e-Learning 2.0: Surveying Learner Participant TechnoProfile

Social Networking: Surveying Learner Participant TechnoProfile

I have been fine-tuning a survey tool to gauge the TechnoProfile of the target learning audience in social learning, networking, collaboration and Learning 2.0 environments. I call it “Learner TechnoProfile.” The survey design is based on my discoveries from social learning sessions, (ASTD handout) client projects and my research “in helping learners apply their learning” or Micro-Learning Impacts in social networking context. I also used the ideas presented by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff Growndswell, (2008).

My goal is to understand the participants better and develop a strategy based on my findings.

Premise 1: Shifting from Web 2.0 tool dependencies

Implementors of Learning 2.0 tend to rely on the tools available to them, e.g. Blog, Wiki, Search, etc. without first understanding the behavior of their participants or learners. It’s like buying a pain killer off-the-counter to cure all pains. Learning 2.0 is not a pain killer for all types of learning problems.

(1) The first step is understanding “the current state of behavior” (Techno-Profile) of participants, then develop and apply the appropriate tools to implement in the social networking environment.

(2) Second step is to nurture the network of participants from one form of behavior to another. It is possible that many learners prefer to watch videos or read content and are reluctant to interact or make comments. In this case designing social learning content to appeal to this audience is the initial phase; eventually the participants can be coached or enticed to provide comments or ranking, or other forms of behavior.

Premise 2: Understand participant learning behaviors (a) before exposure to and (b) while in social networking environments.

I devised the questions to cover our typical understanding of a learner in a current condition. Current, meaning traditional methods of learning, e.g. classroom and e-Learning approaches. See “Learning Framework of SCL" (Social & Collaborative Learning.) I then juxtaposed and superimposed the behaviors that Li and Bernoff (2008) utilized. See the descriptions of “Technographics Ladder” from Li and Bernoff.

Premise 3: Social Networking Trainer, Facilitator and Leader Needs

I added an element that relates to questions on what trainers, facilitators and leaders want to accomplish in social networks and Learning 2.0, or in accomplishing learning and training using Learning 2.0 and Web 2.0 tools. It occurred to me that we need a questionnaire for trainers and leaders or those responsible in facilitating and implementing Learning 2.0. Without knowing this group’s preferences, interests or needs (business or personal) we are missing a key element in the implementation process. The primary interests behind these questions have to do with “what tasks Learning 2.0 facilitators” can accomplish in Learning 2.0. The questions may provide insights on what types of Web 2.0 Widgets we can develop to help trainers, facilitators, and leaders accomplish their goals. For example, I have been tracking networking interactions and sociograms as a way of providing leaders with tools to better understand the networks that they manage or nurture.

NOTE: The survey below is a draft and is undergoing editing and testing.

e-Learning 2.0 and Performance Survey

Learning in Social Networking and Learning 2.0 Environments

Part I – Learning Behaviors

Please select which of the following describe your behavior(s). You can choose more than one answer.

As a participant or learner in classroom sessions:

[ ] Listen mostly to presenter or lecturer
[ ] Prefer to be an audience rather than active participant in discussions
[ ] Learn well by listening, watching presentations
[ ] Learn well by watching videos
[ ] Learn well by reading hand-outs
[ ] Actively participate in discussions
[ ] Actively involve in games and exercises
[ ] Actively involve in simulation
[ ] Ask questions to presenters and trainers
[ ] Ask follow-up questions to trainers after the session
[ ] Ask advance questions to trainers before the session
[ ] Ask trainers and coaches for one-on-one conversations
[ ] Contributes by providing examples and illustrations
[ ] Offer to help others in the session
[ ] Make yourself available to others who may need help
[ ] Express your opinions and ideas freely in discussions
[ ] Share freely your comments on trainer presentations or ideas
[ ] Get together with other participants after sessions

Part 2 – Social Networking Behaviors

Please select which of the following describe your behavior(s).

You can choose more than one answer.

As a participant to social networking sites, I would like to:

[ ] Publish a blog
[ ] Publish my own Web pages
[ ] Upload video/slideshow you created
[ ] Upload content or presentations you created
[ ] Upload or link to e-Learning course you created
[ ] Write articles or stories and post them
[ ] Post ratings/reviews of discussions, content and products
[ ] Comment on someone else’s blog
[ ] Contribute to online forums
[ ] Contribute to/edit articles in Wiki
[ ] Use RSS feeds
[ ] Add tags to Web pages or photos
[ ] “Vote” for Web sites discussions
[ ] Maintain my profile in a social networking site
[ ] Visit social networking sites
[ ] Read Blogs
[ ] Watch video or presentations posted by other users
[ ] Listen to podcasts
[ ] Read online discussions
[ ] Read participant ratings and reviews
[ ] Seek others who can help with learning problems
[ ] Seek others to help with project needs
[ ] Seek others to help with jobs or opportunities
[ ] Seek others to have an on-going in-depth conversation
[ ] None of the above behaviors

Part 3 – Trainer, Facilitator, Network Leader Needs and Functions

Please select which of the following describe your behavior(s).

You can choose more than one answer.

As a trainer, facilitator or leader in training and learning social networking sites I would like to:

[ ] Learn what learners/participants want to know more about
[ ] Know what topics participants find the most useful
[ ] Know what problems participants want solutions for
[ ] Learn how learners prefer to learn
[ ] Learn how learners apply solutions on the job
[ ] Know what learning methods learners/participants prefer
[ ] Learn the medium and delivery that learners/participants prefer
[ ] Learn the work and learning situations of learners/participants
[ ] Provide learners/participants engaging content
[ ] Provide learners/participants ways to interact and learn from content
[ ] Provide learners/participants ways to interact with trainers, leaders, and others
[ ] Obtain feedback and ratings on quality of content
[ ] Obtain feedback and ratings on quality and depth of interactions
[ ] Obtain feedback and ratings on quality and depth of network relationships
[ ] Create and publish content for learners/participants
[ ] Use social networking as blended with other sessions, e.g. Webinar, classroom
[ ] Use social networking as pre and post classroom or Webinar participant interaction tool
[ ] Use social networking for learners/participants to seek out coaching opportunities
[ ] Use social networking for learners/participants to assist others and be coaches
[ ] Use social networking small groups to assist each other in projects or problem-solving or collaboration
[ ] Learn how to evaluate the value of social networking to impact performance
[ ] Learn how to help participants measure or gauge contribution of social learning activities to job results
[ ] Learn how to help participants measure or gauge contribution of social learning activities to personal learning and growth
[ ] Learn how to obtain timely feedback from participants

I would be interested to get your comments and suggestions.

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

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

Groundswell Insights - WhyTrainers Often Say, "It Does Not Work"

I just finished reading Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff of Forrester Research.

Although it was written for business executives focused on marketing, customer relationship and business development and strategy, the parallels to the training and learning industry are abundant.

A few that struck me, and there are a lot more:

• Design the social working approach based on users' "technoprofile" - the way people behave in social networking: creators, critics, collectors, joiners, spectators, inactives.
• Instead of using a "standard technology" like Blog, Wiki, or Media sharing, Li and Bernoff suggested that organizations must focus on the dominant way members participate. For example, if there is a preponderance of critics, maybe using the site as a rating site will be of more value.

The tendency in early adoptions of social networking in learning is the over emphasis on learners becoming active participants. Since Wikis, Blogs and discussions are abundant and tools easy to apply, trainers tend to emphasize the contributions of learners by postings and comments.

This is unfortunate because not all learners may wish or are ready to make comments or participate in discussions, and yet may be willing to do something else. The biggest downside is that, trainers basing on this early experience, tend to conclude that "social learning and networking" does not really work because learners seem not too excited in making comments. I have heard this moaning so many times.

To help trainers analyze their participants, sort of a "technoprofile", I developed a Framework to look at the types of learners. I divided them into an audience, actor, and creator based on their learning behaviors. In this framework, a trainer needs to adjust the social media and social learning to use. For example, if the learners tend to be more of an audience, providing Podcasts, videos, and ability to read small presentations may appeal more. Whereas micro-games and exercises may appeal more to actors. And for creators the Wiki and Blog may have higher value.

This is the thought I gathered from Groundswell: learners may express themselves depending on what is comfortable for them. The popular tools like Wiki and Blogs may not always be the best.

The Groundswell tells us that people participate differently, and we better listen or take a hard look at this, otherwise, our approach may go off tangent.

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