learning technologies – LJ Learning

Video – The star of performance support?

In my previous blog post I paid homage to video, the come-back kid. In this post I’m going to explore a few pros and cons our beloved video has.

With the popularity of YouTube, Vimeo, Slideshare and the like, it has never teen easier to sell the benefits about using video for learning and performance support. Wherever we go; on our PCs, on our laptops, on our mobile devices – video is there.

Why? Well, we are visual creatures primarily and, as the saying goes, pictures paint a thousand words. In which case, how many words would moving pictures paint, let alone ‘talkies’ (and they said it wouldn’t catch on).

Videos are a great way to engage audiences with its storytelling properties. In a formal setting we could:

Watch a film showing good/poor behaviour. Analyse it and add reflective notes to a forum
Use videos as branching scenarios where you choose the next bit in the story from selecting from given responses to each clip until the final scene which will expose the final result

Then we have the video as performance support. Videos seem to have transformed this arena. So much so that should you search for a ‘how to’ guide on practically anything, it is highly likely there will be a clip for that.

The problem with video … oh yes, there are problems with video… is that in the world where we are encouraging more learner-control, these don’t quite give them that. Yes, they can be classed as ‘on-demand’ but they are far from self-paced. You can fast-forward, stop and rewind, but you still can only listen and watch at the pace at which they were recorded.

This can cause problems. For example, the other day, my other half needed some instructions to help him install some software and searched the vendor’s website for some help. The only thing he found was a video. Now, my spouse is an experienced techy guy and only required a quick checklist or simple steps to run through as he installed the software. I’ve also experienced the same and it’s very frustrating.

It’s great to get an overview to get yourself ready before you carry out the steps. A video will set the scene and, as the visual creatures we are, we feel more prepared for the activity. Allison Rossett, in her book Job Aids & Performance Support calls this type of performance support a ‘planner’. It does what it says on the tin – it helps you plan for when you need to do it.

What he needed was a ‘sidekick’. Something quick to help him carry out the steps at that moment.

So a word of friendly advice… if you are developing a collection of on-demand videos for performance support, be sure to consider your audience, their needs and in what situation they will need that support. If you only provide ‘planners’ then you might be setting yourself up for a fall if you don’t also provide ‘sidekicks’ to help at that exact moment of need. These could be checklists, quick procedure steps or step by step diagrams. Think aeroplane safety cards – what use will a video be when you can’t remember what you saw in the video/demo at take-off?

How have you used video either to help you as an end user or to support others?

Why we shouldn’t call it blended learning!

Those who know me will certainly be taken aback. After all, I admit, I must sound like a broken record; I’m always banging on about how blended learning is the foundation on which successful learning solutions is built.

So why am I advocating a change of name? Because there is still a lot of confusion around what the term ‘blended learning’ describes.

What do some people think it is?

eLearning tutorial+classroom+eLearning tutorial (what I call the classroom sandwich)
A classroom course with some computer work included within it
Has to include a classroom element with virtual classroom and or online tasks
A mix of different learning methods
Has to include some computer-based or online activity
A collection of diverse resources to dip into when you need some on-demand help

Well, it may surprise you to hear that none of the above are true – and yet – all are true to a greater or lesser extent. How can this be?

We are in a time where digital has become our first means of communication. The world COVID crisis has removed the option of any (or mostly) face-to-face learning delivery. Our default has become digital – it had to. But an effective digital learning solution is a blended one. And no, blended learning doesn’t necessarily mean there is any classroom in sight.

So what IS blended learning?

Well, it depends.

“Depends on what?” you might ask…

It depends on the situation and because there are too many variables in any given situation, there is no one right blend template. The only right blend is the one that has been carefully designed for a particular set of circumstances. Every blend should be as unique as the situation it addresses.

How can we get the right blend?

We can only do this if we investigate thoroughly before making any decisions.

What’s the performance required: What’s happening that shouldn’t or not happening that should? What impact does this have on business performance? Where do we need to get to?
Who are the people: what are their needs, gaps, experience, motivation?
What are the practicalities: what do we have available, what can’t we get, what are the limitations, what are the strengths etc

Our investigations will help us establish whether formal training is the solution (or part of) and where it fits and even if it fits. It will help us identify where less formal approaches such as coaching, just in time resources, and an ‘in at the deep end’ will play a part and how much a part it will play.

Once we’ve established the need, we will use the data gathered to help us outline the most appropriate learning approach, structure, and effective combination of activities.

We will be able to decide on how we can deliver these activities that makes the best use of the resources we have and that will work well for the particular learning activities we’ve chosen.

The model below, illustrates how a (blended) learning framework leverages all contexts in which people learn, from formal training (live virtual classroom, self-paced online content, classroom, elearning tutorial), formal learning facilitation (live virtual classroom and self-paced tasks) performance facilitation (coaching and mentoring), supporting continued learning and performance and on-demand resources.

On top of this sits ‘support in the workplace’ whether this is from the learning and development team, line managers or peers).

Remember, each situation is unique so each blend will be unique that may use a mix of some or all methods. A blended learning approach is a what I like to refer to as a whole workplace learning approach.

But if not ‘Blended Learning’, what should we call it?

What’s in a name? Let’s Huddle!

It’s more than just a social gathering

On my travels through the blogesphere (looking for something else as it happens), I came across Huddle. Now the name intrigued me because of what it brought to mind.

One definition for huddle is “to gather together privately to talk about or plan something”. I often use it when facilitating in a classroom asking the group to ‘huddle’ around the flip chart to discuss a topic.

The people at Huddle describes it as follows: “With Huddle, you can manage projects, share files and collaborate with people inside and outside of your company, securely. It’s available online, on mobile devices, on the desktop, via Microsoft Office applications, major business social networks and in multiple languages. Simply: if SharePoint was built today, the would have built Huddle.”

Taking a further look around the website, it seems it has a lot going for it to encourage people to work together and learn together more easily and, they stress, securely. I haven’t taken a really close look or opted for the free trial but here’s a low-down on what Huddle offers:

Huddle is cloud-based which means less strain on internal IT infrastructure

With the increase in emphasis on working and learning smarter by enabling channels for collaboration, sharing ideas and best practice, experiential and on-demand learning for improved performance from a bottom-up approach, Huddle may be one solution for organisations out there who see the need for such working and learning practises but are sceptical about using the open social tools.

I’m not so sure they’d be convinced by the name of the product alone. It does seem some social tools out there have been given some strange titles that do little to help sell their benefits to the more serious minded potential user. But that’s a whole different story. If we want to get past the quirky handle, we’re going to have to sell the benefits ourselves.

Huddle, themselves, have given us a good head start.

I was impressed by the list of testimonials and case studies on their site which include organisations who, from my own experience, are very strict about accessibility and security. I’ve taken the list from Huddle’s testimonial page.

So if you want to get past the sales pitch, how about checking out some of the case studies or even contacting their customers and find out what it’s done for them.

I’ll be very interested in hearing from anyone out there who has implemented Huddle, either tried it out on the free trial or is already up and running with it. How have you found it useful and any tips you might have to help others who are thinking of using this or any similar application.

The New Learning Architect Part 2

Laura interviews Clive Shepherd

Here’s the second part of my interview with Clive. This clip covers:

Thoughts on recent research into the human brain and how it’s being taken on board by L&D
More behind the 4 contexts for learning
Thoughts behind taking a top down and bottom up view on these
Hopes on how the model may be used

Click the links below to view the other interview clips.

Part 1
Part 3
Part 4

The New Learning Architect Part 1

Laura interviews Clive Shepherd

I’ve always enjoyed watching video interviews and I’ve had a hankering for a while to try my hand at them.

My blog has already featured a review of both the Blended Learning Cook Book and The New Learning Architect. When looking for a guinea pig as my first interviewee, I immediately thought of Clive Shepherd especially as I was interested in his inspiration behind his recent work. Clive very kindly agreed to help out.

We arranged a mutually convenient date and travelled down to Brighton to the First Light studio to record the interview. I’ll tell you more of what turned out to be an eventful trip another time but I’m sure you are all keen to hear the first instalment of a 4 part interview with Clive Shepherd. I have added all the question topics in each instalment below.

You’ll be able to view the full interview on YouTube once they’ve all appeared on my blog by the end of the week – just to keep you all in suspense. Click on the links below to view subsequent video interview clips.

Part 1:
The inspiration to write The New Learning Architect
Describing a learning architect
Explaining why order takers are like builders rather than architects
Thoughts about why there may be more builders and architects in organisations
Advice to those nervous of challenging orders

Part 2:
Thoughts on recent research into the human brain and how it’s being taken on board by L&D
More behind the 4 contexts for learning
Thoughts behind taking a top down and bottom up view on these
Hopes on how the model may be used

Part 3:
The 70/20/10 model and The New Learning Architect
Thoughts for those sceptical about the role informal learning plays in individual development
Advice to those wishing to measure informal learning activities

Part 4:
Exploring thoughts behind including the 10 profiles in the book
How these case studies might be helpful to potential learning architects
Final piece of advice

Opening up the walled garden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6KnJPeAWog

If you have a little over 1hour and 17 minutes to spare, here is a very interesting debate from late 2009 (but still topical nonetheless) on the whether the VLE (virtual learning environment) is dead and that the PLE (personal learning environment) is the way to go for learning.

I’m going to sit firmly on the fence here. It might get a little uncomfortable at times and I can waver a little but for me certain things come to mind before we force a decision. Perhaps we’ll be throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater.

Do we really know what our VLE can do?

Have we taken enough time to investigate the functionality?

Have we exercised enough creativity in what we could do with it and in it?

Did we forget to ‘be there’ providing that human touch or have we just left our students to their own devices with merely a map to guide them through the maze of content.

Are we going to going to remain within our secret walled garden of the VLE or could we, as Dicken and Mary did in the novel ‘The Secret Garden’, unlock the door enjoy the best of both worlds?

Remember that we can easily create doorways out into the social world and PLEs with the use of links. For instance, one activity within the VLE could be to take a conversation beyond the walled garden and out into a social network where students could share resources more easily, upload photos and videos for comment and discussion and return to the VLE to post a conclusion or analysis of their ‘field trip’. Maybe you’d create a Facebook account for the course or a Twitter account using hashtags for grouping the assignment conversations (after establishing whether your audience can access these of course), the limitations are really only your imagination.

Maybe we need to invest a little more time into these creative ideas and encourage the meeting of these worlds rather than an exclusion of one or the other. It’s not always necessary to make a decision between one or another.

Another case for blending methinks.