By Jeffrey Katzman

We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jeanne Meister for Xyleme Voices. Based on insights from her book, the podcast looks at trends and predictions about what the workforce will look like in 2020. Jeanne packs a tremendous amount of valuable information into a 19 minute podcast, so it’s worth a full listen, but here is a small glimpse:

• In 2020, there will be five generations in the workplace. 50% will be Millennials and Gen 2020 will just be entering the workforce. This means that over half an organization’s workforce will have been hyper-connected since birth.
• By 2020, the workplace will be highly personalized and social. Social networks will be the first point of contact between companies and their future employees and internal social networks will be the primary way that workers communicate, connect and collaborate.
• Smart phones and tablets will replace personal computers as the internet connection devices of choice. The mobile device will become an office, a classroom and a concierge.
• Employee engagement will be a key driver in helping workers more efficiently find information and increase productivity.

However, before Jeanne’s hopeful predictions of the highly agile and fluid 2020 workforce connected by mobile social networks can come to fruition, the dependence on the enterprise LMS and the old modes of training delivery needs to be broken. Read more…

Technorati Tags:: 2020 Workforce, elearning, Jeanne Meister, learning content, LMS, Social Learning, social networks

Jeff Katzman 2020 Workforce 2020 Workforce, elearning, Jeanne Meister, learning content, LMS, Social Learning, social networks

By Ramon Guiu

The Pastiche iPad app version 1.4 is out! You can now download it from the App Store.

This new version comes with support for glossary. So now when you open a course from the Bookshelf you can access the glossary for that course through a button on the bottom bar. Keeping true to our flexible model, publishers can decide whether they want to have a glossary or not when they create a course for Pastiche. The feature will automatically be enabled or disabled by the app for each particular course. Read more…

Technorati Tags:: iPad, Pastiche™

Ramon Guiu iPad, News iPad, Pastiche™

By Roberta Gogos

As social learning grows does the requirement for traditional training departments shrink? U.K.-based eLearning development firm Epic asks this very question in its fourth E-learning Debate – and this Epic debate is being hosted only online.

The motion presented for discussion: This house believes that as social learning grows, so the requirement for traditional training departments shrinks. Those arguing in favor include Donna Hamilton, Head of Group Learning at Royal Bank of Scotland and Jane Hart, founder of C4LPT. Those arguing against the motion: Melissa Highton, Head of the Learning Technologies Group at the University of Oxford, and Clive Shepherd, Chair of the UK’s eLearning Network.

The debate is engaging people in an important discussion about topics that are vital to anyone working in L&D, with participants on both sides making some excellent points. Read more…

Technorati Tags:: elearning, formal learning, Social Learning, social media

Sarah Danzl L&D, Social Learning elearning, formal learning, Social Learning, social media

By Ramon Guiu

This is the first in a series of articles about the tablet market and the impact of this new device on education and training.

The tablet is a disrupter for Learning & Development. Members at every level of your organization – from the field to management to the C-suite – are gaining the experience of touching, expanding, holding and dealing with content in a personalized and collaborative fashion. This is the new normal of content consumption and we as an industry can’t afford not to give this experience to learners.

Today, the iPad is the undisputed leader both for massive corporate deployments and usage in schools. Since Apple launched the iPad in April 2010, the first in the new generation of media tablets to hit the market, it has sold more than 30 million units. According to a study by Gartner published in April, 70 million tablets will be sold in 2011, 300% more than in 2010. In comparison, 325 million laptops were sold last year. These stats are shocking if we realize that before the iPad this market did not exist. And even more so if we take into account the current market conditions and the fact that the iPad often acts as a secondary device – or “second screen” – as it cannot completely replace a PC. Read more…

Technorati Tags:: Amazon, Android, Apple, iPad, mobile learning, tablet

Ramon Guiu iPad, mobile learning Amazon, Android, Apple, iPad, mobile learning, tablet

By Ramon Guiu

You have probably heard the (rather exciting) news of Xyleme’s new “iPad app that creates apps” - Pastiche™.  We believe that it’s a revolutionary product that will change the way organizations define blended learning and we’re proud of our continued work on its development. We will try to keep release cycles for the Pastiche™ app short and agile with new versions to be released every 5-8 weeks and numbered with even numbers as follows: v 1.0, v1.2, v1.4 etc.

Keeping true to that process we just released a new version to the App Store last week.  Based on early user feedback we decided to release Pastiche v1.2, a slightly modified version with two major user interface features. This release also includes a few minor design improvements.

Here are the latest feature updates: Read more…

Technorati Tags:: blended learning, elearning, iPad, Pastiche™, Xyleme

Ramon Guiu iPad, mobile learning, News blended learning, elearning, iPad, Pastiche™, Xyleme

 By Roberta Gogos

Last month Xyleme had the pleasure of presenting a webinar with none other than elearning luminary Elliott Masie on “iPad, a Game Changer for Blended Learning”. During this webinar event Elliott Masie shared valuable insights on how the iPad is transforming learning within organizations, and why organizations need to offer training on the iPad.

Elliott Masie and Xyleme’s CEO, Mark Hellinger, covered a lot of ground so rather than giving a synopsis I have selected the most insightful “iPad-isms” to give readers a taste of what was discussed.

Read more…

Technorati Tags:: blended learning, elearning, Elliott Masie, iPad, learning content, Mark Hellinger, mobile content, Pastiche™, Xyleme

Sarah Danzl mobile learning blended learning, elearning, Elliott Masie, iPad, learning content, Mark Hellinger, mobile content, Pastiche™, Xyleme

While the focus of this post is not specifically Apple or the iPad, it’s almost impossible to talk about successful mobile strategies without recognizing that the iPad has created a transitional moment for the Learning & Development world. The reasons why have been the subject of countless blog posts, but I think DreamWorks founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, in this video from TechCrunch, says it best:

“[The iPad] it’s the first device that actually is a reflection of me – or us. It’s so revolutionary that it’s no longer about me adapting myself to somebody else’s set of programmings or the way in which a device is going to engage. It is the reverse. It is as though I’m looking in a mirror.”

I love this description because it encapsulates what should be the crux of any mobile learning strategy. That is, recognizing that mobile content delivery should be fully controlled by the learner. In other words, what content the learner wants; where and when they want it; and how they want it delivered – with no constraints.

While it took the iPad to make learner-controlled content a reality, this level of flexibility is now the gold standard for delivery to any device, be it tablets, smart phones or any number of performance support devices.

For learning organizations, the clear challenge to meet this gold standard in their frenzied rush to mLearning will be to NOT repeat the mistakes that were made in the move from classroom to on-line training. It’s been 15 years since the introduction of computer-based training and our industry still struggles with delivering engaging eLearning, developing it in a cost effective way and achieving positive learner outcomes.

We all know that old habits die hard, so here are 10 repeat offenders that could deliver a devastating blow to your mLearning strategy:
Read more…

Technorati Tags:: blended learning, elearning, iPad, learning content, mlearning, mobile content, mobile learning, Richard Baruaniuk, XML

Dawn mobile learning blended learning, elearning, iPad, learning content, mlearning, mobile content, mobile learning, Richard Baruaniuk, XML

I wanted to take a little bit of time away from busy year-end deadlines to nominate some of my favorite social media resources for this year’s Edublog awards.

Best individual blog – trainingwreck by Dan Pontefract.
Dan’s posts are insightful, well thought-out, well-researched. He’s not afraid to tell you like it really is and back up what he says. I reference him often.

Best individual tweeter – @jclarey
Janet Clarey is all time favorite of mine. I love her informative tweets and her funny observations of life and the world around her.

Best group blog – Workplace Learning Today by Brandon Hall.
I like the variety of topics and reports of key happenings across the industry.

Best new blog – Work, Learn, Play by Jay Shaw.
Jay has a style that is all his own. There is no conformity here and Jay enjoys sparking spirited discussion. A pleasure to read.

Best resource sharing blog – Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies by Jane Hart.
Yes, I do realize that at least a hundred other people have already nominated Jane’s site. But hey, it’s the best.

Most influential tweet / series of tweets / tweet based discussion – @eLearningDebate
I was on the waiting list to attend the eLearning Debate at the Oxford Union. It was a hot ticket and I couldn’t get in. This was the next best thing.

Best teacher blog – The Innovative Educator by Lisa Nielsen.
The value of the educational information that Lisa shares cannot be overstated.

Best elearning / corporate education blog – The Rapid E-Learning Blog
I’m going to pay my respects to a fellow vendor here because Tom lends such practical and valuable advice to his user community. This is the way it should be done.

Best educational use of a social network – Internet Time Alliance
This is new but growing fast. Jay Cross, Hard Jarche, Jane Hart, Charles Jennings and Clark Quinn add such value to the training industry, you’d be silly not to join this community.

Dawn Uncategorized

Last month, I moderated an educational webinar on mobile learning and I was fortunate enough to get some of the leading experts in the field, Judy Brown, Tyson Greer and Allison Rossett, to participate in an online panel discussion to discuss a broad range of topics around mLearning and mSupport.

Normally, our webinars are formal, tightly scripted and tightly controlled events that are planned out to the smallest detail; and I take great pride in the overwhelmingly positive feedback we always get. But as we all know, learning is evolving. Today, we keep hearing that formal presentations are out, that it’s all about informal learning, social learning and user-generated content.

What this webinar taught me is that it’s actually somewhere in between the two.

Read more…

Technorati Tags:: Allison Rossett, Ambient Insight, informal learning, Judy Brown, mobile learning, mobile performance support, Tyson Greer, webinars

Dawn informal learning Allison Rossett, Ambient Insight, informal learning, Judy Brown, mobile learning, mobile performance support, Tyson Greer, webinars

Guest Post by Mark Hellinger, Xyleme President & CEO

We all have read about how traditional manufacturing jobs are rapidly disappearing in the U.S. and Western Europe. In reality, since the dawn of the information age, a new type of manufacturing job has emerged, the “digital” factory worker – software engineers, database architects, etc. Since these jobs are counted in the services sector and not manufacturing, people often overlook the fact that we are actually hiring many more workers in “digital” manufacturing than ever before in traditional industries, but the truth is that the skill requirements are much higher.

The “manufacturing” of software requires people to create, test and ship products in a systematic approach, as you would with physical goods like automobiles. In the case of software, or let’s say “digital products” in general, the “production systems” have undergone vast technological change, in the same way as traditional manufacturing techniques. The same is true for “digital content”, including training content and learning content management systems.
Read more…

Technorati Tags:: LCMS, lean manufacturing, learning & development, learning content management system, training content

Mark Instructional Design, Learning Content Management LCMS, lean manufacturing, learning & development, learning content management system, training content