Tips for Driving the Appropriate Use of Learning Technologies through Practical ISD

Like many powerful tools, learning technology can help or hurt – it depends on how it is used. Getting others to use these technologies appropriately can be a challenge. Those of you around when eLearning was young were able to observed mismatches in learning technology to solution. In that case, eLearning often mismatched the needs and job context of the learner especially when the requirement included some form of behavior or skill acquisition that needed to be applied on the job. This problem is equally if not more prevalent today with new social media and mobile learning technologies available. Many are building wikis, writing blogs, and syndicating podcasts while grouping them under the Learning 2.0 umbrella, but does their content really support learning or a form of communication by providing access to information? If we are going to use or evangelize any learning technology, we need to get back to the basics – instructional systems design. If other learning professionals lack this basic competency, we need to help them.

Ideally, learning professionals have some training and background in instructional systems design (ISD), but we do not always see that in the real world. Even instructional design degree and certification programs tend to focus on the academic versus practice and lack preparedness for applicability when the graduate gets a job. Anecdotally, how many folks do you know with degrees in an area of expertise but lack the real-world experience required to apply it effectively? The old theory versus reality problem… At the same time, there is a basis for the application of ISD, and that’s the trick, applying ISD at practical and appropriate levels.

As learning technologists, practical ISD at a simplistic level tells us we need to help stakeholders and other learning professionals focus on alignment with business goals, business tools, and the work environment. Then we need to identify the needs of the learner by role and what must be accomplished on the job in the ideal world. We need to determine if a training or learning solution is required (it’s not when the problem is systemic or motivational), create a profile of the learner to include what they do in the real world, and map all that to the type of content that will be required (auditory, visual, kinesthetic, blended). Factor in budget, obstacles, and time to proficiency requirements and we can prescribe a set of learning technologies that meet those needs. As learning technologists, we need to push this approach.

If a learning technologist is not available, job-aides like tool matrices or decision work-flows can help stakeholders and development teams make decisions where learning technology is not a core competency, but later on, experts in the required technology need to be involved - especially in the analysis, design, and development phases. Learning technologists or experts will need to hold hands when their stakeholders are too far from their comfort zones.

If starting fresh or embarking on bleeding edge technologies, do some research to benchmark what’s been done successfully by others. When you have identified which technology will meet your needs, incubate and pilot. Start with small groups and the low hanging fruit during the initial test phases and then focus on the larger wins with larger groups as you proceed. Over communicate your wins but document your mistakes and don't forget the lessons learned - they drive efficiency and cost savings later on.

Lastly, ensure you communicate the purpose and value of the learning technologies up and down the food chain as this will drive adoption with your stakeholders and learners, along with prescriptive usage the learning professionals at your organization will need to drive.

How to Use Discussions within Learning Contexts

Oddly enough, of all the Web and Learning 2.0 tools available, the ability to support threaded discussion groups is the most useful. Wikipedia currently offers an excellent definition:

A threaded discussion is an electronic discussion - in which the software aids the user by visually grouping messages. Messages are usually grouped visually in a hierarchy by topic. A set of messages grouped in this way is called a topic thread or simply "thread". A discussion forum - is said to have "threaded topics" if it groups messages on the same topic together for easy reading in this manner. Moreover, threaded discussions typically allow users to reply to particular posting within a topic's thread. As a result, there can be a hierarchy of discussions within the thread topic. Various types of software may allow this hierarchy to be displayed in what's called Threaded Mode. (The alternative being Linear Mode, which typically shows all of the posts in date order, regardless of who may have specifically replied to whom.)

View more of the Wikipedia description here.

From a learning context, how they can be blended-with or attached-to other learning objects are what really make them powerful. Discussions can be used as pre-work, post-work, or breakouts to transition and bind self-paced training to the instructor-led, while supporting conversation around various blogs and wikis. From a peer to peer level, setting up discussions that query and prompt a community response is a great way to socially harvest information while sharing with those who may also benefit from the interaction. Most discussion groups require a facilitator or virtual instructor who takes responsibility for keeping the discussion's focus on-topic while promoting further response and conversation. Depending on the situation, seeding discussions with initial questions, responses, and comments while preparing content in-advance can fertilize activity within the discussion. Some examples of usage follow:

Focused Discussions:
These are a no brainer and are therefore the most popular. What is key is ensuring the topics of the discussion are directly related to the learning objectives. Focused discussions can prep your learners for upcoming events, serve as a breakouts between sessions, or keep the conversations going and relevant to the job long after any formal learning activity. If the discussion tool supports threaded mode, participants will be able to branch into sub-topics where appropriate.

Note-taking:
Great synchronous activity - while in-class, take notes, but not in your notepad or to a doc on your laptop, but within a note-taking discussion group. Later, participants of the discussion can share and compare notes. The instructor can correct, provide, and get feedback if appropriate. Everyone benefits.

Homework:
An instructor gives an assignment - the learner is asked to post it within a homework discussion room. Great for group assignments, but if privacy is required due to concerns regarding sensitivity or copying - have them submit homework in password protected zip packages or set-up 1:1 discussion rooms between the instructor and each learner.

Brainstorming Sessions:
Typically a breakout or between session activity, a brainstorming session may be assigned as an activity where learners are asked to apply content they just learned to resolve an open-ended scenario or existing problem at their workplaces. If the tool has the ability to freeze idea threads as they are posted - even better as this functionality supports the brainstorming philosphy of "no idea is a bad idea."

To-do Lists:
To-do lists are a great follow-up to a learning event. The learner just took a course, now have them publicly post what they will do with their new knowledge, skills, and abilities. While others read, they may be inspired to do the same, the similar, or completely innovative based on the sparks that are lit.

Goal Planning:
Goal planning discussions are an excellent post-work activity where learners must turn learning objectives from a course into SMART goals they will achieve on the job. (SMART = specific, measurable, attainable but difficult, relevant, and time-framed.) Goals set by others can motivate participants to set similar goals or build on their ideas. Coaches and or peers can review and provide feedback.

Action Planning:
In the last activity participants identified their goals - an action planning discussion is where they can collaborate and plan on how to achieve those goals with their managers and supervisors. Great way to transform what was learned into practice.

Scorecards:
Great post-work activity where teams are required to post business metrics relevant to how the content that was learned is improving efficiencies, productivity, sales metrics, or any other measurable outcome related to the learning experience and job context. Scorecards, scoreboards, and dashboards work on the premise that what gets monitored changes and when combined with learning activity, provide a very powerful feedback and reinforcers. You might have them brainstorm on what to measure and how prior to this... Bottom line - these really work and managers who send their employees to training love them.

Lounge:
Classroom based training typically offers a lounge, lobby, cafe, or even water cooler area where participants can take a break. As learning experiences become more electronic, we may need to provide virtual learners with a virtual lounge area so they can take that break and come back fresh into the learning experience. If you are concerned about the type of discussion that may take place, provide guidelines and moderate as required.

Wrapping:
Wrapping using a discussion thread is the truly packaged and blended learning experience. The entire learning activity can be coordinated through discussion if appropriate - from scheduling, to preparation, and evaluation. Keep the discussions relevant by embedding links, attaching appropriate materials, providing feedback, and facilitating discussion on relevant topics that speak to the learners needs. Instructors can assign pre-work, breakout sessions, home work, and post-work around self-paced or live learning events.

Of course, there are other ways to use discussions as part of the blended learning experience. Membership in an ongoing discussion can be leveraged as a reinforcer to learning. They can be used as an incentive to participation and or completion where access to subject matter experts and peers with similar problems or experience is perceived as a benefit. In sum, use discussion threads to expand the digital tribe through social contact and by tying formal learning to the informal.

How to Use Blogs Within Learning Contexts

Before we discuss how to use blogs, did you ever notice that when you talk to people about them, it is amazing how different people have different concepts of what blogs actually are? I think much of this disparity has to do with the context, or what the blog is being used for and who is blogging. Let's take a look at some of the more common definitions...

Merriam-Webster defines a blog as: a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer.

Wikipedia defines a blog as "a website, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on..." (you can read the rest here...)

WhatIs.com probably has the most useful definition: A blog (short for weblog) is a personal online journal that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Blogs are defined by their format: a series of entries posted to a single page in reverse-chronological order. Blogs generally represent the personality of the author or reflect the purpose of the Web site that hosts the blog. Topics sometimes include brief philosophical musings, commentary on Internet and other social issues, and links to other sites the author favors, especially those that support a point being made on a post. The author of a blog is often referred to as a blogger. Many blogs syndicate their content to subscribers using RSS, a popular content distribution tool.

In all, I think we can agree that blogs are a Web/Learning 2.0 technology that initially channel journal-like communications from one person to many, usually as text from newest entry to oldest, (syndicated audio or video blogs are types of podcasts and vod-casts), which allow for interaction between the author and its readers regarding the subject matter discussed. So now that we know what blogs and bloggers are and what means to blog, how can we use blogs within a learning context? Well, I guess this has to do with the learning context... What the blog is being used for, who is blogging, and in this case, when best to attach it to the learning event. (Kind-of familiar - right?) Some examples follow:

Sharing Expertise:
In the learning and development field, subject matter experts (SMEs) are highly valued resources, usually with high costs for their time (internal or external) and little of it to share. Those of you who develop courseware for a living know how difficult it can be to secure time with a SME. Face time with a SME can be even more difficult for the average employee, partner, or customer. Blogs allow SMEs to interact on a self-paced schedule on a one-to-many basis. They are an efficient way to share expert power on job-critical topics before, during, and after learning events and in relevant areas of interest. Blogging is highly efficient for the SME while providing the learner with Q&A opportunities based on job context that would be less likely in alternate scenarios.

Instructor Follow-Up:
Instructors can use blogs to extend and dovetail the learning experience beyond traditional class-time and on completely virtual and self-paced basis. Ever have that question for your instructor after the learning event was over? Here is where learners can ask and get their answers. All the benefits of SME interaction apply, but the instructor has the added benefit of directly tying learning curricula to the relevant experiences and responses of her blog readers. Through principles of adult learning, instructor blogs can reinforce learning as relevant reminders that can increase the likelihood that what was learned during the event and reviewed in the blog will be subsequently applied on the job.

Thought Leadership:
Like SMEs, thought-leaders are experts in their areas of proficiency and are highly valued resources with high costs for their time. Unlike SMEs who tend to be more tactical or ground-level in their expertise, thought-leaders are strategic. They are the forward thinking visionaries who see the bigger picture and can typically foresee and convey the consequences of a given set of tactics. They bring credibility and insight into blog communications that can catalyze the thoughts and imaginations of its readers and motivate their actions. Thought leader-blogs are effective when paired with alongside (during) learning events and also as follow-ups to reinforce application on the job.

VIP Interaction:
Very Important Persons (VIPs) bring a widely-known and celebrity-like quality to a blog through their achievements and experiences. They can inspire others based on social learning concepts of modeling and vicarious reinforcement. Because their fans and followers identify and relate to the VIP, learners can be inspired to learn and perform based on a desire to obtain similar success, status, or prominence. VIP interaction blogs are especially effective when introducing new curricula or events, but are also effective for interaction during events.

Peer Interaction:
In a community setting, everyone has something to share and thus the potential to spread his or her wings. Through the act of blogging and providing consistently useful or interesting information, community peers can become the de-facto SME, instructor, thought-leader, or VIP. Anecdotally this supports the reason why blogs are so popular today. Peer-groups tend to identify with ordinary persons who communicate or teach at an extraordinary level about various topics. Through this ‘like-me’ effect – learning through peer interaction can be socially reinforced before, during, and after learning events. Also powerful are peer-level observations from industry-events and conferences, which allow one participant to communicate what is happening or being learned to many, and thus sharing a transfer of knowledge without incurring the cost of sending many to the event.

“Knowledge and human power are synonymous…”
- Sir Francis Bacon -

So… blogs can be useful to support learning – just look at the context. I all depends on what the blog is being used for, who is blogging, and when best to attach it to the learning event.