The Boggs e-Learning Chronicle

Indian Online Tutoring Company Banned By The New York Department of Education

Distance Educator is reporting that The New York State Department of Education has banned Indian Net Tutors and has canceled their contract because "long distance teachers cannot be subjected to background checks, which is a mandatory requirement in the US."  I cannot verify this, but there is an article about it on an India news portal, TimesNow.tv

New York bans Indian net tutors

elearning	learning management systems
elearning podcasts	Competency Management

Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series

New SyberWorks Media Center Article: “Four Basic Flash Learning Activities For e-Learning Development” (Part 1)

Below  are  links to the corresponding press release and our new article posted in the e-Learning Articles section of the SyberWorks Media Center.  The article is written by Dana Fine, Senior Instructional Designer here at SyberWorks. 

New SyberWorks Media Center Article: “Four Basic Flash Learning Activities For e-Learning Development” (Part 1)

Four Basic Flash Learning Activities For e-Learning Development

elearning	learning management systems
elearning podcasts	Competency Management

Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series

Developing Instruction Set Training Materials Which Work In An e-Learning Context

Here is another book I thought you may find interesting, it came out in July 2006,

Writing Training Materials That Work with Elearning and Science of Instruction Set

by Wellesley R. Foshay

elearning	learning management systems
elearning podcasts	Competency Management

Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series

Learning Spaces e-Book

Learning Spaces edited by Diana Oblinger

Excerpt from Educause:

"Space, whether physical or virtual, can have a significant impact on learning. Learning Spaces focuses on how learner expectations influence such spaces, the principles and activities that facilitate learning, and the role of technology from the perspective of those who create learning environments: faculty, learning technologists, librarians, and administrators. Information technology has brought unique capabilities to learning spaces, whether stimulating greater interaction through the use of collaborative tools, videoconferencing with international experts, or opening virtual worlds for exploration. This e-book represents an ongoing exploration as we bring together space, technology, and pedagogy to ensure learner success."

elearning	learning management systems
elearning podcasts	Competency Management

Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series

Following The Training Budget Money Trail....

Saw an interesting article...Training going global, but the money stays at home by Nic Paton

The article quotes a study by Expertus of 268 firms that found they spent "almost half spent less than 10 per cent of their annual training budgets on training delivered outside their home countries." It also states that "more than a third of those polled, employees outside of home countries received less training than those located within home countries. " "Almost two thirds of companies managed global training through a centralized learning organization, with four out of 10 employing training staff in both U.S and non-U.S countries."  The article states the most coomonly used  language  for  training  is English with 40% translating to Spanish, 30% to French and 25% for both German and Chinese.

The issues the study identified are:

• budget constraints,
• making content locally focused and translated,
• effective learning delivery,
• and the best use of e-learning.

None of this was a surprise, as most companies are striving to find ways e-Learning can work for them.  Indeed, some types of training are not appropriate for e-Learning, which I have said many times, and had a post on it previously this month......

Some types of training are not appropriate for e-Learning...online training used in medical education

elearning	learning management systems
elearning podcasts	Competency Management

Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series

Is this practice gaining momentum....more of a CEO's compensation tied to long term performance goals and not stock price and its impact on e-Learning/performance management?

Last week I had a post on The Wide Road.....Why Does Achieving Performance Objectives Sometimes Leads to Business Failure?

As an interesting side note, the very same day--Wednesday, October the 18th edition of the Moving the Market/Tracking The Numbers/Outside Audit section of the Wall Street Journal had an article titled 'Verizon CEO Pay is Tied to Goals' by Sara Silver.

Essentially, the article discusses the change in CEO's compensation plan from long-term rewards based company stock performance to now tying part of CEO Ivan Seidenberg to certain strategic objectives.

According to company spokesman, Eric Rabe, "If Mr. Seidenberg's compensation were based solely on the stock performance, he would have a disincentive to make the investment that we believe is not a provision to make sure we do the right thing for longterm health of the company."

I think this is a brave step by Verizon. It will be interesting to see if other companies follow and the market will respond positively.   In light of the principles and application of  competency management/talent management/performance management, it  certainly makes sense for the long term as long as the company has linked it to moves that reflect market shifts, which in this case, it seems they have, but since I am not familar with the telcom industry, its hard to say.  Just thought it was interesting.....

elearning	learning management systems
elearning podcasts	Competency Management

Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series

SyberWorks e-Learning Podcasts: Episode #2 Tips For Writing An Effective Online Survey

Here is our latest press release and e-Learning Series podcast:

SyberWorks e-Learning Podcasts: Episode #2 Tips For Writing An Effective Online Survey

Episode 2: Tips For Writing An Effective Online Survey

Dana Fine, Senior Instructional Designer at SyberWorks outlines some tips for writing and developing useful online surveys. The interview is based on her article: '14 Tips for Writing an Effective Online Survey'.

SyberWorks  e-Learning Podcast Series: Episode #2 Transcript

elearning	learning management systems
elearning podcasts	Competency Management

Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series

Another Estimate On US e-Learning Market Size: US Self-paced eLearning Market to Top $10 Billion in 2006, Says Ambient Insight

" The market for Self-paced eLearning products and services in the U.S. across all the buying segments topped $10 billion in 2006, according to Ambient Insight. "The current U.S. eLearning market is in a period of rapid transformation with new business models being tried, new low-cost variations of traditional products appearing, new suppliers entering the market, and new buyers adopting the products," said Sam Adkins, Chief Research Officer at Ambient Insight...........Now eLearning is no longer just an enterprise trend. Wide adoption is now occurring across all the buying segments."

Naw......Really.....hmm...Love it when they think its a new revelation.....


US Self-paced eLearning Market to Top $10 Billion in 2006, Says Ambient Insight

                                     

elearning	learning management systems
elearning podcasts	Competency Management

Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series

SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcasts: Episode #2 Interview with John Preble, VP of SBTAOnline.com

Here is our latest press release and podcast:

SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcasts: Episode #2 Interview with John Preble, VP of SBTAOnline.com

Episode 2: Interview with Jon Preble

Jon Preble, Vice President of Development at Southeastern Building Trades Associates, Inc. talks about their use of the SyberWorks Hosted e-Learning Solution to provide continuing education credits to workers in the trades that are required by law to maintain their licenses in the states of Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.

SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Series: Episode #2 Transcript

elearning	learning management systems
elearning podcasts	Competency Management

Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series

The Wide Road.....Why Does Achieving Performance Objectives Sometimes Leads to Business Failure?

Talent Management-Competency Management-Performance Management-- are important objectives for HR and Training management professionals alike, but can corporations see an increase or success in the metrics they track and be failing at performance, sure they can.  Below is an article about that very paradox:

Performance Management - From Managing to Improving: The Paradox of Boasting About Success with Failing Performance by Gary Conkin

Article excerpt:  "it is overly simplistic to link outcomes directly to specific management programs and employee actions because there are so many other variables that can affect results. Understanding cause-and-effect relationships can be tricky. Further, many employee actions are indirect and contribute to other possibly indirect actions that collectively influence an organization's success.

When we step back and take a broader perspective, managing an organization may be viewed as a lot of experiments; we are constantly testing what works best. But managing with the goal of improving an organization's overall performance is even more complicated and risky. For instance, the executive team must keep an eye out for market-share-grabbing innovations by competitors within the industry - and sometimes from outside the industry.............

There is a graveyard full of evidence about how difficult it is for a company to stay on top of its game. Think back to the buzz in 1982 created by the best-selling book In Search of Excellence, co-authored by Tom Peters, the popular motivational speaker and former McKinsey consultant. Out of the approximately 35 companies that passed the authors' rigorous test to qualify as the best in the U.S., 10 either have filed bankruptcy (including Delta Air Lines, Kmart and Wang Laboratories) or no longer exist, and most of those that also ranked as Fortune 100 companies have fallen from the list."

elearning	learning management systems
elearning podcasts	Competency Management

Dave Boggs
SyberWorks, Inc.
SyberWorks e-Learning Podcast Series
SyberWorks LMS e-Learning Implementation Podcast Series