FKA Newsletter - November 2005

Welcome to the premier edition of the Learning Exchange, FKA’s new learning and performance newsletter. Each month we’ll bring to your inbox a selection of articles on current training and learning issues, tips and tricks, questions and answers, and a little industry commentary.

Sit back and enjoy the first issue of the Learning Exchange.

Inside this issue:

1. Blogs, Wikis and Blikis…Oh My!

2. Tip of the Month – Less talk, more action!

3. Q & A

4. Final Thoughts.

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1. Blogs, Wikis and Blikis…Oh My!

One hot session at the recent Learning 2005 (http://www.learning2005.com) conference in Orlando was “Blogs and Wikis for Learner-Driven Learning”. The first question tabled was “What exactly is a Wiki?” “A wiki is a group of web pages that allows users to add content, as on an internet forum, but also permits others to edit the content.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki) So how is this different then any web site? Well you or any user could change the content since each page is editable by any user. This differs from a blog in that a blog is the web log or diary of one user/owner. Only the owner can change a blog. “What is a wiki?” It is an ongoing web based discussion/collaboration between large numbers of participants. The most popular wiki site is Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia.

Where do wikis fit in a learning solution? They make a great medium for asynchronous, online discussion between groups of learners. Discussions can be extended beyond the constraints of the classroom time. The Learning 2005 wiki was active before the conference so you could pose questions to the facilitator and other participants, and it will be active for a full year after the conference. An additional use for a wiki is during development to collect consolidated opinions from a group of subject mater experts, or to have the development team review materials as they are produced.

Are wikis a valuable resource for learning? They have the potential to be a valuable tool as long as we keep focus on the fact the real value comes from the hand that uses the tool.

See an expanded version of this article at: Blogs, Wikis and Blikis... Oh My!

2. Tip of the Month – Less talk, more action!

Remember the old training adage?

- If you tell me, I'll forget;
- If you show me, I'll remember;
- If you let me do it, I'll understand.

When designing training assigns 30%-40% of the time for the presentation of content, and 60%-70% of the time for practice with constructive feedback. This same rule applies to leader-led or self-directed lessons. It is during the application (practice) of the new skills and knowledge that learners identify where they are unsure, make necessary corrections and eventually master the new skills and knowledge.

3. Q & A

“We have handled most of training work in house. But, now due to corporate downsizing we need to look for an outside training vendor for some of needs. What things do I need to consider when working with an outside training vendor?”

Working with any vendor or partner requires careful consideration. Here are a few questions you may want to ask:

How long has the vendor been providing the product or service?
Is this the vendor’s core business? If not, what is?
Is the vendor willing to provide a client list, references or testimonials from satisfied clients?
What professional associations does the vendor belong to?
Does the training program contain learning objectives? How are they measured?
Can their training and learning programs be customized to meet your specific needs?
What experience does the vendor’s own trainers and developers have?
What % of the vendor’s business comes from training and learning?
Does the vendor have a training methodology?
Does the vendor have experience working in your industry or with similar sized projects?

4. Final Thoughts

The industry news, magazines and conferences are full of e-learning options. From organizations posting your content to the web, to full-blown e-learning software implementations with all the bells and whistles. It’s hard to know where to begin. Or is it? After all, no matter how the training or learning intervention is going to be delivered, it’s still the training design that leverages learner motivation and determines learner success.

Mike Nolan, President, FKA

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Where’s FKA?

See us next at Training Spring, Orlando, FL, March 3-8, 2006. Attend the FKA Instructional Design Certificate program – delivered by FKA insider Bev Colpitts. Or see FKA President Michael Nolan present an exciting new session “Blended Learning Success Story: Revitalizing New Hire Training”.

You can even stop by booth #506 in the expo hall for conversation and a chance to win a cool prize. http://www.trainingconference.com

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Become a member! Join other savvy learning and performance professionals in the know and become and FKA Member. Membership is f r e e, and it gives you access to the special members area of the FKA website. This area is loaded with tips, tricks, articles, forums and more. Become a member today!

http://www.fka.com/linktracker.asp?name=members

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Attention meeting planners: looking for dynamic speakers for your upcoming company event? Consider an FKA expert. We can speak on a wide variety of training, learning and performance topics in an interactive and learner- centered format. Call us at 1-800-352-5585 or 613-829-3412.

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If you like these tips, please forward them on to your colleagues, clients and friends. Don’t forget to become an FKA Member for access to lots more great training, learning and performance information.

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