This is a guest post by Christopher Pappas, founder of The eLearning Industry’s Network - the largest online community of professionals involved in the eLearning Industry. Christopher holds an MBA and an MEd (Learning Design) from BGSU. Amongst other things, Christopher is an eLearning Blogger, EduTechpreneur, eLearning Analyst, Speaker and Social Media Addict.   A blended learning experience combines face-to-face instruction with virtual games, interactive videos, and other web-based resources. This approach can offer a vast array of benefits, but only if you find the right tools for the task. In this article, I’ll share tips that can help you find the perfect tech tools for your blended learning course.   Blended learning is used by non-profit organizations, private learning institutions, and companies large and small. It is such a popular approach primarily because it capitalizes on the power of technology, without sacrificing the more personalized aspects of instructor-led training. One of the main challenges that online facilitators face is finding the right tech tools for their blended learning programs. In this post you’ll find 6 top tips for choosing the ideal software and online training platforms for an effective blended learning strategy. Identify your business goals before choosing your tools. The tools you ultimately choose for your blended learning course must serve one all-important purpose: supporting your business goals and objectives. Thus, before you actually select your tech tools for blended learning, you must clearly identify what you hope to achieve. Are you trying to boost the performance of your customer service staff? Do you need your sales team to boost their annual earnings? Do your employees need to become more proficient in a specific skill set? Sit down with your managers, staff, and any other key players to figure out how the technology must help you achieve your business objectives. Otherwise you may end up with a top notch tech tool that offers an abundance of features, but none of them are really suited to the needs of your organization. Try before you buy. Many eLearning software vendors offer a free trial or demo so that you can try out the interface and features before you purchase the software. You may even want to choose a few employees, supervisors, and department heads to take the online platform for a test drive, just to make sure that it lives up to expectations. Also, don’t forget to ask your IT department to try it out in order to gauge the functionality and flexibility of the tool. This can help you narrow down your list of potential blended learning tools and help increase your eLearning ROI. Survey your learners to discover their preferences. Conduct surveys, focus groups, and interviews with members of your staff to learn as much as possible about their preferences, tech experience, and learning needs. Figure out which devices they use on a regular basis, as well as their level of comfort with technology, in general. Some employees wouldn’t dream of leaving the house without their smartphones, while others may still be getting used to the idea of using mobile devices. It’s important to find tech tools for blended learning that are going to serve the learning needs of every employee, not just the ones who are "digital natives". Create a list of must-have features. It’s wise to create a list of features that your new tech tool for blended learning must have, so that you can whittle down your list of choices more quickly. Once you know exactly what your tech tool must do in order to serve its purpose, you can then take a closer look at all of the options and figure out which online platforms are an ideal match for your organization. You may also want to create a list of features that you would like to have, but don’t necessarily need, for example more advanced integration options. This list can actually serve as a tiebreaker if you are debating between two tools; the one that checks more of the boxes on your "want" list is probably the best investment. Ensure that it is intuitive and flexible. The tech tool you choose for blended learning should be user-friendly and flexible. Employees should be able to access the online training activities with ease, and the interface must be intuitive. Keep in mind that some of your corporate learners may not be familiar with online training. Thus, they are likely to become frustrated if the online presentations are difficult to navigate or there are no instructions to guide them through an online exercise. If your Learning and Design department wishes to implement blended learning in corporate training using this tool, you must keep employees’ skills and experience in mind as well. Ensure that the online platform offers them the perfect balance of flexibility and creative freedom, so that they aren’t limited by the software or unable to use features that are too advanced. Increase your ROI by opting for tech-forward tools. To make sure that you get the most out of your tech tools for blended learning, you must consider the needs of your organization now and in the future. If you invest in a tech-forward tool, you won’t have to purchase new software when the technology changes or modern advancements become available. Thus, it can scale with your organization instead of holding you back. It’s essential to carry out an in depth needs analysis before selecting your tech tools for blended learning, as this will allow you to predict where your organization is headed. More modern tools may require a larger investment, in some cases, but they can save you the expense of having to upgrade your software in the near future. Many vendors even offer free updates, particularly regarding cloud-based Learning Management Systems.   Use these 6 tips to choose the tech tools that are just right for your blended learning strategy, regardless of your corporate learner’s needs or your budget. Also, keep in mind that Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is also an option if you want to take a blended learning approach in your corporate training but don’t have the necessary budget.   Even if you are ready to use blended learning in your corporate training programs, are you aware of the difference between blended and flipped learning? Read the article Blended Learning vs Flipped Learning: Can You Tell The Difference? to discover the difference between these two approaches and useful tips on how to create an effective instructional design strategy for each.   Want to read more? Sign up to get our latest posts! The post 6 tips to find the right tech tools for your blended learning course appeared first on LearnUpon.

In the current turbulent environment, many organisations are prioritising risk management as never before. However, according to the newly released Global Risk Report 2016, organisations are still not fully internalising cyber security risks. Despite cyber‐dependency being stated as one of the most important trends shaping global development over the next 10 years, organisations are only just waking up to the technological risks involved.

Here are the new courses we added to our Manufacturing Training Library last month. You can also just check all of the titles in our following libraries: Industrial Maintenance Power & Utilities All Convergence Training e-learning courses We’ll keep announcing new courses each month as they roll out, so stay tuned for more. You can watch samples of the new courses below, or contact us to set up a demo and view full-length previews. Operator Basic Care Lubrication Basics While you’re here, why not download our free guide to effective manufacturing training? The post New Manufacturing Training Courses Available: Operator Basic Care; Lubrication Basics appeared first on Convergence Training Blog.

An early project.---------------------- Once I've taken the time to figure out the opportunity costs of particular scenarios and a decision regarding direction has been made, I start breaking down what needs to happen to get from here to there.------------------A valuable lesson I learned while working on my Master's Thesis is how to break down a large effort into manageable chunks.My Master's Thesis, by itself was 96 pages and 3 chapters.  I started with....well.. nothing.The deadline I set for myself was May 1994.I was starting in September 1992.I had a rough idea of what I was going to do for my thesis.Because I was going in with a rough idea of what I wanted to accomplish and the time I wanted to accomplish it in, I could project plan.- Leverage coursework assignments as research.  This made every individual assignment an opportunity to complete the research portion of the project - as much as possible.  I considered this a mini-phase.  Also - the course attendance time was used as what would now be considered as Initiating and Planning phases.- For the actual Execution phase - I separated the thesis into the 3 main chapters plus the introduction and conclusion.  Dr. Stephens and I set deadlines (milestones) for each phase.- Closing - the phase closures were the reviews of the individual chapters. Final closure of project was the Master's defense, formatting and submission to the library.Note to future grad students, when providing a culinary example...mark it clearly.  One of the other professors, expecting coffee, got a very unpleasant surprise when he consumed the beverage I had created.-------------------------How does this work in our Learning Architecture?Let's take the example of an architectural direction to reduce from 3 LMSs to 1 solution (often this will be an LMS, but not necessarily - especially with some of the technologies that are now available and the increasing maturity of the xAPI spec) Project 1: Requirements collection / LMS inventory  This is the project where we collect requirements and get an inventory of what is being used and by whom.  The final deliverables are a requirements document, an LMS capability matrix of our existing solutions and a baseline architecture - including access and reporting (what are each of those LMSs connected to.  You could do this during source selection, but our organization is finding that doing this separately allows people to focus on the conversation and what they  need - separate from any solution that is in the environment or the shiny thing they found at a conference.Project 2: Source selection Depending on the opportunity costs and budgetary constraints - this is where you decide which LMS you are moving to.  This could be either an entirely new LMS (with the advantage of putting everyone on a level playing field) or using an existing LMS (with the advantage of having familiarity with the tool in-house). Or maybe not even an LMS at all.Project 3: Solution Implementation  If the organization is using an existing LMS, this could be the project where you move the people using the other 2 LMSs into this solution.  If the organization is using a NEW LMS or an entirely different solution, this is where you would implement that  and begin moving the other LMSs into this one.  Depending upon resources and organizational appetite for change, you may want to separate moving LMSs into a separate project or series of projects.As part of the solution implementation - make sure that in your task list that you are accounting for any integrations that need to occur such as single sign on integration and business intelligence integration.  If you don't have those in your current environment, you might want to consider each of these as separate projects themselves. Project 4: LMS DecommissionIf I were doing this in my current environment - I would have 3 separate decommission projects - 1 for each LMS. I have found that making a specific, separate decommission project ensures that each stakeholder group gets the attention they deserve + helps to reduce the number of lingering legacy zombies we have in the environment.  More aggressive organizations would do this during the implementation and not need a separate project for this.Just one way of thinking about breakdowns.The goal is manageable chunks with a beginning and a free-standing end.Big enough that you are actually getting something done.Small enough so you can keep track and not drop anything.And you want to do this across all of the domains of your learning architecture.Because your learning architecture isn't just the LMS.Or, at least, it shouldn't be.Disclaimer: this example does NOT reflect what our organization plans to do. It is just an  example.

"Life's a journey with problems to solve, lessons to learn, but most of all, experiences to enjoy." (somebody very smart)I am a Google Certified InnovatorThis time last week, I was on my way to Mountain View, California to embark on an experience that is difficult to put into words. Well, I think I might have two words "Mind Blown" (*drops mic*).  Besides the excitement of my birthday (Feb. 24 - which happened to be a school snow day), I had the opportunity to join 34 other educators, from all over the world, who possessed the same passions, dedication, and mindset that I do about technology and innovation, making meaningful connections along the way. This group of educators were selected as Google Certified Innovators, (formerly the Google Certified Educator program). We are the first cohort to experience the new certified innovator program, so it was quite an honor. Although the academy was held in Mountain View at Google Headquarters, and Google is a tech company, this academy was very little about tech, in fact it was more about mindset. (however, I did get to experiment with a ricoh theta 360 camera). The academy was more about, "How do we spark innovation, change our way of thinking, learning, building relationships, and school culture."You must unlearn what you have learned"-Yoda All of the stories you have heard about the fabulousness of Google is all true! From riding your bike across the campus, all you can eat eateries, volleyball games in the courtyard, nap pods, and even heated toilet seats. As Google guests, we reaped all those benefits. I get Googley just thinking about it. But there might be some things you didn’t know about Google.  Google has specific beliefs about learning based on data. Google’s philosophy is "make our place the best place to learn."  This hit home for me, as I connected it to my role as a technology coach working with students and teachers everyday.  Google believes:Learning is a process: people develop over time through practice, feedback, and reflection.Learning happens in real life: It occurs through the challenges people face everyday.Learning is personal: Everyone has their own motivations and preferences about how, when and what they learn. (by the way, nothing is mandatory at Google)Learning is social: It happens as people interact with and teach each other. (Peers, teams, cohort, informal, and formal settings)Happy employees are more productive, so they believe in finding the best people, growing them, and keeping them. EQ Schools Founder and Chief Happiness Officer, Roni Habib stopped by to talk to us about happiness and emotional intelligence. He shared some great teamwork and "happy building" activities we could implement in any classroom or PD day. He put it best, as he talked about students, "We shouldn’t just teach content, we should teach our students to be happy." Ultimately, that’s what any parent wants for their child, and that’s what we really want for our students. Happiness. It’s just that simple. Imagine if school districts across the country embraced that same mindset? Classrooms full of teachers and students who felt that their happiness and well-being was always at the forefront of the minds of the national and state level educational policy makers, school board members, and district administrators. I wonder what impact that might have on education? (Things that make you go hmmm....) A little about the program:As Certified innovators we are developing an innovation project for a problem in education that we want to solve. In exchange, we receive 12 months of ongoing support for our innovation project, a mentor, opportunities for growth and collaboration, and access to a global community of other innovators. Ultimately, the opportunity to Transform, Advocate, and Grow. "The goal of the Innovation Academy is to build community and trust, create connections with Coaches and Advisors, get inspired by Googley culture, and prepare to complete their Innovation Project within 12 months."The beginning:This was actually my first time applying. I had heard about the Google Certified Educator Academy, but the academy dates seemed to always conflict with my schedule, plus I felt it was a goal that was too difficult to obtain. There are only 1300 people in the world who have this credential. I have been a Google Certified Trainer for years, so when I heard about the opportunity to attend the academy at Google Headquarters in Mountain View California, I was pumped. This by far was the most extensive program application I have ever completed, because it required me to dig deep and embrace my passion. I had to really think about how I could truly impact and spark innovation in my school community and ultimately globally. Take a glimpse into my application. Vision Deck:Vision Video:Before the Academy: As soon as I received my acceptance email into the Academy, the journey and work began. We spent the weeks before preparing for the academy by building community through virtual team building activities, and extensive tasks. Each week we were given a different mission card with several tasks to complete. Our first task was to view each innovator’s video and vision slide decks.  Then to our surprise, we all received a mini breakout Edu box in the mail. Figuring out what to do with the boxes became our next challenge. My partner was Matt, from Wisconsin, he was awesome, and we immediately connected. By the time we got to Mountain View, our cohort had completed 4 mission cards, and probably exchanged more than 500 emails, hangout chats, and tweets. (We were a very connected chatty group)The Academy:We had so many powerful global leaders, heavy hitters, innovative speakers, and powerful conversations.. They just kept coming… We had sparks (inspirational talks), then sprints (speed work time), hypercamps (an edcamp 1st cousin), then reflections, dance battles, and magic tricks...we built prototypes, brainstormed ideas, had courageous conversations, and sometimes went really far outside of our comfort zones. And.It.didn’t.stop. and I didn’t want it to.  I was truly at a "nerdfest" and I loved every minute of  it. As I said earlier, "Mind Blown"! Here are a few of the nuggets of knowledge I took away from the academy."He who knows others is wise, but he who knows himself is enlightened"I learned about myself, and about the others around me. I found my tribe, and we made deep connections. Each innovator was placed on a team. We had a team cheer, name, symbol, and walk-up song. Our symbol was the Peace sign, so my team will be forever known as the Black Eyed P.E.A.C.E. (Passionate, Educators, Always, Collaborating, Effectively)Our coach  Jay Atawood, introduced me to Derek Sivers. "what’s obvious to you, is amazing to others". Often times we think our ideas are too simple, or just too obvious, and that everybody knows what we know, but the truth is they don’t, so you shouldn’t be afraid to share your passion, or hedgehog. Jay compared the fox and the hedgehog. A fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing. Take your skills, values, and passions, and find your hedgehog. "Be like a postage stamp, Stick to one thing, until you finish it" - Josh Billings Jennie Magiera reminded me to always remember the Why. Why do we do what we do? Sometimes you can’t share the why, because it can be overwhelming to others. But it’s important to always "keep your eye on the why". Keeping your "eye on the why", prioritize the things that matter the most. Your "Big Rocks", - big ideas, and organize your "Pebbles"- the must-do weekly items that will support or get you to the "Why", and then make time for the "sand" all that other unscheduled stuff, (social media, emails, etc.). Gina Rosales, the Google X Marketing Manager taught me about Moonshot thinking- a series of amazing audacious things. Moonshot thinking is all about solving a huge problem that affects a lot of people by launching moonshot technologies that make the world a radically better place. In order to have moonshot thinking, you have believe that the impossible is possible. You have to learn to say Yes, and… instead of Yes, but… You have to fail fast, and kill the bad ideas quickly, to move on to the good ones.Mark Wagner, Google Edtech Team, taught me that our future as educators is in the past, and this is only the beginning for our students, but by "blending science and technology with the heart of a teacher, you can make the future better".Kevin Brookhouser author of the 20 Time book,  talked about giving students more freedom in what they learn and how they learn it. If we show students that their work has value, beyond the work they are doing, and how it affects the lives of others in their community, their learning has purpose. One of my biggest takeaways came from Danieta Morgan, an Instructional Systems Coordinator from New Visions for Public Schools in NY. She taught me about overcoming fear. Fears have the ability to break you and hold you back, and control your mind. Most of time these fears are just in your mind, and are not necessarily real. Resist fighting fears, but instead, dance and play with fear and let it take you wherever it wants to go. "We can resist fear and get hurt, let it run our lives, or we can "dance with it." I started off this journey with a vision to change the way learning looks in the classroom, I now realize a major part of that change involves a change in mindset. I am now inspired and full of creative confidence. Now the real work begins. This journey has not been easy - in fact it has been quite the challenge, but through these challenges I have become better, and more inspired.- P.BrownI thank you for being a part of my journey.

I first learned about the flipped classroom model at METC probably 4 years ago, and immediately went to work researching … ok honestly Pinteresting like a madwoman … trying to learn about this instructional strategy. I was really looking for honest feedback on the flipped model from a teacher who had actually implemented the strategy. […] The post I Wish I Would Have Known This Before I Flipped My Classroom : 4 Flipped Classroom Tips from a Second Year "Flipper" appeared first on Teaching with Technology.

If you have never been to a real Irish wedding, know that it is a marathon. Before the wedding begins, the families stroll the graveyard on the property to pray over or talk with the relatives who have passed. Generally there is a beautiful morning wedding in a stone church complete with haunting Irish music played and sung by relatives. After the wedding, it's a quick visit to the local pub or a visit to an elder relative who may serve you Jameson in a juice glass before noon. Mid afternoon, you're off to the reception which usually has Happy Hour, Dinner, Happy Hour, Dancing and Happy Hour on repeat, sometimes for multiple days. This proverb explains it all "An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold onto one blade of grass and not fall off the face of the earth." I have never been to a wedding in the US like this. Everyone is family at these events and celebration means reconnecting. Even the children are treated to presents and fun as shown by my little cousin Michael (right). As demonstrated by our current elections and global politics, it's become very easy to hate people we don't know and even some we do. We're pretty thrilled with wishing limping on others. Even at work, we make up stupid things in our head about people and we suspend them into always being that person that did that thing. With all the multitasking and chaos at work, people are isolated and tired, triggering more judgment, comparison and disconnect. "Us Against Them" is an evil but easy game when nothing else is getting done but hate and discontent. I do not believe this is the best use of our time.   

Think your organization is too young, hip, and fresh to have baby boomers on its books? Think again. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 59,000 Americans over the age of 60 are currently enrolled in colleges and universities. A recent report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project estimates that 70 percent of people aged 50 to 64 uses the Internet, and 33 percent of people over 65 do the same. Oh and also, did we mention that those over 50 are the fastest growing demographic online? According to Immersion Active, that’s a fact. Wow. If your eLearning audience are baby boomers then, how do you design eLearning courses that cater to their needs? Well, let’s have a look. What follows is our guide to eLearning design for the baby-boomer audience.