E P I C T H I N K I N G
Issue 40: March 2005
This month:
1. New white paper: Softskills
and e-learning
2. Book review: The Wisdom of Crowds - James
Surowiecki
3. E-learning Interview: Jane Massy, Learning
and Performance Consultant & Industry Analyst
4a. Show report: E-Learning Research Centre
Seminar
4b. Show report:
MCRS 2005
5a. Research:
LMS use
5b. Research:
Universities in Europe Expand Use of e-Learning
6. Hall of Fame: Leaders in Learning - Pragmatists:
William James and John Dewey
7. News: Exhibition season continues
8. Jobs: See the latest Epic positions
9. Blended Learning workshops: New dates announced
WHITE PAPER
Softskills
and e-learning
1. Introduction
The term ‘softskills’ is widely used in training, yet
there are some key questions that need to be asked about its definition
and how it can be taught and learnt.
- What are softskills?
- Can softskills be taught?
- How are softskills best learnt?
- Do softskill simulations work?
- Are there good softskills e-learning case studies?
- What’s the future for softskills in e-learning?
We are now in a position to answer these questions by examining
both theory and practice. There is now good evidence that sound
softskill simulations are proving effective in learning.
Read more about this white
paper by Donald Clark, Epic.
top
BOOK REVIEW
2. The Wisdom of Crowds - James Surowiecki
Review by Donald Clark, Epic.
This book has become a cult text among open access enthusiasts.
It flips conventional wisdom on its head, explaining why the many
are smarter than the few. It also has some salutary lessons for
those of us in education and training.
Here's the idea. Collective intelligence or 'the wisdom of crowds'
is an alternative to 'chasing the expert'. The idea is counterintuitive
in that traditional training devotes itself to the cult of leadership,
namely the fine-tuning of the skills of a few, rather than trusting
the many. It eschews the idea that leaders and CEOs are the best
people to make decisions.
Read the rest of the review
top
INTERVIEW
3. Jane Massy, Learning and
Performance Consultant & Industry Analyst
At Epic, we love to hear the opinions and experiences
of influential figures within the learning industry. You may remember
we ran an interview with John Brown of Ufi Ltd. last Autumn. This
month, Jane Massy, respected Learning and
Performance Consultant, has generously answered our questions.
The questionnaire aims to get personal views, rather than general
thoughts on the state of the market and the questions have been
designed acccordingly.
Q What's your INTEREST in learning/online learning?
I've been interested in learning, especially adult
and workplace learning for a long time, I guess really since I
found myself as a young mum at home with an infant of a few months
and another on the way, and realising I wanted to re-start my
education and change career direction. I started my first 'correspondence
course' and discovered how difficult it was to learn outside formal
mainstream systems. Professionally, I've been directly working
in the field since 1991.
Q What interactive technology do you use and
have at HOME?
I use Skype for multi person VOIP meetings, eRoom
for collaborative working, occasionally WebCT for a particular
project I have been evaluating for a couple of years, - I love
my iPod which I use for downloading and listening to conference
presentations and recently to listen to Melvyn Bragg, and I'm
about to experiment with TV podcasting!
Read the rest
of the interview
top
SHOW
REPORT
4a. e-Learning Research
Centre Seminar
e-Learning: From Cottage Industry to Mainstream
Venue: HE Academy, York
Date: Tuesday 22nd March 2005
Review by John Harris, Director of Education,
Epic.
On Tuesday 22nd March, I was invited to speak
at a seminar organised by the e-Learning
Research Centre, an organisation with its focus on e-learning
research in Higher Education. The eLRC started life as one of
the ill-fated UkeUniversities “public good” activities
and now continues under direct funding from Higher Education
Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
The opening address was given by Sal Cooke of
the JISC TechDis service. Sal forcibly brought home the point
that lecturers today really don’t understand the language
of their students. She brought up a slide of bands and singers
and asked the audience to shout out the name of a song associated
with said band or singer (Frank Sinatra? My Way; Bob Dylan?
Blowin’ in the Wind). She then brought up another slide
with names like Limp Bizkit and Rasmus. Could we name a single
song? Of course not. This highlighted the enormous challenge
facing institutions as they try to create a learning relationship
with people who speak an alien language.
Read the
rest of the report
top
SHOW
REPORT
4b. MCRS 2005
Multi Channel Retail Show
Venue: ExCel Conference & Events Centre, Docklands, London
Date: March 15th & 16th 2005
Report by Matt Dolan, Marketing
Manager, Epic.
The Multi
Channel Retail Show (MCRS) 2005 took place this year on
March 15th and 16th at the ExCel
Conference and Events Centre, Docklands. Overall, the
event must stand as a disappointment to organisers and exhibitors
alike but, as with a house party, the enjoyment depends on
those who turn up and this year’s show was deflated
by poor attendance. It left one wondering whether the magnificent
exhibition facilities offered by ExCel are suitably located.
That said, the event was a success insofar as
those who did attend received premium attention from the exhibitors
and the quality of visitors to the Epic stand suggests that
training in the retail world is a fast-maturing area.
Read
the rest of this report
top
RESEARCH
5a. LMS use
'LMS Customer Satisfaction 2005: An Industry Analysis
of the Customer Experience' is a piece of research by Bersin &
Associates based on:
Read the rest of this research
top
RESEARCH
5b. Universities in Europe Plan to Expand Their
Use of E-Learning
Those who claim that e-learning has had no real
impact in Higher Education should take note of this survey, admittedly
by WebCT, a vendor in the area:
HALL
OF FAME
6. Pragmatists in the world
of learning - William James and John Dewey
It was in the US that a fresh scientific, practical
and pragmatic approach to educational theory was to emerge. The
Pragmatists James and Dewey were to introduce and emphasise psychology
as the springboard for reflection on learning. They were also
to push the importance of action, through learning by doing. Their
practical theories were to have practical reach, and to this day
they remain central to modern thought on educational theory.
Next month we'll look at a parallel movement from
another political perspective the Marxists; starting with Marx
himself, then those who applied his theories to education, Gramsci
and Althusser. This will be followed by the Behaviourists, various
schools in cognitive psychology and the Constructivists.
Read more about William James
Read more about John Dewey
top
NEWS
7. Visit
Epic at the HRD
and ITEC 2005.
In April, Epic will
make its annual journey to Olympia to exhibit at the CIPD
show, HRD. We will be on the same stand as last year,
122, so if you would like to visit please contact
us for free tickets.
Epic's growing influence
in Defence training is reflected by our decision to exhibit
at ITEC 2005, this time held at the Amsterdam RAI International
Exhibition & Congress Centre from the 26th - 28th
April. We will be on stand C48 and if you would like tickets,
again, simply mail
us. To get an understanding of Epic's approach to
training for defence mail
us for a copy of the Epic White Paper, Defence
and e-learning.
top
JOBS!
8. Job vacancies
Epic is looking for interactive designers and
senior designers. Have you got what it takes?
Check
out the latest vacancies
BLENDED
LEARNING COURSE - BOOK NOW
9. NEW DATES
Epic has announced further
dates for the Blended Learning workshops. Learn how to develop
an Effective Blended Learning Programme. This unique course
from Epic, centred around a practical, hands-on workshop, gives
a step-by-step methodology for designing effective blended programmes,
and tools to help with the decision-making process.
Click
here for full course content and booking
top
RETURN OF POST
If you have:
* a question to put to the Epic Thinking user base
* a response to any of the points raised here
* a suggestion for a topic you'd like to see covered
mail
us right now
HOUSEKEEPING
Fed up with your colleagues
reading this newsletter over your shoulder? Tell them to get
their own...
To
subscribe click here putting 'subscribe' in the subject
field
To
unsubscribe click here putting 'unsubscribe' in the subject
field
Epic provides a full range
of services and facilities from consultancy to delivery of e-learning
and e-government solutions. EpiCentre, part of Epic provides
a dedicated testing and localisation service.
To
order our 12-page corporate brochure email click here
and put 'brochure' in the subject line
CONFIDENTIALITY
This email and any attachments
are private and confidential and may also be subject to legal
privilege. If you are not the named recipient, please notify
the sender immediately and do not disclose the contents to another
person, use it for any purpose, or store or copy the information
in any medium. Internet communications are not secure and Epic
is not responsible for their misuse by third parties, or for
any possible alteration or data corruption in transmission.
You should not rely solely on the contents that should be checked
against hard copy.
top
|
