E-Learning concepts

"Successful organizations understand that investing in workplace learning and performance is the key to a highly skilled workforce," said Tony Bingham, president and CEO of ASTD.

Corporates investments in online learning technologies are paying off through cost savings and efficiency gains as e-learning reaches a high level of complexity.

A good example

Cisco Systems created an innovative training program called E-Service Training (EST), which makes the most of the potential of Internet capabilities and technologies. The objective of the EST program is to ensure that Field Engineers are ready to repair and maintain new merchandise as soon as they're released to consumers. Owing to the speedy nature of new product deployment, the growing number of products, and the global location of consumers, training all of the FEs in time becomes very complicated.

The E-Service Training program changed the conduct of both the people who created training, as well as those who received it. Training developers were used to to using a very ordered process to create training for a classroom setting. In the course of developing the E-Service Training content, trainer had to learn how to create material on an array of file formats other than PowerPoint®. Devices such as HTML editors, image editors, and multimedia applications are now incorporated in the toolbox for trainers. Trainers realize that content development is not just about slides, but about creating training that was appealing, educational, and fun.

The EST program is a mature model and is widely accepted by global Field engineer's organizations. The EST program is not fixed. The developers constantly review the needs of the training audience to work out changes and additions to the program. Lately, online active assessment modules for the E-lab were added. New, tracking and metrics tools have been formed so that the success of the EST program can be monitored, and get insight into areas which need upgrading.

Without a doubt, the EST program decreases time to market for services, enhances developer productivity, minimizes costs to both developers and learners, and betters field engineer confidence. The consequence is increased value and satisfaction for consumers. The execution of the EST program reduced training expenditures (excluding human resources) by more than 80 percent while the number of developers needed to create it shrank by 35 percent. the number of training courses that were delivered amplified by 60 percent. The preliminary expenditure for the EST program infrastructure (hardware, software, and so forth) was less than US$10,000.

The future

According to Karl Kapp, Assistant Director, Institute for Interactive Technologies and Professor of Instructional Technology, Bloomsburg University, USA-- "Gadgets, games, and gizmos will rule the e-learning landscape in 2007. On the one hand, organizations will seek to develop e-learning with an eye toward 3D environments using Second Life and other commercially available platforms. On the other hand, an increasing number of simple, quick games, so called casual games, will be developed to teach facts and concepts to employees who are used to being entertained as well as educated. Mobile devices will finally begin to be used for mission critical learning events such as prepping for sales calls and troubleshooting large machinery. Web-based tools used by individuals such as social bookmarks, RSS feeds, blogs, wikis and avatars will become more mainstream in academic and then corporate environments."

This view is shared by many industry experts, who believe the gaming generation is more successful at teamwork, decision making, and calculated risk taking. All of which are qualities necessary for successful leadership.

Technology gives fear

There comes a point in every persons life when they must decide the all important question of our time...will I get on the new technology train or will I be left at the station? The early arguments against technology were always best on its inherent lack of performance. Computers were gigantic an although they had calculating power the average nine year old could easily out perform your room size processor. Moore's law changed all of that.

In 1965 Gordon Moore published a paper in which he noticed an incredible trend in computing power; it was doubling every two years. Did others notice before Moore? Possibly but the law is named after him because he published first...tough luck to others. The trend started in 1958 when the integrated circuit board was first created and has held steady to this very day. I've debated with a few who still believe Moore was a whack job...but let's face it history is really on his side and so is the data. Don't believe me? Check out THIS graph proving the point up to 2008.

What does all of this mean for technology? It means roughly every two years or so not only are our computers and technological devices faster but they are also cheaper. Two decades ago people weren't buying gigantic and over-priced iPod models to carry around in their backpacks. There just wasn't the size or price comparability available to make something like an iPod plausible for the open market. So as Moore's law marches on so too does our new technology. At every turn new phones, mp3 players, media devices, and computers are getting smaller, faster, and more complex. Why are all of these things getting so hard to use?

The simple answer is that as computer chips get faster and smaller more powerful software applications are able to run on these new technological systems. In other words there are more and more applications possible now then every before because of the computing power available to modern computers. Truthfully our processor speed has always remained miles ahead of software capability. There has yet to be a piece of software that has used the full potential of its processor.

One final thing adds to this picture of chaos; culture. Technology has overrun our culture as a whole. There is NO part of our culture that is unaffected by new technology, computers, or Moore's law. Everything you use has circuits and transistors. The world wide web has made culture develop even faster as humanity has instant access to each other through "the great computer." I can immediately see what my brother in New York has just started doing and copy him starting a chain reaction that could affect millions when it is done.

Culture is extremely hard to follow because it changes so rapidly and many fads pass in a day and are forgotten tomorrow. Case in point remember the Numa Numa video? Probably not, it was an random internet phenomena that faded into the fortnight never to be heard of again...but at the time this video received close to 30 million views! 30 million!

So in the midst of the minefield that is new technology with its ever changing software that must be constantly relearned and reapplied, its constant change in devices due to size and speed, and it's finicky swirling faddish culture how could anyone not loose their head? As much as I luv (text talk...ok I know that was a low blow) technology most days I wake up hoping things will stay the same while other days I spend so much time trying to keep up that I feel like I'm on the whirly wheel of death and it will never stop!

So to finish I'd like to answer two questions. First, is it worth it? Is it really worth to keep changing with technology and keep upgrading with the times? Secondly, how is it possible to stay new technology savvy and still keep your head (or your lunch)? I'd like to start by saying a resounding YES! It is worth it! When you learn to use established technology properly it will not only change your life but it will make it better and more exciting in ways you never thought possible. Case in point; my grandmother recently discovered Facebook. She loves her grand-kids but we are busy people (and hate the phone...at least my brother and I do) so how can she stay in touch and keep up with us? Facebook!

She has instant access to pretty much everything that is going on in our lives and instant communication lines that are non-threatening and easy to return meaning more communication from her loved ones, everyone is a winner. Certainly it took some time for her to learn but she is heavily reaping the benefits of being an internet savvy grandma. When you take the time to learn how to use well established new technology it will pay you back with multiplying rewards. The time it takes to learn you will easily gain back with the proper use of its functions.

So the long awaited answer to my second question. Before I answer it is imperative that you commit to part one. If you aren't committed to the benefit of technology there is no point in reading this part. So how do we stay afloat in the rising tide of new technology? It's simple...stay behind it. That's right I said stay behind it. Don't be on the cutting edge and don't be on the utter extinction. Right in the middle is a nice safe place full of well weathered working and supported technology that will make your life better but not give you a headache.

For example let me share a personal mistake of mine. When the trend for flat screen monitors started I went out and bought a brand new one (big mistake) I was ahead of the curve for about a year. Do you know what happened next? Wide-screen became the new standard and by standard box screen was outdated forever! If only I had waited another year I would have reaped two rewards. One, I would have gotten the true standard for monitors making my new technology last much longer and two I could have benefited from a dramatic price drop!

I hope you get the point I'm making. Keep up with the latest tech trends (you can easily do this here at StreamingGeek.com) but don't "pull the trigger" until the trend becomes established and prices drop. This will give you a lower price and also helpful advice from people who have been using that technology for a couple years ahead of you. They pay the price in time and money so that you don't have to! Hope this helps tame the new technology beast for you.

FaceBook Unblock

For frequent users of social networking sites, finding a FaceBook unblock services can be truly valuable. The growth of the internet has lead many companies and schools to install internet filtering software that can prevent many web surfers from gaining access to desired websites.

Social Networking Sites

One of the most popular types of internet sites that have exploded over the internet over the past several years is social networking sites. These sites were first introduced in the mid-1990s and expanded with the introduction of Friendster in 2002 and then within the next few years when MySpace was introduced in 2005. In 2006, FaceBook was introduced as a competitor to MySpace and today it is one of the top ranked social networking companies on the internet today.

As membership in social networking sites and internet messaging has grown, more and more companies have installed internet filtering software as a means of controlling web surfing activities and protecting valuable computer networking equipment and work stations.

Filtering Software

As the internet has grown, more and more companies, schools and public computer network administrators have installed filtering software on these computer work stations. The reasons for concerns about the use of internet connected work stations are valid and important to understand.

One of the primary concerns about web surfing is that it can leave work stations and computer networks vulnerable to malware, spyware and computer viruses. These malicious software infections can not only affect the work station that unknowingly downloaded the infection, but the entire computer network. As a result, important and valuable files can be destroyed or corrupted. Efforts to clean the entire system do not only involve cleaning the work station where the infection originally occurred, but also the network server and every work station to which the infection spread.

The other concern that both schools and workplace administrators have is the amount of time wasted by accessing websites that are not related to classroom assignments or work. A recent study found that individuals can waste hours at a time without even realizing it as they surf from website to website following items of interest to them. And social networking sites like FaceBook, MySpace and Twitter fall within the category of time wasting activities for concerned workplace and school administrators, who have a vested interest in keeping computer uses focused on the work at hand.

FaceBook Unblocking

While users of social networking sites may find themselves frustrated at looking at a “blocked website” message on their computer screen, there are ways to bypass filtering software. Proxy services are the way to work around filtering software. Proxy services work by allowing members to sign up for a membership that provides access to a proxy server. The proxy server site is not recognized as a dangerous or malicious website and is not blocked. Once logged on, members can anonymously go to their desired website without being tracked. And good proxy services prevent hacking by encrypting both incoming and outgoing activities as long as the user is signed on to the proxy server.