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Jan
31

The Training and Development (T&D) with Human Performance Improvement (HPI) (sometimes called Human Performance Technology) and also to ISD

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In my imperfect analogy, those in Training and Development are like handymen and women. However, instead of fixing problems like broken windows and faulty wiring they have to deal with performance gap problems like employees not being able to enter data properly into databases or answer help desk questions in a timely manner. The hammer is only one of the tools in the handyman’s toolbox. In the human performance technology toolbox there are also an assortment of tools, in this case meant to fix performance gaps. Instructional design is just one of a selection of tools including organizational development, human resource management, total quality management etc.

In a progressive organization our T & D handyman is given a nice big toolbox full of all kinds of tools to pick from to best repair the problem. She is also given enough time to troubleshoot and repair the problem properly. Instructional Design is but one of the tools at her disposal, as not all problems can be fixed by training. Some performance gaps are caused by environment, worker morale, lack of resources etc. and thus will require different tools to do the job.

However, in all too many organizations our friendly T & D professional is not given a full toolbox to do their jobs with. In addition, some of the tools may be locked away and she is not given access to the keys to all the drawers in her toolbox. Or perhaps the key-keeper manager will limit the time she is allowed to use the tools – like an Instructional Designer who is not given adequate time or resources to do enough analysis.

Another unfortunate possibility is that this key-keeper/manager is not willing to do the hard work of changing the organizational climate that is causing the problem and instead insists that the employees just need more training. This would be like our poor handyman being told to fix the broken window with a socket wrench – it’s just not the right tool for the job.

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Jun
24

Notes on UMBC Training Forum – Presentation by David Mallon

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Yes, this happened back in October. I found it in my outbox, and never bothered to post it until today when I told somebody at the SchoolDocs Conference we were attending that I had a blog. So heaven only knows when my School Docs insights will make it here. I did say in the beginning that this blog would happen when it happens!

David Mallon of Bersin and Associates gave a surprisingly engaging presentation to the UMBC ISD community. Yet afterwards I heard a lot of the same reaction that presentations about informal learning often get. Many comments seemed to be of the “sounds good in theory, but how do I actually sell it to management?” and “this will take away our jobs” variety.

To paraphrase some of his nuggets of wisdom:

“don’t think of designing the “right” piece of instruction – think of putting the right people in the right place at the right time”.

“don’t talk learning theory to your clients – talk to them in their language of business metrics”.

“72 % of companies say they believe in informal learning, but 30% of their resources are focused there”.

“Information Architecture is a sister to ISD. Soon these fields will converge, as Information Architecture plays a similar role in learning environments as ISD does in formal courses”.

He also used an interesting term “community management” – where instructional designers go from designing training to being facilitators of the communities and systems where employees informally learn. This really made sense to me, as I recently did a study of an informal learning community for documentary filmmakers called “the D-word”. This forum works magnificently as a fountain of information about all aspects of documentary filmmaking, outreach, marketing etc. However, it requires over an hour a day from a moderator now that it is established. It took even more time in the beginning to set the tone for the group.

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Feb
15

Notes on the Media that Matters Conference 2011

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It’s not that you ever get to the point where you “know everything” about the industry.  However, I’m finding that equal to the actual knowledge you gain at an event like this is the reassurance and inspiration of meeting so many interesting people and hearing about so many worthy projects that face struggles similar to yours.   Here are some random highlights:

-       “transmedia” is the new buzz word, but seems to basically mean the same as “cross platform” or “multi-platform” or “multimedia”.

-       Sponsors want to hear that your project is “transmedia”, even if they don’t really understand what they means or how to make it happen.

-       The Bay Area Video Coalition has helped many of the transmedia presenters at the conference.

-       Public radio producers are at the forefront of transmedia.   Story Corps has worked with animators to produce some wonderful (bring tears to your eyes) animations that have shown on POV and all over the web.  My son’s media literacy class has shown them as well.

-       Al Letson of the show  “State of the Re:Union” spoke about how he worked with filmmakers to make short video documentaries about the subjects they were doing radio documentaries on.  He said it was a matter of learning to accommodate each other – a radio person wants to practically shove a microphone in someone’s face, while a film person doesn’t want to see it at all.

-       Glynn Washington of the show “Snap Judgment” spoke of how he liked to do features based on documentaries.  He said that documentarians shouldn’t feel territorial about “their ideas”, as being featured on his show always lead to increase in sales.  He said he really needed to talk to “that guy” with the show about homosexuals in rural areas; it would be perfect for him.

-       Transmedia is seen as a way to attract more young people both to causes and public media.  The average age of an NPR listener is 56.  Non-profits are thinking of how they will attract the next generations of young donors and activists as well.

-       The gathering of useful metrics bedevils those of us in many fields – instructional design, documentary filmmaking and transmedia collaborations.

-       Once you create a budget, add 20-25% for the testing and refinement of digital media.

The case studies were particularly helpful.  They included:

-       Jacqueline Olive has a great project in development called “Always in Season” where a documentary about America’s history of lynching will be accompanied by a Second Life “Island” where people can actually interact in a lynching scenario and possibly try to change it.  When asked what would happen if a bunch of neo-Nazis participated, she said these possibilities are still being worked out.  The project will have a soft launch at sponsoring universities.

-       Roland Legiardi-Laura has a project “To be Heard” about under-privileged teenagers using poetry to change their lives.  In addition to the documentary, there is the development of a mobile phone ap that will allow poetry composed on smart phones to be posted as a stream on a website.  They poems could then be used by non-profits focused on the issues raised by the poems, such as child abuse, teen pregnancy etc.  He frankly said that the film would cost approx. $340K, but they would need another $120K to develop the aps etc.  To make the website truly sustainable they would need paid staff for a couple years so add another $240K.  They are well on the way with the fundraising.

This is a point I’ve been making for awhile – these interactive websites, Internet forums, online communities etc. are not “build it and they will come”.  They require active, time consuming moderation and nurturing to work.

-       Dean Hamer did indeed do a great presentation about the amazing outreach he and his partner Joe have been able to do with their film “Out in the Silence”. Some new quotable things he said were:

  • “The best thing that happened is that we had to make our film with no money”.    By this he meant that it allowed them to make the film their way without worrying about pleasing sponsors.  I also think it allowed the film to move forward, instead of being fussed over and polished more than was needed for its purpose.
  • “The limiting factor for our films is not whether you’ll see it on TV or a festival (or the web) but whether you’ve heard of it at all”
  • Giving away their film for free over the Internet not only resulted in an uptick in DVD sales, but allowed it to better serve its activist purpose.  A gay teenager in a rural area who wouldn’t want to be seen in public buying it, renting it, borrowing it from the library etc. would be able to see it privately in his own bedroom.

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Dec
13

Up in Air with ISD and George Clooney – #ISD

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 As a person with a many pots on the stove, keeping up with the latest movies usually falls pretty low on the priority list. So I only recently saw “Up in the Air”, a wonderful take on life in a globalized world.  George Clooney portrays a man whose job has him flying all over the country on a continual basis.   He is kept busy by cowardly bosses who don’t have the guts to tell their employees themselves that their services are no longer required.   

In these times, he might seem to be one of the few with job security.  However, a fresh faced young woman has recently been hired by the company.  She introduces the idea of reducing the  cost of doing business by firing people via web conference instead of in person.  Management is quite smitten with the idea and authorizes her to implement it right away.   In one scene she is shown making a flow chart type of diagram.   When Clooney’s character asks her what she’s doing she replies that she is making a flow chart of possible outcomes so that anybody can be easily trained to do his job.  

What she could have said is that she was doing the design phase of ISD.  Of course, very few members of the general public would have understood that response since very few people seem to know what ISD is.  But that was indeed what she was doing.  George Clooney’s character was horrified by it, feeling that his work was too complicated and skilled for this approach and required a personal touch.   I won’t spoil the ending, but urge you to see “Up in the Air” for yourself.    This film was a refreshingly nuanced and compelling take on many aspects of modern life – including the costs and benefits of increased efficiency rendered by “best practices” ISD.

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Oct
13

Internet forums ­ an imperfect example of informal learning

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Internet Forums are simply online sites where people can have conversations on a variety of topics by posting and responding to messages.  “On-line bulletin board”, “message board” and “bulletin board” are often used interchangeably.  If well moderated, an internet forum can become a place where people from all over the world come together to share knowledge about their discipline or subject of interest – a true “community of practice”.  Friendships, professional connections and reputations are developed as well.  They can exemplify the best of informal learning.

However, not all Internet forums are equally successful.  In this paper I will briefly touch upon the history of Internet forums and look into the different varieties that exist today.  I will discuss some of their limitations and focus on one called “D-Word” that I am familiar with and consider a very successful example.

Perhaps we could trace the true origins of “bulletin boards” to graffiti from the antiquities.  Centuries ago, paper was precious.  Newspapers were posted in public spaces so that members of the community could come together to read and discuss them.  Some newspapers inserted blank spaces so that readers could add their own comments for the person they would be passing the newspaper onto.  As paper eventually became more affordable for the masses, “bills” and “broadsides” could be posted where people were likely to see them. Bulletin boards made a central place to post and read information.

In the late ‘70’s and  ‘80’s computers gradually began to enter the home.  The first dial up Bulletin Board system (BBS) was started in 1978 when a Chicago blizzard stranded computer hobbyists Ward Christensen and Randy Suess inside.  People would dial into this and other bulletin boards on 1200 bit modems.  Many were run as a hobby, while others charged a subscription. Some were run by businesses to provide customer support.   Given the limits of the technology, they were basically limited to sharing software and text based information.

BBSs reached their peak usage in 1996, but declined rapidly in popularity with the World Wide Web.  Internet forums today are more robust, offering a place for people with any sort of interest a place to share information, ideas, images, movies etc.  Better search features allow people to take advantage of the wisdom of previous discussions.   People can learn and teach others in these communities at a time that works best for them.  The information they need is available when they can best make use of it. Some are geared towards hobbies, others towards various professional fields such as education and instructional design.   Subject matter ranges from art to zoology, and just about everything in between.

However, some forums fail to gain a critical mass of participants, and others are plagued by strife and discord.  “Trolls” are people who use the cover of anonymity to speak in an ill-mannered way or “flame” others.   Often posts or questions get no response.  The conversation dies and people become disengaged for various reasons.    In addition, informal learning is more difficult to evaluate and quantify.   Therefore it is harder to introduce into certain workplaces that are focused on immediately verifiable results.

One example of a very successful on-line community is called “D-Word”.  It was formed over 10 years ago by a documentary filmmaker named Doug Block, who started with a series of online journal entries “depicting the joy and angst of making and selling his feature documentary, Home Page. It was meant to inform, inspire, humor and depress the hell out of working or aspiring documentary filmmakers, or anyone else interested in the filmmaking process, for that matter.”  It evolved into a community of over 3,000 professional Members and 5000 “enthusiasts” from some 80 countries.    The hosts screen potential members to make sure they have some professional experience.   95% of applicants are accepted.

I am an activate participant in this community.  I have learned many invaluable things and been the beneficiary of incredibly useful advice about all aspects of the production and distribution of documentary films.  I have made friends from all over the world, several of whom I have met when they come to DC.  I have established a reputation of someone with expertise on web design and educational distribution.

An interview I did with Doug Block revealed that as the primary host and creator he sees himself as a “benevolent dictator with no entrepreneurial spirit”.    In the first years he spent about 2 hours a day on it, now it’s down to about one hour a day.  In addition there are 3 other co-hosts who also contribute.  He sees his primary role as keeping folks on topic and making them feel welcome.  In the early years he had to regularly be a more heavy handed “topic cop” to keep people focused on the sticking to the topic.  Now he’s more of a “light overseer”.  The “parking lot” is a special topic expressly designed to allow people to rant and rave.  Even gently suggesting to people that they take something “to the parking lot” often diffuses tensions.   In 10 years only 3 people have been kicked out.   Approximately 150-200 people participate regularly.  Doug thinks you get the most out of it if you check in every day.

Doug Block’s advice to anyone wanting to start an Internet community is: “People think it’s simple to start a virtual community but it’s not.  Be prepared to put in a lot of time and effort.  People don’t want to pay for it.  It will require strong motivated leadership – a benevolent dictator”.

It is my conclusion that in many educational endeavors there are often no shortcuts and technology is just another tool.   It often takes hours of preparation and effort for a teacher or trainer to pull off a good lesson or lecture.  Similarly, it takes dedicated hosts and facilitators willing to donate many hours to make an Internet forum truly flourish.  Improvements in technology will add new features to Internet forums and improve their search features. However, I’m skeptical that the necessary human element can ever be replaced.  Those of us who have volunteered for community groups know that it takes a cadre of dedicated volunteers willing to contribute much time and patience to form community.   The same applies for Internet forums.

REFERENCES:

¿ http://www.ewenger.com/theory/

¿ http://www.slate.com/id/2265214/

¿ Knowledge Is Power: The Diffusion of Information in Early America, 1700-1865 , Richard D. Brown

¿ WIKIPEDIA

¿ Doug Block, telephone interview 9/25/2010

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Sep
23

Objectionable Objectives

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Camy Bean and her followers said it best a few years ago here:

http://cammybean.kineo.com/2007/12/my-objection-to-learning-objectives.html

Learning objectives in the beginning of a project can be a signal to “listen up kiddies, and prepare to be bored”.  As a learner I also usually skip over objectives.  I’m afraid that to alot of people they are preceived as a signal to prepare for some really dull “educational” but good for you cod liver oil.  As you may know, I’m a career changer with only a few actual design projects under my belt so far.  It is my preference to try to engage and motivate the learner first.  Don’t get me wrong, I believe it’s crucial to have well thought out objectives in order to design effective training.  I just don’t believe it’s alway necessary to introduce them to the learner in the beginning of a module.

But the issue comes seems to come up again and again with every project I do.  My current project is a live webinar/presentation about an emerging technology and how it applies to e-learning. The goal is to get us used to presenting and inform other students.   So I jumped right in, and was having a grand old time making something which I think will have a nice flow and be interesting and informative. Then it occurs to me that I’m not using proper ISD techniques because I’m not writing, much less including the old “Objectives:  Here’s what we are going to learn today bullet one, two, three etc.”.    Will I be marked off for this by the teacher?  When I asked him he said (to paraphrase)  . . .

“at least let us know what we are going to be learning”  if you are going into several points in the presentation then it would be good to have bullet points”.

Perhaps this is a good compromise, and won’t make the presentation start off too stiffly.  But I do wonder from the point of view of a portfolio piece, will not having formal objectives in the beginning be seen as a mark against me?  Will I be judged as someone who doesn’t understand ISD principles?  Or worse yet, as somebody “too creative” to be hirable by a company that does more routine training?

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Sep
13

My introduction to the wonderful world of wireframing

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I am currently taking EDUC 682: Instructional Technology Design and Development at UMBC.  This class is taught on-line synchronously.  Last week’s lecture focused on wireframing.  Many students were unfamiliar with this term, and confused about the difference between it, “storyboarding” and a “flow chart”.    Professor Mark’s was almost evangelical about clarifying the differences.  I think this is because in his experience in  the “real world” he has observed that being able to do all 3 results in much better planning and project management.

In a nutshell, a “wireframe” is a prototype of a single page of a website or learning module.  A storyboard shows all the pages together in sequence. Only the flow chart allows for branching.  Thus if a learner doesn’t follow the lesson sequentially, but is allowed to skip ahead or repeat based on their learning needs the flow chart will show their alternative paths.

At Professor Mark’s company professional software is used.  I asked if there were any free on-line options for those of us who have already spent too much on software.  He pointed us to this site:  http://speckyboy.com/2010/01/11/10-completely-free-wireframe-and-mockup-applications/

I haven’t had a chance to test every program mentioned, but her are my preliminary results.  Since I have a Mac, your results may vary:

Lumzy was the best.

Mockingbird and Hot Gloo – no longer free

Denim – was able to launch application, but not to figure out how to work it.  Marks would slowly appear, then disappear

Cacoo looks to be the easiest to use and best designed, but very slow (constantly got what we mac users call “spinning volleyball of doom”}.  It exported an image as a png

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Sep
03

Another blog?

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I am currently a graduate student in Instructional Design at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.  As somebody with a background in documentary filmmaking, I am quite interested in exploring how documentary film can be used more effectively in education.   As I am learning, the role of docs and other new media in education is still evolving.  Since I have one foot in the world of documentary filmmaking and another in Instructional Design, I would like to help bridge the 2 worlds.  Documentarians need to know how to make and package films in ways that they can be better used by educators.  Educators need to know how they can better use and support the work of documentary filmmakers.

From previous experience blogging for our educational documentary “American Feud:  A History of Conservatives and Liberals” I’ve experienced one of the chief challenges of blogging – the need to regularly generate good content.  Otherwise, you have the sad situation of a blog whose last post was a year ago.  (see above-mentioned blog)  And as somebody with a lot of pots on the stove, I know many other things in my life will get in the way of blogging.

On one of Professor Greg Williams’ ISD now Linked in Discussion somebody said that they would blog if they thought they it hadn’t all been said already.  I understand where he is coming from.  I don’t want to be one of those bloggers who blogs just to have current content.  So expect this blog to be somewhat intermittent, with the goal of a post once every 2 weeks.   To make this happen, don’t expect the posts to be “real time”.  If I go to a conference and learn a lot, I don’t see any reason not to spread out my observations over a span of time .  There’s probably won’t be anything urgent about what I’ve observed.  Hopefully you’ve agreed that I’ve sacrificed quantity for quality and will find it worth your while to stick with me.

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