C2 Workshop's E-Learning Blog

Creative Writing Versus CMoS and MSTP

The concept of ‘putting the pen to paper’ for me, was – still is – an irresistible proposition. And, a very charming one at that.

I used to reflect, how things have become so simple these days! Do I feel like writing something? And, want the whole world to read what I have written? All I have to do is, just open my laptop, translate my thoughts into words and ‘publish’ them. That’s it. Mission accomplished!

In a way – In every way, to be precise - this charm of writing is what has brought me around into ‘Instructional Design’.

But, why ‘Instructional Design’, of all things? Why not? It’s like, as they say, any craft could manifest itself through different mediums. Writing for ‘Instructional Design’ is one such.

Awright! Sounds great!

Now, on to the practical side of the whole ‘charm’! Getting into the attire of an instructional designer and writing, is not the same thing as my writing whatever I feel like.

In addition to keeping in mind a few specific things while handling this craft, I need to also arm myself with a set of language tools. These help me in chiseling my writing, for the target audience I’m designing the courses for.

‘Chicago Manual of Styles’ (CMoS) and ‘Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications’ (MSTP) are two such.

A couple of days ago, I found myself hearing this question coming from within. ‘Why not share some of the insights of one of these tools – MSTP - with my fellow instructional designers?”

And, that’s how this blog piece is coming about.

Maybe, I should pause here, considering this as an introduction to a long, interesting study into this aspect of the language.

Stay tuned! Will be back with a few installments of notes on MSTP.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

Defining E-Learning Objectives - Part III

We wound up the last blog post with the question, “Even if I manage to craft measurable behavioral objectives, how far would I succeed in MOTIVATING my learners?”

If you are, by any chance, landing straight on this post, please visit the earlier two posts, before taking off from here.

Motivation is a wonderful state of mind. If I am motivated to do something, I wouldn’t let anything – anything – stop me from going after what I want. I just wouldn’t rest till I accomplish my mission. It’s as simple as that!

The same philosophy applies to my learners as well.

As an instructional designer, if I succeed in MOTIVATING my learners, I’ve successfully covered 75% of my task. The rest would just fall in place.

So, how do I motivate?

One of the most cherished advertising/marketing secrets is to sell the BENEFITS of a product and not the product itself. If I manage to sell the benefits, I’ve sold the product.

In a way, it is the same with my learners as well. If I sell them the benefits of the course I’m crafting for them, I would see them getting automatically motivated to learn. Job done!

The greatest truths, as they say, are the simplest.

Now, how do I sell my learners the benefits of the course? I don’t meet them in person, I don’t talk to them over phone. I need to communicate with them only through the course. And, the ‘hand-shake’ happens on the Objectives.

That’s how Objectives become a very important phase of the course. If the motivation needs to happen, it can happen only here. If I need to grab my learners’ attention, I can do only here.

How I design the Objectives makes all the difference. Instead of being bookish with my verbs, however appropriate they may be, I need to convert them to benefits. Here are a few instances that would explain this point.

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Instance 1:
How it is:
At the end of this course, you will be able to identify essential components of client servicing.
How it could be:
In a while from now, say an hour, you would have learned how to easily earn that precious smile from your customer; and possibly, the sale.

Instance 2:
How it is:
At the end of this course, you will be able to comprehend various types of solar energy systems.
How it could be:
It should not take longer than an hour and a half for you to appreciate the beauty of solar energy and various ways by which the sun’s bounty could be harnessed for the benefit of human kind.

Instance 3:
How it is:
At the end of this course, you will be able to demonstrate how an applicant’s loan application could be processed.
How it could be:
On successful completion of this course, you would have become quite confident about analyzing various critical parameters that would help you to successfully process loan applications that come your way.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interestingly, this tiny effort to strike a chord with my learners, would transform the very way I handle the subject.

The conviction that I need to always keep my learners in my mind, helps me to mould and shape up the content in a way they would like to see it.

The sensitivity and sensibility employed on the entire course architecture is very much worth it, because, at the end of the day, I craft the course ONLY for my learners.

And, I succeed ONLY when they enjoy the learning experience.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

Defining E-Learning Objectives - Part II

The last post "Defining E-Learning Objectives" ended with a comma. Figuratively, that is.

It had passed the baton to the current discussion, to address a few questions on e-learning objectives.

Have a request for those of you who are landing straight on this post. Please take a quick glance at what we discussed in Part 1 of this post, before taking off from here.

These are the questions we need to get the answer for.

Why do e-learning objectives take a back seat? Why are they so skip-worthy?

Because, THEY ARE NOT WELL WRITTEN. Simple.

This rather stark answer does not, however, point to either grammatical glitches or unimaginative sentence constructions. Far from it, in fact.

It underscores the absence of THOUGHT. The thought that would act as the blueprint of the entire course architecture!

Before getting into action (of writing objectives), I need to put my thoughts to what my objectives would address.

• Behavioral change that would demonstrate learning
• Criterion that would determine acceptable performance (as a result of learning), and
• Conditions that would govern the performance

I need to assimilate this key learning: It is the measurable behavioral objectives that would effectively guide the design of my learning application. If I am meticulous in this exercise, I would find it relatively easy to work around the needed/expected behavioral changes.

Now, I see the next question standing in queue, peeping at me. "Even if I manage to craft measurable behavioral objectives, how far would I succeed in MOTIVATING my learners?"

Now, I just can't help marveling at the demands of this art. Or, should I say science?

Let's reserve this interesting question for our next post.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

Two-Way Knowledge Transfer @ E-Learning Companies!

E-learning companies are in constant endeavour to keep themselves abreast of all relevant technical and technological updates.

Understandable. Because, being on the cutting edge of their core specialization areas is what helps them offer solutions that make a difference to the human capital of client organisations. That said, a select few of the clients don't just receive knowledge transfer from e-learning companies. They give it as well, by transfering back new frontiers of knowledge that e-learning companies require to successfully meet the concerned clients' project specifications. Which is a wonderful thing!

In their own interest, e-learning companies would do well to recognize such clients whose contribution to their search for innovations, could turn out to be highly invaluable.

For, at the end of the day, intellectual growth needs to be facilitated through all possible ends.

More so, when the knowledge transfer is two way... with the clients sitting at the other end.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

ID: Move On The Moving Ground!

What if the terra-firma I'm standing confidently on, shakes violently under my feet?

I would be completely shaken up to say the least. I wouldn't be sure of my next step, 'cos, what if, by its very action, it causes a graver shake-up, taking me all the way down? The journey from an elevated and elated state to an abysmal depth could be depressing.

Such situations are not exclusive to topographical properties alone. They could cause an equally powerful turbulence to my mind landscapes as well, if what's thought of as fool-proof turns around and makes a consummate idiot out of me.

I could quote Instructional designing as a classic example, to prove this point. I put my heart and soul in thinking scenarios and come up with what I think is a piece of pure gold. But, in no time, I find this impression getting shaken up by none other than my student - of all people.

That paralyzing fear is what causes me not to take any chances. Nothing could replace my feeling completely safe and secure in my own cocoon. So no venturing out! And, that's probably the reason why one doesn't find brilliance around.

If some exemplary action needs to happen in my instructional designing, the first and foremost thing I need to learn is TO DARE! So what if I go down the abyss? Would there be no way out? There definitely would be, if only I look around...

... If only I learn mastering mental agility, so as to be able to let go, jump over the divide and land wherever I find the firm ground and take it from there.

In other words, learn to move on the constantly moving ground to produce something that'll move.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

Learning On When Commitment On!

"Do you know whether the apple actually fell on Newton's head, while enlightening him on the law of gravity?"

What if I were to be just glaring at this question without committing my answer to it? Poor you! You keep lookin' at me, expecting me to answer, so you could tell me more. You look at my lips. They're glued tight. No way you could open 'em up, even with some smart tools! What do you do?

Many a time, mind you, this happens, 'cos, I don't want to be wrong. I don't want you to catch me wrong.

You give me a text book on Isaac Newton. I'll tell you whether the apple fell on his head or not. You see, I know the answer. I just need to confirm.

That's the wonderful thing about text books. They have all the info... only thing, I need to flip back to wherever I could find the answers. So, the questions play a dangerous role here. They could mislead me into thinking I know the answers, when in fact, I may not.

That's one of the key differences between a printed book and its electronic version. Instructional Designers would do well to appreciate the Edge e-learning has over insructor-led training on this score - getting to have the learners commit on what they know and not what they could refer. And, make good use of that Edge!

What, of course, needs a special mention is this. The underlying intelligence in smartly eliciting the learner's commitment in answering the question! Possible?

Yep! By identifying another key advantage of e-learning! The learners are ALONE, when they're confronting the question. They're not gonna hear stifled chuckles, ridiculing their ignorance. So, they don't care a heck. They have the licence to kill!

But, the commitment factor, on its part, is very much intact. Psychologically, when I commit my answer and subsequently realize it was wrong, I automatically seek the right answer (especially when I don't have anyone else around).

The only thing that's important is, I need to have absolute fun in going wrong and in being told I'm wrong. That's where instructional 'designing' makes its entry. It's all upto the IDs to make their content presentation as exciting and interesting as possible. Then, the simple mathematical formula comes alive...

Learning is on, when commitment is on!

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

ID's Identification Code: Learners

Deadlines could have a lethal effect. They DO!

They invariably succeed in seeing us, the Instructional Designers, succumb to their pressure! "Hey... what do you think you're doin', lookin' at the ceiling? Waitin' for inspiration, is it? Boy, time's up. Get up and run. Get me the material before EOD today. Got it??"

And, there we're, sprinting to catch up the 'dead'lines. And, just about manage to catch them late into the night! Press Enter on the content. It goes. Relief!!

And, what? The Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are DELIGHTED, 'cos, the content they're lookin' for, is all there. Perfectly chunked and sequenced well! They, in fact, give us a Thumbs Up!

"Gr8 job done! We see brilliant work here. Lookin' forward to working with you in future." THEY'VE WON!

The thing is, they're talkin' about 'work'. Not about 'instructional designing'! But, we're delighted gettin' that much-awaited feedback and are 'happy and contented'. 'Contented'. WE'VE LOST!

Where're the learners - the learners, the way they've to be approached from the instructional designing perspective - here? Completely absent! Perfectly understandable. 'Cos, they're not the ones commissioning the project... they're not the ones overseeing the content. If at all, they're at the receiving end. They better look after themselves!

Boy! Instructional Designing, in the purest sense of what it stands for, stands there, orphaned.

Mind you! Nothing's wrong with the SMEs here. They're perfectly placed on their expectations. As long as they get what they want, they're happy. They are the subject matter experts of their subject, not of  instructional designing. We can't expect them to know and appreciate how it works. They go scot-free on the issue we're discussing.

That said, the ball comes back to IDs' court. What are we doing? With all due respect to deadlines, are we not supposed to be extremely sensitive to the learners' needs? Are we not supposed to be thinking for them? Is that not what instructional designing is all about?

The answer to all these questions lies in our realizing that the learners are our protégés. We can't, at any cost, let go of our dharma of 'identifying' with them. If only we get it right, we would well be on our way to infusing a different 'language' into our storyboards.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

E-Learning: The Motivation Angle!

"Oh, that was funny. My being put on to a Counselor. He was tryin' to 'reach' me from all possible angles. Very encouraging, so to say! If I could excel in my marathon, why not in studies? Is not my doin' well in academics good for me? Ya, but, so what? Anything that's got to do with academics, I'm just not for it. Sounds strange? Ya, I know. But, don't ask me to explain it. I just can't."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Zero motivation! That perfectly explains it.

Marathon is, by no means, an easy feat by itself. So much sweat followed by a sapping tiredness could send a lazy soul lookin' for a safe cover.

What makes the girl run for miles? Something MOTIVATES her to get into the act. It's as simple as that.

Great teachers are, first and foremost, concerned about sowing into the minds of their students, the seeds of motivation and seeing them sprout, before they could unfold the treasure of knowledge for them. Done in this sequence, students lapping up the knowledge happens spontaneously. And, when that does happen, all that the teachers have to do, is to stand next to their students and 'guide' them. That's how they become great, not just 'cos they 'know'.

Now, the tougher part!

E-learning and instructional designing are much more precariously positioned on the motivation angle, for the simple reason that  creating motivation is a much tougher proposition for them, given that students are not gonna be physically around for the instructional designers to talk to, in person.

So, what could motivate them is the way the content is handled, followed by all other things such as interactivity, color schemes used in the layouts, and fonts employed, to name a few.

All these fall in place with the help of instructional designers' ability in 'reading' the minds, before proceeding to address them.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

When Sham Is Targeted, The Real Persists!

 
After a lot of high-level discussions and emergency meetings, the senior managers decide to call for a group gathering of all production-associates of the company.

"We are happy to announce we're introducing a computer based training for all of you to address the 'best production practices'. This training, we're sure, will result in a much better turnover. As you know, we're passing through a critical phase and need to step up on our performance levels. We urge you to take this training seriously with a perspective to augment your productivity."

Seated in the audience, I smile. Nobody asked me for my opinion, as a Team Head, on the big plan. If someone had, I would've averred that what my colleagues lacked wasn't the proficiency to deliver, but the will to deliver.

And, who needed to be trained wasn't my colleagues once again, but the same senior managers who're supposed to give all the support needed for better productivity. They needed to be trained on better people management, interpersonal relations and morale boosting practices that would cheer the already proficient crowd.

This training, therefore, is gonna hit the rocks.

Here, it's the case of one problem having multiple causes. The problem of flagging performance levels that could be caused by lack of proficiency or by bad managers!

And, the easiest thing to do is to conclude that training is needed. But for what?

The needed action therefore, is to identify the cause of a business problem, before deciding a corrective action.

For, when something that is not real is targeted, the real persists.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

QR Code: Bridging the Analog and Digital

The levels of education standards we see these days, are mind boggling, to say the least! I mean, lookin' at the kind of subjects today's students are exposed to,  I just can't stop feeling baffled.

'Oxidative Phosphorylation and Chemiosis' revolving around Oxidation, Electrons, Molecules, Hydrogen...  is something I couldn't have imagined even in my wildest dreams when I was a student. And, the volume of content that deluges the students today, is again something I couldn't have digested even a li'l bit.

But, the fact also remains I was neither exposed to the technological explosion that's happening today. I wouldn't lose time in seeing it helping the knowledge transfer big time.

I'm kinda awe-struck to see Evolution transpire right in front of my eyes. Literally! The speed with which new things keep hurtling themselves in our midst is like, "Wow! We gonna drown shortly".

See this new trend that's comin' up. The QR Code or Quick Response Code!

A li'l futuristic, at the moment, especially for the students. Not a whole lot of them have started using it. But, the day is not far when they'll have it as a permanently installed mobile app on their cell phones.

Am amazed to see the way it works.

You're goin' thru' a book on algebra, let's say. You get stuck at applying quadratic formulae. All you need to do is locate the QR Code on the book, take your mobile, enable the QR Coder, click the QR Code on the book and there you're, looking at the URL of a YouTube site, that would tell you how to apply quadratic formulae.

It's pretty interesting to see how technology finds its way through to make learning possible.

In this case, being a bridge between the analogue mode and the digital world.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

July 03, 2011 in Digital Learning, E-Learning, Online Education, Online Learning, Technology Based Training | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: Digital Learning, E-Learning, Online Learning, Return on Investment, ROI, Technology Based Training

June 21, 2011

The "E-Learning & Interactivity" Bonding!

Kevin was all kicked up about the yet-another prize he had just won.

He tore open the wrapper in a hurry. The exquisitely crafted game console had his eyes popping out and sent his hands scrambling for the joystick.

But, it was missing.

Some more frantic search, and a small note revealed itself, "Hey there... We know you're a whizkid, and would master this one too in no time. For a change, we want you to just hang in there and say 'wow' for the mind-blowin' stuff we've put in here. How about that?"

Kevin cursed. Feeling mocked, he nevertheless plugged in the game and let it run. It was mind-blowin' stuff, awright! A technical wizardry Kevin had never seen before! But, the thing is, the 'wow' factor disappeared just soon after. Kevin wondered why? And, realized he was not an active 'part' of the game.

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E-Learning is so much like video games, on this score. It too gets 'disconnected' otherwise.

A caveat though! The 'levels of interactivity' it offers could differ, depending on the content and other constraints. That's to say, the interactivity component doesn't necessarily have to be such high octane stuff. Nevertheless, the bottom line is, it does remain the medium's backbone.

If an e-learning course needs to succeed with its learners, it has to keep them an active part of what it is discussing. Talk to them, engage them and keep them 'on their toes'! For, is this not the only bridge that keeps it connected with the learners? How does it, otherwise, differentiate itself from, say, a manual or a journal?

Going forward, the e-learning course may contain rich graphics, fancy simulations, and arresting visuals. But, the sizzle factor fizzles out, the minute the learners are let go off the interactive hook. And, in such a case, what remains of it is a boring page turner.

Such is the bonding that e-learning enjoys with interactivity. It can't be without the other.

In other words, if e-learning is the communication vehicle, interactivity becomes its fuel.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

June 21, 2011 in Digital Learning, E-Learning, Interactivity, Online Education, Online Learning | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: Digital Learning, E-Learning, Interactivity, Online Education, Online Learning

June 13, 2011

A Giant Leap Into The Cloud!

The Terminal:

Cut to the front yard of the country house and watch the two brothers, Dan - at his ranger cycle, cleaning it - and Duxe - seated on a rock close by, and watchin' him.

The Departure:

Happy with the way his cycle is looking, ready for the adventure, Dan looks at Duxe. "You sure you not joinin'?"

Smiling at the yawning Duxe, he gets onto his cycle and starts pedaling.

The Deviating Trajectory:

Sweating and panting, Dan braves his cycle up a steep pitch, his eyes popping out in anticipation. One last breath and one valiant push, he is at the tipping point and there... his cycle zooms into the air, with both a gush of wind and exhilaration ripping through his face.

 

Duxe looks around the dreary land and wonders what's up with life. "What a boring, hot day!" He yawns once again.

Dan goes for a free fall, with the rugged terrain beneath hurtling towards him. Despite deftly steering his cycle in the air, he just about manages to land safely, only to maneuver harder not to go crashing down the steep slope.

This is adrenaline. Gushing out of the thing called PASSION.

Steve Jobs!

How he transformed his passion into a miracle, he named Apple! And, how he continues to churn out miracles!

The latest one being the iCloud system that would allow the Mac users to access the same set of content - documents, photos, email, contacts, calendars - across all their devices.

This colossal tipping point is going to unleash a change in the way information is going to be shared in future.

Consider this. A student going through a lesson on her iPad at home, finds not just the same content on her iPhone when she gets into the train, but continues from where she left.

Imagine the boost eLearning could get out of this technological revolution. For sure, this contagion would spread out of the Apple systems - like the way it happened with the Graphical User Interface (GUI). It would all be there everywhere, with absolutely no space and time constraints. It would be a sheer evolution of sorts.

A giant leap into the Cloud!     

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

June 13, 2011 in E-Learning | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: Apple, iCloud, iPad, iPhone, Steve Jobs

June 04, 2011

Rapid Instructional Development: For once, Rapid doesn't mean Fast!

"So, you know what beam-ends are?"

"Aye, sir".

"Go ahead."

"The sides of the ship, sir. 'On her beam ends' means the vessel is literally on her side and possibly about to capsize. More often, the phrase means the vessel is listing 45 degrees or more."

"Awright. Report for the instructional classes from tomorrow morning, 7.00 AM sharp. We shall cover the beam-ends right from the scratch."

" Aye, sir. Sir??"

"Yes. Any questions?"

"Aye, sir. Just one question, sir. Was my answer incorrect, by any chance, sir?"

"No, you're right, boy."

"Then, why from the scratch, sir?"

"That's the only way I could teach, son."
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It is such situations that pave the way for Rapid Instructional Development (RID).

RID speeds up the instructional development process by incorporating prevailing knowledge, existing materials and job-aids. It eases it up by simplifying, combining, resequencing, and even by skipping steps. 'Cos, a good number of times, a major chunk of the conventional Instructional Systems Development (ISD) model could be condensed, by obviating the obvious.

The ISD model uses a rational step-by-step approach and assumes that the content area is stable. But, newer realities include rapid changes in skills and knowledge. And, by this reason, they also include the need for faster and better instructional design.

RID techniques evolve to meet those needs. They flex their approach based on the nature of the instructional objective, the characteristics of the trainees and the context of training.

But...

Ironically, by no means do they point to or result in faster learning. In most cases, the opposite is true 'cos, RID, by its very nature, passes on some of the instructional development responsibilities to the learners, on the ground that they already know a part of the subject.

It's just that RID provides us a preferred alternative when we are working on tight deadlines, limited budgets and constantly changing instructional content. Nothing more.

For once, Rapid doesn't mean Fast.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

June 04, 2011 in E-Learning, Instructional Design, Learning, Online Education, Online Learning, Rapid Instructional Design | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: E-Learning, ID, Instructional Design, Learning, Online Education, Online Learning, Rapid Instructional Design, RID

May 28, 2011

E-Learning: The Fear Factor!

A few things enjoy a unique law of existence.

Take diamonds, for example. They're the offshoot of deep volcanic eruptions that had cooled into igneous rocks, close to the surface of the earth. But for this Nature phenomenon, diamonds wouldn't have happened, right?

Now, take e-learning. It's no different from diamonds. Only thing, this sparkle has sprung out of and flourishes because of a different source - the digital phenomenon. The phenomenon that disseminates information like nobody's business!

E-Learning too spreads information, but in a perfectly channelized way for perfectly carved situations...

Like those folks who are seated in a remote corner, say for instance. Or, those who don't want to sit in a crowd, for example. Or, those who can't allot that kind of time to learn the formulaic way. Such situations, giving the inevitability status to e-learning, could extend into a long queue.

And, these footings give immense room for the designers to craft the channelized dissemination of knowledge, in a most interesting way. They encourage them to use a skillful blend of content and participant interaction while creating a program.

Such content is designed to help the learners assimilate new information with relative ease, to guide them to modify their attitudes and change their behaviors.

All of this sounds great. But there's a Fear Factor and quite a powerful one at that, that one needs to content with! It's this. Getting the learner to 'be tuned in' is one of the most challenging tasks. 'Cos, 20 minutes of sustained attention on any subject, pushes the brain towards the rest zone. And, elicits a yawn from even the best of the 'brains', sitting in a group.

Now, how about someone who is seated all with oneself? That's the fear. How do we take care of his attention levels?

Bringing in interesting twists and surprises in the way the content unfolds, 'distracts' the brain from settling in for a predictable rhythm. Such twists also ensure that the sustained attention is not tested beyond its limits.

Being sensitive to the learner's psyche is one of the innate qualities of a good instructional designer.

The Fear Factor contributes well to that sensitivity.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

May 28, 2011 in E-Learning, Instructional Design, Online Education, Online Learning | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: E-Learning, Instructional Design, Online Education, Online Learning

May 18, 2011

Instructional Designing: Factor In The Invisible

Being entrusted with an ID project has a certain breezy feel goin' with it. 'Cos, every time, we get to shake hands with a refreshingly new situation, get to know more about it, ingest its essence, and present it to the audience in a way they could relate... and, learn.
 
It's not gonna be zilch though. The whole thing needs an indepth study of what is and a meticulous planning for what should be. 

We analyze the people and their learning environment - their current knowledge levels, the age group they belong to, the time they could allocate for the new Knowledge Transfer (KT) and their capacity to imbibe it. Follow it up by designing the KT in the best possible sequence, so it becomes worthy of being lapped up. Develop it in as stimulating a way as possible. Implement it with the needed fanfare. And, evaluate it for the successful reception it enjoyed amongst the Target Audience (TG).
 
Now, these are the most visible things we do - Analyzing, Designing, Developing, Implementing and Evaluating - to crack the learning experience with our instructional designing skills.
 
But, how about exploring a li'l bit of the invisible?
 
The brain!
 
Being the 'center' of learning, it possesses an uncanny intelligence that veins its way through multiple channels to explore the unknown, without even having to be prompted.
 
Could any of us recall how we learnt to speak, when we were kids? We wouldn't have been even aware of the 'learning' part, 'cos we were too tiny to know we were learning. But, the verbal linguistic intelligence was working.
 
It's the logical mathematical intelligence that differentiates circles from rectangles, and makes sense out of abstract symbols.
 
The interesting part is, this intelligence is not the same as the verbal linguistic intelligence. It's distinctly different.
 
So is the case with the visual spatial intelligence that understands the world through colors, light and harmony. It's so starkingly different from the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence that in no way could it relate to the physical sensations and touch impressions the way the latter impeccably does.
 
We see the musical rhythmic intelligence at work when we find someone playing perfect rhythms on his briefcase. And, the interpersonal intelligence in a warm-hearted teacher who is a hit with her students.
 
Successful entrepreneurs have an intra-personal intelligence guiding them. Their feeling absolutely sure about themselves is, in essence, the manifestation of this form of intelligence.
 
Now, all of us possess all of these intelligences to a greater or lesser degree. How wonderful it could be, if our instructional designs could actively have something for some or all of them?
 
The very effort in this direction would bring out the ingenious, 'cos, it factors in the invisible!

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

May 18, 2011 in E-Learning, Instructional Design, Learning, Multiple Intelligences, Online Education, Online Learning | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: E-Learning, ID, Instructional Design, Interpersonal Intelligence, Intra-Personal Intelligence, Learning, Logical Mathematical Intelligence, Multiple Intelligences, Musical Rhythmic Intelligence, Online Learning, Verbal Linguistic Intelligence, Visual Spatial Intelligence

May 10, 2011

Accelerated Learning: Bend It Like Beckham

"Hey John... Know what? I met someone like Hercules, yesterday."

"Oh!"

"You know Hercules, don't you?"

"Nope."

"You don't know Hercules? Just can't believe it. You don't know him? Oh, you're in the pits."

"Hey, cut it awright?! Tell me how this guy was like. I'll be there right with you."

"You know, he had a body like, like, as if it was sculpted. His arms were sinewy like teak. His eyes were sky blue. And, he was tall like a giant."

"Awright, got it."

John just learned about the guy's appearance. Almost perfectly! Almost as if he saw him! And, pretty fast too!

Accelerated learning!

Learning becomes fun when the content is given the right context. The context is what one knows. Content is what one doesn't know.

The context creates a conducive environment for the brain to engage its faculties in a way that learning happens much easier and faster.

This is one of the psychological keys that comes of great help to Instructional Designers (ID) in unlocking the learner's mind. Understanding the course content and the goal it needs to serve, the ID looks for familiar grounds that the participants could easily identify with and takes off from there.

Whatever John learned about the guy was enabled by the metaphors blue sky, teak, giant and sculpture. But for these, he might have been at a complete loss, now that he did not know a bigger metaphor, Hercules.

Maybe, what he learned was a very simple fact. But, the fact remains that his learning was made simple.

All, thanks to metaphors!     

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

May 10, 2011 in E-Learning, Learning, Online Education, Online Learning | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: Accelerated Learning, E-Learning, Learning, Online Education, Online Learning

May 03, 2011

Where is E-Learning? A Bird's Eye View!

Swooping down the learning terrain, we see Universities, hundreds and thousands of them, racing to top the ranking charts, so they could attract hordes of choicest students, from around the world.
 
In line are the top-notch professor laureates who are on the most-wanted list, so they could cater to the best brains that pool in to the class room.
 
And, there come the most coveted graduate titles that become the most premium tickets for one's entry into the plum job markets.
 
What an undisputed, indefatigable and foolproof network this is, almost monopolizing the education system for the near 100% success it guarantees!
 
Now, where is e-Learning in this impenetrable traditional arena?

E-Learning does form part of the current academic curriculum awright, but a minuscule one at that,  identifying itself as a blended learning module. Nothing more! For, the advantages of the former system far outweigh the pluses of this format.
 
That is the impression, at least.
 
What explains this? U.S. schools offering on-line courses have seen increases in demand for e-learning options, with 66 percent and 73 percent of responding schools reporting increased demand for new and existing online course offerings respectively (Allen & Seaman, 2010).
 
Now, what is indicated here is not eLearning substituting the class room sessions, but constructively supplementing them. Because, eLearning has its indisputable strengths too. 
 
Consider these simple questions. Could any of the students press the replay button on the lecture session that just ended? How many of them could, without any inhibition, raise their hands to clarify a doubt? What is the impact of the peer pressure on one's psyche?  How long would it take for a student to be left behind, in the sheer pace of the class room sessions?

All these questions are effectively addressed by eLearning. In fact, we could safely guesstimate that probably, the concept of eLearning evolved on these ground realities.  
 
And, the new enlightenment dawning around in the education circles is this. E-Learning is no more perceived as someone locking oneself up in a room, with a laptop. On the contrary, it's seen as a flexible format that gives the students the needed freedom to apportion their time between their studies and their friends as per their convenience.
 
If students learn on the e-Learning route, it means they definitely "learn".  No debates there! 'Cos, learning in this context clearly means that they just love the conducive format, for all the benefits it brings to the table.
 
And, the new generation employers aren't as much concerned with the degree titles either, as they're about the employability of the people they hire. If there's a real spark out there, it doesn't matter where it comes from. It's there, to be grabbed. That's it.
 
The whole thing has one great lesson for us, the instructional designers.
 
There's so much opportunity waiting to be tapped out there. Just do some serious tuning in and master the craft. Set the understanding right. Open the door.
 
And, get ready to be deluged!

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

May 03, 2011 in E-Learning, Learning, Online Education, Online Learning | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: E-Learning, Learning, Online Education, Online Learning

April 24, 2011

Social Learning: Move in Pride!

Seeing the cub sprawl on the ground defiantly, resisting her training, the lioness turned her attention to his more responsive siblings.

Taking them through the life lessons of getting comfortable with the adults of the pride, she also encouraged them to simulate hunting by ambushing her.

She probably knew it wouldn't take much time for the peer pressure to set in, on the defiant cub.

And, she was right. In a little while, she felt her tail being nibbled at, by the stubborn little one, with a reconciliatory look on his face. He was willing to be trained.

Social learning!  

This is what happens with us humans too. The inherent need to 'belong' instills in us the capacity to change our behaviors to suit the peer psyche.

Extend this reasoning to an organizational atmosphere, it so perfectly fits in. One doesn't want to be left behind, one doesn't want to be looked down upon and therefore, one nurtures an active interest to catch up. Learning happens by compulsion even in very informal moments.Organizations would do well, by taking stock of this basic psychological reality. By remembering that brilliant things happen in absolutely informal and fun moments!

So, designing the system in a way that learning percolates through this 'social learning' channel is surely a creative and effective route to 'reach' the employees. 'Cos, they have to be an ever-fresh talent pool that would keep the organization's competitive health in good stead.

E-Learning modules designed to educate the staff, for instance, would enjoy a better penetration, if the social learning mode is enabled. Where observational learning and imitation come into play, helping a spontaneous learning!

The entire concept of learning works on this simple, yet beautiful premise...

All of us love to move in pride! 

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

April 24, 2011 in Blended Learning, E-Learning, Informal Learning, Learning, Online Learning, Social Learning | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Technorati Tags: E-Learning, Informal Learning, Learning, Online Learning, Social Learning

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Kevin was all kicked up about the yet-another prize he had just won.

He tore open the wrapper in a hurry. The exquisitely crafted game console had his eyes popping out and sent his hands scrambling for the joystick.

But, it was missing.

Some more frantic search, and a small note revealed itself, "Hey there... We know you're a whizkid, and would master this one too in no time. For a change, we want you to just hang in there and say 'wow' for the mind-blowin' stuff we've put in here. How about that?"

Kevin cursed. Feeling mocked, he nevertheless plugged in the game and let it run. It was mind-blowin' stuff, awright! A technical wizardry Kevin had never seen before! But, the thing is, the 'wow' factor disappeared just soon after. Kevin wondered why? And, realized he was not an active 'part' of the game.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

E-Learning is so much like video games, on this score. It too gets 'disconnected' otherwise.

A caveat though! The 'levels of interactivity' it offers could differ, depending on the content and other constraints. That's to say, the interactivity component doesn't necessarily have to be such high octane stuff. Nevertheless, the bottom line is, it does remain the medium's backbone.

If an e-learning course needs to succeed with its learners, it has to keep them an active part of what it is discussing. Talk to them, engage them and keep them 'on their toes'! For, is this not the only bridge that keeps it connected with the learners? How does it, otherwise, differentiate itself from, say, a manual or a journal?

Going forward, the e-learning course may contain rich graphics, fancy simulations, and arresting visuals. But, the sizzle factor fizzles out, the minute the learners are let go off the interactive hook. And, in such a case, what remains of it is a boring page turner.

Such is the bonding that e-learning enjoys with interactivity. It can't be without the other.

In other words, if e-learning is the communication vehicle, interactivity becomes its fuel.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

The Terminal:

Cut to the front yard of the country house and watch the two brothers, Dan - at his ranger cycle, cleaning it - and Duxe - seated on a rock close by, and watchin' him.

The Departure:

Happy with the way his cycle is looking, ready for the adventure, Dan looks at Duxe. "You sure you not joinin'?"

Smiling at the yawning Duxe, he gets onto his cycle and starts pedaling.

The Deviating Trajectory:

Sweating and panting, Dan braves his cycle up a steep pitch, his eyes popping out in anticipation. One last breath and one valiant push, he is at the tipping point and there... his cycle zooms into the air, with both a gush of wind and exhilaration ripping through his face.

 

Duxe looks around the dreary land and wonders what's up with life. "What a boring, hot day!" He yawns once again.

Dan goes for a free fall, with the rugged terrain beneath hurtling towards him. Despite deftly steering his cycle in the air, he just about manages to land safely, only to maneuver harder not to go crashing down the steep slope.

This is adrenaline. Gushing out of the thing called PASSION.

Steve Jobs!

How he transformed his passion into a miracle, he named Apple! And, how he continues to churn out miracles!

The latest one being the iCloud system that would allow the Mac users to access the same set of content - documents, photos, email, contacts, calendars - across all their devices.

This colossal tipping point is going to unleash a change in the way information is going to be shared in future.

Consider this. A student going through a lesson on her iPad at home, finds not just the same content on her iPhone when she gets into the train, but continues from where she left.

Imagine the boost eLearning could get out of this technological revolution. For sure, this contagion would spread out of the Apple systems - like the way it happened with the Graphical User Interface (GUI). It would all be there everywhere, with absolutely no space and time constraints. It would be a sheer evolution of sorts.

A giant leap into the Cloud!     

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

"So, you know what beam-ends are?"

"Aye, sir".

"Go ahead."

"The sides of the ship, sir. 'On her beam ends' means the vessel is literally on her side and possibly about to capsize. More often, the phrase means the vessel is listing 45 degrees or more."

"Awright. Report for the instructional classes from tomorrow morning, 7.00 AM sharp. We shall cover the beam-ends right from the scratch."

" Aye, sir. Sir??"

"Yes. Any questions?"

"Aye, sir. Just one question, sir. Was my answer incorrect, by any chance, sir?"

"No, you're right, boy."

"Then, why from the scratch, sir?"

"That's the only way I could teach, son."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It is such situations that pave the way for Rapid Instructional Development (RID).

RID speeds up the instructional development process by incorporating prevailing knowledge, existing materials and job-aids. It eases it up by simplifying, combining, resequencing, and even by skipping steps. 'Cos, a good number of times, a major chunk of the conventional Instructional Systems Development (ISD) model could be condensed, by obviating the obvious.

The ISD model uses a rational step-by-step approach and assumes that the content area is stable. But, newer realities include rapid changes in skills and knowledge. And, by this reason, they also include the need for faster and better instructional design.

RID techniques evolve to meet those needs. They flex their approach based on the nature of the instructional objective, the characteristics of the trainees and the context of training.

But...

Ironically, by no means do they point to or result in faster learning. In most cases, the opposite is true 'cos, RID, by its very nature, passes on some of the instructional development responsibilities to the learners, on the ground that they already know a part of the subject.

It's just that RID provides us a preferred alternative when we are working on tight deadlines, limited budgets and constantly changing instructional content. Nothing more.

For once, Rapid doesn't mean Fast.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

A few things enjoy a unique law of existence.

Take diamonds, for example. They're the offshoot of deep volcanic eruptions that had cooled into igneous rocks, close to the surface of the earth. But for this Nature phenomenon, diamonds wouldn't have happened, right?

Now, take e-learning. It's no different from diamonds. Only thing, this sparkle has sprung out of and flourishes because of a different source - the digital phenomenon. The phenomenon that disseminates information like nobody's business!

E-Learning too spreads information, but in a perfectly channelized way for perfectly carved situations...

Like those folks who are seated in a remote corner, say for instance. Or, those who don't want to sit in a crowd, for example. Or, those who can't allot that kind of time to learn the formulaic way. Such situations, giving the inevitability status to e-learning, could extend into a long queue.

And, these footings give immense room for the designers to craft the channelized dissemination of knowledge, in a most interesting way. They encourage them to use a skillful blend of content and participant interaction while creating a program.

Such content is designed to help the learners assimilate new information with relative ease, to guide them to modify their attitudes and change their behaviors.

All of this sounds great. But there's a Fear Factor and quite a powerful one at that, that one needs to content with! It's this. Getting the learner to 'be tuned in' is one of the most challenging tasks. 'Cos, 20 minutes of sustained attention on any subject, pushes the brain towards the rest zone. And, elicits a yawn from even the best of the 'brains', sitting in a group.

Now, how about someone who is seated all with oneself? That's the fear. How do we take care of his attention levels?

Bringing in interesting twists and surprises in the way the content unfolds, 'distracts' the brain from settling in for a predictable rhythm. Such twists also ensure that the sustained attention is not tested beyond its limits.

Being sensitive to the learner's psyche is one of the innate qualities of a good instructional designer.

The Fear Factor contributes well to that sensitivity.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

Being entrusted with an ID project has a certain breezy feel goin' with it. 'Cos, every time, we get to shake hands with a refreshingly new situation, get to know more about it, ingest its essence, and present it to the audience in a way they could relate... and, learn.
 
It's not gonna be zilch though. The whole thing needs an indepth study of what is and a meticulous planning for what should be. 

We analyze the people and their learning environment - their current knowledge levels, the age group they belong to, the time they could allocate for the new Knowledge Transfer (KT) and their capacity to imbibe it. Follow it up by designing the KT in the best possible sequence, so it becomes worthy of being lapped up. Develop it in as stimulating a way as possible. Implement it with the needed fanfare. And, evaluate it for the successful reception it enjoyed amongst the Target Audience (TG).
 
Now, these are the most visible things we do - Analyzing, Designing, Developing, Implementing and Evaluating - to crack the learning experience with our instructional designing skills.
 
But, how about exploring a li'l bit of the invisible?
 
The brain!
 
Being the 'center' of learning, it possesses an uncanny intelligence that veins its way through multiple channels to explore the unknown, without even having to be prompted.
 
Could any of us recall how we learnt to speak, when we were kids? We wouldn't have been even aware of the 'learning' part, 'cos we were too tiny to know we were learning. But, the verbal linguistic intelligence was working.
 
It's the logical mathematical intelligence that differentiates circles from rectangles, and makes sense out of abstract symbols.
 
The interesting part is, this intelligence is not the same as the verbal linguistic intelligence. It's distinctly different.
 
So is the case with the visual spatial intelligence that understands the world through colors, light and harmony. It's so starkingly different from the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence that in no way could it relate to the physical sensations and touch impressions the way the latter impeccably does.
 
We see the musical rhythmic intelligence at work when we find someone playing perfect rhythms on his briefcase. And, the interpersonal intelligence in a warm-hearted teacher who is a hit with her students.
 
Successful entrepreneurs have an intra-personal intelligence guiding them. Their feeling absolutely sure about themselves is, in essence, the manifestation of this form of intelligence.
 
Now, all of us possess all of these intelligences to a greater or lesser degree. How wonderful it could be, if our instructional designs could actively have something for some or all of them?
 
The very effort in this direction would bring out the ingenious, 'cos, it factors in the invisible!

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

"Hey John... Know what? I met someone like Hercules, yesterday."

"Oh!"

"You know Hercules, don't you?"

"Nope."

"You don't know Hercules? Just can't believe it. You don't know him? Oh, you're in the pits."

"Hey, cut it awright?! Tell me how this guy was like. I'll be there right with you."

"You know, he had a body like, like, as if it was sculpted. His arms were sinewy like teak. His eyes were sky blue. And, he was tall like a giant."

"Awright, got it."

John just learned about the guy's appearance. Almost perfectly! Almost as if he saw him! And, pretty fast too!

Accelerated learning!

Learning becomes fun when the content is given the right context. The context is what one knows. Content is what one doesn't know.

The context creates a conducive environment for the brain to engage its faculties in a way that learning happens much easier and faster.

This is one of the psychological keys that comes of great help to Instructional Designers (ID) in unlocking the learner's mind. Understanding the course content and the goal it needs to serve, the ID looks for familiar grounds that the participants could easily identify with and takes off from there.

Whatever John learned about the guy was enabled by the metaphors blue sky, teak, giant and sculpture. But for these, he might have been at a complete loss, now that he did not know a bigger metaphor, Hercules.

Maybe, what he learned was a very simple fact. But, the fact remains that his learning was made simple.

All, thanks to metaphors!     

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

Swooping down the learning terrain, we see Universities, hundreds and thousands of them, racing to top the ranking charts, so they could attract hordes of choicest students, from around the world.
 
In line are the top-notch professor laureates who are on the most-wanted list, so they could cater to the best brains that pool in to the class room.
 
And, there come the most coveted graduate titles that become the most premium tickets for one's entry into the plum job markets.
 
What an undisputed, indefatigable and foolproof network this is, almost monopolizing the education system for the near 100% success it guarantees!
 
Now, where is e-Learning in this impenetrable traditional arena?

E-Learning does form part of the current academic curriculum awright, but a minuscule one at that,  identifying itself as a blended learning module. Nothing more! For, the advantages of the former system far outweigh the pluses of this format.
 
That is the impression, at least.
 
What explains this? U.S. schools offering on-line courses have seen increases in demand for e-learning options, with 66 percent and 73 percent of responding schools reporting increased demand for new and existing online course offerings respectively (Allen & Seaman, 2010).
 
Now, what is indicated here is not eLearning substituting the class room sessions, but constructively supplementing them. Because, eLearning has its indisputable strengths too. 
 
Consider these simple questions. Could any of the students press the replay button on the lecture session that just ended? How many of them could, without any inhibition, raise their hands to clarify a doubt? What is the impact of the peer pressure on one's psyche?  How long would it take for a student to be left behind, in the sheer pace of the class room sessions?

All these questions are effectively addressed by eLearning. In fact, we could safely guesstimate that probably, the concept of eLearning evolved on these ground realities.  
 
And, the new enlightenment dawning around in the education circles is this. E-Learning is no more perceived as someone locking oneself up in a room, with a laptop. On the contrary, it's seen as a flexible format that gives the students the needed freedom to apportion their time between their studies and their friends as per their convenience.
 
If students learn on the e-Learning route, it means they definitely "learn".  No debates there! 'Cos, learning in this context clearly means that they just love the conducive format, for all the benefits it brings to the table.
 
And, the new generation employers aren't as much concerned with the degree titles either, as they're about the employability of the people they hire. If there's a real spark out there, it doesn't matter where it comes from. It's there, to be grabbed. That's it.
 
The whole thing has one great lesson for us, the instructional designers.
 
There's so much opportunity waiting to be tapped out there. Just do some serious tuning in and master the craft. Set the understanding right. Open the door.
 
And, get ready to be deluged!

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

Seeing the cub sprawl on the ground defiantly, resisting her training, the lioness turned her attention to his more responsive siblings.

Taking them through the life lessons of getting comfortable with the adults of the pride, she also encouraged them to simulate hunting by ambushing her.

She probably knew it wouldn't take much time for the peer pressure to set in, on the defiant cub.

And, she was right. In a little while, she felt her tail being nibbled at, by the stubborn little one, with a reconciliatory look on his face. He was willing to be trained.

Social learning!  

This is what happens with us humans too. The inherent need to 'belong' instills in us the capacity to change our behaviors to suit the peer psyche.

Extend this reasoning to an organizational atmosphere, it so perfectly fits in. One doesn't want to be left behind, one doesn't want to be looked down upon and therefore, one nurtures an active interest to catch up. Learning happens by compulsion even in very informal moments.Organizations would do well, by taking stock of this basic psychological reality. By remembering that brilliant things happen in absolutely informal and fun moments!

So, designing the system in a way that learning percolates through this 'social learning' channel is surely a creative and effective route to 'reach' the employees. 'Cos, they have to be an ever-fresh talent pool that would keep the organization's competitive health in good stead.

E-Learning modules designed to educate the staff, for instance, would enjoy a better penetration, if the social learning mode is enabled. Where observational learning and imitation come into play, helping a spontaneous learning!

The entire concept of learning works on this simple, yet beautiful premise...

All of us love to move in pride! 

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

The "E-Learning & Interactivity" Bonding!

Kevin was all kicked up about the yet-another prize he had just won.

He tore open the wrapper in a hurry. The exquisitely crafted game console had his eyes popping out and sent his hands scrambling for the joystick.

But, it was missing.

Some more frantic search, and a small note revealed itself, "Hey there... We know you're a whizkid, and would master this one too in no time. For a change, we want you to just hang in there and say 'wow' for the mind-blowin' stuff we've put in here. How about that?"

Kevin cursed. Feeling mocked, he nevertheless plugged in the game and let it run. It was mind-blowin' stuff, awright! A technical wizardry Kevin had never seen before! But, the thing is, the 'wow' factor disappeared just soon after. Kevin wondered why? And, realized he was not an active 'part' of the game.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

E-Learning is so much like video games, on this score. It too gets 'disconnected' otherwise.

A caveat though! The 'levels of interactivity' it offers could differ, depending on the content and other constraints. That's to say, the interactivity component doesn't necessarily have to be such high octane stuff. Nevertheless, the bottom line is, it does remain the medium's backbone.

If an e-learning course needs to succeed with its learners, it has to keep them an active part of what it is discussing. Talk to them, engage them and keep them 'on their toes'! For, is this not the only bridge that keeps it connected with the learners? How does it, otherwise, differentiate itself from, say, a manual or a journal?

Going forward, the e-learning course may contain rich graphics, fancy simulations, and arresting visuals. But, the sizzle factor fizzles out, the minute the learners are let go off the interactive hook. And, in such a case, what remains of it is a boring page turner.

Such is the bonding that e-learning enjoys with interactivity. It can't be without the other.

In other words, if e-learning is the communication vehicle, interactivity becomes its fuel.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

A Giant Leap Into The Cloud!

The Terminal:

Cut to the front yard of the country house and watch the two brothers, Dan - at his ranger cycle, cleaning it - and Duxe - seated on a rock close by, and watchin' him.

The Departure:

Happy with the way his cycle is looking, ready for the adventure, Dan looks at Duxe. "You sure you not joinin'?"

Smiling at the yawning Duxe, he gets onto his cycle and starts pedaling.

The Deviating Trajectory:

Sweating and panting, Dan braves his cycle up a steep pitch, his eyes popping out in anticipation. One last breath and one valiant push, he is at the tipping point and there... his cycle zooms into the air, with both a gush of wind and exhilaration ripping through his face.

 

Duxe looks around the dreary land and wonders what's up with life. "What a boring, hot day!" He yawns once again.

Dan goes for a free fall, with the rugged terrain beneath hurtling towards him. Despite deftly steering his cycle in the air, he just about manages to land safely, only to maneuver harder not to go crashing down the steep slope.

This is adrenaline. Gushing out of the thing called PASSION.

Steve Jobs!

How he transformed his passion into a miracle, he named Apple! And, how he continues to churn out miracles!

The latest one being the iCloud system that would allow the Mac users to access the same set of content - documents, photos, email, contacts, calendars - across all their devices.

This colossal tipping point is going to unleash a change in the way information is going to be shared in future.

Consider this. A student going through a lesson on her iPad at home, finds not just the same content on her iPhone when she gets into the train, but continues from where she left.

Imagine the boost eLearning could get out of this technological revolution. For sure, this contagion would spread out of the Apple systems - like the way it happened with the Graphical User Interface (GUI). It would all be there everywhere, with absolutely no space and time constraints. It would be a sheer evolution of sorts.

A giant leap into the Cloud!     

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

Rapid Instructional Development: For once, Rapid doesn't mean Fast!

"So, you know what beam-ends are?"

"Aye, sir".

"Go ahead."

"The sides of the ship, sir. 'On her beam ends' means the vessel is literally on her side and possibly about to capsize. More often, the phrase means the vessel is listing 45 degrees or more."

"Awright. Report for the instructional classes from tomorrow morning, 7.00 AM sharp. We shall cover the beam-ends right from the scratch."

" Aye, sir. Sir??"

"Yes. Any questions?"

"Aye, sir. Just one question, sir. Was my answer incorrect, by any chance, sir?"

"No, you're right, boy."

"Then, why from the scratch, sir?"

"That's the only way I could teach, son."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It is such situations that pave the way for Rapid Instructional Development (RID).

RID speeds up the instructional development process by incorporating prevailing knowledge, existing materials and job-aids. It eases it up by simplifying, combining, resequencing, and even by skipping steps. 'Cos, a good number of times, a major chunk of the conventional Instructional Systems Development (ISD) model could be condensed, by obviating the obvious.

The ISD model uses a rational step-by-step approach and assumes that the content area is stable. But, newer realities include rapid changes in skills and knowledge. And, by this reason, they also include the need for faster and better instructional design.

RID techniques evolve to meet those needs. They flex their approach based on the nature of the instructional objective, the characteristics of the trainees and the context of training.

But...

Ironically, by no means do they point to or result in faster learning. In most cases, the opposite is true 'cos, RID, by its very nature, passes on some of the instructional development responsibilities to the learners, on the ground that they already know a part of the subject.

It's just that RID provides us a preferred alternative when we are working on tight deadlines, limited budgets and constantly changing instructional content. Nothing more.

For once, Rapid doesn't mean Fast.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

E-Learning: The Fear Factor!

A few things enjoy a unique law of existence.

Take diamonds, for example. They're the offshoot of deep volcanic eruptions that had cooled into igneous rocks, close to the surface of the earth. But for this Nature phenomenon, diamonds wouldn't have happened, right?

Now, take e-learning. It's no different from diamonds. Only thing, this sparkle has sprung out of and flourishes because of a different source - the digital phenomenon. The phenomenon that disseminates information like nobody's business!

E-Learning too spreads information, but in a perfectly channelized way for perfectly carved situations...

Like those folks who are seated in a remote corner, say for instance. Or, those who don't want to sit in a crowd, for example. Or, those who can't allot that kind of time to learn the formulaic way. Such situations, giving the inevitability status to e-learning, could extend into a long queue.

And, these footings give immense room for the designers to craft the channelized dissemination of knowledge, in a most interesting way. They encourage them to use a skillful blend of content and participant interaction while creating a program.

Such content is designed to help the learners assimilate new information with relative ease, to guide them to modify their attitudes and change their behaviors.

All of this sounds great. But there's a Fear Factor and quite a powerful one at that, that one needs to content with! It's this. Getting the learner to 'be tuned in' is one of the most challenging tasks. 'Cos, 20 minutes of sustained attention on any subject, pushes the brain towards the rest zone. And, elicits a yawn from even the best of the 'brains', sitting in a group.

Now, how about someone who is seated all with oneself? That's the fear. How do we take care of his attention levels?

Bringing in interesting twists and surprises in the way the content unfolds, 'distracts' the brain from settling in for a predictable rhythm. Such twists also ensure that the sustained attention is not tested beyond its limits.

Being sensitive to the learner's psyche is one of the innate qualities of a good instructional designer.

The Fear Factor contributes well to that sensitivity.

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

Instructional Designing: Factor In The Invisible

Being entrusted with an ID project has a certain breezy feel goin' with it. 'Cos, every time, we get to shake hands with a refreshingly new situation, get to know more about it, ingest its essence, and present it to the audience in a way they could relate... and, learn.
 
It's not gonna be zilch though. The whole thing needs an indepth study of what is and a meticulous planning for what should be. 

We analyze the people and their learning environment - their current knowledge levels, the age group they belong to, the time they could allocate for the new Knowledge Transfer (KT) and their capacity to imbibe it. Follow it up by designing the KT in the best possible sequence, so it becomes worthy of being lapped up. Develop it in as stimulating a way as possible. Implement it with the needed fanfare. And, evaluate it for the successful reception it enjoyed amongst the Target Audience (TG).
 
Now, these are the most visible things we do - Analyzing, Designing, Developing, Implementing and Evaluating - to crack the learning experience with our instructional designing skills.
 
But, how about exploring a li'l bit of the invisible?
 
The brain!
 
Being the 'center' of learning, it possesses an uncanny intelligence that veins its way through multiple channels to explore the unknown, without even having to be prompted.
 
Could any of us recall how we learnt to speak, when we were kids? We wouldn't have been even aware of the 'learning' part, 'cos we were too tiny to know we were learning. But, the verbal linguistic intelligence was working.
 
It's the logical mathematical intelligence that differentiates circles from rectangles, and makes sense out of abstract symbols.
 
The interesting part is, this intelligence is not the same as the verbal linguistic intelligence. It's distinctly different.
 
So is the case with the visual spatial intelligence that understands the world through colors, light and harmony. It's so starkingly different from the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence that in no way could it relate to the physical sensations and touch impressions the way the latter impeccably does.
 
We see the musical rhythmic intelligence at work when we find someone playing perfect rhythms on his briefcase. And, the interpersonal intelligence in a warm-hearted teacher who is a hit with her students.
 
Successful entrepreneurs have an intra-personal intelligence guiding them. Their feeling absolutely sure about themselves is, in essence, the manifestation of this form of intelligence.
 
Now, all of us possess all of these intelligences to a greater or lesser degree. How wonderful it could be, if our instructional designs could actively have something for some or all of them?
 
The very effort in this direction would bring out the ingenious, 'cos, it factors in the invisible!

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

Accelerated Learning: Bend It Like Beckham

"Hey John... Know what? I met someone like Hercules, yesterday."

"Oh!"

"You know Hercules, don't you?"

"Nope."

"You don't know Hercules? Just can't believe it. You don't know him? Oh, you're in the pits."

"Hey, cut it awright?! Tell me how this guy was like. I'll be there right with you."

"You know, he had a body like, like, as if it was sculpted. His arms were sinewy like teak. His eyes were sky blue. And, he was tall like a giant."

"Awright, got it."

John just learned about the guy's appearance. Almost perfectly! Almost as if he saw him! And, pretty fast too!

Accelerated learning!

Learning becomes fun when the content is given the right context. The context is what one knows. Content is what one doesn't know.

The context creates a conducive environment for the brain to engage its faculties in a way that learning happens much easier and faster.

This is one of the psychological keys that comes of great help to Instructional Designers (ID) in unlocking the learner's mind. Understanding the course content and the goal it needs to serve, the ID looks for familiar grounds that the participants could easily identify with and takes off from there.

Whatever John learned about the guy was enabled by the metaphors blue sky, teak, giant and sculpture. But for these, he might have been at a complete loss, now that he did not know a bigger metaphor, Hercules.

Maybe, what he learned was a very simple fact. But, the fact remains that his learning was made simple.

All, thanks to metaphors!     

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

Where is E-Learning? A Bird's Eye View!

Swooping down the learning terrain, we see Universities, hundreds and thousands of them, racing to top the ranking charts, so they could attract hordes of choicest students, from around the world.
 
In line are the top-notch professor laureates who are on the most-wanted list, so they could cater to the best brains that pool in to the class room.
 
And, there come the most coveted graduate titles that become the most premium tickets for one's entry into the plum job markets.
 
What an undisputed, indefatigable and foolproof network this is, almost monopolizing the education system for the near 100% success it guarantees!
 
Now, where is e-Learning in this impenetrable traditional arena?

E-Learning does form part of the current academic curriculum awright, but a minuscule one at that,  identifying itself as a blended learning module. Nothing more! For, the advantages of the former system far outweigh the pluses of this format.
 
That is the impression, at least.
 
What explains this? U.S. schools offering on-line courses have seen increases in demand for e-learning options, with 66 percent and 73 percent of responding schools reporting increased demand for new and existing online course offerings respectively (Allen & Seaman, 2010).
 
Now, what is indicated here is not eLearning substituting the class room sessions, but constructively supplementing them. Because, eLearning has its indisputable strengths too. 
 
Consider these simple questions. Could any of the students press the replay button on the lecture session that just ended? How many of them could, without any inhibition, raise their hands to clarify a doubt? What is the impact of the peer pressure on one's psyche?  How long would it take for a student to be left behind, in the sheer pace of the class room sessions?

All these questions are effectively addressed by eLearning. In fact, we could safely guesstimate that probably, the concept of eLearning evolved on these ground realities.  
 
And, the new enlightenment dawning around in the education circles is this. E-Learning is no more perceived as someone locking oneself up in a room, with a laptop. On the contrary, it's seen as a flexible format that gives the students the needed freedom to apportion their time between their studies and their friends as per their convenience.
 
If students learn on the e-Learning route, it means they definitely "learn".  No debates there! 'Cos, learning in this context clearly means that they just love the conducive format, for all the benefits it brings to the table.
 
And, the new generation employers aren't as much concerned with the degree titles either, as they're about the employability of the people they hire. If there's a real spark out there, it doesn't matter where it comes from. It's there, to be grabbed. That's it.
 
The whole thing has one great lesson for us, the instructional designers.
 
There's so much opportunity waiting to be tapped out there. Just do some serious tuning in and master the craft. Set the understanding right. Open the door.
 
And, get ready to be deluged!

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)

Social Learning: Move in Pride!

Seeing the cub sprawl on the ground defiantly, resisting her training, the lioness turned her attention to his more responsive siblings.

Taking them through the life lessons of getting comfortable with the adults of the pride, she also encouraged them to simulate hunting by ambushing her.

She probably knew it wouldn't take much time for the peer pressure to set in, on the defiant cub.

And, she was right. In a little while, she felt her tail being nibbled at, by the stubborn little one, with a reconciliatory look on his face. He was willing to be trained.

Social learning!  

This is what happens with us humans too. The inherent need to 'belong' instills in us the capacity to change our behaviors to suit the peer psyche.

Extend this reasoning to an organizational atmosphere, it so perfectly fits in. One doesn't want to be left behind, one doesn't want to be looked down upon and therefore, one nurtures an active interest to catch up. Learning happens by compulsion even in very informal moments.Organizations would do well, by taking stock of this basic psychological reality. By remembering that brilliant things happen in absolutely informal and fun moments!

So, designing the system in a way that learning percolates through this 'social learning' channel is surely a creative and effective route to 'reach' the employees. 'Cos, they have to be an ever-fresh talent pool that would keep the organization's competitive health in good stead.

E-Learning modules designed to educate the staff, for instance, would enjoy a better penetration, if the social learning mode is enabled. Where observational learning and imitation come into play, helping a spontaneous learning!

The entire concept of learning works on this simple, yet beautiful premise...

All of us love to move in pride! 

(Nirmal Ranganathan, Instructional Designer, C2 Workshop)