off. Now, through e-learning, we can conduct training in a completely hassle-free way.
Also, as many companies move their kick-offs to a virtual environment, it allows us to participate with our training content because we’ve got materials that they can plug and play. We can create a virtual training program to meet their needs – that can then be integrated into their virtual kick-off environment.
**what technologies did you use? software? hardware?
We created a Web portal that houses Brainshark on-demand presentations. As I mentioned, these presentations – which include audio, embedded videos, interactive exercises and quizzes, workbooks, attachments and more – can be viewed by our customers at their convenience. You can see an example and program demo here: www.brainshark.com/cvi/PMV_salesDemo.
Upon registering for the program, all individual participants receive a password for accessing materials. An automated calendaring function alerts participants to the Brainsharks they should be viewing and places the virtual coaching sessions right in their Outlook calendars.
These customized coaching sessions – where participants can practice the skills they learn – occur at the end of each week. We use Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro and WebEx for this live coaching, and equip our trainers with Webcams so they can see their classes.
**how did you go about conducting the e-learning?
As mentioned, we use online, on-demand presentations from Brainshark to provide info to our participants in an engaging and memorable way. Brainshark is used to deliver the bulk of our e-learning content and to conduct quizzes and comprehension checks – on topics ranging from how to create impact and connect with emotion, to how to make complex stories visual and abstract stories concrete. Then, our weekly Web conferencing sessions provide interaction, practice and feedback, where participants get to ask questions about the materials they consumed and gain confidence in their ability to apply the new skills.
How many people participated?
Although we only rolled this out a few months ago, we’ve already seen great demand and have used this e-learning program with leading Fortune 500 companies and smaller businesses as well.
Once the e-learning was created, we’ve also leveraged it to significantly enhance pre-instruction work for our traditional classroom training. We’ve been able to provide a more powerful blended learning model to improve preparation and transform the onsite work into more scenario-based practice (versus technique instruction). We’re making much better use of the classroom time for what it’s best for – examples and exhibition.
What was their background with technology? Did you have any challenges with "comfort level"?
We haven’t experienced any technology challenges for participants so far. We’ve been doing a lot of work with tech-savvy companies though – so sales people there are predisposed to using all different types of technologies and tools.
Even still, the technology we’re using is incredibly easy to use. For example, to watch a Brainshark presentation, participants simply click on a link, and they’re instantly brought to a hosted training module – no downloads, installations or special programs required.
How were the instructors trained / oriented before they gave the training? Were they nervous? Did they have any doubts?
As mentioned, our Brainsharks are pre-recorded content, so there was no need to train instructors for that portion. Subject matter experts uploaded PowerPoint presentations that they had created, and then used Brainshark to synchronize their voice with the slides – as well as add in video, other multimedia, quizzes, etc.
For the virtual coaching sessions, we practiced beforehand with our instructors. Many had been used to being in a physical classroom and were not as accustomed to the virtual way, so to alleviate any anxieties and ease the transition, we created an in-the-office environment for them, as they delivered their virtual sessions – providing flip charts, markers and even special lighting to recreate a classroom feel.
After a few sessions, instructors really began to get a kick out of the experience, and also appreciated the lack of travel and the reprieve from being on the road all the time.
Was there any anxiety or uncertainty among the learners? What was it? How did you work with them?
To prevent anxiety and uncertainty, we try to acclimate learners with our e-learning processes before the program even begins. They participate in a live, half-hour webcast – or watch an archived version of the webcast – that provides an explanation of how the two weeks of training will unfold.
The webcast explains how their passwords work, how we push out calendar invitations, how the technology functions and more.
Also, as more and more companies adopt some form of e-learning – be it for sharing product info, disseminating training or conducting webcasts – we’re seeing that many of our participants have prior experience with these solutions and are very adept at using them. This is no longer an unfamiliar or unnatural act for many of these people.
How did you know that learning took place? What kinds of assessment did you have?
Each of our 17 Brainshark modules – spanning various sales messaging and conversation skills – incorporates quizzes and virtual workbook activities. Through Brainshark’s granular tracking capabilities, we can provide reporting on which activities were completed, how much content was viewed and how quiz questions were answered.
Workbook exercises can also be pushed to a manager, coach or instructor for review. Depending on our clients’ requests, we can push this info out to them as frequently as they want to see it – so they can remind sales reps to get going and congratulate those who are on track for completion.
What were some of the immediate results? How did you decide whether or not the experience was a success or a "nice try"?
We surveyed our program participants to determine the efficacy of our e-learning initiative. We’ve gotten rave results – after the course, 92% of the participants rated the Power Messaging Virtual experience as better than other online training they’ve taken, and 86% rated it as better than other on-site, instructor-led, courses that they had attended.
What were some of the "lessons learned"?
Although many companies use e-learning to convey product information, some are hesitant to use it for skills training and selling behavior modification – thinking that a live, in-person environment is the best way. Our experience shows that e-learning for skills training is certainly a viable – and many times preferred – method. With the right amount of coaching, contact and interactivity, e-learning skills training can be a great success.
We also learned that for those companies who still insist on onsite skills training, a blended approach using more e-learning instruction and virtual forums to complement the onsite will significantly improve the impact on behavior change.
Do you have a case study to share? Send a tweet at @beyondutopia.
E-Learner Survival Guide: Free download.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Interview with Marianne Cherney, Gogogh.com: Innovators in E-Learning Series
On-demand online technical courses are often fairly static and do not involve interaction with fellow learners. GoGogh incorporates social networks in an innovative way to bring in interaction, engagement, and to enhance conditions of learning.
1. What is your name, affiliation, and your connection with e-learning?
My name is Marianne Cherney and I own Dashcourses and www.gogogh.com. I have been in technical training for 19 years and have delivered instructor-led live and onsite, and self-paced e-learning courses for the last two years.
2. How would you characterize your philosophy of learning?
I believe that learning needs to be delivered to meet the needs of the client. The provider must be open to understanding the needs of the client and willing to embrace new ideas and ways of delivering training that work for the student. Too many companies are tied to the way that they do things, which forces the customer into a plan that really doesn’t fit them (and eventually will put the training provider out of business).
3. What are some of the emerging gaps in e-learning technologies and access?
E-learning needs to take advantage of bridging the best of all worlds and link the instructors to the students. It is not an all-or-nothing world out there and students need access to the experts. There are many creative ways to do this, such as online communities like www.gogogh.com that provide a platform for the learner to connect to the experts. A program like this enables mentored learning coupled with e-learning.
4. How might some of the old ways of approaching e-learning become obsolete?
This is a continuation of the last question. Learning must be interactive. I think a really interesting approach is to couple e-learning with a mentored learning session so that the students can ask live questions.
5. What is GoGogh and why was it developed ?
The world has changed and we operate at speeds that were never dreamed possible. People and information need to connect in new ways. We have social networks that have brought people together in a brand new way.
At the same time companies are global in new ways and that requires providers to offer new solutions. Some of the technologies that my other company, Dashcourses, teaches are not taught outside of the US and the global market requires these technologies to be taught globally at prices that local markets can afford.
With GoGogh we are able to do that. GoGogh offers high quality e-learning courses built on an interactive platform that allows providers and users (20 million+ IT professionals) to interact, learn , create and keep themselves and their companies learning the way. Companies allocate between $1,000 and $1,400/year/technical employee to keep them up to speed. Traditional training could use this budget in one or two courses. With GoGogh for only $250/person, individuals can get unlimited training. For the enterprise, companies can license GoGogh and save significant amounts of money. For example, a company with 2,500 employees can save over $2 million/year on training costs by using GoGogh.
6. What is your vision for GoGogh?
We want each and every member of the IT, Hardware and Software community to be an active GoGogh member. We integrate new and creative solutions each and every day and we welcome every company, every service provider and every professional to become a part of our community.
7. Describe a few examples of it in action. Who does it benefit and how?
GoGogh benefits the individual by providing on-demand technical trainings – the individual can schedule them for a time that works best for their own hectic lives. For the company, the cost benefit is tremendous – their IT staffs can get outstanding, expert led trainings for a fraction of the cost. Like I said in an earlier question, GoGogh’s $250 annual cost/employee can save a company with 2,500 employees upwards of $2 million every year.
On top of this, GoGogh’s experts are available during the course, but also after. This means that small technical departments have access to a team of global experts outside of their course. And, many of our members find added value in GoGogh because we will build the content that our members ask for .
8. What are two things you'd like to see for the future?
I would like to see people open up and work together in a way that benefits the world community. We need to open the lines of communication and work together for the greater good.
9. Finally -- please recommend a book .... :)
The Go-Giver
Do you have a case study to share? Send a tweet at @beyondutopia.
or, email susan at susan@beyondutopia.com
E-Learner Survival Guide: Free download.
1. What is your name, affiliation, and your connection with e-learning?
My name is Marianne Cherney and I own Dashcourses and www.gogogh.com. I have been in technical training for 19 years and have delivered instructor-led live and onsite, and self-paced e-learning courses for the last two years.
2. How would you characterize your philosophy of learning?
I believe that learning needs to be delivered to meet the needs of the client. The provider must be open to understanding the needs of the client and willing to embrace new ideas and ways of delivering training that work for the student. Too many companies are tied to the way that they do things, which forces the customer into a plan that really doesn’t fit them (and eventually will put the training provider out of business).
3. What are some of the emerging gaps in e-learning technologies and access?
E-learning needs to take advantage of bridging the best of all worlds and link the instructors to the students. It is not an all-or-nothing world out there and students need access to the experts. There are many creative ways to do this, such as online communities like www.gogogh.com that provide a platform for the learner to connect to the experts. A program like this enables mentored learning coupled with e-learning.
4. How might some of the old ways of approaching e-learning become obsolete?
This is a continuation of the last question. Learning must be interactive. I think a really interesting approach is to couple e-learning with a mentored learning session so that the students can ask live questions.
5. What is GoGogh and why was it developed ?
The world has changed and we operate at speeds that were never dreamed possible. People and information need to connect in new ways. We have social networks that have brought people together in a brand new way.
At the same time companies are global in new ways and that requires providers to offer new solutions. Some of the technologies that my other company, Dashcourses, teaches are not taught outside of the US and the global market requires these technologies to be taught globally at prices that local markets can afford.
With GoGogh we are able to do that. GoGogh offers high quality e-learning courses built on an interactive platform that allows providers and users (20 million+ IT professionals) to interact, learn , create and keep themselves and their companies learning the way. Companies allocate between $1,000 and $1,400/year/technical employee to keep them up to speed. Traditional training could use this budget in one or two courses. With GoGogh for only $250/person, individuals can get unlimited training. For the enterprise, companies can license GoGogh and save significant amounts of money. For example, a company with 2,500 employees can save over $2 million/year on training costs by using GoGogh.6. What is your vision for GoGogh?
We want each and every member of the IT, Hardware and Software community to be an active GoGogh member. We integrate new and creative solutions each and every day and we welcome every company, every service provider and every professional to become a part of our community.
7. Describe a few examples of it in action. Who does it benefit and how?
GoGogh benefits the individual by providing on-demand technical trainings – the individual can schedule them for a time that works best for their own hectic lives. For the company, the cost benefit is tremendous – their IT staffs can get outstanding, expert led trainings for a fraction of the cost. Like I said in an earlier question, GoGogh’s $250 annual cost/employee can save a company with 2,500 employees upwards of $2 million every year.
On top of this, GoGogh’s experts are available during the course, but also after. This means that small technical departments have access to a team of global experts outside of their course. And, many of our members find added value in GoGogh because we will build the content that our members ask for .
8. What are two things you'd like to see for the future?
I would like to see people open up and work together in a way that benefits the world community. We need to open the lines of communication and work together for the greater good.
9. Finally -- please recommend a book .... :)
The Go-Giver
Do you have a case study to share? Send a tweet at @beyondutopia.
or, email susan at susan@beyondutopia.com
E-Learner Survival Guide: Free download.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Interview with Isaac Grauke, Populi: Innovators in E-Learning Series
Integrating the learning management system with a student information system is often tedious, expensive, and fraught with incompatibility problems. Welcome to an interview with Isaac Grauke, Populi (http://www.populiweb.com), which has devleoped a system that brings together SIS and LMS functions.
What is your name, affiliation, and relation to elearning?
I’m Isaac Grauke and I’m the CEO of Populi. We make web-based college management software, and a major part of that includes online learning and course management.
What made you interested in developing solutions for elearning?
You typically have two different kinds of software, the learning management system (LMS) and the student information system (SIS). In broad terms, the LMS manages courses, and more and more it delivers courses to students online, whether distance ed or on-campus. The SIS, generally, keeps track of the students’ personal and academic information.
So, most colleges have two separate programs for SIS and LMS, which create a number of inefficiencies: duplicated costs, online learners disconnected from traditional learners, and the difficulty of getting two systems to talk to each other. We became interested in developing a solution for e-learning when we saw how much time and money were being wasted, and how good solutions were all but out-of-reach for smaller colleges. We designed Populi to combine SIS and LMS functionality in one system, eliminating the costs and inefficiencies that arise from dividing those functions over two or more systems.
What is Populi and how is it different from other learning management solutions?
Populi is web-based college management software. We strive to combine, in one system, software that helps colleges track all their information—admissions, academics, student billing, financial aid—as well as course management and online learning. Colleges—especially smaller colleges—are a lot more unified than their software might lead you to believe, and we wanted Populi to reflect that.
So, Populi has the major LMS functionality, of course— lessons, tests, forums, bulletin boards, file uploades, gradebook, and so on—and, most important, it offers seamless, effortless integration between the LMS and SIS. In Populi, they’re different elements of the same program, and so they share information where it makes sense. LMS grading info, for instance, automatically feeds into student GPA’s, transcripts, and degree audits.
In addition to the SIS integration, Populi LMS is different from other solutions because of our focus on usability. It’s easy to set up, and easy to use. Anyone who works with a dedicated LMS—whether open-source or enterprise-level—will tell you that they need technical support just to run it and make it work with their other software. That was one problem we wanted to eliminate with Populi—you just don’t need an IT background to run it.
And you don’t need to be any sort of expert to use it. We approached the user interface so it would—to paraphrase the old rule of rhetoric—tell you what you’re going to do, have you do it, then tell you that it’s done. We also eschew customization. From our own experiences going through college, and from reports about LMS systems in general, we’ve learned that when a system allows too much customization, students have to relearn the system every time they take a new course. We built Populi so that if you take a course once, you’ll know how to take any course in the system.
You mentioned earlier that Populi eliminates inefficiencies by managing both student information and online learning. What does that mean for students?
Well, first, as I just mentioned, our emphasis on usability benefits everyone involved in online courses—faculty, students, registar, other staff. We provide customer support and other help resources, but it’s amazing to us how little they’re used—even though our customer colleges are really using Populi for everything. When we rolled out the online learning features, just about the only feedback were minor feature suggestions. But nothing in terms of “How do I…?” Students didn’t have any trouble to speak of. They logged in, saw what they needed to do, and did it.
But in the big picture, the combination of SIS and LMS features really enhances accessibility; putting everything the student needs in one place, with one login. 37signals published their thoughts on software design in a book called Getting Real, and one way to summarize their approach is that good software gets the job done and then gets out of your way. So, with Populi, a student can take a test, and once they submit it, they can see how it affects their in-progress course grade. At the end of the term, when courses are finalized, they can print a grade report or see their transcript or check out their Degree Audit—one click apiece—as well as keep abreast of their tuition and fees. Students don’t have to spend a lot of time on the system figuring out the navigation—the things they’re looking for are right there, or within a click or two. Rather than spending a lot of time figuring out software, they can just find their lessons, tests, or other assignments, and simply take care of it. Software that stays out of your way lets you devote your time and energy to the content the software delivers. And, obviously, content and meaningful interaction is the important thing when it comes to learning, and Populi strives to basically get out of the way and let that happen.
How does Populi foster student learning? What are the underlying philosophies of learning that underlie the project?
I suppose I answered this question in part in the previous response—the underlying philosophy of our software is essentially the same as our view of education. The thing that matters is the content the instructor provides and a student’s interaction with it; therefore, the software mustn’t interfere with that process, and so it ought to be as unobtrusive as possible. That’s the basic idea.
In practice, we’re seeing colleges use the e-learning components to enhance their traditional classrooms in lots of creative ways. One instructor used to devote the first fifteen minutes of each class for a review quiz. Within hours of pushing the online learning features, he had already converted those quizzes into online tests with Populi, and effectively gained 45 minutes a week of instruction time (the course meets three times weekly). That critical face-to-face class time now goes to lecturing and discussing material, and things like routine quizzes and tests are handled online.
And, of course, Populi makes it simple for a college to offer any of their courses to their distance-learning students. Online education really fits the bill for a wide variety of people—people in the workforce who need to fit their classes around business schedules, people who need less expensive education options, people limited by simple factors like geography. Giving colleges the ability to offer distance learners the same software access that on-campus students have—that enhances distance access to the college and, again, hopefully simplifies the process a student goes through to interact meaningfully with the course.
Do you have any plans for Populi?
We’re taking it a day at a time at this point! We’ve gotten a huge, positive response from colleges when they see Populi, especially the smaller institutions that are looking to expand their online presence. We provide them with a very affordable, low-stress means of doing that.
Right now Populi streamlines almost all of the day-to-day operations of the college. Our plan is to expand into the few areas we have yet to touch. The big things on our development timeline for the end of 2009 and into 2010 include a library information system, online payment processing, and a donor management system. All of the new features would be integrated into what we have already, and developed in accord with that basic “get it done and get out of the way” approach. And, of course, the more we learn about how our customers use Populi, the more usable we can make it.
What would you like to see in the future with respect to elearning and mobile learning?
I think there is a huge opportunity to expand the e-learning experience by going mobile. Populi has an iPhone app but at this point it is only available to access school email, course schedules, and faculty and student contact information. I’d like to see all of the online learning content in there including lessons, forums and tests. But, again, that sort of thing is only helpful if it fosters that crucial interaction. One of the risks of mobile education is that your courses can more easily disappear into the din of information and e-noise that more and more envelopes a student’s life nowadays. So while we hope to upgrade the iPhone app and make it more of an aid to students in relation to their courses, there’s also something to be said for reserving the educational experience, to emphasize it in a context where the student can concentrate on the meat and not the technology.
Have you read any interesting books lately? Please share :)
Well, on the business side of things, and as I’ve mentioned a few times here, everyone at the office is enjoying the 37signals book Getting Real. Lots of good reality checks in that book, and good, sensible principles for a company like Populi to keep in mind—basically, build your software to solve a real problem, and make sure it’s usable. Ivan Doig’s This House of Sky—I’m reading that for the second time. I don’t know of anyone else who writes about landscapes the way he does. It describes his upbringing in Montana, sheep ranching with his father. Simply staggering prose in places. And then I’ve been reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series to my son. We’re in an educational community that values the Classics, and those books fit rather nicely into that. And they’re pretty funny. I get almost as wrapped up in them as my son has.
***************Free download of E-Learning Queen's E-Learner Survival Guide
What is your name, affiliation, and relation to elearning?
I’m Isaac Grauke and I’m the CEO of Populi. We make web-based college management software, and a major part of that includes online learning and course management.
What made you interested in developing solutions for elearning?
You typically have two different kinds of software, the learning management system (LMS) and the student information system (SIS). In broad terms, the LMS manages courses, and more and more it delivers courses to students online, whether distance ed or on-campus. The SIS, generally, keeps track of the students’ personal and academic information.
So, most colleges have two separate programs for SIS and LMS, which create a number of inefficiencies: duplicated costs, online learners disconnected from traditional learners, and the difficulty of getting two systems to talk to each other. We became interested in developing a solution for e-learning when we saw how much time and money were being wasted, and how good solutions were all but out-of-reach for smaller colleges. We designed Populi to combine SIS and LMS functionality in one system, eliminating the costs and inefficiencies that arise from dividing those functions over two or more systems.
What is Populi and how is it different from other learning management solutions?
Populi is web-based college management software. We strive to combine, in one system, software that helps colleges track all their information—admissions, academics, student billing, financial aid—as well as course management and online learning. Colleges—especially smaller colleges—are a lot more unified than their software might lead you to believe, and we wanted Populi to reflect that.
So, Populi has the major LMS functionality, of course— lessons, tests, forums, bulletin boards, file uploades, gradebook, and so on—and, most important, it offers seamless, effortless integration between the LMS and SIS. In Populi, they’re different elements of the same program, and so they share information where it makes sense. LMS grading info, for instance, automatically feeds into student GPA’s, transcripts, and degree audits.
In addition to the SIS integration, Populi LMS is different from other solutions because of our focus on usability. It’s easy to set up, and easy to use. Anyone who works with a dedicated LMS—whether open-source or enterprise-level—will tell you that they need technical support just to run it and make it work with their other software. That was one problem we wanted to eliminate with Populi—you just don’t need an IT background to run it.
And you don’t need to be any sort of expert to use it. We approached the user interface so it would—to paraphrase the old rule of rhetoric—tell you what you’re going to do, have you do it, then tell you that it’s done. We also eschew customization. From our own experiences going through college, and from reports about LMS systems in general, we’ve learned that when a system allows too much customization, students have to relearn the system every time they take a new course. We built Populi so that if you take a course once, you’ll know how to take any course in the system.
You mentioned earlier that Populi eliminates inefficiencies by managing both student information and online learning. What does that mean for students?
Well, first, as I just mentioned, our emphasis on usability benefits everyone involved in online courses—faculty, students, registar, other staff. We provide customer support and other help resources, but it’s amazing to us how little they’re used—even though our customer colleges are really using Populi for everything. When we rolled out the online learning features, just about the only feedback were minor feature suggestions. But nothing in terms of “How do I…?” Students didn’t have any trouble to speak of. They logged in, saw what they needed to do, and did it.
But in the big picture, the combination of SIS and LMS features really enhances accessibility; putting everything the student needs in one place, with one login. 37signals published their thoughts on software design in a book called Getting Real, and one way to summarize their approach is that good software gets the job done and then gets out of your way. So, with Populi, a student can take a test, and once they submit it, they can see how it affects their in-progress course grade. At the end of the term, when courses are finalized, they can print a grade report or see their transcript or check out their Degree Audit—one click apiece—as well as keep abreast of their tuition and fees. Students don’t have to spend a lot of time on the system figuring out the navigation—the things they’re looking for are right there, or within a click or two. Rather than spending a lot of time figuring out software, they can just find their lessons, tests, or other assignments, and simply take care of it. Software that stays out of your way lets you devote your time and energy to the content the software delivers. And, obviously, content and meaningful interaction is the important thing when it comes to learning, and Populi strives to basically get out of the way and let that happen.
How does Populi foster student learning? What are the underlying philosophies of learning that underlie the project?
I suppose I answered this question in part in the previous response—the underlying philosophy of our software is essentially the same as our view of education. The thing that matters is the content the instructor provides and a student’s interaction with it; therefore, the software mustn’t interfere with that process, and so it ought to be as unobtrusive as possible. That’s the basic idea.
In practice, we’re seeing colleges use the e-learning components to enhance their traditional classrooms in lots of creative ways. One instructor used to devote the first fifteen minutes of each class for a review quiz. Within hours of pushing the online learning features, he had already converted those quizzes into online tests with Populi, and effectively gained 45 minutes a week of instruction time (the course meets three times weekly). That critical face-to-face class time now goes to lecturing and discussing material, and things like routine quizzes and tests are handled online.
And, of course, Populi makes it simple for a college to offer any of their courses to their distance-learning students. Online education really fits the bill for a wide variety of people—people in the workforce who need to fit their classes around business schedules, people who need less expensive education options, people limited by simple factors like geography. Giving colleges the ability to offer distance learners the same software access that on-campus students have—that enhances distance access to the college and, again, hopefully simplifies the process a student goes through to interact meaningfully with the course.
Do you have any plans for Populi?
We’re taking it a day at a time at this point! We’ve gotten a huge, positive response from colleges when they see Populi, especially the smaller institutions that are looking to expand their online presence. We provide them with a very affordable, low-stress means of doing that.
Right now Populi streamlines almost all of the day-to-day operations of the college. Our plan is to expand into the few areas we have yet to touch. The big things on our development timeline for the end of 2009 and into 2010 include a library information system, online payment processing, and a donor management system. All of the new features would be integrated into what we have already, and developed in accord with that basic “get it done and get out of the way” approach. And, of course, the more we learn about how our customers use Populi, the more usable we can make it.
What would you like to see in the future with respect to elearning and mobile learning?
I think there is a huge opportunity to expand the e-learning experience by going mobile. Populi has an iPhone app but at this point it is only available to access school email, course schedules, and faculty and student contact information. I’d like to see all of the online learning content in there including lessons, forums and tests. But, again, that sort of thing is only helpful if it fosters that crucial interaction. One of the risks of mobile education is that your courses can more easily disappear into the din of information and e-noise that more and more envelopes a student’s life nowadays. So while we hope to upgrade the iPhone app and make it more of an aid to students in relation to their courses, there’s also something to be said for reserving the educational experience, to emphasize it in a context where the student can concentrate on the meat and not the technology.
Have you read any interesting books lately? Please share :)
Well, on the business side of things, and as I’ve mentioned a few times here, everyone at the office is enjoying the 37signals book Getting Real. Lots of good reality checks in that book, and good, sensible principles for a company like Populi to keep in mind—basically, build your software to solve a real problem, and make sure it’s usable. Ivan Doig’s This House of Sky—I’m reading that for the second time. I don’t know of anyone else who writes about landscapes the way he does. It describes his upbringing in Montana, sheep ranching with his father. Simply staggering prose in places. And then I’ve been reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series to my son. We’re in an educational community that values the Classics, and those books fit rather nicely into that. And they’re pretty funny. I get almost as wrapped up in them as my son has.
***************Free download of E-Learning Queen's E-Learner Survival Guide
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Interview with Heather Hill, Special Olympics World Winter Games: E-Learning Case Study Series
E-Learning Queen is launching a case studies series to discuss applications of e-learning, including mobile learning. We're excited to kick off the series with an investigation of how elearning was used in the Special Olympics World Winter Games. Welcome to an interview with Heather Hill, Special Olympics World Winter Games, and founder of H2 BrandWorks, LLC
Please describe a case in which you successfully used e-learning. Include the following:
**what was your need?
With the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games – an event involving over 2,000 athletes from nearly 100 countries – rapidly approaching, we needed a consistent, high-quality way to train our event volunteers. But just like other non-profits, we were facing challenges stemming in part from the troubled economic climate and needed to get creative in our efforts to raise funds, retain services and reduce costs. For our training initiative in particular, it was imperative that we conduct training on a budget, without sacrificing quality in the slightest. As you’ll see, we were thrilled with the results – and through our successful training program and myriad other initiatives, had a first-class Games experience.
**why e-learning?
Although this year’s Winter Games were held in Boise, Idaho, our volunteers hail from all over the U.S., and all over the world. We had used a traditional, classroom-based approach in the past, including last year at our “dry-run” Invitational event, where volunteers traveled to regional offices to participate in training sessions.
On-demand e-learning made much more sense, and enabled us to reduce the costs previously associated with training thousands of volunteers at regional locations. And the “on-demand” (i.e., view at any time) aspect was particularly appealing, allowing people to complete the training at a time that was convenient for them – and then to revisit any portion at any time. With a core staff of only 60 people at the World Winter Games, implementing e-learning also freed us to spend time on other mission-critical initiatives.
We calculated that one on-demand training presentation, used for volunteer orientation, saved us tens of thousands of dollars in staffing costs and more than a month of logistical planning and preparation. Using the previous classroom-based model, this same process would have taken an estimated 20 trainers 12 weeks to complete!
**what technologies did you use? software? hardware?
Through Brainshark’s Non-Profit Program, which awards Brainshark software grants every quarter, we received a free one-year Brainshark license. This meant we could use Brainshark’s SaaS platform and services to create, distribute and track on-demand, e-learning presentations/ modules. They were easy to create – we uploaded a PowerPoint presentation to the Web, then picked up the phone to add audio narration. We easily incorporated videos, comprehension questions and poll questions within our presentations, as well as attachments that provided supplementary information. For example, within our online, orientation training, we included an attachment that provided further info on intellectual disabilities and the appropriate terminology to use in communicating both with and about people with intellectual disabilities.
**how did you go about conducting the e-learning?
Volunteers logged in to view the training presentation, which you can see here. http://www.brainshark.com/brainsharkinc/SOWWGsample We used this presentation to make sure volunteers were well-versed in medical screening procedures, uniforms and credentials, the function of the Special Olympics Town, sports competition (alpine skiing, cross country skiing, figure skating, floor hockey, snowboarding, snowshoeing and speed skating) and much, much more. Quiz questions assessed their comprehension of adaptive skills limitations, policies and procedures, and event logistics. With the detailed tracking information Brainshark provides, we could immediately tell who had viewed the presentation, how much of it they consumed, and how quiz and survey questions were answered – enabling us to track completion.
How many people participated?
Nearly 4,000 volunteers from the local area, across the U.S. and abroad participated in the training. Since we were dealing with such a large number of participants, the “on-demand” e-learning aspect was particularly appealing. Instead of having to coordinate schedules so that a live event could occur at a designated time, volunteers were free to watch – and even revisit – the training at their leisure.
What was their background with technology? Did you have any challenges with "comfort level"?
It’s important to note that the people undergoing training were *volunteers,* presenting a different scenario than training staff who already have a similar baseline understanding of an organization’s mission, procedures and even technology. Understandably, our volunteers varied in familiarity with our mission, as well as in technical aptitude, but they uniformly appreciated the convenient and intuitive e-learning format. Survey questions at the end of our e-learning module asked volunteers whether they found the way information was presented to be helpful, as well as what they felt the best way was to present and receive information. Responses were overwhelmingly positive about the online training experience, and volunteers felt the rich, visual information made the training process much more engaging.
How were the instructors trained / oriented before they gave the training? Were they nervous? Did they have any doubts?
N/A – As mentioned, our instructors were subject matter experts within the Special Olympics World Winter Games, who created the e-learning materials in advance, readying them for viewer consumption at any time. They were excited about the new format – which saved them travel and staffing time – and were pleased with the reception.
Was there any anxiety or uncertainty among the learners? What was it? How did you work with them?
To be honest, I cannot recollect any anxiety or uncertainty among the volunteers. The online training was relatively general content and material, and volunteers understood that once assigned to a particular position, role or functional area, they would also receive job-specific training in person at the start of the Games.
How did you know that learning took place? What kinds of assessment did you have?
As mentioned, we incorporated quiz questions within our e-learning modules. In addition, as soon as a volunteer finished viewing (or “x”ed out of) the presentation, we received detailed tracking information, letting us know what portions had been viewed and for how long that volunteer lingered on them, as well as how questions were answered, and in what order slides were viewed. In this way, we were able to check off that learning took place and assess the level of comprehension of our volunteers.
What were some of the immediate results? How did you decide whether or not the experience was a success or a "nice try"?
We were absolutely thrilled with the preparedness of our staff, which, we think is a testament to our e-learning initiative. Feedback from our athletes and participants involved – in terms of treatment, support infrastructure and more – was glowing. Based on our positive experience – and the positive feedback from volunteers – we deem this a true success.
What were some of the "lessons learned"?
I would say lessons learned include making sure that critical information is gathered early from all respective functional areas or leaders in the organization, so that as much as possible can be covered and conveyed in one thorough online training session. I would also recommend a complete and turnkey system of tracking completion and “grading,” if you will, of all participants taking part in the training, so that it is clearly understood which consumers of the training are most suitable for any particular area or function of the organization. In our case, our own staff was not required to take the online training session due to their extensive knowledge of the organization and each of their respective areas; however, given the opportunity to do this again, I would recommend it be mandatory for all staff to complete the online training as well, simply to be familiar with the exact information and format of communication to their volunteers.
Please describe a case in which you successfully used e-learning. Include the following:
**what was your need?
With the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games – an event involving over 2,000 athletes from nearly 100 countries – rapidly approaching, we needed a consistent, high-quality way to train our event volunteers. But just like other non-profits, we were facing challenges stemming in part from the troubled economic climate and needed to get creative in our efforts to raise funds, retain services and reduce costs. For our training initiative in particular, it was imperative that we conduct training on a budget, without sacrificing quality in the slightest. As you’ll see, we were thrilled with the results – and through our successful training program and myriad other initiatives, had a first-class Games experience.
**why e-learning?
Although this year’s Winter Games were held in Boise, Idaho, our volunteers hail from all over the U.S., and all over the world. We had used a traditional, classroom-based approach in the past, including last year at our “dry-run” Invitational event, where volunteers traveled to regional offices to participate in training sessions.
On-demand e-learning made much more sense, and enabled us to reduce the costs previously associated with training thousands of volunteers at regional locations. And the “on-demand” (i.e., view at any time) aspect was particularly appealing, allowing people to complete the training at a time that was convenient for them – and then to revisit any portion at any time. With a core staff of only 60 people at the World Winter Games, implementing e-learning also freed us to spend time on other mission-critical initiatives.
We calculated that one on-demand training presentation, used for volunteer orientation, saved us tens of thousands of dollars in staffing costs and more than a month of logistical planning and preparation. Using the previous classroom-based model, this same process would have taken an estimated 20 trainers 12 weeks to complete!
**what technologies did you use? software? hardware?
Through Brainshark’s Non-Profit Program, which awards Brainshark software grants every quarter, we received a free one-year Brainshark license. This meant we could use Brainshark’s SaaS platform and services to create, distribute and track on-demand, e-learning presentations/ modules. They were easy to create – we uploaded a PowerPoint presentation to the Web, then picked up the phone to add audio narration. We easily incorporated videos, comprehension questions and poll questions within our presentations, as well as attachments that provided supplementary information. For example, within our online, orientation training, we included an attachment that provided further info on intellectual disabilities and the appropriate terminology to use in communicating both with and about people with intellectual disabilities.
**how did you go about conducting the e-learning?
Volunteers logged in to view the training presentation, which you can see here. http://www.brainshark.com/brainsharkinc/SOWWGsample We used this presentation to make sure volunteers were well-versed in medical screening procedures, uniforms and credentials, the function of the Special Olympics Town, sports competition (alpine skiing, cross country skiing, figure skating, floor hockey, snowboarding, snowshoeing and speed skating) and much, much more. Quiz questions assessed their comprehension of adaptive skills limitations, policies and procedures, and event logistics. With the detailed tracking information Brainshark provides, we could immediately tell who had viewed the presentation, how much of it they consumed, and how quiz and survey questions were answered – enabling us to track completion.
How many people participated?
Nearly 4,000 volunteers from the local area, across the U.S. and abroad participated in the training. Since we were dealing with such a large number of participants, the “on-demand” e-learning aspect was particularly appealing. Instead of having to coordinate schedules so that a live event could occur at a designated time, volunteers were free to watch – and even revisit – the training at their leisure.
What was their background with technology? Did you have any challenges with "comfort level"?
It’s important to note that the people undergoing training were *volunteers,* presenting a different scenario than training staff who already have a similar baseline understanding of an organization’s mission, procedures and even technology. Understandably, our volunteers varied in familiarity with our mission, as well as in technical aptitude, but they uniformly appreciated the convenient and intuitive e-learning format. Survey questions at the end of our e-learning module asked volunteers whether they found the way information was presented to be helpful, as well as what they felt the best way was to present and receive information. Responses were overwhelmingly positive about the online training experience, and volunteers felt the rich, visual information made the training process much more engaging.
How were the instructors trained / oriented before they gave the training? Were they nervous? Did they have any doubts?
N/A – As mentioned, our instructors were subject matter experts within the Special Olympics World Winter Games, who created the e-learning materials in advance, readying them for viewer consumption at any time. They were excited about the new format – which saved them travel and staffing time – and were pleased with the reception.
Was there any anxiety or uncertainty among the learners? What was it? How did you work with them?
To be honest, I cannot recollect any anxiety or uncertainty among the volunteers. The online training was relatively general content and material, and volunteers understood that once assigned to a particular position, role or functional area, they would also receive job-specific training in person at the start of the Games.
How did you know that learning took place? What kinds of assessment did you have?
As mentioned, we incorporated quiz questions within our e-learning modules. In addition, as soon as a volunteer finished viewing (or “x”ed out of) the presentation, we received detailed tracking information, letting us know what portions had been viewed and for how long that volunteer lingered on them, as well as how questions were answered, and in what order slides were viewed. In this way, we were able to check off that learning took place and assess the level of comprehension of our volunteers.
What were some of the immediate results? How did you decide whether or not the experience was a success or a "nice try"?
We were absolutely thrilled with the preparedness of our staff, which, we think is a testament to our e-learning initiative. Feedback from our athletes and participants involved – in terms of treatment, support infrastructure and more – was glowing. Based on our positive experience – and the positive feedback from volunteers – we deem this a true success.
What were some of the "lessons learned"?
I would say lessons learned include making sure that critical information is gathered early from all respective functional areas or leaders in the organization, so that as much as possible can be covered and conveyed in one thorough online training session. I would also recommend a complete and turnkey system of tracking completion and “grading,” if you will, of all participants taking part in the training, so that it is clearly understood which consumers of the training are most suitable for any particular area or function of the organization. In our case, our own staff was not required to take the online training session due to their extensive knowledge of the organization and each of their respective areas; however, given the opportunity to do this again, I would recommend it be mandatory for all staff to complete the online training as well, simply to be familiar with the exact information and format of communication to their volunteers.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Interview with Bryan Orme, CreateDebate.com: E-Learning Innovators Series
Developing technologies that facilitate discussion and encourage learners to engage is critical to maintaining student engagement and motivating them to stay active in the course. Welcome to an interview with Bryan Orme, co-founder of CreateDebate, an online debate forum.
What is your name, your affiliation, and your connection to e-learning?
My name is Bryan Orme, I am a co-founder of CreateDebate. CreateDebate is an online debate forum that can be used in the classroom as a web-based virtual learning environment (VLE) to drive collaboration, discussion and critical thinking.
What is your view of how people interact and learn in the e-learning space?
In my view, the e-learning space is evolving as technology redefines how teachers and students communicate and collaborate with each other and among themselves. It's an exciting time because technology is being used in new ways to supplement traditional classroom activities and enhance the overall learning experience.
People learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process. E-learning technology has unlocked new possibilities for teachers eager to engage students with a collaborative learning approach. For instance, it is quite easy for a teacher to incorporate CreateDebate into an existing lesson plan to drive discussion and constructive reasoning through participation and collaboration.
Please give an example of a discussion that leads to a learning encounter. How do you open people's minds rather than simply reinforcing bias or rigidity?
On the topic of American Imperialism, one history teacher uses CreateDebate to enliven the instructional component by supplementing his lecture with an interactive debate. The lesson plan begins with a central question: With regard to the exploration and establishment of the United States, do the pros outweigh the cons?
As the lesson plan unfolds, students are given the opportunity to write arguments supporting the either pro or con positions. The students are also encouraged to vote for or against the arguments written by their peers. As a result, the most convincing arguments are voted to the top of each position. The net effect is a competition where students are striving to craft well-written, logical arguments.
Each time the students are given an opportunity to write new arguments and vote for the most convincing, the teacher leads a discussion in class to review the most popular arguments. As the lesson plan progresses, the students are encouraged to incorporate new ideas into their arguments and reminded that they can change their votes. By the end of the instructional component, the debate reads like a lesson plan summary.
This teacher has harnessed e-learning by providing a forum for his students to learn through competitive collaboration. As the interactive debate has been threaded throughout the lesson plan, the views of his students have been shaped through instruction and peer-collaboration. All of his students have become active participants in the learning process.
What do you see as the connection between creativity and debate?
Creativity is a mental and social process through which new ideas and concepts are generated. Debate is a method of interaction between people where ideas and concepts are analyzed, argued and judged. Creativity and debate are two dots connected by ideas and concepts.
What is CreateDebate? How does it work? What are the underlying learning theories that support its application in the elearning space?
CreateDebate in the Classroom enables teachers to customize and build an online debate community that can be easily incorporated into almost any lesson plan. Typically, teachers will create debates around questions that will build on the current course of study. The goal is to engage students and enrich the classroom conversation through peer collaboration. Debates can be conducted in the classroom “real-time” (if computers with Internet access are available) or participation can be assigned as homework and reviewed in class.
CreateDebate is built on Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, which states that when students are able to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate subjects they are learning at a much higher level than rote memorization of facts. CreateDebate is also based on James Surowiecki's theory of Collective Wisdom, which argues that the aggregation of information in groups leads to better conclusions and decisions. By engaging in collaborative debate, students are able to exchange ideas and theories that eventually lead to better conclusions than simply calling on the student that raises their hand.
Do you have any future plans? How are you planning to leverage new technologies?
We plan on expanding the CreateDebate platform to make it even more valuable and useful for both students and teachers. We are creating lesson plans that teachers can leverage to encourage debate and discussion in their classroom depending on the grade level of their students as well as the topic of study.
We also plan on enhancing our social networking features to allow teachers to collaborate on what works best in their classrooms and share ideas for how to most effectively leverage debate in their curricula. Additionally, we plan on creating functionality to allow classrooms from around the world that have the same learning objectives debate each other by using the CreateDebate platform. We are actively working with teachers to create new features that make CreateDebate even more valuable for use in the classroom.
Free download of E-Learner Survival Guide!
What is your name, your affiliation, and your connection to e-learning?
My name is Bryan Orme, I am a co-founder of CreateDebate. CreateDebate is an online debate forum that can be used in the classroom as a web-based virtual learning environment (VLE) to drive collaboration, discussion and critical thinking.
What is your view of how people interact and learn in the e-learning space?
In my view, the e-learning space is evolving as technology redefines how teachers and students communicate and collaborate with each other and among themselves. It's an exciting time because technology is being used in new ways to supplement traditional classroom activities and enhance the overall learning experience.
People learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process. E-learning technology has unlocked new possibilities for teachers eager to engage students with a collaborative learning approach. For instance, it is quite easy for a teacher to incorporate CreateDebate into an existing lesson plan to drive discussion and constructive reasoning through participation and collaboration.
Please give an example of a discussion that leads to a learning encounter. How do you open people's minds rather than simply reinforcing bias or rigidity?
On the topic of American Imperialism, one history teacher uses CreateDebate to enliven the instructional component by supplementing his lecture with an interactive debate. The lesson plan begins with a central question: With regard to the exploration and establishment of the United States, do the pros outweigh the cons?
As the lesson plan unfolds, students are given the opportunity to write arguments supporting the either pro or con positions. The students are also encouraged to vote for or against the arguments written by their peers. As a result, the most convincing arguments are voted to the top of each position. The net effect is a competition where students are striving to craft well-written, logical arguments.
Each time the students are given an opportunity to write new arguments and vote for the most convincing, the teacher leads a discussion in class to review the most popular arguments. As the lesson plan progresses, the students are encouraged to incorporate new ideas into their arguments and reminded that they can change their votes. By the end of the instructional component, the debate reads like a lesson plan summary.
This teacher has harnessed e-learning by providing a forum for his students to learn through competitive collaboration. As the interactive debate has been threaded throughout the lesson plan, the views of his students have been shaped through instruction and peer-collaboration. All of his students have become active participants in the learning process.
What do you see as the connection between creativity and debate?
Creativity is a mental and social process through which new ideas and concepts are generated. Debate is a method of interaction between people where ideas and concepts are analyzed, argued and judged. Creativity and debate are two dots connected by ideas and concepts.
What is CreateDebate? How does it work? What are the underlying learning theories that support its application in the elearning space?
CreateDebate in the Classroom enables teachers to customize and build an online debate community that can be easily incorporated into almost any lesson plan. Typically, teachers will create debates around questions that will build on the current course of study. The goal is to engage students and enrich the classroom conversation through peer collaboration. Debates can be conducted in the classroom “real-time” (if computers with Internet access are available) or participation can be assigned as homework and reviewed in class.
CreateDebate is built on Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, which states that when students are able to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate subjects they are learning at a much higher level than rote memorization of facts. CreateDebate is also based on James Surowiecki's theory of Collective Wisdom, which argues that the aggregation of information in groups leads to better conclusions and decisions. By engaging in collaborative debate, students are able to exchange ideas and theories that eventually lead to better conclusions than simply calling on the student that raises their hand.
Do you have any future plans? How are you planning to leverage new technologies?
We plan on expanding the CreateDebate platform to make it even more valuable and useful for both students and teachers. We are creating lesson plans that teachers can leverage to encourage debate and discussion in their classroom depending on the grade level of their students as well as the topic of study.
We also plan on enhancing our social networking features to allow teachers to collaborate on what works best in their classrooms and share ideas for how to most effectively leverage debate in their curricula. Additionally, we plan on creating functionality to allow classrooms from around the world that have the same learning objectives debate each other by using the CreateDebate platform. We are actively working with teachers to create new features that make CreateDebate even more valuable for use in the classroom.
Free download of E-Learner Survival Guide!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)