Online Learning: Online Learning - the self inflating bubble

Online Learning: Online Learning - the self inflating bubble: This blog is about online learning .  The expressions online learning , e-learning and technology assisted learning are widely understoo...

From training to performance - Superfero

Superfero is a simple tool, which tackles the issue of transforming training into performance.

It doesn’t need an IT department to implement and enables line managers to create performance related learning initiatives efficiently and effectively. It’s not an LMS but in terms of performance development may be a much more relevant and ‘democratic’ tool. The focus is not on statistics and HR administration but on work place performance!

Research consistently shows that learning interventions under-deliver in terms of conversion of knowledge into performance. The issue is rarely the learning intervention itself but a lack of pre and post activity. Superfero is certainly a tool that can help bridge this gap if used appropriately by direct line managers.  

Superfero also facilitate two other important engagement factors, a social element that allows for knowledge sharing and a fun competitive element.

Try it out here: http://www.superfero.com/

How long does it take to create learning?

Or how long is a piece of string? Well maybe there is a better answer to the question...

The avarage 1 hour e-learning project :

• Cost: $10,000
• Development time: 79 Hours

Bryan Chapman has created an interesting presentation on the subject that gives some good indications of the time and effort involved in creating different kinds of training interventions including e-learning.

See the presentation here:
how long does it take to create learning>>

Changing Education Paradigms

E-learning may utilise 21st century technology, but has it changed the educational paradigm? Has it not just 'electricfied' the traditional paradigm.

Unfortunately e-learning lends itself to utilizing the 'worst' of the traditional educational system, as structure and precdicability is so inherent in technology.

Some food for thought:



RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms

How SCORM compliant are you?

 SCORM is broadly speaking a set of standards. SCORM standards specify how Learning Management Systems (LMS) and an e-learning course should communicate. If an e-learning course or an LMS communicates in accordance with SCORM standards, then one could claim that they are SCORM compliant. There are currently two sets of SCORM standards: 1.2 and 2004 (2004 is newer and has more features)

Give me some SCORM
If you have purchased a SCORM compliant LMS then it is likely that you will want to purchase SCORM compliant courses.

So, you call an e-learning vendor and ask if they can provide SCORM compliant e-learning courses?

“Of course we can,” says the helpful salesperson: “all our courses are SCORM 1.2 or 2004 compliant.”

You purchase a wide range of courses (money is no object) and you are now very likely to encounter a host of problems. 

Your ‘oh so’ compliant systems are not always all that compatible! Vendors of LMSs and e-learning courses all have slightly different ways of interpreting ‘standards’. In a ‘tug of war’ over standards, the LMS will almost always win. It’s notoriously difficult to change the workings of an LMS, the LMS is often very expensive and it is not practical to change the LMS every time you purchase a new e-learning course.

The tweak
‘Out of the box’ e-learning courses are likely to need tweaking in order to run satisfactorily on some systems. Problems can arise, especially if the e-learning course has been ‘created’ using proprietary software over which the vendor has no control. The vendor will not be able to change how the course communicates with the LMS. A good vendor of ‘custom made e-learning’ will be capable of changing communication principles in line with the LMS.

A Small Compatibility Story
Let’s look at a small story about being compliant. You have set up a vehicle rental business and because you are a very clever businessman you decided to enforce strict ‘vehicle rental fleet standard’ (VRFS - I made that up and will apply for trademark later).

All compliant
The good thing about VRFS is that it specifies standards for wheel and light bulb sizes. So no matter what make of vehicle you buy, you will only ever need to stock one size of wheels and one size of light bulbs – as long as the vehicle is VRFS compliant.

Even better, the garage you have bought for your vehicles is also VRFS compliant so there will be a space just the right size allocated to store wheels and light bulbs.

Your rental business is doing great, but customers have suggested that your vehicle base is a bit boring. You decide to spice up the rental choice.

Compliant... but not compatible
A cutting edge vehicle manufacturer suggests that you buy their new hovercraft: ‘HOVER3000’. It’s an exciting vehicle but is it VRFS compliant? “Absolutely 100%!” Exclaims the salesperson. In your excitement you buy 10 and you are looking forward to including them in your fleet.

Delivery day arrives but disaster! The HOVER3000 is too tall to fit into your garage! Garage height is not a standard specified by VRFS... But you are in luck, a local company specialises in raising garage roofs. They cannot raise it quite enough for the HOVER3000 to fit in but combined with removing some antennas from the hovercraft the problem is solved.

All is well until the day the HOVER3000 needs a change of tyres... The tyres you have don’t fit. You have not forgotten the costly affair of raising the roof of you garage and detaching antennas (resulting in complaints that the radios never work) and you know that tyre size is definitely specified in VRFS. You call the manufacturer to vent your justified anger. But there is a problem, a hovercraft does not use tyres, it uses an ‘air cushion thingy’ (that’s the technical term). Had it used tyres then they would of course be of the size specified by VRFS ...but it doesn’t.

The misery just does not stop. It now turns out that your garage has no space to store ‘air cushion thingies’ although you find out that there is a ‘storage size’ specification in VRFS for such devices if they exist.

The HOVER3000 is VRFS compliant although it does not utilize some of the VRFS features but you do not have to utilize all features to be compliant! The garage is compliant as the VRFS does not specify a certain roof height nor does it require a storage facility for ‘air cushion thingies’ it only specifies the size should an ‘air cushion thingy’ storage be present.

The Solution
Do not buy a hovercraft! A lot of issues regarding SCORM arise because the responsibility for SCORM is left with the LMS or e-learning vendor.  SCORM standards are a buyers’ standard. The buyer needs to know what he can get out of SCORM, what parts of the SCORM standards will support his business and his company’s learning strategy. There is no point in buying a garage that can accommodate a hovercraft if you never need a hovercraft.

Many companies do not know their own LMS well enough to specify requirements other than the ‘cover all’ SCORM (which covers very little). It's important to understand that SCORM is not an 'it'll work guarantee' it is a set of standards that can be implemented and interpreted in different ways. An LMS or e-learning course does not have to support all SCORM features to be compliant.

One popular LMS requires you to run your SCORM compliant e-learning courses through a 'compatibility' software before uploading to the LMS - is that being SCORM compliant?