Micro-(Video)Blogging from an iPhone

Just discovered a new way of blogging from the iPhone. I normally use Blogger to post text and photos from my iPhone to the blog. Well the next step forward is to create video blogs or vblogs via your mobile device. Check out 12seconds still in beta but an interesting way of recording and uploading snippets of video to a blog site. This is similar to Twitter but encourages you to use video or in the case your phone does not record video then lets you upload 3 photos together with an audio sample. You have to be quick you have only 12 seconds. I tried on the iPhone last night and it worked very nicely.

Speech to Text and Text to Speech

Just downloaded and tried out vlingo that allows you to carry out web searches, pinpoint a map location, dial a number, and most usefully update your social network - all voice controlled on my iPhone. Lets face it keyboards on mobile phones have been moving quickly from real physical keys (think Blackberry) to virtual keyboords (think iPhone and new Storm Blackberry). The next step is surely to make them vanish entirely. What can replace them? Well until Emotiv (see earlier blog) make thought control an everyday appliance, then speech to text is the next stage of the revolution. On a similar topic, all articles on the always readable MIT Technology Review are now available via iTunes as MP3s. They use a company called AudioDizer to turn text into listenable audio files and although these are obviously bots with cute voices - they did not put me off listening to a few of the articles on the go. I listen to over 40 Podcasts a week in my car so this sounds like a great idea. What if we did it for all our (regular news) Intranet articles by default and loaded them to an internal iTunes server so people could subscribe to them? Or if we made all training files available in written or audio formats - the learner can choose whatever suits their lifestyle. This opens up some interesting and exciting learning possibilities.

Augmented-reality for your phone

The amount of applications for the iPhone and Googles Android continue to grow and impress. Latest ground-breaking product comes from a company in Austria called Mobilizy who just launched wikitude. Its a travel guide like no other. You just point your Google phone at a landmark and the screen fills with linked in pop-ups from Wikipedia that give useful information on the landmark's description, stories, dates, etc. As they point out on their website: The truly compelling feature is the augmented reality cam view, users may hold the phone’s camera against a spectacular mountain range and see the names and heights displayed as overlay mapped with the mountains in the camera. Users may look out of an airplane window to see what is down there. Users may walk through a city like Seville, Spain, holding the phone’s camera against a building and Wikitude tells what it is. I think that is an amazing teaching tool. Ideas for use that come to mind lab training, campus and building walk-throughs, getting new hires onboarded quickly, etc.

Pocket Projector - Wow Your Audience

I love this new gadget and very nearly forked out some hard earned cash on a wintery Saturday before I came to my senses. Its a tiny pocket beamer that allows you to show Powerpoint presentations, photos, movies, whatever you wish - up to a 42 inch image on any surface. No more carry around bulky beamers and worrying if the bulb will go just when you launch into that great sales presentation to your boss. It comes with a stand and SD card slot, and can connect to PCs or even to your mobile phone. A really nice touch is that it runs an LED light source so last much much longer than the standard beamer bulbs. The company is called Aiptek. The handy tool is called Pocketcinema and costs approx. USD 300. In the next 12 months I can see this becoming essential kit for any instructor or presenter who is regularly on the road and wants to travel light. The cool factor is high and you may get people turning up at your presentation just to view your amazing projector. Its already on my Christmas list.

Google Voice Search

Tried out Google's latest offering over the weekend. An application for the iPhone that allows you to speak search terms and view the results online. It took a while to recognize my Irish accent (no surprise there) but came through with some good search returns. Looks like the days of Repetitive strain injury (RSI) are numbered.

Who are the hottest movers and shakers to watch?

Its a question I get asked a lot - with so many bloggers and websites out there flooding us with information on the latest and greatest developments in technology and business, who are the chosen few who you should keep an eye on? Take a look at this list of bloggers (besides this brilliant blog, of course): techcrunch list of top bloggers. No surprise to see Robert Scoble and sites like Engadget, Silicon Alley Insider, and The Register - and Techcrunch appearing. Forbes also have a much short list. The usual suspects make an appearance including Slashdot, Gizmodo, and Boingboing - all worth a visit to get a view on the hotest news around business technology. Finally, go to Technology Review which is run by MIT for a fascinating view into all sorts of brilliant innovative advances that will stimulate your thinking. The site is based on the oldest technology magazine in the world (est. 1899) Technology Review.

Video Podcasts - Your 5-Minute Info Digest

Just as we launch our brand new video podcasting channel at our company, I've just read an interesting article about the new US president elect "The YouTube Presidency" and how Obama will turn his weekly presidential address into a 4-minute YouTube video. Even the Whitehouse website is changing with the times by getting their messages out to a wider web-savvy audience with RSS feeds, podcasts and videos of press briefings. Speaking of videos and changing times, Skype is under pressure from Google who launched a new plugin to their mail application. Google has integrated voice and video chat into its Google Mail web application. I haven't tried it yet but with their rich customer base this can only help in cementing Google's position as a one-stop-shop for the internet generation. If you combine all Googles applications (so far free of charge), you start to wonder if there is any hope left for truely desk-bound applications.

Take a trip to Learningtown - You'll be pleasantly surprised

I just joined Learningtown, a community of learning enthusiasts run by Elliott Masie of The MASIE Center. Actually its not really run by Masie. Its hosted by his group. The real running is done by the users of this platform, now numbering 6,469 from all over the world. Its a well put together offering with loads of social media-rich features and tools, with the added bonus of being free of charge - and so far as I can tell, vendor-neutral. If you have anything to do with training at our company this is worth checking out.

The site or Village as they call it, is designed to promote the sharing of best practices and information and allows you to setup your own blog or subscribe to an RSS feed of blogs of interest. You can add specialist groups that interest you. I have already added NextGen Learning, Podcasting for Learning and 3D Virtual worlds. If that wasn't enough, you can also create your own site (with a theme) and set your profile - with your interests, expertise level, photo, etc. Other features I liked include an IM widget so that if your colleagues are online you can send them an instant message.

The main page has alerts and latest activity in a constantly live updated portlet and as with all good social network sites, you can also rate content so you know what is currently popular with the crowd. Finally, you can add and share photos and videos. Well worth a visit. Who knows you may find me hanging out in the Village discussing the latest 3D learning solutions.

Mobile Quiz - Powerful Idea

I found this interesting idea over the weekend. A website service that allows you to create a quiz in seconds that can be accessed by a mobile phone. I tried it as a quick test and it worked. Needs more investigation but the solution appears to open up opportunities if Blackberries for example allow the installation of this tiny java based quiz. I loved it and see this as a terrific way to test learners post classroom. Powerful. Check out mobilestudy.org for more details.

Sent from my iPhone

QR Codes - Scan and Learn

This blog is really just a reminder that I want to try out QR Codes in the near future and report back findings on this blog. What I am rambling on about are good old fashioned barcodes. Scan and you get info directly onto your mobile phone - a web link, contact details, a map, you name it. Whatever you want. The idea is easy to implement. Download scanning software to your mobile, take a photo of the barcode and within seconds you have decoded the barcode and have received the message whatever it is automatically on your phone. Imagine posters with the barcode displayed, websites, leaflets, a pen...the point being nobody needs to key in a word just point your cell phone camera and your message is on their device. I like the idea of the t-shirt with a barcode - if you take a picture of the code the result is you have just added me as your friend on Facebook!

Sent from my iPhone

Broadcasting to Mobile Phones

Mobile Learning is becoming a hot topic at most learning techology conferences. Lots of discussions. Lots of options. But which one to choose for a pilot? One possibility is to hook up with a service provider like OnPoint Digital or Cellcast who offer to take your text, audio, or video- reformat the files and broadcast the message to a cell phone population. Next year we hope to run a mobile pilot so its a good time to get all options on the table.

Sent from my iPhone

Memory Sticks as Learning Support?

A visit the other day from a company that promotes the use of memory sticks for learning and information distribution, prompted me to think again how we could use this highly mobile and convenient technology to support our learning objectives. The advantage if it really works (a
key success factor here is IT security) is running applications directly from the USB memory stick. So no need to install anything just plug in and jump into the learning object. Potentially this could be used on any computer so it's highly mobile and not dependent on the users hardware or current software. Check out these resources: portableapps.com and AccessApps. Critical to keep in mind is information security - if the learner loses the memory stick then what are the implications if it contains sensitive data.

Sent from my iPhone

Brain Training Study - Students Get Better Scores

Anyone who has tried out the software Brain Training must have thought at some time, besides the fun aspect, could this really help improve how we learn. Well Learning and Training Scotland have conducted the first real study of how Brain Training impacts a students test scores. They asked 600 students in 32 schools to use BT 20 minutes each day for 9 weeks. Compared to a control group the BT group got 50 percent better scores in a standard written test. Not bad. How can we harness the power of this solution to train our employees? What is more stimulating -doing an online one hour elearning module or playing an interactive fun and challenging brain game for 20 minutes? Food for thought.

Sent from my iPhone

Atlantic link rapid eLearning now outputs to PSP and DS Lite

Rapid eLearning software by Atlantic Link now offers an option to
output a format for the DS lite and Sony PSP.

This is worth exploring as we seek more creative ways to get our
learning objectives across to our busy and more game friendly
employees.

Let's think about a suitable course and try this out on a sample
group. I'd be happy to test drive the new software.

Sent from my iPhone

Mobile learning gets a boost

The new iPhone competitor running Google Android may give a much needed boost to mobile learning.

Google apps live on the web. Try iGoogle- terrific for highly accessible documents available anywhere anytime. So with Android - video, audio, images, etc do not need the power of a PC or mobile operating system to run them. You simply login to the application over the web.

Think of the beauty of creating content without the hassle of worrying about application standards that need an operating system to pair with them. Sounds to good to be true. Let's see what company is first to capture this highly attractive market.

Sent from my iPhone

More about Saba Learning Version 6.0 - First Look

Continuing from the last exciting blog entry, some more details about the forthcoming 2009 release of Saba Learning 6.0.

(The photo has nothing to do with the new release but I thought I'd throw it in anyway: Learning Technology Team members. Liam Foley, Chris Fioretti and John Talanca as the Global saba Conference 2008)

In the next version of Saba, all sections will have an RSS button and so jumping on the trend to stream out alerts to an RSS reader in another application. Great idea. The downside. Can you bring in feeds? You can stream out...but not in. Can the LMS be an RSS reader No. Saba did not consider this. Sad but true. But they realize the mistake. Saba only thought about notifications in this regard. But no-ones perfect, right? Other changes. All pages are based on plain old HTML and so easy to modify – great news which means our wonderful look and feel will be real easy to implement. How did they do this? The presentation layer is separate from the application layer.

They (not us just yet) have made the Centra experience more seamless. You can launch, edit or join directly from My Events. Search has also been revamped and improved (they promise). You can browse by location, by language, competencies, shows also most frequently used, see whats coming up in next 3 mths, etc. (not sure all this is really new but the search engine has been fully serviced they say). So lots of changes based on a sound usability study. Thats good news. One note about about the Admin interface. This won't be re-surfaced just yet. You see the tab for Admin but it leads to the old interface. It will be redone but later. They focused more on the user experience as a first shot.

The tabs contain Portlets within Portlets...that can be made available easily in SharePoint or other Portals sharing the same protocols for portlet mobility.

There is an edit page layout button and admins can anchor portlets like Search so users know where it always is.

Other improvements worth a mention: elimination of annoying pop-ups, add multiple keywords function, improved enrollments - with a facelift, support for back button on browser, pop up dialogue boxes with mouse over (nice), profiles now have photos and you can do drag and drop portlet re-ordering. We will consider putting this tasty upgrade the Roadmap next year and at least get a demo version installed internally so we can play around in it. I can't wait.

Saba Learning 6.0 - First Look

We got a sneak preview of the new Saba 6.0 interface set for release mid-2009 (which translates as September). Is there a big difference. Yes. Is it better. Yes. I liked it especially as it definitely improves the usability and makes it how can I say more "user centric". Sorry for the poor quality of the photo. My phone won't win any prizes for its built in digital camera. But remember this is a a sneak preview as no official images are available. Saba worked with a company called HFI Human Factors International who are experts in usability for over one year to get their new User Centered Design. And they came up with a long list of things to do better. I really liked the fact they showed a slide of all items they needed to change. Also, even engaging a usability company is a major step and I admire a company that recognizes the value in taking usability seriously. The biggest change is that the old naming conventions like transcripts and my learning have disappeared. The left hand navigation vanishes. What we are left with are tabs. Very simply 3 tabs if you are just a basic user (admins and managers obviously have more tabs). If you have not bought Saba Social the My Knowledge Network is also not showing up. So what are you left with in general: My Alerts, My Events, and My Activities.

My Alerts: shows stuff to complete: such as project management course still open, etc. These Alerts can also be setup as Email Notifications.

With the My Events tab you can sort by dated events, or sort by upcoming, etc. If it is a centra event you could even join from there. You can filter what is shown by e-Meeting, Virtual Class, Face to Face Training, etc - just tick a box.

Finally, My Activities: (which Ben Willis from Saba says is the coolest feature) is being sold as the next generation of My Success Plan. They have added a coloured stop light graphic bar to each item that visually shows acquired, expired, not required, recertify, etc. Also shows percentage certified within the graphic. You can also drill down into an item and get more information e.g. language, assigned, version, duration, and view a profile of the instructor and on it goes etc.

In the next blog entry I will have some details about the new version of Saba Learning.

Biggest Buzz...Social Networking

At the Saba Global Conference the biggest buzz is around social media and how it can be seamlessly integrated into the LMS. We saw a working version and heard the launch is set for mid-2009 so no panic to rush to the shops just yet. So why now? This stems from the growing online trend for user generated content (thank you YouTube, and 100 million Blogs, etc.) and tapping into the power of the community. So how does this relate to learning? Or Learning 2.0? Saba believe the opportunity lies with supporting users to collaborate more - realizing that learning is now becoming more user driven (peer to peer recommendations, sharing links, ideas and knowledge) and less steered by the organization. So Saba is setting up a richly featured social network space within the LMS.

They phrase this new solution: Saba Social - Connecting People to Expertise.

Saba Social is linked to the LMS and all its functionality...it is embeded into the application and shows up in a new Tab which brings you to the Knowledge Network (saba social). Writing about this is not easy as you should test drive it to understand how it works. The version I saw existed in PowerPoint so I am itching to get my hands on it. Basically it looks like it has all the bells and whistles of a standard social network wiki, forum, blog, profiles, search, etc. all tied up in the brand new Saba look and feel which is attractive and user friendly.

Talking to their Product Manager - RSS is still not available and may not surface even when they launch this next year. This is something I find weird as how can you set up feeds to existing Global Portals - it makes it a very isoloated solution. Okay you can pull in the Portlets to a Portal - but do you always want to go to so much hassle? Some good news about our current version of Communities on our system. After SP3 if you post to the 5.4 forum you will get an email notification. But RSS will not be available. Sad. But true.

So what else does Saba Social have that could make your day.

They have a Your Interest Feeds – perhaps a replacement for Email?...interesting these come in automatically in a feed by either you directly requesting or subscribing to some information or based on what you previously searched or even learning you took part in. It knows where you have been and what you have been up to. This is "learning by accident" just as you would hear some nugget of news at the coffee machine or water cooler. Other interesting features: ratings by users so you pick only what your peers have recommended. Reputation: you get associated with what you contribute to the crowd - if they also rate it highly, well done, promotion is not far away. Its all visible to everyone in your community. So it pays to collaborate.

Thats it. Saba Social in a nutshell. Now for some breakfast and collaborating in real-life...

Centra Upgrade 7.6 SP1- The Highlights

Just came out of a session on upgrading to Centra 7.6 SP1. Lets see if its worth the effort and time and money. Here are the main take aways just with the core 7.6: UI Refresh, Recording Studio Enhancements, Virtual Labs and Integration with MS Office and Outlook.
Now with the SP1 what goodies does it offer? Here is a short summary, feel free to print out and stick to your office wall: Batch user management (enroll groups and designate presenters, recognize duplicate events, add users to one or more groups). Audible Alerts - just add a .wav file (why not mp3?) and mix. Add mark-up to PowerPoint animated slides and changes stay intact despite moving graphics.
This is one I liked most - setup events or recordings as RSS feeds ;-) RSS is a simple way to syndicate content quickly and automatically. If you like it you subscribe. Other highlights...publish to Saba Knowledge Base - great if you have connnected Centra with Saba (easy when you know how). I just bumped into someone from Deloitte who is about to do the mission impossible project. She was happy for some tips and advice. Anyway back to the summary...Evaluation Enhancements (do we ever use Evaluations in Centra?) - you can now add scoring, pass marks, adjust fonts and even do an AICC launch so the results get ported to the Saba LMS (needless to say both systems should be on speaking terms). Finally, Centra has more Report Options for Evaluations. Thats it. In a nutshell a few kind of interesting (but maybe not thrilling) reasons to think about upgrading. No doubt we will be hearing from you.

Listening to a lucky company that successfully completed centra saba integration

This is one happy customer we know and love called Sprint. They have now recorded over 32 million minutes of centra virtual sessions just this year. They train internal and external users. All centra 7.5 version classes are done via Saba 5.3. (guess what their Saba LMS is called iLearn, very unique, eh) Saba creates the user account. Users enroll via saba and final recordings become saba offerings. They also integrate centa with Outlook. Users: saba 80k user licenses, and centra has 52k internal from saba and 38k externals users. Oh just learned both saba and centra systems are behind their company firewall hosted by them. Anyway...we will continue to explore this especially knowing it works so well for others.

Saba Global Conference 2008

This is a live blog from the conference rooms of the 2008 Saba Global conference. Hopefully over the next 3 days I can report on the new innovative stuff coming from our West coast learning technology partner. So far the most interesting bit of news, and its early yet on a sunny Monday morning, has been Saba Social. My eyesight is failing me from the backseat with John (so I wont go into the slide detail) but they have a cool new solution that meets many of our social media needs. Nice new interface offers advanced capability to search for expertise, not just training but also people with "knowledge". I love the fact the results which come back from a search are rated by fellow users. You then select the best returns based on popular appeal. Nice. More about Saba Social later and other exciting news from the conference. (Picture shows John T. in deep conversation with with Pedagogue consultants)

RSS - Get Your News and Blogs Faster and All In One Location

You may have noticed there is a lot (slight understatement) of information available online. Sometimes this can, lets be honest, be a little overwhelming. If informal learning accounts for over 70% of our time then anytime you are on the web is obviously a rich learning environment - especially if we hang out there for a good part of our day.

So is this really productive time? Lets have a show of hands. You could spend a whole day just sifting through article after article and still not get your knowledge fix. Its hard to know what to look at - particularly when you hit a company portal.

So... how can you filter this information so you can manage your day? The answer has been around for a few years already but has only now become popular because of powerhouses like our favourite Google and Yahoo. They thrive on news and information so thats where RSS comes in.

For a quick and simple explanation about how your life can be made easy visit this short video. RSS in Plain English

RSS (Rich Site Summary) is a method for providing regularly changing web content in an easy to grap feed.

By subscribing to RSS feeds you can easily stay informed by retrieving the latest content from the sites you are interested in - saving you time by not needing to visit each site individually. So what do you need to get on the bandwagon?

A Feed Reader or News Aggregator software can grab RSS feeds from sites and output them in a format that is easy to read.

So there you have it. RSS can save you time and effort and make your day more productive. I have been using RSS feeds for a while now externally. Internally, we need to do a bit more work to make this process streamlined but I believe we are getting there. I'd like to visit this popular topic again when I get successful at consolidating some internal feeds. Stay tuned.

Touch Sensitive Screens - Imagine for Learning

Catch Jeff Han, formally of NYU on the net near you for a good update on where the world is today with advanced touch-sensitive screens. I know this is a carry on from the last blog but this stuff is so cool. Some links worth visiting to blow your mind: Jeff Han presentation on video. He has an amazing company called Perceptive Pixel, great name and just immerse yourself in his opening video - pure magic. Time also like this guy. CNN use his screen for their famous election night Magic Wall. I wonder what the technology costs...but imagine the impact on your audience. Wow.

Coffee and Learning On A Table?- The Next Wave of e-Learning?

I am still trying to figure how we can apply the cool new interactive displays being launched by Microsoft and other companies to the learning area. The interactive touch-screen table by Microsoft is true innovation at its best and allows you to manipulate objects on the display by simply moving them with your fingers. It also recognizes objects like a mobile phone, cameras or digital music players and provides additional information about what is put on the table. The touch-sensitive screen is built into a coffee table. Currently, Microsoft are selling these exclusively to the entertainment and leisure industry like Starwoods and big casinos but...standby as the price drops and they get more and more consumer demand, you may soon be inviting the neighbours around for more than a coffee.
So how do we apply these ideas to the world of learning? Gaming springs to mind immediately, as potentially all board games could find themselves virtualized. Imagine installing one next to the water cooler - e-learning could then take place in a comfortable and relaxing setting and not behind the closed doors of an office. The size of the screen also allows you to interact with the Internet so opens up loads of opportunities to include Google Maps, YouTube, Blogs, Wikis, and other collaboration platforms into a rich learning environment. Now I know what I want for Christmas.

When a picture is worth a thousand words

Hot off the press comes new research from Tim Brady that shows our capacity for remembering images in our longterm memory is huge. This is not just limited to basic visuals but also lots of details as well. Worth noting when you are developing that next online training.

eLeadership Success

just back from the eLeadership conf. great turnout of comms, IT, and mktg folk. hot topic...social media. no surprise. big demand for a network of experts and to share learnings. I am blogging via my phone so when I get into the office will try and report in more detail. in summary...eMarketing is alive and kicking.

What Web 2.0 Tools Do We Use?

Its timely ro reflect on what tools and platforms we are using inhouse to promote social networking and information exchange. The e-Leadership Conference begins tomorrow so these topics are top of mind as we begin the big debate.

I recently, did a quick analysis of our use of iTunes and YouTube externally and was surprised how little we use these mass communication tools to get our messages across. The key takeaway was that many other companies i.e. our competitors are - so why don't we? Internally, we have our 5-Live podcasting channel available over our Intranet and via the internal iTunes server (although nor yet a Global service). Other BUs beyond GM&S also do make videos and host them either on iTunes or their own sites.

But as a regular podcasting subscription service to push our information - some BUs do and some don't but... luckily there is a growing awareness and positive attitude to receiving these new channels.

On the blogging front our company is more active with Oncology, UK, Marketing, and CEO level, etc. producing regular entries. A great tool exists that allows anyone in the company to setup their own blog in a matter of minutes. Externally, and to no surprise, we are less prominent. Maybe this will change - it will be an interesting discussion at the e-Leadership meeting as we open up the floor for discussion. Again, here is an interesting area that our competitors are exploring so we need to ask why not us and find out what are rules and guidelines to enter this new media, to blog or not to blog, to whom and whether it should be a one or two-way street.

These tools may become more prevalent as we move towards a Global SharePoint platform which allows participants to setup these web 2.0 tools quickly and easily as they are already built in as standard functionality.

Locating an active Wiki internally is not so apparent but then I have not looked extensively. I believe a major maintenance part of a wiki is keeping it alive, fresh and up to date. An often asked question is how do you know the content is accurate? To be continued...

A real social network like Facebook or MySpace (or think LinkedIn) is still to show up internally but I believe this will be a major turning point for how we work. I can't wait to move to this next stage as being able to join a like-minded community and see each others profile and project work will be a huge boost to productivity and the sharing of information. I already use Facebook activity externally, so with a version available internally it would add an additional layer of value to my work and obviously extend collaboration and my network.

A also really think the use of small applications or widgets that are included in a social network (Facebook has hundreds) are terrific and make a lot of sense from a consistent programming point of view, cost and ease of use and access.

The next step is to make the professional network available over a (secure) mobile device like the iPhone or iTouch. But now maybe I'm going too far. Walk before we run. Right? Its hard when the future sits just outside our firewall and you can touch it already.

How long do we have to wait before we can play in this rich and diverse communications playgound? Not long I hope.

Do we really need all the bells and whistles to learn?

Maybe I'm getting old but do we really need all the flash and bang of a full blown expensive elearning vehicle to get our 4 to 6 key messages across. What's the use of audio and video if I can't view it while I am on the go. Why can't it run on my chosen device. Learning should be about anywhere anytime...my time on whatever device I have at hand. Enough ranting. Here's something cool. Cool but maybe also induces a yawn in some trainers. I use the apple iTouch everyday. I love it. I have a company smart phone that I nickname the brick. Guess why. Anyway I added some new free and cheap apps to the iTouch that really make learning easy and fun without all the razzamataz. Get ready for it...I'm talking Flash Cards. Yep for the iTouch and if you are lucky the sleek iPhone. I program new cards and tests myself in minutes or for free download new cards off the net. The library has lots to choose from. Project management terms, anatomy, geography all the way to management strategy. All in the palm of my hand. I love it. Oh I also found a wikipedia site for mobiles that gives me immediate access to thousands of learning items. No more boring waits at airports or falling asleep in traffic jams...I have my learning right where I am when I need it most.

The WOW Factor: 2008 Sees New Learning Revolution

This story knocked my socks off last year and I have just been waiting for someone to pick up on developing the concept further. Imagine being able to control online activity...just by thinking about it. That includes movement, gestures, facial expressions, and that is just the beginning. This could revolutionize learning and many other fields over the next 12 months. Visit: http://emotiv.com and prepare to read about a new device that sounds incredible and hard to believe. This is what they say: Based on the latest developments in neuro-technology, Emotiv has developed a new personal interface for human computer interaction. The Emotiv EPOC uses a set of sensors to tune into electric signals naturally produced by the brain to detect player thoughts, feelings and expression and connects wirelessly to most PCs. The Emotiv neuroheadset now makes it possible for games to be controlled and influenced by the player's mind.

See also: Cnn Future of gaming, Business Week, and USA Today

Google Virtual Chat

Interesting launch from Google. http://www.lively.com/html/landing.html. Using Lively you can create your own virtual (class)room for meetings and customize your avatar, stream personal photos and video. Is this competition for a 2nd Life experience. Time will tell. As its from Google I would expect this to be easy to use and also built for their new mobile platform. Creating stuff in 2nd Life is not that easy and requires money and time. Withy Lively sounds like you can setup a virtual classroom in minutes. The big plus I feel with both 2nd Life and Lively is having Voice over IP (VOIP) as it becomes a more attractive and interactive environment for potential learning experiences.

What's Learning 2.0?

The question of what is Learning 2.0 comes up alot in conversations. No better place to get a definition than a Web 2.0 Wiki. Or the Wiki of Wikis. Wikipedia.

The term e-Learning 2.0 is used to refer to new ways of thinking about e-learning inspired by the emergence of Web 2.0. From an e-Learning 2.0 perspective, conventional e-learning systems were based on instructional packets that were delivered to students using Internet technologies. The role of the student consisted in learning from the readings and preparing assignments. Assignments were evaluated by the teacher.

In contrast, the new e-learning places increased emphasis on social learning and use of social software such as blogs, wikis, podcasts and virtual worlds such as Second Life.

E-learning 2.0 assumes that knowledge (as meaning and understanding) is socially constructed. Construction takes place through conversations about content and grounded interaction about problems and actions. Advocates of social learning claim that one of the best ways to learn something is to teach it to others.

So there you have it. Don't forget your Learning Technologies team have already launched many of these Web 2.0 platforms. If you haven't used some of these capabilities yet, get in touch.

e-Learning Trends 2008

Worth clicking over to Survey to view results from an interesting Survey on Trends in e-Learning that was conducted in November and December 2007. Learning Circuits and E-Learning News polled their readers on how they’re using e-learning in their organizations. Results are based on 293 responses. Some highlights include: over 60% use Authoring Tools and roughly 50% (like us) use LMS, Virtual Classroom and Testing Assessment Tools. It showed there is also a lot of room for outsourcing- with most technical support, web development and reporting taking place currently inhouse. Not surprisingly, it also showed employee buy-in, time commitment, and cost to maintain, as the biggest concerns when trying to rollout e-elearning. Other responses included "culture does not support e-learning" and e-learning is not perceived as "real training". Now where have we heard that before.

iPhone - will it revolutionize mobile learning?

Okay maybe not a revolution. More like an evolution. As I write this update via my wireless iTouch I can't help feeling this device is so suited to mobile learning, the big display, the snazzy browser, the audio/video features, the user friendliness, the interface, need I say more. If anyone wants to do a mobile pilot with the fab iPhone please give me a shout. Mobile learning has come of age...and it has an apple logo!

iLEARN Communities

Dont forget the cool new communities feature on your LMS iLEARN. Well worth a visit, not just to read what your training colleagues are discussing but to make your voice heard. Tell us what you think. Check out items on second life, learning technologies, content standards, web 2.0, and much much more.

PowerPoint as a Learning Tool

Good to see PowerPoint at number 7 on the Top 100 Tools for Learning 2008: http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/recommended/top100.html. Just add to Articulate and you have instant e-learning. What more do you need. Oh. An LMS of course to measure who has taken the course and run some smart Reports.

Wii and Learning

Our family just bought a Wii over the weekend. I am just discovering the huge power of this rather simple technology to engage users. In a short space of time I have learned how to play baseball, improved my Tennis and currently lead in answering questions on a who wants to be a millionaire type of game. We should think about how to tap into this clever technology for internal training.