Outsource the learning function

More and more companies are considering outsourcing (part of) the learning function. So maybe it is not a question of 'if' but 'when'... In any case you should always keep the learning strategy in your own hands and that of your Chief Learning Officer, who's job it is to assure alignment of the learning function with the business.

On the website trainingoutsourcing.com there are many links and articles on the topic. For example the Training Process Framework. It lists processes that are typically found in the learning function in 3 categories: administration, content and delivery.

LMS getting cheaper

In a recent Brandon Hall newsflash, Richard Nantel compares prices of LMS systems over time. He concludes prices have dropped since 2005 for small, medium and enterprise wide installations, and equally for installed or hosted systems. (hosted solutions are more expensive than internally installed systems)

Survey: more e-learning

Novation Group did a survey among +2000 HR professionals. They report that they are under pressure to reduce the time-away of the employee and increase the bottom line accountability of learning. No surprises there, these are trends we see for some time now.

Here are some trends on the rise:

• More online/e-learning: 57 percent
• Greater effort to quantify results of training/development: 42 percent
• Increased on-the-job training: 41 percent
• Personal coaching: 35 percent
• Fewer classroom hours/more condensed classroom time: 30 percent
• Outsourcing of trainers/facilitation resources: 25 percent
• More podcasting: 10 percent

I note that blending education with forms of e-learning is rising (as predicted), the ROI focus is getting stronger (as predicted), and learning is more embedded on the job rather than an island on its own (as predicted). I'm surprised at the strong trend for outsourcing (25%). But it is on a lot of agenda's so I guess we'll see a lot of that happening in the years to come.

But stay real people, because classroom training isn't going anywhere. It still holds a strong unquestionable first position.

• Classroom training (instructor-led): 87 percent
• On-the-job (OTJ) training: 79 percent
• Seminars/webinars: 78 percent
• Coaching/mentoring: 66 percent
• e-learning/self-paced study: 64 percent
• University programs: 33 percent
• Simulations: 22 percent

Clips of learning (3) - ISO reference process

The last clipping I find worth sharing is one on the ISO reference process for the development of a new e-learning program.

Clips of learning (1)

I often copy some pages from magazines or other sources of information to read later. After some time when the pile on my desk becomes too high, I start going through them. The samples below come from some of the clippings I find interesting. However, I have forgotten where I got them from, so please forgive me if I cannot recall the source.

For the first clip, the source is luckily still included. It is a categorisation of 4 quality preference profiles: individualist, result-oriented, pragmatic and avant-gardist. Not everyone finds every aspect of the learning activities spectrum as appealing. (click on the picture to enlarge)















The second clipping comes from a survey amongst learning professionals and lists the learning roles most in demand. Instructors and instructional designers are on the top of the list. Our industry is expecting a revival because of the war on talent that is emerging (and in some sectors it is already war time). But so far the learning industry doesn't expect this war of talent to affect herself... I think we might also see a fight over scare learning profiles in the years to come.

Learning Dashboards

Companies want to be able to manage the learning function just as any other function or business. Therefore, CLOs need relevant data to base their decisions on. One way is to construct a learning dashboard.
According to Jeffrey Berk in a recent article (Designing and Delivering Learning Analytics Dashboards), there should be 4 categories of data available in such a dashboard: operational, financial, performance, cultural.

• Operational
• Number of students trained / training hours performed
• Usage rates of instructors, e-learning
• Average class size
• Completion and cancellation rates
  
• Financial
• Cost per student day
• Learning as a percentage of payroll
• Development budget
• Productivity and ROI
  
• Performance
• Satisfaction (level 1)
• Test scores
• Time-to-competence
  
• Cultural
• Average hours per employee
• Management support

Elliott Masie on changes in LMS systems

Elliott Masie will be hosting another LMS conference in April, and as a warmer up to that you can listen for free to a 20-something minute flash audio presentation on what he sees as changes in LMS systems. I found this once again a very insightful talk. Basically he sees changes in LMS systems technology, content models, new learners, processes, Services & IT and a changing marketplace.
So, how does your current LMS cope with all these? Because the bar for LMS systems is raising...

http://www.lms2007.com/changes

LMS Selection and Implementation webcast replay

There is a free webcast replay available on the Brandon Hall site on LMS Selection and Implemantion. Three panel speakers go over selection, implementation, governance, completion and other topics of their LMS projects.

It is also a nice example of an Adobe Breeze live meeting if you never been in one. Breeze is a popular web meeting/training tool. I also enjoyed the format of the webcast: a well moderated panel discussion where key topics were written down on the slide templates by the moderators.

http://www.brandon-hall.com/webinars/6mar07.shtml

Best in learning content sample

The Brandon-Hall awards are like the Oscars for e-learning. You can now find a link to a flash movie on one of the winners of last year: the course 'Sustainability: Step by Natural Step'. The course pleased the judges because of the many case study examples, high level of interactivity, effective presentation, simple but engaging, ...

http://www.brandonhallawards.com/free/163-CC-TM/TNS-BrandonHall.html

Another example is the course 'Launching your business'. The link to a flash example is on

http://www.brandonhallawards.com/free/CCFC-Allen176/

Cisco acquires WebEx

In a move I didn't see coming, Cisco will acquire the WebEx web conferencing services for $2.9 billion. We all know the education and collaboration software market is in consolidation, but I never would have thought Cisco entering it. In a way, Cisco also touches the learning market now because WebEx is a very popular tool for web conferences. And web conferences and virtual classes are very closely linked. It also puts them right in the face of vendors like Saba (Centra), Microsoft (Office Live Virtual Meeting) and IBM (Quickr, Sametime).

WebQuests

A new kind of learning activity is the web quest. It can be seen as an educational 'treasure hunt'. There is a clear task and goal and all activities are done via the web. It's an example of learning by doing.
There are some places where you can find ready-made web quests, such as DiscoverySchool.com or webquest.sdsu.edu/matrix.html. A problem with web quests is 'link rot', you need to constantly check if all links are still valid.

E-portfolio's: what should be in it?

Components of e-portfolio's might vary, but this is a list made by George Siemens (2004)

- Personal information
- Education history
- Recognition such as awards and certificates
- Reflective comments
- Coursework such as assignments and projects
- Instructor comments
- Previous employer comments
- Goals, plans
- Personal values and interests
- Presentations, papers
- Personal activities such as voluteer work, professional development

Avatars in e-learning

Codebaby.com is another example of a company that provides avatars/agents for e-learning.
This is a link to a course sample on 'tires'.

http://www3.codebaby.com/demo/fountaintire/

New book on learning and games 'I'll take learning for 500'

Among the myths they debunk (as excerpted from their book)?

Myth 1: A game show wouldn't appeal to my trainees; they're too shy, too professional, too blue-collar, too serious.
Truth: Games have the uncanny ability to engage even the shyest, most skeptical or most professional of trainees. Everyone from a white-collar executive to a blue-collar factory line worker likes to have fun and compete. They will appreciate a training experience that is exciting and engaging.
Game shows have multiple elements that appeal to a wide spectrum of people, from the most competitive salesperson to the shyest "newbie." They include competition, socialization, fun, learning and a chance to express themselves and their knowledge.

Myth 2: They won't work for my subject; it's too technical or too sensitive to have fun.
Truth: Game shows can take a subject that is particularly touchy, tough, and tedious and transform it into a truly tantalizing training experience. Any subject can be made into a game show.

Myth 3: They're too difficult to create and take too much time to construct; I don't have that kind of time to spend every week.
Truth: Game shows can be as elaborate as you want to make them or as simple as you need them to be. Software shells can take a lot of the grunt work out of the creation process. In most, all you have to do is type your questions and answers. If you're really pressed for time, there are companies that offer content modules for common training topics; import the questions into your game, and you're ready to go.

Myth 4: I don't have time in my training session for a game; I have too much material to cover.
Truth: Game shows don't have to replace the time you devote to training. Most people have reviews and recap sessions during or after the main training session anyway. This is where game shows can be used as a quick review. Although television game shows last half an hour, yours doesn't have to. Even a five-minute review with a game show can be beneficial to capture trainees' knowledge and ensure that your information is in their heads.
Think about this: when you review with a game show, you gain insight into knowledge gaps that your students may have. Knowing what they know and don't know can help you focus and leverage the time you have remaining in your training session -- saving you time overall and helping you achieve your training goals. Because game shows also increase retention, you'll save time in your training session, especially if the upcoming material builds off of the material you're reviewing with the game show.

Myth 5: Game shows don't fit the company culture; we just don't DO that kind of thing here.
Truth: We've been raised to believe that because training is serious, training methods must be serious. Training IS serious, and that's why it is so important to present information in a way that people will remember and use. Sometimes that means using unconventional methods in a conventional environment. Game shows don't have to be tacky, loud or over-the-top; they can be tailored to match your culture and your needs. Something as simple as changing the description or name can affect the reception and perception of a game show. Instead of introducing a game show as a "game," you could call it a "content review challenge."

MIT puts all courses in open source

MIT will put 1800 courses online for free in its program ‘OpenCourseWare’ by the end of the year. That means all the courses of the famous institute of technology will be available. Today that is a few hundred courses and 1,5 million people have studies them in February.
It is the first institute to put ALL its courses online.

List of open source LMS

This is a listing of open source LMS. Moodle is the most used worldwide, but there is something for every taste and platform...

What employees need to know

From David Burrows, Microsoft UK Director of Education:

What employees need to know is: one, can I get access to learning which is relevant to me, when and how I need it, in a way that fits in with my work and home life? Two, wil my employer give me the time I need to do the learning? And three, when I am successful in my learning will this be rewarded by my employer, and will it be recognised so that it will help me get on in my work and my life?

Enterprise Learning Leader makes annual predictions

1- There will be a continued increase in training budgets
2- The structure and operation of corporate training will change
3- The use of outsourcing will become standard practice
4- Leadership development will take center stage
5- Talent management will change the role of HR
6- Elearning will continue to mature and evolve
7- Content management will become an imperative
8- Elearning 3.0 will arrive
9- New approaches to eLearning will emerge
10- The LMS market will continue to morph

Growing market

quote

The corporate learning market continues to grow, with budget increases averaging 7 percent, according to findings published in the newly released Corporate Learning Factbook from Oakland, CA-based enterprise learning and talent management research provider Bersin & Associates. Total training spending grew from $51.1 billion in 2005 to $55.8 billion in 2006, while spending on products and services grew from 13.5 billion in 2005 to 15.8 billion in 2006.

/unquote

Currici - wiki for education

The most popular wiki is ofcourse wikipedia. I stumbled upon another wiki for educational content: curriki.com . There is not much content yet, but it is a good initiative. It is not the first project trying to share teaching content. I'm wondering if it will work. I don't know why but there is something going wrong with the whole content sharing for learning. It doesn't seem to happen. As always many takers, few to no givers. Why does everyone keep sitting on their lessons? Is making learning content something to personal to share? Is it something you only want to share with your direct colleagues and not with the world? Do teachers fear the reactions of their peers? Is it too much trouble to share? Is it more trouble than it is worth? Please teachers of this world, enlighten me...