Learning in Small Businesses

Worth a look: Learning without lessons: supporting learning in small businesses

"This report presents the main findings, conclusions and recommendations from a study of informal and unstructured learning in small firms. The research found a wide range of formal and informal learning of different types taking place in the firms participating in the study. Many interviewees talked about the value of prior experience equipping them to do their jobs and the phrases ‘trial and error’ and ’learning by mistakes’ were mentioned frequently. There was also a preference for individual coaching and mentoring, rather than for more structured learning leading to national qualifications." LSDA (Learning & Skills Development Agency), October 2004

http://www.lsda.org.uk/files/pdf/1685.pdf

Neighbornode

This thing about global and local wakes me up at night. The contradictions created by our ability to connect with anyone on an internet connection across the world and yet forget our local 'hood always strikes me as some sort of societal indicator. Now we have more and more work done to help us connect electronically with our neighbors. I love it and at the same time am a bit repulsed. Am I hiding from my own addiction?

Neighbornode Explained: "Why Neighbornode:

Neigbornode was developed because the Internet, while really good at connecting people half-way around the world, is really bad at connecting people who live across the street from each other (or a block from each other, or two blocks from each other). This can be liberating on one hand, but there are still lots of advantages to be gained by sharing information locally and opening lines of communication with others in your immediate area. The Internet for the most part has not cashed in on these advantages. Neighbornode addresses this issue by creating spaces for people in the same area to communicate easily with one another via the Internet, and by then building these separate spaces into a network, so that information can travel between locales as residents of those areas see fit. In this way, Neighbornode bridges the gap between the Internet and the neighborhood. "

[via Robin Good]

Report on the Use of Computer and Video Games for Learning

The use of computer and video games for learning. Ultralab has released this report by Alice Mitchell and Carol Savill-Smith which looks interesting and I'll confess, I haven't read. Oi. It is part of the EU M-Learning project (previously blogged here!)

"This research report is the result of a literature review conducted by Ultralab and the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) during the m-learning project. The main focus is on research involving the use of computer and video games for learning. The motivation for this review was to investigate the potential of games-oriented learning materials and systems and to inform the project’s research activities. The report highlights many interesting pedagogic and technical issues and is, therefore, a useful reference for teachers, trainers, developers, researchers and others with an interest in the use of computer and video games for learning."

http://www.lsda.org.uk/files/PDF/1529.pdf

[Via e_Learning Center]

Marc Prensky's Latest on Simulations

Check out the useful and clear article on simulations by Games-for-learning-meister Marc Presnky: "Interactive Pretending -- An Overview of Simulation ". Direct link to the .pdf.

Jay Rosen's notes on BloggerCon III

I had the pleasure of interacting with Jay back in 96-97 on Electric Minds and have enjoyed following his writing over the years. So I peeked in on his review of PressThink: BloggerCon III: Notes and Observations on the People of Moore's Law. This gem stuck out for me:

"When there's a Slashdot for knitting, the techies--who don't knit--will have succeeded."

Now there is a lot of other cool stuff in his article -- I encourage you to read it -- but this rang a very important bell about the second wave - a group of people I fear we constantly forget. And it goes to the heart of the point Jay is making about the potential of blogging in areas such as journalism.

In Ghana last month we talked about the power of many people having effective voices online -- not just the early adopter alpha-geeks -- in the development of communities and countries in Africa. Can it influence HIV/AIDS policies? Elections? Development policies?

I don't know that I can say yes - I'm not smart enough nor can I predict the future. But I do know that not trying is stupid. And that the engagement, the mass deployment, has to be beyond early adopters.

So I'd like to offer a corollary: "When there's a Slashdot for for the village farmer to talk about improving yields, the techies--who don't farm--will have succeeded."

Wired News: Online Feuds a Big Headache

Wired News: Online Feuds a Big Headache: "For Linden Lab, the dispute, and an increasing number like it, poses a significant problem. The company has no formal dispute resolution system in place and it's growing at a rate of 20 percent a month. If it doesn't come up with a well thought-out solution soon, it may find itself overwhelmed by a flood of users asking it to resolve their player-to-player problems."

40% of Americans Participate in "Online Community"

Study: Want Community? Go Online:

"Nearly 40 percent of Americans say they participate in online communities, with sites around hobbies, shared personal interests, and health-related issues among the most popular. That's according to a survey conducted by ACNielsen and commissioned by eBay."

Seb's Open Research - Guide to English Idioms

Having worked in a plethora of languages the last 8 weeks, this site was a welcome gift via Seb: English Idioms - Sayings and Slang, explained :

"The English language is full of expressions that don't make sense when taken literally. This guide, 'English Idioms - Sayings and Slang', by Wayne Magnuson, is thus very handy for the non-native speakers among us who have been wondering what they mean. Also good for lollygagging. :-)"

Now, can I use the fact that English is my first language for when I don't make sense? Or do I have to really be accountable!

Joho the Blog: Democratic Stages of Grief Advisory System

David does it again. Joho the Blog: Democratic Stages of Grief Advisory System. Personally I live in the blue zone. Even on the good days. Well, on good days I live in red and blue. Does that make my in a purple zone? ;-)



Hm, I think I need to keep my chocolate and my politics apart. Now, back to our irregularly scheduled blog posts!

International Journal of Web Based Communities (IJWBC) - 1 - 1

So many journals, so little time. Here's a new one!International Journal of Web Based Communities (IJWBC) - 1 - 1

IJWBC aims at bringing together new vital understanding of WWW communities and what new initiatives mean. Each new perspective is potentially a catalyst for finding new architectures. National and regionally-oriented communities may soon be relegated to a subordinate position compared to interest-oriented communities. Multiculturalism, critical thinking, expressing aesthetic aspects of our identity, and finding sparring partners for sharpening our ideologies, are all processes that need the new communication infrastructures.

Readership
The targeted audience are scientists and members and moderators of WWW communities who feel responsible for optimising their quality and effect.

Oi, I'm on the Phone

It seems that more and more I'm doing phone work in addition to facilitating group processes online. So finding good pointers around group telephone work is helpful. Here is what I wrote a while back and a piece from Jonathan Finkelstein on sheduling synchronous events with online groups.

Here's another phone one from Coachamatic: Teleclass Etiquette .

An Interesting Comment on ELearning

Saw this a while back and found it intriguing. The Dreaded “Sage on the Stage” Comes Back -- In the Discussion Boards!

...I'll try to explain why I prefer not to use discussion forum myself after having study it intensively 20- years ago...

To explain why I come to this conclusion, let us look at some characteristics of discussion forum first. Please note that these characteristics can be used both positively and negatively - just like most technology, the value is dependent on the utility.

• Discussion forum is a "cold" media. The communication bandwidth is thin. You cannot transit body language which comprises of 70% of message if we are in face to face situation.
  
• Discussion are permanent. Every word we enter into the discussion forum is stored and can come back to "attack" us.
  
• While there are studies showing that discussion forum can liberate "shy" students, unfortunately, these studies do not look at how discussion forum also "intimidate" online users.
  
• Like any traditional learning spaces, in the discussion forum, the moderator (professor) has huge power over the students.
  
• If you are a working adult who happens also take an online course, you trend to attend this discussion forum not at the best of your ability. It may be late at night when all the children have gone to bed, or ...
  
• Not all professors are skilled in leading online discussion forum

So, what I would recommend today? Surprise! surprise! Online role play simulation! While the media is cold and discussion are permanent, these encourages rational thinking and careful planning. The simulation space reflects the social structure of the persona, not the social structure of a learning institute verse the learners. The professor really has no role in the role play unless s/he is also playing a persona. In that case, s/he is just another persona - and usually, the players do know such persona is actually played by the professor.

Moderating a discussion forum is a tough job - so is moderating a role play. The difference is that moderating a role play is like playing - time just fly. How many times you have when you mark assignments that you will be laughing all the way throughout the marking process? In role play, that is the norm.