LETTP M2.5: Learning Blog

Based on the standards and organizations that you have found related to the

learning  environment that you are creating, do you think that your environment

will map to the expectations within a subset of that larger organization and its

needs?  

It is definitely a challenge to meet the needs of the over 12,000 employees throughout my organization.  Taking into consideration the needs that I am aware of, I believe that my learning environment will accommodate the expectations of my learners.  In addition to addressing the various needs of the learning community, I am also trying to proactively address future needs as well. I plan to use surveys, learning forums and blogs to try to determine areas for improvement.  Improving communication, collaboration and overall course offerings using various delivery methods will help me to accomplish this.  I consider the needs of the learner population to be fluid and varied, requiring ongoing change and adaptability as the needs of the business change.

How is “learning” or training done in a conventional sense within this field – and what would you like to bring to the field that has not been done or was not achievable in the past?  

Within my learning environment, there are many courses and certifications that need to be completed by employees based on their role with the company and/or their location (state, country).  Although many courses are available in a web-based format now, there are certain courses that require an element of hands-on training.  One example of the conventional type training would be our equipment operator certification training.  Although learners can complete various interactive training courses on equipment knowledge and equipment safety, they cannot complete the practical component without a hands-on portion delivered by an instructor.  Another example is harassment training required for managers in the state of California.  The majority of the training requirements related to harassment can be done online, but once a year managers also need to attend an instructor-led session on the topic of harassment.

In terms of what I would like to bring to the learning environment, it would most definitely be a mobile learning platform.  Many employees are on the road extensively and also travel frequently for business so having the ability to download online courses and then complete them in an offline environment at a convenient time would be extremely beneficial.  We require our employees to complete many courses quarterly on a quarterly basis, so making the process more convenient for them would certainly be welcomed.

Are there other comments and notes that you want to make about your personal learning and/or the challenges that will lie ahead as you start thinking about the expectations that you might have of your future learners?

It is important for me to learn about and understand what options are available in terms of emerging technology in learning.  As the needs of the organization (and the learners) change, I want to be able to provide them with the tools they need to succeed by offering engaging and effective training, within budget.

One of my biggest challenges is determining what limitations I may encounter from a network infrastructure standpoint.  All employees company-wide have access to a PC or laptop.  Many employees also have smartphones and others even have tablets.  The resources are in place to support technology – I just need to determine what would be the best fit for the content I am working with.

My learners have expectations.  We ask a lot of them in terms of their own training and development.  Training is a pillar in my organization.  I don’t want what we offer to be considered stale or outdated.

Although learners don’t necessarily know that that they need mobile learning options, but many of the comments I receive have to do with taking courses on their mobile devices while tracking their completions.  It is my responsibility to meet their current needs and expectations and try to foresee future needs and expectations. 

My First Blog for LETTP - M1.6

Reflections on Learning within e-environments

What did you learn about learning itself when working with technologies?

I have learned that technology can significantly improve the learning experience.  I believe that technology opens the learner up to a whole world of knowledge.  Through technology, learning can be adapted to meet the needs of the individual learner – allowing them to learn in the way that is most conducive to them.  I also learned that learning is fluid when working with technologies.  It changes and adapts as the needs of the learner and learning environment change.  Technology makes knowledge easier to share and allows it to be more relevant.  Collaboration and networking are improved through technology and the ability to simulate actual experiences adds to the overall learning experience. 

Where there any aspects of new territory in what you attempted within this module – and how did you address your own learning needs if that was the case?

There were definitely aspects of new territory that I faced so far in this module.  The biggest challenge for me had to be Second Life.  I had heard of it before, but never used it.  I have a background in eLearning and I have used tools like webex for meetings but I never spent any time in a virtual environment.  I struggled at first with my avatar. We still have somewhat of a love/hate relationship.  I tried to look at it as a challenge instead of feeling overwhelmed.  Once I found my way to ESC Island, I felt more in control and was able to learn how to navigate, fly, run and walk.  I thought I was prepared and had some control over things in SL until the night of our meeting.  My avatar decided to get stuck in the basement of the Rotunda.  I have no sense of direction in real life – I was hoping to possibly have more in SL, but I guess not!  In addition to needing to be saved from the basement, my avatar kept walking over chairs – quite the entrance she made – and dropping her head and snoring occasionally during the meeting.  I could not figure out how to make her stop and was afraid to make the situation worse, so I just decided to not stress and just go with it – not an easy task for me usually.  I was relieved to see others struggling a bit with their avatars during the meeting as well.  To overcome some of these obstacles, I took to YouTube.  I watched many videos both there and in Moodle.  Doing this helped me quite a bit.  I am by no means a SL expert – far from it – but a little more comfortable with trial and error now.

In addition to SL, I was also introduced to other tools such as Blogger, Slideshare and Diigo.   I am definitely enjoying the exposure to these various tools.

In what ways did your review of the work of others help you learn about your own future work?

I have enjoyed reading the posts and presentations of others so far in the class.  It helps me to recognize and understand common goals and challenges we all face in dealing with emerging technologies.  It seems to me that many of the goals we have and the challenges we face are similar whether we are dealing with children or adults, and in a classroom or corporate learning environment.  We all come from such diverse backgrounds yet many of the experiences we have had are similar.  Also, it helps me when others share their experiences – many times they communicate ideas and concepts I had not yet considered for my own future work.  Through the collaboration and sharing of these experiences, and the feedback and support we provide each other, I feel we will all benefit.

Are there other comments and notes that you want to make about your personal learning and/or the challenges that will lie ahead as you start thinking about the learners with whom you will someday be working?

There are definitely many challenges that I will face with my learners moving forward.  In our post, we needed to share what we considered to be our greatest challenge.  For me, this was a challenge.  I feel there were so many options that I could have chosen.  The way I see it, it is best for me to focus on and handle the challenges that are most in my own control.  For example, I am able to develop content in a clear, concise way incorporating emerging technologies.  I can develop more simulation and scenario based courses to improve transfer of knowledge.  I can increase the course/topic offerings available to employees.   I can help my learners to achieve a sense of ownership over their own individual learning.  I can promote networking and collaboration. I can make my learning environment effective and measurable by making better use of the learning management system. 

Other things, like mobile learning for example, will require additional budget and resources to implement.  I don’t have as much approval power over that and would require others to get involved to make it happen.  In addition, keeping up with technology and the growing needs of the learners as they mature and adapt will also be a challenge.  Our employees are diverse and decentralized making technology a major part of the success of my learning environment.