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We
write several monographs a year on some aspect of e-Learning, learning
models,
learning communities and related technologies. Ones that may be of interest
to instructional designers and senior training management are available
here in PDF format.
The Illusion of e-Learning:
Why We are Missing Out on the Promise
of IP Technology
E-learning
can change the way we learn in dramatic ways, but not if developers
and vendors continue to ignore measures of learning
effectiveness. The e-Learning industry continues to emphasize cost
savings and ROI, but risks ultimate indifference by end users
because the e-learning experience is seen as puerile, boring and
of unknown or doubtful effectiveness. The effectiveness of the
course is less dependent upon the enabling technology than on the
skill
with which the developer uses the available technology to construct
learning experiences, appropriate to the trainee and to the topic,
which are solidly grounded in models of how adults learn.
[download
this PDF file]
Published at Learning Circuits, Aug 2002
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Greenagel "pulls no punches . . . He offers a number of criticisms,
worth
repeating because they are (for the most part) on the mark."
Stephen
Downes, OLDaily
". . . this issue of "technology trap" is something really important
to address.
"
Lilia
Efimova, Mathemagenic
"In a scathing article . . . Greenagel attacks the current state of
the art
in e-learning. "
Wilbert
Kraan, CETIS
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Lead
Balloons, Stone Canoes and Learning Styles: A primer for
e-Learning
The
concept of learning styles has gained considerable attention in
recent years, but it has not been a generative concept
in e-Learning. Most of the learning styles research has been in
formal
(classroom-based) education, which reinforces the idea that learning
is basically an information transmission process. Other research
in how people learn shows that much learning in corporate America
occurs outside the training room and seminar, and suggests that
where the learning takes place and how it is used is
inextricably related to how adults learn, which has significant
implications for instructional strategies. E-Learning and blended
learning
practices ignore
this phenomenon,
and assume all can learn from the information transmission
model, with the only variables being preparation, IQ and motivation.
The
real payoff from the Internet is going to come when we use it to
enlarge and sustain those learning communities—not from
using it to extend the reach of our information transmission
models.
[download
this PDF file]
Published at Learning Circuits, Sept 2003
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"This
paper says a great deal of what I would like to say on the subject
of learning styles."
Stephen
Downes, OLDaily
"Greenagel
argues that eLearning designs should focus less on developing online
environments to accommodate different learning styles and more
on preparing environments that situate the learner in a community
of practice. He's right."
The
Electric Lyceum
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Web
Conferencing & Collaboration:
The Future of Training. .
. But Not Quite Yet
Web conferencing
and collaboration tools are becoming increasingly affordable, robust,
and simple enough to use, even for small firms and nonprofit organizations.
The result is that anyone with an Internet connection, a browser
and a credit card can begin to hold desktop conferences and realtime
discussions with multiple end points and quality audio and video.
Although conferencing can be used to extend the reach of training,
its greatest
potential lies in establishing and supporting learning communities
and communities of practice. This article outlines some of the
most salient questions and potential pitfalls.
[download
this PDF file]
Published at Chief Learning Officer, Nov
2003
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Are
We Kidding Ourselves About the ROI of e-Learning?
ROI
is a chimera, a mythical beast that diverts attention from
a task that is challenging enough—how to use conferencing
and collaboration capabilities of the Internet to bring an
enriched learning experience to people widely separated by
geography and time. An ROI analysis appears to be the exception
rather than the rule, even for large organizations. When the
analysis is performed, cost reduction is what makes it work.
Measurement of results (the Return in ROI) is not conducted
with much consistency or rigor, and is rife with dubious assumptions
and little hard data. One can show an impressive ROI when you
cut millions in costs and assume your return (e.g., the results
of your training) is pretty much what it was with conventional
training, but that assumption simply brings us back to the
difficulty of measuring the outcomes of training.
[download
this PDF file]
forthcoming:
Training Magazine, Dec 2003
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