A few years ago, Jim Marshall and I surveyed workplace learning professionals about elearning. Although we set out to learn about the contours of the elearning terrain, our project revealed much about instructional design practice today. We pursued this question: when doing elearning, what are you doing? Were learning professionals relying on webinars, on podcasts, on mobile learning? What of scenario-based online programs, social networks and communities, discussion boards, or personalized programs? We expected to find reliance on podcasts and scenarios, with healthy use of online communities and discussion boards. But when given the … [Read more...]
Webinars are better, but not yet best
April 10, 2012 by
From my sunny office in San Diego, I checked into the happenings at CLO's spring conference in Miami. I did this by tracking the twitter stream, #closym. One tweet grabbed my attention. A researcher reported that the keyword, webinar, was searched more often than the keyword, elearning. Think about that. People are seeking information about webinars more often than they are drawn to elearning. A few years ago, Colleen Cunningham, Antonia Chan and I examined the webinar phenomenon. The article, published in CLO magazine, had this snarky title: What Stinks about Webinars. It traced Colleen and Antonia, graduates of the SDSU EDTEC program, as … [Read more...]
What is a Learning Burst?
April 4, 2012 by
Guest blogger, Dave Basarab, introduces learning bursts. What is a learning burst? How do they work? Dave explains below. Suzanne Murphy, the head of leadership development programs for emerging leaders at IBM was at a crossroads. In the next few years, approximately 4,000 emerging leaders were going to begin their development track to place them into business management positions. Susan wanted to do something different than what they had done in the past, which was classroom-based Business and Financial Acumen training. She wanted it to be fun, memorable, to use alternate forms of delivery, to include some gaming, to promote networking … [Read more...]
Instructional designers aren’t ready for their interviews
April 2, 2012 by
Often, current and former graduate students ask for advice about how to be successful when they interview for instructional design positions. Yes, I have my opinions, but I wanted you to hear from someone I admire. Let's welcome guest blogger, Alice Cutter, who has been interviewing MANY IDs for positions in her firm. And these are not the first ID positions she has attempted to fill. Not by a long shot. Here's what Alice wrote: We just finished a job search to find four Instructional Designers. One of our requirements is that the ID being hired must have experience in all phases of instructional design. There were hundreds of resumes … [Read more...]
Cal State Online Plays Small Ball
March 12, 2012 by
The California State University (CSU), the largest state university system in the United States, has at long last settled on an online learning strategy for its 23 campuses. With more than three decades as a professor in the CSU, now retired, I decided to take a look. The goal. "The goal is to increase capacity at California State, where massive budget cuts have coincided with a rising demand for higher ed degrees," wrote Steve Kolowich in a review of the plan. The doubts. Many faculty extend their doubts about CSU leadership to online education, an easy target for professorial skepticism. What about quality? What about relationships? … [Read more...]
Making Evidence-based Decisions
March 11, 2012 by
Video: Profiles in Leadership: Making Evidence-based Decisions Click thumbnail to view video … [Read more...]
Beyond Kirkpatrick
March 9, 2012 by
Recorded class session from San Diego State University. Click thumbnail to view video … [Read more...]
“Get some coffee and get rid of your guns.”
March 6, 2012 by
Guest blogger Jim Marshall could tell this wasn't going to be your typical training class-- not with that segue to a coffee break. Here's what Jim wrote about his experience observing a class with 22 sworn peace officers from municipal, state and federal agencies. The topic for the class: managing an active shooter. The class began with the history of active shooters— starting with Charles Whitman's 1966 Texas clock tower massacre and extending to Monday's Ohio school shooting. The instructor made it clear. The rules have changed. Managing an active shooter requires a quick response. That differs from the traditional approach … [Read more...]
Investigating the Job Aid: Part I
March 3, 2012 by
Not Just Child's Play: Part I. Click thumbnail to view video … [Read more...]
Tell us about your evaluation practices and priorities, please
March 2, 2012 by
Metrics in the Learning Organization A few years ago, I and Dr. Jim Marshall from San Diego State University studied how people are using learning technologies. What we found surprised us, as it will you. In the midst of other less cheery outcomes, it appeared more assessment is happening. That's what respondents reported two years ago. We were surprised because prior studies have found more words about evaluation than measurement activities and habits. Is it possible that things are different now, that new technologies enable more questions, more answers and more evidence-based decisions? Is this really a new era of big and small … [Read more...]
