The Learning Treasury
E-learning gems for teachers, trainers & learning managers
Sep 23rd
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. Anonymous
If you want to create learning that takes your breath away, then this blog is for you, whether you are a teacher, trainer, or learning manager.
Are there practical solutions to the challenges you face in learning? What are other’s experiences and what works? Does culture make a difference? Answers, suggestions, ‘how to’s and more- for you!
Oil & Gas Sector models great concepts for e-learning
Mar 10th
Collaborative Work Environments
I have been reflecting on some interesting articles on how the Oil & Gas sector is using Collaborative Work Environments to work more effectively and efficiently. I think that these CWE show how great principles for teaching and learning can be enhanced through the use of technology.
Collaborative Work Environments
The Oil & Gas sector is discovering the potential of working collaboratively to develop expertise. Learning research has shown the value of learning collaboratively; and it seems that this industry has discovered that through necessity. Work spaces are being redesigned to encourage collaboration across expertise areas, resulting in an increased level of skills, and people learn through interacting and collaborate on tasks.
A discussion from the Oil & Gas Sector
on Collaborative Environments
Technology adds a whole new dimension to collaboration. It is this that has the power to bring in the level of expertise needed as the Oil and Gas sector suffers from the ‘Big Crew Change’ where experienced specialists are leaving in significant numbers. As Craig Hodges at Microsoft comments “With fewer resources overall and colleagues scattered across continents, it is no surprise that oil and gas professionals are increasingly turning to technology to connect and share information” Similarly, Hawkins from Schlumberger says, ‘Using an OSC – the communication technology, the process workflows, and the expertise – in a collaborative way offers drillers a completely different, more efficient way of working,’ The use of collaborative technology means experts from other parts of the country or world can be linked in to provide advice, guidance and support instantaneously in decision-making, and taking novices to a higher level of capability than other-wise possible. This is especially so when they are able to use professional networks to interact throughout the day. According to a 2010 report by Microsoft, approx 80% of Shell teams are collaborative globally, and more than 75% of their 275 survey respondents say they collaborate up to four hours a day! (see also Chess Media Group Blog Post)
Collaborative Learning Environments
Imagine using CWE concepts in the way teaching and learning is done!
There are several ideas that could be used in teaching and learning
- Using real world problems to develop decision-making skills in our learners. The Oil & Gas sector has available masses of data; expertise is in learning how to remember the data but having the skills to make decisions based on a data analysis.
- Using discussion as a place to learn from others who all have different specialty areas in the same field.
- Using the collaborative environment for experts (and teachers or trainers) to guide and mentor the learners and show through collaborative examples how to work and interact like an expert ( cognitive apprenticeship)
- Using technology to extend the reach and time on collaboration, therefore more opportunity to learn in community.
Practical Ideas for Your Courses
1. View learning as collaborative, and design courses with group and class-wide work as the normal procedure. Collaboration helps learners use interaction for learning
2. Think of ways that ‘experts’ could be included in what your learners do, such is included in course forums, through other networking tools, or include ‘experts’ on campus including yourself.
3. Use or create problems (authentic), that require your learners to work together for solutions
4. Focus on learners developing decision-making skills (not on remembering content, which dates. They will learn it anyway as they learn how to solve problems)
5. Use technology to extend access to people, and help learners be able to find and analyse content online, both skills are needed anywhere these days
6. Check out online articles on Collaborative Workplace Environments!
Their Technology
Jan 25th
Using Their Technology for E-learning
If e-learning is about the remix of Their Technology with Our Strategies, what are Their Technologies, and why use them?
In the US, nearly 20% of the population own a Tablet, nearly 30% own an e-Reader (Pew Internet, January 12). The top three social sites are Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn and one in nine people in the world are on FaceBook says Friedman in his blog in January 12. As Hart comments in her slideshare, in their own time, people research for all sorts of information using a large variety of media, such as YouTube, Diigo, Facebook, Google, Blogs, Twitter and many others. So what is happening to us? Those of us who are becoming computer-savvy are finding our whole world of how and where we look for resources is changing- changing the way that we think and do things.
Is technology use an age-related factor?
People of all ages use technology for learning. The oldest student on one of Daytona’s online courses is 90 years old. I had initially thought that young people learn differently from older generations because they have grown up with technology. However that apparently is a myth, as I have just found out in a really interesting paper by Reeves and Oh (thanks to Guy Wallace for the link, and Marci Paino for the ref). Reeves and Oh did a review of the literature, and it seems that the use of technology is not a generational thing, but has more to do with the frequency we use it. This means that we can design courses with any technology for any age, regardless of which generation the learners are from – good news!
So how does this relate to my e-learning argument? The technology and sites being used for everyday life are for both finding resources and networking with others, providing the means to find up-to-date info on anything, at any level, and through an incredibly rich source of people in different types of networks. How incredible is that? Is that not learning? And where is technology in academic teaching? In the following video, a teacher commented that in a survey of 55 industry sectors use of technology, education was number 55, the lowest- below coal mining! Is it not time we started using some of these technology tools that everyone is using every day of their lives?
In her blog, Janet Clarey said that it is a myth that young people expect to use their social tools for learning, everyone expects formal learning to traditional, regardless of how much technology fills their everyday life. However, it does not need to be that way. We may all expect traditional teaching, but if we get to use the technology we like for our learning, imagine how much more enriching and motivating that could be! It is time!
My conclusions for using their technology for e-learning:
1) The technology used in everyday accessing of resources and networks is here to stay and has the potential to be used for effective learning- we need to use in our courses what people use (and not just the technology traditionally associated with teaching such as PowerPoint)
2) The types of technology we select for courses does not need to depend on the age of our learners.
3) Technological is often used in a shallow, non-reflective way. By itself technology does not offer improved learning. For that, we need good pedagogical practice- more on this in the next post.
(Note: Of all the 9 references here, 7 were from tweets I was reading just yesterday- the power of technology and social media today.)
It’s a remix!
Jan 1st
In trying to promote e-learning, it sometimes feels like my message is not getting across because the perception is that e-learning is nothing more than electronic transfer of information. This misconception can be a barrier to wanting to find out more about how e-learning can be used to transform learning. A detailed definition of e-learning is not always practical in these situations. I need a definition that crosses the barrier and opens the way for change.
In the book Made to Stick , the Heath brothers recommend describing concepts in a way that are easily remembered after our discussions, that these concepts need to be simple (the basic core point), and surprising (amongst other points). So, I came up with this new definition of E-learning (based on others’ ideas):
Technology: The basic concepts shown here: the technology for e-learning is usually what many of our learners already use, for example social networks such as forums, facebook, Diigo etc, and in the use of resource sites such as google and wiki(pedia).
Strategies: This concept needs to have equal place in the minds of learners and educators. We need to show clearly the necessity of effective teaching & learning strategies in the way learning is designed. (Of course, many may not be aware of the teaching strategies, perhaps an e-learning definition like this opens the door???)
Remix- a ‘surprising’ ‘simple’ concept? I really like this word ‘remix’. It is not a new or original concept for learning. The word comes from the music world, and means a mixing of music, for example the tune from one song mixed with the words from another. This concept has already be used for education. In his education article, Josh Carp describes ‘remix’ as resulting in a new combination that is so much more powerful than either of its components. I agree that e-learning can be like that if it is pedagogically well-designed and within a suitable technology context.
One word to remember: remix! One word that can show e-learning is more than just technology. I hope ‘remix’ can be a clear and ‘surprising’ way to cross the barrier of misinformation and provide a means to open the way to powerful effective learning!