Just posted a comment on Why Elearning DOES Work It’s a partial answer to the title of this post.
I’ve reproduced it below: Continue reading
Mar
11
Category Archives: Robert’s Editorials
Mar
02
Why I Cannot Abide Social Learning “Experts” And Why You Should Beware
Not a single day goes by without some fool of a social media/social learning “expert” blogging, tweeting or otherwise writing to promote the use of social media tools in classrooms. Every day I see articles (actually, blogs mostly since they require no editorial review) telling us how Twitter is a great tool for creating engagement in the classroom, or that corporate trainers MUST (must, mind you) incorporate Twitter and other social media in their work (thanks Mr. Bingham, Head of ASTD).
Now don’t get me wrong. I love technology. Have done for 20 years going back to the Apple ][ introduction and use as a learning platform (and of course, main frames). I’m active on Twitter. I’m active on Facebook. But here is the problem.
Feb
17
How DARE He Pan My Perfect Phrases Book!
I don’t know this guy. I do know that on April 1, 2009, (that IS April Fools Day) Tom Roche wrote what would have been a scathing review of my book, Perfect Phrases For Performance Reviews, if only he had actually read the book. I have to admit dismay and amusement at people who can’t even be bothered to read something they are reviewing., but truth is, that is the ONLY objection I have to Tom’s comments.
He’s right. The people who comment are correct. The title of his critique (with link) Continue reading
Feb
04
Viral Promoting Or Confidence Game: BS @ Social Media
My faith in the credibility of almost everything I read on the Internet is at an all time low, and I plan on addressing that in future in various posts. The inaccurate information and huge, fast spread of faulty interpretations is scary because of its potential impact on two things (among others): Our democracy, and how money is spent. But that’s a big ball of string. Too big for right now.
So…
Feb
01
Employee Engagement – The Mad Fad of the 2000′s – A Poor Construct
A colleague asked me where one could find criticisms of Employee Engagement, the buzzterm championed by marketplace monster, Gallup. There’s tons of stuff about it pushing it and making it appear to be as vital and important as…well, let’s see, Total Quality Management, Quality Circles, Employee Empowerment, and on and on.
There is very little PUBLICLY available on the Internet that asks the critical questions one should ask of any “movement” in the workplace. Continue reading
Oct
21
Informal Learning’s on first, Whats on second, and I Don’t Give a Damn is on Third
So, tell me. If I happen to go to the water cooler down the hall, and bump into George, who tells me about the new software I could use, is that informal learning? Sounds like it.
We don’t know what position Social Learning plays on this team. And you know what? I don’t give a damn, and neither do the customers and clients of trainers and educators.
Oct
14
#lrnchat – Meeting of Dunces or Rich Learning Resource? Or Both? Oct. 8th Report
lrnchat is a twitter based system to chatting which has been trumpeted by at least some of its users and hosts, as being a prime example of how Twitter, and social network platforms can be rich in learning.
Periodically we’ll check in and take a look at the chat, and highlight some of the features, so you can decide on its value. Feel free to surf the transcript for the Oct. 8 version here.
Oct
11
What Do Intellectually Impoverished Educators/Trainers Do To Make A Living? Why They Make Up New Fancy Sounding Terms
Traditionally educators and trainers have not been leaders in intellectual pursuits. For example, tradionally SAT scores for those entering faculties of education have been the lowest among all university attendees. Why? That’s a complex question for another time, but it is clear that many people who are becoming “experts” in education and training have little background in learning theory, or hard core research, and their behavior, intellectually, tends to be suspect.
So what do these folks do to make a living. Well, they may not be the intellectual bright spots, but they sure can “invent” silly terms to take things we’ve been talking about (or discarded) years ago, repackage them in fancier terms, and then convince everyone that what they have is special.
Sep
09
Definitional Problems Damage the E-Learning/Social Learning Field
If you are at all involved in the delivery of training via the use of technologies, you have probably seen, heard, or used the terms e-learning or social learning*. They have become common currency in the discussion of training and learning undertaken in non face-to-face training and education contexts.
Unlike the term “distance learning” which is an older term with a very clear and precise definition, both the terms e-learning and social learning lack clarity of definition to the extent that many practitioners who use the words don’t have clear ideas about what they themselves mean; what is included and what the terms exclude. This is not an abstract issue of linguistics but a practical issue that has profound impact on both research and practice.
Sep
04
The real enemies of Social Networking And Social Learning Are…
…the people who oversell the value of social networking and social learning through exaggerations, deliberate or ignorant interpretation of research (which is usually poorly done anyway), and general religious zeal.
In short, many of the “gurus” in these fields, who are a) converts and true believers while b) making lucrative incomes, or hoping to make lucrative incomes by becoming the keeps of the wisdom (a tactic used in the old days of mainframes, in case you are wondering.