Falling in Love - Social Learning Way

They just confirmed your generous heart.

I was reading with amusement an article by Adam Penenberg, July 1, Fast Company about Dr Love - Paul Zak, about social networking and generosity.

"In a series of studies spanning nine years, Zak has changed our understanding of human beings as economic animals. Oxytocin is the key (and please, do not confuse the cuddle drug with the painkiller oxycontin). Known for years as the hormone forging the unshakable bond between mothers and their babies, oxytocin is now, thanks largely to Zak, recognized as the human stimulant of empathy, generosity, trust, and more. It is, Zak says, the "social glue" that adheres families, communities, and societies, and as such, acts as an "economic lubricant" that enables us to engage in all sorts of transactions."

"Do our brains react to tweeting just as they do to our physical engagement with people we trust and enjoy?"

Zak's study has several implications in organizations and learning. One that interests me the most is trust and generosity in the context of social networking and social learning. I hear many learners donate hundreds of hours to build and support social learning. In groups like #lrnchat the give and take and exchanges reach points where a common bond of trust is established among participants. Some say, many have commercial reasons for spending time in Twitter. There is probably some truth to that, but it goes beyond. It is the great feeling we get when we help others and be generous without consideration of return.

We see a tremendous opportunities for "lateral learning", learning from each other rather than from a designated teacher. This environment requires trust and continuous generosity.

With Zak's studies, no wonder trust and generosity are not artificial acts, but rather a natural human act. So the next time someone tells you you are addicted to Twitter and Facebook, or YouTube, give a gentle smile. They just confirmed your generous heart.

See Zak's video.



Ray Jimenez, PhD3Minute Worlds - Learning Community Social Learning, Work and Performance3Minute eLearning Games"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

Facilitator-Less social learning is like curing ourselves

Michele Medved and Terrence Wing wrote on "Facilitating Learning with Social Media."

It is interesting reading and sharing of a case study. Thanks.

The article triggered some more thinking in a project I am working right now. One of its goal is to create an online learning system to help learners learn but a "Facilitator-Less Social Learning."

These are questions I ask myself.

What is the contribution of a facilitator?
It is to ask questions, primarily, to help contributors, learners to direct their efforts. Leading and coordinating is probably a secondary tasks.

What is the main asset of a facilitator?
There are many, but key is a framework to help others "think through things." Or a way to help others reflect on content, process and interaction to help learners learn.

What is the origin of facilitation?
From the human development, psychoanalytic practice popularized in group dynamics; largely a in-person or face to face event.

What I see most of the social learning networks today?
Mostly open ended and lateral learning environment where every access all content, learn, interact and collaborate -- an open space.

Why do we have the need or is there a need to facilitate in social learning?
I am guessing that perhaps we feel the need to help learners, which is laudable. But also, perhaps we see a gap in most social learning. We see a group of learner who needed to be prodded and guided to arrive at learning ends. This sounds like classroom session to me.

What social learning is and should be?
It is an open ended, self-directed, self-rewarding method of learning; unstructured. People learn the way they want to whether we call it learning or observing. This is the environment of social learning.

What is missing in social learning?
It is a facilitator? Is it a certain skill the social learners must have? I submit it is a skill that is most needed by learners. Tony Kareer and Michele Martin have been talking about work literacy skills - mostly how to learn with the new open learning tools with web 2.0.

Should we enable (enabler, not train, not facilitate) social learners to facilitate their own learning?
This is an oxymoron. How can one cure oneself? On the contrary we always cure ourselves; our own body does. Doctors and medicines act as "facilitators" of our healing. Assuming we are normal and do not have impaired organ and physical problems, we should be able to heal ourselves.

In essence the facilitator is an external "medicine" like a dose of cure to redirect our internal systems to cure. To boost our innate abilities to cure ourselves.

What form should the enabler be?
I suspect it is helping learners learn to ask really self-reflective questions on three areas: Content, Process, Application. What and how this content mean to me? How I can use it? How can I apply it to make a difference?

The project I am working right now is an experiment, and it has given me more confidence that "we may not really need to facilitate social learning" if we set up the enablers.

Time to stay out of the way?
My main concern with facilitated social learning suggests that we need to assist learners. We don't have to. They can learn by themselves. And we have a challenge to stay away from and stop their learning by facilitating them. We should enable them.

Ray Jimenez, PhD
3Minute Worlds - Learning Community Social Learning, Work and Performance
3Minute eLearning Games

"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

Informal Learning Hits Brick Walls

Informal Learning Hits Brick Walls

There is more than one way to implement informal learning. The approach differs depending on the nature of the organization.

Organizations have plenty of formal structures - brick walls or command and control environments.

It is better to deal with the "formal" requirements of the organization on informal learning. This is a reality for many types of enterprise programs that impacts learning, work and performance.

I agree with Jay Cross and Harold Jarche that we should not box-in or put constraints on informal learning otherwise it does not flourish. At the core of informal learning are freedom, independence and flexibility. Perhaps another way to look at “formalizing” informal learning is
“deepening informal learning."

However, there are considerations we need to incorporate and reconcile in our decisions on informal learning:

1. Do we need some form of structure and formal approach to strategize the implementation of informal learning or do we not?
   
   
2. How do we launch and initiate informal learning? Will everyone suddenly spend time in water coolers to share news? Who sets-up the water coolers to begin with?
   
   
3. Will organizational structure disappear? Hierarchies will persist as predictable as the sun will rise tomorrow. Hence, how do we make the informal learning work, live within these structures and move around, play around, approach problems and deal with issues pertaining to reporting responsibilities?
   
   
4. Will companies continue to pay for the time of employees, informal learning software purchases, and the time of people who lead informal learning? If companies pay for informal learning someone has to justify the costs and organize it.
   
   
5. What do we do with critical corporate assets like legal, marketing, security and confidentiality concerns? They follow rigid rules and policies. Who is accountable for these assets as impacted by informal learning?

Informal learning have great contributions. But it has to be reconciled with formal structures; otherwise, it will hit break walls.

I am concerned that in our earnest desire to promote informal learning as a "dogma", we make informal learning as another form of a "brick wall”; which is a pity.

There are many ways to implement informal learning and each way has to deal with organizational brick walls as opportunities, not constraints.

Ray Jimenez, PhD

3Minute Worlds - Learning Community

Social Learning, Work and Performance

3Minute eLearning Games

"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

Lessons from Ning and free Web 2.0 services - eLearning R&D engines

There has been abundance in Web 2.0 tools including social networking for example Ning.com. Unfortunately, Ning has decided to close down its free service and requires account holders to move to paid subscription.

Ning's decision shows the volatility of funding web 2.0 companies; it is risky to use free Web 2.0 services but it does not mean that free services are not worth using. It only means for trainers and elearning project leaders to be more creative to benefit from the free services.

Bottom line:

• Free services are huge eLearning R&D vehicles.
• They provide sand boxes to play around with.
• They help us save money and be smarter in our decisions.
• They are learning curve power savers.

These are some ideas to take advantage of free services:

1. Use them in early pilot and test projects.

2. Examine carefully the sites strengths and weaknesses and match them with your needs.

3. Emulate what the free service provides.

4. Use them carefully for specific activities.

5. Use them as throw-away like plastic bags in supermarkets. Otherwise known as deliberate obsolescence.

Web 2.0 companies like Ning.com will continue to flourish and that is great.

Also, visit and create your FREE Social Learning for Work and Performance project.
Create your own account. This project I have worked and built over 3 years now with specific tools for the learning industry.

Ray Jimenez, PhD

3Minute Worlds - Learning Community

Social Learning, Work and Performance

3Minute eLearning Games

"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

How to avoid eLearning paralysis and get moving with your projects

Many eLearning projects have false starts and failed attempts. One reason is paralysis. What can you do about it? And how do you get moving with your projects.

eLearning abundance is a hay stack

The abundance of eLearning solutions is like a hay stack. There are thousands of solutions like Web 2.0 web applications, authoring tools and learning methods both formal and informal. Jane Hart has a good list of software http://janeknight.typepad.com. The pile of hay is increasing each day and the density is getting pack. The solutions are getting sophisticated and in many cases very simple, affordable and for free. I relate the abundance to what Chris Anderson describes as the Long Tail http://www.thelongtail.com.

The trouble is to find the right solution to fit a need, we need to do surgical search using a powerful magnifying glass.

Needles in a hay stack

What are we looking for? We are looking for Needles Points in a hay stack.

What serves as our magnifying glass? Key few fundamental assumptions.

• Ultra focus on the learners’ needs – Learners’ Needle Points
• Ultra focus on your skills and strengths – Designers’ Needle Points
• It is OK to use a “single solution/single result” approach to kick-off your eLearning programs.

Learners' Needle Points

I’ve created a chart that helps us focus on the few key fundamental assumptions.

When selecting a solution, consider the following standards. “Needs” is the compelling motives of e-Learners. “Learners’ Say” is how they describe their needs. “Learning Design” is what you need to do to meet the needs.

Key Point: Focus on the “Learners’ Needle Points.” Avoid being distracted by solutions that do not lead you to meet “Learners’ Needle Points.” When you obsess on learners’ needs your solution can’t go wrong.

Designers’ Needle Points

To focus and build on your strengths and reinforce yourself, consider the following. “Skills” are what you do to kick-off your eLearning projects. “What I do well” are what you do extremely well that adds enormous value to your projects. The list consists of skills needed to match the learners’ needs. “What others do well” are those skills you must recognize and harness to compliment your own skills.

Key Point: You need to recognize that to kick-off projects, most often you only have your own skills and strengths to rely on. This is your craft. You are a genius in this area. Build on this skill. If you are a good writer, write the best eLearning you can or if you are good in videos, use videos. If you are a software techie, use what is easiest and fastest to you. When you can, ask others with their craft to compliment your skills. If you are a software techie, use what is easiest and fastest to you. When you can, ask others with their craft to compliment your skills.

Conclusions

To avoid paralysis with your eLearning projects:

• Be obsessed with the Learners’ needs.
• Build on your strengths and skills.
• Find the single solution to get you started.
• Avoid being sidetracked by fanciful solutions that will paralyze you.

Use a magnifying glass and focus on the Needle Points because without the focus, one can easily get lost, confused and paralyzed with the enormous amount of options. Without the focus, one can lose confidence and then lose inertia in implementing projects.

Contrary to what consultants tell you, it is OK to have a “single-solution/single result” approach. Single-result is being obsessed with learners needs. Single-solution is being focus on meeting these needs.

Caveat. Expand your solutions as you have more experience and confidence. But never be sidetracked on being obsessed with the learners’ needs.

Ray Jimenez, PhD
http://www.vignettestraining.com
http://www.simplifyelearning.com

"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

Tweets - So near, yet distant

Ray Jimenez, PhD
http://www.vignettestraining.com/
http://www.trainingpayback.com/

"Helping Learners Learn Their Way" "Helping Learners Apply Learning"

Assess yourself -- Would you qualify as a Social Learning Specialist or Leader?

In November 29, 2007, I wrote in my blog the new jobs and careers in Social Learning. I have been seeing growth in eLearning and training professionals wanting more training and skills in Social Learning.

One of the most challenging tasks is that of a “Network Weaver.” It is a combination of a coach, trainer, community organizer, technical expert, leader, and group counselor folded into one.

For example:

>Share information and resources without expectation of a direct return
>Encourage others to become network weavers and take responsibility for increasing the health of their networks
>Show people how to learn social learning styles

Check out the checklist


Ray Jimenez, PhD
http://www.vignettestraining.com/
http://www.trainingpayback.com/

"Helping Learners Learn Their Way" "Helping Learners Apply Learning"

# 2 - Start Small Social Learning Tests: Deepening Social Learning to Work Performance - Proposed Model

To continue my thoughts on the "Deepening Process" of Turning Social Learning to Work Performance, I think we have plenty of opportunities in training to start small social learning experiments.

In #1A of the schematic I suggest trainers start their experiments by doing the following:

Part I - Preparation and Set up

1. Set up a social learning tool for your project. You can use the software in http://www.facebook.com/ or http://www.trainingpayback.com/. Learn the essentials of these tools to use them effectively as a facilitator. Be minimally proficient with the functions.

2. Prepare the site by completing your profile, publishing a brief statement of goals and suggestions on how to benefit from the group interactions.

3. Create two discussion rooms:

Discussion 1:
A discussion room to welcome participants and explain briefly how they can benefit and the experiment's methods. See the welcome invitation below. The welcome discussion and the invitation have the same message.

Discussion 2:
Open a discussion on "Essentials of Web 2.0 and impacts on learning." Populate the group with the basic content on introduction to Web 2.0 (CommonCrafts) and social learning.

Post a micro-question: Ask the group to respond to a micro-content, small provocative question that engages people.

"How does social learning and Web 2.0 change the way we learn?" (Or similar and follow-up questions.)

4. Invite participants. This is done by using the tool's invitation process. In your invitation explain briefly what the experiment is all about. Furthermore, ask participants to join the group and be active. Include: Topic, goals and outcomes, start date and end date, roles, learning approach, etc. Emphasize that this is an experiment in a new learning method called "social learning."

Part II - Implementation (to follow in next posts)

References: Micro-Elements in Social Learning

Ray Jimenez, PhD
http://www.vignettestraining.com/
http://www.trainingpayback.com/

"Helping Learners Learn Their Way" "Helping Learners Apply Learning"

e-Learning and Training - Soon, Hopefully. No More Mice with Microsoft Surface

This will be in restaurants soon. Surely, there is a training use - maybe a game, a workflow activity.

Ray Jimenez, PhD
http://www.vignettestraining.com/
http://www.trainingpayback.com/

"Helping Learners Learn Their Way" "Helping Learners Apply Learning"

Business Ideas through Social Learning

The site Gogme.biz is an application of adding more "function" in a social networking context.

I see that social learning can benefit from this idea by testing how learning can follow this path:

Phase I- social learning
Phase 2-collaborative learning
Phase 3-performance

"Turn Business Ideas Into Reality Through A Social Network!"

Ray Jimenez, PhD
http://www.vignettestraining.com/
http://www.trainingpayback.com/

"Helping Learners Learn Their Way" "Helping Learners Apply Learning"

There Goes the Eye Medicine - Cisco's Big Move to Social Networking

Application Points: Cisco could be blinding many of us. Commercially viable. Massive solution focuses on technical prowess. Cases still persist on really bad LMSs and Synchronous presentations (virtual meetings).
----------------------------------------------------------------
Many of us are struggling about how to discover the true value of the Web 2.0 and Social Learning in business. Cisco's move is another glare from the sun. (To see clearly, I need to wear sun glasses.)

Amy Kucharik from IT Knowledge Exchange reported Cisco's John Chambers rallying speech on how Cisco is implementing Social Networking, in a rather massive way. Cisco’s Collaboration Strategy: Adding Vision to Social Networking.

"Major components of this collaboration scenario, according to Chambers, are social networking and video — in fact, he said that “visual networking is the future.” But Chambers said Cisco plans to add vision to social networking, putting structure behind Web 2.0-type tools like Twitter or Facebook (he alluded to the way “kids” use social networking tools here), validating their use as business tools."

"A highlight of the session was the demonstration of WebEx Connect and how Cisco’s latest and greatest collaboration technology (brought about by Cisco’s recent WebEx acquisition) will enable us to communicate differently. Jim Grubb — jokingly dubbed “chief demonstration officer” — joined Chambers on stage for the demo. They showed off one-touch meeting functionality and something called “casting,” which I captured in this short video. "

Amy Kucharik concluded her article with some skepticism. She feels technology may not keep the integrity of the social interaction.

I share her skepticism. I have been concerned with the problem of massive adoption or our propensity for scale. Technology, like that of Cisco, is an important recognition of the potential contribution of social networking. The downside is that trainers and those who wish to implement social learning and networking will overly focus on the use of the collaborative aspects and the tools, consequently using social networking in a very narrow and muted way, like an orphan.

For example, Virtual Training and LMSs are great tools. We are too familiar with what ails go with the systems and the quality of content and use. How often do we see poor applications of these tools?

Social Networking is like an eye medicine. You can't apply it from a second story building. You need an eye drop to apply it directly.

Related Topics:
Deep Problems with Our Tools - e-Learning, Social Learning, etc.
LMS is Dead! But Long Live LMS!
"Humans are suckers for scale" - The Art of Simplexity

Ray Jimenez, PhD www.vignettestraining.com
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

Unable to Produce profits. Does It Matter to Us in the Learning and Training World?

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Application Points: Not too quick to love the technology of Web 2.0? Let's ask why they are not making profits. Are we buying into a bubble? So what? Look into providers for training and learning niche of Web 2.0.

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Robert Jacques of vnunet.com reported a study by In-Stat forecasts reviewing the performance of social networking companies over the past 13 years.

According to Jacques:

In-Stat said that US social networking firms have not delivered predicted revenues despite operating for more than 13 years.

Furthermore,

"The analyst firm blames this shortfall on a failure to find and exploit different models that capitalise on the data such sites collect."

"Development of niche social networking sites is an essential piece of the monetisation puzzle," said In-Stat analyst Jill Meyers.

"The more specific a social networking site is to a select group of users, the more targeted the advertising can become, the more loyal the membership will be because it caters to specific interests, and the more opportunities the site will have to be profitable."

Why is this information important to us in the training and learning profession?

The success or failure of adoption could mean two things:

1. The value provided to the end users. If users are not adopting the software, people may not find it useful.
   
   
2. The stage the business providing the software is in. Are they in the very early stage that their focus is on raising capital to either cash-out their shares or invest for the long term?

My impression is that the early adoption of social networking in businesses reflects the poor financial performance of social networking as a whole. The practitioners are just discovering, experimenting, and many times guessing about the technology that can produce results. Although, there are companies who unquestionably embrace social networking, it is hard to know the contributions of the software.

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2220679/social-networking-sites-making


Ray Jimenez, PhD
http://www.vignettestraining.com/
http://www.trainingpayback.com/

"Helping Learners Learn Their Way" "Helping Learners Apply Learning"

"Beyond Blogs - It Will Be Here After the Bubble Bursts"

Stephen Baker of Business Week says in a video, "We will be using blogs and other tools, even after the blog bubble bursts, if there is one."

I remember the upside of the last .COM bust. A lot of the creations of the .COMs ended up in the hands of enterprises who really took advantage of the capabilities of the Internet, while, sadly, many of our stock options went up in flames.

Baker also talks about his use of the Widget called "Twitter." I tested Twitter and knew there's some value to small, nano-size messages, and I call it sharing your rumblings with others.

The thousands of social networking tools and widgets will enrich our experience.

I am like a kid, a lot of stuff to play around with -- hoping one or two would really make a difference in performance at work. Yup, I am still concerned about performance.


Related comments:
Micro-Worlds, Micro-life Learning: The Big Phenomenon, (But Small) Social Networking
From Social Networking to Performance Widgets


Ray Jimenez, PhD www.vignettestraining.com
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

"Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Or "Are We Dumbing Our Online Learners?"

"Is Google Making Us Stupid?"

Or my related question is, "are we dumbing our online learners?"


Nick Carr

This is a MUST reading if you are into e-Learning, web-based training or any technology- assisted work.

I had to PRINT the entire article because the article requires contemplation and reflection.

Scholars examined computer logs documenting the behavior of visitors to two popular research sites, one operated by the British Library and one by a U.K. educational consortium, that provide access to journal articles, e-books, and other sources of written information. They found that people using the sites exhibited "a form of skimming activity," hopping from one source to another and rarely returning to any source they'd already visited. They typically read no more than two pages of an article or book before they would "bounce" out to another site. Sometimes they'd save a long article, but there's no evidence that they ever went back and actually read it.

Nicholas Carr provokes and challenges many of us to “rethink” the impacts of technologies in our work, learning and how we think and read. While I was reading Carr's article, I contemplated on:

1. What happens to learning when learners skim and scan the content?

2. What happens to learning in SecondLife and social networking?

3. What are the impacts to the learners in our quest for rapid e-Learning, micro-learning, games and simulation?

He raises some good points, but is the tool (Google) really at fault? Or does the tool magnify an existing human behavior? One thing I agree with Carr is that, I too have problems focusing on doing things or learning when I skim and jump all over the place. I have a need to reflect, ponder, and apply the ideas in my context.

I will dare not synthesize Carr's five-page article. It is for your enjoyment or disdain. However, REFLECT.

Carr writes elegantly and successfully weaved a historical perspective of “technologies impacts on human behavior, thinking and learning.”

Two interesting counter reactions:

From the Blog of Blaise Alleyne

"Twitter doesn't make people stupid.

Nor do Google, Wikipedia or anything else. People are just stupid irrespective of technology. Myself included. I don't do stupid things because of technology, I do stupid things because sometimes I do stupid things. We may see stupidity manifested in different ways on different mediums, but I have a hard time believing that the medium is to blame."

More comment -

"I don't view it as necessarily good or bad - but I do feel it is the beginning of a fundamental shift in culture. Being able to engage with a book, or a conversation, or a lecture or watch a meteor shower are things that leave us with ideas that can lead us to new concepts, artwork, design, data structures, programming... Click click click culture of endless link following and mindless browsing leaves thoughts fleeting and dashing off, half-finished before we can really grasp what it is that we are thinking - this has been a long time coming, widely available broadband net access has just spread up the process for a lot of people."

Savor the reading!

Related articles:
Circling the Wagons Against Nick Carr - Arguments and praises for Nick Carr
Neil Postman - my hero, who believed we entertain ourselves too much with media

Some of my related thoughts:
"The Outsourced Brain"
"If You Believe in Computers Too Much, You Lose Touch with Reality." -- "Joseph Weizenbaum: An Appreciation" - Inventor of Eliza
Information Overload, Interruptions in Flow - Reduce Productivity

Ray Jimenez, PhD www.vignettestraining.com
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"

Upcoming Online Workshops on Social Learning and e-Learning

I am delivering three Certificate online workshops with Training Magazine Events.

Check it out:

e-Learning Design
http://www.trainingliveandonline.com/certjimenezelearn.html

Advance e-Learning Design
http://www.trainingliveandonline.com/certjimenezadvelearn.html

Social Networking, Learning and Performance
http://www.trainingliveandonline.com/certjimenez.html


Ray Jimenez, PhD www.vignettestraining.com
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"