I was struggling this month to feel inspired about a Big Question. I probably need some help soon to keep the questions going and interesting. Volunteers?Luckily Stephen Downes came to my rescue by pointing me to a fantastic piece Technology to Enhance Learning in 2015? In it, Derek Morrison talks about his answers to the question:So what can, should, or will, we offer the digital generation by 2015? In the world of workplace eLearning, the question is only slightly different and leads us to ask for five year out predictions. So the May Question is:What will workplace learning technology look like in 2015? or more correctly, how will things have changed from today. What are your predictions.And if you are smart, you will do what Derek did and keep it in a medium where you can enhance it so that if you look back in five years you can fudge your answers.I'm looking forward to seeing some interesting responses to this. I hope a few of the old timers like Brent, Mark, Jay - heck - you know who you are - will jump in on this.How to Respond:Option 1 - Simply put your thoughts in a comment below.Option 2 -Step 1 - Post in your blog (please link to this post).Step 2 - Put a comment in this blog with an HTML ready link that I can simply copy and paste (an HTML anchor tag). I will only copy and past, thus, I would also recommend you include your NAME immediately before your link. So, it should look like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0or you could also include your blog name with something like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0 : eLearningTechnologyPosts so far (and read comments as well):Kimberly Worthy - Stepping onto the eLearning Path: Learning Technology for 2015Tony Karrer - Performance Support 2015Clark Quinn - Learning Technology 2015Jeff's Response to the Big QuestionTony Karrer - Beginning of Long Slow Death of FlashAmit Garg (Upside Learning) - Future of learning technology - 2015Is the Matrix the future? Ignatia 2015 - augmented learning in a ubiquitous environment. Tony Karrer - Future of Virtual 3D Environments for LearningLearning Moments Logos Learn -Workplace Learning Technology in 2015: Implications for Instructional DesignClive Shepherd's predictionsLynn Wernham's thoughtsRani Gill - 2015 - Signal vs. NoiseSreya - Future of organizational learning.The BIG Answer - Maybe!

I did an interview last week for the Frank Peters Show around my experience working as a Startup CTO. It was a lot of fun because I regularly list to Frank's podcast. Frank asked me about the disconnect (especially in Los Angeles Web Development) between the fact that it's hard to find really good developers and the fact that there seems to be a lack of opportunity for students to learn about programming. Most high schools don't teach programming. For me, that's when I was exposed. There was a great teacher, Mr. Thigpen, who taught me BASIC and then we worked together via independent studies for me to learn Pascal. It's what got me into computer science. Frank is determined to set up some kind of program for boy scouts locally so they can be exposed. I think that's a great idea. But it also got me to thinking ...Last month - there was a wonderful set of posts looking at all kinds of things that might come to be Learning Technology 2015. A fair number of these posts suggest that to be a well rounded eLearning professional, you are going to need to know quite a bit about different kinds of tools. And, of course, there are issues like the possible Beginning of Long Slow Death of Flash that might have a big impact on what you should learn.So the June Question is:What tools should we learn? Initially I was thinking - what tools should we be teaching? And I was thinking about the context of things like master's programs. But, it's also what tools should we be teaching to professionals at industry events or training programs?And really, the reality is that you shouldn't rely on your educational institution, employer, association, etc. to decide what tools you should learn? The question is really about the specific tools that would make sense to learn today in order to be a valuable eLearning professional in 2015? There's also a question of the depth you need to know these tools.If you really want to be helpful, you might point us to resources that someone could use to learn the tool at the level you are suggesting.How to Respond:Option 1 - Simply put your thoughts in a comment below.Option 2 -Step 1 - Post in your blog (please link to this post).Step 2 - Put a comment in this blog with an HTML ready link that I can simply copy and paste (an HTML anchor tag). I will only copy and past, thus, I would also recommend you include your NAME immediately before your link. So, it should look like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0or you could also include your blog name with something like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0 : eLearningTechnologyPosts so far (and read comments as well):Harold Jarche What Tools Should we Learn?Piotr - read more Holly MacDonaldJeff Goldman - Development Tools I Would Learn If I Were You - Jeff's response to June’s Big QuestionA view from Clive ShepherdTony Karrer - Learning FlashJeff Goldman - What I Would Like to Say About HTML5 and Flash

David Grebow suggested this month's Big Question (thanks David).There's been a lot of discussion around cognitive theory and "how the brain learns." I've been to a lot of conference sessions around this and I've captured a bunch of really great resources below.But even with all of that discussion there's a question of whether people are really making changes to the design of their online learning.So the July Question is:Does the discussion of "how the brain learns" impact your eLearning design?How to Respond:Option 1 - Simply put your thoughts in a comment below.Option 2 -Step 1 - Post in your blog (please link to this post).Step 2 - Put a comment in this blog with an HTML ready link that I can simply copy and paste (an HTML anchor tag). I will only copy and past, thus, I would also recommend you include your NAME immediately before your link. So, it should look like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0or you could also include your blog name with something like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0 : eLearningTechnologyVideo Link and Posts so far (and read comments as well):Jason McDonald - Maybe You Should Read the ManualThoughts from Clive Shepherd at Clive on Learning.YouTube Video - Brain based education: Fad or breakthrough--high qualityClark Quinn's Learnlets - Brain science in design?Paul Angileri - If What You Mean Is the Opposite of the Thing, then Yes...Rakesh Poddar - Instructional Design is about Adapting Instruction to Brain’s WaysTop 32 Posts on Brain, Learning, eLearning DesignI used eLearning Learning to do some quick research to find top resources related to Cognitive Theory, Brain in combination with terms like Instructional Design, Online Learning, Learning Theory, Pedagogy such as: Cognitive Learning Theory, Brain Learning Theory, Instructional Design and Cognitive Theory, Brain and Learning Styles, Brain and Instructional Design, Brain Online Learning Design, Online Learning Pedagogy - this found 32 really great resources on this topic that I've listed below:The Science Behind Learning: Cognitive Tips and How Tos for Corporate Training, February 28, 2010 Expanding On The Nine Events Of Instruction- The eLearning Coach, April 19, 2010 Transfer of Learning - Theories and Implications- Designed for Learning, October 31, 2009 Why are people so dumb? (Cognitive Biases), November 1, 2009 Cognitive Load vs. Load Time, October 9, 2009 Aging. Can We Enhance People's Cognitive Outcomes?, June 4, 2009 Rob Barton: Reducing Extraneous Cognitive Load by Accounting for Individual Differences, January 12, 2009 Push Your Brain! Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, January 26, 2009 Discovering Instructional Design, Part 1- The E-Learning Curve, May 19, 2009 Taxonomy of Learning Theories- E-learning in the Corporate Sector, January 12, 2010 Game-based meta-cognitive coaching- Learnlets, October 15, 2009 20 Facts You Must Know About Working Memory- The eLearning Coach, June 2, 2010 Start and End eLearning Courses with Methods That Facilitate Learning- Integrated Learnings, January 26, 2010 Cognitive Psychology Anyone?- The eLearning Coach, January 25, 2010 Inaccurate claims of brain training benefits- Lars is Learning, January 8, 2008 Definition: Cognitivism- Kapp Notes, December 28, 2006 Theory-informed design tips- E-learning in the Corporate Sector, February 9, 2010 The science of learning- Clive on Learning, February 21, 2007 Deeper Instructional Design- In the Middle of the Curve, November 13, 2008 Brain Based Learning- eLearning Blender, September 28, 2008 Understanding Learning Styles Research- Experiencing eLearning, September 1, 2008 4 ways to enlist the learners’ unconscious mind- Thinking Cloud, December 20, 2009 Daniel Pink and Framing the Task, September 22, 2009 Brain rules - where does that leave us?- Clive on Learning, June 22, 2009 Brain Rules & learning- Informal Learning, June 13, 2010 Brain changing technology- Learning Technology Learning, March 15, 2010 The art of changing the brain- Clive on Learning, May 13, 2008 Tools and our brain, July 10, 2009 Be Skeptical of Brain-Based Learning, July 21, 2008 Are you being fooled by claims of brain-based learning?, June 2, 2010 That brain of ours, July 9, 2009 12 Brain Rules continue to stir interest with Instructional Designers, April 10, 2009

Over the past couple of months, Dr. Joel Harband has been teaching me all about Using Text-to-Speech in eLearning. This has been a great way for me to learn about the topic.However, there was a comment on one of my posts that made me realize that the discussion of the use of voice-over in eLearning was far beyond the conversation that Joel and I were having. The comment was:Even the best Text-to-Speech can only do one thing - receive text and spit it back out. There is no substitute for a professional voice talent, who can interpret the meaning and message of your e-learning scripts. A good voice talent knows how and when to change up the tone or feel of a read when things are getting overly technical or have gone on a while. The most sophisticated text-to-speech cannot approach a real voice person for e-learning. Why do text-to-speech when the cost of a good voice talent will more than pay for itself with satisfied clients and learners?If you step back, there's a set of broader questions that I've often struggled with:When does it make sense to use voice-over in your eLearning course?Given the range of solutions for voice-over from text-to-speech, home-grown human voice-over, professional voice-over: how do you decide what's right for your course?How do you justify the budget and how does that factor into your choice of solution?Are there places where text-to-speech makes sense?Given relatively low-cost recording and editing solutions, does anyone use a studio anymore? When/why?And, last but not least, I've read a lot of conflicting information about the right way to use voice-over in a course. How do you do it right? Can you have the same text on the screen? Can you have text on the screen or diagrams/animations only?The September Question is:Effective voice-over in eLearning?This is one of the bigger big questions. I'm hoping that we can use this to collect up some pretty good information to help eLearning professionals to make smart choices about voice-over in eLearning.How to Respond:Option 1 - Simply put your thoughts in a comment below.Option 2 -Step 1 - Post in your blog (please link to this post).Step 2 - Put a comment in this blog with an HTML ready link that I can simply copy and paste (an HTML anchor tag). I will only copy and past, thus, I would also recommend you include your NAME immediately before your link. So, it should look like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0or you could also include your blog name with something like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0 : eLearningTechnologyPosts so far (and read comments as well):Jason McDonald - Narration in eLearningIgnatia / Inge de Waard's thoughts on when to use TTS or the human voice in eLearning. Cathy Moore -Do we really need narration? and Addicted to Audio? and Should We Narrate On-Screen Text?Jeff's Response - Narration in e-Learning, SometimesShaun - Perception of valueKarl Kapp - Kapp Notes: Audio in E-LearningTony Karrer - Text-to-Speech vs Human Narration for eLearningNibha Verma - Effective Voice-Over In ELearning!

Whoops, October completely snuck up on me. I'm a couple days late posting this. And I have a bit different question this month.One of the things that has always bugged me is that its very hard to find good case studies. A few years ago, we asked a big question Where are the Examples of eLearning? It resulted in finding some good examples such as: Elearning samples and eLearning Examples. There are a few more to be found via eLearning Case Studies on the eLearning Learning site.But most of the time, these examples and case studies tend to focus on different styles of interaction in online courses.I wanted to do something a bit different here. For most of us, we've worked on a few projects that use technology and have had a Big Impact on performance and the business. It wasn't just a check-the-box kind of training exercise. It was big and meaningful. I want to hear about those projects.The October Big Question is:Examples of Big Impact from Technology?Brag a little, it's okay. If you can't name the company, just say "Big Box Retailer" or something like that. I want to know what projects you are most proud of in your life. But it does need to have technology as part of the solution.How to Respond:Option 1 - Simply put your thoughts in a comment below.Option 2 -Step 1 - Post in your blog (please link to this post).Step 2 - Put a comment in this blog with an HTML ready link that I can simply copy and paste (an HTML anchor tag). I will only copy and past, thus, I would also recommend you include your NAME immediately before your link. So, it should look like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0or you could also include your blog name with something like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0 : eLearningTechnologyPosts so far (and read comments as well):Jason McDonald - Maybe You Should Read the ManualTony Karrer - Goals Accountability and Social Support for Big ImpactIgnatia Inge de Waard lists her success factors for big impact eLearning

I just saw a great post by George Siemens - Questions I’m no Longer Asking where he lays out the questions that he no longer finds interesting or relevant. This is incredible stuff because it really points to what's changed over the past few years.George is asking this more for educators, but I'd like to piggy back and ask about this for learning professionals (educators, trainers, eLearning designers/creators, etc.).The November Big Question is:What questions are you no longer asking? What are your new questions?If you aren't sure what I'm asking, look at the post by George. It lays it out pretty well.How to Respond:Option 1 - Simply put your thoughts in a comment below.Option 2 -Step 1 - Post in your blog (please link to this post).Step 2 - Put a comment in this blog with an HTML ready link that I can simply copy and paste (an HTML anchor tag). I will only copy and past, thus, I would also recommend you include your NAME immediately before your link. So, it should look like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0or you could also include your blog name with something like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0 : eLearningTechnologyPosts so far (and read comments as well):Jason McDonald - Maybe You Should Read the ManualClive Shepherd Clive on LearningQuestions I No Longer Ask - Jeff's ResponsePaul Angileri - There Is No ChalkHolly MacDonald - Spark Your Interest! - Questions I'm No Longer AnswseringRK Prasad - Custom Training and eLearning Blog

We are going to continue a tradition in the Big Question ...The Big Question for December is:What did you learn about learning in 2010?If you are a blogger, I would highly recommend taking this as an opportunity to go back through your blog posts over the year and looking for any "aha moments" or highlight the posts that you think were the best/most interesting.If you are not a blogger, please go read Should All Learning Professionals Blog? andTop Ten Reasons To Blog and Top Ten Not to Blog and consider if this might not be the perfect moment to start.If I still (after 3 years) can't convince you, then you should still take this as an opportunity to reflect on the year and come up with what you've learned. I can promise it's well worth the time.You might want to look back at some discussions going on during the last few yearly recaps:2009 - Learning 20092008 - Learn about Learning?2007 - What Did You Learn about Learning?2006 - Past experiences. Present Challenge. Future Predictions.How to Respond:Option 1 - Simply put your thoughts in a comment below.Option 2 -Step 1 - Post in your blog (please link to this post).Step 2 - Put a comment in this blog with an HTML ready link that I can simply copy and paste (an HTML anchor tag). I will only copy and past, thus, I would also recommend you include your NAME immediately before your link. So, it should look like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0or you could also include your blog name with something like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0 : eLearningTechnologyPosts so far (and read comments as well):Jason McDonald - Maybe You Should Read the ManualRyan Tracey - Online courses must die!Tony Karrer - Seven Things I Learned This YearKelly Meeker/OpenSesame - 10 Useful Things I Learned This YearPaul Angileri - The Fluidity of Learning in Today's OrganizationsJeff Goldman - Reflecting on My 2010 Blog Posts and Happy New Year

I've been moderating the Big Question for more than four years at this point. For me, it's been a great way to foster conversation in the blogosphere. In the past few months, activity (posts, comments, comments on posts) on the big questions has seen a big drop. So - here's the big question for January 2011:Should the Big Question continue?And if you think it should but with changes, then what are those changes?How to Respond:Option 1 - Simply put your thoughts in a comment below.Option 2 -Step 1 - Post in your blog (please link to this post).Step 2 - Put a comment in this blog with an HTML ready link that I can simply copy and paste (an HTML anchor tag). I will only copy and past, thus, I would also recommend you include your NAME immediately before your link. So, it should look like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0or you could also include your blog name with something like:Tony Karrer - e-Learning 2.0 : eLearningTechnologyPosts so far (and read comments as well):

I'm happy to announce that several thought leaders have joined together with me to revitalize the Big Question. We will likely be trying some different things over the next few months. What exactly, we aren't sure. We'll figure it out as we go. The goals of the Big Question will remain the same: A way to highlight thought leaders around topics of interest to eLearning Professionals A way to stimulate different perspectives on questions that are of interest to eLearning Professionals. We are definitely interested in having contributions from other Thought Leaders, so feel free to contact me: akarrer@techempower.com if you are interested in participating. Glenn Hansen Glenn has over 10 year's experience in the field of workplace learning and performance, and is currently the Learning and Development Manager at The Salvation Army Employment Plus in Australia. He has a particular interest in how communications technology can enhance and facilitate corporate learning and performance, and the creation of new opportunities for learning in and outside the workforce. Glenn holds a Master of Psychology degree, and enjoys Australian Rules Football, NFL and most other sports that involve a ball and action. Blog: http://www.glennhansen.tumblr.com Twitter: @glennhansen_ Thomas Edgerton Thomas Edgerton is a performance consultant, professional coach, instructional technologist, master swimmer, and perpetual optimist. Over the years, his award winning work traverses sneaker net to the present crossing diverse industries, platforms, pedagogy, and people. Let me warn you beforehand, I am more hopeful today than at any previous point in my life. twitter: 4EFRSWM linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasedgerton website: www.skilledge.,net Jeffrey Goldman Jeff Goldman has 13+ years experience in the training and development field, including nine years designing and developing e-learning. He has a dual focus in both online learning and classroom training and has experience designing learning solutions in banking, healthcare, and for nonprofit organizations. Jeff holds a Master of Arts degree in Instructional Systems Design from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Blog: www.minutebio.com/blog LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/minutebio Twitter: www.twitter.com/minutebio Holly MacDonald Holly lives on a small semi-rural island off the coast of British Columbia, Canada where she works as an independent learning strategist, advising clients thoughout their journey to e-learning. She's particularly interested in performance support and the rise of user generated content as growth areas for traditional workplace learning. Holly's been tinkering in the learning field for over 15 years in a variety of roles. After 12+ years in the corporate world, she decided that climbing the career ladder was not the only option and freedom 55 was someone else's dream. She's enjoying the diversity that consulting offers, even if the workload is daunting at times. She's a voracious reader (mostly snobby fiction), a fair-weather sea kayaker, enthusiastic (but not particularly skilful) downhill skier and a busy mom who seeks to find time to do it all. Web: http://www.sparkandco.ca Twitter: http://twitter.com/sparkandco LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/hollymacdonald Blog: http://sparkyourinterest.wordpress.com/ Kasper Spiro Kasper has over 25 years of experience in the field of learning and user performance support. His learning experience goes from teaching, authoring textbooks, designing and creating e-Learning, knowledge management and user performance support. As a manager his experience ranges from being CEO of an early internet startup in the nineties to his current position as CEO of easygenerator. He has a passion for learning, learning technology and innovation. With easygenerator he is on a mission to make it the best e-learning authoring system in the world and innovate e-Learning along the way. He believes that we should bring (e)-Learning to the workplace and that learning content is key in reaching that goal.Blog: www.KasperSpiro.com LinkedIn, Skype, Twitter: KasperSpiro Web: www.easygenerator.com