Ch. 27-Distributed Learning
Growing corporate use of distributed knowledge makes very good business sense to me. The idea that you can train while at work and immediately apply the new knowledge instead of waiting until you get back from a conference or workshop helps the learner internalize the information much more effectively. While in college, I worked at the pharmacy in a Wal-Mart and completed all of my training on their intranet stations at my own pace and, unfortunately for my paycheck, on my own time. Wal-Mart’s training program was skills-based (ex. running the register and customer service) and knowledge-based (ex. information on harassment and Wal-Mart’s policies) was not what I would consider “rich media” which facilitates true learning by creating an intriguing educational experience, but more of one where the employees themselves provided their own impetus for learning through the use of the training program. Still, it was better training than having someone who was in a hurry to get back to their own work rushing through explanations and leaving out crucial details and information. In Wal-Mart’s case, their electronic training programs train thousands of workers every day. This makes getting updates in information and changes in policy relatively quick and easy to disseminate to employees of all levels. I see this type of online or electronic training increasing as companies look for ways to trim budgets and improve worker efficiency.
Growing corporate use of distributed knowledge makes very good business sense to me. The idea that you can train while at work and immediately apply the new knowledge instead of waiting until you get back from a conference or workshop helps the learner internalize the information much more effectively. While in college, I worked at the pharmacy in a Wal-Mart and completed all of my training on their intranet stations at my own pace and, unfortunately for my paycheck, on my own time. Wal-Mart’s training program was skills-based (ex. running the register and customer service) and knowledge-based (ex. information on harassment and Wal-Mart’s policies) was not what I would consider “rich media” which facilitates true learning by creating an intriguing educational experience, but more of one where the employees themselves provided their own impetus for learning through the use of the training program. Still, it was better training than having someone who was in a hurry to get back to their own work rushing through explanations and leaving out crucial details and information. In Wal-Mart’s case, their electronic training programs train thousands of workers every day. This makes getting updates in information and changes in policy relatively quick and easy to disseminate to employees of all levels. I see this type of online or electronic training increasing as companies look for ways to trim budgets and improve worker efficiency.
I am
also a big proponent of the use of distributed learning in the form of virtual
classes and hybrid classes in the academic setting. Many young adults fresh from high school and
even older adults continuing their education do not have the time, financial
capacity, or opportunity to attend traditional classes at a traditional university. Online courses that enable the learner to
work at their leisure allow students to live their normal lives while
furthering their education. Hybrid
classes are beneficial by providing periodic access to an actual instructor
and/or classmates while still allowing student paced learning. Several years ago, I took two Spanish classes
from Collin College that employed this hybrid format. I did all assignments at home, but had the
opportunity to meet and practice speaking Spanish with my instructor and classmates
several times during the semester. For
me, this face-to-face interaction with the instructor mostly served to validate
my conceptualization of the progression of my learning in acquiring a new
language. This form of learning in the
academic setting is sure to continue to gain in popularity as students carefully
weigh the benefits of their ease and affordability.
This site shows different aspects of virtual classes in the academic setting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8jrZMJRolY
Ch.
29-Reusability and Reusable Design
“A very basic way to improve reusability is to use formats that completely separate content from presentation. Using these formats allows presentation elements or “the skin” to be changed without changing the content” (Reiser, 2007).
“A very basic way to improve reusability is to use formats that completely separate content from presentation. Using these formats allows presentation elements or “the skin” to be changed without changing the content” (Reiser, 2007).
During my undergraduate
work, I took an education class in which the instructor attempted to have the
class apply high-level problem solving skills to address the complex issues the
university was currently facing ( in their own board meetings) while
simultaneously learning and using the Parliamentary Process. The instructor’s
teaching method was not designed efficiently at all. The instructor gave a handout on
Parliamentary Process procedures at the beginning of the semester and did not
address it at all. Her idea for the
class was to have only the students, with no instruction or instructor
intervention, hold mock board meetings that incorporated the unfamiliar (to the
students) Parliamentary Procedures. This
strategy failed miserably. The students
were so bogged down trying to follow the appropriate procedures and speaking
out-of-turn, that very few of the complex school issues were ever discussed and
debated. The issues the instructor had
planned to discuss were of high importance and relativity because most
educators will face some complex situations during their careers as educators.
The
design success of this particular class would have been made better by
separating the Parliamentary Procedure element into a section of its own to be
introduced before trying to implement it in a mock school board meeting
situation. By clearly separating the
knowledge to be learned into manageable sections, the instructor could then
easily determine what was being discussed and if learning was taking
place. Also by having clearly defined
sections, different issues that arise as education evolves could be easily
inserted into the framework of the class as other less important issues fade or
are resolved. The lack of good design in
her class made the goals, terms of evaluation, and any positive outcome of the
class hard to see. Although the content
could have been useful, it was wasted on the students because of the design
flaw in the structure of the class. http://www.slideshare.net/benton44/reusability-and-reusable-design-2307663
Ch.30-Using
Rich Media
 |
| tiefighter.net |
Ch.
31-Emerging Technologies
| action.foe.org |
Nanotechnology
is a very exciting (as well as a little scary) field of technology in my
opinion. One non-technological job I
think will soon be made much easier by nanotechnology is that of having to continually
apply sunscreen to myself and my children.
Cutting edge sunscreens with embedded nanotechnology or nanoparticles already determine sun
exposure. Soon they will be able to automatically spread to apply evenly on the body and even adjust the level of
protection afforded to the wearer. This
makes the problem of spotty coverage and the guessing about SPF no longer a
worry for busy parents and water logged children. The following is a link to a very helpful article discussing the safety and effects on humans of nanoparticles used in sunscreen. http://2020science.org/2009/07/03/nanotechnology-sunscreens/
Ch.
32-Future of ID
| aesthetech.weebly.com |
