How is this 'really' being used.

[Mark W. Temple]

I have been participating in this online conference as a spectator now for the last few weeks. I am, however, having a difficult time understanding how any/most of the web 2.0 tools are being used by corporations to deliver learning.

I read blogs, social bookmark, and twitter (occasionally), and use web 2.0 for my own learning, and they aid in my ability to keep current on new trends and technology.

I seem to be having trouble finding ways where, as an elearning developer, I can take these tools and use them in my own elearning packages. I would love to hear how training developers are actually using these tools, and not just theory on how they could be used, or how they write blogs themselves about elearning. I mainly create software elearning courses and am a little fuzzy how a twitter group would help my clients become better users of our software.

Many of these posts seem to be a how-to on building a name for yourself in the elearning industry, by twittering, writing blogs, and social bookmarking.

With the group's description to, "Discuss implications of these tools for learning professionals.", maybe I am misunderstanding the goal of the seminar, and the idea is to design these tools around yourself, and not what the tool can do for your corporation.

I am very interested to hear how other training developers have incorporated these new technologies into their own curriculum. Some success stories would be most helpful!

[Susan Neva]

I wonder how many of the participants on this ning are working in corporations, vs. educational institutions (public or private), vs. non-profits. But that is probably just due to my curiosity about how the learning function takes place in and is realized in different sectors.

In any case, I am glad to be learning about and sharing how people have been using the tools, for themselves as well as for their curricula and projects.

[Harold Jarche]

Some quick, off the top of my head, practical examples:

Social Bookmarks - used by instructors as online, and always updated, references during and after a course.

Blogs - used by the training department to eliminate e-mail on upcoming courses and as a single place for feedback on a course which can be reviewed by prospective learners.

Blogs - for company experts/specialists to share their knowledge. An easy place to start is with book reviews, as in does Jim the Tech Guy recommend this book?

Twitter - good for small groups doing collaborative projects at a distance and staying in-sync

Social Networks - a company-wide directory of expertise where each person keeps their profile up to date and it becomes a performance support system of who knows/does what. Can also be used to connect current students with graduate students and ensure that those who work in that area are up to date with professional practices.

[Michele Martin]

Mark, I just wrote a post yesterday on using a blog to post "how to's." In your situation, I would think that one of the ways that your learners could demonstrate their knowledge would be if they could write up their own instructions on how to perform different tasks. A blog would be perfect for posting these. Or they could record a screencast of themselves (using Jing) showing how they're performing some activity and then post it as a demonstration of competence.

These tools work best, I think, as supplements to informal, ongoing learning and as part of an overall learning package--say as a supplement to face-to-face. They can also be their own delivery mechanism--in this case, we're doing a "training" using a Ning network. I also wrote the other day about doing "blog challenges," which would be a way to deliver instruction through a blog. This stuff requires a different mode of thinking and a different approach to instruction that I think a lot of learning professionals are still grappling with.

[Catherine Lombardozzi]

I have been working on aggregating ideas for how these kinds of tools can be used for learning... I am attaching the list in its current (nascent) form in order to share the ideas I've collected so far (which was actually before this course). I'll be using the ideas generated on this site (both directly and indirectly) to flesh it out even more. I hope you find it useful.

Michele, Harold, and Tony - if there's a way to get a wiki page going on this site - perhaps I could put the content of the attached up in that format so everyone in the network can add to it as we go along...

[Harold Jarche]

I've added a new tab, called Wiki, which opens PBWiki in a new window. You have to be registered to edit the wiki and I've added your Word document. Let's see how it grows with input from the community (not that we've covered wikis yet, but what the heck).

Catherine Lombardozzi said:

I have been working on aggregating ideas for how these kinds of tools can be used for learning... I am attaching the list in its current (nascent) form in order to share the ideas I've collected so far (which was actually before this course). I'll be using the ideas generated on this site (both directly and indirectly) to flesh it out even more. I hope you find it useful.

Michele, Harold, and Tony - if there's a way to get a wiki page going on this site - perhaps I could put the content of the attached up in that format so everyone in the network can add to it as we go along...

[John McDermott]

First, to answer Susan, I am a coporate designer, developer and deliverer working as a consultant.

Now, on to Mark's question. "I seem to be having trouble finding ways where, as an elearning developer, I can take these tools and use them in my own elearning packages." When I took an asynchronous moodle-hosted course a while ago we had a blog from the instructor, a wiki and so forth. I really felt more a part of a "class" than I did in a course I took where there was no interaction. There was not twitter then, but I can imagine having received tweets from the instructor as new pages came up, projects were posted and so forth.

When it comes to having customers be better users of your software, consider especially blogs. Google helps users via blogs. I think evernote does too. Lots of tech companies have developer blogs so customers know how features are coming along and can comment on them.I breiefly did a blog for participants in an ILT course, but it was too early in the era of Web 2.0 and most participants just didn't get it. I will be using delicious soon for a course I teach as ILT.The idea is to share the sites I used for development and sites that might provide participants pointers to further discovery regarding the topic.

Does that answer your question?

[Dave Ferguson]

Mark,

I've been less-than-lurking for the past two weeks because of outside distractions, so I've missed some of the other comments. Like you, I'm interested in how these tools are being used in corporations and organizations -- that's one reason I started the "What Works at Work" group on this site.

By training and by preference, I'm especially interested in going beyond training to performance improvement. I'm also cheerfully irreverent toward technophilia, so I'm eager to find something beyond "let's have a wiki!"

In a single conversation earlier this week, I found two good examples. Both are from the medical world.

One hospital wanted to insure better performance against the accreditation standards of the Joint Commission. They created an online index of the standards that applied to them, leading to individual pages for each standard. The "standard page" serves as a vehicle to track performance, report problems and solutions, link to internal hospital policies and other documents. Because it's a wiki, the person in charge of each standard can update or expand the information as needed.

The surgery department at another hospital had a very different challenge. As I understand it, there's a surgical plan for each surgical procedure -- the instruments, supplies, and so on used for, say, a "standard" appendectomy or hip replacement. In the real world, a surgeon might want to vary from the plan (have more of supply X or less of item Y) based on her preference or on the needs of the particular patient.

The solution was another variation on a wiki. Again, as I understand it, a surgical nurse "loads a plan" (creates a new page) for each planned procedure. That plan has the standard setup. The surgeon can then access the plan, make any adjustments, and electronically sign off. Those in charge of preparing the operating room use the modified plan.

Among the benefits: less waste (for items readied but not used), less delay (e.g., waiting for someone to locate and bring in sterile items that weren't part of the standard plan), more efficient scheduling of staff and of the O.R.s (less delay in one operation means that subsequent ones aren't backing up like cars behind a fender-bender).

Cheers,
Dave

[Mark Friedman]

I am also a spectator here, as I am fully immersed in CCK08 online course (with 2200+ others) being driven by University of Manitoba and Stephen Downes -- but in answer to Susan's comment -

I work as an elearning/Innovation researcher for Dept of Defense / Joint Forces Command. I utilize a vast number of online sources to gather leads, white papers, conference proceedings and test results in an attempt to understand the current state of eLearning and at the same time venture educated guesses what the future direction needs to include.

Google Reader, Google Docs, Twitter and LinkedIN are all in my kitbag on a daily basis to achieve this goal - and from time to time, I blog on my personal space, and ask questions online to guage other opinions.

What I really need, is the Intelligent Agent which John Scully described in a video during the 1980's - but still does not exist today - one that can report each morning to me, what it found overnight, in the areas of research I am interested - from a vast and deep collection of knowledge.

Until that time, I will be perusing my network, group and collective of resources - all in a somewhat random and complicated way - day by day.

[Jennifer Mason]

Hi,

I work in one of those new fangled global companies that doesn't have a head office. We have started using Web 2.0 to compliment our learning framework.

Traditional eLearns lack two fundamental aspects of face-to-face learning: socialisation and the ability to ask an instructor for more information. Most of our induction currently is via eLearning. The feedback from new staff is that they found this to be a very lonely experience.

A lot of the literature suggests that eLearning when combined with online learning communities has a substantially higher success rate than eLearning alone - and can overcome the sense of loneliness for new staff whose induction is predominatly delivered by eLearn modules.

Therefore, at the end of many of our eLearn modules, we add a link to a support blog. Participants can look for more information and ask questions. This means that a trainer in Australia, can support a trainee in the US, UK or Asia.

We are also creating online networks - where participants have completed online modules and then 'meet' together for either a teleconference, webinar or online forum to discuss the learning. Perfect for team members working in disparate geographical locations (as in my organisation).

We are also replacing many system based face-to-face learning with webinars that have a follow up eLearn module.

We also have a brand new intranet where wikis and online communities are now the norm for sharing information and promoting informal learning. We have trialled this over the past 12 months to great success. These intenal wikis will be promoted in our eLearning modules.

You might be interested to know that other organisations have created eLearn modules that are games based. For example, one that I've read about uses 'online teams' to find clues which unlock 'doors' of knowledge using a variety of Web 2.0 applications. These 'games' are played over a period of time. My company is not at this level of sophistication yet, but I'd love to implement this type of eLearn module.

I also like to add a 'want to know more section' in many of my modules with links to relevant wikis and blog sites and well as the more traditional websites.

[Melanie Jennings]

Hi Jennifer,

You said, "A lot of the literature suggests that eLearning when combined with online learning communities has a substantially higher success rate than eLearning alone - and can overcome the sense of loneliness for new staff whose induction is predominatly delivered by eLearn modules."

Do you have any of the references for the research that supports this? I am very interested in this topic. I see it as a terrific way to build a sense of community in online learning. I'd like to take a look at what the current literature out there says about it.

Thanks!
Melanie

Jennifer Mason said:

Hi,

I work in one of those new fangled global companies that doesn't have a head office. We have started using Web 2.0 to compliment our learning framework.

Traditional eLearns lack two fundamental aspects of face-to-face learning: socialisation and the ability to ask an instructor for more information. Most of our induction currently is via eLearning. The feedback from new staff is that they found this to be a very lonely experience.

A lot of the literature suggests that eLearning when combined with online learning communities has a substantially higher success rate than eLearning alone - and can overcome the sense of loneliness for new staff whose induction is predominatly delivered by eLearn modules.

Therefore, at the end of many of our eLearn modules, we add a link to a support blog. Participants can look for more information and ask questions. This means that a trainer in Australia, can support a trainee in the US, UK or Asia.

We are also creating online networks - where participants have completed online modules and then 'meet' together for either a teleconference, webinar or online forum to discuss the learning. Perfect for team members working in disparate geographical locations (as in my organisation).

We are also replacing many system based face-to-face learning with webinars that have a follow up eLearn module.

We also have a brand new intranet where wikis and online communities are now the norm for sharing information and promoting informal learning. We have trialled this over the past 12 months to great success. These intenal wikis will be promoted in our eLearning modules.

You might be interested to know that other organisations have created eLearn modules that are games based. For example, one that I've read about uses 'online teams' to find clues which unlock 'doors' of knowledge using a variety of Web 2.0 applications. These 'games' are played over a period of time. My company is not at this level of sophistication yet, but I'd love to implement this type of eLearn module.

I also like to add a 'want to know more section' in many of my modules with links to relevant wikis and blog sites and well as the more traditional websites.

[Jennifer Mason]

Hello,

Firstly, apologies for the late reply (forgot to set up the link for replies!). Try 'The Journal of Workplace Learning' - it has many excellent articles from around the world and some editions have been dedicated to eLearning.

Here are two articles to get you started - I found them both really inspirational. Ahamer is using eLearn game techniques and Allan & Lewis talk about a study comparing networked learning communities in the UK NHS:

Ahamer, G (2005) "Surfing Global Change": how didactic visions can be implemented, Campus Wide Information Systems, p298-339.

Allan, B & Lewis, D (2006) 'Virtual Learning communities as a vehicle for workforce development: a case study", The journal of workplace learning, p367-383

If you can't locate them, I have access to Emerald Database and should be able to save the PDFs for you.

Jen

[florence beraud]

Hi Jennifer,

I have been really interested in reading your comments! I am myself currently facilitating a distance learning programme, a rather older fashion type one (I do all the support via email, no webminar, no videos, no skype, no blogs, etc) and I can tell already that some learners will not make it to the end. I know they feel lonely and a bit a lost because asynchronous communication lacks dynamic feedback, and might lead to more incomprehension. It is also quite time consuming and vis email it can easily be shared.
Your write in your comments "A lot of the literature suggests that eLearning when combined with online learning communities has a substantially higher success rate than eLearning alone - and can overcome the sense of loneliness for new staff whose induction is predominatly delivered by eLearn modules". Do you have any precise sources that you can cite? I'd like to take a closer look at those.
Thx,
Florence

Jennifer Mason said:

Hi,

I work in one of those new fangled global companies that doesn't have a head office. We have started using Web 2.0 to compliment our learning framework.

Traditional eLearns lack two fundamental aspects of face-to-face learning: socialisation and the ability to ask an instructor for more information. Most of our induction currently is via eLearning. The feedback from new staff is that they found this to be a very lonely experience.

A lot of the literature suggests that eLearning when combined with online learning communities has a substantially higher success rate than eLearning alone - and can overcome the sense of loneliness for new staff whose induction is predominatly delivered by eLearn modules.

Therefore, at the end of many of our eLearn modules, we add a link to a support blog. Participants can look for more information and ask questions. This means that a trainer in Australia, can support a trainee in the US, UK or Asia.

We are also creating online networks - where participants have completed online modules and then 'meet' together for either a teleconference, webinar or online forum to discuss the learning. Perfect for team members working in disparate geographical locations (as in my organisation).

We are also replacing many system based face-to-face learning with webinars that have a follow up eLearn module.

We also have a brand new intranet where wikis and online communities are now the norm for sharing information and promoting informal learning. We have trialled this over the past 12 months to great success. These intenal wikis will be promoted in our eLearning modules.

You might be interested to know that other organisations have created eLearn modules that are games based. For example, one that I've read about uses 'online teams' to find clues which unlock 'doors' of knowledge using a variety of Web 2.0 applications. These 'games' are played over a period of time. My company is not at this level of sophistication yet, but I'd love to implement this type of eLearn module.

I also like to add a 'want to know more section' in many of my modules with links to relevant wikis and blog sites and well as the more traditional websites.