So, I’m at the final keynote of DevLearn. My anticipation is almost as high as the level of amusement. The winners from DemoFest are receiving well-deserved awards. The Best of Show goes to: DISTIL Interactive for Business in Balance: Implementing an Environmental Management System. But all of the participants were winners. By and large, the entries were the best of the best in current implementations of e-learning, judged on their merits by their peers, who are at the top of the industry, and undergirding it’s progress.

And now, for the rock star geek of the day–Dr. John Medina, author of “Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School (Book & DVD)“. Here’s what he has to say (summarized by me):

• We don’t know how the brain processes information; we have developed mythologies about how the brain processes information.
• What we know about the brain is its performance envelop (that the brain evolved to function at high speed…that is, while we were constantly in motion–about 12 km per day)

Several experiments…here are a couple: Visual processing - people think the brain works like a fancy tape recorder and that retrieval is like a good playback head. The brain does not do that. A better metaphor is “food processor”…he describes a situation where a man forgets how to identify animals by images. He understands about specific characteristics of animals, but not images that represent animals. Lady who lost the use of the concept of vowel. She know consonants, but not vowels. She understands that there should be something in a place where a vowel should be, but not the vowel itself.

Korsokov’s Syndrome - locked in time in terms of memory.

Brain Rule of Memory - repeat to remember. Most of the processes that decide if something is going to be remembered occurs in the first three seconds.

Memory is not a unified concept. Episodic, Motor, Short-term, immediate, working, long-term, semantic, prospective spatial, event-based, time-based, habituation, encoding , and declarative memory. We have no idea how it wokrs….but John focuses on Declarative Memory:

Meaning: this is a fish; a car; a guitar.

What do we know about declarative memory. When meaning comes into your head, enters into a very volatile area called immediate memory. Foveating - the area of the eye where you lock down and get all of the information. We can track where you’re foveating…

Immediate memory - the buffer where you hold things…Alan Baddeley called it working memory (phonological loop…immediate, working, long-term.)

We know about capacity for working memory: 7 +/- 2 pieces of information for 30 seconds (IQ independent). Most of human learning can be thought of as intelligent, controlled memory. If you repeat some of it, it will persist and go to working memory…get a signature between 60 to 120 minutes (IQ dependent).

Miguel Najdorf - chess player

Model for a future classroom. Capturing the memory buffer every 120 minutes…

Part 2: Long-Term Memory

Testing memory of the crowd by presenting song lyrics…dating back to 1949 (some of us are old, but I didn’t know that one).

Long-term - you’ve repeated past the 120 minute time limit and recruited it. Systems consolidation - takes about 10 years to fully consolidate a memory. Evolutionary, we grew up out doors and needed to be flexible and able to solve problems by no committing too much to memory (as cement); otherwise keep amendable. Brain built to solve problems related to surviving in the great out doors.

Neural field trip - nervous system, thalamus, hippocampus, surface of human brain (cortex - means bark) 2 ml wrapping paper…this is where the good stuff happens…a balloon with a sparkler inside it…the hippocampus is the sparkler.

Start phase - 30 second
Alert phase - hippocampus consulted & signal connected

Nomadic Phase - memory goes somewhere, we don’t know where…it travels around for about 10 years and then after 10 years…

Permanent Storage - hippocampus lets go, memory is permanent, tries to remember the first few seconds of what you remembered 10 years below. During the 10 year journey, the memory is fully corruptable, and there is no guarantee of fidelity.

It might be better to think of knowledge as booster shots…that we need over and over again in order to make sure we recruit items to long term memory. It takes up to 10 years, with repetition. REPEAT TO REMEMBER.

Brain Rule # 2: Exercise

John lost over 30 pounds over the last year by inserting an aerobic environment.

Getting older - research on aging process - statistically, showing a bipolar statistical distribution - some aged like Mike Wallace - 91 years old - bright, smart, flying around the world … a lot of people aging like that. On the other side are people aging like Keith Richards - 62 - aging badly. Risk for alzheimers & other disorders going through the roof. The independent variable predicting which (paper from 89) - presence or absence of sedentary life style: active lifestyle => Mike Wallace.

Active lifestyle people maintain higher level of intelligence. Smarter in every category you can test. (see phooto of Cognitive effects of exercise) Executive function, memory, spatial, reaction time).

Could you turn Keith Richards into Mike Wallace? Yes…kinda…can even be done with COPD function patients. 16 weeks (see next photo) Aerobics, not toning.

Memory does not improve with aerobic or toning exercises. If you want to improve your memory, data suggests you have to be exercising aerobically for 36 months. You actually can reverse age-related memory loss…but it takes a long time.

How much do you need to do? Not much - 20-30 minutes 2 to 3 times a week. Standard Cooperian Workout.If you stop the exercise, you’ll go back to the lower level of executive function. The sweet spot is right during cool down…that is, you are most capable of improving memory at this point.

If you could tear it all down and create a brain-friendly learning environment, you would have a guided workout for 8 hours a day punctuated with learning opportunities.

You have to be careful with this data.

Describes how memorizing is only part of the learning stream. I didn’t get all the details because I was photographing, but I noticed Jay Cross doing a little video clip, so check out his blog.

“I don’t know how any of this applies to e-Learning”…”seven year construction project”…

…gotta catch a flight now.

Joe

Today in a DevLearn session I facilitated, I mentioned some PowerPoint conversion tools of which I was aware, but had not tested.

As promised, here they are, along with my notes based on what I read about them. These tools made it to my list to check out, but I won’t install them on my regular computer. Rather, they’ll have to go through my test computer first to make sure they’re not going to create any conflicts.

For the record, the PowerPoint Conversion tool I typically use is Articulate Presenter. I’m aware of others, but Articulate meets my needs rather nicely.

Have fun…but be careful. Early releases of products like this sometimes are buggy and can cause deeper problems than you want. Changes to registry entries for PowerPoint, for example, may cause other Add-ins to become unstable. In fact, I installed SWiSH Presenter and it broke my Articulate Plugin–the two simply aren’t compatible (at least not on my system) …and SWiSH Presenter doesn’t approach Articulate Presenter’s features set.

DevLearn is in full swing, with a level of excitement that is fitting for the event. The opportunities to talk with others who are passionate about the convergence of learning and technology are amazing.

This year, I led a workshop on tools that create Adobe Flash output (swf) for rapid e-learning. The session was attended by somewhere over 25 people…and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to think with a dynamic, engaging group. These are not people who just happen to be walking by for no reason: these are thought leaders in their companies and universities; the people who drive and influence purchasing and design directions–and they came to learn and share about tools. I always learn something at these sessions and I wasn’t disappointed by this group.
On Monday evening I had the good fortune to have dinner with Jay Cross, Clark Quinn, Tony Karrer, Jane Hart, Brent Schlenker and others, as many of the pre-conference presenters somewhat spontaneously hooked up for dinner. It was a particular treat for me, as I was at the table Jane, her husband Philip, and Doug Welch–while our interests are diverse, we all share somewhat deep experience in technology and learning. You might think that would be where the most memorable learning conversation would occur–but you would think incorrectly.

Tuesday’s keynote morning was by Tim O’Reilly and I happened upon one of the participants from my pre-Con session (Richard Wraspir from Boeing) on the way into the session…and we sat front and center. The good seats weren’t reserved, by the way. Instead, the reserved seats were mostly on the fringes. Tim was truly inspiring as he shared tidbits from his journey to develop one of the most influential companies of the Web 2.0 world, along with a dozen or so great tips and references. At one point I thought “here is where I will be most thought-provoked for the conference”…and I double *’d in my notes to get Tim’s slides afterwards. I even got to say hello and thank Tim for a great presentation– another brush with a famous industry person.

I admit I *like* knowing the thought leaders in our industry and beyond. I truly enjoy a sense that I can engage in conversation with these people and there’s some subtle mutual recognition–they know (at least vaguely) who I am and I know where they’re focused and where their passions are; it makes for a great key/lock combo when we meet at events like this and want to chat. And DevLearn *is* the place where these random meetings happen–for everyone. These experts and thought leaders are real people, interesting to be certain, but at DevLearn, they aren’t “Learning Idols”; they’re peers who are as concerned about your development and contributions to the conversations around learning and technology as you are with theirs. In fact, there seems to be a one-to-one correspondence in the interest levels.  Sure, they tend to gravitate to one another a little–but that’s a function of familiarity and not fame.

Yesterday I did something different. Usually I focus on the sessions–sometimes jumping from one session to another as I get the gist and realize my brain is hungry for more. You see, it’s not particularly bad form at DevLearn to leave a session to go attend another. It’s generally understood that there are probably 4 or 5 that you really want to attend at any given time, so jump if you must. But again, yesterday I did something different: I focused on the vendors.

From about one until seven I walked the vendor exhibits and engaged in conversation with the people who design and develop the tools and technologies we use. And what became radically obvious is that while there is thought leadership around application in the sessions, there is as well, unparalleled thought leadership in the Exhibition. Even more striking, is that while they are at DevLearn for the opportunity to get their products in front of the industry influencers, the tool developers are no less passionate about learning and quite willing to push back against your paradigms.

So, near the end of Day One of the general conference, I struck up a conversation with one of the vendors as I was searching for deeper insight into the tools and technologies of our trade. I gave him the clear opening to “sell me” and told him some of my own interests. Interestingly, he categorically rejected the opportunity to sell me, but rather, challenged my thinking. Most of the tools, he challenged me, including his own, would do nothing to help develop learning. Furthermore, he suggested that we lessen the quest for higher levels of engagement, and rather focus on simple learning designs and production based on well-defined ISD frameworks to drive the entire process. Here I’d been walking around with my “innovation” hat on, looking at one cool whiz-bang tool after another, considering how we could leverage each in our designs and some vendor, who was presumably supposed to be “selling” was saying in essence: “Hold up a minute, do you even know what you’re doing here?”

For me, that was the thought-provoking moment of the conference. There was the moment of balance where I had to challenge my own thinking about where I was focusing my own energies:

Am I more interested in the process of creating learning, or the result of that learning?

At the end of the question, though, there should not be a question mark, but rather a period. So, for Day Two of DevLearn, as I embark in this next moment on a quest for deeper understanding, I will remind myself:

It’s not about me; it’s about the learner. Period.

I’m taking an online course right now…I registered in May of 2007, and candidly, though I need the knowledge from this course, I’ve put it off this long because it’s a painful page turner. I would put it off longer, but it expires in a few days.

In taking this course, I feel I am being punished for many early errors in e-learning. I’ve done this same kind of things to others, haven’t I? Admittedly, I don’t believe I was ever quite this cruel, but I perhaps have the capacity to erase such heinous crimes from my memory.

Every e-learning designer should have to go through a course like this one; a dreadfully long (8 hours or so) page-turner with barely-related graphics. This course was taken from a book, page-by-page, I have no doubt. In truth, the only strategy I’ve found that allows me to stomach the course is to go through the content pages and paste them into a single document to read; then I go to the test pages and answer their ridiculous questions. Of course, you must attain a 100% in order to pass. You would think with such a high bar that the “designers” would have done something to aid my retention.

I guess, in a way, they did: they made the course so boring that I’m forced to create my own devices for learning.

Of greater value is the fact that this poor learning design is reminding me of exactly why e-learning has such a bad reputation.

I’m withholding the name of the course and the company that charged over $130 for it. If I ever knew who designed this, I’d be tempted to flog them to within an inch of their life…but then, I’d be just like the wicked servant of Biblical fame, whose master forgave his debt only for that servant to be cruel and unforgiving to others.

We’ve all created boring learning materials…let’s just not do it again. Please!

Here’s a “book review” for a neat little book I picked up for cheap on Amazon.

Audio cast above. Text below.

Milo Frank’s book how to get your point across in 30 second or less is really a great example of how the domains of marketing and learning intersect so neatly. After all, if you think about it, we’re really all selling all of the time, and those of us in the learning field are selling more than most.

We sell learners on ideas…and if you work with busy adults, like I do, you quickly realize that if you don’t sell them on the value of the training opportunity, they cash out, mentally from the start. How many times have you sat through a boring class or meeting, thinking about (or maybe even working on) something totally unrelated?

Milo starts off by level-setting why he thinks 30 seconds is the magic number. Without giving away too much detail, let me just say that it ties back to attention. And from my research of how the brain processes incoming stimuli, as well as my experience with learners, I have to say that I agree. You’ve really only got about 30 seconds to get your point across…or to engage someone’s mind. I believe that in constructing learning, if we break everything down into digestable, 30-second chunks, we can keep the learner continuously engaged and forward-focused. Milo provides analogies from television and radio to support his point.

To seasoned learning professionals, objectives are such an integral part of what we do that it almost goes without saying that knowing your objective is a critical success factor. It is in any business venture. Surprisingly, I work with a number of junior trainers and designers that have a really hard time succinctly articulating a training objective…or worse yet, I encounter many who wish to proceed with instructional design based on the mounds of content they’ve been given as source materials, without really thinking about what needs to be accomplished. Milo’s second chapter would be a good read for most of these, I think.

Chapter three deals with understanding your audience…in essense, learner analysis. By now, the correlations are as obvious as ADDIE to an engineer.

According to Milo, “The right approach is the single thought or sentence that will best lead you to your objective.” As he further expounds on “the right approach,” one discovers a common-sense type of performance analysis that might lead one to consider the needs and interests of the listener (or learner).

The concept of a hook was first introduced to me as a literary device used to get attention. Here, Milo Frank promotes the same concept, applied to sales and aptly reminds us that newspapers use hooks for practically every headline. I’ve seen a bunch of hooks in learning, and they’re great tools for helping learners turn away from other distractions. These might also be
called WIFIMs (as in “What’s in it for me?”).

While the subject is the heart of your 30-second message, it’s rather lightly treated in Chapter 6. But here’s the heart of the matter: “The subject is what any 30-second message is all about. It explains the point you want to make, answers the question you have asked in your hook, describes the job you want done….your message will be lost unless you know your subject and present it as concisely and forcefully as possible.”

I recently attended an LMS configuration workshop in which the facilitator was challenged by a lack of depth in her subject knowledge. This was evident in her struggle to answer questions and in several failed attempts to demonstrate key features. Had the sale not already been won, it would have been lost here.

Chapter 7 is all about the Close. And while you might think it’s a stretch, I’ve seen the close used rather effectively in learning. It’s the opportunity to get a contract for performance. In learning, the close is where you get the learner to commit to application of what was or is about to be learned…and there can be a series of closes throughout a class or session.

In Chapter 8, Milo’s really making the case for beautiful language, useful in any communication, and especially in learning. Consider these great tips from the book:

• Think in pictures and use descriptive words your listener will remember.
• Use clear and simple language your listener will understand.
• To illustrate your point, use personal stories that your listener will identify with.
• Touch the heart of your listener.

Chapter 9 is all about presentation skills and while it’s very apt for sales, it’s value in face-to-face training is magnified. I spoke with Thiagi about a year ago and he told me he was looking to hire actors and people with improvisational skills. Let’s face it: how you deliver your message is just as important to your success as the message itself. While some of this is mediated in the virtual world, there are still many key presentation skills that must be practiced. Add to this chapter some solid reading on audio skills if you’re a virtual instructor–you’ll need to continuously polish your voice.

While most of the book is focused on delivering the 30-second message to an audience of one, Chapter 10 turns the focus toward speaking to large audiences and gives some sage advice to that end.

Chapter 11 makes the case for applying the 30-second message technique to any type of question: such as written responses, question and answer sessions, and press conferences.

The final chapter winds up with a cute story about Milo’s friend Charlie, and how a 30-second message changed his life. Really neat story, but I won’t spoil it for you. For that, you’ll have to read the book.

How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less is a valuable book for sales professionals and business people in all sorts of roles, but especially useful for learning and training professionals who want to improve their own effectiveness. It’s an easy read and you won’t regret your investment in time or money. Highly recommended.

There are times when genius and opportunity collide to produce exactly the mix the world is waiting for. In cinema, Ingmar Bergman found himself in just such a situation. The world was waiting to live vicariously through cinema and Bergman, along with others, were anxious to create emotional experiences through film.

Each of these geniuses had a message: for Bergman, it was his philosophy…and while I personally disagree with much of what he professed through his film, I have to appreciate his method and results. Bergman’s films influenced societal views, sometimes producing unsettling results. Bergman used masterful cinematic techniques to evoke emotion in his exploration of human emotion. Simple shots of hands and faces, coupled with ominous landscapes and silence to create a sense of anticipation. But Bergman avoided symbols, rather relying on images as vehicles for meaning.

In e-Learning, we’ve had several who shine in certain areas: Michael Allen and Clark Aldrich come to mind, along with many others. What the visionaries of our field have in common with great film and television directors is their ability to see beyond the norm and a willingness to invest in quality.

MIT Professor Irving Singer has written and speaks on Irving’s genius (see a video lecture/discussion at: http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/541/). Singer discusses how Bergman understood how certain techniques and cinematic devices could reach into the minds of the masses and impact them in ways that words alone could not. The subtleties added up to result in profound impacts.

In e-learning, even with rapid e-learning, we deal with the same kinds of elements that were available to Bergman and others: images, sound, and motion…and an added dimention of interaction. And through this added dimension, I believe, we have the opportunity to impact learners in ways that the great film masters never could. Still, we can learn much from the masters of film and television, through whose creations many of us have shared vicarious experiences.

With added passion, perhaps we too can impact learners in deep, meaningful ways.

If you haven’t yet heard of Articulate Online, it’s Articulate’s way of providing some lightweight LMS features to the Fortune 500,000. Yes, you heard that right…and my presumption is that if you’re working in a company that uses Articulate and needs some really lightweight tracking, AO will probably be a useful addition to your toolbox.

Articulate is releasing the product as a hosted service, so you won’t have to do any server setup or software configuration. In fact, it’ll take you less than 10 minutes to set up your profile online…including adding your logo. Best of all, you’ll be able to come very close to a one-click publishing experience out of Articulate Presenter or QuizMaker.

You can restrict enrollment to specific users (who you designate by e-mail address in AO), or you can allow for open enrollment.

For an example hosted on the Beta Edition of AO, take a look at our mini-course on the ADDIE model at:

http://go.articulate.com/8876210723

Then, how about dropping back in and letting the rest of us know what you thought about the experience. Comments on the course are encouraged too.

Fresh off the virtual press is my latest article on rapid e-learning. Not everyone agrees with me, but my research shows:

• the potential of rapid e-learning is under-realized
• the adoption rates are climbing
• people and organizations are doing more with less
• we’re in the midst of a dramatic paradigm shift.

If you have time, check out the article at http://www.learningcircuits.org/2006/December/fournier.htm. If you don’t have time for that, there are some excerpts and a followup discussion at http://blog.articulate.com/rapid-elearning-grows-up/index.php.

Thanks! Joe