Is learning in collaboration better?

My guts tell me : yes, but you have to prove these things. And there have been a lot of studies researching the effectiveness of collaborative learning, both from the perspective of outcome (for individuals and groups) as from the perspective of the process (for example impact on motivation, interaction). I'm not an academic, but here are some interesting bits:

- There are a lot that conclude it gives better results. Such as Gokhale (1995) who says that 'there is persuasive evidence that cooperative teams achieve at higher levels of thought and retain information longer'.

- Klemm (1994): Collaborative Learning can be used with some confidence at every age level, in every subject area, with any curriculum and with any task...

- Mohr and Nault (2004) share 8 critical success factors for collaborative learning to work:
- manage expectations
- create a common base of knowledge before the course starts (readings/exercises, refresh)
- make it extremely clear how and when participants will communicate
- demonstrate the technology at the outset and reinforce its use throughout the course
- make synchronous sessions highly interactive
- let students generate the data and examples used in the course
- include a collaborative project
- bring closure to the materials and provide a plan for the next steps

- ? says : Paradoxically, though seldom used in e-learning, cooperative learning works better online than it does in face-to-face classrooms. The reasons include: all students can find the time to do their share of the work ; thinking is more focused and clear because it is done in writing ; everybody is more accountable, and everyaone sees what everyone is doing.

Just a quote.

"In a sea of user created content, collaboration and instant access to information of varying quality, the skills of critical thinking, research and evaluation are increasingly required to make sense of the world."

Source: NMC Horizons Report 2007

Looking at the past 50 years, education has put more attention to critical thinking instead of the blind belief my parents were educated on. So we should be safe(r), no?

The big divide

Based on Clive Shepherd's observation., I believe the e-learning market, like many other markets, is growing into a low end/high end segmented business. On the low end it is all about cheap, standard and mass. That is the spot where expensive other forms of learning like classrooms will be transformed to, unless the class delivers high value. It is the spot of weblectures, standard page-clicking e-learning, quizzes, simulations, etc. On the high end it is all about exclusive (smaller audience), tailored and more expensive content. That is the spot of serious gaming, video or animation, real-time adapted content and virtual immersive learning solutions.

In the lower end there will (hopefully) soon be a widely accepted open source alternative for making content as opposed to managing it (we have plenty of open source LMS systems by now). In the higher end I expect to see content makers collaborating with other players such as media production houses and movie and game specialists.

Clash of the generations

Makes you think. Old recipes don't work anymore. But if you don't know what to prepare for, does it make sense preparing in the best possible way?

Predictions: more supervisory, leadership and diversity learning programs

It's the time of the year to make predictions. Novations Group Inc. predicts, based on a survey of 2500 HR and learning executives, that soft skills training will increase in 2008. More specifically they see a good year for managerial (supervisory) learning programs, leadership/executive learning programs and at a distant third diversity/inclusion training.

A quote I like:
"With the baby boomers retiring, organizations are now facing a huge gap with qualified people in the queue to fill these ... roles. Yet, they also realize that if they don't keep work interesting for entry-level people, they'll lose them at a much faster rate."

Best practises database

Here is a link to one of the outcomes of the e-quality project (experience-based quality in European Open Distance Learning, a EU funded project).

http://e-quality.uta.fi/bpdb/

There isn't a lot in the database at this time, but let's hope it grows over time and becomes a great source of very practical information for learning professionals.

Happy happy joy joy

Happy New Year! In 2008 I'll keep posting clips of e-learning related articles, tips and links as categorized by the 6 dimensions of the 6C learning framework. May 2008 be a great learning year for all of you.

Bert

Very good presentation on learning 3.0

It links learning design with the possibilities we have today. Nice presentation.

http://www.bridgemailsystem.com/pms/servlet/com.PMSystems.servlets.OfferClicked?art=jbKw21Tw30Ww33Ov26Cs17Er20jc&subId=jbGs21Tw30Qq33Mt26Aq17Mz20Kw21Qt30je

Education Podcast Network

On EPNweb.org or Education Podcast Network you can find a nice collection of educational podcasts by category. For example: subscribe to a podcast series to learn a second language (like chinesepod.com)

Learn how to be a dad

You can learn anything, right? Even how to become a good dad... I think this one gets my prize for most unexpected e-learning theme of the year: go to the project-dad.net site for modules in multiple language on the 9 most important things you need to know as an almost-dad (like how to make a bottle, change the baby or hold it).

Know Knowledge or Connectivism

You can find a good article on the book Know Knowledge of George Siemens and connectivism on Clive on Learning Blog. Knowledge is not only what is in your own head (luckily :-) ). It is also what is in your network: what do your friends and connections know? What does the network know (del.icio.us, google, etc)?

BTW You can download the book freely on the Knowing Knowledge page as a PDF file.

Lots of links to trial software for training

This page at LearningCircuits has a long list of links and descriptions of trial software for training and content development.

http://www.learningcircuits.org/tryit

e-learning for kids

Don't know what to spend for Christmas? Why don't you donate to the global non-profit foundation e-Learning for Kids. The free site www.e-learningforkids.org hosts 80+ small modules to help kids learn via the web. Didn't work well in Firefox and had some javascript errors in IE, but the modules are very nice and suited for the intended audience. ..

Communities of practice and learning

An interesting interview with Etienne Wenger on Communities of Practice, web 2.0, social software and learning on the elearningeurope.info site: http://www.elearningeuropa.info/directory/index.php?page=doc&doc_id=10476&doclng=6

A quote:
"Of course, emerging technologies are affecting communities of practice, and especially more recent developments in social software. It is interesting to note how aligned the peer-to-peer nature of web 2.0 technology is with the way learning takes place in a community of practice. This alignment is remarkable. It has given rise to a lot of interest in communities of practice because it has enabled all sorts of communities that would not have been possible in the past"

Free versions of older Camtasia and SnagIt software

Techsmith is the company that makes the popular e-learning tools Camtasia (to capture the screen in a video) and Snagit (to capture screen images). They have started to give away old versions of their software for free. I think that is a great idea. I've tried it, and got two license keys in my mailbox. Best of all, getting this free software entitles you to upgrade to the latest version at a 50% discount if you would need the latest features.

Article on free Snagit:
http://www.labnol.org/software/download/free-download-snagit-with-serial-number/1841/

Article on free Camtasia Studio:
http://www.labnol.org/software/download/download-camtasia-studio-free/1829/

Presentation on IBM Knowledge Factory

Just gave my presentation at Online Educa Berlin on the IBM Knowledge Factories, and how we went from the 'renaissance man' model to a global e-learning production factory model with global resources.

I've uploaded the presentation to Slideshare.com.

| View | Upload your own

The presentation went well, just the open discussion at the end didn't really take off. I guess the European Online Educa audience want to get presentations rather than discuss :-). The discussion was on how to integrate the learner (not the subject matter expert) in the development process without adding cost, predictability of quality outcome or time. I'm always interested in your ideas.

Sounds of the Bazaar: my first podcast appearance

I just made my first podcast appearance on 'Sounds of the Bazaar', a series of podcasts leading up to the Online Educa Berlin conference that I will be attending this week. I have a weird voice :-). The podcast is on e-collaboration tools in learning.

http://project.bazaar.org/2007/11/23/sounds-of-the-bazaar-16/

Book review: Informal Learning - Jay Cross

I finally finished the book 'Informal Learning - rediscovering the natural pathways that inspire innovation and performance' by Jay Cross. It has been on my reading list since last year, but somehow I never got around to go on after the first few chapters.

The book is as the title suggests about one extremely important form of learning that is overlooked by the learning profession and industry: how people learn informally through conversation, contacts, social networks, etc. Admit it: the first thing you do when you don't know something is ask the person next to you. Very often that is not the right person to ask, but it does show how people prefer to learn. It is by definition impossible to formalize informal learning (don't even try!), but it can be steered and supported.

I found the first chapters of the book very insightful, cleverly written with some humor and very promising. However, the later chapters where Jay Cross starts describing some formats (often long chapters on personal experiences) did not really add much value for me. They sound like written by a learning guru on the verge of retirement, looking back with disrespect to the things he has done before and we as a profession are still doing daily. Or I was just jetlagged while reading them.

Some forms of informal learning experiences like unconferences, spontaneous and unmoderated sessions, or grokking especially seem very powerful mechanisms for a little select group of people: those who are smart, open and willing. It's like Steiner education: I think it IS better than traditional education, but only for the smart, open and willing. Those forms of informal learning will not take off or be less productive for others. I can see how these formats would work well in an environment such as IBM. I do not see how to get better results out of it in a federal ministry where people actually don't want to share their knowledge for reasons of status and job protection. I can see it working in America. I cannot see it working in a culture where hierarchy and status dominate value and performance.

I totally agree however with the main point of the book. Informal learning is important (80% or another number of learning), and can be fostered and cultivated. In a learning world where about all focus is on formal courses and training, a book that (over)emphasizes the other side is more than welcome. So let's indeed start to at least acknowledge and support informal learning in our workplaces.

Use voice123.com to find voice talent

The times of expensive 250$/hour audio studio recording is over. Nowadays you can include voice in your courses or learning podcasts at much more reasonable prices. Use for example the site www.voice123.com. The site is an intermediary between you and thousands of voice talents. The site doesn't charge you for its use and lets you set up a project and get quotes and demo's from voice talents. You can also search the database for a particular voice.

Some numbers from E-learning Guild 360° report on learning systems

• The top ten vendors enjoy a 70% market share and the top 20 vendors an 83% market share.
• 'Developed in house' is the second largest LMS in terms of market share, with a market penetration of 12.78%. Moodle, the most popular open source LMS, comes 4th but is usually a secondary LMS. (These numbers include academia and small companies as well as large enterprises.)
  
• Costs per learner per year for large corporations (> 5000) for the LMS vary from 15$ to 57$.