NEW
SERVICE
You
asked for more information about what's happening with other
local associations. We have more information.
So far, we've forged partnerships with
IMC - International Management Council
STC - Society for Technical Communications
to exchange event information.
Their next events are...
IMC Oct 10, 2000
The Changing Landscape of Workforce Development
Jon Lundin - Abilities Center Location: Holiday Inn, S. Beloit
STC Oct 10, 2000
Advanced Word Techniques
Debbie Kuppe of Invensys Building Systems - Training Center.
Location: Invensys, 1354 Clifford Ave.
Want contact info, meeting or see their scheduled events? Click
here.
|
WHAT'S HAPPENING?
Check out the online
Event
Calendar or register
for an event
THINK
ABOUT
The reasonable man adapts himself to the
world.
The unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
George
Bernard Shaw
|
|
|
LEADERSHIP
OPPORTUNITY
What
would it be like if you were RVASTD's Most Appreciated Member
or Chapter Leader? Take a moment - hear the applause of
your peers,
see the smiling faces around you, feel the pride
spread through you.
KNOCK, KNOCK - Opportunity is at your door. Right Now!
It's time for YOU to write a Guest Column.
What have you learned about our ever changing training industry?
We'd like to know.
What leadership, management, career, life challenges have you faced?
We'd like to know.
Have you discovered some interesting ice breakers, tips/techniques, technologies?
We'd like to know.
It's easy, simply compose your thoughts, write them down and send your
Guest Column to Dan Nelson - 404 Sunrise Lane, Rockford IL 61107 815-399-6641
dan48@earthlink.net
Want more ideas?
You could...
Be a meeting greeter.
Write a meeting overview.
Help plan an event.
Bring a guest to a meeting.
|
GUEST
COLUMN
eLearning
Evolving
Christie Mason - Managers Forum
What is happening to our training industry? Is evolution or revolution?
In the past, it was small evolutionary changes - film to video, TV to
CD. That's no longer true. We've entered a raging revolution that's
changing our language, our organizational roles, our methods, our tools
and even our names. We're no longer trainers, we're facilitators, or
coaches, or moderators. I bet you've already guessed the name of the
leader of this revolution. Yep, it's called the Internet.
Do you think this is just another fad?
As mom would say "you got another think coming."
What's the first thing you notice about these terms? Web Based Training,
eLearning, Learning on Demand, Just In Time Learning, Learner Centric
Learning. Only one of them uses the word "training" and that term is
disappearing.
Every other term is focused on Learning.
Big deal, it's just a word, you reply. No, it goes way beyond just changing
a word or two. This is a massive, conceptual shift for our industry
and it's based on a very simple change. The instructor/trainer is no
longer in control. Learners are now in control of determining what they
need and when they need it. Learners are forming learning communities,
helping each other to learn, experimenting and expanding the expectations
of a quality learning environment. We're no longer the "Sages on
the Stage" we have to become the "Guides on the Side."
Does this mean you're going to lose your job? Will your career disappear?
Maybe, maybe not. That's under your control. You control your attitude
to the changes that surround you. Come on, you know the cliché, now
say it out loud and repeat after me, "I can't control what happens
to me, all I can control is my reaction."
-
Can
you survive and thrive in an environment where you're a learner and
coach at the same time?
-
Have
you ever wanted cost effective, efficient tools to help you support
a continuous learning process that endures after your training presentation?
-
Can you focus on learning as a process instead of an event?
-
Have
you yearned for tools that will help you inspire, interact, integrate,
innovate, motivate and create positive changes?
Did
I heard you say "Yes, that's me!"
Then, you're going to enjoy the frustrations and rewards that the future
offers you.
If I heard you say "no way." Then I don't know what to say.
Oh, I didn't hear you correctly.
What you said was "I'd like to but I just can't figure out where to start.
Well, that's what we're here for. This Chapter is a diverse learning community
and we've got time to explore, experiment and learn form each other.
Is the web Utopia, perfection or "happily ever after?"
Heck no - not even close.
Right now, it's being used as low cost distribution for CBT programs.
BUT, there are some very exciting pockets of possibilities that will
expand and extend our individual and collective potential.
|
COMMENTS FROM THE PROGRAM CHAIR
Christie Mason
We did receive one negative meeting evaluation regarding charging the
same amount for a box lunch as we have for the meetings at Bellamy's.
I thought this would be a good time to explain why we have not changed
meeting prices to reflect different meals.
The explanation is simple. Each meeting this year will be in different
locations and have different food choices.
Some of these meetings will cost more than the meeting fees, some will
cost less.
The goal is to have the meeting expenses and fees be close to equal
at the end of the year.
I don't believe in "secrets" and I suspect that if one person was wondering,
then some of the rest of you might have had the same question.
|
|
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE
Submissions
for the next newsletter must be in by 10/9/2000.
CAREER OPPORTUNITY
Corporate Trainer
Location: Southeast United States
Type of Company: Retail
Description: Train and develop various buyers and corporate personnel
in Open to Buy Procedures and related tasks.
Manage and train corporate computer programs.
Qualifications: 4-year college degree. Retail buying and previous training
experience is essential.
Submit resume and salary requirements to:
peter.lass@rmichaels.com
COMING ATTRACTIONS
MORE
PARTNERSHIPS!
We're also talking to SHRM and IABC about sharing schedules, joint meeting
and other ways we can help each other.
Who else should we talking to ?
SAVING YOU MONEY!
We're setting up a program with Jossey-Bass
to offer you deep discounts on selected books relevant to your personal
and professional needs.
This program will allow you to go their
site, enter a code, see the available selections and post your order.
This should be easier and less expensive than buying from Amazon.com!
NATIONAL ASTD LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
October 19 - 22, 2000 Alexandria,
VA
None of the Board members are available to attend this Conference.
Would you like to go?
We can't pay for your trip but we can offer you some discounts!
|
MEETING
SUMMARY
Learning About eLearning
Presented
by: Steve Talbott & Miles Malachowski
New Horizons Computer Learning Centers.
Composed by:
Christie Mason
Steve and Miles presented a wealth of interesting information about
the technologies and techniques that are changing the training industry.
I'm reviewing the many positive comments we collected on the program evaluations
and I'm amazed at the amount of information we received in a from Steve
and Miles.
Before I continue with the summary, I'd like to extend huge thanks to
Steve for allowing us the use of New Horizon's wonderful facility and
his continuing enthusiasm for ASTD and what we're trying to accomplish
this year.
Steve explained some of the current methods and compared their
advantages and disadvantages.
CBT - Computer Based Learning Formatted for individual self-study.
Usually distributed on a CD with a linear presentation of the material
using multimedia such as audio, animation or digitized video to add impact
and increase retention. It's main disadvantage is that is it linear, if
the learner already knows the material, they can't "skip" segments, ask
questions or experiment.
Once information is on the CD and distributed, it's difficult to change
it to reflect updated information without redistributing another set of
CD's. It can also be a very lonely way to learn and difficult to stay
motivated.
WBT/eLearning - Web Based Learning
Non linear modules that have been "chunked" into short presentations and
presented "on demand." The learners control their access and levels of
involvement and that's why it's also know as J.I.T. (Just In Time) Training
or Learner Centric Learning and many other terms. Communities of learners
can interact by email (asynchronous) or online live sessions (synchronous).
Online sessions can also use tools such as document sharing, whiteboards,
voting and audio/text based chat.
One thing to consider if you're trying to decide between using asynchronous
and synchronous approaches, is that using a live presentation method can
nullify some of the main advantages of eLearning. Live presentations require
everyone to meet in cyber space at the same time so it removes the learner's
ability to access the modules anytime and anywhere. It can require proprietary
plug-ins and since most people do not have large, fast access to the Internet,
it turns into a one way presentation from the moderator to the audience
which decreases opportunities for interaction and discussion.
The potential for flexible, interactive, dynamic learning is tremendous,
but if you need to present information from videos or large, intricate
graphics; the Internet is too slow and not quite ready for that type of
media distribution.
Hybrids.
If you combine the presentation capabilities of a CD with the interaction
of the Internet you have a Hybrid presentation. The large video, graphics,
animation or audio segments run very fast on a CD and you can build in
"hooks" to a web site that contains your constantly changing information
or dynamic, custom learning environment. This way you can have the best
of both worlds.
Job Aids/EPSS - Electronic Performance Support System
KM - Knowledge Management
What if
training were not a separate process? What if it was embedded in a expert
knowledge base that was always available?
A very simple EPSS is the "Wizard" that pops up in Microsoft© applications.
But, it could also be a form that contains interactive components to help
you fill it out - that would "train" you how to correctly complete the
form. Still simple.
Now take it to a really useful idea. What if you were forming a new team
and there was a system that would help you organize your members, organize
and prioritize your brainstorming, guide you with information gathered
from other successful teams and help your team avoid the "storming" phase
of most team development. That's what I would call an EMPLOYEE Performance
Support System. The team would "learn" how to be a team while supported
by information processes that would guide their efforts to increase their
efficiency and effectiveness. Yes, it can be done.
We also learned how eLearning can help us improve retention through repetition
and by involving different learning styles (see, hear and do). An eLearning
environment can be flexible to present information to meet multiple learning
preferences, or even detect the individual's preferences and modify the
presentation to match those preferences.
Miles then took us on a tour of some websites using one of New Horizon's
state of the art computer labs. I was thrilled to see people using the
online time to investigate and explore some of the links and information
that was provided. I think encouraging experimentation is the basis of
effective training and that's what I saw happening at our last meeting.
This
meeting received the following ratings from the attendees (Scale
is 1-4, 4 is the highest)
Presenter-Knowledgeable
3.94
Presenter-Prepared
4.00
Presenter-Involved
Audience 3.69
Presenter-Interesting
Presentation 3.81
|
Presentation-Useful
3.63
Presentation-Organized
3.81
Presentation-Interactive
3.56
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
