The Gulf of Learnology

©2011 All Rights Reserved of 20 1/1/2012

RCV1 2012

The “Gulf of Learnology”

A White Paper

October 17, 2001

Copyright Nov. 1, 2001

Updates 2002, 2003

Prepared By:

David M. Quinn Jr.

PO Box 1802

Buford, GA 30519

TEL: 877-901-6947 (MYIP)

[email protected]

This document is the copyrighted work and intellectual property of David M. Quinn Jr. Rights to use,

distribute, and copy any of the information contained herein by individuals not employed by or

approved in writing by the author or it’s duly approved entities is expressly forbidden.

Reader ROI

Learn about the

5 characteristics

of the emerging

eLearning

environment


RCV1 2012

Learning Technologies Convergence

A White Paper – David M. Quinn Jr. Introduction Is technology for learning complicated or is it the scope of a learning automation effort that causes pain? Each reader will approach this paper from a different perspective and gain an opportunity to explore the “Gulf of Learnology”. Some readers will be from an educational background, congratulations, this paper is for you. Other readers will have spent several years working with technology, congratulations, this paper is also for you. Understanding the “Gulf of Learnology” and perhaps more importantly what can be done about it, represents an opportunity for the business reader to preserve capital budgets and provide higher rates of return on workforce development and the use of appropriate technologies. For the educator, you have an opportunity to take advantage of the aspects of learning and human development convergence that are presented in this paper and use the concepts to develop a functional environment that will benefit your students and the industries that are served. This paper bridges the “Gulf of Learnology” and helps each reader to gain potential competitive and budgetary advantage as a result of the convergence of technology solutions that can be applied to the learning or workforce development environment. The defining term – “Learnology “– is a play on the words learning and technology and is an attempt to describe the major changes taking place in the learning and technology marketplaces. For many companies, the bottom-line results of point solution oriented learning strategies can spell disaster. Disaster occurs from poorly planned or executed workforce development efforts. These failures damage the sustained profitability of the organization and harm employees in the process. Learning therefore must come to center stage as a corporate vehicle to stimulate productivity, growth, and market oriented customer and channel retention. Companies must begin to view organizational learning and individual development as a comprehensive system. The system must complement the business functions and technologies and encourage employee participation and growth. The learning “system” provides an opportunity for the development oriented organization to consistently link Organizational Culture to unrealized Organizational Knowledge. Organizational Knowledge is the sum of the documented material created and owned by the organization in it’s day to day efforts to serve employees, customers and global marketplaces. If the culture of the organization is heavily dependent upon the creation of written material then the demands upon storage systems will be greater. If the culture is dependent upon individual contribution, then the demands upon networks and mobile client architectures will be greater. It is critical therefore to view information architecture and knowledge creation from a systemic standpoint and to be prepared to boldly discover new opportunities to improve the operational efficiency of the organization. Because the learning marketplace is evolving so rapidly and incorporating technology in many ways, it no longer has a neat and tidy definition. Sure, the segments and classification still exist for statistical purposes and for the most part the roles of the Instructional Systems Designers, Developers, instructors, and others have not changed significantly. What is being added is a whole new layer of complexity; graphic artists, web designers, programmers, and others. Yet, these roles have existed previously in the production of video and other recorded non-human distributed learning technologies. What has not really existed until now are the mature and combined elements of Hardware, Software, and Networks that enable rapid distribution of voice, video, and data elements. And as a result of the evolution of technology we have a sudden


RCV1 2012

proliferation of eLearning companies that promise business results as a result of learning efficiencies gained through the use of technology. Careful competitive evaluation of the companies engaged in content provisioning via the web will reflect either technology or content leadership. In fact, “the industry-wide re-purposing of content and existing information to web based marketing environments is accomplishing little more than automating static catalog data with the hope of reaching a broader audience” (David M. Quinn Jr., Sept. 1999). The vendor market is clearly producing and applying technology based tools faster than the customer base can absorb and make full use of them. In the eLearning space, we are confronted with rapidly converging Computer Based Training (CBT) and Instructor Led Training (ILT). And to what end? Of late, many companies and people are trying to gauge the sustainable value of an on-line learning environment. This is where the automation of static catalog data is occurring. We can’t call CBT or ILT yesterday’s training at this point and most likely never will. The value of CBT is created by the simple fact that the network connection can be eliminated. All that is required is a computer or a device with a CD-ROM, monitor and enough memory and CPU power to drive the multimedia rich graphics. This is a far cry from previous generations of video and mail-order learning. The value of ILT is rooted in human existence. For eons, people have learned from other people. Even in tribal societies, leadership, age, and knowledge combine to aid the younger generation in the quest for survival. From independent sojourns in which the boy becomes a man, through apprenticeships, and right into the heart of the degree granting institution, the characteristics of teacher, student stay the same. What value then is on-line learning? How can the effectiveness of the learning intervention be captured, measured, and analyzed for the success of businesses? The on-line learning community is clamoring for content. Alliances, product resale agreements, one-offs, and supply arrangements are being driven within the content provider community. In many cases, CBT product offered by one company may now be available through several “portal” or catalog companies. These portal companies are focused on attracting and retaining customer eyeballs. And, it is no secret that content is “king”. That means a more competitive customer price for products and more opportunities for resellers. As the tools of development get faster, more capable, and more widely applied by new start-ups the pace of innovation quickens. The legacy documentation and knowledge stored in traditional ILT course guides and databases also offers an attractive alternative to development. Many eLearning companies are now offering services that migrate or re-purpose content (ILT and CBT) to web delivery capability. In some cases Subject Matter Experts are transforming their closely held knowledge from traditional ILT environments into CBT and/or Web Based Learning environments. Tools such as Shockwave, Authorware, Flash, Eloquent Presenter, and others are used to facilitate the individual skills migration to web based distribution of knowledge. The “equal and opposite” reaction in the marketplace is a sudden proliferation of content at a wide variety of price points. CBT and ILT are converging into Web or Technology Based (WBT or TBT) learning. The fastest way for CBT producers to reach a larger percentage of the available audience is to offer their content via intra- and internets. The same can be said for ILT producers. The recent explosion of development and presentation tools is creating new opportunities to migrate the classroom learning experience to distributed learning platforms. The combined forces of technology and content are creating opportunities for learners to gain at an individual level. For companies concerned with long-term employee retention, this marketplace can mean pay or lose. People today do look at the learning opportunities presented by corporations and make choices to join, stay, or leave based on those observations. Well-known brands are gaining reputations as people mills. With almost 1 million high paying technology related openings and well over 90 companies offering certification in the high tech industry is it any wonder that people and companies are each looking to gain from the current proliferation of on-line content? Does this evolution spell the end of the traditional classroom? No, the traditional classroom will remain. Human interaction and it’s value will remain as long as one or more humans are in communicative proximity. Computer technology in the classroom is added value to the student experience. Instructors will continue to learn from the cyclical experiences of repeated educational efforts. Students will continue to learn from hand’s on experiences and gain more


RCV1 2012

from an instructor whose top attribute is empathy. As the dual forces of technology improvement and human adaptation mature, the learning environment will shift into the forefront of strategic planning at a corporate and societal level. This shift will concur with a broadening series of high bandwidth personal access devices that truly immerse the learner in a full sensory experience. This full immersion learning experience engages the senses of; sight, hearing and touch. As nervous system research continues to improve it may be possible to trick the other senses of taste and smell into simulations that are disturbingly real. The next generation learning experience may someday be added to form an entirely new neurological learning experience. This type of learning experience will go far beyond the current forms of multimedia based learning. This type of learning will have the capability to invoke differing human reactions such as anger, fear, excitement and others. What then of the emerging learning environment? Humans are emerging from the long shadow of the Industrial Era and creating new era value through Knowledge. The Knowledge or Information Era argument is not unlike a “what came first, the chicken or the egg?” discussion. Information deals with communication while Knowledge deals with experience. Did the caveman say AARGH to the cavewoman before or after the experience of being burned? Or, did the caveman learn that fire does hurt and find a way to communicate that message back home? Human experience in the Agrarian Era improved farming and mass production of food for the masses while Industrial Era innovation improved the yield from roughly the same amount of arable land. And, improvements through applied technologies such as gene research are improving the yields, disease, and drought resistance of those crops even further. In the Knowledge Era, the tools of technology are creating new opportunities for individuals. People are demanding more from the workplace and are more likely to learn and leave than they are to learn and stay. Opportunities for individual wealth creation are just too strong a pull. Companies that are stuck in Industrial Era politics, in-fighting, and non-change oriented bureaucracies are being run over in the marketplace. Companies that are rapidly adopting improvement processes coupled with employee satisfaction programs are developing sustainable value in the new era marketplace. In many of these companies anytime, anywhere learning is at the heart of these strategies. This is evidenced by the fact that many companies are now undergoing dramatic revisions of their training departments. In some cases, the training department is sold off as the company reviews business performance. This occurs when the executive committee fails to realize the competitive value of an in-sourced training capability and reviews functionality from a cost perspective. In other cases, the training departments are being established as profit centers. The problem here is that the training centers must now begin to find ways to add profit value internally and in many cases externally while relying upon other corporate departments for support. The “Gulf of Learnology” establishes a methodology that is rooted in systemics and designed to develop strategic plans that can result in increased workforce productivity while reducing long term costs. This systemic view maps 5 distinct characteristics of the emerging multimedia and multi-modal based web-enabled learning environment and applies them to present day human performance systems. Each of the characteristics augments the financial planning strategies of Business Analysis as they are applied to the corporate strategic planning and evaluation processes. The danger in today’s business analysis processes are that they conform to traditional accounting practices and are designed to conform to more traditional balance sheet analysis. Thus, the corporate decisions to spin-off or establish the corporate training centers as profit centers. As these newly formed “profit centers” begin to grow or shrink the corporation has an opportunity to make an informed and realistic decision to maintain or sell and thereby mitigate some financial exposure. Consider, if you will, that systemics deals with the body and the body is made up of a series of complex and non-complex but inter-related systems. The analogy of body can be applied to organizational structure while learning creates linkages that tie the inter-related systems together. The myriad problems with the current ILT and CBT environments include and are not limited to learning that is measured at the door, learner value that is measured at the end, learning intervention value that is perceived value, and organizational value that is measured in terms of bottom line contribution. Even the most progressive organizational training initiatives end up


RCV1 2012

doing little more than creating a game of “chasing the dogs tail”. This sets the stage for the emerging knowledge based environment. It is perceived that an evolution to on-line learning provides opportunities for cost containment, cost reduction, broader access to content and whole new ways to measure learner and delivery system effectiveness. And the same technology adoption issues that reduce widespread use now compound effectiveness. In the case of elearning, the human issues are organizational, individual, and developmental. If any one of these components performs weakly or worse fails to perform, the entire effort will go rapidly and forcefully into a death spiral. The non-human issues are linked to Hardware, Software, and Network technologies, delivery technologies including multimedia mix, and the chosen media platform. The same measures of component integrity and inter-dependency apply and actually form a basis for the human perception of value. The following model illustrates the 5 key characteristics of the emerging learning environment and adds business value definition:

Figure 1.1 : Linear Systemic Model

Figure 1.1 is a linear representation of a systemic process and is designed to illustrate the 5 critical characteristics of the emerging learning systems environment. The selection of a linear model allows a two dimensional representation of the traditionally diametrically opposed values of productivity and cost. To a certain extent these values have evolved from the assets and liabilities format for balance sheets. What the model is designed to do is create a systemic model that an organization can apply to its’ strategic planning and quality improvement processes. Since cost analysis of business performance will not go away, this model intentionally sets the stage for correlating the elements of productivity and cost while presenting an identifiable series of process enablers. In a perfect world productivity is increasing while costs decrease. If technology capability doubles every 18 months, an organization must employ a workforce who will continuously learn or continue to migrate to new workers in order to obtain human proficiencies that provide the expected level of return on investment. From a learning perspective the organization must begin to view learning from a strategic value standpoint. This model attempts to illustrate how each of the 5 characteristics depends upon the other and creates an opportunity for continuous improvement. This cycle of continuous improvement is an opportunity to create sustained organizational growth and new competitive position for the future. Let’s explore the 5 characteristics in more detail.

Development Delivery Measurement Management Collaboration

Financial Processes (Elements of Cost)

Human Processes (Elements of Productivity)


RCV1 2012

DEVELOPMENT The learning environment of the last several decades has evolved from a pure text-based instructor led model to a very complex selection of learning environments. The text-based model spread knowledge consistently through written communication. It essentially provided a standardized learning platform. Because it was written rather than communicated verbally the facts and content could be recorded and distributed with little variation in the text. Teachers were employed to ensure that the written word could be read and spoken by most if not all of the student population. Teachers also provided a senior human resource that could gauge understanding and measure results through testing while maintaining a disciplined learning environment. In the early years of the Industrial Era technology and the tools of mass production have been applied in the classroom. Consider the tools of teaching today; the whiteboard, the multimedia projector, the smartboard, the copier, the DVD…etc. all tools that help the teacher to provide content to the masses. Except for the whiteboard, these electrical and electronic enablers of the Industrial Era have combined with mass marketing concepts to enhance and create tools of mass knowledge provisioning. These mass provisioning tools have been applied to the classroom environment in the last 60 years or so. The multimedia projector, copier, and VCR are additional technology tools that have caused communication and learning to springboard technology development into the 21

st century. The DVD has replaced the VCR which replaced the preceding

reel-to-reel movie projector. Innovative companies have created Video Based Training (VBT) environments that are somewhat complimentary to the CBT environment. VBT however is coupled with broadband capabilities versus CBT which requires more complex processing environments. In the emerging learning environment the computer and it’s inclusion into every aspect of learning is one of the hottest markets around. It is also one of the most likely to change dramatically in terms of cost and capability over the very near future. That cost and capability model is heralded by the converging worlds of CBT and ILT into a web-enabled ubiquitous environment. This convergence is driven in lock step with a rapidly evolving technological environment. A major issue with this convergence is that the CBT format which requires computer oriented technology is uniquely suited to information presentation at an individual level. Good instructional design processes allow CBT to compete with textbooks especially when combined with voice and engaging multimedia elements. It’s counterpart, ILT is uniquely suited to information presentation at a mass level and because human intervention is allowed, the information being purveyed can be clarified at an individual level. Add to this improved technology infrastructure, faster speeds and a higher level of multimedia capability and suddenly eLearning jumps to the forefront. And there are many marketing terms that can apply to this converged model. For the purposes of this document, we will use Web Based Training (WBT). WBT represents a networked media format that is capable of being distributed via the internet, the intranet or via personal workgroups. In many cases the industry has adapted existing CBT media and through specialized software code migrated the content to be distributed to individuals using the internet as a medium. Existing ILT content can also be re-purposed for the WBT environment using a similar process. It is new development that is at issue and forms the basis for the first characteristic. With the perceived added value of a web enabled environment companies have yet another level of complexity to add to a buy or build decision-making process. In today’s learning environment where re-purposing is occurring, the critical path to learner satisfaction is based on the anticipated technology environment, the length of the curriculum, the learner demographics, the value of hand’s-on –vs- simulated learning, and a host of additional questions. The answers to these questions then determine the selected medium for the learning intervention. The next step is to determine whether the development effort can be supported internally or supplied from the external market.


RCV1 2012

From a development perspective companies must begin to view content creation from a centralized perspective. This can also be an insource or outsource type of decision for the company. The issue with insourcing is that the typical IT department is understaffed, overworked, and handling day to day issues that support a communicative environment that even today supports email and attachment based communication. This type of communication evolved in the days of centralized computing. With the advent of the client/server or decentralized computing model and the use of a Graphical User Interface, user acceptance grew. The added graphics, rich fonts, and new page styles actually enhanced and simplified user communications. Communication today has been enriched by technologies that provide improved capabilities to incorporate voice, video clips, and high resolution graphics into the communicative environment. Software packages have been developed that allow widespread adoption by corporations and by individuals. This is an enabling environment that has driven proliferation of content and the creation of entirely new business structures. This proliferation and the complex array of curriculum environments also has an impact on cost containment. Companies that continue to utilize the preceding model are soon going to realize the impact of runaway costs. Runaway costs will spell disaster to every training function. A new model must be implemented in order to contain future costs and assure the success of the organization. The alternative is for the company to rely upon the market to develop content that can be used in support of corporate learning. The new model is based on a centralized knowledge repository that enables the use of reusable voice, video, and data objects. This new development paradigm aligns user based needs with technology. It creates a content library that can be combined with future development efforts in order to reduce future development cost. The knowledge repository provides the capability to develop voice, video, and data objects in the smallest format and then re-use those objects in support of future learning environments. It also provides the company with a cost effective methodology to ensure that dollars invested today return cost reduced profit opportunities in the future. The application of this model ensures that past investments in learning creation become successfully coupled with a wide variety of future technology capability.

CBT

WBT

ILT

Individual media, Computer dependency

Distributed media, Network dependency

Mass Media, Time and Space dependency

VBT

Knowledge Repository

CBT

ILT

VBT WBT

Learner Choice based on

time, space, preferred

learning methodology and

access device.

Corporate capability to

respond to learner choice

in real time.

CBT

ILT

Figure 1.2 Current development environment

Re-purposed content


RCV1 2012

Figure 1.3 Knowledge Era Development model

DELIVERY All societies, products, and industries evolve in accordance with a lifecycle that can be illustrated using an empirical curve. In Marketing this is known as the “product life cycle”. As we endeavor to explore the characteristic of delivery, we will need to explore some of the rudimentary aspects of technology. At it’s core, applied technology architecture is based on three definable technologies. The technologies are hardware, software, and networks. Since the 1950s with the advent of the first computers of the 20

th century, technology has been on a rapid growth path. The first generation

of computing architecture was a centralized hardware model. The development focus was on processing and memory capabilities. Human access was a manual process that relied upon an individuals understanding of Boolean expressions and fairly simple code strings. As the hardware evolved and computer manufacturing migrated from board level to system level individuals began to discover ways to automate the manual process of programming creation. That exploration spawned advances in what we now know as software. As hardware and software improved the basis of centralized computing architecture was formed. For the first time man could interact with a machine but was limited to a local console. As systems architecture gained speed, the need to connect more than one user became apparent. Thus, network capabilities evolved. As the combined power of Hardware, Software, and Network architectures became more widely adopted the industry began to look at ways to expand into a larger customer environment. The birth of the Personal Computer and the use of the Graphical User Interface created an environment where a What you see is What you Get (WYSIWIG) environment opened computing to the masses. Technology in the twenty-first century is still evolving. Network technologies and the emergence of the Internet have created many new opportunities for companies and individuals to innovate. Yet, we are still relegated to a computing environment that relies upon Hardware, Software and Network (or I/O) technologies. A companies’ delivery strategy must keep the technology product lifecycle in mind and individuals must also realize that the technology industry is undergoing rapid innovation. By relating this innovation to the product lifecycle we can begin to see that the innovations of today are really incremental improvements or new combinations of existing technological infrastructures. The following model represents 8 sub-segments of computing architecture to watch and plan for;

64-bit systems

Storage ProductsInternet technologies

Services

32-bit systems

SoftwareWorkstations

Networks

Firewall, Search, Tunneling, IPV6

Internet 2 ( www.w3c.com )

Operating Systems, Application

Environments, ERP/MRP, CRM32 and/or 64 bit systems

Clustered and standalone servers,

EPIC, RISC, CISC / Memory

Switches, Hubs, Routers, CTI

Bluetooth (wireless) Servers, Desktops, Mobile

Palmtops

Disk, Tape, and Solid State device,

SANS, NAS

Monitoring Solutions,

Custom Solutions


RCV1 2012

Figure 1.4 8 Segments of Technology Model

Technology is a leapfrog game in the learning environment. As technologies mature and innovation continues, companies will begin to view learning from a strategic perspective. As this strategic view grows there will be renewed emphasis on delivery technologies. In the WBT delivery environment of today the company has a choice of outright content purchase, hosting the content internally, or contracting with a solution provider to create links to the content. Technology improvements are creating new opportunities to add voice, video and data components that can take the non-ILT learner into an immersive experience. Internet technology creates an opportunity to take formerly packaged and individually delivered CBT technology to the web. As this content migrates to the web environment suppliers and innovators are creating new methods to add eye-appealing graphics, voice enabled text, interactive learning elements and more. In its delivery considerations, companies must plan for digitized content of voice, video,and data elements with active monitoring and real-time response capabilities. The days of instructional development planning for pure CBT or a specific media type are ending. The days of planning for the web with instant media output capabilities are just beginning. The complexity of web-enabled curriculum where voice, video, data, animation, and human interaction are the norm is driving the need for object-oriented relational development processes. Companies that view development from a tools perspective and create curriculum based on a point solution requirement are risking the future of their business. Companies that apply object oriented technologies through the development process can begin to build re-usable repositories of content that can then be accessed by anyone engaged in the learning development process. This method simplifies delivery and over time lowers the cost of development. The real-time environment of the web also creates broad opportunities to more effectively distribute accurate information the first time. In todays’ fast-paced information intensive world, hardcopy media of any type becomes outdated the moment it is printed. The following model illustrates the importance of a concentrated development paradigm and identifies the complexity of the Knowledge Era learning environment;

Figure 1.5 Delivery Environment

Knowledge Repository

WBT

ILT

Developer

Reusable Objects:

Voice, Video

Data

Animation

Graphics… Live, Virtual Learning

Live, Physical Instruction

Static / Recorded Learning

CBT Independent Learning

External Supply Community

External Supply Community

Learner Choice based on time,

space, preferred learning

methodology and access device

Organizational opportunity to

choose the most cost effective

route to learner value. Depends

upon technology capability,

development architecture, and

learner desire.

Guided Self-Learning


RCV1 2012

As Delivery processes move to the web new considerations regarding classroom environments are being identified. Yet the learning environment of the classroom does not really change. The value and the need for instructors and hand’s on experience has not diminished. Many questions regarding technology migration need to be addressed and reviewed now. Questions such as; Should a school or a corporation implement a wired and networked approach to classroom learning? Or, should the school or corporation wait for wireless technologies to improve to the point where wires are not necessary. The answer to this question relies more upon the technical readiness of the student, the instructor, the instructional designer, and the information technology support professionals. In considering this, technology organizations of any size must begin to analyze how prepared they are for this environment. Content analysis and learning environment migration planning must begin today. Spending money purely for the advancement of technology is a way to find the bottom of the bottom line very quickly. Therefore, it is incumbent upon individuals to explore delivery technologies, content capabilities, and the readiness of the student population to adapt to a technically oriented environment. The ILT environment has not changed dramatically in the last several years. We are still dealing with one to many live personal delivery tactics. In past generations through movie camera and video technologies the instructors presentation could be taped and then re-played. Video streaming software allows that content to be distributed via the web and can be included in virtually any on-line effort. Enabling tools such as Eloquent Presenter allow the incorporation of digitized video and voice with associated data presentation. The migration of video to the web is opening new doors in real-time technologies. Today, classrooms can be constructed via the web with live instructors. Other enabling technologies, such as Placeware assist in the creation of a live, virtual classroom that can be distributed via the web to students anytime, anywhere. This can be a live event or a re-broadcast of a previous learning event. These technologies and many others are enabling technologies that are drivers of a web enabled learning environment. The real trick will be in the capability of the organization to develop a technology strategy that balances current limitations with human factors that have an end result of increasing workforce productivity while reducing cost for the future.


RCV1 2012

MEASUREMENT Technology enabled learning offers the learning developer, administrator, and student with true and accurate real-time representations of delivered learning capability. This section deals with the need for an applied Learning Management System (LMS) capability. The LMS is performs an important role in the overall systemic architecture of the emerging learning environment. The emerging learning environment calls for separation of measurement and management. Measurement deals with the data collection, storing, and physical attributes of real-time learner performance – necessary functions of an LMS. Management deals with the specific attributes of the learning analysis environment including time-to-market, time-to-delivery, and collective results analysis. Emerging management analysis tools will provide an opportunity to more closely correlate productivity and cost thereby proving the impact of a particular learning effort. The alternative is interpretive analysis. Interpretive analysis depends upon human data collection and analysis and is the most widespread form of results analysis. The problem with interpretive analysis is that it typically focuses on the element of cost or productivity then requires human relational input. Interpretive analysis is a human perception and has little or no statistical relevance as to how a change in either cost or productivity can be detrimental or beneficial to the other. In short, it is an educated guess and measurement and proof occurs with the next intervention opportunity. An LMS solution is employed to capture a broad variety of real-time performance indicators. The eloquence of this solution creates a multi-faceted capability to gather important real-time data with limited human intervention. This data is then archived for instant business analysis or is linked to other databases to provide batch or real-time updates. A Learning Management System can be procured from a variety of sources or it can be designed as a software solution by the organization with the right talent, resources, and time. The organization that determines the need to implement an LMS solution usually must gain external assistance from consultants that specialize in this space. This is an emerging field for consultants and the industry. Since many of the existing LMS solutions have been designed in support of content provisioning an organization must use great care in the selection and application of a packaged solution. The content producing industry has automated the traditional aspects of ILT grade records and plan books. Innovators have added significant functionality to this measurement process. This automation has employed software-enabled solutions to many aspects of the learning environment. Where an LMS is applied and implemented properly, the curriculum developer, administrator, student, and organization gain. It is especially useful in providing a very high level of database accuracy as a result of learner performance before, during, and after a learning intervention. These aspects are explained in more detail further in this chapter. We’ll first contrast the more traditional method of testing as a measure of student performance. Testing in the traditional ILT environment is subject to human intervention. Human intervention especially on a broad scale will have a margin of error. The margin of error comes from data entry mistakes, inconsistent data entry, post-test scaling, system issues, etc. Scaling is the worst example of quality performance, yet it has been accepted practice in the classroom for many years. With on-line learning and data capture the test questions are either right or wrong. In the classroom it is a one-shot deal, pass or fail and this is where the teacher has an opportunity to intervene based on the average performance. In the technology based learning environment the inability of some students to grasp critical concepts can actually identify curriculum or test question weaknesses. To a certain extent, the teacher who chooses to scale a particular grade can make adjustments to either curriculum or test questions and then apply those changes to the next delivery effort. This is an unacceptably long process and at the classroom level creates quality improvement in a vacuum. Curriculum developed for the technology delivered environment using an object-oriented strategy can return the student to a specific module in order to increase the understanding of critical concepts immediately. As a matter of course, during a particular learning intervention a student will have many opportunities to clarify their knowledge. From a statistical perspective average module timing can be used to create “pop-up” quizzes.


RCV1 2012

These pop-ups can actually derive questions from the test module and be pre-set to allow the student to accept or decline the quiz opportunity. This capability helps learners that deviate from learner population norms during a particular module. In a facilitated environment the instructor or mentor can be flagged to intervene. The student may also access a quiz module in their own time. The dependency here is on the curriculum designer and the student willingness to access this portion of the event capability. The use of object-oriented development strategies allow the test module to selectively utilize the appropriate voice, video, or graphics “chunk” and then incorporate that chunk into a newly formatted question. Where the student fails to provide a correct answer, the student can be returned to a particular module for increased understanding. The application of this type of technology increases the burden on the developer. As process methodologies and repeat successes increase confidence the systemic satisfaction of learner, administrator, and developer will create entirely new opportunities to innovate the learning process. Traditional ILT development consists of a proven process of design, development, delivery, and results (testing). The objective of a learning intervention is on the federal, state, community, organization, or corporation need to increase human capabilities. The emerging learning environment as discussed in the delivery chapter of this paper is really focused on learner choice. As technology capability improves it increases the complexity of development and measurement. There is no need to change the governing objectives. The need is to augment the learning process with technology delivered learning and real-time data capture. An applied LMS provides real-time data capture from multiple inputs and is a critical element of the emerging learning environment. The LMS then has the capability to link into a multitude of other organization specific databases. Databases such as the Human Relations Information system (HRIS), the financial database, the electronic performance support system (EPSS), development planning software, the reservation system and many others. The LMS then is truly a major component of the emerging learning environment. Using the concepts and figures introduced in Figure 1.3 and 1.5 of this white paper we can then develop the following model;

Development

Delivery

External Supplier Community

LMS Analysis tools

Finance database

HRIS

Administrator Learner Facilitator Manager

Elements of Learning environment data capture impact

Elements of Learning Environment Business Analysis

Developer

Other outputs

Organizational / Individual Development Planning

On-Going Quality Improvement


RCV1 2012

Figure 1.6 Measurement environment

The application of this model to the learning environment intentionally designs in a level of predictive capability. As the Delivery environment continues to evolve organizations must begin to implement very high-level integrated data capture environments. The Learning Management System is the solution and ranges from immature to mature in terms of capability. But why spend money on capturing data that has no relevance? The LMS data capture environment has a virtually unlimited series of connections so flexibility and customization is critical. The purchase of a packaged solution can limit the ability to customize the environment and places dependency upon the provider to create and support customized code.


RCV1 2012

MANAGEMENT Industrial Era learning is a continuous series of start and stop learning processes. At the beginning of the Industrial Era teachers provided instruction in a classroom environment and self-paced learning was delivered via mail order. Technology innovations throughout the latter half of the 1900s have driven the application of a variety of media formats to the learning environment. Just one glimpse at Figure 1.5, (preceding section) and you have a new found understanding of just how complex the emerging learning environment is. Try to imagine correlating a simple CBT development effort and it’s associated cost with departmental activities that are designed to support the learning process. It’s no wonder that training departments in many companies are being measured as cost centers. Technology today enables companies and the learning function to come to center stage. Training and the training function must become part of the corporate strategic planning function. The Learning environment is no longer an environment in which procrastination can be afforded. Companies that continue to make decisions to develop content from an Industrial Era perspective are going to suffer from too much demand as the complexity of the existing learning environment continues to converge. The training and development department that fails to adapt to this change will soon become the focal point for a companies failure to attract and retain employees for periods greater than two years. The companies that begin to view ways to offer content to it’s employees, channel partners, and customers and measure the actual (not derived) impact while applying the principles of continuous quality improvement will reap competitive benefits for years to come. The process of developing learning curriculum has not changed dramatically throughout the 20

th

century. In the 21st century as we enter the Knowledge Era it is a management problem. The

need to develop a particular curriculum is established by the need to correct or enable human behavior through a learning intervention. These interventions are driven at all levels throughout the entire supply chain. In the In the 20

th century the media formats that enabled independent or

distributed learning resulted in business process analysis that had a loose correlation of cost to productivity. Business modeling in the 21

st century need to be based upon new development and

on-going sampling via a centralized administration and management system. This is the Learning Management System. The LMS is simply a taskmaster that replaces existing hardcopy and softcopy decentralized systems. It is designed to provide data to management reporting engines and is far more functional and valuable to an organization when applied with a properly architected Knowledge Management architecture. The analysis tools and software capabilities of the year 2000 and beyond will enable actual correlation of cost to productivity. A centralized Learning Management system capability is critical to this measurement capability. As technology driven innovation occurred whole new media formats have been developed and applied to create new learning environments. The latest of the usable media formats is the CD-ROM (CBT). CD’s have enabled independent learning as long as the user has access to a computer. In some cases independent learning is incorporated into the physical classroom environment. The internet and distributed learning technologies are now becoming a preferred medium for computer applied learning.

Job Evaluation Learner

HRIS

Job Performance Course Objective

Finance Database Aggregate Data Financial Reports

Individual Measurement (productivity)

Business Measurement (cost)


RCV1 2012

Figure 1.7 – Industrial Era Management

The preceding model is by no means inclusive of all of the systems that are included in a functioning business. The model is designed to illustrate the correlation of learner measurement systems to business measurement systems that are applied in a typical corporate environment. These systems are disparate and set the stage for learning applied at the cost center level. The reason for this becomes much clearer when we create a cash flow model by through the correlation of a simplified Income Statement to a Balance Sheet as in Figure 1.8. By simplifying the view of the balance sheet and the income statement it becomes much easier to understand why corporations today view learning and the learning function as a cost center. Using this model (adapted from Kiyosaki and Lechter, c1997) simplifies the financial viewpoint from a contribution to an income perspective and sets the stage for companies to begin to justify the move to a Knowledge Era learning function that actually produces extraordinary financial profit for the company. In the Knowledge Era, the environments of development, delivery, and measurement all contribute to a systemic management model that actually has the capability to drive profit. The ability to eliminate waste while improving profitability has long been the dream of manufacturing companies. Why do the same rules not apply to learning? Why do we view learning from a start and stop mentality? Why do we not view learning as a continuous process of individual recycling and continuous development of expertise?

Figure 1.8 – Industrial Era Cash Flow Diagram

Income

Expense

Assets Liabilities

Hardcopy media

Floor Space (owned)

Non-mfg plant/property

Disparate data systems

Replicate Data

IT Infrastructure at rest

The Learner is

employed by

the company to

produce or

contribute to

profitability Transportation

Room and Board

Time away from field

Research

Instructors time

Floor Space (rented)


RCV1 2012

Figure 1.8 is a financial concept model and is simplified specifically to reflect the cash flow problems that companies face when sending personnel to a learning engagement in Industrial Era learning. The model indicates the liabilities inherent in any learning environment. To a certain extent the model will also apply to the Knowledge Era Learning environment with the exception of the application of applied Knowledge Management. With properly applied Knowledge Management content is reusable and can be applied to the channels and customer base without having to totally re-invent. Knowledge is extensible and is a part of the recorded culture of any company. The ability to view content in a reusable sense makes it possible to serve it up for other reasons that transcend the learning environment. This makes information on demand extremely useful in the Knowledge Era. Anything that simplifies complex data retrieval is necessary in the future. The channels and customers can now be included in the data model along with the employees. This capability represents a step in the right direction for the application of learning material to applied profit. Since the company can now offer learning in an on-demand format, to the broad scope of likely users in the company community innovation will result and new ways to re-use, re-package, and offer the learning content in exchange for goods and services will result. This is a product managers dream world. The ability to track, analyze, and create customer scenarios from applied learning provides more data than ever before on customer preference. Lets look at a Knowledge Era measurement model (Figure 1.7):

Figure 1.7 – Knowledge Era Measurement Notice that this model incorporates the Channel and Customer environment. This is meant to reflect the value of a centralized Knowledge Base in which a customer can search for or engage in “demand” learning. At either the channel or customer level any of the measuring entities has the opportunity to sample, review, and quickly adjust the topic material or capture real time feedback that results in opportunities to improve products and services. Since we have constructed a cash flow model for the Industrial Era model, let’s see what happens when we apply the principles of Knowledge Manufacturing and applied Knowledge Management to the Knowledge Era (Figure 1.8). This model relies upon the implementation of a

Career Evaluation Employee

HRIS

Continuous Performance Knowledge Requirement

Career / Development Plan

LMS Repository

Finance Database

Individual Measurement (productivity)

Knowledge Base

Business Measurement (cost)

Line Evaluation Channel Continuous Performance Knowledge Requirement

Competitive Evaluation Customer Continuous Performance Knowledge Requirement

Internal Impact

External Impact


RCV1 2012

Knowledge system that support the use of objects. The use of objects creates a centralized pool that is reusable in virtually any environment. Technology in the third generation (server based) is improving at the hardware, software, and network levels. This is driving convergence of broadband (television) and narrowband (computer transmission). The minute content went beyond data into voice and video human innovation prevailed. We are just learning how to move beyond the automation of static catalog data and into an environment of exciting interactivity. To make it simple, today voice, video, and data packets are transmitted serially. One packet follows the other. In the generation that is going live in the next year, those packets will begin to transmitted in parallel. This will create broadcast capability to the desktop, the set-top, and through the application of wireless technologies and “smart” software whole new access environments. Let’s look at the financial impact of applied Knowledge Management and centralized data capture.

Figure 1.8 – Knowledge Era Measurement

Income

Expense

Assets

Just-in-Time media

Linked Help systems

Active Learning objects

Real Time Support

Real-Time Data Capture

Centralized Data

IT Infrastructure in continuous demand

Profit from channel, customer, and

competitor resale

Liabilities

Hardcopy media

Floor Space (owned)

Non-mfg plant/property

Disparate data systems

Replicate Data

IT Infrastructure at rest

The Learner

and channel is

employed by

the company to

produce or

contribute to

profitability.

The customer

buys on value

perception and

need

Transportation

Room and Board

Time away from field

Research

Instructors time

Floor Space (rented)

Contracted Content

Information is now

reusable and has the

added advantage of

linking cost to

productivity


RCV1 2012

COLLABORATION By definition humans are social creatures. We learn from our environment, from each other, and are smart enough to create solutions to many of the problems that we face. In the work environment of the Industrial Era, work teams were formed to solve shop floor problems. In the Knowledge Era, connectivity technologies allow dispersed collaborators to interact completely independent of time and space. These virtual work teams can come together on a planned basis or in an ad-hoc fashion. While far from an Orwellian world the emerging communicative environment is becoming very robust. Today, with rudimentary dial-up and the right software, anyone can work together in support of common goals. The days of interacting with others via e-mail alone are fast coming to an end. As the technology migrates, we are going to experience whole new technology vistas. Wireless communication enabled by global standards such as Bluetooth, emerging standards such as VF-45 and others are now actively supported in the US. New technologies such as the emerging ferro-electric (non-volatile memory), in memory databases, and other emerging standards will push broadband technologies into the communications arena. And it gets less expensive with every product lifecycle meaning that more people can actively access a technology enabled communicative environment. At the set-top level, companies such as Motorola are making great strides in providing internet access “beyond the desktop”. The technology environment is moving faster than it ever has before. What this means to the individual is that technology is improving communications and allowing for real-time non-physical human contact. This goes far beyond the limitations of today’s technology in that people are relegated to web conferencing and flat, non interactive types of written communication. This is also creating a global communications environment in which borders are transcended by interest and the quest for knowledge. Collaboration in the Knowledge Era deals with various levels dispersed collaborators that engage in Human to Human communications as well as Human to Machine communications. A model that crosses the bridge from human contact to contact enabled by machine must be developed as below;

Live, Virtual Learning



Independent Learning


Individual Effort

Delivery Environment

Team – 2 or more people

Workgroup – 5 to 25 people

Coalition – 25 or more people

Collaborative Environment

Pre-work

Class-Work

Post-Work

Learning Support

Environment

Verbal Communications

Written Communications

Chat Functions

Intellectual Property

Captured Knowledge

Measurement Management


RCV1 2012

Figure 1.9 Collaborative Environment

During the Industrial Era, Eric Berne developed Transactional Analysis (TA) which dealt with understanding behavior in interpersonal dynamics. As a reminder, TA aligns human communication with three ego states; Parent, Adult and Child. Berne and others have theorized that human interaction is fraught with this mix of ego states and that when humans interact they are typically in any one of them. When an individual interacts with another and the sender of a message gets an intended response from a receiver a complimentary transaction has occurred. In a general sense, complimentary transactions must occur in projects if they are to succeed. The other types of communication response are Crossed Transactions and Ulterior Transactions. The integration of machine to the communicative process creates capability beyond that of pure social communications although social communications will still exist. While there are still many complementary transactions the potential for crossed transactions and ulterior transactions goes up significantly. I state this based on the fact that an individual may receive a work order and fail to act immediately or act at all. The individual may never bring the information to the attention of the sender and may in fact undermine team leadership, goals, and innovation. Overall, collaboration ensures that the process of learning is a continuous process. A process in which learners gain knowledge from the systems and independent media while they gain support from peers.


RCV1 2012

FUTURE VIEWPOINT

Companies can choose to purchase innovative technologies in support of each of the five characteristics. To be sure there are many to choose from and modern corporate decision making will support this philosophy. Educated buyers who possess a more comprehensive knowledge of technology and learning systems – learning technologists – will seek fully integrated technologies that can deliver a learning environment that promotes ease of use while ensuring competitive workforce development capability. As the model above illustrates, the addition of Human Capital Management systems represents new capabilities to merge workforce planning and career development with the learning systems that support them.

Live, Virtual Learning



Independent Learning


Individual Effort

Delivery Environment

Team – 2 or more people

Workgroup – 5 to 25 people

Coalition – 25 or more people

Collaborative Environment

Pre-work

Class-Work

Post-Work

Learning Support

Environment

Verbal Communications

Written Communications

Chat/Collaborative Ftn.

Intellectual Property

Captured Knowledge

Measurement Management

Global Environment Mgr.

Skills Manager

HC Metric Manager

Legacy Data Integrator

Workforce Development

Succession Planning Career Planning

Content Creator

Staffing

Activity Analysis

Polling and Profiling

Learning effectiveness

Lifelong Learning

ecosystem

The Gulf of Learnology

Education

Transcript of The Gulf of Learnology