Archive for category Robert's Editorials
Why I Yell Against E-Learning Propaganda (Part 1)
Posted by Robert Bacal in Education and Schools, Robert's Editorials, Training & Technology on March 11, 2010
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:
Why I Cannot Abide Social Learning “Experts” And Why You Should Beware
Posted by Robert Bacal in Robert's Editorials, Training & Technology, Training Wisdom or Training Foolishness, adult education on March 2, 2010
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 [...]
How DARE He Pan My Perfect Phrases Book!
Posted by Robert Bacal in Managing and Organizations, Performance Management and Appraisal, Robert's Editorials, human resources on February 17, 2010
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 [...]
Viral Promoting Or Confidence Game: BS @ Social Media
Posted by Robert Bacal in Mouthing Off, Robert's Editorials, Training & Technology on February 4, 2010
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 [...]
Employee Engagement – The Mad Fad of the 2000’s – A Poor Construct
Posted by Robert Bacal in Managing and Organizations, Performance Management and Appraisal, Research, Robert's Editorials, Site News, human resources on February 1, 2010
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 [...]
Informal Learning’s on first, Whats on second, and I Don’t Give a Damn is on Third
Posted by Robert Bacal in Mouthing Off, Robert's Editorials, Stupid Trainer Tricks on October 21, 2009
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 [...]
#lrnchat – Meeting of Dunces or Rich Learning Resource? Or Both? Oct. 8th Report
Posted by Robert Bacal in Robert's Editorials, Training & Technology, adult education on October 14, 2009
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 [...]
What Do Intellectually Impoverished Educators/Trainers Do To Make A Living? Why They Make Up New Fancy Sounding Terms
Posted by Robert Bacal in Robert's Editorials, adult education on October 11, 2009
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 [...]
Definitional Problems Damage the E-Learning/Social Learning Field
Posted by Robert Bacal in Mouthing Off, Robert's Editorials, Thought Jolts, Training & Technology, Training Tools & Techniques, adult education on September 9, 2009
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 [...]
The real enemies of Social Networking And Social Learning Are…
Posted by Robert Bacal in Mouthing Off, Robert's Editorials, Thought Jolts, Training & Technology, Training Tools & Techniques, Training Wisdom or Training Foolishness on September 4, 2009
…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 [...]

