I have thought about the Massive question of the month (July) and I think as with anything, moderation is key. I agree with Andrew's comment that it is important for us as professional's to keep up with the most important development tools. I personally think that there will be a natural 'shake out' of tools and that a few (maybe 10-20) will predominate over time. It is not realistic or feasible for developers to be familiar with a large number of tools as most of the 'major' tools can be used to replicate the functionality of smaller tools. This is pretty major generalization, I know. Please give me some examples of where this doesn't hold true.
Let's look at the points to consider:
How does the eLearning design process need to change to accommodate such a wide variety of tools?
I don't subscribe to an 'eLearning design process'. We have a specific design process that is a modification of the most predominant approaches to eLearning development. Our approach is based on modular rapid prototyping. This approach is larger than the set of tools that are used. In a sense the process is independent of the tools.
How does the tool selection process need to change?
I think vendors will naturally gravitate to what works for them. Having said that, tool selection may be influenced by the customer's experience with tools that they have either used internally or that they have heard other people use either successfully or unsuccessfully. Customers are more informed about tools and this is a major change from 10 years ago.
What should learning professionals do to stay up-to-speed?
Read, research and ideally develop materials using different tools.
Do they need to learn new tools constantly?
Again, I think vendors will for the most part stay with what works for them, BUT and this is a big but they will be pushed by vendors to adapt internal tools or tools that are widely used within the organization. There is a cost associated with adopting new tools so most vendors will not change unless there is a long term benefit.
Can they stick with a few tools?
See all the thoughts above.
Will this trend continue? If so, then what does that imply for us?
It seems like we are at a watershed with what many experts refer to as Web 2.0 or eLearning 2.0. Will this trend continue? I think that if these tools are able to influence and change the way that work is done, then yes the trend will continue. If blogging continues to be as big as it is at the moment then people will continue to use it as a resource. I'm sure I will regret making this prediction, but I see the hype around blogging decreasing over the next 5 years. What about the other web 2.0 tools?
Let me grab my crystal ball real quick, hang on........
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4 comments:
Could you frame some of this rhetoric about e-learning 2.0 in the context of e-learning for large corporations like banks where there is no internet access (no access to blogs as a learning tool), the requirement for mandatory training for compliance purposes, and where standards (restrictions?) like AICC or SCORM are in place?
Tim, excellent question. I hope that my feedback prompts some more questions from you. There seems to be several sub questions that we could tackle within your broader question. I doubt that I will be able to address the bigger questions in one response.
The implications of your question are often overlooked. Web 2.0/eLearning 2.0 is based on easier access to tools that assists the ‘average’ non-techie user to view, create and publish learning content. The reality for many larger corporations is that access to these tools is restricted by firewalls, user rights restrictions (affects downloads of plugins, javascript restrictions etc), use of learning management systems and more. The average user doesn’t have the time to develop the skills to create an AICC or SCORM course for deployment on an LMS so this is definitely a restriction. In addition, corporations that do have access to the internet may very well limit content creation through tools like wikis and blogs by creating rules and regulations about what can be published. What eventually happens is that knowledge is segmented and only shared with people within particular groups (much like eRoom have done). Just for the record I am not opposed to eRoom but I have seen massive duplication of content in large organization because functional groups store the same information in eRooms that are only available to members.
I guess the question is what will happen in the long run in large organizations. Will they adapt by adopting mechanisms to embrace eLearning 2.0. Will banks get internet access to allow users access to online learning content? Will companies allow users to download plugins to run some of the newer application tools? I think it all boils down to cost, risk and reward. Mandatory compliance training can still be done in banks, pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries without internet access. All it means is that you have to go back to the ‘old school’ CBT approach of using CD’s. Many organizations still deploy training that way, although there are negatives such as it is more difficult to do version control, it is generally more expensive (CD duplication, printing, shipping), users always have to carry CD’s with them etc. I think organizations will only change their practice of using CD’s once the negative outweigh the positives. I am a strong believer in economic incentives for change - blame it on the influence of my Economic Sociology background and those Freakonomics guys.
I like to foster discussions, so these thoughts are just off the top off my head rather than a response that claims to know all the answers. Your question is a valid challenge to the notion or rhetoric that eLearning 2.0 will and can be implemented universally. There are many organizational barriers in place in many larger organizations/industries that will make the adoption of new eLearning tools challenging. Your thoughts are appreciated.
Hi Quintus, just dropping by to say hello. Not only do we share a love of birds, but I also work in the eLearning space. I'll be browsing through your blog the first chance I get.
Thank you for your comments on tools. I am a new student in Organizational Development and Technology. I am becoming more interested in what different tools are available for use within OD. I know about blogs but never really thought about using them in a business environment.
Thank you for expanding my knowledge.
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