Although you might be getting tired of these little dittys and poems, I never do. They show up on my twitter string and Boom! They just grab me. What better place to catalog them then here (and HERE).
I'm just a guy . . . waiting for a girl . . . to miss me too
The other day I posted about an interview with Dr. Jeong-Hee Kim. During that inteview Brooke, my colleague, noticed a focus on art and design as a part of the learning process.
I really like that Brooke picked up on that aspect of art-based research. I posted about art in my organization last year when I wrote this (here and here).
As I mentioned in those posts, I was hired to improve the quality of our training course at my organization. When analyzing our product, I see that art and design has not been a focus point for our training. Not only has this been limiting our own design processes, but we might have actually been underserving our learners.
Since writing that post, we have changed things in our department. Where before we simply reprocessed information we were given by our clients and applied some best practice adult learning methodologies and some expertise on drilling out redundancy and incorrect information. Based on what Sousa states, "In recent years, neuroscientists have been developing theories about ways in which art develops cognition. One common element of the current theories is that each art form involves different brain networks" (p. 247).
We have since brought on a design team whose sole focus is to push these artistic boundaries. Already, with very little investment in our training platform, they are doing things and creating courses that are vastly different, more rich, and more engaging than what we had before. Are they doing things that I couldn't have done? Nope. Are they doing things that Julie hasn't thought about and dreamed up herself? Nope. But these folks have the capabilities and the background to think of things as artists and that's what they are developing. Are they good products by themselves? Nope. By themselves they would be shallow and hollow, but when they are applied with Julie's team's help, when the artistic creativity is combined with the expertise, and adult learning theory that the rest of the team provides, then you have a product that is far more rich, vibrant, engaging and effective. By focusing on art and design we have vastly improved our product.
References
Sousa, D.A. (2016). How the brain learns, (5th Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
For one class I was asked to discuss and interview with a researcher who focuses on qualitative research and qualitative research design. Dr. Jeong-Hee Kim is Professor and Chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas Tech.
When I read Schmidt and Yelich Biniecki they write say on page 15 "typically, an organization (as structure) should match (or be related to) the way that it's programs are organized. The phrase "form follows function" is a principle used in architecture to mean that the design of something (like a building, in the case of architecture) should be based on the intended purpose or use for that thing."
In my organization we provide compliance training for contractors entering and working in refineries. In the past this has been seen as "check-the-box" training; meaning that it was being done just to get it over with. The training our organization provided over the years to check this box training was rote, un-engaging, one dimensional and uninspired. People came to take it to get it over with, they didn't expect much, and we didn't deliver much.
Now, we have started to focus on quality over quantity. the idea that if we are going to spend time checking a box, we should use that time to provide effective and engaging training. With this change has come the use of new software platforms for development and delivery, as well as investment in creative design teams and more animation and video resources. The form of our development teams has changed as the function of what we are delivery and why we are delivering it has changed.
References
Schmidt, S. W., and Yelich Biniecki, S. M. (2016). Organization and administration of adult education programs: A guide for practitioners. Information Age Publishing, Inc.
So I had some folks ask questions about my workouts lately. You'll recall that I have at several times talked about my workouts (see here). I like to try and include them in my writing and in my novels, so why not discuss them here in my blog on writing.
My last couple of workout challenges (see here and here) were doozeys. My last was around my new running group (see here), Fort Bend Fit and our running to get ready for a marathon. Now, I'm not running a marathon. I've done enough of them to realize I don't like them. But I'm still running with them just to have a group, and to take some longer than normal runs.
What's the workout? What's the challenge?
Well, ten years or so ago I completed P-90X (see here) and I really enjoyed it. It's tough, but it's a great workout. I believe I completed it three times before I decided to move on. I think I tested P-90X 2 when it came out, but I was not impressed. I'm not 6 weeks into my first 90 day workout. As a group we are going to finish this round.
I add on a (minimum) 2 mile run with each workout, time depending. Usually I have time. I think I've missed a run twice in the last 6 weeks. Not a bad.
I don't know about the rest of the crew, but I plan on taking a week or two off (just running) then doing P-90X 2. I don't care how much I hate it, I'm going to complete it. Then another week or so of relaxing running, and I'm going to move on to P-90X 3! After that, I should just about be done with a year, then I may try Insanity, or Beast Workout, or any of the other dozens and dozens of workouts that the group now has posted online.
Last time it was DVD's this time it's all online, and with the little support group I've got going, I think I can do it! I'm about 25% done as it stands!
Stephanie discussed Frederick the Great and fear. She quoted a line in our book that said; "on page 16, Morgan discusses Frederick the Great's principle that "that the men must be taught to fear their officers more than the enemy."
Stephanie, I was intrigued by your quote regarding people in the military being motivated by fearing their officers more than the enemy. Having spent some time in the military, I feel confident in saying that Frederick the Great's principle is outdated in today's modern military.
One thing I noted when moving from high-school and college athletics to the military was that drill sergeants were out in the midsts of the soldiers far more noticeably than coaches ever were. While in general coaches would sit on the sidelines with a whistle encouraging the players to run faster or perform better, drill sergeants and team leaders were on the range shooting and in the formation running with the troops.
Rather than instilling a sense of fear this style of leadership instills trust. As a soldier I knew my team leaders would be leading the way and fighting by my side. As a team leader I knew my squad leader was going through the door with the squad. And as squad leader I knew my platoon sergeant and platoon leader were able to keep up and lift as much weight and do as much as any other soldier in the platoon because they had done it with us everyday. I think trust in leadership plays a far more important role than fear in today's military.
One of my favorite posts (and most likely the most therapeutic) are these that I label Evershade (see HERE). Why? I don't know. They express for me what I feel so well. Hope you like these!
This first is from AwayfromDevine, a great name, and a great sentiment. Eyes are certainly the windows to the souls. I have another where I mention eyes (HERE) this one is right up there too.
The first thing I do when I look into your eyes is, that I admit that I am lost
I had a discussion with two of my classmates about red-tape which I've been writing about these last few days. Like Daryn, I believe that red-tape in bureaucracies are necessary evils, but also they are routes designed to help users through processes, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they have to be unbreakable. Some of the best members of our organizations are those who understand the red-tape, know why it is in place, but who can both navigate through it or have the authority to break it when needed to keep business going in the right direction and uninterrupted.
Daryn wrote about about fixed processes vs fluid processes. When thinking about mechanization in organizations, I also like to think about the evolution of Iron Man through the different Marvel movies that have come out. In the first he is all gears and parts, but by the end his suit of armor is made of nano materials and flows around him like liquid. This I think is the ideal outcome of mechanization. Where you can have an organization or bureaucracy that is tough, strong and process driven like a machine, but also nimble, fluid and variable enough to deal with the ever changing demands of business and society.
Lori wrote that processes with red tape have "structure has a high degree of specialization which utilizes work standardization to achieve efficiencies." I really like how she discusses efficiencies. Red-tape doesn't always have to be bad, but processes that are defined by red-tape can actually make organizations run more efficiently and effectively, especially for younger workers.
This time it is an answer to Stephanie. Stephanie and I are in a group together and she is quite quick. She made a point about red-tape and bureaucracy that I thought was outstanding.
I agree with her in almost all of the points she lays out on mechanization creating consistency. I loved what she wrote when she stated; "It is when an organization becomes overly reliant on the machine of the organization for all other decisions (policy, hiring, management, etc) or at the expense of people and innovation that bureaucratic friction is created."
That turn of phrase, overly reliant on the machine of the organization for decision making, is quite apt. Red tape and bureaucracy it seems to me is designed to take the thought out of day to day business and leave it to the process to make decisions. And so often that red tape is unnecessarily complex and convoluted and makes it tough to get through the system. As I mentioned before it's when someone applies thought that they can manage to navigate or bust the red tape.
I think some of the organizations with the least red tape and bureaucracies are those that have the fewest people. I think about one man operations and the red tape is just on that one person to manage and create and therefore there is very little. I think bureaucratic red tape grows as the company grows, but that it can be managed as you have said as long as it doesn't become the prime decision making process.
One of my classmates asked about innovation, red-tape, and mechanization as a form of bureaucracy and organization similar to what I wrote about last week.
When thinking about this question regarding innovation, bureaucracies, and organizations that represent and are based on a mechanistic style, I think about how my own organization has had to innovate and why.
I believe that have a business operate in a mechanistic or machine-like way is good for kicking off and refining processes, but that at certain points organizations outgrow that need. I think in our case we are being forced to innovate by the change in the markets and by our need to be more competitive and to keep up with our competition.
In many ways we have been the market leader BECAUSE of our machine-like bureaucracy. The efficient, process driven, assembly line way of providing for our customers had helped us stay in front of our competition and is forcing them to mimic our processes. Now that there are outside changes, Covid, software innovations like Zoom, other outside competitors, we are being force to innovate. While I think there is a time and place for machine-like characteristics, and it's easy on the operations team to have interchangeable parts, and a repeatable process, the growth we have experienced, and outside influences are now forcing us to tweak those aspects of our business to stay ahead of the pack.
I ran into these and felt compelled to share. They're a part of that regular series I have posted to over the years (see HERE).
This first is telling to me. "Nothing you do will ever be enough?" I've felt that.
When your best efforts aren't enough . . . nothing you do will ever be enough.
I had another chance to be a part of a panel discussion on eLearning today. Last time I did this (see here), the discussion was limited to "microlearning." This time it was far more broad and focused on eLearning in general.
I noticed a couple of things about this second try.
First, I was far less nervous. I had actually prepared LESS for this one than the one before, but I felt far less nervous going into it. Why? Who knows. Maybe it's because I didn't have a tie on (see image above, I'm middle left). Maybe the fact that my bosses weren't there. Maybe I'm getting used to it now. Whatever the case, the nerves were gone this time around.
Secondly, I noticed that you can never depend on moderators. In both this and the last panel discussion, I was supposed to have a moderator. In both cases the moderator was unable to moderate. The first one froze up, the second one, the audio wasn't working. I had to become the moderator for myself in both instances. Never depend on a moderator.
Finally, I was glad to be a part of both of these, and interestingly, both were supposed to be in person. Both were thrown onto a virtual platform thanks to covid. Good thing too, I wouldn't have been able to make them since I tested positive last week! Thanks to virtual platforms I made them both!
Andrew and I discussed a learning principle the other day. He liked the principle that "everything else being equal, more time on task equals more learning."
I think about the number of times when a concept was difficult to impart in a lecture style course, and I would stay on it for longer and longer, trying different analogies and stories, asking for the learners to provide their own experiences, etc.
In terms of the online course, I think about designing course and how with difficult concepts we provide more resources, going from just the standard power point delivery, to reading, to images, to video, to video analysis, to reflective exercises, to discussions, and reinforcement in later modules as well. All of these different tools not only helped with reinforcement, but also provided "time on task" - Principle 9.
In terms of less is more, Andrew, I think about how in those online courses with all of those reinforcement tools, each was a small chunk rather than a huge block of learning. From the learner's perspective, because of the small nuggets of reinforcement, they might think it was less, in fact it could actually be less content, but the efficiency and effectiveness of the learning might be greater. Your "chunking" approach.
As a learner I would appreciate the ideas that you are throwing out about creating self-paced monthly modules instead of weekly assignments.
I feel like I don't even have to write an introduction to these any more. They just are what they are and say what I say, like all of these did as well (see HERE).
Recently, we were asked about whether or not the idea of bureaucracy or organizations as machines is a valid and worthwhile metaphor for our organizations, and personally, I think that the machine metaphor is a good description not just of bureaucracy in general but the bureaucracy that I see in my day-to-day life at my organization.
The idea of interchangeable parts, where one cog can be replaced effortlessly with another of the same type, where as Morgan states on page 29 "defining work responsibilities in a clear cut manner" can be a positive thing, can be beneficial to organizations. A large majority of my organizations front line workers are introduced to the workforce through the jobs we give them, and having clear lines of authority, clear cut understanding of responsibilities, and a chance to feel comfortable within the limits they are given, is a positive benefit of their first job to them.
I also found it interesting that Morgan states on page 31 that "employees lose opportunities for person growth, often spending many hours a day on work they neither value nor enjoy." There are workers who come to our organization and quickly burn out by the rote, repetitive nature of the tasks we assign our front line worker, but for the most part this is embraced by the staff and a self-selection occurs within the front line cohort. Those that enjoy the routine blossom, those who don't find other roles. We also offer opportunities for these workers to be promoted into other areas and grow their careers through established career paths that have similar well-laid, somewhat limiting tracks attached to them. However, as these workers become supervisors and managers then the shackles come off to a great degree.
As Morgan states on page 28, these types of bureaucracies "are not designed for innovation." It has only been lately, with a new leadership team, that our organization has embraced innovation and it is easy to see where the old style of training and development of workers squashed the type of innovative thought that was needed to stay current and relevant within our industry. There is still a need for treating our processes like a machine for most of our staff, but allowing a change to occur, and allowing the maturity and growth of the worker to mandate and guide their own development out of the machine-like bureaucracy.
References
Morgan, G. (2006). Images of Organization (Updated Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
I think about loss and grief quite a bit, and the other day I ran into this little illustration, and it hit me. Just like all these others, it hit me in just the right place, so I'm saving it here with all of these (see HERE).
Not sure why this resonated with me so much, but it does. Just like all of my writing, seeing this, writing about it, thinking about it is a part of the process of dealing with it. In my own case my life has grown around my own loss already. There may always be scars, but they're fading with time.
Elizabeth, BetsyEvershade, evershades , ever shade, ever shades, shades of Betsy
My biggest takeaway from the Community of Practice survey was the extent that others utilize the LMS for communications to learners.
Our organization has a fairly simple yet data deep LMS. Our LMS has been collecting user data for over 20 years and has millions of records. Learners who may change jobs can still access all of their training records with us at anytime.
All this being said, we don't use it for anything other than records management. The fact that so many others use an LMS for communication and for interacting with the learning community is surprising to me. Although it makes me realize that there is a lot left for my organization to do, at least this survey lets me know that any work we might put in place for this effort will be worthwhile.
Andrew my buddy has been using Google Forms. As many of you who read this forum will know, I helped set up a live virtual training system for our organization back in 2010 or so (see here and here).
We used Google Hangouts as zoom wasn't around at that time, and also used Google Forms.
I actually got a call from a representative of Google about all the features we were using and to ask how we were using their products. I liked that it was all free for use. We used it aggressively.
I remember that we were able to transform the data we collected from Google forms into charts and graphs. We used it for quizzes and tests and really like the "real-time" feedback so that the instructor could adjust his content delivery to meet the needs of the learners immediately.
We also found that since the learners were logging in to take quizzes and tests, we also had a record of their being in training so it became and ersatz, passive electronic roster as well. All great side benefits.
Goal 1: Demonstrate an understanding of social issues affecting adult learning and leadership.
Goal 2: Demonstrate knowledge of the impact of technology on adult education and adult learning.
Social issues abound within online learning whether it be adult or not. There has been a merging of social delivery mechanisms and learning in the industry that my organization supports.
What better way to reinforce training than to send microlearning nuggets about the training directly to the delivery platform that the learner carries with him everywhere and even better, knows how to use because he is on it constantly. Or how better to create a sense of immediate and lasting engagement than a video message from the instructor prior to the the start of the course, during the class itself, or after the fact when the learning is complete, as a way to enforce continued community. Additionally, online learning, particularly asynchronous learning can play to adult learning in that it allows adults to access the training when it's convenient for them, rather than making them miss class or during a time when they are not interested in learning. Technology is becoming a greater and greater social enhancement tool and can also become a greater online learning tool.
Prior to this training I enjoyed looking at different tools and wondering if I could incorporate them into the training. Now, thanks to some of the reading in this class, I can now not only work to integrate them physically into the class, but understand how that integration can benefit the learner most. Knowing that engagement is a key aspect at the kickoff of the course, we can now manage and promote engagement mechanisms and tools at that point in the class, and realize we may need other tools for the middle and end of the class. If nothing else knowing more about these goals has helped create more nuance and depth to the tools I might work to integrate to our classes.
All in all I like the fact that the text provides activities and tips that we as learners and facilitators can use immediately in the classroom or online classroom to make our own products more effective and meaningful for our learners. That being said, there are those that I don't think are as effective, relevant, or worthwhile as others. One of these is Technique 1 under Late Middle Tip 2. Tip 2 is Three Techniques for Making Your Students' Knowledge Visible. Technique 1 is Interview-Expert Modeling.
Having read this I think I see where the authors are coming from and what they are proposing, but I don't know if I believe it will be very effective and it could lead to confusion or incorrect conclusions. This technique can allow the students to think from different perspectives and think differently about the subject matter. This of course allow them to make new connections and create different networks in their minds, but if the learners make incorrect assumptions as an "expert" and these aren't caught by interviewer or the facilitator, it could lead to the wrong conclusions being drawn.
I think the book, Online Teaching Survival Guide should have called out the need for the facilitator to be present to help guide this approach, but I wonder if anyone else in the group has worked with this specifically or tried this technique? Was it successful? Were there any pitfalls?
Grading was a discussion the other day. I know in my online instruction I always consider those learners who are writing for the rubric or those that are going beyond and I let the grading effect my decisions as well.
I will even tell the learners that I'm grading based both on the rubric and on their engagement. The rubric provides a nice guideline, but enthusiasm and engagement play a part as well. It's usually fairly easy to find who is trying vs who is just marking time. Don't get me wrong, those that are just writing and discussing toward the rubric are doing a good job, but those that go beyond are even better for the movement of the class. The grade for that person who is meeting the rubric might be the same as that person who is going above and beyond. But, I'll also let those learners who are going above and beyond know that they are going above and beyond. Usually I find that those learners aren't just looking for the grade, but are looking for the personal notice and experience.
What are sweet nothings? Little endearments, usually whispered between lovers. Little non mots? Little secrets? Special little somethings that mean nothing at all but at the same time everything?
As much as I love sweet nothings, and I love giving em . . . I don’t think I’m very good at them.
The other day I was discussing training with Ryann, a colleague, and the idea of engagement came up. We also discussed how there has to be sufficient rigor, or difficulty in the training, or the learner will not be engaged.
I like that Ryann brought this up, and also discussed modeling the feedback on the learners capabilities and expectations. In our organization we discuss the need for "rigor" in our training courses. Without challenging the learner, applying "rigor" then the learner will be bored, unengaged, and not care about the objectives or the outcome. I like that you've identified that having feedback that is worthwhile, maybe rigorous, and challenging will help ensure that the learner is responsive and growing as the facilitator might expect.
My buddy Andrew, hit on something that is a cultural problem for our learners. Testing and quizzes, especially the negative views that come with them.
One thing my organization has done in the past few years is start to increase the amount of testing and quizzing that we do, but we've called it something else to get away from the terminology with a bad connotation; ie. Testing or Quizzing. We now have non-graded pre-tests before our training and knowledge checks scattered throughout the course. These tools are all non-graded but they provide the same testing effect memory development as an actual quiz or test. We are also working with iterative learning, or flashcard style quizzes. An entire module that is nothing but quiz questions designed to stimulate the testing effect for the learner.
For a tool that is so powerful in creating long term memories, I think that testing and quizzing gets a bad rap.
Reference
Pulichino, J. (2017, Sep. 5). Brain-based elearning design. [Video]. LinkedIn Learning https://www.linkedin.com/learning/brain-based-elearning-design/the-testing-effect (Links to an external site.)
I recently took a survey and read a book on online teaching. The survey provided a good, albeit straightforward, assessments of a trainer's readiness to teach an online class based on several principles such as their ability to use technology and tools and their understanding of the online learning principles and confidence. It also provided an overall score at the end to help the assessment taker determine if they were ready as an online teacher for facilitating an online class.
The chapters in the book were a bit "tip heavy." Do this, do that, . . . that's a tip heavy manner. It provided information on how to sustain course discussion, ensure comprehension among the learners, and wrap up the online class. Like last week, by providing "tips" the text helps learners by giving them concrete activities that can be immediately applied to an online course and spell out why each activity is worthwhile and effective.
All in all Online Teaching, which I've been doing for years, is continuing to progress and evolve. It's good to stay abreast of the changes. And I scored very well in my assessment. I'm ready to teach online.
Since we are talking so much about apps for online learning, I'm going to focus on the Screencastify. I love that so many of my peers are planning on utilizing something that is so present already in classes.
My organization has provided multiple online conferences in the past year and one of the things we quickly figured out was that not having the camera on and creating a sense of presence and connection with the audience was a huge mistake. Who wants to attend a conference where you are confronted with a disembodied voice from the start and that stays with you the entire time. We want to see who we are learning from, right? I think your wife's idea with video is remarkably inline with establishing presence, engagement and connection.
Andrew and Lauren both brought up the importance of humor in training. I'm glad they did. I know that when I was a trainer, especially when I was an online trainer, I used humor liberally to create engagement, social presences, and inspire a sense of community.
I found that using humor was a good way to bring the trainee's into the training community and embrace the medium. I also found out quickly about some of the pitfalls and challenges of using humor. Anything beyond surface level quickly cut to the quick and had the adverse effect. The trainer I interviewed for this week's assignment actually brought up humor as a tool and technique that he uses often as well. He found the same hazards existed for him.
Our training organization deliberately and expressly shies away from using humor in our courses. the classes we teach are quick, lasting usually no more than a few hours. Developing a rapport and using humor is tough to do in that time frame. Still, I see it as a technique that has it's uses. Already I've downloaded Andrew's two reference articles and can't wait to read them.
References
Anderson, C. (2020). His sense of humor carried the day: Using humor with nontraditional adult learners. Adult Learning, 31(1), 3-5.
Summerfelt, H., Lippman, L., & Hyman, I. E., Jr. (2010). The effects of humor on memory: Constrained by the pun. The Journal of General Psychology, 137(4), 376-392.
I had a long discussion with Tommy at work - find the link to the podcast here, and he recorded it. He podded me, then he cast me. So, I've now been captured as a part of a podcast.
In the podcast (see here) I go over how memories are made, what we are doing at work to support the industry, and alot alot on VR. It was tons of fun, but man-oh-man is it hard to hear my own voice.
Give a listen and let me know if you like it!
These are more that I read recently that called to me (like these HERE). I will tell those of you who like these that yes I write my own . . . yes you've read them . . . yes I have a pseudonym I post under. Can you tell which are mine?
Kelsey, brought up the use of blogs, wikis, and discussion forums. Lately, for the past couple of years that is, I've been trying to develop communities of learners via these types of tools.
The idea came to me during Hurricane Harvey when my neighborhood had to evacuate due to potential floods. Instead of going to the newspaper, the television, the phone or any other conventional source, the entire neighborhood got their news from a Facebook Community page. It stunned me that we all, en masse, eschewed the more conventional for the passive stream of information coming from our neighbors writing and sharing together. I wondered if we might find a way to share learning in much the same way.
At my old organization, a contracting company, we created a page to help develop leaders in the organization. We invited all supervisors, managers, and directors to be a part of it. We found that supervisors enjoyed the opportunity to share their experience across the organization and having a line of communication to the upper leadership. Now, I am trying to do the same thing with our leadership training. We find that we get wonderful engagement from the learners when they are in the building, but once they go back to their jobs, that connection is lost. I want to find a way to keep that connection going. Allow the learners to tap into the resource as needed. Look through posts to find answers to what they need.
I like having that chance to hunt through posts and find the one that I want, I'm sure they would too. Blogs and wikis and discussion boards help facilitate that style of learning and I'd love to see it become a bigger part of our learning community.
