Learning Lab:
Think of a learning lab like a chemistry or bio lab back in your high school days.  Participants could be given an assignment to work on potentially with a partner or in a small group.  Some knowledge of the subject is expected and there is little actual “teaching” that goes on.  Instructors or facilitators circulate thru the room to offer advice, suggestions etc.  Labs could be paper based projects such as writing good learning objectives or computer based such as building a small PowerPoint presentation that could be turned into a small e-learning module.  In the learning lab environment, participants work at their own pace with individualized assistance from the instructor.  How far they get in the process could vary by their skill coming into the class and how well they grasp the concepts.  Ideally in a learning lab there is a main instructor or presenter and several knowledgeable assistants to circulate throughout the room.  Learning labs are great for generating creativity.  One great concept is to allow the teams or partners to present out at the end the result of their efforts.  This allows for lots of great sharing and more novice learners in the group get the benefit of learning from others in the room!  It’s also a great way to get lots of networking and conversation started after the learning lab ends!

Mini-Workshop:
The mini-workshop differs slightly from the Learning Lab.  In this environment, participants learn then practice following along with the instructor.  Rather than allowing the self-paced approach in the Learning Lab, a Mini-Workshop is more controlled by the instructor.  Using the examples above, the instructor would demonstrate a step or steps in a process, then ask the participants to complete that step.  This type of approach can also be used in a variety of ways and involves less of a demand on the instructor.  Participants follow at the same pace and everyone reaches the same end result.  This approach is good for teaching a new skill.  For example, learning how to structure a virtual class or presentation.  The instructor assumes little or no knowledge of the subject and teaches each skill necessary to accomplish the end task. 

Monday - Learning Labs - 12:45pm-4:00pm


“Becoming a Rapid E-Learning Pro: Articulate Style”

Tom Kuhlmann – Author of The Rapid E-Learning Blog

David Anderson - Community Manager, Articulate

The challenge for many rapid e-learning designers is knowing which type of course to build.  It makes sense when even the experts don’t agree.  “More interactivity” claims one expert. “Scenarios and branching” cries another. “It’s all about gaming” exclaims another. Meanwhile, your customers tell you they just need something now, regardless of how it’s designed. “Just get it done!” The mixed messages are enough to give even Gen-Y’ers cognitive overload.

The reality is that there isn’t a single, best way to design e-learning. In fact, most corporate e-learning falls into one of three categories. The trick is knowing where your courses fit and how to design them with the time and resources at your disposal.

In this hands-on workshop, participants will use actual course files while learning practical steps to:

  • Design an e-learning strategy around the three most common types of e-learning
  • Get the most out of simple, good-enough e-learning projects
  • Visually align their course designs with their learning objectives and content
  • Apply rapid instructional design models to rework an existing course into an interactive, scenario-based course

The presenters will be using the Articulate Rapid E-Learning Studio for these sessions.  To participate in the hands-on activities requires the software.  If you don’t currently own it, you can download and install the trial version for the sessions.  With that said, many of the ideas and concepts in the sessions do transcend the tools and you’ll be able to apply them to your own situation.  As a bonus, all source files, assets and templates used in this workshop will be provided to participants.

Tom Kuhlmann is VP, Community for Articulate, where he manages the Articulate user community.  He also writes the Rapid E-Learning Blog which is published weekly to over 65,000 readers.  Tom has almost twenty years of experience in the training industry where he’s developed and managed e-learning courses for both large and small organizations.  Tom’s passionate about learning technology and his core focus is on helping people succeed and grow. He is known throughout the industry for his practical, no-nonsense approaches to e-learning.  He’s also a frequent speaker at ASTD and elearning industry events.  He has a Master’s in Education Technology from Pepperdine.

David Anderson is a Community Manager at Articulate with over 13 years designing elearning. He supports the elearning community by helping users get the most from their tools, while finding creative ways to build more engaging courses. He also shares e-learning tips and tricks through his screencasts at http://screenr.com/user/elearning.

 

“Building Better Job Aids: How to Shorten or Even Eliminate Training While Improving Performance”

Daniel A. Raymond, Jr. CPT, CIT – Performance Plus

This Learning Lab provides participants with the skills to decide when job aids are appropriate performance support tools and to develop the most common types of job aids. Job aids are a critical component of all types of effective and efficient training including instructor-led, self-paced, and e-learning.

 Participants will learn to reduce or eliminate unnecessary training with job aids specifically targeted at the user, work environment, and desired job performance.  The workshop applies adult learning principles, allowing participants to work in a self-paced format with colleagues in small groups, interact individually with the facilitators, and practice skills until achieving high self-efficacy.  Participants will analyze and develop job aids for materials they bring to the lab.  Individuals will present the results of their work to other members of the group.

 At the end of the Learning Lab participants will be able to:

  • Describe the business case for job aids as a Human Performance Technology intervention to improve job performance
  • Discuss the little known secret of “wrap-around” training
  • Describe why it is important to identify user characteristics and the performance environment when developing job aids
  • Define the job task (desired job performance)
  • Determine if job aids are appropriate
  • Prepare a procedure guide including decision-making steps

 Participants will receive written materials, job aids, worksheets, checklists, practice exercises and feedback needed to guide their performance.  Participants will be able to use all of these materials back on-the-job.

 A reading assignment will be e-mailed to individuals who are pre-registered for the learning lab.  This material will provide participants with a basic level of knowledge about job aids that will assist them in completing the lab.

 Participants may use a personal laptop but it is not required.  All necessary worksheets and checklists will be available in written and electronic format.

 Dan Raymond has been President of a performance- improvement consulting firm for 23 years.  He excels in workforce problem analysis and the development of criterion-referenced instruction and job aids.  He is a Certified Performance Technologist (CPT) and a Certified Instructional Technologist (CIT).  His interventions have won a number of ISPI awards.  He was an ISPI Chapter President, and Conference Committee and Conference Track Chairperson.  He has presented at over a dozen ISPI conferences (twice as an encore presenter and as a Master’s Speaker).  He has conducted many Pre-and Post-Conference Workshops.  He is also a frequent presenter at ASTD and the annual U.S. Coast Guard Human Performance Technology Workshop.  He is the author of the industry-standard Building Better Job Aids Workshop™ and has conducted workshops for hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies including State Farm Insurance, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Nationwide, USAA, Liberty Mutual, and Country Financial.

“The iPad and Training Design”

Ron Zamir – Allen Communication Learning Services
Barbara Matthews – Allen Communication Learning Services

As a new technology or communication gadget emerges, there are always questions about how it can be utilized by corporations to improve operations, to disseminate information, and to train employees and/or customers. The latest technological gadget to capture the corporate world’s attention is the Apple iPad.

This session will provide SITE Conference participants with key information, tools and practical applications on how the rapid-selling iPad can serve as an effective training platform for corporate users. This interactive session will give attendees the chance to see, and participate in, hands-on iPad demonstrations on apps and resources relevant to their training strategies.  The advantages and disadvantages of iPad usage, along with how to compensate for weaknesses will be discussed. Attendees will learn evaluation tools to determine if there is value in iPad usage for their individual projects.  Attendees will also participate in an open discussion on how to use the iPad to meet their specific scenarios. 

This session will be primarily beneficial to Executives, Corporate Trainers, Sales Teams, and Field Support Teams interested in finding new ways to reach their target audience, both for training and information based services.
Participants will:

  • Be better acquainted with relevant capabilities of the iPad
  • Know the iPad’s advantages, disadvantages and performance issues
  • Learn instructional strategies that can work effectively on the iPad
  • Identify practical applications for Executives, Corporate Trainers, Sales Teams, Field Support Teams and Customers

Ron Zamir has been the President and CEO of Allen Communication Learning Services for ten years. Ron routinely meets with corporations to discuss instructional strategies, and the adoption of new technologies and methodologies for their training divisions. Ron has been engaged in instructional training since 1984. He has worked with the Israeli Air Force to implement new training technologies; and has also been the general manager for IBG, one of Israel's leading marketing and business development consulting firms dealing with high-tech, multimedia, education and the Web. Ron is an Honors graduate of Hebrew University, has completed MBA studies and is the recipient of the Raoul Wallenberg Fellowship for Leadership and Democracy. Ron has lectured and presented on training innovations and technology at global symposiums in South Africa, Brazil, Israel, and the United States. Ron publishes a regular blog on training matters at Allen’s website at http://blog.allencomm.com/. 

Barbara Matthews has over 13 years of experience as an instructional designer, university instructor, project manager and magazine publisher. She holds a Master of Science degree in Instructional Technology from Utah State University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University. In her 11 years at Allen Communication Learning Services, Barbara has designed effective training solutions, and played an integral part in building strategic partnerships with many clients, including Avon, Spectrum Brands, Aetna, Morgan Stanley, and Eli Lilly.