- Gaping Void of course. I could leave well enough alone, couldn't I?Naaaah..... -----------------TOGAF encourages the use of a requirements repository.We don't have one. So I need to build one. Somehow.The initial reaction the business analysts had when I asked what format they use for requirements and told them of my plans to consolidate them into a searchable library was...."Why would you do that?"Well....Our functional needs haven't changed for decades. The general functionality of the tools we use haven't changed since the advent of the internet.I don't feel like re-creating the wheel with each upgrade or re-evaluation of the toolkitRequirements for some of these tools can help other groups since, if we think about it, the tools we use for "learning" perform many of the same functions as the tools we use for "working." Below is the way we are (still) thinking about the ecosystem.No matter what happens - people still need to access stuff, people need stuff to access and people will want proof that they completed the stuff.So what are the requirements we need to collect?Well - what do you have lying around the office?Chances are, you (as a Learning and Development team) have the following:LMS requirements (example from University of Central Florida)Webinar tool requirements (Top Ten Reviews - scroll down to see the requirements list and comparisons)Classroom technology requirements The examples below cover the physical infrastructure of the classroom.  If you have designated training rooms, these are part of your Learning Ecosystem.  The individual pieces (projectors, microphones and speakers, Smart Boards, clickers etc) should have their own requirements section or list.Virginia Tech - Design Standards. Penn State - Classroom design and construction minimums - pay close attention to Section 27 - Communications"I need an online tutorial covering X topic" requirements Find the Needs Assessment / Intake of all of your old projects that required an online tutorial.  Don't have online tutorials in your environment and need to start from scratch?  Look at the Needs Assessment / Intake of all of your old Instructional Design projects.....Development tool requirements (Upside Learning has a nice tool comparison discussion and grid)I'm sure you have more.Don't have these lying around at all?The next few posts, I'll show you my process for documenting this stuff. Meanwhile - enjoy your scavenger hunt.

I have been working with our lead architect on a couple of survey projects.The first project captured self-reported application development skills.  We've had a couple of projects this year where our in-house staff didn't have the skills needed for the new application. No one's fault - it happens when you replace a major piece of your enterprise system after using the same thing for 10+ years. The architects and management wanted to get a better feel for what skills our developers possess and, when we go into another one of these projects, what we need to account for if we go a different direction from our current systems. For me, this project was a lesson in why skills databases are so expensive.Another project captured feedback for in-house, vendor supplied and commonly available training materials and events. This includes webinars, week-long classroom "bootcamps", online tutorials, YouTube videos, knowledge bases, books, anything someone grabs to learn how to do something.  What are people accessing if they need to learn something? What are the pros and cons of what they used? Is this worthy of further investigation and investment? Is there a particular direction we should take when we spend training money?  More online support? More boot-camps?   Ultimately, management wants to see where the best return on investment lies.It has been a good opportunity to see what we have lying around the office and how the survey tools we have available work.Unfortunately, I have not been entirely happy with the survey tools I've used so far.I want to figure out why I'm not happy with what we have + see whether there is something within our existing tool set that I may have missed.The exercise also provides evidence that what we currently have doesn't meet our needs (if that is truly the case - I think part of the issue is my inexperience).-------------------So how do survey tools fit in to the Learning Architecture?1) You know those smile sheets? Type of survey.2) Want to do more robust Kilpatrick evaluations? Survey.3) Quizzes? The way most are written (multiple choice / true-false) - Survey.Most of the LMS and Talent Management systems I've encountered have built in assessment / survey tools.And the nice thing about putting together requirements on our side - it helps other groups outside of "training".  Many groups within an organization, at some point, want to run a survey to figure outWhether their service meets their customer's needsWhere there may be opportunities to improveIf a program is working (at least by perception, reality may need further validation)Over the next few posts - I'm going to show you my process for capturing requirements from scratch.

I tackled the survey requirements first by brainstorming what I think I want.I then did a Google Search - Survey Tools ReviewFound a couple of baseline requirements lists and added stuff that we needed to consider that I missed. Survey Software Top Ten Reviews for a short version Relevant Insights for a very comprehensive version.I then dumped the initial list into a requirements template I created under "Scenarios". Honestly, I'm not sure I'm going to keep this template, but it is a start.I'll clean it up later.Video is about 5 minutes long.  This is pass 1. Enjoy.

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - July 7, 2011.#669 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.55,3214 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.Host of Learning 2011 - Over 656 Registered Already! 1. Video Chat Capabilities Surge.2. Peter Cappelli on Managing Older Workers.3. SumTotal Buys 2 More Companies.4. 30 Years Ago - A Bus With 40 Future Leaders. 1. Video Chat Capabilities Surge: In the last few weeks, we have been seeing a dramatic increase in the capabilities and formats for live video chat and conferencing. First, Microsoft bought Skype. Yesterday, Facebook embedded video chat (in conjunction with Skype) into their product. Google launched with group video chat options. And, this week, we are testing www.bluejeans.com - a cloud-based bridge that combines room-based video conferencing with desktop and phone access, regardless of brand or mode. This is very exciting news for the world of learning. The MASIE Center has been tracking the rise of live video, for structured learning experiences as well as mentoring/coaching/expertise access, and we are seeing significant deployment of these new resources by trainers, learners and learning designers. As browser-based access to video chat rises, with integration into corporate communication suites you will see evolutionary deployment in our learning programs. The ability to create real-time, instant panels of subject matter experts from the field is so exciting to me as a designer and teacher. And, the ability to embed live video in a blended fashion to asynchronous learning modules opens up new doors for our development and deployment of learning resources. 2. Peter Cappelli on Managing Older Workers: I am thrilled to announce that Peter Cappelli, one of the leading thinkers in the world of Talent and HR, will be a keynoter at Learning 2011. I will be interviewing Peter about his research on "Managing the Older Worker: How to Prepare for the New Organizational Order". He is the George W. Taylor Professor of Management at The Wharton School and Director of Wharton’s Center for Human Resources. Peter will be providing a keynote perspective via a live interactive video interview from Wharton on Monday morning, focusing on the Changing Workforce and Workforce Imperatives. We now have over 656 colleagues registered for Learning 2011, to be held in Orlando from Nov 6 to 9th. Details and advanced registration discounts at http://www.learning2011.com 3. SumTotal Buys 2 More Companies: Another merger/purchase in the learning system world.  SumTotal, one of the major LMS players, just announced the acquisitions of CyberShift and Accero - both Talent Management entities. Details at www.sumtotalsystems.com As I wrote in last week’s TRENDS, you will see 2 more of these deals in the months ahead, reflecting both a shift toward wider Talent systems and renewed equity market interest in this space. 4. 30 Years Ago - A Bus With 40 Future Leaders: Thirty years ago this week, I had a very different job. I was leading a group of 40 teenagers on a bus tour across America. I put together a project called "National Student Leadership & Adventure Trip", selecting 40 teenagers between the age of 14 and 16 to spend six weeks camping and learning across the U.S.  Each student had leadership potential and was willing to be part of a collaborative learning experiment. They planned their own itinerary, shopped for and cooked all of their meals and interviewed citizens and leaders around the country. We started our trip in July 1981 at the steps of the New York State Capital and drove over 6,000 miles - learning every step of the way - from the Grand Canyon to Little Rock, Arkansas. Thirty years later, I am in touch with many of the students. They have gone on to lead really interesting lives, ranging from my colleague Jonathan Kopp who is the head of Digital at Ketchum, to Robyn Benson who is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine in Sante Fe, to Eric Reed, a program manager at Microsoft and a pilot on the US Hang Gliding Team. Each looks back at the action learning experiences of 30 years ago that ranged from working on rules for collaborative decision making to learning from interviews with people across the country as some of their most powerful learning experiences. Thirty years later, I find myself smiling with pride when thinking about the power of powerful learning designs. Note: There are still several spaces in the upcoming Video for Learning LAB & Seminar: http://www.masie.com Yours in learning, Elliott Masieemail: emasie@masie.com MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:* Video for Learning LAB & Seminar - July 18 - 20 - Saratoga Springs, NY.* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUMInfo and Registration: http://www.masie.com

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - July 13, 2011.#670 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.55,339 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.Host of Learning 2011 - Over 656 Registered Already! 1. Corporate Learning & Higher Ed: Learning from Each Other!2. Why Am I Investing in Broadway’s Godspell Show?3. Summer Reading - What Are You Reading?4. Last Minute Seats for Video for Learning. 1. Corporate Learning & Higher Ed: Learning from Each Other! Every year, I am struck by how similar some of the issues are that colleges and universities face with learning approaches to our own challenges in the corporate world. Yet, our 2 worlds rarely discuss or collaborate. Well, I am very pleased and honored to announce that EDUCAUSE’s President, Diana Oblinger, will be a keynoter at Learning 2011, to be held in Orlando in November. EDUCAUSE is the association, with 2,300 colleges and universities as members, whose mission is to advance higher education through the use of technology. Diana will present research and perspectives on how learners are evolving, learning systems need to change and ways in which workplace learning and higher education learning can learn from and with each other. I am excited about helping to build this connection. Diana will be meeting with the CLOs and other learning leaders at Learning 2011 to discuss collaboration between our two worlds. Info at http://www.learning2011.com 2. Why Am I Investing in Broadway’s Godspell Show? You may have figured out that I am a compulsive learner. I thrive on learning about new fields, new worlds and new ventures. So, when I heard that one of my favorite shows, Godspell, was coming to Broadway as a revival, I thought it would be great to invest and learn about that world. Actually, the world of theater, it turns out, has a lot in common with learning design. The producer of Godspell, Ken Davenport, has been keeping a daily countdown blog, detailing the decisions - from casting, to marketing to design - that go into staging a Broadway show. The musical opens for preview on October 13th and on Broadway on November 7th. If you would like to follow along and learn with me, Ken’s blog is at http://www.godspellblog.com/ 3. Summer Reading - What Are You Reading? We are compiling a list of books that learning colleagues are reading this summer. They can be professional, recreational, go-to-the-beach books - just anything that you are reading this summer. Send a quick note to me at emasie@masie.com and I will post a list of some of these titles for those of us wanting some new "reads".  4. Last Minute Seats for Video for Learning: There are a few seats left for last minute registration in next week’s Video for Learning LAB & Seminar, which starts on Monday in Saratoga Springs, NY. Info at http://www.masie.com  Yours in learning, Elliott Masie email: emasie@masie.com MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:* Video for Learning LAB & Seminar - July 18 - 20 - Saratoga Springs, NY.* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUMInfo and Registration: http://www.masie.com

TO: Learning ColleaguesFROM: Elliott Masie, Learning 2011 HostDATE: July 19, 2011 RE: John Lithgow to Perform and Keynote at Learning 2011 We are honored to announce that Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe Award Winner, John Lithgow will perform "Stories by Heart" and be interviewed by Elliott Masie on "The Power of Storytelling" at the Learning 2011 Conference on November 8, 2011 in Orlando, Florida. "We are very excited that John Lithgow will be featured at Learning 2011 - focusing on stories and storytelling, a key element in the field of learning. I have seen John Lithgow perform in TV, Film and Broadway, [ranging] from 3rd Rock from the Sun, to Dexter, to Footloose, to Shrek and even Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. He is also an author and musician. John Lithgow will be performing an incredible 1 person, 1 act play, where he plays all the characters at our Learning 2011 evening celebration on Tuesday night.  That afternoon, I will interview him in an "actor’s workshop" format, exploring what makes stories and storytelling powerful and effective. We are looking forward to laughing and learning with John Lithgow at Learning 2011," said Elliott Masie. Watch a 30 second video preview of John Lithgow’s appearance at Learning 2011 at http://www.learning2011.com Other presenters at this year’s event include President Bill Clinton, Founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States, who will be addressing the Learning 2011 Conference at our Monday afternoon General Session. We will also feature inventor Dean Kamen, EDUCAUSE’s Diana Oblinger, Wharton’s Peter Cappelli and more. Over 200 learning sessions and seminars on the changing world of learning are on the agenda.  Learning 2011 is co-hosted by The Learning CONSORTIUM and ASTD. Complete details on Learning 2011 and Advanced Registration are available at http://www.learning2011.com Yours in Learning, Elliott MasieChair, The Learning CONSORTIUMemail: emasie@masie.com MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUMInfo and Registration: http://www.masie.com

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - July 21, 2011.#671 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.55,339 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.Host of Learning 2011 - Over 746 Registered Already! 1. Joint Special Operations University - Spotlighted for Excellence!2. Selectric Typewriter and Usability Smiles.3. Checklists for Learning - Frameworks for Collaboration. 1. Joint Special Operations University - Spotlighted for Excellence! The Learning CONSORTIUM is proud to announce that the Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) will receive a Learning Spotlight Award at Elliott Masie’s Learning 2011, November 6-9, in Orlando, FL. In these complex times, this award recognizes JSOU’s unique mission: the education of the Special Operations Forces executive, senior, and intermediate leaders and selected other national and international security decision-makers, both military and civilian, through teaching, research, and outreach in the science and art of Joint Special Operations. "We are deeply honored to recognize the unique role that Joint Special Operations University plays in supporting the critical missions and activities of Joint Special Operations.  Their education, training, research and lessons learned activities are important keys to mission readiness and talent development in the world of Joint Special Operations.  In these complex times, we are honored to spotlight JSOU’s important learning leadership." - Elliott Masie "As a representative of our nation’s Special Operations Forces, I am honored to accept this award on behalf of the men and women of the Joint Special Operations University. As a new learning institution, we have concentrated on developing the cognitive understanding and intellectual capacity of our force to think beyond the norm. Our strength lies in rapidly combining the best instructional methods with highly relevant content into academic programs specifically tailored for special operations", said Dr. Brian Maher, President, Joint Special Operations University. At Learning 2011, we will spotlight the work, programs and innovations of Joint Special Operations University. Details at http://www.learning2011.com/jsou 2. Selectric Typewriter and Usability Smiles: I just bought a reconditioned IBM Selectric Typewriter. Why? First, I love to collect artifacts of the progression of technology. But, actually I miss the feel of the wonderful keyboard. Like many other Baby Boomers, I wrote my college papers and a decade of work letters using a Selectric. From the feel of the keys to the nice auto-correct button, it was well designed and reflected great usability. While my keyboards are OK now, I really wanted to refresh my memory with one in my office. It arrived, got spruced up, and within a few minutes, I was typing at 70 words a minute. I even remember the sound of pulling the completed paper from the roller, with a flourish!!! Here is a link to pictures of that wonderful machine http://tinyurl.com/3th3bec 3. Checklists for Learning - Frameworks for Collaboration: One of the projects that we are undertaking in the coming months is focused on Checklists for Learning! Inspired by "The Checklist Manifesto", we are curious about the ways in which we can create a Checklist Culture that leverages both e-learning assets as well as collaborative frameworks, including common vocabulary and peer feedback on core work steps. If you have ideas or opinions about Checklists for Learning, please send a note to our CLO Bob Baker at bob@masie.com Yours in learning, Elliott Masie email: emasie@masie.com MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUMInfo and Registration: http://www.masie.com

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - July 28, 2011.#673 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.55,349 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.Host of Learning 2011 - Over 746 Registered Already! Special:  "Google Effects on Memory: Cognitive Consequences of Having Information at Our Fingertips" A recently released study caught my eye this month, focusing on the changing nature of how learners deal with memorization.  Dr. Betsy Sparrow, a psychology professor at Columbia University, has been studying the impact of the access to search engines on learner’s expectations and processing of memory.  Her work, which is done with several colleagues, was so fascinating that it was covered by The New York Times and PBS.  And, I reached out to her and she has agreed to be a keynoter at Learning 2011 in November in Orlando. Here is the abstract of Dr. Sparrow’s paper in Science Magazine: "The advent of the Internet, with sophisticated algorithmic search engines, has made accessing information as easy as lifting a finger. No longer do we have to make costly efforts to find the things we want. We can "Google" the old classmate, find articles online, or look up the actor who was on the tip of our tongue. The results of four studies suggest that when faced with difficult questions, people are primed to think about computers and that when people expect to have future access to information, they have lower rates of recall of the information itself and enhanced recall instead for where to access it. The Internet has become a primary form of external or transactive memory, where information is stored collectively outside ourselves." There is a great video interview with her at our site: http://www.learning2011.com Dr. Sparrow and her collaborators, Daniel M. Wegner of Harvard and Jenny Liu of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, staged four different memory experiments. In one, participants typed 40 bits of trivia — for example, "an ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain" — into a computer. Half of the subjects believed the information would be saved in the computer; the other half believed the items they typed would be erased. The subjects were significantly more likely to remember information if they thought they would not be able to find it later. "Participants did not make the effort to remember when they thought they could later look up the trivia statement they had read," the authors write. A second experiment was aimed at determining whether computer accessibility affects precisely what we remember. "If asked the question whether there are any countries with only one color in their flag, for example," the researchers wrote, "do we think about flags — or immediately think to go online to find out?" In this case, participants were asked to remember both the trivia statement itself and which of five computer folders it was saved in. The researchers were surprised to find that people seemed better able to recall the folder. "That kind of blew my mind," Dr. Sparrow said in an interview. The experiment explores an aspect of what is known as transactive memory — the notion that we rely on our family, friends and co-workers as well as reference material to store information for us. I am very excited to have Betsy Sparrow join us at Learning 2011.  I will be interviewing her in one of the opening keynote session and she will participate in our new Research to Practice sessions, where there will be drill-down conversations about the impact of this type of research on our learning design. Once again, check out the video interview of her at http://www.learning2011.com and click on Dr. Sparrows picture on the home page. This is one of the really fun parts of being the Designer of our annual global event. I get to reach out to really smart and creative people doing great work in fields that have impact — and then get to introduce them to the critical world of workplace learning.  Yours in learning, Elliott Masie email: emasie@masie.com MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUMInfo and Registration: http://www.masie.com

TO: Learning, Training & Performance ColleaguesFROM: Elliott Masie, Editor - Learning TRENDS RE: eBook - "Learning Strategies" for Download Here is a free, Open Source eBook from The MASIE Center: Learning Strategies!Including articles from CNN, CIA, Farmers Insurance and others.104 Pages - Edited by Nigel Paine. Download: http://www.learning2011.com/strategies We hope you enjoy this resource. Yours in learning, Elliott Masie email: emasie@masie.com MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUMInfo and Registration: http://www.masie.com

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - August 3, 2011.#674 - Updates on Learning, Business & Technology.55,403 Readers - http://www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.Host of Learning 2011 - Over 746 Registered Already! 1. Summer Reading List from TRENDS Readers.2. Over 11,000 Downloads of "Learning Strategies" eBook.3. Apollo Buys Remedial Education Tool Company.4. 95 Days to Learning 2011 - Disney Mobile Learning Examples. 1. Summer Reading List from TRENDS Readers: A vast number of suggestions poured in from Learning TRENDS readers about things that they are reading this summer - on the back porch, beach or at their desks. We have posted a sample list of these books, along with the colleagues that suggested them. It is a fascinating slice of professional and personal topics. Check it out at: http://www.masie.com/summerbooks 2. Over 11,000 Downloads of "Learning Strategies" eBook: In the last 21 hours, over 11,000 colleagues around the world have downloaded our new, free, open source eBook: "Learning Strategies!" This 104 page, non-commercial and non-sponsored collection of perspectives from CNN, CIA, Farmers Insurance and others has gone viral around the learning world. If you would like to access a copy, just go to http://www.learning2011.com/strategies Thanks to our contributors and Nigel Paine for editing this timely publication. Watch for more from The MASIE Center in the months ahead. 3. Apollo Buys Remedial Education Tool Company: In the continuing merger and acquisition world, Apollo, the parent company of U of Phoenix, today purchased Carnegie Learning, Inc., a publisher of research-based math curricula, including the adaptive Cognitive Tutor(R) math software, for $75.0 million. In a separate transaction, Apollo also announced it has agreed to acquire related technology from Carnegie Mellon University for $21.5 million, payable over a 10-year period. It is interesting to see the valuation of education tools aimed at adaptive testing, tutoring and curriculum. We are predicting similar interest in "Personalization" of content and curriculum, down to the "Class of One" concept in the corporate learning marketplace 4. 95 Days to Learning 2011 - Disney Mobile Learning Examples. Every day, Learning 2011 gets closer and I get more and more excited about its design and content. Today, we confirmed a live video feed from the Disney Parks by Greg Hale, Disney Chief Safety Officer, to demonstrate how Mobile Devices are being used for safety learning and support. We are excited to bring the over 1,700 participants right into various workplaces during Learning 2011 to see new learning technologies in action. Save $ and register early at http://www.learning2011.com Yours in learning, Elliott Masie email: emasie@masie.com MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:* Learning 2011 - Nov 6 to 9, 2011 - Orlando, Florida.* Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUMInfo and Registration: http://www.masie.com