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:
Do we need some form of structure and formal approach to strategize the implementation of informal learning or do we not?
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?
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?
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.
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.
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.
Ray Jimenez, PhD Join us at 3MinuteWorlds Micro-Learning Community http://3minuteworld.trainingpayback.com http://www.vignettestraining.com/ http://www.simplifyelearning.com/
It is not in the number of connections. It is the few valuable connections that matter. In fact avoid the crowd, seek out the few.
Ray Jimenez, PhD Join us at 3MinuteWorlds Micro-Learning Community http://3minuteworld.trainingpayback.com http://www.vignettestraining.com/ http://www.my3mg.com
Topic: Media Breakfast "Traditional Tactics and Digital Dimensions: Strategic Thinking on PR, IR and Media Relations in the Conversational Age" AMD, Sunnyvale, CA http://bit.ly/7Rwc9e
Insights:
Clear policies are always needed
Conduct a "conversation mapping" to gauge what your audience like. I thought this was a good way to conduct research before launching Social Network (SN) projects.
Start small
Make those with experience share, tell
Allow multiple ways to express ideas: blog, YouTube, Twitter, etc. whatever works
"Everyone is like a reporter"
The Tweets were interesting. #bwsv
Ray Jimenez, PhD Join us at 3MinuteWorlds Micro-Learning Community http://3minuteworld.trainingpayback.com http://www.vignettestraining.com/ http://www.simplifyelearning.com/
I am in search for something in Web 2.0. The end is clear to me: How to find cathartic or closure like experience with the aid of Web 2.0. My background is in organizational development and group psychology. Although I have been developing learning technologies and systems, my eyes have always been on the outcome in terms of experience, learning, healing and revitalization.*
So this is my personal diary as a student of group psychology, learning and technology.
I focus on two originating points.
Why cathartic experience?
Why Web 2.0?
My goal? How do I continue to nourish my need for catharsis, share what I learn and improve my skill to deliver this know-how through Web 2.0 tools or e-Learning 2.0 methods.
One thing definite: I do not wish to be jumping around numerous Web 2.0 technologies, be consumed with the technology, and lose the essence of my search – Catharsis in Web 2.0. I search for the opposite - simplify my life with Web 2.0 tools.
Is there Catharsis in Web 2.0? Can you share with me your ideas?
I will see you in the next post.
*About Catharsis: “a sudden emotional climax that evokes overwhelming feelings of great sorrow, pity, laughter or any other extreme change in emotion, resulting in restoration, renewal and revitalization in members of the audience.”
Ray Jimenez, PhD
http://www.vignettestraining.com/
http://www.trainingpayback.com/
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way" "Helping Learners Apply Learning"
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"
I have been reviewing the blog discussions on Work Literacy Gap and Frameworks between Harold Jarche, Tony Karrer and Michelle Martin. The discussions are very helpful in formulating my thoughts on the issues of social learning tools, technologies and impacts on performance.
The exchange of ideas is very rich with practical stories and theories.
Michelle asks this question:
"In talking with various experts in the worlds of Information Literacy, Information Seeking, Personal Information Management (PIM), Personal Knowledge Management (PKM), Personal Learning and others, it seemed that there’s a fairly consistent opinion that once you drill down with most knowledge workers, there’s a gap between how they do their work today and how they might be able to do their work if they took advantage of new(ish) methods, tools, information/expertise sources, collaboration techniques, etc."
Furthermore, Michelle asks:
"Who should we be talking to when we talk about work literacy and how should we be talking to them? What messages resonate with which groups and how should we differentiate them so that people see “Ah–this applies to ME!”?
I must admit that I am quite late in following the conversations. However, some of my observations and thoughts are:
1. The areas I am often asked is: "How do we use social learning and networking to improve performance at work?"
2. What is the role of the leader, trainer and manager in implementing the social learning process? Who is to lead? What are the skill sets? What process or discipline does he/she apply?
There are many more issues in the discussions, but the two issues above are foremost to my mind. Social learning is focused on interactions of users. An equal amount of focus should be on the implementors.
Ray Jimenez, PhD http://www.vignettestraining.com/ http://www.trainingpayback.com/
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way" "Helping Learners Apply Learning"
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"
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.”
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 stupiditymanifestedindifferentways 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."
“We have 100,000 members, and we want to jump on board and use Web 2.0 for Learning.”“Top management directed me to see how we can launch Social Networking and Learning to 45,000 of our employees.”These are comments I received during my presentation at the ASTD ICE. I see a pattern, which is both good and bad. There is a misunderstanding about Web 2.0 and Learning 2.0. Many learning leaders tend to focus on the “big stuff” and “big results” and rolling out big initiatives.
This reminds me of the days when companies would say, we will require 30,000 employees to finish this e-learning course using the LMS. Consequently, the rush to do something in a big way necessarily skips asking the important questions: “Is the LMS the right tool?” or “what do we have to do differently to make this work in our business?’
In my experience helping businesses, I struggled with these issues. These are summarized at the ASTD ICE presentation. Please download the PDF version of the PowerPoint.
My learnings led me to focus on:
Micro-Things in Social Learning
Micro-Networks
Micro-Relationships
Micro-Sharing
Micro-Coaching and Help
Microlearning
Micro-Interactions
Micro-Feedback
Micro-Content
Micro-Exercises
Micro-Writing
Micro-Conversations
Microlearning Systems and
Micro-Tools (like Widgets)
This is the essence of my presentation.
Seven-Step Dynamic Process – Web 2.0 to Learning and Performance
1. Inventory and map your environment – on page 27 of the PDF, there are four dimensions of Social and Collaborative Learning; we need to understand where we are and design a strategy. On page 28 and 29, knowing the nature of your participants, your culture, business demands and available facilitators are important.
2. Narrow scope – in businesses, you will be asked for results. So the more specific your Learning 2.0 project the better off you are. I found out that projects with some timeframes and specific application are more sustainable. I love the idea of a “community of practice” – but that’s not always the place to start. It’s hard to sustain. Start with specific applications; Wiki on product ABC to be launched on XX/XX/XXX with this people in them. (Micro-Needs)
3. Find the fit – Find the Intersections between structured learning and business operations and opportunities to use Learning 2.0 and Social Networking tools. Focus on business contributions, rather than the learning and training itself. The more your initiatives relate to aiding a business outcome, the more they become winners. (Micro-Projects)
4. Manage content – Seed content with Micro-Content (please no e-learning lessons) ; be succinct; keep Micro-Conversations going
5. Match implementation - On page 34 and 36, decide how to design and what tools to use. For example, if participants are receivers (Audience type) design Learning 2.0 like the CommonCraft multimedia and maybe do a Wiki for “Creators”. We can not use one solution that fits all. Use Micro-Tools like Widgets
6. Set & track benchmarks – On page 38, try to establish some benchmarks to measure and gauge network value. This helps you decide what to tweak and when to intervene. Manage Micro-Networks and Micro-Results.
7. Facilitation – be a network Weaver. See the checklist at the end of the PDF. Assess your own skills. Micro-Relationships. This is what Social Learning is all about.
Do we simply socialize for socialization's sake? Or do we socialize because of expected outcomes? I think the desired outcomes have much to do with the quality of socialization.
Many social learning or collaborative learning approaches focus on the "tools: software, web-service, gadgets, etc." that facilitate socialization and learning. They pay less attention to what truly happens in the "creation of new knowledge" that brings results.
This challenge presents two problems:
1. If we are unclear on how the "the knowledge creation" works, we may not get the results.
2. If we focus on tools, we will find them useless after we master their technical features.
In my inquiries about creation of knowledge, I stumbled upon this paper by Christine Woods and Barbara Simpson of The University of Auckland.
This paper proposes that understanding micro-interactions is a key to creation of innovations. There are four levels to identify which must converge and diverge into the Living Present. The four levels are: Anticipated Strand, Skills Strand, Realized Strand, and Social Strand. People's identity in each strand are woven together to create the texture of the Living Present. It is in the living present that knowledge and people converge or diverge -- it is where collaboration leads to innovations. Woods and Simpson cited two case studies on how they applied their studies.
This paper made me think about the process of "creation of knowledge" in social learning.
Please send me email if you have thoughts and materials on this.
Ray Jimenez, PhD www.vignettestraining.com
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"
I scanned the book "The Future of Reputation." It is interesting to read, although it addressed more solutions for protection of privacy in legal and government policies.
What hits me is this: someone's reputation in the Internet could be an asset that can be destroyed very quickly. Rumors spread very fast and often times over-presenting the truths of the story.
This tells me that good reputation as an asset in the Internet must be vigorously monitored.
Ray Jimenez, PhD www.vignettestraining.com
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"
I am proud to share with you that a web 2.0 tool - www.TrainingPayback.com, which I helped developed, is now being used by Training Magazine for its upcoming Training Leadership Summit scheduled May 5-7, 2008.
Welcome to the Session. The following are the references for the December 13, 2007 Session.
Download the 25-Page Special Report and Framework Graphics.
Plus PowerPoint file, the three framework graphics.
Basic 2-3 minutes video on "What is Social Networking" - By CommonCraft What is Social Networking? What is Social Bookmarking? What is RSS? What is a Wiki?
Social Networking Extended to Social Media Networking.
The video is a presentation by Microsoft on a software (C Dragon) that integrates and captures images found in Web 2.0 tools and assembles them into one image. It's like composing a singular image from numerous images found in Web 2.0 sites. The technology is Photosynth.
The technology in Web 2.0 continues to propel us to rethink the way we do things. What are the implications? We can assemble images and photos faster and present our ideas more vividly.
Ray Jimenez, PhD www.vignettestraining.com
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"
Try this experiment. I created a blog that participants from the audience can send email to, post their comments, questions and ideas. During the whole length of my presentation, on Social Networking and Learning Impacts, I asked the audience of 1,000 who are Spanish-speaking in Medellin, Colombia to post their emails in Spanish.
It worked. A few people posted their comments from the exercises. I had a good opportunity to show blogging as a tool in action.
Ray Jimenez, PhD www.vignettestraining.com
"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"
