Elearning - Winter 2005 - (Page 26)

interactivee-learning while coaches who make a learner think and take their skills to the next level create a memorable and high impact learning experience. Select collaboration tools that allow you to track coaches’ performance as well as that of learners. Bill Bruck, Ph.D. is the lead solutions architect at Q2Learning, LLC (www.q2learning.com), which has created over 200 successful blended learning programs for Fortune 500 companies using the xPERT eCampus, winner of the gold 2004 Brandon Hall Award for innovative technology. All of these techniques and technologies lend themselves to graduates serving as coaches and mentors of successive cohorts of learners. Your Toolbox • Can coaching performance be tracked and reported? • Does it support manager certification ? • Does it provide a learning map and progress indicator? • Does it include learner profiles and presence indicators? • Does it include integrated chat and instant messaging functions? • Can the platform break up large numbers of learners into small groups w/ coaches? • Is LMS integration supported? • Is there an option for a license v. hosted model? • Does it provide you with templates & playbooks that support your instructional designers to quickly use the tool? Some new collaborative learning platforms that are currently on the market (or coming soon) include: • xPERT eCampus from Q2Learning • LearnFlow from ThomsonNETg • L5 from Convergys • SkillPort from SkillSoft As you consider these different solutions, be sure to flesh out the checklist above, and compare the products' feature sets (you will find significant differences in workflow tracking, support for coaches, and general feature richness); and discuss with them the range of solutions that they have provided using the platform. You can cobble together an effective set of interactions with an email listserv and a bridge line. In fact, many major corporations do exactly this, and using just the most basic of tools, you can create extremely effective blended learning. To create replicable programs rather than one-off projects, and to be able to scale your programs to hundreds or thousands of learners, you will need a more sophisticated set of tools. Here's a checklist you can use as you consider the right platform for collaborative learning: • Can activities include any type of electronic content? • Can activities include web-based training modules? • Does the platform include integrated web meetings? • Does the platform include integrated discussion forums? • Can learners' progress be tracked and reported for all activities? To create replicable programs rather than one-off projects, and to be able to scale your programs to hundreds or thousands of learners, you will need a more sophisticated set of tools. 26 Winter 2005 Elearning! http://www.q2learning.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Elearning - Winter 2005

Elearning - Winter 2005 Contents Editor’s Note News & Analysis Witness Buys Blue Pumpkin Deals in the Making People on the Move Trendline Executives Rate Importance of Training Requirements for Support Put Pressure on Tech Companies Hiring Trends: Small Companies, Big Plans Measuring the Return on Your E-earning Investments Building Interactivity into E-learning Partnering with Colleges and Universities for E-learning Content Strategy VoIP Voice Over IP Case Study: LMS Content Development & Collaboration Tools Case Study: ePerformance Last Word

Elearning - Winter 2005

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