LearningPool Live Wales

Part 2 of what happens when 3 Learning professionals get together and develop an idea from Sheffield.  This week we took 2 elements of our scribbles  and expanded on them using a Venn diagram.  Now I am not one for being all technical do far as L&D speak is concerned, but we came up with some very interesting links and uses for mobile learning technology.

Picture one shows TEXT (as in Mobile SMS) can be linked by Cultural, Technical and Pedagogy. We can see from a Cultural perspective, a whole new language has grown up around SMS, with many people around the globe using and conversing using the same abbreviations.  This means that cross cultural learning possibilities are endless.  From a technological perspective, the convenience at which group SMS can be sent out in one hit makes linking group learners messages from the tutor simple.

We then moved on to AR, (Augmented Reality) completely at the other end of the spectrum.  As you can see the circles are not as full as previously, however we did make some interesting associations - such as the skills required to create the 'app' in the first place would be completely out of the pocket range for most companies today.  Also, the legal and ethical aspect of using AR from a cultural perspective without the individual knowing about it - hidden technology...  Unfortunately we didn't get as much time as we would have wished to continue the conversation, suffice to say it gave everyone food for thought.  

My own personal thoughts on using mobile technology for learning include why limit thinking to what we know we can do today, why not push the boundaries and come up with ideas on how we want to use the technology at our fingertips and let the developers come up with something for us.

One thing I would say is:

• Mobile learning can only get better
• It is in our pockets (or handbags) all the time
• We use it to find 'stuff' when we need it
• We can connect to our #PLN (Personal Learning Network) whenever and wherever we are
• There is always someone out there who can help you
• Age is not a barrier
• You are Not in a Classroom

Well, that was a bit more than one thing, but what I guess I am trying to get cross is that learning at your fingertips, anywhere, anytime anydevice is a wonderful thing - its magic - just like the people who put it all together for us.

For a lovely blog about mobile learning check out Steve Wheelers Learning with E's

LearningPoolLive - Sheffield

Last Wednesday I was lucky enough to be one of two keynote speakers at LearningPoolLive Sheffield.  The day kicked off with Steve Wheeler presenting his view on mobile technology and how it is a game changer in the field of Learning and Development.  To prove this fact we participated in a live workshop, the results of which were amazing.  Steve, Andrew Jacobs and myself couldn't stop scribbling. The most fascinating thing for me was how everything we wrote down could be linked together.

Prior to my presentation I was a tad worried I would be on my own with my opinions on the industry, especially how internal training could and should be run.  As is turned out I wasn't.  The topic of  my keynote was Get out of the Classroom!  I outlined the fact that we ditched classroom training over 18 months ago, and with it the cost associated with running rooms, events, and the hours spent writing material that no-one really read.  Instead we replaced it with a more customer focused approach which includes floor-walking in the departments, 1:1 'just in time' desk side coaching when people need it, shadowing computers focusing in what the individual was trying to do,  online content, Fact-sheets, task based clips, videos, messaging - basically anything other than chalk and talk.  Too many trainers sit behind their desks and take orders without questioning what people really want and why. 

We now offer moment of need performance support in the form bite-sized-chunks of learning, all of which are focused on what the individual needs to do to accomplish a task.  

Oh, and I forgot to mention that instead of 7 trainers and 2 admin staff I now only have 3!  Where are the others?  All promoted into other roles.  It's great having trainers who are now customer advice team leaders, business analysts and benefits realisation officers - and guess what, they still use all their training skills but with their own teams.

This week it's Cardiff, let's see how that goes.