E P I C   T H I N K I N G

Issue 50: February 2006 - post-Learning Technologies issue

This month:
1. Feature: Consultant's Corner
2a. Show report: Learning Technologies 2006
2b. Show report: Learning Technologies 2006
3. Hall of Fame: Games and learning
4. Conference report: Customer Satisfaction
5. Book review: 1 out of 10
6. Article: Seven Wonders of the Digital World
7. Jobs: See the latest Epic positions
8. Blended Learning workshops: New dates for 2006

FEATURE

1. Consultant's Corner

By Steve Barden, Head of Consulting, Epic

There is plenty of documented evidence that the vast majority of learning (c. 80%) occurs informally, whereas most training department activities focus on the formal tip of that iceberg. Epic is seeing more of its clients focusing on their use of informal learning and, for example, blurring of the distinction between L&D and knowledge management. As organisations realise that the theory and practice of “our people’s intellectual property is our differentiator” means they have to bring structure and contextual support to their information systems to really leverage its value and capture the informal learning opportunity, they are building a better organic learning culture.

Read the rest of this month's consultant corner

SHOW REPORT

2a. Learning Technologies 2006

Report by Donald Clark, Epic

The lifts only went to three floors but had guys on stools in the corner to press the buttons for you. How weird is that? This feeling of ‘what happened to the technology bit’ was to resurface in my mind several times over this two-day exhibition and conference. However, it was a fun and informative two days. The e-learning world does have a solid core of good people trying to do good things.

Read the rest of the report

SHOW REPORT

2b. Learning Technologies 2006

By Steve Barden, Head of Consulting, Epic

Steve Barden and Katherine Laux spoke at last week’s Learning Technologies show. In the seminar stream for 'Aligning Learning to the Business’ their talk was titled Aligning Business to Learning - Becoming a more powerful Learning Organisation’. They contended that the value and rationale for becoming a LO was not the end itself but is the means to the end of becoming a more effective organisation in our fast changing world.

Read the rest of the report

HALL OF FAME

3. Games and learning

By Donald Clark, Epic

Games, and in particular computer games, are having a profound effect on the design of e-learning. Compare the huge amount of time children, and increasingly adults, play computer games, to the struggle we have to motivate learners in education and training. There must surely be lessons to be learnt from games in learning. Surely some of the motivational principles, game strategies and design could be put to good use in learning.

Marc Prensky stands out as the original evangelist, promoting the idea of digital natives who are tired of the old ways of learning, as opposed to the digital immigrants, who are stuck in the old ways of delivery. James Gee has a more academic approach taking principles from computer gaming and hypothesising on whether they can be used in the design of more motivating and learning experiences.

Read more on Prensky

Read more on Gee

CONFERENCE REPORT

4. Annual Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Conference

Organised by The Leadership Factor
Thursday 2nd February 2006
Report by Matt Dolan, Marketing Manager, Epic

As customer satisfaction and loyalty is highly important to Epic, I went along to this conference expecting to be informed about how best to develop and retain customer loyalty but perhaps the most revealing aspect of the day was seeing which other organisations also attended - clearly customer satisfaction is very important to the Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclaycard and Real Madrid. The latter, who sent along a couple of delegates, may have had ulterior motives however, as the event was hosted at Chelsea Football Club.

Read the rest of the report

BOOK REVIEW

5. 1 out of 10

Author: Peter Hyman
Publisher: Vintage (2005)
Review by Donald Clark, Epic

Hyman was top dog in Blair’s Strategic Communications Unit, until he bravely decided to give up policy for a frontline job in a secondary school. He chose Islington Green, the school to which Blair famously refused to send his children. I was recommended this book by the wife of the Chair of Governors of that same school, and as I have just become a governor of a secondary school, I thought it would give me some insights into both government policy and the inner workings of a real comprehensive. It did both admirably.

Read the rest of the review

ARTICLE

Seven Wonders of the Digital World

Article by Donald Clark, Epic

This came up in a chat with my 12 year old son Callum as we were leaving the Great Pyramids at Giza, the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World. He suggested 3 of the 7.

1. Wikipedia
Biggest democratically built, growing repository of knowledge ever.

2. Napster
Radical and simple idea that changed the world of digital distribution for ever.

3. Toy Story
Perfect integration of story telling and digital graphics that charmed everyone.

4. Linux
Free software struck at the heart of the big vendors. Set the pace on open source.

5. Doom
Groundbreaking first person shooter. Still echoes through games and movie world.

6. Google
Mother of all search engines. Simple front-end and hyper-powerful back-end.

7. World Wide Web
Easy to forget the big-bang idea that spawned the digital revolution.

Any alternative entries? Contact us either at marketing@epic.co.uk or submit on: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/