Building Smarter Companies 2013-05-20T16:12:00-04:00 http://www.2elearning.com/ Elearning TYPO3 - get.content.right tag:2elearning.com,2013:article1989 2013-05-20T16:13:14-04:00 2013-05-20T16:13:14-04:00 >> PowerPoint plugin – which use PowerPoint as the authoring environment but allows you to add interactivity and assessments, and then publish your content in a form that can be tracked via a learning management system (LMS). The most popular tool in this market is Articulate. >> Standalone - which are installed on your desktop and tend to give you more flexibility and control over the learning content’s style and interactions. Examples of these tools include Adobe Captivate, Lectora and Articulate Storyline. >> Server-based tools – which are hosted on a server and tend to be accessed via a Web browser over the Internet. Examples of these tools include Coursebuilder, Mohive and Atlantic Link. >> Interactivity building tools – such as Camtasia and Code Baby, which are suited to certain tasks, and the ubiquitous Raptivity. After all, while possession of an authoring tool is a sine qua non for producing online learning materials, building learner engagement with those materials through interactivity is a further — and important — step to take. For another, there are some significant price differences, with these tools costing between a few hundred and several thousand dollars. In the old days — well, up until about the turn of the last century — this growing diversity of authoring tools didn’t need to worry buyers very much. They could commission a team of professional instructional designers, employed by a specialist learning content development company, to produce the e-learning content in consultation with their own organization’s subject matter experts (SMEs). Then came the growth of rapid authoring tools with the promise that these tools were intuitive. They didn’t need any programming experience in order to use them. Sometimes, you don’t need any knowledge of instructional design either, since the tool will allow you to search its available interaction templates by instructional design theory. Consequently, these tools have been marketed as ways whereby in-house SMEs can build online learning content for themselves – thus cutting out the middleman (the specialist learning content development companies). This has led a number of these content development companies to reinvent themselves as rapid authoring tools’ distributors, offering their customers training in how to use those tools, or as consultants to the SMEs now charged with developing all this in-house, cheaper, quicker learning content. Without this sort of professional help, there’s a danger that the resulting online learning programs will not be of sufficient quality to engage the users. Consequently, the learning experience is devalued and the learning materials are ineffective. However, rapid authoring tools’ supporters argue that they put the SMEs back in charge of the learning materials — so the “content is king,” even if the structure of the learning materials isn’t perfect from an instructional design point of view. Moreover, it allows the SMEs to get these materials to the learners quicker, and it enables them to tailor the materials more easily to the learners’ organization-specific needs. Furthermore, getting the SMEs directly involved in creating the learning materials motivates them to produce high-quality work. David Patterson, operations director of Learning Light, the UK-based organization that focuses on promoting the use of e-learning and learning technologies, believes that there are some potential benefits of keeping the development of learning materials in-house. “An in-house learning and development team, along with SMEs, should know their audience,” he says, “and, so, know what works in terms of approach and structure of the learning materials. On balance, this should lead to more effective and engaging learning materials for the users and greater value for their organization. “It should also be easier, quicker and cheaper for the SMEs to make any updates that the learning materials require over time, rather than having to brief a third party instructional design specialist and then wait for the work to be carried out to everyone’s satisfaction. “Furthermore, the rapid development tools’ ‘no programming expertise required’ helps those who know their subject to be able to convey it, without falling at the hurdle of needing complex IT-related knowledge and skills.” —The author, Bob Little, specializes in writing about, and commentating on, corporate learning (especially e-learning) and technology-related subjects. His work has been published in the UK, Europe, the U.S. and Australia. His e-book “Perspectives on Learning Technologies” is available from Amazon and www.theendlessbookcase.com/ebooks. Email him at bob.little@boblittlepr.com.]]> tag:2elearning.com,2013:article1988 2013-05-20T15:41:41-04:00 2013-05-20T15:41:25-04:00 —More info: www.codebaby.com]]> tag:2elearning.com,2013:article1987 2013-05-20T15:40:16-04:00 2013-05-20T15:40:16-04:00 —Free download: iTunes Preview, Google Play Store]]> tag:2elearning.com,2013:article1986 2013-05-20T15:39:08-04:00 2013-05-20T15:38:54-04:00 —More info: www.training.dupont.com]]> tag:2elearning.com,2013:article1985 2013-05-20T15:37:54-04:00 2013-05-20T15:37:54-04:00 —Sources: CareerBuilder, Harris Interactive]]> tag:2elearning.com,2013:article1984 2013-05-20T15:36:33-04:00 2013-05-20T15:36:33-04:00 tag:2elearning.com,2013:article1983 2013-05-20T15:35:23-04:00 2013-05-20T15:35:23-04:00 >> The unethical boss: This appalls employees. As such, it’s a powerful demotivater. When a boss breaks or fudges the rules, cheats, lies or indulges in behaviors that reveal a lack of moral principles, he or she loses employees’ respect. In addition, when a leader indulges in unethical practices, he gives his employees permission to do the same. Padding mileage reports, splurging on business travel expenses, failing to take responsibility for mistakes — they all become endorsed activities by the boss, who is the role model. >> The unfair boss: Our current societal efforts to treat people equally have led to confusion among some leaders about “equality” versus “fairness” in the workplace. “I talked to a manager who gave all his employees the same pay raise because ‘he wanted to be fair,’ “ Brush recalls. “Rewards can be powerful tools of motivation, but they must be administered fairly.” >> The buddy boss: Bosses can never be buddies with their employees. Ever. Friendships neutralize the boss’s authority and power. They can also cloud a leader’s objectivity and hinder her ability to correct behaviors, to delegate, and to hold employees accountable. When friendships compromise output, it’s the boss who will be accountable. >> The disorganized boss: Workplaces are filled with employees who lack direction because disorganized leaders don’t deliver and manage plans and strategies to guide their teams. What’s the chance of an unguided team maximizing its productivity to create competitively superior innovative widgets? “What’s the chance of employees being inspired by a leader who leads like a doormat or by random thoughts?” says Brush. “As a manager, you wield a tremendous amount of power. You can be an incredibly negative power or a positive one who’s looked up to by both peers and employees. “For the latter, bosses have to purge the bad behaviors.” —Kathleen Brush (www.kathleenbrush.com) has more than two decades of experience as a senior executive with global business responsibilities.]]> tag:2elearning.com,2013:article1982 2013-05-06T18:22:43-04:00 2013-05-06T18:22:43-04:00 —More info: www.inspectorjones.com]]> tag:2elearning.com,2013:article1981 2013-05-06T18:21:54-04:00 2013-05-06T18:21:54-04:00 —More info: http://www.harvardbusiness.org/leadership-direct]]> tag:2elearning.com,2013:article1980 2013-05-06T18:19:27-04:00 2013-05-06T18:18:50-04:00 —Download free study: www.leadershipiq.com/white-papers/]]> tag:2elearning.com,2013:article1979 2013-05-06T18:16:37-04:00 2013-05-06T18:16:37-04:00 —The author of this article, Harold Jarche, is with the Internet Time Alliance. Download the complete report titled “What’s Working and What’s Not in Online Training” complimentary at: http://learn.gototraining.]]> tag:2elearning.com,2013:article1978 2013-05-06T18:14:54-04:00 2013-05-06T18:14:17-04:00 Recent Aberdeen Group research on video learning showed that top-performing enterprises are learning how to harness the power of two-way video learning, providing access to video content from subject-matter experts, and even enabling workers to create their own videos as powerful ways to share knowledge and support traditional learning efforts. The Learning Challenge Today’s organizations are constantly shifting to keep up with marketplace demand, and they look to learning to help keep their staff, customers and other stakeholders aligned to these continual shifts. Many organizations also face critical skill shortages, and understand that they must build these critical capabilities from within. But when it comes to using learning to overcome these obstacles, organizations face two key challenges: reinforcing formal learning back on the job (cited by 57% of respondents as one of the top two most critical challenges executing learning strategy) and linking learning programs to business results (cited by 43%). Luckily, video learning technologies can help overcome these challenges. While the data clearly shows that the instructor-led, formal training programs are still the most widely used learning modalities (cited by 91% of survey respondents) top-performing organizations are looking for tools that help them support their formal learning programs after the fact. Tools like video, which can be accessed on demand or that can enable people to ask experts for help, are critical to supporting this goal. Video can help engage individuals that are visual learners, and particularly when video is divided into short searchable chunks, it is useful for learners who respond best to just-in-time learning that is applicable to the current challenge at hand. Video is also useful tool to capture knowledge from experts. When someone is asked a question and records their answer on video, it becomes part of the knowledge base for the organization and captures that expertise. Organizations using video as the delivery mechanism for learning content are improving their overall achievement of organizational goals, are doing better when it comes to engaging employees, and are also more successful in developing their own internal candidates for key positions (including leadership and customer critical positions). When video content is integrated as part of a learning strategy, it is helping organizations achieve differentiated results. It is also important to note the video content is influencing overall business performance, enhancing the individual experience, as well as helping organizations mitigate the critical external challenge — that of limited skill availability in the external marketplace. All Video is Not Created Equal The phrase “video content” encompasses several different types of video uses. They can include externally sourced video content designed specifically for corporate learning, internally generated video, video conferencing and support of formal learning events, and more. Fifty-nine percent of all Best-in-Class organizations from Aberdeen’s latest Learning and Performance study indicate they are using some form of video content. But organizations are also using two-way video, user-generated video and video collaboration tools as part of their learning strategy. Top-performing organizations should look at video as a suite of solutions that can offer a variety of benefits. The ability to stream video content, interact via video, create, store, and search for video are all critical capabilities within a well-rounded learning strategy. And in particular, organizations look to avenues to record, store and share user-generated video as Best-in-Class organizations are almost twice as likely to utilize user-created content as part of their learning strategy. The Intersection of Mobile, Social and Video Three critical strategies that often go hand-in-hand by the use of mobile, social and video learning: 1) Best-in-Class organizations are 93% more likely to have social learning as part of their formal learning strategy (54% vs. 28%); 2) 94% more likely to leverage user-created video content (35% vs. 18%); and 3) 119% more likely to use mobile learning solutions (35% vs. 18%). The research has also shown the significance of self-service learning portals among Best-in-Class organizations. Mobile and social learning tools fulfill this need for self-service access to content, encompassing real-time chat, access to frequently asked questions, blogs and wikis, on-demand access documents, courses and video learning. Additionally, 67% of Best-in-Class organizations indicate that they have identified subject-matter experts and made them available to others to support learning efforts. Mobile and social tools can help that one individual subject-matter expert not only reach more learners, but they can also help capture the interactions and insights of that subject matter expert. And increasingly, video is the medium by which those interactions and insights are captured. Learning and compliance often go hand-in-hand within organizations as well, and this is an area where video can be extremely helpful. By capturing a class or learning event that is tied to compliance needs on video, organizations can ensure that everyone who views that content is getting the exact same message and learning to do things the exact same way. Key Insights The use of video in the corporate environment will continue to expand in the coming months and years. Organizations not already using video as a significant part of their overall learning strategy should start exploring their options now. Providing video collaboration and streaming tools, access to both internally and externally created content, and even the creation of company specific video content internally are all part of the mix for top-performing organizations. And particularly given the challenges organizations face when it comes to developing the next generation of talent, video can be a powerful way to capture the insights of your existing experts and use them to develop the next wave of leaders. — The author of this article, Mollie Lombardi, is principal analyst for the Aberdeen Group Human Capital Management research practice. Lombardi is also a popular speaker at Elearning! magazine events. For more information on this or other research topics, visit www.aberdeen.com.]]> tag:2elearning.com,2013:article1977 2013-05-01T16:42:24-04:00 2013-05-01T16:36:26-04:00 —More info: http://tincanapi.com]]> tag:2elearning.com,2013:article1976 2013-05-01T16:43:13-04:00 2013-05-01T16:35:10-04:00 —More info: www.wikispaces.com]]> tag:2elearning.com,2013:article1975 2013-05-01T16:32:58-04:00 2013-05-01T16:32:00-04:00 —More info: www.lionsbiztech.com]]>