Janurary 15, 2003 Knowledge Management and E-Learning SIG of SofTECH
I'd like to give credit to Lance Dublin for half of the inspiration behind the "handle" for this Learning(e) webLog. I heard Lance Dublin speak at a SofTECH E-Learning SIG presentation on January 15, 2003. This SIG meets about once per month at Fair, Isaac in San Rafael and I recommend it, highly.
Lance noted in his presentation that the emphasis on the E in E-Learning would eventually shift back to an emphasis on Learning where electronic methods are a means to the more important end of Learning. He said that E-Learning would be thought of as Learning e (where the "e" is superscript to the word "Learning."
The following is the complete text of my report about this very entertaining presentation by Lance Dublin. The meeting summary that is at the link above will be replaced during the next 30 days, and I think the information is potentially of continued interest to those who read this webLog. For that reason, I am providing it herewith.
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1/15/2003
Lance Dublin
Implementing e-Learning: Ensuring You Get the Most
Lance, for many years, considered himself a trainer, but was told to drop, "Trainer" from his business card, and so now he goes with "Strategist."
What is eLearning, E-Learning, E-learning?
Lance started his talk by explaining where the phrase eLearning came from. Is it E-Learning or eLearning or E-learning?
Lance says that it is E-Learning. He says the name, E-Learning, in particular developed out of the VC market. Venture capital analysts were looking for a term that would cover a grouping of companies that they were interested in funding. The name grew a following in our industry as many companies wished to be associated with a product group that was of interest to the VC community.
Lance's definition of E-Learning?
Anything technology-oriented that supports learning.
Lance admits that the term, E-Learning, may disappear soon in the constant flow of trendy labels. He suggests that we will return to calling these products, Learning Products.
The Book
Lance's book, Implementing E-Learning was published by the American Society of Training because they were able to get it onto the market rapidly, an important quality in a technology publisher dealing with quickly-evolving topics.
The timing of the book was important to Lance because skepticism is high, right now, in the marketplace, and results are mandatory. He focuses on helping organizations come up with strategies for implementing E-Learning. Regardless of what is bought or built, the goal is make a system that is successful and efficient.
How do you prepare the "organization" for not just installation, but also for total integration and pervasive use of the new technology?
Look to the discipline of change management for direction. Lance suggests that the success zone exists at the overlap of Change Management and Consumer Marketing.
You might be asking yourself, "What does marketing have to do with E-Learning?" Lance points out that creating a brand is about establishing a position in an environment. Implementing E-Learning requires strategy about how to create a position in your pool of users that need to become users of the new E-Learning system.
OK, so how does Change Management apply to what we are doing with E-Learning? Lance reminds us that change is a very emotional proposition for many users who are required to adopt the new system. Change management shares this emotional quality with marketing. Lance states that the change formula is 30% logic and 70% emotion.
Lance describes several routes to successful adoption of new E-Learning systems within large organizations. Strategic communication with and from senior management is critical as well as with the middle management. Front line management needs to know that Sr. Management is strongly supporting the goals of the new E-Learning initiatives. Otherwise, front line managers tell the technicians that they can't take the time for the E-Learning programs because they need to be getting the "work" done.
Lance referenced The Tipping Point and confirmed that adoption of E-Learning systems, like so many other technologies, requires influencing the early adopters and reaching adoption by that magical 5% of the population that has influence over the rest of the community.
In addition, systems for two-way communication between the managers, users, and the planners of E-Learning are critical.
3 Phases of Technology Adoption and E-Learning - Innovation, Effective Use, Transformation
When a new technology is first developed, it can progress through some unusual and even impractical applications as it goes through the three phases of adoption. For example, gaslights were installed on the walls. When electric lights were first utilized they were also installed on the walls where the gaslights had be installed. Eventually, electric lights evolved to the more logical location in wide-spread use today--suspended from the ceilings.
Imagine for a moment if payroll automation has only reached the second phase of adoption. First, we use the payroll systems to write and print checks. In the second phase, we are all receiving our checks via direct deposit, but with no interest for the period of time that the employer has a float on our earned income. What might the transformation phase look like for payroll automation? Perhaps, we will be paid by the minute for our work as we complete it, and our bills will be paid automatically in the moment in a steady flowing stream of transactions.
Lance also called us to imagine how revolutionary books were to the process of learning. Along came TV and radio, and they were the first form of distance learning especially in 3rd world countries. E-Learning will be a powerful force in the next evolution of learning. Of that, we can be sure, but perhaps we are not seeing it from the right perspective.
What will E-Learning look like as it reaches the transformative phase?
Lance points out that the #1 E-Learning application is Google. He also states that contrary to some opinions, "[Learning program] drop out rates are a good sign." It means people are potentially finding what they want and then putting the information to work, immediately. They don't need anything else. Lance suggests that perhaps we should reconsider calculating a dropout as an unsuccessful user and/or user experience. In fact, it might be a very successful E-Learner. The take away is that speed is a critical component to successful E-Learning design, and courses should be short.
Transformation for E-Learning will occur when E-Learning is integrated seamlessly, and in a customizable fashion, into the work, job, and computer of each technician or manager. Think of E-Learning as an integrated service the way we think of Google when we are ready to go somewhere on the web. In a corporate environment, you want learning to be transparent because this is how it most effective. Like the unconscious competence of driving a car somewhere and then thinking, "I don't remember driving here." The user wants learning to be unconscious.
E-Learning = Learning e
Someone from the audience asked, "Is looking something up with Google, for example, E-Learning?"
Lance replied, "When Einstein was asked, 'why didn't he know his phone number.' Einstein said, "why would I waste my time memorizing a phone number."
Then Lance noted, "Studies have shown that the amount of information that we need to learn is actually shrinking."
Presumably, this is because of the advances that are being made in software services, archiving, Knowledge Management, and E-Learning. However, adoption of our innovations might actually be aided by dropping the labels that we have been giving our technologies. E-Learning should probably we thought of as Learning e.
E-Learning and Knowledge Management SIG Report by Kim Walls
12:26:37 AM 
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