On Anderson Cooper’s CNN program, “AC360,” last week I saw a segment regarding the Philadelphia School System’s “Parent University,” the brainchild of Superintendent Dr. Arlene C. Ackerman. The Philadelphia School District’s own description of this initiative reads: “Parent University, a program started under Dr. Ackerman’s directive shortly after her arrival in Philadelphia, is an innovative approach to assisting parents in supporting their children’s academic progress. The nationally recognized program provides opportunities for...
In simple terms, we define “Usability in E-Learning” as how user-friendly or appealing the program is to its users. In practice, usability goes deeper than this, and is closely related to how much users actually learn from using your E-Learning courseware. There is a marvelous website, www.usabilityfirst.com which will give you in-depth information regarding the subject, “Usability in Learning.” The site clearly explains why usability is important: “From the user’s perspective usability...
This past weekend, I received a copy of a recently published White Paper, “Planning and Implementing a Technology Driven Learning Strategy,” authored by Ian Smith, Founder and Manager Director of InterAction Training of Sydney, Australia. I could not have been more impressed! For any of you charged with a training responsibility, I consider this a MUST READ! And, definitely read it before meeting with any training vendors as it will prepare you...
PowerPoint, as it is used today, has been criticized as an effective information or instruction tool by various respected individuals. Best known are probably Edward Tufte, Yale University’s professor emeritus of political science and statistics; Scott McNealy, founder and ex-CEO of Sun Microsystems; and Julia Keller, cultural critic for the Chicago Tribune and winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. Their opinions should be carefully considered. My concern, however, is...
Air is a free resource which we use every day, and yet we take it for granted that it’s always there and free. But in an industrial plant compressed air is a costly utility and at times taken for granted, especially if your employees don’t understand the importance of it. Why isn’t compressed air free? Compressed air is expensive to produce and frequently used inefficiently, so the cost of running your electrical...
As I mentioned several weeks ago, in February at the SALT Conference in Orlando, Adam Kovic and I presented our ideas relating to the topic, “Instructional Designers Have Failed E-Learning.” After our presentation, several attendees asked why our emphasis had focused on full-motion video and optional word-for-word audio as the key ingredients for successful online instruction. And, they were correct in those observations as long as it is equally recognized that instructional...
It’s time to re-visit the many benefits that multisensory media (and specifically, E-Learning) bring to organizations everywhere. No other training method comes even close. And, in most instances, the traditional “lecture/reading” method of instruction brings up the rear. Today’s E-Learning (provided it is grounded in full-motion video and optional word-for-word audio) offers many important considerations: • Because it is easily customizable, you can tailor training to your own needs. • Effective learning...
New study suggests a lack of vocational training skills for high school graduates affecting workforce While the unemployment rate fell to its lowest rate in two years in February, an old debate has surfaced on the heels of a report from Harvard University’s Pathways to Prosperity project. At its core, the report says that there are not enough alternatives to the traditional four-year education by way of vocational training skills. It is...
Change is inevitable. It’s guaranteed. The questions you must ask are, “How will I react to the change? Will I resist it? Will I foresee it coming and help my organization prepare?” You know the right answer. So, the quicker you get on-board, the more quickly you’ll help your organization move forward into the next decade. To be successful, an organization needs managers and planners who can see the potential of the...
In a previous Blog, we examined the importance of the Khan Academy (www.khanacademey.org) to the future of learning. (Learning that is readily available to all individuals, regardless of age or position.) A couple of week’s ago, NBC Nightly News produced a segment on the Khan Academy’s potential importance to public education. And thanks to the Gates Foundation, actual classroom incorporation is underway. The Los Altos School District in California (5th and 7th...
“Good ideas are a dime a dozen!” And, so they are! But, too many of them prove of little value, simply because the premises are not thoroughly examined. If the more important questions are not asked –- the more important answers are never found. Within training departments, success or failure resides in the ability to understand, motivate, and adapt the learning initiatives to the workforce to-be-trained — and not in the technology!...
I grew up in the Northern Great Plains many years ago. During those formative years, the culture I encountered valued certain professions above others: doctors and nurses, police, firefighters and teachers. Those were considered the noble professions — individuals who had chosen a career of service to others. My respect for those chosen careers has not waned. Oh, I’ve been made aware of some of the abuses: redundant medical procedures, strikes and...
Our newspapers and cable news channels are full of “education” stories these days. One group wants to increase government investment while the other decries even the idea of a “Department of Education.” I think they’re all overlooking “the forest for the trees!” 75% of the high school students that our education system graduates each year are not likely to earn a college baccalaureate degree. These students eventually comprise the majority of America’s...
When talking about the challenges facing both education and training today, one size no longer “fits all.” Stand-up instruction, videotapes, distance learning, books, desktop delivery of networked computer-based instruction, and multi-sensory E-Learning all have a place. It is important for this nation to support education and training professionals in dealing with these increasingly complicated challenges that effect learning. The challenges facing trainers and educators outstrip the time-demands necessary to stay current. In...
