This post is password protected. You must visit the website and enter the password to continue reading.Filed under: Curious David

This post is password protected. You must visit the website and enter the password to continue reading.Filed under: Curious David

Alison Lehman A Look Back at the Once Unknown As time flies by, I am going into my third year at Carroll University. If you would have asked me four years ago if I would be at the place I am today or doing what I am today, I would have said no way. I could never have imagined that I would be so involved in campus life and extracurricular activities. I find myself finally reaching outside my comfort zone and pushing myself to reach new limits and loving every minute of it. Looking back at where it all started in my senior year of high school, I could not be more blessed to have the pieces fall into place along with all the opportunities and experiences I have encountered up to this point. As a senior in high school, my norm was to arrive home and find up to five new college informational flyers daily, further confusing my college search. The flyers just seemed to keep pouring in and even consumed an entire corner of my bedroom. Yet, I continually pushed off the college search because I became overwhelmed with deciding the fate of my career. How could an 18 year old truly know what they wanted for their future? As the school year came to a close and time was running out, I made the decision to attend Lawrence University and play on their volleyball team. Carroll University and St Norbert’s were leading contenders but Lawrence swayed my decision because I could continue to play the sport I loved. Looking back, a sport was a foolish deciding factor but that is what it had boiled down to. The love of the game motivated me but as my first trimester came to a close, I knew I was not in the right school. Feeling out of place and lost, I was no longer set on Lawrence and I decided to transfer into a school that was close to my family and focus solely on academics. My search lead me back to Carroll University, which has a central location to my home, beautiful architecture and buildings, and respectable academic programs. Transferring into Carroll halfway through my freshman year, I was like a fish out of water. I tried to find my calling by attending all my classes, making some friends along the way, and even sticking to a gym routine but I still did not entirely blend in and fit into Carroll. The end of my sophomore was when I started to feel like I was branching outside my comfort zone that had held me back so many times in my past. The writing center had open positions and I took a bold step forward and applied. This job strengthened my desire to work with other individuals from various backgrounds in my future. Some other extracurricular clubs I became involved with were psychology club and Psi Chi. Through these activities, I was able to make connections with other students and faculty and further push myself into trying new activities outside my comfort zone. Slowly but surely, I was learning to stand up for myself and not hold myself back from opportunities that I was surrounded by. Going into my junior year I became even more involved in out of school activities. I continued working for the writing center, obtained a job tutoring a student in English, joined Habitat for Humanity, and was fortunate with the opportunity to work for Dr. Simpson. Even though I am constantly on the move and running from place to place, I could not imagine my life any other way. Looking back, I have had countless opportunities come knocking on my door. As a senior in high school, I could never have guessed I would be so consumed by school, extracurricular actives, and jobs that are guiding me to better understand who I am and what I want to be doing in my future. I have spent countless late nights researching jobs, masters programs, internship ideas and countless more trying to grasp some grain of knowledge or direction. My career path after Carroll has many opportunities and possible directions. Part of me is pulled toward areas of social work, industrial and organization psychology or research programs in psychology; as I plan to pursue at least a master’s degree. Since I am also minoring in Spanish, I would love to further explore the Spanish language and culture and incorporate that into my future in any way possible. As I look back on my life and how it has shaped me into the individual I am today, I cannot help but wonder what direction my life will take me in another five years. With all of the opportunities I have encountered to date and the individuals that have touched my life, it motivates me to push my limits and reach for the stars even in times of confusion and self-discovery. I need to not hold back but immerse myself into the opportunities that surround me.        Filed under: Curious David Tagged: Carroll Alumni, Carroll University, Crious David, student research assistants

One of the many lessons I’ve learned from many years of teaching is how much I learn through the act of teaching. It recently occurred to me that one way to facilitate my students’ learning of statistics is to position them to teach it. Below is a video created by two of my students illustrating how to use and interpret SPSS’s procedures for creating a scatter plot, calculating Pearson’s r, and, if warranted, performing a simple linear regression. Here is what they wrote and did:   This video was designed to help demonstrate an SPSS analysis for a simple linear regression. This video helps to show the steps to obtain an analysis of data, but the steps are also printed below for further assistance. Step 1) Enter the names of the data into the variable view. For our data, the first name is Global Awareness which is the "independent variable" while the second name is "Satisfaction" which is the dependent variable. The data will come up automatically as numeric, but change the decimals to 0. Once complete hit the data view. Step 2) Enter data under the appropriate name. Step 3) To see if several of Pearson r’s assumptions are met  first create a scatter plot. To create the scatter plot, go underneath graphs, legacy dialogues, and then click on scatter/dot. Then a pop up menu will appear and select simple scatterplot, which is the first option. Then SPSS will ask you for the x and y axis. The X is the independent variable while the Y is the dependent variable. Step 4) When the scatter plot appears, notice the  direction (positive or negative), the strength of the scatter plot, and if the scatter plot is linear. If the scatter plot is linear, calculate Pearson’s r. Step 5) To calculate Pearson’s r, go under Analyze, Correlate, than select bi-variate, and a pop up menu will ask you for the independent and dependent variable. Make sure the Pearson box is selected as well as the two tailed box. Step 6) To calculate the linear regression, go under Analyze, Regression, and select linear. A pop up menu will ask for the independent and dependent variable. To understand the data: Pearson’s r indicates how strong the two variables are correlated. r squared is the coefficient of determination which communicates how much of the Y variable is explainable by knowing the X variable. The standard error of estimate is the range around a predicted score within which you are sure with a specified degree of certainty that the predicted score will indeed fall. Underneath the coefficients table in the B column, one is able to see the y predicted equation (Ypredicted = Bx + A). B is going to be the next to the independent variable while the A is going to be next to the constant.  Filed under: Curious David Tagged: Carroll University, PSY205, Research Seminar, SPSS, Teaching Statistics

GET A FREE BLENDED LEARNING AUDIT, PROOF OF CONCEPT AND ACTION PLAN FROM SWIFT e-LEARNING For a limited time, Swift e-Learning will provide you with an obligation free audit of your current training delivery, propose a range of ideas to suit blended delivery and even develop a short proof of concept e-learning/m-learning course for your review. OK - you are a Retailer wanting to take advantage of the benefits of just in time, measurable and relevant training solutions… Over 10% of the Australian workforce are engaged in Retail. However, the majority of employees are employed as either casual or part time workers, working on their feet in 3 to 8 hour shifts. (http://serviceskills.com.au/sites/default/files/files/Environmental%20Scans/2015-SSA-Escan-WRAPS.pdf ) No PC’s or laptops to be seem - other than POS systems. Retailers need to deliver induction, compliance, systems and customer service training and that’s  just to the front line… How on earth do you train them in your processes, procedures, policies and customer service culture, let alone cover all the compliance stuff in a measurable way? e-Learning is NOT the answer. Blended m-Learning most definitely is! However with most retailers struggling to manage traditional paper based/people intensive training, how do you make the shift? You need to engage with expert instructional designers. People who understand the audience, the retail space and the technology mix. Swift understands the Retail Space. Our sister company FIR the Australian Retail College has been designing and delivering quality retail training to national and international retailers for over 27 years. Low cost tablet devices (and smartphones) when combined with readily available Wi-Fi make this possible. When creative training is engineered to suit the audience using this medium, backed with a good Learning Management System, suddenly just in time, relevant and real training can become accessible. Saving huge HR & L&D hours at the coalface. However - "rapid e learning" adopted by many is often an awful translation of paper based training or PowerPoint content to an online  medium with a quiz ‘bolted on’ does not make the grade. Does it influence behavior - NO! Does it provide real understanding - Often NOT! Does it tick some boxes - Maybe….? Does it build performance - No! Effective e-learning / m-learning in the workforce adopts the 70:20:10 principal. A mix of measurable online content with effective workforce develop interactions and engagement. Make it Fun - Edutainment Delivery of great m-learning should be designed for tablet and/or smartphone access, be short (Bite sized), to the point (relevant), on-demand (just in time), social and measurable. It should be designed to be available and accessible across all mobile devices - even if this means designing it suit smartphone and tablet individually - and most of all entertaining. How are you delivering your ‘retail training’?  Is it measurable in a systemic way? Have you mastered the ‘blend’? Is it cost effective? Are you getting the results you desire? For a limited time will provide you with an obligation free audit of your current training delivery, propose a range of ideas and even develop a short proof of concept e-learning/m-learning course for your review. Click here to get started: http://swiftelearning.com.au/contact-us.html The post Retail eLearning - Are you thinking on your feet? appeared first on Swift eLearning Pyt Ltd.

Why start a blog? Well, we obviously need more stuff to fill those empty corners of the web. Beyond that, I hope to contribute to a reverence of our brain. Neuroscience continues to help us understand this amazing feat of nature and in doing so is a timely reminder that we shouldn’t let it go to waste. I fundamentally believe that anyone can learn and that everybody is creative… and I hope that this blog offers some tools, inspiration and distractions for you to find your learning & creative mojo. Read the About section to find out more or just make yourself at home.    

Every time we focus our attention we’re making choices about how we fill our relatively limited working memory. Latest research indicates that there are about 4 chunks within our working memory that are filled and lost quickly, but before they slip away there’s a chance for them to integrate into our long term memory. There are a range of ways this happens more effectively, and one of them is how those thoughts connect with our existing mental models. Barbara Oakley compared this process to an octopus. The octopus body sits in your forehead, just as working memory sits in your prefrontal cortex. Working memory is relatively fleeting, so it struggles to grip onto something by relating and connecting to your neural structures (your existing concepts and memories). Similarly, the octopus grasps out with it’s tentacles, searching for something to grab hold of. Metaphors help strengthen those gripping points. It takes one concept that can be alien to us (like how working memory functions) and helps to embed them into long term memory by relating it to something we do know (like an octopus). That’s pretty handy… but wait, there’s more! Latest research has revealed that metaphors actually trigger sensory responses in our brain. The Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience reported that taste based metaphors trigger the same parts of the brain that are relevant to taste. For example, consider ‘she looked at him kindly’ compared to ‘she looked at him sweetly’. The change in that one word sets off a range of taste related activity in your amygdala and portions of your hippocampus (which are related to taste)… even if you’re not consciously aware of it. Meanwhile Science Mag reported on another study where volunteers listened to literal sentences and then ‘touch’ based metaphors. Language processing parts of the brain were triggered with both, but the parietal operculum (part of the brain associated with textures and touch) only activated with the metaphors. What does this all mean? Metaphors provide conceptual hooks for memories and evoke real emotional and sensory triggers in our brain… in other words, they help that slippery octopus latch on and stick around.  

Have you ever been on a company or association website and clicked a link only to be sent to another site that doesn’t come close to the user interface you just left? Oh sure, it’s got that company’s or association’s logo.   But that is where it ends. You are obviously on some other website. And now, you need to try to figure out how to navigate it. Otherwise, you will not be able to achieve what you want to accomplish.   Poor Association LMS Branding = Lost Revenues + Higher Costs The above scenario is a common occurrence with many Associations and Professional Bodies that offer their members training through an LMS. Their Association LMS branding does not really match their website’s branding. And worse, the overall look and feel of the user interface is significantly different.   As noted in a recent research brief published by the Brandon Hall Group, "ease of use is critical to the success of learning programs. Today’s learner expects a consumer like experience".   Indeed, members are sophisticated and time constrained. Therefore, they tend to get frustrated using sites that are disjointed and not cohesive. Eventually this frustration leads to members not coming back to poorly branded LMS sites to take training. For Associations, this can mean high levels of member support, lost revenues or, even worse, members dropping out of the association altogether.   Think of it this way. Your association’s website is its front door, just as much so as the local grocery store. When you enter a grocery store you pretty much know very quickly where the items are that you want to purchase, just by a quick look around. and how orderly everything is laid out. However, if you entered the same store and saw that it was a jumble inside, you might only go in once. Most likely, you won’t go back. It’s the same with your web based applications. If your members can navigate to your LMS from your website and figure out how to use it by simply taking a quick look, they will keep coming back to take additional training.   Conclusion It is therefore critical to ensure that your Association LMS branding and navigation matches both your website branding and look and feel. It allows your members to easily navigate around all your digital assets. It allows them to enjoy the whole experience you are offering. Once your members enjoy the experience, they become more engaged and are likely to take more training. Thus, it increases non-dues revenues for those Associations that are selling training and certification programs.   As presented in the above mentioned Brandon Hall research brief, "losing time to supporting learners or having learners give up because they cannot navigate the system needs to be avoided at all cost. To remedy this, [organizations should] determine their critical 3-5 use cases and have their short list of vendors demonstrate these."   If this is a topic that would like to discuss further, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Ensuring the best user experience is at the front of our priority list and we will gladly share a few insights! The post The Importance of Association LMS Branding appeared first on WBT Systems.

Making a living shouldn’t have to cost you your life. Workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses are preventable. Safe jobs happen [...] The post Keep Safe With Our Updated Safety Training Content! appeared first on .

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