I will be dating myself here, but so much of the orthodoxy in the instructional design process was forged back in the late 80’s and early 90’s when the only Computer-Based Training (CBT) tools were Toolbook for the PC, and Hypercard for the Mac. Back then, the metaphor was a deck of cards and each card was a 640×480 screen’s worth of content. Due to the technical constraints it became a law that “pages must not scroll”.  The idea that you might allow scrolling was to many an Instruction Designer taboo. Instructional Design MORE >>

This is the 2 nd in a 3 part series addressing the impact of personalization in the education and training markets. In the first post, I addressed the application of personalization in K12. In this post I address use cases that apply to a high-skilled knowledge workforce. Personalization for the high-skill knowledge worker. Personalized learning has different applications for different audiences. In the previous post, I discussed how personalization is a key plank in the educational reform movement. The subject of this post is a vision of personalized learning in the 2013 workplace.  MORE >>

I know it’s a bold statement but just for a minute here, humor me and think about a world without physical textbooks, where teachers assign, distribute, receive assignments and grade on a tablet computer. Where students can receive and complete assignments, and follow their grades on their tablet. Learning on a tablet means no paper, no heavy backpacks, instantaneous feedback, financial savings and the ability for customization to each student. And that is exactly what Jeff Katzman, CLO at Xyleme, is proposing; replacing textbooks and gradebooks with tablets for both students and teachers. MORE >>

I was introduced recently to a new buzz word making its way across the learning & development industry: Micro-learning. If you’re like me, you’re probably starting to get a bit tired of people adding their particular spin to learning – all in search of the holy grail that is the “right way” to make learning happen. It doesn’t exist. But having got that out of the way, it is worth looking at these ideas to see if there’s anything we, as learning professionals, can learn from them. Finding a quick video about  how to replace a light bulb in my car. MORE >>

Post Type: Blog post. You’re looking for a present, say a new tool for your workshop, and there are a number of options, from different manufacturers and at slightly different price points… Most of us, these days, would check out the reviews – perhaps those on the retailer’s website, or on generic review sites like [link] or from specialist magazines. Some would ask in subject-specific forums, Facebook groups or using a suitable Twitter hashtag. You’re likely to find huge amounts of information, but how do you know which is accurate? read more. Social Learning MORE >>