There’s something about buzzwords that I find irresistible, though they often only attempt to make the mediocre seem extraordinary. But once in a while, they help you discover real gems—like Extreme Programming (or XProgramming or just XP), a rage in the late nineties that I chanced upon. Invented by Kent Beck, XP turns conventional software development methodology on its head. At the heart of XP, however, is a set of very basic concepts:  Keep it simpleSimpler to say than to do, but XP manages it by never adding more functionality than is absolutely essential. Instead of using complex software tricks that save on hardware, XP uses simple software code that saves on human effort—the savings are well worth it. Go for Gold Make small releases rather than trying to go the whole hog. As every release is a complete product in itself, clients get a working product faster. Each subsequent release brings new features—as required—and improves on earlier features.  Takes two to tango Pair programming—or using two heads instead of one—seems like a ridiculous waste of time. But the productivity gains through design innovation, defect reduction, and rework minimization explain why XP is ultimately a lot more productive.  Test. Test. Test. Begin testing on day one—yes, that’s not a typo. This is what makes XP the most likely candidate to realize the software utopia of Zero-Defect Programs.  Expect the unexpected Your cheese will move—and your software design will change. As Beck explains in his new book, XP is designed to accommodate change—heck, XP welcomes change. XP is more than yet another lightweight methodology. It’s a way of looking at software development as a living organism that is continuously changing to adapt to market dynamics. Looking at our own TIS Demo Zone, it seems like a lot of what we did was XP, though not all of it was intentional. As we learnt during the development, there are no limits to customers’ demands—and no limits to XP’s capacity to meet them. And that is what XP is really all about. The author is Manager - Content at Tata Interactive Systems. A graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology - he can resist anything except a good programming challenge.

To say that effective learning happens only in an environment conducive to learning is to state the obvious. What exactly is this environment? Here are three types of environments that can affect the learning process:  1. The environment where the learner works (in the corporate context) Does this environment support a learning culture? Does it employ people who are open to learning new things and unlearning old things? Does it encourage intellectual interaction among its employees? Does it support positive skepticism-in the sense of not taking things for granted? 2. The environment which imparts learning (the media and the strategies employed to facilitate learning) Does the medium suit the learner and the content? Do instructional strategies engage the learner? How much power does the learner have in directing the course of learning? Is the depth of content pitched at the level of the learner’s expertise or lack of it? 3. The learner’s internal environment (in plain words, his/her mental state) Is the learner in a positive state of mind? Does the learner have any deep-rooted preconceptions about the nature of the content? Does he or she prefer the quiet corner of self-paced learning or the active sphere of collaborative learning? Learning designers don’t have much to do with the first environment-except, probably, develop platforms for informal learning and collaborative learning, or develop performance support systems and tools. However, a tool or a platform is one thing and the motivation to use it is another. As for the third type of environment, I’m not sure how much a learning program (especially, one that caters to a wide audience) can do to change a learner’s attitude to learning or cater to his/her unique learning styles. Also, I think, learning style is not a purely internal phenomenon; it is closely linked to the "styles" out there from which one can choose.  That limits an instructional designer’s influence to just the second type of environment (traces of which will spill over to the third type and influence it). Here again, we need to look closely at the question "How much power does the learner have in directing the course of learning?"  Perhaps, it’s time for us to redefine the way we approach instructional design.  (Anil Mammen is Senior Instructional Design Consultant with Tata Interactive Systems)

We are happy to announce that Simulation Explorer, an educational CD-ROM developed by us for Granada Learning, has recently won the British Educational Technology and Training (BETT) Award 2006 for Primary Science.  Designed to introduce children to computer simulations, Simulation Explorer allows children to explore situations that would be difficult or impossible to in practice. It proves especially valuable for real-life activities that are difficult to mimic or take a long time to complete. The exploration aspect encourages children to collaborate with each other, investigate different outcomes, develop discussion skills and progress their high order thinking skills. Please click here to see the demonstration video.

Probably the world is made up of two kinds of people—those who love Math and those who hate it.  Long before computers and programs like TIS’s award-winning Jojo in Numberland, in about 1500 BC, Indian mathematicians came up with a system that eased the pain of learning Math. Today, Vedic Math is probably not so famous as the other Indian contribution to mathematics—the concept of zero. It was, however, saved from total obscurity, largely due to the publication of Vedic Mathematics by Sri Bharati Krsna. What the system boils down to is a set of sixteen sutras (aphorisms or, more literally, tricks) that deal with every conceivable mathematical problem—from basic arithmetic to complex polynomials—that a student encounters. This has huge implications for curriculum designers of Math courseware and special-needs education for learning disabilities like dyscalculia — imagine compressing a typical ten-year Math course into one page of sixteen simple rules of thumb. One of these sutras—the rather innocuously named ‘vertical and diagonal’ rule—facilitates the mental multiplication of any two numbers. The thought of multiplying, e.g., 54643345 by 67598793, without a calculator would daunt the best among us, and doing it without putting pen to paper seems quite out of the question. In fact, with a bit of practice, it is child’s play as this little demonstration  shows—and it takes all of five minutes to learn how it’s done. Apparently, on average, we only use 2% of our brainpower; Einstein reportedly used 5%, though I haven’t a clue how anyone could calculate that. The point is that learning is a step in evolution, and technology should facilitate the better use of one’s faculties. Whether we use it as a crutch that we can’t do without, or a tool to sharpen our skills—that is the question. (Vivek is Manager - Content at Tata Interactive Systems and a graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology)

What does the name Gandhi conjure up for generation Next?  A faint recollection from faded history books...or perhaps the face on the greenbacks that provides us with spending power...or even India's happy relatives from a certain central European nation?  I would have voted for one of these before I saw the light at the Eternal Gandhi multi-media exhibition at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA). It is a uniquely innovative attempt and "first of its kind" digital take on the Mahatma's life and work. Cutting edge technological magic has been used to weave a vivid tapestry in which you are not a distant observer but are part of the living fabric design.  From the moment you step into the exposition hall, you are immersed into a fascinating dialogue on the life and times of the Mahatma. That's all very well you may say. How is all this relevant to me as a part of TIS? What will I gain from a visit to this technological marvel? Here is what you will gain:  A starting point for innovative presentation of well-known content (Compare a films division documentary with the Eternal Gandhi) A peep into the future of learning technology An understanding of flow and design that is learner-driven rather than instructor-driven The "WOW" factor - Ideas that can be easily interwoven into TIS' eLearning projects  I am sure you will come up with thousands of other ideas. Go on! Make your day!! Grab a few friends and visit the Eternal Gandhi.  Venue: National Gallery of Modern ArtSir Cowasji Jahangir Public Hall,Mahatma Gandhi Road,Near Regal Cinema, Colaba, Mumbai - 400 032 Timings: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday Closed  (Shardul is an Instructional Design Consultant at Tata Interactive Systems)

It’s the last place one would associate with any sort of creative endeavor—a Nazi concentration camp. And yet, it was in one of those living hells that Prof. Jakow Trachtenberg, a Russian engineer and mathematical genius, came up with his famous—in mathematical circles—system for high-speed mathematical calculations. Condemned to death, the Professor barely escaped with his life, only to be arrested again. Amidst the misery that surrounded him, he found solace in numbers, playing with them, finding patterns, perfecting his system in his mind before he wrote them down—even scraps of paper were a rare luxury. The system deals with a range of mathematical problems—division, multiplication, and squares—that students generally find, well, problematic. (You can view a simple example here .) It is similar to its Eastern counterpart, the Vedic Mathematics system in some of its approaches, and its application in aiding students with Learning Disabilities.  Prof. Trachtenberg, having given the Gestapo the slip, went on to found the Mathematical Institute in Zurich after the war. Today, it is better known among the Swiss as the "School of Genius".  The Trachtenberg system is extensively used in that country in banks, commercial institutions, and tax departments. It can add great value to any course on numerical calculations—after all, the Swiss bankers would know.(Vivek is Manager - Content at Tata Interactive Systems and a graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology)

At TIS our Mission Statement is to change how the world learns. And we recognize the important part we play in the evolution of our industry. We also recognize that we are but one of many innovators in this industry, so we share our ideas and leap frog from the ideas of others. This website caught my eye as I surfed through my latest Newsgator hits on the keyword "elearning." http://www.connectivism.ca/about - its an interesting discussion evolving around a proposed new learning theory entitled connectivism....I especially like the question that has been posed about its relation to social cognitivism. eLearning is changing the way the World learns...no doubt about it! (Dawn Papaila is Consultant - Instructional Design with Tata Interactive Systems.)

Call me a spoil sport, call me a traditionalist desperately holding out against new trends, but terms such as "Speed is King" and "Rapid Creation" in the context of e-learning sends a chill down my spine. To me, speed often means "plain vanilla" and "no jazz" and "no fun", because there is just not enough time or resources to add such elements. I do understand the compelling business requirements that drive Rapid e-Learning. I appreciate the needs of businesses to deliver rapidly-changing information such as the latest product knowledge, competitive intelligence, and corporate initiatives that help employees to respond quickly. We are all living in "future shock" zone and acceleration has become a way of life. But whither fun learning? What about learning that is engaging, interactive and exciting? What about the amazing things that can be done on the (not so anymore) new medium that adds to the learning experience? My angst is that of a learner, not of a developer. When I was 10 years old, my all-consuming passion was to learn Indian classical dance. Fearing that I will waste away with the longing, my parents arranged for an instructor in great haste. She came with excellent credentials—she was a product of one of the premier performing arts institute and had a lot of successful students. The enterprise lasted for a tenuous 18-month period despite my high levels of motivation because the instructor just failed to engage me in the process. In fact, she managed to de-motivate me with her unimaginative, "don’t-ask-questions-because-it’s-the-way-things-are-done" approach. I think both of us heaved a sigh of relief when I dropped out in the end. This has been more-or-less the story of my life. Suffice to say that I was never popular with my teachers. This is perhaps why I am always pushing the envelope when it comes to participative learning experiences. Give me games; give me case studies that I can sink my teeth into; give me "wow" concept diagrams to fix my mental models; give me an exploratory learning experience that sharpens my "aha" moments; give me humor—in short, give me fun! (Priya Thiagarajan is a Senior Instructional Design Consultant at TIS)

Jay Cross recently posted some interesting (and startling) statistics about the impact of what we, in the custom learning design and development business, make a living doing. (Low Hanging Fruit is Tasty) Consider the following blurb (three times - once to allow your amazement to pass; a second time to allow your denial to pass; and a third time to slowly and deeply consider the ramifications, if this is even remotely true): Formal training programs are not the only learning game in town. CLOs who spend the bulk of their time improving the development and delivery of training might be optimizing the insignificant. Consider this: According to Tom Gilbert and Peter Dean, training only accounts for 10.5 percent of the total potential change in worker behavior. Clarity of objectives, working conditions and other factors are more important. According to the Institute for Research on Learning, at most, formal training only accounts for 20 percent of how people learn their jobs. Most workers learn their jobs from observing others, asking questions, trial and error, calling the help desk and other unscheduled, largely independent activities. According to Robert Brinkerhoff and Stephen Gill, people who do attend formal training never apply 80 to 90 percent of what they learn back on the job. They forget the bulk of what they’re exposed to in a matter of days. So, formal training accounts for 20 percent x 20 percent x 10 percent of the possible improvements you can make to worker performance. That’s 0.4 percent. To account for potential double-counting and other quirks, let’s say training might influence 1 percent of worker potential. C-level officers who want the human capacity to thrive over the long haul are looking for more. Now, I'm certainly not lobbying for the end of formal training, but perhaps there is some merit to calling for the end of the *current version of* formal training. With all that is known about HPT/HPI, Simulations, and Story-based Learning, not to mention long-available but minorly-leveraged knowledge about EPSS, why is it that the vast majority of the eLearning work that is done today resemble electrified versions of what was used to teach our great grandparents?  Why are Jay's ideas regarding "informal" and "free-range" learning (for instance) readily accepted in theory, but largely ignored in practice? We can do better (and it doesn't have to mean a loss of business). When will learning professionals, who know in their heart that what their client is asking for isn't going to solve their problem or have the desired impact, feel confident to act on their responsibility/obligation to say as much? When will customers (internal and external) allow the T&D professionals they've hired (again, internal or external) do what they do best, rather forcing them to act as glorified order takers and production shops for knee-jerk/best-guess remedies? It may be a utopian wish that will never arrive, but, as Robert Browning said, "A man's reach should exceed his grasp or what's a heaven for?" (Jon Revelos is Director - Instructional Design, USA with Tata Interactive Systems)

via Learning Circuits: TIS's Chetan Mahajan asks "Are all e-learning projects equally easy to execute offshore?" and goes on to discuss the important considerations for off-shoring e-Learning development. Please click here to read the full article.