LCMS Challenges

From Elliot Masie, more on LCMS...

2. LCMS Challenges - Content Format Changes. Learning Content
Management Systems are facing some key challenges as the format of
learning content evolves. The ability to manage the creation,
publication and search capability of PodCasts, User Content such as
Video Segments and Collaboration Content (Wiki or Blog) is not core to
the capabilities of many of the Learning Content Management Systems. I
will be leading a major focus on the updating of the LCMS at our
upcoming Learning Systems '08 event in April (10 and 11) in Las Vegas,
NV - http://www.learningsystems08.com <http://www.learningsystems08.com/>

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie is published by The MASIE Center, PO Box
397, Saratoga Springs, NY

IBM and 3Dscience game

Google News Alert for: "virtual science"

IBM Launches PowerUp, a New Free 3D Multiplayer Virtual Science
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0362330.htm
CNNMoney.com - USA

IBM (NYSE: IBM) is launching a free multiplayer online game, PowerUp
http://www.powerupthegame.org, challenging teenagers to help save the planet
"Helios" from ...

Podcasting II for Educators Reminder

This is a reminder that you are invited to Podcasting II for Educators,
which is due to start at Tuesday 19 February 2008, 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM.
Below are the event details and instructions for participating:
Event: Podcasting II for Educators
Description: In Podcasting I, you were introduced to some great podcasting
tools. Now, in Podcasting II, we're going to explore a variety of strategies
to energize your teaching, engage your students, and improve learning.

During this webinar, you'll have the opportunity to learn what educators
around the U.S. are doing with podcasts as well as share ideas, tips, and
strategies with colleagues. Along the way, we'll also look into other free,
easy technologies to improve the interactivity of your podcasts!
When: Tuesday 19 February 2008, 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM

TO JOIN THE WEBINAR
Our webinars are one hour and will begin promptly at 4:30pm MST (5:30 CST;
6:30 EST; 3:30 PST).

* If you have not registered for this event, please go to the following
link to register at least 24 hours prior to the event:
http://nmsu.acrobat.com/podcasting2/event/registration.html

* If you have previously registered for this event, attend by going to
the following link and enter the email address and password you used to
register: http://nmsu.acrobat.com/podcasting2/event/login.html

Join the webinar 20-30 minutes prior to the start time to configure your
computer. To participate speakers are required; a simple computer microphone
and/or headset is ideal for complete interaction. A webcam is optional. If
you have never used Acrobat Connect Professional, please test your
connection at:

http://admin.adobe.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

TECH ASSISTANCE
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Cissy Lujan-Pincomb
or Miley Grandjean at webinars at nmsu.edu or call us at 575.649.0768 or
575.646.6143.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please visit us at http://webinars.nmsu.edu

Have a cup of coffee, invite a colleague and raise your eQ (eLearning
Quotient) with us.

Thank you,
The RETA Webinar Team

Cool Blogger

Thanks to Bethany for this cool blogger link!

http://mscofino.edublogs.org/

FW: On Classroom 2.0: Live "Talk-casts" Starting Tomorrow

Check out the below message from the very cool Steve Hargadon. Please note
that the first talk-cast occurred yesterday.

Also, Steve inspired Holly and I to start testing TalkShoe, check out our
first TalkShoe at http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/14645
___________________________________________

A message to all members of Classroom 2.0

Howdy, Classroom 2.0 Members!

I was pretty busy this last month organizing our first live CR 2.0 workshop
in San Francisco, but I have had a couple of days this week to finally pull
together something I've wanted to do for a while: regular audio (and soon
video) virtual "meet-ups" for Classroom 2.0 members.

The schedule for these talk-casts is on our wiki at
http://www.classroom20wiki.com/LIVE+Conversations.

I've scheduled sessions
starting tomorrow (!), and you are also welcome to add and facilitate any
events you would like that pertain to Classroom 2.0. Once we have a good
grasp of the different audio/video/whiteboard/desktop-sharing programs
available, we could even do some training sessions for those who want to
moderate. (Elluminate has generously agreed to provide access to their web
meeting software for these meetings, but until that's in place I've set up
to use Talkshoe.com for our first sessions. I've also put in some notes on
the best way to use Talkshoe, which you can see by clicking on the link in
the "medium" column.)

Tomorrow's session will be just an introduction and for fun, especially
since it's Valentine's Day here in the U.S. and we might get limited
participation from the more romantic crowd! :) Friday's session will be on
"Creative Commons, Open Content, and Copyright" in education. Then I've
listed some others for next week that would start us on a series of
discussions about different Web 2.0 programs in education. My thought is to
create enough variety in topics that most of our members will find something
they want to be a part of--or listen to later (we'll record the sessions so
they are available afterwards). I've also scheduled one for next week that
should accomodate non-North-American time zones--and could use some feedback
on doing that regularly, or even having a separate organizing facilitator.

I'm particularly interested in encouraging folks who might want to start and
facilitate their own series of Talk-casts--say, ""Web 2.0 in the History
Classroom," or the like. If you think that might be you, email me
separately and we can organize that on the wiki.

Thanks for being a part of Classroom 2.0! I'll look forward to talking to
those who join the calls.

Steve

Steve Hargadon
Steve at hargadon.com

Visit Classroom 2.0 at: http://www.classroom20.com

12 Wishes for Our LMS and LCMS

I concur! Thanks Elliot.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
12 Wishes for Our LMS and LCMS Systems
By Elliott Masie, Host, Learning Systems 2008

1. Focus on the Learner: Most Learning Management Systems are focused
on the organization's perspectives on learning and training. They know
how to track attendance, participation and certification. These are
important, but not sufficient. We need to have our Learning Systems
focus on the LEARNER. They should know more about the learner, from
background to style to context, and aggressively make learning easier,
more efficient and continuous for the learner. While reports of
learning consumed are interesting, we really want our learners to turn
to these systems for real support in learning.

2. Content, Content and Content: When the first LMS systems were
launched, they were primarily "vending machines" to dispense and track
the consumption of e-Learning (then called CBT) courses, mostly from
3rd party providers. As the creation of internally-created increased,
many organizations purchased Learning Content Management Systems
(LCMS) to add content creation/management capabilities. Our Learning
Systems now need to hone in on the vast amount of UserContent (from
PodCasts to FAQs to Performance Guides) that will be created by
workers in the workplace.

3. Ratings, Please: Learners want to know how other employees who are
similar to them have rated and valued a program's content before they
start that program. Why not provide ratings, sorted by demographics
and roles, to help a learner select the content and activities that
were most highly valued? This can be a simple Thumbs Up/Down, a
5-point scale or more in-depth rating system. Great content should
rapidly float to the surface and be visible to the workforce. Poor
content should also be labeled and either improved or avoided.

4. More Context: Every classroom experience blends formal CONTENT with
informal CONTEXT. This may be in the form of a side-bar story from the
instructor, comments/questions from fellow students or conversations
at the coffee pot on breaks. Yet, as we moved towards on-line
learning, less attention is paid to the role that CONTEXT plays. We
need to address how learners will get that context - from
collaborative tools like discussion boards/wikis and blogs to more
fundamental design changes - to incorporate the voice of the field
more actively into the learning experiences. I have yet to see a
Context Management System, even though in many situations the quality
of the Context is more impactful than the quality of the Content.

5. Performance Support Tools: Our Learning Systems are mostly geared
for learning in anticipation of need or requirement. I want my systems
to also have a healthy dose of Performance Support resources to allow
for "learning at the moment of need". Ideally, I should be able to
pose a question, requirement or topic to my Learning Systems and be
provided with both an immediate Performance Support Tool that will
walk me through my need, as well as a module to learn about it in
greater depth for future requirements. Our learners need more
Performance Support and our Learning Systems have to step up to the
plate for this!

6. Social Knowledge: Learning Systems will need to include and be
integrated with Social Networking Systems. Some of the best and most
important knowledge will be shared person-to-person in an
organization. The learner wants to know, "Who in this organization has
any experience that could help me as a learner/worker?" In addition to
the LMS pointing to a module or course, we need to be able to link to
a colleague who may have the perfect, relevant experience based on
their work from 2 jobs ago. The social dimension of learning needs to
be harvested and accelerated by a new vision of our Learning Systems.

7. Learning Systems as Components: Most of our workers do not want to
go your "learning portal page". Instead, they want to have components
along the lines of "Gadgets" or "Wizards" that will live on their
screens or pop up based on tasks/situations. Those will feed content,
requirements and reminders from the learning systems. For example, if
I am reading a document and I come upon a term that I don't know, is
there a way to launch a component that would offer me definitions,
social networking and even registration into an on-line or in-person
class on that topic? Can I have a graphic on my screen that changes
color based on my current continuing education requirements?

8. Focus on the Role: Our workplace is increasingly role-based. Most
of our learning systems are more focused on jobs or positions. If I am
assigned a new project, it may shift my role, and the Learning Systems
should help me prepare for and perform in that role. My history in
previous assignments should inform the set of learning activities that
are offered to me in the new role.

9. UserContent Authoring: YouTube is coming to the office! Our
learners are already creating simple and short half-life content,
using simple video, audio and text tools. Many Learning Systems are in
shock at the thought of this new wave of content. How will we author,
approve, edit, tag and make discoverable this content? Should we even
try to track the usage of UserContent? How do we blend authored
learning content with UserContent? What is the lifecycle of content -
when do we expire a module?

10. Learning Systems as Service: Each business unit may want or need a
very different front end experience for its Learning Systems. Do we
allow our enterprise LMS to evolve into a cluster of Learning Services
that are tailored for our business units, but that share a common set
of data profiles? In other words, are our Learning Systems ready to be
part of a Learning "Cloud", where the functionalities are delivered as
a software service rather than from a single enterprise system? This
is Web 3.0 - are our systems ready?

11. The Lifecycle of Learning Systems: Many of our Learning CONSORTIUM
members are in the midst of re-evaluating their LMS and LCMS. Some are
shocked that this point of re-evaluation has arrived only 36 or 42
months after the original purchase point. What are our realistic
Lifecycle expectations for our Learning Systems? We need to take an
industry perspective on those systems which will serve valiantly, but
for a 2 to 3 year period. How do we have the Lifecycle conversation
with our IT department and even learning suppliers?

12. Learning Systems as Human Capital/Talent Systems: Ultimately,
there is also a lifecycle of the knowledge/skill sets of an employee.
From the moment we start the recruitment/interview process, through
hiring/training to succession and promotion, and eventually
retirement, we have a need to integrate learning resources and
information into the larger Human Capital/Talent systems. If your
organization were about to be purchased by another company, what
information lives in your Learning Systems that would assist the
valuation or merger process? Learning Systems must become more
friendly and integrated with their cousins.

These issues and more will be address by Elliott Masie and Cushing
Anderson at our annual User Group event, focused on LMS and LCMS
utilization:

Learning Systems '08
April 10 and 11, 2008
Las Vegas, Nevada

http://www.learningsystems08.com

The MASIE Center, PO Box 397, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
trends@masie.com

------ End of Forwarded Message

Where do the 2008 Candidates Stand on Education?

eSchool News reports on the top three candidates’ positions on education:
http://tinyurl.com/28odue

Google Code for Educators

This website provides tutorials and sample course content so CS students and educators can learn more about current computing technologies and paradigms. In particular, this content is creative commons licensed which makes it easy for CS educators to use in their own classes.

Check it out!
http://code.google.com/edu/

Adobe Education eSeminar Series

This looks like a good one. If you attend, let me know how it went!

eLearning Solutions for K-12
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 2:30 P.M. EST / 11:30 A.M. PST
Adobe Education Leader Dave Forrester will discuss effective uses of Acrobat Connect™ and other Adobe eLearning tools in class and district-wide.

See more and register at:
http://snipurl.com/1zaes

R U cycle?

That means “Are you awake?” in cell phone texting language. Read about textonyms and this new use of words by our texting generation...

The article is called Textonyms give cell phone addicts a new language, and the tinyurl is:
http://tinyurl.com/ypwxxh

:)
~julz

Awesome and Fun Interactive websites

Thanks to my friend, Denise Welsh for this resource :)
~julz

This is really cool! It has stuff all the way to 12th graders.

http://www.learner.org/interactives/ <http://www.learner.org/interactives/>

This site has interactive lessons for Math, Science, English, History, and
even Theater! I personally designed my own roller coaster using the
Amusement Park Physics interactive, participated in a Spelling Bee for 11th
and 12th graders, and calculated the surface area and volumes of geometric
shapes in the Geometry 3D Shapes interactive.

Take a minute or two to explore one of these fun interactive in your content
area. You¹ll be surprised!