Organizations invest in learning initiatives because they have a business need; sell more product, keep employees safe to reduce liability, increase market share. If you are intrigued by the future of learning design, you won’t want to miss the second half of this interview with Karl Kapp. In case you missed the first half, see Games and Simulations. Coach: What types of challenges do newer technologies, such as mobile and podcast, present to the instructional designer? Learning initiatives are not altruistic for companies. Wrong format. It means mini-games that reinforce learning. MORE >>

Professional Liability Insurance. One thing I didn’t initially realize I needed is professional liability and errors and omissions (E&O) insurance. In August, I quit my job as a long-term contractor at Cisco to officially make the leap to freelancing. did some side projects earlier in the year, but not enough to replace my full-time income. want to share my experiences and tips from these first three months as an independent contractor for anyone else thinking about making this change. Get a Project First. Put Money in Savings. Be Ready for Delays. Your Tips? MORE >>

This isn’t a huge liability – as long as you have access to people who can translate your ideas into code. Outside of taking courses in XML, programming logic, and Python, I am not a programmer. understand the importance of being able to program. can get by with HTML and CSS. There are few things more irritating, however, than having ideas that one is not capable of activating in a meaningful way. It’s like having a desire to communicate but lacking the ability to speak. Or apps. Or something digital. You need to be part of a team that covers your weaknesses. MORE >>

As Friedman points out: Indeed, what is most striking when you talk to employers today is how many of them have used the pressure of the recession to become even more productive by deploying more automation technologies, software, outsourcing, robotics — anything they can use to make better products with reduced head count and health care and pension liabilities. Can he or she help my company adapt by not only doing the job today but also reinventing the job for tomorrow? That is not going to change. And while many of them are hiring, they are increasingly picky. MORE >>

a liability” = no risk, no reward. being in business creates potential liabilities. Jane Hart just alerted me to this post on Blackboard Blog, 5 Myths About Informal Learning. My comment is awaiting moderation, so I’ll repost it here: Right on. ve found that optimists view these five things as benefits where pessimists see only red flags. m in the optimist camp. Here’s my take: “It’s too unstructured” = it’s open-ended, has room for growth, changes with the times, and let’s people be all they can be. this reinforcement makes lessons stick. it’s ageless. Just Jay MORE >>