Tech4learning

Team-building's Gone Digital

I was excited to receive "50 Digital Team-building Games", as here is a book that combines some of my business-world passions - learning technologies, social media and leadership and management development.  

This is probably the first book that considers not only the application of learning technologies to a learning requirement, but considers first and foremost the aims and objectives of a targeted soft skill area.  Yes, this book is aimed at team leaders and members, but I was able to read it from the standpoint of a trainer and see how the various exercises could be dovetailed into a soft skills training programme.

I thought this would be a book I could dip in and out of (an easy-to-use table at the start helps to pinpoint which exercises will be of interest), but actually, having started to do that, I realised that I would get the most benefit from it by returning to the start and reading it cover-to-cover. I've reviewed other books before about how one might use technology to support a learning need, but this book is different.  You can't skip through it. The exercises need to be digested in detail, so that the subtleties of the learning outcomes can be realised.  As the trainer, you will also need to be fully conversant with how each exercise is run, as many of your learners may be using the relevant technology for the first time. Actually, getting people more familiar with Web 2.0 technologies is often a secondary objective for many of the exercises.

So what is covered?

After a good introduction on how to use the book and its contents, the first chapter looks at icebreakers, including using Twitter, chat windows, online whiteboards and - flavour of the month, Pinterest.

In the second chapter, the focus is on communication skills, including how to get an audience to interact with you as the facilitator.  So reference is made to techniques such as getting people to Tweet or text questions throughout a session; filming answers and posting to a site. For those using web-conferencing tools, mention was made of using raise hand tool (and chat window) and two new ones for me - online tangrams and PowerPoint karaoke.

The topic of building trust is covered in chapter three.  Ideas here including using Google Docs to create a trust grid (potentially quite a challenging exercise), a very useful link to an online version of the Johari Window and how to use webcams to practice the techniques of matching and mirroring.

Shared Google Docs and chat windows were featured too in the next chapter about improving performance.

Chapter five is all about problem solving.  Two digital exercises stood out here - an online version of "Move One Line/Add One Line" and a chat window version of the popular game "Survivor".

Creativity and innovation is the focus of chapter six.  Here mention was made of online mind mapping; using iPads to film breakout presentations with each group tasked to make a short film on certain topic; and using an app called Goose Chase for a cell-phone based scavenger hunt.

The important team-working skill of collaboration is addressed in chapter seven.  This includes how different teams can work better together. Online games such as "Office Move" and "Mergers and Reorganisation" are described here, along with a version of "Broken Squares".  You're also introduced to two useful tools Timely.is (a tool that only publishes Tweets when it believes they will have the most impact) and Coveritlive.com (a live-blogging platform).

The author's organisation runs team-building games that use GPS technology, so this forms the basis of the two exercises in the next chapter entitled "EPIC Team Building".

The final chapter looks at Closers.  Included in the different ways to end a team event are using Twitter to acknowledge team members actions and to gain a commitment to change.

The appendix to book offers instructions on how to get connected with some of the more popular technology tools referenced in the previous chapters.  

This is the first book of its kind where I actually felt that the use of technology would assist in achieving the training goals in a meaningful way.  Yes, you'll need to consider the culture (and technical expertise) of your audience in some cases, but overall, I found a lot of valuable content here.

Mobile First - Time to Rethink Learning Design?

One of the most thought-provoking events I've had over the last 12 months occurred when I was first piloting mobile learning.  Taking on board prototype feedback, I shaved one third off the length of the exemplar module.  Quite a challenge, but the end result proved that by stripping out superfluous elements and identifying and concentrating on the absolute core concepts, you could deliver a piece of learning that was both effective and efficient.  

My latest - and surprisingly successful - project of delivering short burst of learning to mobile devices in PDF format has again made me question whether we need to rethink everything we've done over the last decade or so.  With today's fast-paced business environment and the major change in how we consume information and knowledge today, outside of the workplace, I'm starting to think that short, sharp and to the point will the mantra for future development.  Maybe controversially, I wonder whether our future learners will have the time and appetite to always learn through traditional instructional design approaches.  Is it time to through away all those e-learning design books I've got?  In our attempts to replicate the best of the classroom in our on-line learning, are we now out of step with the modern learning scene?

So, when I spotted Mobile First, I was interested to see what its author had to say, given his view that web developers should now start with the mobile version of their site, before building its bigger brother.  His views seem to reflect mine.  Start with the mobile version, cut out all that extra "stuff" that sometimes gets in the way and really hone in on what the customer needs.

This is an easy-to-read book, packed full of colour examples that illustrate the points being made.  Although part of a series aimed at web developers, it's not a technical book. Aside from one or two references to specific coding, for which the author apologises, this is a great book for the lay person (me included) to really get to grips with the key issues that matter when designing a mobile website.  [It's important to stress that this book is not about mobile app development.]

Mobile First explores the many constraints that developing for mobiles impose, such as the screen size, overall performance and the influences of time and place on the user experience.  It then goes onto look at the sometimes unique capabilities that mobiles offer developers such as rotating browser views, location services and touch screens.

The chapter on Organisation explores the important requirement to re-think what a mobile website is all about and has only served to provoke me into examining the whole business of e-learning design.  I think the breakdown of interaction types into Lookup/Find, Explore/Play, Check In/Status and Edit/Create offers a great model for mobile learning. And this gives a powerful example of how easy it is to forget the "consumer" of our information.  This chapter also covers navigation and keeping the focus clear.

The next chapter looks at how the user interacts with the site in terms of user controls, by touch screen and via other means, with the following section exploring how to make entering information into the website (i.e. inputs) as straightforward as possible.  

The final chapter concentrates on the subject of layout and how some now-standard coding can help to create the best user experience on all manner of device types.

I mentioned that this book is easy to read.  But if you want more detail, then there are 67 shortened URLs (later stated in full in an appendix) that will take you to more detailed research into - or examples of - each point being made.  Very valuable.

If you're involved with mobile learning, I'd recommend this book.  Although that wasn't its intention, it's helped me to refine my thinking as to the shape of learning to come.

*** PLEASE NOTE *** The edition of this book on amazon.co.uk and amazon.com is the French language version.  It would appear you can only order the English version direct from the publisher, but delivery from the US was relatively inexpensive and very quick.

 

 

Spring into Rapid Development....for Free!

It's Learning Technologies week in the UK and amongst the flurry of press releases that have popped into my inbox, I spotted an announcement from iSpring Solutions promoting their new lite (and free) online quiz creation tool, Free Quizmaker by iSpring.

This tool allows you to create online quizzes and surveys that can be tracked via your regular LMS. As well as a standard selection of question types, you can add formulas, images, videos and audio and include free answer responses in survey questions.  I'm a big believer in using the power of questions to provide instruction and this free tool also allows you to include blank pages, into which you could include "tutorial" style content, creating a quiz-based e-learning module.

iSpring also offer a free lite rapid e-learning authoring tool - iSpring Free.  Similar to other solutions, this is a PowerPoint plug-in and is, in essence, a PowerPoint-to-Flash converter tool.  When you publish the file to Flash, it preserves most of the native PowerPoint features such as animations and embedded media.

In both cases, you will need to upgrade to their fully-featured products, iSpring QuizMaker and iSpring Pro, to take advantage of the extra features that are found in most of the products of this kind.  But you can achieve an awful lot with the two free/lite packages and for nothing!

Structured Collaboration with Noddlepod

It occured to me, as I was preparing this posting, that even if you're a small enterprise or just a sole practitioner, the explosion of Web 2.0 tools and apps has really opened up the range of opportunities to take full advantage of the benefits of social media for learning. It's probably actually easier to get started than for the larger corporates.

If you're the sort of person that likes structure when it comes to learning and organising content, then Noddlepod might offer a good solution.

Noddlepod allows you to facilitate an online learning group or workplace project team using a clear tree structure.  The leader (or administrator in Noddlepod's lingo) puts "pins" into the tree and from these - what are essentially - sub-headings, group members can post materials and tasks and comment on those of others.  The tool can also be used to organise events.

It's easy to filter the different content types and to follow the flow.  The vendor highlights the fact that you can easily see where your contribution fits in with those of the other members, through the use of colour-coding.

Links and attachments can added to items too and those attachments are also archived away in a resources library.

And with all the activity that could be happening within the pod, it's easy to keep up-to-date with e-mail alerts.

Make Meetings Matter - yaM (Yet Another Meeting)

Noticed a banner add for yaM and thought I'd share this web-based service with you.  

Their short promo video is probably the best way to kick things off.

The highlights for me are:

• The realtime abilty to collectively create and confirm the meeting agenda.
• Collaborative note taking.
• A priorities analysis tool to graphically rank your projects based on their importance and urgency.
• A collaborative SWOT analysis tool.
• A pros and cons brainstorming whiteboard.
• A meeting minutes creation tool.
• Other tools to enable a cost benefits analysis, product analysis and consensus development.
• Integrates with Outlook and can work alongside Skype and WebEx.

Another Solution for iPads in the Training Room - RabbleBrowser

I can't recall publishing two postings on my blog in one day before and certainly not in such quick successsion, but literally a minute or two after I blogged about Idea Flight, the folks at Float Mobile Learning got in contact via Twitter to tell me about their soon-to-be-updated iPad app, RabbleBrowser for iPad, with an Android version in the pipeline, which will help penetrate the tablet market.

RabbleBrowser allows a trainer to lead what Float call a "group browsing experience". Essentially, they can lead a largely unlimited group through a web browsing session, where they control what everyone sees.  Learners are also able to share websites that they find back to the trainer.

The app also has features to permit multi-user private chat - I'm asuming more for groups on the same wifi network, but not necessarily in the same room; saving and editing of bookmarks; and the ability to communicate onwards via e-mail, Facebook and Twitter.  You can also print via AirPrint.

The update promises integration with DropBox, "document sideloading" and photo sharing.

The current version of RabbleBrowser is available in the iTunes App Store for two dollars.

iPads in the Training Room - Idea Flight

Professional Manager magazine has a section reviewing business-targeted apps and I was particularly interested to see the one for Idea Flight, as I've long pondered how iPads could be used more in face-to-face training.

Idea Flight is an iPad app that allows a meeting leader (aka trainer) to share a presentation or documents with a group of up to 15 users (trainees) over a wifi network.  But as meeting leader or "pilot", he or she is in full control so, just as you would find with a web-conference, they can control what each user sees. So there is no skipping ahead to take a peek at what's coming later on.  But at any time, the leader can "unlock" the documents to allow free access.

Files can be accessed via Dropbox, iTunes file sharing, e-mail, or Keynote and as you deliver your session, everyone can use their device to take and then share accompanying notes.

The app is free for users, though the meeting leader (or pilot in Idea Flight's world) needs to make an in-app upgrade purchase.  An enterprise version for larger organisations and educational establishments is available for about 10 dollars.

If your audience are from different organisations, then a clever interface with LinkedIn allows the group to instantly connect for networking after the training session.

This would certainly save lugging a projector around and might well deliver a much more focused training session than having the group stare at a large projection screen, whilst secretly flicking ahead through a workbook.

 

Apps with Culture

Cross cultural awareness is a big topic now within international organisations, as employees seek to better understand their overseas clients and colleagues in order to improve communications, operating efficiencies and customer service. But it's a minefield and a thorough study would take too long for most people.

In the initial stages, it's only at time of need that someone needs to know how best to interact with overseas contacts.  The deeper understanding can come later and draw on experience as well as the theory.

Many websites offer tools that enable you to compare your culture to that of another country in an attempt to give you some initial pointers.  So it's natural that some of these have migrated to the mobile world.

I've recently downloaded two iPhone apps.

CultureGPS is available in two versions.  Based on the work of Hofstede, the free basic version just allows you see the cultural profile of those countries analysed according to his five dimensional model, focusing on:

1. Power Distance
2. Individualism
3. Masculinity
4. Uncertainty Avoidance
5. Long-term Orientation

The extent to which each country scores against each dimension is illustrated by a bar chart, alongside which you can remind yourself as to the definitions and characteristics of each.

The Pro version (currently a pricey £17.49) allows you to assess  your own cultural profile by responding to a 25 question survey and then to compare this to the analysed countries.  You can also compare countries with each other.  Practically, you can also review hints and tips on dealing with colleagues or clients from those countries.

Given the popularity of the Hofstede model, these apps - particularly the Pro version - will be great tools for those who have a greater interest in this topic.

The other app - this one is also free - is Cultural Advisor and is a result of a collaboration between Cisco and Aperian Global.

You start off by completing an 18 question survey that produces your own personal cultural profile.  This is an abridged version of the GlobeSmart Assessment Profile.  

Unlike Hofstede's five dimensions, your profile is plotted along three continuum:

1. Egalitarianism > Status
2. Direct > Indirect
3. Task > Relationship

When you click on your own position on each scale, you see - and hear - an overview of each type.

You then have two choices - to compare yourself to another country's profile or to another individual.  In the case of another individual, you need to first register yourself on the developer's website, presumingly to be able to then enter the details of someone else who will have done the same. I didn't actually try this out.

Clicking on the second culture's position on each of the three scales brings up some hints and tips on dealing with that culture.

This model is probably better for those looking for a more practical and simple approach to cross cultural awareness.  It is certainly easier to pick up the core themes with this app.

Audio-based Collaborative Learning

A long, long, long time ago - so long, I think it's fallen off my blog - I remember reviewing a learning platform that was based around asynchronous discussions, but where group members would leave short voicemail messages, that would - over time - build on the audio postings of others.  I seem to remember this site was well organised visually, so you could easily follow the flow of the conversation with all its twists and turns.

Today I stumbled upon something along the same lines, although the conversations are organised in a more linear fashion.

Voxopop is also a discussion forum that uses audio instead of written contributions. Members become part of TalkGroups which discuss topics of interest.  These conversations can be public or - fortunately, for potential corporate users - kept private. Members can keep track of the conversations in which they are interested by setting up so-called watch lists and can also subscribe using an RSS feed.  You can even set things up so that iTunes automatically delivers the latest audio postings to your MP3 player. You record directly into the website, so you'll need access to a microphone. 

You can search for interesting public TalkGroups and discussions and then sign up to start your own TalkGroup, or to join an existing group.  

Not surprisingly, this site is popular for foreign language training and I could easily see an international company building groups where learners were coached by native speakers in the target country.  Another discussion that gave me ideas for further uses was for business interviewing skills.

These examples are clearly well suited to a platform that focuses on the voice, but there's no reason why the discussions couldn't be more "tutorial group" style, where it's what you say in relation to another topic that counts.  This would therefore be a good tool for continuing those all important conversations after a training event, especially where attendees are spread across different time zones, where "real time" discussions might prove problematic.  Participants could even use the system to share their pre-training objectives before meeting face-to-face or virtually for a group training session.

 

Webinars on the Move...? Then Light the Fuze!

I was reading about the ten best iPhone productivity apps and noticed that one of them was the app for FuzeMeeting.  

I don't recall encountering FuzeMeeting before and it's one of a long line - and seemingly ever-increasing - range of web-conferencing packages, but what stood out was the fact that they had an app for all of the current main-stream mobile devices:  iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry and Android.  In fact, one writer stated that FuzeMeeting was a reason in itself to buy a tablet PC!

I'm sure I'll now be bombarded with suggestions for other providers that can do this clean-sweep, but as a user of one of the major platforms that doesn't offer this, I was heartened to see that it was possible.

FuzeMeeting does the basics such as sharing documents and your desktop (the sharer needs to download a plug-in), with a text chat window; and all with an integrated teleconference and HD video conferencing - great for those in-built cams on mobile devices.  UK iPhone users have commented on the fact that you had to a call a US telephone number, but since these reviews were posted on the App Store a year ago, FuzeMeeting has introduced a wide range of international dial-in numbers. I particularly like how the system manages your resources, both flat and multimedia.

If you want to record your webinar or run webinar-style events or training sessions, then you'll need to upgrade to the Pro version.

Pricing appears very competitive.

Click here for their demo movie and here for a more detailed training session, including the mobile options.

So if your training audience is global and mobile (that only really rhymes in US English), then this might be a good option for delivering simple straightforward online classroom training.