Here's a great article, from NPR, entitled Higher Ed's Moneyball, about Higher Ed's attempts to use data to provide their instructors with real-time data they can use to support their students. The examples cited seem to mostly target usage data, not more rigorous learning data, but I can't be sure. Certainly, over time, someone will figure out how to capture data that is more meaningful. Still, even the usage data seems helpful. For example, students who are inactive for a while can get extra attention, etc. Something to keep an eye on for the future...    

Today, industry luminary and social-media advocate Jane Hart wrote an incendiary blog post claiming that "the world of L&D [Learning and Development] is splitting in two." According to Jane there are good guys and bad guys. The bad guys are the "Traditionalists." Here is some of what Jane says about them: "They cling onto 20th century views of Training & Development." "They believe they know what is best for their people." "They disregard the fact that most people are bored to tears sitting in a classroom or studying an e-learning course at their desktop." "They miss the big picture - the fact that learning is much more than courses, but involves continuously acquiring new knowledge and skills as part of everyday work." "They don't understand that the world has changed." Fighting words? Yes! Insulting words? Yes! Painting with too broad a brush? Yes! Maybe just to make a point? Probably! Still, Jane's message is clear. Traditionalists are incompetent fools who must be eradicated because of the evil they are doing. Fortunately, galloping in on white horses we have "Modern Workplace Learning (MWL) practitioners." These enlightened souls are doing the following, according to Jane: "They are rejecting the creation of expensive, sophisticated e-learning content and preferring to build short, flexible, modern resources (where required) that people can access when they need them. AND they are also encouraging social content (or employee-generated content) - particularly social video - because they know that people know best what works for them." They are ditching their LMS (or perhaps just hanging on to it to manage some regulatory training) - because they recognise it is a white elephant - and it doesn’t help them understand the only valid indicator of learning success, how performance has changed and improved." They are moving to a performance-driven world - helping groups find their own solutions to problems - ones that they really need, will value, and actually use, and recognise that these solutions are often ones they organise and manage themselves." They are working with managers to help them develop their people on the ground - and see the success of these initiatives in terms of impact on job performance." They are helping individuals take responsibility for their own learning and personal development - so that they continuously grow and improve, and hence become valuable employees in the workplace." They are supporting teams as they work together using enterprise social platforms - in order to underpin the natural sharing within the group, and improve team learning." Points of Agreement I agree with Jane in a number of ways. Many of the practices we use in workplace learning are ineffective. Here are some points of agreement: Too much of our training is ineffective! Too often training and/or elearning are seen as the only answer! Too often we don't think of how we, as learning professionals, can leverage on the job learning. Too often we default to solutions that try to support performance primarily by helping people learn -- when performance assistance would be preferable. Too often we believe that we have to promote an approved organizational knowledge, when we might be better off to let our fellow workers develop and share their own knowledge. Too often we don't utilize new technologies in an effort to provide more effective learning experiences. Too often we don't leverage managers to support on-the-job learning. Too often we don't focus on how to improve performance. Impassioned Disagreement As someone who has enjoyed the stage with Jane in the past, and who knows that she's an incredibly lovely person, I doubt that she means to cast aspersions on a whole cohort of dedicated learning-and-performance professionals. Where I get knocked off my saddle is the oversimplifications encouraged in the long-running debate between the traditionalist black hats and the informal-learning-through-social-media white hats! Pitting these groups against each other is besides the point! I remember not too long ago when it was claimed that "training is dead," that "training departments will disappear," that "all learning is social," that "social-media is the answer," etc... What is often forgotten is that the only thing that really matters is the human cognitive architecture. If our learning events and workplace situations don't align with that architecture, learning will suffer. Oversimplifications that Hurt the Learning Field Learners know how they learn best so we should let them figure it out.Learners, as research shows, often do NOT know how they learn best, so it may be counterproductive not to figure out ways to support them in learning. Learning can be shortened because all learners need to do is look it up.Sometimes learners have a known learning need that can be solved with a quick burst of information. BUT NOT ALL LEARNING is like this! Much of learning requires a deeper, longer experience. Much of learning requires more practice, more practical experience, etc. Because of these needs, much of learning requires support from honest-to-goodness learning professionals. All training and elearning is boring!Really? This is obviously NOT true, even if much of it could be lots better. That people can always be trusted to create their own content!This is sometimes true and sometimes not. Indeed, sometimes people get stuff wrong (sometimes dangerously wrong). Sometimes experts actually have expertise that us normal people don't have. That using some sort of enterprise social platform is always effective, or is always more effective, or is easy to use to create successful learning. Really? Haven't you heard more than one or two horror stories -- or failed efforts? Wiki's that weren't populated. Blogs that fizzled. SharePoint sites that were isolated from users who could use the information. Forums where less than 1% of folks are involved. Et cetera... And let's not forget, these social-learning platforms tend to be much better at just-in-time learning than in long-term deeper learning (not totally, but usually). That on-the-job learning is easy to leverage.Let's face it, formal training is MUCH EASIER to leverage than on-the-job learning. On-the-job learning is messy and hard to reach. It's also hard to understand all the forces involved in on-the-job learning. And what's ironic is that there is already a group that is in a position to influence on-the-job learning. The technical term is "managers." Crowds of people always have more wisdom than single individuals.This may be one of the stupidest memes floating around our field right now. Sounds sexy. Sounds right. But not when you look into the world around us. I might suggest recent presidential candidate debates here in the United States as evidence. Clearly, the smartest ideas don't always rise to prominence! Traditional learning professionals have nothing of value to offer.Since I'm on the front lines in stating that our field is under-professionalized, I probably am the last one who should be critiquing this critique, but it strikes me as a gross simplification -- if not grossly unfair. Human learning is exponentially more complex than rocket science, so none of us have a monopoly on learning wisdom. I'm a big proponent of research-based and evidence-based practice, and yet neither research nor other forms of evidence are always omniscient. Almost every time I teach, talk to clients, read a book, read a research article, or read the newspaper, I learn more about learning. I've learned a ton from traditional learning professionals. I've also learned a ton from social-learning advocates.   Summary In today's world, there are simply too many echo-chambers -- places which are comfortable, which reinforce our preconceptions, which encourage us to demonize and close off avenues to our own improvement. We in the learning field need to leave echo-chambers to our political brethren where they will do less damage (Ha!). We have to test our assumptions, utilize the research, and develop effective evaluation tools to really test the success of our learning interventions. We have to be open, but not too-easily hoodwinked by claims and shared perceptions. Hail to the traditionalists and the social-learning evangelists!   Follow-up! Clark Quinn wrote an excellent blog post to reconcile the visions promoted by Jane and Will.   Share! If you want to share this discussion with others, here are the links: Jane's Provocative Blog Post: http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/blog/2015/11/12/the-ld-world-is-splitting-in-two/ Will's Spirited Critique: http://www.willatworklearning.com/2015/11/the-two-world-theory-of-workplace-learning-critiqued.html Clark's Reconciliation: http://blog.learnlets.com/?p=4655#comment-821615    

I've been running Work-Learning Research for 17 years. Over that time, my websites have morphed many times, getting easier to use, getting more powerful, getting better looking. I've always built my own websites, even going so far as to program some eCommerce functionality way back in 2000 or 2001. This is bootstrapping. Sure, I wish I could afford a brilliant web designer, but alas...I muddle through, often slowly. Now, motivated by my impending book release, I decided to take my designs to another level, at least for my book website. Here is the result: www.SmileSheets.com I'm kind of psyched about the new design, but I may have some blind spots. Please send your feedback to me at info@work-learning.com or leave a comment here. Thanks!   = Will Thalheimer

One of the key elements of the Univeristy of Plymouth’s Building Capacity project is learning from the JISC funded Learning Literacies for a Digital Age (LLiDA) project. In order to fully benefit from the LLiDA experience we are working with Helen Beetham, an expert in this area. Helen recently facilitated a workshop for us to help in Defining the Digital Literacy needs of UoP This workshop was attended by a range of Decision makers and Influencers from across the University and is a precursor to focus groups with students and staff. The key resources used in the Defining the Digital Literacy needs of UoP workshop were Managing change: organizations, roles and strategies Literacies development framework Learning Literacies for a Digital Age- institutional audit tool Plymouth workshop slides

The Freshers’ Fair was held in the Roland Levinsky Building on 22nd and 23rd September and, as last year, Learning Technologists were present to tell students about the benefits of using PebblePad to record and reflect on their achievements. There was so much interest that we’ve completely run out of e-Portfolio Overview Guides for Students! Many had already heard of PebblePad through Induction presentations and, as last year, were intrigued by the ability to create CVs and publish ‘webfolios’ on the web. We also ran out of guides promoting ‘myBrand‘, a webfolio that offers advice regarding using the web safely and confidently to promote yourself and your work. This is timely as it confirms that students need support with digital literacy skills, an area which the University has started to address with Helen Beetham, a key contributor to the LLiDA Project. View the excellent photo set from Freshers’ Fair by Jason Truscott

ELESIG (Evaluation of Learners’ Experiences of e-Learning Special Interest Group) is an international community of researchers and practitioners from HE and FE who work together to share knowledge and practice. On Wednesday 6th October I attended the above event to find out about the work involved in the JISC funded SLiDA Project - a study of how UK FE and HE institutions are ‘Supporting Learners in a Digital Age’. 10 institutions have produced case studies and reports with recommendations on how to develop effective institution-wide strategies and practices - these will be available soon. 3 case studies were presented to the group:- ‘How does the focus on developing digital literacies, through the use of blended learning, enhance the student experience?’ (University of Wolverhampton) Wolverhampton already has a widely acknowledged reputation for developing and using blended learning in its curriculum, especially through the integrated use of e-portfolios. The aim of this project was to embed 3 graduate attributes, one of these being digital literacy, into their programme curriculum, and this involved all services. Templates have been developed in the University’s e-portfolio system for students to record and evidence their digital literacy. Another project also used student ‘e-champions’ to use technology to support other students’ learning and act as a link between students and staff. Blended Learning is now integrated into all new courses. ‘How do research-informed approaches to learning and teaching support and develop learners in technology-rich environments’ (Oxford Brookes University) Oxford Brookes has done 5 years of work on learner experiences of e-learning research and aims to "provide an environment where students are proactively engaged in shaping their experience through influencing learning and extracurricular policy, processes and outcomes". It has identified digital and information literacy as one of 5 graduate attributes and has extended the SCONUL model (1999) as a generic framework. They are currently raising awareness and building confidence among staff through engaging programme teams in radical course redesign. The next step will be to undertake a redesign and development of the curricula in order to map the attributes onto each programme. More on this... How is a student enterprise at Surrey preparing learners for a digital age? Surrey is renowned for work integrated learning (WIL) with programmes in all disciplines providing year long work placements. Its CETL, SCEPTrE (Surrey Centre for Excellence in Professional Training and Education), elaborated on this concept, looking at the role of technology in enabling a ‘more complete education’. An outcome of this is CoLab, a student enterprise providing services to students, staff, business and local communities. 5 Students were recruited by SCEPTrE in 2007 who, in turn, took on further part-time (paid for 5 hours/week) recruits as networkers and technologists. Networkers interviewed the student body; technologists provided services: - websites, conferences, workshops and how to build iphone apps! In 2009 CoLab was incorporated into the University’s professional training framework with 2 full-time placement students managing the part-time workers. As the funding from SCEPTrE has now ceased, CoLab has become a commercial enterprise. Advice for others… engage all relevant services and take a coordinated approach allow all courses to define what digital literacy means to them allow time for people to come on board. Make it real, practical and useful by sharing case studies and exemplars identify champions and work with them to develop pilot projects that are relevant in a wider context articulate digital literacy as being developed through the learning process student-run organisations such as CoLab have the potential to enhance opportunities for creative and innovative projects

Facebook recently modified its ‘Groups’ feature. Here’s what they have to say about it… There is some good stuff here, more fully described in this post by allfacebook.com… everyone can post links, photos, videos and events. You can also upload and collaborate on a document. Another new feature is the ability to have live group chats. All of these could be great for student groups. BUT… group members can add their own friends so, even a closed group can quickly have hundreds of members, which means you will receive lots of emails unless you turn this off via ‘Edit Settings’ on the Group page. This also raises privacy issues as consequently you are sharing posts with complete strangers! you can be added to a group by a friend and will automatically be associated with it until you go to that group and remove yourself there is nowhere to add a description of the group, or to publicise events - you are only given the option to add posts, which, of course, get hidden as people post to the wall the discussion board has been removed At the moment, Facebook are continuing to support old groups but, if you want to set up a new ‘old style’ group I’m afraid you’ll have to find someone who is willing to donate an unused one.

OK - just missed Halloween (doh!) but here’s a cautionary tale about the possible perils of using social networking sites… Open publication - Free publishing - More privacy I was asked by Lee Wright, a Lecturer in Midwifery, to create a resource to advise Health & Midwifery students about using social networking sites. Working with him and Stephen Hodge, the Faculty of Health’s Learning Technologist, we decided to produce a video telling the story of a nursing student, Tracy, who is careless using Facebook and therefore has to ‘face the consequences’. The storyboard (above) was created using the excellent toonlet, a free ‘web comic blogging’ tool, although I confess I cheated and also modified some of the panels using Photoshop. The next step is to produce the video and we are currently looking for actors. So, if you would like to get involved UoP peops, please let me know ASAP!

The University of Plymouth currently has three Open Educational Resources (OER) projects funded by JISC and the Higher Education Academy. These projects are funded from Phase 2 of the HEFCE-funded Open Educational Resources (OER) programme, managed jointly by the Higher Education Academy and JISC. The programme runs between August 2010 and August 2011, it will build on and expand the work of the pilot phase around the release of OER material, and commence research and technical work examining the discovery and use of OER - specifically by academics. The OER projects currently running at the University of Plymouth are: Learning from WOeRK: OERs for CPD in the workplace The Open Fieldwork (OF) Project The Educational Development Open Resources (EDOR) Project These projects build on the experiences ganined from the previous C-change in GEES Project, funded under the Open educational resources programme - phase 1

JISC has announced its latest call for funding proposals for projects to undertake work under the sixth round of its Learning and Teaching Innovation Grants Programme. JISC wishes to fund one year projects and activities (up to £50,000) that fit with the vision, outcomes and principles of the JISC e-Learning programme and support innovative approaches to learning and teaching. This is an open call, and projects dealing with any aspect of e-learning are welcomed. To reduce the initial investment in time and resource needed to develop a traditional JISC proposal and to encourage speculative and innovative ideas from the community bidders are invited to submit outline proposals. For the purposes of this call, innovative proposals are considered to be ones which fulfil the following: are unique or pioneering - something that has not been done previously could be considered to be a "high-risk" intervention use innovative technologies or practice to directly benefit learning or the learning process for learners. For further details see http://www.jisc.ac.uk/fundingopportunities/funding_calls/2011/01/grant0408.aspx Details of previously funded LTIG bids can be found at http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearning/ltig.aspx, this also includes a review of previous bids by Neil Witt (http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/elearning/review_of_ltig_v3.doc) If staff from the University of Plymouth would like to discuss a possible bid to JISC under the Learning and Teaching Innovation Grants Programme please contact Neil Witt