Learning Tools: Twitter

The new network economy is about communities, collaboration, peer production, and user-generated content. As companies evolve within this new network economy, demands are being placed on internal learning and development departments to assist employees with mitigating the impact of increasing job demands, global workforce redistribution, cross functional projects, and formal information overload. (Pontefract, 2011) Given that many companies are also still burdened financially by recent economic crises in the U.S., learning and development departments are also under pressure to implement extremely cost-effective training solutions.

Due to these economic constraints, many companies are now turning to Web 2.0 tools, such as Twitter, as a means of cultivating formal, social, and informal learning in the workplace. The Twitter platform can be utilized at no cost to the account holder, is accessible anytime, and is especially good for mobile, on-the-go people who can learn anywhere. (Galagan, 2009)

When micro-blogging is encouraged within a company, it can help not only to address on-going employee professional development and training needs, but it also helps to create a company culture in which there is: (Pontefract, 2011)
• Better understanding of the organization across many teams & projects
• Personalization among employees and senior leaders
• Engagement and the feeling that everyone's opinion matters
• Information provided timely, be it formal or social/ community driven

Trainers should not only encourage the use of Twitter among employees for informal learning, but for formal learning as well. Twitter's interface provides a unique presentation platform for storing and sharing learning content and can be used as a delivery platform for training. The favorites tab is the key to designing a course (…) and critical to organizing the delivery of training. “Favorited” content that can be compiled for courses includes: (Wing, 2011)
• Hyperlinks
• Video Links
• Photo Links
• Geo-tagging Links

An example of using Twitter as a platform for course delivery and also a course on the topic, Building a Training Course in Twitter, can be found at: http://twitter.com/#!/ISD20/favorites

Resources:
Galagan, P. (2009) Twitter as a Learning Tool… really. ASTD T+D Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.astd.org/LC/2009/0409_galagan.htm

Pontefract, D (2011) Micro-blogging is Good for Leadership, Good for Culture. Brave New Org. Retrieved from: http://www.danpontefract.com/?p=267

Wing, T. (2011) App Fusion: Twaining in Twitter. Learning Solutions Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/623/app-fusion-twaining-in-twitter

Learning Management: Project Planning

This post explores the elements of the initiation and planning stages of project management. As outlined below, the following information should be included in a project proposal and project plan.

Project Proposal
Purpose - Organizational goal
Scope - Breadth and depth of project
Resources - Content and/or personnel assistance needed
Anticipated Outcomes - Deliverables and benefits provided to organization
Constraints - Internal and External
Personal Commitment - Confidentiality and personal standards of conduct

Project Plan
Overview - Describe project concept and history
Phases - Data collection, data analysis, needs assessment, interim reporting
Action Steps - Decisions, meetings, deliverables, review points
Tasks - Chronological sequence of events to complete action steps
Instruments - Schedules, software, surveys, handouts
Cost Estimates - Estimation of resources necessary to complete project

Project reporting will be outlined in a future post.

Image Credit: http://www.mpmm.com/project-management-methodology.php

Learning Development: Storyboard Elements

Storyboarding occurs during the Development phase of the ADDIE model of instructional design, after the audience has been analyzed and the learning sequence has been designed. Storyboards serve as the "blueprint" of the eLearning module prior to development within an authoring tool. This post outlines and explains the many elements indicative of a good storyboard.

Slide Title - Main idea of the slide for learner's visual cue
Audio - Slide by slide script plus audio cues and background sounds
Graphics - Verbal descriptions, sketches, or file names of pre-selected graphics
Video - File names of any pre-recorded video clips
Text - On-screen text for both content and learner instructions
Navigation - Location and description of navigational elements
Interactivity - Description of how graphics, texts, and audio appers on screen and behaves including timing, roll-overs, screen clicks, and drags and drops
Programmer Notes - Description of interface elements, required learner actions, and any specific instructions to integrate learning within desired delivery platform

A good storyboard can be reviewed and understood by the client, narrator, graphic artist, and/or producer as necessary for approval. Storyboards are often completed in either Microsoft Word or PowerPoint, and a great resource for templates can be found here on The eLearning Coach blog.

Resource:
Michaels & Associates Consulting & Training. Storyboarding Strategies for Effective eLearning. Retrieved from: http://bit.ly/41o0Xo

Learning Development: Free eLearning Resources

Here is a concise list of websites to find free photos, sounds, and fonts for eLearning, web design, or graphic design projects.

Photos: Free Foto, iStockphoto, Stock.XCHNG, eLearning Stock, Every Stock Photo

Sounds: Freesound, Freeplay Music, Free Stock Music, Stock Music Boutique

Fonts: 1001 Free Fonts, Font Squirrel, Simply the Best Fonts, Google web fonts

Image credit:
http: http://freebabystuffforexpectingmothers.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/free-stuff.jpg