The Rise of the Corporate Multiversity

In a recent CLO article written by Craig Mindrum, it is said that the most prevalent model for adult education is the corporate university – in terms of practical educational effectiveness. The article suggests that the corporate university has moved streets ahead of the traditional university. That the traditional universities have stood still for too long and that they have become irrelevant for people who want to pursue professional careers in the business sector.

We are now living and working in an era where the answers to a majority of our questions are 0.27 seconds away via a search engine. Do you believe that the heritage of a traditional university, as a “brain dump” by renowned professors is irrelevant? Will the government sponsored programs that create alliances between corporate universities and traditional universities deliver the expected results and produce a more competitive workforce? Do the graduates of traditional universities know how to continuously learn and are they capable of collaborative and interactive working behaviours? Do traditional universities too often produce graduates for which there is no market?

Craig suggests that given the deficiencies of the traditional university, corporations should transform their corporate university into a “multiversity”. A multiversity is a learning organization built on a series of multiples: serving multiple needs and goals, offering multiple curricula, serving multiple career paths and using multiple delivery methods and technologies. Those multiples are at the heart of the distinctive value proposition of corporate learning and are reshaping the way that companies, governments and even many traditional universities think about the role of education in creating the workforce of the future.

Here is a link to the CLO article: The Rise of the Corporate Muliversity

Finding In-House Experts Isn’t Easy

Why is it so difficult to quickly find someone in my organization to answer a pressing question, provide advice about a procedure, explain how to use some software, or tell me where to find an expert, course, or document?

I rely on my network to connect me to other people and information because I cannot know and will not try to know everything.  I use the internal “knowledge management” and “learning management” systems.  I am not completely helpless.  But sometimes I just don’t know what I don’t know and I need input from an expert.

I know there are in-house experts in my organization.  What can my organization do to help me connect to and leverage these experts more easily?  Experts with specialized knowledge and skills are an invaluable resource for me.

No t leveraging the in-house experts seems like such a waste.

How many problems go un-solved, how many new ideas never get imagined, how many experts feel underappreciated because people like me cannot easily tap into the in-house pool of experts?

My organization deployed a “expert locator” and “social networking” system in order to help employees quickly find and leverage in-house expertise but these systems provide a half baked solution.  I need to know more about the experts and not just their organizational affiliation, work experience, competencies, and certifications.  I also need to know some “softer” qualities such as their trustworthiness, communication style, personality traits, and willingness to help others in need.  I would also like to know how others feel about the experts when they tapped into them.

What do you look for in an expert and what “tools” are best suited for conveying the information you want to know about experts?

Dorit Nevo, Izak Benbasat and Yair Wand conducted a study to answer this question.

Dr. Nevo is a professor of management information­ systems at Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto. Dr. Benbasat is a Canada research chair in information­ technology management at Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Dr. Wand is a Canfor professor of management information­ systems at Sauder School of Business.

This following illustration (click on “key findings”) summarizes the key findings of the survey distributed to users of “expert locator” systems:

Key Findings

Some key conclusions from the research:

• Activities and interactions that occur in blogs, wikis and social networks naturally provide the cues that are missing from current expert locator systems.
• A search engine that mines internal blogs, for example, where workers post updates and field queries about their work, will help searchers judge for themselves who is an expert in a given field.
• Wiki sites, because they involve collaborative work, will suggest not only how much each contributor knows, but also how eager they are to share that knowledge and how well they work with others.
• Tags and keywords, which are posted by employees and serve as flags for search engines, can reveal qualities in an expert that are far from transparent in any database or directory.

I like this study because it demonstrates the hidden value of blogs and wikis.

This study also helps us further understand that the formal organizational chart and company designated experts are not necessarily the best “maps” for finding expertise or the most qualified experts in the company.

Social media such as blogs and wikis will help us to identify the established and emerging experts and to go beyond the “usual suspects.”

Here is a link to an online article with more details: Source for this post

Next Generation Learning @ Work

A podcast about the BT Dare2Share social learning project.

next generation learning @ work

Free, High Quality, Reusable Content

What would you say if I told you that I know where you can find some FREE, HIGH QUALITY, and REUSABLE courses, modules, and lesson plans?  I guess your answer depends on who you are.  A company or person that sells “course or module” development, books, and “training” courses might not like knowing that their “competition” is giving “it” away for free.  People who have the words “learning and development” or “training” in their job title might not like knowing that someone else is willing to do “the job” for free.  Heads of learning and ministers of education will most certainly have interest in knowing this because it will help them stretch their “training budgets” and deliver more value back to their respective company or community.  People that want to learn (the learners) in business and educational settings (or from home) would have high interest in using FREE and HIGH QUALITY “training” and “education.”  Educators will also generally have high interest.

The fact is that there are over 40 places (websites) that offer FREE and REUSABLE courses, modules, books, and lesson plans.  I cannot yet say if the QUALITY is high across the board because I have not yet performed a detailed investigation.

I can tell you that I have purchased, seen, and experienced a lot of really bad “courses” and “books” that cost a lot of money.  There are some commercial guarantees for paid training or education but I would not argue that paid training or education is always better than the free training or education.  In fact, I would argue that training or education developed in an open source (or collaborative) manner is more likely to be more effective, more accurate, and of higher quality as compared to “materials” developed in the “traditional” manner.

My dissertation investigated whether educational materials developed following instructional design principles were more effective and more readily adopted as compared to materials developed by subject matter experts.  I found that the materials developed following instructional design principles were statistically more effective but not more “attractive” to buyers or consumers of such materials.

So, why do I say that subject matter experts are now more likely to develop effective training or educational materials in an open source environment?

Firstly, instructional design principles are embedded in many of the readily available “content development” tools.  These tools come pre-loaded with templates, workflows, samples, and guidance.  Secondly, open source methods provide peer-to-peer reviews, a continuous formative evaluation process (in the form of ratings, comments, discussions, and reuse), and provide more opportunities to “tailor” the content to local settings and individual needs.  Lastly, the open source methods do not let only designated or well known subject matter experts contribute – it is more inclusive – and this brings in some fresh and new ideas (and some “bad” or “incorrect” ideas).

Subject matter experts are not always the smartest people on earth.  There was a time when a majority of the subject matter experts stated unequivocally that the earth is flat.

We cannot always know what is “bad” or “incorrect.”  My dissertation proved this.

There are some things we can do to help people in an open source environment increase their chances of selecting HIGH QUALITY content.  A common technique is to separately show the content that has been endorsed or approved by a credible and objective third party.  Another is to show community ratings and comments.  A third technique is to report back evaluation results.

As consumers we constantly judge quality.  Some of us take more time and have more knowledge than others, and might do a better job of identifying a HIGH QUALITY “product” or “service.”  The beauty of an open source environment is that we can always tap into our networks and ask others (people we trust and respect) to share their opinions.

I know there are some circumstances when a business cannot afford to take a risk and let their employees take any “training” they want – from any source.  A highly controlled and managed process is not required for all types of training and education.

Does this mean that open source methods to content development and sharing will bring an end to “formal” education and training, put all “training providers” and “traditional publishers” out of business?

No.

I think “we” will still have a need for a degree or for a certification (that comes as a result of a pre-defined and tightly managed curriculum), some bespoke (or custom) education and training, and some training and education from well-known experts.

We will not need to throw out the baby with the bath water.

We need to embrace open source methods for “content” development and sharing, leverage it wisely, and find more and better ways to learn from our networks or communities.

Click this link to see a list open educational resources – and then start using and sharing!

Tw-elicious Tweets

I tend to write very “serious” blog posts – all business for me!  Today is different.  ”Why not”, I asked myself, “write something humorous – something a bit less serious – whilst still making sure it’s something with a lesson or teachable moment”.

Don’t bother reading this post unless you know about or use Twitter – you wont’ get it!

Some Tw-elicious Tweets

Tw-izza:  Oh watch out for these tweets – you can easily consume more than you need because they taste so good.  They’re cooked up really fast, take a while to get through, and are quite filling (tend to take up a lot of your precious time).  You should only read these when you are hungry for tweets.  They usually go down better when chased with a good beer or glass of wine.

Tw-im Sum: A generally uncommon tweet that you typically see about once a week.  They tend to get served up in small groups or bundles and might be too hot at first too touch.  I suggest you put this type of tweet aside for a few minutes, let them cool off a while, and then take them in one bite at a time.

Tw-eggs:  I like these tweets.  Good at almost anytime of the day and tend to go well with other tweets.  Usually quite straightforward, understandable by most people with varying perspectives, translate well into different situations, and quite easy to store away.  Be careful because these tweets do tend to break apart if handled too often.

Tw-ish and chips:  One of my favorite tweets because they look so good when first served up.  I like to listen to music when I read these tweets and typically prefer them on cold days or evenings – especially when it’s raining.  This type of tweet is quite filling and tends to leave very little room for you to consume any other tweets for the rest of the day.  They really occupy a bunch of brain cell ativity.

Tw-orridge:  Good wholesome tweets that are best read first thing in the morning.  They tend to stay with you most of the day.  This type of tweet really clears the head and you feel much better off after reading them.  Watch out for the ones that just need a few minutes of thought.  They look like the ones that require a bit more reflection (or cooking) but they’re not as good for you.

Tw-alad:  Fresh, light, honest, and very helpful tweets.  There is nothing in this type of tweet that will hurt you or cause you to toss and turn at night.  Usually best to consume during lunchtime – but not too bad once in a while later in the evening whilst drinking a bit of tea.   You cant’ survive alone consuming just this type of tweet.  They tend to leave you hungry with too many unanswered questions.

Tw-ushi: Best to read this type of tweet along with controversial (or spicy and salty) tweets.  This will help bring out or emphasize the main messages.  Be careful because some of these tweets might be undercooked and not yet ready for consumption.  On the other hand, it’s the raw nature of these tweets that make them so appealing and unique.

Tw-urrito: This type of tweet is very filling but not as much as a Tw-ish and chips tweet.  There are some after effects to keep in mind (I won’t go into much detail here).  Let’s just say that it’s best to make sure you are not with too many people a few hours after reading this type of tweet.  You might say things that you will later regret.  This type of tweet is best consumed during lunchtime or during the early evening hours.  From the outside, the generally look the same.  On the inside you can find almost anything and that’s what makes this type of tweet so special.

Tw-andoori: Complicated, sometimes a bit dry, and not the type of tweet that you want to read too often.  You really have to be in the right mood for this one.  I never make this type of tweet my main meal so to speak.  They do tend to bore me after a while and taste better when accompanied by other tweets.  One good thing about this type of tweet is that it is still good even the next day after you read it (i.e., good leftover tweets).

Tw-ocolate: Hmmm sooooo goooood.  Just can’t get enough of these babies.  Mostly I like to dwell on them for a long time.  Every once in a while I consume them very quickly and all at once.  There is never a bad time to read this type of tweet no matter what anyone else tells you.  They lift you up when you are feeling down, they add that special spark to your day, they never let you down.  Just don’t over do it.  You can get a major headache if you try to process too many Tw-ocolates not to mention a real guilt trip.  What the heck.  You only live once – right?

What are some of your favorite tweets?

Social Learning Primer

I created this 16 minute social learning primer (podcast) to address some of the frequently asked questions and concerns about social learning, and to share some of my insights and suggestions gained from my experience helping client organizations with their social learning agendas.

I hope you find this primer useful.  Please feel free to comment and provide feedback.

The Learning Curve

A 30 minute BBC 4 Radio programme:  A 21st-century corporation needs a different kind of organisational structure from the old command and control mechanisms that built the world’s biggest companies. Peter Day finds out how people can create learning organisations without commanding and controlling.

Learning Curve – BBC Radio 4 Program

How Healthy Are Your Learning Communities….Really?

Organizations are either actively considering or have recently started deploying enterprise social media to enable social learning.  Such companies have come to realize that key to their success are productive and vibrant learning communities.

How healthy are your learning communities……really?  Old ways of measuring the productivity and success of a learning community were appropriate for traditional, linear kinds of training, but not for more advanced, collaborative (or social) learning environments.

Would you like to know how to improve the health of your learning communities?  Do you want to know your gaps and opportunities?  We will provide a report that will help you and your company know whether your learning communities are meeting member and business needs, and identify specific ways to extract more value.  There is no cost for the use of the toolkit or the report.  There is no obligation to buy additional products or services.

Click here for details

Key Trends Affecting the Practice of Learning and Collaboration

I was reading a report (Horizon 2009) and found three trends affecting the practice of learning and collaboration that I thought were worth sharing.

Increasing globalization continues to affect the way we work, collaborate, and communicate. Information technologies are having a significant impact on how people work, play, gain information, and collaborate. Increasingly, those who use technology in ways that expand their global connections are more likely to advance, while those who do not will find themselves on the sidelines. With the growing availability of tools to connect learners and scholars all over the world — online collaborative workspaces, social networking tools, mobiles, voice-over-IP, and more — teaching and scholarship are transcending traditional borders more and more all the time.

The notion of collective intelligence is redefining how we think about ambiguity and imprecision. Collective intelligence may give rise to multiple answers, all equally correct, to problems. The notions of collective intelligence and mass amateurization are redefining scholarship as we grapple with issues of top-down control and grassroots scholarship. Today’s learners want to be active participants in the learning process – not mere listeners; they have a need to control their environments, and they are used to easy access to the staggering amount of content and knowledge available at their fingertips.

Experience with and affinity for games as learning tools is an increasingly universal characteristic among those entering higher education and the workforce. A recent survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that massively multiplayer and other online game experience is extremely common among young people, is rich and varied, and that games offer opportunity for increased social interaction and civic engagement among this group. The success of game-based learning strategies owes to active participation and interaction being at the center of the experience, and signals that current educational methods are not engaging students enough.

Multiverse Social Learning

My colleague (Teemu Arina) recently attended the Mobile Monday conference in Amsterdam.  He suggested that I view a presentation made by Joe Pine II called “Multiverse.”  This presentation was interesting and mind expanding.

 

http://www.mobilemonday.nl/talks/joe-pine-ii-multiverse-and-metaverse/

 

Joe presented a framework to help us look at and think about our “real” and “virtual” experiences.  He says innovation should focus on “experiences” rather than on “things.”  We were all into “things” but now we are into “experiences.”  We (as designers) need to create experiences that are worth the admission fee (this is what people refer to as the experience economy).

 

Joe describes 8 different “realms” – each of which varies in terms of Space, Time and Matter.  The “real” world is comprised of all three (Space, Time and Matter).  What if there was “no space” or “no time” or “no matter?” 

 

For example:

 

An “augmented” reality is one in which there is Space and Time but no Matter.  The GPS navigator is a good example.  We use this digital technology to create a new to the world experience.

 

An “alternate” reality has Space but no Time and no Matter.  You can rent an automobile with a digital tour guide.  This guide talks about the places you choose to go.  This is a co-created experience.

 

A “warped” reality has Space and Matter but no Time.  Have you ever attended a renaissance festival or a living history museum?  It’s a place (or Space) with Matter but not in “real” time.

 

“Virtuality” has no Space, no Time and no Matter.  Virtual worlds are the best example of this “realm.”

 

The “Wii” is an example of an “augmented” virtuality where there is Matter but no Space and no Time.  With Wii you bring your body (Matter) into the experience.

 

Tools like AutoCad are examples of “physical” virtuality because there is Time and Matter but no Space.  You create something in the virtual world that you later make real. 

 

“Mirrored” virtuality has Time but no Space and no Matter.  An example is Google mashups like the flu tracker.  Another example is something called gameday.  These two examples provide a different (mirrored) view of what is happening in real time.

 

An interesting exercise is to “map” a social media solution to the framework and then think about what would happen if you extend it to other “realms.”  I was thinking about discussion threads where there is Matter but no Time and no Space.  I say there is Matter because you bring yourself into the experience.  I say there is no Time because you can navigate through the discussions in any sequence and not in the order in which they’re written.  I say there is no Space because the discussion is not taking place in a particular setting or place.  What if we wanted to add the Time dimension to a discussion thread?  Maybe we can select a discussion thread and “play it back” in real time whereby each contributor is represented by an Avatar in a virtual setting.  We can observe the discussion take place like a fly on the wall.  Kind of like recreating a live chat experience from a discussion thread.

 

I will spend more time thinking about how we might improve the social learning experience whilst we “consume”, “contribute”, and “interact” with others.  Using the framework suggested by Joe might help me discover new ideas and innovations that I might otherwise never consider.

 

Please let me know your thoughts.