Government Elearning - Spring 2009 - (Page 27)

current. An average of three or more in Column 4 would be construed seriously out of touch with the very tools that will produce improved outcomes for training. BARRIERS TO CURRENCY Before looking at some simple strategies for staying current with learning technologies (in the next issue), we must first address the obstacles that stand in the way of reducing the lag time in conceptual adoption. While every case is different, the following obstacles tend to be impeding factors in most organizations. Technology Illiteracy Keeping current with the uses of technology is challenging when members of a learning organization have not incorporated a basic technology vocabulary. The basic vocabulary is critical to understanding the latest news and information about learning technologies. Simply providing definitions is not an effective way to improve literacy. Terminology must be incorporated into meaningful, appropriate contexts and discussions to enhance its retention. [Isabel L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown, Linda Kucan, “Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction,” Guilford Press, 2004] The following online resources can be helpful for building technology literacy among members of the organization: >> www.InnovativeLearning. com/instructional_technology – explanations of technologies used for learning >> www.wikipedia.org – a good source for more technical explanations >> Learning 2.0 Tip of the Week – a good overview of teaching tools from the Otter Group; available free through iTunes store Limited Time Keeping up with learning technologies can be perceived as a time-consuming activity. Clearly, there are a limited number of hours that a given instructor or instructional designer has available. However, it need not take more than 30 to 60 minutes per week to stay current with learning technologies. Thus, the need to keep abreast of technological advancements becomes an issue of setting priorities. Each learning organization must decide whether keeping caught-up is a high enough priority to warrant investment of a small percentage of instruc- tor or designer time per week. Determining which technologies are most important to follow, which forums and blogs are most useful and which trade shows and conferences are most relevant Since both of these observations are accurate, it could be easy to dismiss the potential of virtual immersive environments for learning. However, if virtual environments continue to improve, it is very possible that 1 There are real costs (both in dollars and employee competence) incurred by not staying current with learning technologies. 4 can help make the 30 to 60 minutes per week the most beneficial. Premature Judgment Predicting the future of learning technologies is inherently difficult. As Roy Amara, former president of the Institute for the Future is widely cited for stating: “We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.” This statement, which has become known as Amara’s Law, reminds us to be careful when judging the potential of a learning technology. When instructors first look at virtual immersive learning environments (such as SecondLife), they may notice that the user interface is confusing or that it feels a lot like a game. 3 they could become our primary interface for accessing online content (think 3D web browser) in the not-too-distant future. Thus, it is even important to continue to keep on top of technologies that may appear irrelevant at the moment as they could hold great potential down the road. The danger of premature judgment also applies to technologies that appear overly simple. RSS (Really Simple Syndication), for example, is about as simple as technologies come. If an instructor dismissed the importance of this technology because of how simple it appears, they could miss the powerful impact that it can have by transferring static learning content into a customized and continually updated learning experience. Recognizing the barriers to keeping our thinking caught up is an essential step to reducing the conceptual adoption lag. Training organizations that are able to effectively address these barriers are able to deliver more effective learning solutions and therefore increase their relevance as part of the organization they serve. NEXT ISSUE: Three practical strategies that can be implemented to help reduce the lag between the availability of learning technologies and an understanding of their value in a learning context. —Richard Culatta is currently the Learning Technologies Program Manager for the Central Intelligence Agency and former Technology Advisor for Brigham Young University’s McKay School of Education.. John Wilkinson is an Educational Product Developer for Brigham Young University’s McKay School of Education. Government Elearning! Spring 2009 27 http://www.InnovativeLearning.com/instructional_technology http://www.InnovativeLearning.com/instructional_technology http://www.wikipedia.org

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Government Elearning - Spring 2009 Contents Publisher's Note News Stimulus News DOL Expands E-learning Government Service Rating Second Life as Art Deals People on the Move Trendlines Currency and Learning Technology, Part 1 Learning Preferences at NNSA E-learning Goes Public Case Study: Arlington Case Study: BT Group Case Study: JFS College New Products Products Exit Poll Last Word

Government Elearning - Spring 2009

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