CEdMA-Europe Members' Newsletter - June 2005

The May 2005 Conference

and the June 2005 Workshop
 

No, I'm not going to bore you with more on the May Conference except to apologise that I was unable to publish the photographs taken at the conference in the last newsletter. I put it down to either old age or incompetence or both, but I've managed to add them to the members-only part of the website. Here's a direct link to save you some time:
http://www.cedma-europe.org/may2005confpics.html

Vic Wiseman, Director of Accreditation Services at the Institute of IT Training and Sarah Walker, Head of Training Services at Northgate IS lead a very lively discussion and the overall feedback was very positive (4.5).

The presentations from the workshop can be found in the members-only section:
http://www.cedma-europe.org/membersonly.html

The topic voted most wanted at a future workshop was "Course development and allied topics", so this will now happen in January 2006. If you have a topic which you'd like to hear at a future workshop, please let me know.
 

04 October 2005 Workshop

"20th century Learning Systems for 21st Century learners - R we out of touch?"

The early autumn CEdMA Europe half-day Workshop will take place on 04 October 2005 1330-1700 UK time at SUN Camberley. The speaker will be Professor Steve Molyneux of the UK Learning Lab "where technology enables knowledge". As requested by you, the membership, this is a technologies in training update, with the following description:

"We have spent 100s of years becoming adept at boring students in the classroom in the hallowed name of Learning, with the advent of Learning Systems all we have done is re-invented boredom by boring students on screen. It is time for another revolution in learning. The technology is there, as is the infrastructure and customers. It's about time we moved outside of our comfort zone. This presentation will look at what we should be offering 21st century Learners."

Please let Mike know if you or any of your colleagues will be attending, so that we can make sure we have enough seats, coffee, biscuits, and so on.

Advance notice for 10-11 November Conference

The CEdMA Europe Autumn Conference will take place on 10-11 November at the Initial Style Conference Centre in Horsley, Surrey. The outline programme is already known.
 

Recent Articles from the Education and Training Press

The headings in this section have been changed slightly to reflect better the true contents covered.

Training Manager and Instructor Development
The June workshop addressed Instructor Development and Accreditation. So, here is the guide to TAP. Then, there's an interesting article to exercise your brain.

Guide to the Trainer Assessment Programme (Jan 04)
Skills certification for training and learner support roles
(© 1998 - 2004 The Training Foundation)

Five Ways to Enhance Your Learning (Jan 05)
This very light piece is nonetheless a useful overview of how some of what we know about the brain applies to learning. ©2005 About, Inc

Current Trends

Here you find articles which address the state of our industry. First, there is Industry News for the last three months. Then, there are two surveys, on work-learn balance then technology. Finally, it's the very recently announced 2005 Top 50 IT Training Companies and a description of their collective return to health.

Industry News from IT Skills Research (Apr 05)
What's going on in the world of IT training and skills.
© Copyright 1998-2005 IT Skills Research

Industry News from IT Skills Research (May 05)
What's going on in the world of IT training and skills.
© Copyright 1998-2005 IT Skills Research

Industry News from IT Skills Research (Jun 05)
What's going on in the world of IT training and skills.
© Copyright 1998-2005 IT Skills Research

Time for a work-learn balance, says TUC (Jun 05)
There is huge pent-up demand for learning new skills among the British workforce, but a range of obstacles - topped by overwork and stress - prevent many employees from taking up training, according to a new poll published by the TUC. © 2001 - 2005 The Training Foundation

Technology - what can it do for you (Jun 05)
If you think of yourself as a technophobe it's time to reconsider. Find out how computer-based tools for learning and its administration can help you with Gary Flood's guide to the techno jungle.
© Haymarket Management Publications Ltd 2005

2005 Top 50 IT Training Companies from IT Skills Research (Jun 05)

Last year the IT training market saw positive growth for the first time since 2000. © Haymarket Management Publications / IT Skills Research / Pardo Fox Ltd 2005, last modified 29 Jun 05).

Return to health for the IT Training (Jun 05)
Last year the IT training market saw positive growth for the first time since 2000. Barrie Charles takes a look at the market trends that underlie this year’s ranking of the top IT training suppliers. © Haymarket Management Publications / IT Skills Research / Pardo Fox Ltd 2005

Selling and Marketing Education

No articles this month.

Learning Media

Professional Trainers can learn new skills too (Jan 05)
In this article, Clive Shepherd argues that the best way to reduce resistance to e-learning from the training community is for all trainers to play an active role in the design and delivery of e-learning, not just the specialists.
© Haymarket Professional Publications Ltd 2005

Learners know best (Feb 05)
Clive Shepherd argues that too many trainers play it too safe when they design their training materials. They need to lighten up and give learners what they want - interesting stories, games and a bit of a laugh.
© Haymarket Management Publications Ltd 2005

e-Learning: in the public interest? (May 05)
In this article first published in e-Learning Age magazine Adrian Snook looks back at the last five years and all the effort and resources poured into publicly funded e-Learning initiatives in England. What do we have to show for it and what does the future hold for e-Learning in the English public sector?
© 2005 e-Learning Age

Paradigm war (May 05)
Five years on and we're no nearer to obtaining a common understanding of the term e-learning. It seems that e-learning specialists are like economists - put any two in a room and you will generate at least three competing theories. And yet, without some common understanding, how can we expect to bring managers, learners and, most importantly, the training and teaching professions, with us in making the most of the opportunities provided by new technology? © 2001 - 2005 The Training Foundation

How HP Rolled Out its Virtual Lab for Global Customer Training (Jun 05)
How Hewlett-Packard rapidly expanded a global training program that featured virtual classrooms and laboratories to its new product customers.
© 2005 Learning Circuits

Why design comes first (Jun 05)
Surveys tell us that many new users are scared of e-learning, but that when they get some experience, they generally feel fine about it. In this article Clive Shepherd asks why they are so scared of something that seems so innocuous? © 2001 - 2005 The Training Foundation

Podcasting in academic and corporate learning (Jun 05)
Podcasting. You may have heard the term and wondered what it meant. Or you may already be listening to podcasts and pondering how they might be used with learners. This article will provide a basic explanation of podcasting, highlight some uses in learning, offer a Q+A from a corporate supplier, and provide links to more information. © 2005 Learning Circuits

Education Projects

No articles this month.

Measuring Education Value

Benchmarking Is a Two-Way Street (Jun 05)
Before others will agree to share their best learning practices, they have to know the process is a two-way street. Equally important for both parties is to agree on what will—and what won’t—be shared. ©MediaTec Publishing Inc 2005

Measuring Business Results Using Business Impact Analysis (Jun 05)
Unless business leaders know how training benefits the business, they will continually decrease learning investments. Business impact analysis can help CLOs ensure their initiatives receive the dollars they need.
©MediaTec Publishing Inc 2005

Learning’s Role in Transforming the IT Workforce (Jun 05)
Learning professionals play a key role in helping to lay the groundwork for long-term success by creating IT organizations that are inherently agile—learning, growing and changing as the business evolves. ©MediaTec Publishing Inc 2005

Reporting Results - Managing Measurement (Jun 05)
The ability to provide valid measures of success for any learning program is key to achieving support for future initiatives. Knowledge training and assessment programs can provide data in multiple formats to transform learning business operations. ©MediaTec Publishing Inc 2005

Turning Negative Results into Positive Change (Jun 05)
What happens when your ROI evaluation produces disappointing results? Is the CLO’s job on the line? Here are 11 ways to transform negative results into positive improvements. ©MediaTec Publishing Inc 2005

Managing Costs/Outsourcing

The first three items are from vendors, but each gives a mine of useful information.

Get ready for learning outsourcing – HR Outsourcing’s next wave (Jul 03)
Training is critical to your business, but it’s not the business you’re in. So why dedicate time, resources and money to build an infrastructure for a function that varies as employees are hired and processes change? Keeping training in-house requires specialized skills, resources and technology investments. Outsourcing training enables you to control variable costs, improve content quality and become more strategic. © Convergys 2003

The Real Costs of Outsourcing (Apr 04)
What is the real cost of outsourcing? Conflicting reports from respected sources can heighten any company's anxiety over the decision to embark on an outsourcing initiative, particularly if it involves offshore outsourcing. On the one hand, there is tremendous pressure to use offshore outsourcing as a means to reduce costs and increase the firm's ability to compete globally. On the other hand there is pressure both socially and politically to keep jobs in your home country. © 2004 Global Sourcing Insights LLC

The Five Costliest Mistakes in Training – And How to Avoid Them
(Jan 05)
To achieve maximum return, you need to manage the business side of training as efficiently and effectively as you manage the educational side. ViewCentral offers advice for improving the quality, financial return, and overall business impact of your enterprise training initiatives. © 2005 ViewCentral

Cost Comparison: Instructor-Led Vs. E-Learning (Jun 05)
To help managers better understand the relationship between cost and delivery methodology, Caterpillar University has constructed a mathematical model to better calculate the key cost components. © 2005 Learning Circuits

Outsourcing Performance Management (Jun 05)
According to a study conducted in April 2004 by the Conference Board, only 9 percent of companies “are entirely against outsourcing some or all of their major human resources functions,” compared to 23 percent in the 2003 survey. Clearly, companies are increasingly willing to outsource HR functions like performance management. In today’s business climate, the issue is not whether or not to outsource performance management, but how to measure the success of the effort. © Copyright 2005 MediaTec Publishing Inc.

Instructor Resourcing

No articles this month.
 

Education Administration

No articles this month.

Skills Gap/Technical Certification

No articles this month.
 

And, Finally.....

Let's study The Blind Golfers' Story, which illustrates an ironic example of lack of empathy, and different people's perspectives.

A clergyman, a doctor and a training consultant were playing golf together one day and were waiting for a particularly slow group ahead. The training consultant exclaimed, "What's with these people? We've been waiting over half and hour! It's a complete disgrace." The doctor agreed, "They're hopeless, I've never seen such a rabble on a golf course." The clergyman spotted the approaching green-keeper and asked him what was going on, "What's happening with that group ahead of us? They're surely too slow and useless to be playing, aren't they?" The green-keeper replied, "Oh, yes, that's a group of blind fire-fighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime." The three golfers fell silent for a moment. The clergyman said, "Oh dear, that's so sad. I shall say some special prayers for them tonight." The doctor added, rather meekly, "That's a good thought. I'll get in touch with an ophthalmic surgeon friend of mine to see if there's anything that can be done for them." After pondering the situation for a few seconds, the training consultant turned to the green-keeper and asked, "Why can't they play at night?"
 

Feedback, please!

Once again, I would really like to get input from you, the readers. I am also trying to create a library of useful articles on the website, all of which will appear first in a newsletter. If you have any article to contribute, please send it.

Have a great summer holiday!!!

Mike Dowsey

Business Development Manager

CEdMA-Europe

mike@dowsey.net