LearningTimes Green Room

Follow Susan and Dan on this very loose conversation about filtering the overwhelming amount of information coming at us. Sometimes it is hard to manage everything in our inboxes.

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Show Notes:

The paradox is that we need to focus and maybe turn off a few channels while still knowing what’s new on the big picture of learning.

Personal learning networks can help manage incoming ideas. Through PLNs we can find respected sources.

Social networks often fuel PLNs. Needs change over time.

Shift: From pre-Internet era to now. We have to be more nimble in letting go of sources that served us well at one point but not currently.

It is OK to unsubscribe!

Since technology allows us to publish information easier, there is more to follow and a higher need to use discretion. The production of information is speedier and more collaborative.

Kind of fun but overwhelming.

Listeners, how do you keep up with the amount of information sent to you? How do you filter?

Post your comments below or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada) to record a message by phone.

Susan and Dan talk with Gus Prestera about the work he’s doing with simulations.  Dan reconnected with him recently and inspired this blog post:   Simulations: Ten Cool Things People Are Doing (part 1) and part 2 is here.

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Show Notes:

Gus describes simulation as  doing the work you would be doing in real life in a safe, controlled environment.

Where do technology and media fit…is it just that simulations are more immersive?

Gus gives an example of a simulation that did not require technology but was very immersive and authentic.

What are the critical contextual factors that we need to manipulate in simulation?  That’s what simulation designers ask.

Gus answers Susan’s question about what makes a simulation designer different from an instructional designer.  Scriptwriting, media production, direction, acting ….. think theater or Hollywood.  Instructional designers want to know what everyone is going to learn.

There are goals in simulation, but it is not about achieving learning objectives.  Instead, the experience is tied to trying to do their work differently; that is the metric.

Student teaching, supervised practicum and nursing clinicals are examples in higher education.

Gus shares an application of simulation to the job search process.  You can learn more about Gus at his personal site  or company site.

Listeners, share ideas for simulations for synchronous events.  Or tell us what you’re simulating and how you’ve been solving problems with this strategy.

Post your comments below or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada) to record a message by phone.

Susan and Dan observe the occasion of their 100th LT GreenRoom podcast by exploring the great meaning that ultimately can come from casual conversations, chance meetings, and seized opportunities.

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Show Notes:
LT GreenRoom co-hosts Susan Manning and Dan Balzer are joined by executive producer Jonathan Finkelstein of LearningTimes who introduces the show theme for the 100th episode: “The Butterfly Effect”.

The group briefly describes the Butterfly Effect as the notion that a small action or change in one place or time can have a large impact somewhere else at some time in the future. The concept was coined by Edward Lorenz, who suggested that a hurricane’s formation might be a consequence of the flapping of wings by a distant butterfly many weeks before.

Jonathan suggests that this is what the LT GreenRoom does every time it shares a story or has an open conversation online. Every podcast helps find and share meaning in a chaotic world, and is another opportunity to impact what someone might do after hearing it. In fact, this is what good educators do every day. They help learners sort out and find meaning, and point out achievements and moments on which learners can build whatever might come next for them.

Jonathan poses this question: “Can you think of a moment — a very specific occasion, a concrete conversation, a chance meeting, or activity — that affected something about what you are doing now or who you are today?”

Ironically, Susan and Dan recollect from many years ago stories that actually linked the two of them together, and have had a major impact on their lives as education and learning professionals today.

Then, the group asks listeners of the LT GreenRoom: “Do you know of any instances where work YOU did, something YOU said, or conditions YOU helped create — had this affect on someone else?”

Jonathan then surprises Susan and Dan with greetings of appreciation, encouragement, and challenge from listeners and former LT GreenRoom guests, including:

• Paul Stacey, BCcampus [episode #43]
• Michael Preston, Ph.D., Director, Blended Learning Strategy, Office of Postsecondary Readiness, NYC Department of Education [episode #93]
• Hadiya Nuriddin, Learning Solutions Consultant and Instructional Designer [episodes #92 and #98]
• Steven Bell and John Shank, co-founders of the Blended Librarian Online Community [episode #3]
• Bert Kimura, Director, TCC Online Conference  [episode #3]
• Cara Coffina, NYC Department of Education, District 75, Special Education, Virtual Worlds and Online Debate programs [episode #23]
• Alan Selig, long-time LTGR listener and online instructor [numerous comments e.g.]

Listeners, share ideas and suggest guests for future shows. Tell us “butterfly effect” moments in your lives or in the lives of your learners, and add your congratulations to Susan and Dan for 100 shows … and counting.

Post your comments below or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada) to record a message by phone.

In this episode, Susan and Dan talk about some of the differences in instructional design between business versus traditional education.

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Show Notes:

Is training in instructional design the same for business as traditional education?

They conclude that it is important to focus on what good learning looks like (how people learn). Adult education is liberal arts of training and is transferable into any setting.

When people get excited in a workshop, it is when designers start talking about designing for learning.

Use of syllabi in business…how do you do it? Typically a syllabus is a document that has a lot of information about the course, instructor contact, overarching goals and objectives, schedule, grading, policies. Doesn’t work in business.

The difference is in how you approach a learner and what info they have before they start. What does business provide before or after training? An invoice!

A learning map. Could be a word doc with technical guide or a calendar. May describe types of learning (blended, elearning, LMS, etc.). Usually includes list of topics.

Storyboarding is another example of where business and traditional education diverge. It’s more of a workflow process in business. Not so much in education (because faculty and designer are usually the same person).

Dan and Susan would love to hear how others present the information about their programs if they are not using a traditional syllabus. Tell us by adding to this topic in the comments section below or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada) to record a message by phone.

In this episode, Dan and Susan talk with Hadiya Nurridin about looking for a job in instructional design.

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Show Notes:

Who wants a job? Hadiya Nurridin has been a previous guest on the Green Room and returns to share her insights on finding a job in instructional design.  Hadiya formerly worked as an employee in a large corporation and now freelances as a contractor.

Hadiya Nuriddin, M.Ed., CPLP, PHR

Hadiya sees a definite interest in e-learning development. Most calls are about development work through Articulate, Captivate and other products. More prone to outsource this piece.  Employers want conceptual development as well as product knowledge.

You get paid more for knowing more! Soup to nuts.  Contractor work has been more in development realm than in design realm.

Importance of designing attractive modules. Develop your eye.  It’s a skill…work at it. Need to know what a screen bean is?  Read Screen beans .. you had me at goodbye    and   Why looks matter ….   for inspiration.

Designing is creating a relationship between the user and the screen: interface design!

Critical skills on a resume?  Hadiya says:

• First decide if you want to be a developer or designer.
• Industry match
• Project management skills

Dan adds:

• Know what you are applying for!  Do your background research.  Network.
• If you are going to try to make connections to the business, make it good!
• List the products you can use.  Don’t try to stretch it.

For someone with no experience?
Make sure you understand the field and the industry.  Make all the connections you can.

No matter who is on your team …. team skills.  You are 100% dependent on the people giving you information, so communicate respectfully and politely!  Leave sarcasm, blaming and whining out of your communication.

More advice from Dan: If you are an employee within a company, maximize the time you have there and learn all you can because some day you are likely to be a contractor.   And build good networks!

Thank you, Hadiya!

Listeners, please add to this topic in the comments section below or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada) to record a message by phone.

In this episode, Dan talks with Susan about an event he recently attended about integrating informal social and mobile into your learning strategy. The event was led by Bob Mosher and Conrad Gottfredson.

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Show Notes:

Dan recently attended and ASTD sponsored event led by Bob Mosher and Conrad Gottfredson about integrating informal social and mobile into your learning strategy.

Dan describes it most about: Integrating performer support.

Performer versus performance? Putting the focus on the learner versus the system.

5 moments of need:

1. When they have something new to learn (content)
2. When they have to build on existing knowledge and need more
3. When they need to apply the information
4. When the environment changes
5. When they have a problem to solve

Susan contrasts with traditional education and how learners are asked to make predictions.

Higher education has talked about learner centered design, but has also been sensitive to learning support. She gives an example.

Dan gives the business spin and asks what business does after the training. How does this fit into the real world? Embrace the whole environment.

How do you document the competencies that a learner is learning? Dan talks about the challenges of assessing some areas.

Ramping down and ramping up: Heavy instructor led activities ramp down to instructor support. Ramp back up to self directed component.

When you design your training strategy, think about the entire scope … ramp down and up.

A lot of money is spent on the ramp down, but not back up.

Support communities: How do we connect the learner to other people? That’s where social networking comes in.

We’ve always known the learner needed support when they are in the workplace, but now there are web-based tools that can help us look beyond the workplace.

Listeners, please add to this topic in the comments section below or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada) to record a message by phone.

In this episode, Susan and Dan enjoy discussing culturally accessible e-learning with Andrea Edmundson, PhD, CPLP from eworldlearning.com. Dan recently met Andrea at an ASTD event.

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Show Notes:

Andrea’s business is all about reminding us that learning needs to be accessible to everyone, regardless of culture. Some of the factors to consider include context, language, and instructional strategies, in addition to graphics and colors.

Andrea refers to the Cultural Adaptation Process (CAP) Model.  You can read more about it and consider case studies through an ASTD Infoline publication.

Be sure to check out the resources at http://www.eworldlearning.com/. Three that Susan found especially helpful are:

• Culturally Accessible E-Learning: An Overdue Global Business Imperative
• When Cultural Blindness Hinders Performance Improvement
• The Global eLearning Community

Listeners, please add to this topic in the comments section below or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada) to record a message by phone.

In this short episode, Susan and Dan unpack the issue of learning objectives. Where should they go? And in what ways should we present the objectives to the learners?

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Show Notes:

Some of the key points in this episode:

Cammie Bean’s blog offers alternatives.

Practitioners may be stuck in a rut, engrained with the idea of telling the learner up front.

If you start with a problem (drama, scenario) you build curiosity and “need to know.”

Also check out Michael Allen’s views that our focus should be on finding out where the learner is at presently. Susan needs support coming up with visuals and ideas for metaphors.  She needs Dan’s bright ideas!  Good support for designing collaboratively.

Listeners, how do you present your objectives? How do you collaborate with others when you come up with your ideas? Please add to this topic in the comments section below or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada) to record a message by phone.