RKCS Learning Solutions

As an e-learning developer, it makes sense for me to look ahead while also taking the current temperature of the industry. Figuring out what people are doing now and learning the ins and outs of education, training and development helps me to remain relevant and useful. From strictly a business perspective, looking ahead helps me figure out the moves I should be making now so that when “ahead” comes, I won’t be behind. If I am still storyboarding and developing in Word when everyone else is using Flash CS-25, then fairly soon (if not already), I will have be out of a job or out of business.

So what are the trends? What is the future of eLearning, really? With regard to education specifically, elearners.com notes that “corporations will compete directly with colleges and k-12 schools.” I’ll take it a step further and say that some colleges and k-12 schools will become corporations. I believe that “opinion” is bolstered by the fact that an NFL team already plays in an arena called the University of Phoenix stadium. This also goes to the second point that I noted from elearners.com: “Partnerships and mergers between learning institutions, publishers, technology companies, learning providers will consolidate the marketplace.” I add that the partnerships will take place between companies and organizations that at first glance might not seem like they would have anything to do with each other. Football? Online education? Nahhh. It just doesn’t make sense.

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I am in the middle of developing some lectures for a course I am working on for a college in the area. The time frame is pretty tight and I find myself picking and choosing from prior developed courses. This is fine because there is some good stuff available in these courses and one of the things that I have struggled with during this whole eLearning/ID process is not trying to re-invent the wheel. But, sometimes there is a struggle between creativity and time. There are things that I want to do, see that I COULD do, would love to try. But time just doesn’t permit. Does this make the course lower quality? I can’t seem to shake the feeling sometimes that because the time just isn’t given to you in some cases, the end product isn’t what you would like it to be. I guess this is when you go back to ‘good enough’. Sometimes, your goal is simply to keep the customer happy. I wrote about this previously and referenced another post by my friend, Tom Kuhlmann.

What are your thoughts about this?  Do you just wait until next time?  Do you try to sell your idea to the client and convince them to give you more time?  Do you just move on knowing that you will have another opportunity to put the ideas into play?  Do you tell the client about your thoughts anyway hoping that they might allow you to implement them in the future?  Maybe there’s another angle that you have that I have not thought about.

I have had the opportunity to create screencasts and other instructional videos.  I have messed around with podcasting.  I have done webquests and other learning journeys in the classroom.  But nothing quite beats the experience of seeing something actually have an impact on a family member.  It tells you that something is working.  Now, with that introduction, you might be expecting a story behind this.  And I am not one to disappoint.  So, the story goes, I have a family member who calls me quite often to help him solve some of his computer issues.  Now, he is not the worst I have ever come across with regard to technical aptitude.  He can use Excel, Word, send emails, surf the net and do enough to be consider proficient in certain areas.  The problem comes when something goes wrong and he has to troubleshoot.  Now, if you have ever done computer troubleshooting on your own, you know it be a bit of a challenge depending on the issue.  Add to that a telephone conversation, a person that can’t always explain clearly what they are seeing or doing and being unable to see their screen yourself, then you have a greater challenge.

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At the suggestion of a contact I’d formed in ID, I started blogging.  I am not too far in, but simply because of this, combined with my research on the elearning industry itself, I find that I have casually learned more in such a short time than I purposely have in my prior schooling.  What is it about seeking knowledge yourself that drives you so much more than when you are told that you need to do it in order to pass a class?  Maybe it’s the time constraints.  You are given large books that you are “supposed” to read.  You are given projects to “display” the knowledge you have gained.  You are told to analyze, synthesize and cogently discuss your readings with your classmates.  You are given specific time frames, a week, a quarter, a semester.  Yet, what I specifically remember more than the knowledge that I “gained” are the times that I scanned through documents, focusing on ONE statement that I could discuss knowledgeably while seeming as if I had read the entire document.  I remember reading documents and thinking, “Wow, this is BORING.  Why am I even reading this?  Oh yeah, to pass the class.  DUH!!”

Why am I doing this research for my blog anyway?  Is it to get a job?  Is it because I’m a blabbermouth and I just want to have something to say?  Is it because I am honestly searching for information?  Is it because I’m an ID/elearning nerd  and I am searching for utensils to add to my virtual pocket protector?  Maybe its all of the above or none of the above.  Maybe I am still learning.  Although it was written a few years ago, I came across Tony Karrer’s blog post on the Top Ten Reasons To Blog or Not to Blog.  This clarified for me some of my thoughts and learning about blogs.  My initial thoughts about blogs were that they were nothing more than a public diary or a place for people who could not get hired by a newspaper to spout off.  Well, here I am blogging and to some degree, I now think that they are nothing more than a public diary or a place for people who could not get hired by a newspaper to spout off (smile).  But, I also think that they are important networking tools, important research tools, a place where you can be “published” for free, a place where professionals can swap thoughts without going to an industry conference, a place where you can share your perspective on industry (or non-industry) related topics.

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I am sitting here trying to complete a demo and I am having all sorts of technical trouble. My computer keeps freezing up and my deadline is tomorrow. It’s late and I am actually on the verge of feeling discouraged about this thing. So, here’s my question. I am in this field where a lot of things depend heavily on the technology available and its use. What happens when the technology fails or has glitches? Can’t you just hear the staunch traditionalists saying, “See, I told you. Who ever heard of a teacher/trainer freezing up?”

Yes, I know its part of the field and part of life. But, I guess I need to figure out a backup plan. When glitches happen and I’m on a deadline, how do I navigate past it? Well, I just spoke with a friend of mine about building me a PC specifically for my eLearning projects and software. That should eliminate SOME of the fuss but I’m sure other challenges will pop up. In the meantime, I press on into the night.

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