ECLO :: E-Learner No 16

The E-Learner

Issue No. 16

^{1st April 2001}

Published by

Welcome to the fifteenth edition of The E-Learner, ECLO's electronic newsletter for members.

The E-Learner complements our existing hardcopy newsletter that will continue to carry articles and information of interest to ECLO members.

As always, we welcome contributions from members, as it is impossible to keep on top of the wealth of information on the World Wide Web on topics of interest to you all.

For your ongoing reference The E-Learner will be archived in the members' zone of our web site.

Editor: Brian Taylor

Editorial

Today, Sunday, an extraordinary happening took place as I traveled through the countryside, near to where I live. The sun shone brightly, as it settled in the western skies. A magnificent shimmering lake appeared before me as I crossed the causeway into the glistening sun. The sparkle became intense as I traversed the lake. Out of the light came, what appear to be, a large round metallic objective, sounding like a siren as it landed on the causeway, from the sky above.

I screeched to a halt! Breathless and perspiring I looked in amazement, as the craft opened its doors and a creature advanced along the causeway towards me! When the creature was about 5 metres from me, my heart began to race; until, I recognised it was Micky the Martian with a greeting for April Fool’s Day. Need to know more about this humourous custom, click on>

http://www.computingcorner.com/holidays/aprilfool/aprilfool.htm

This is the pen-ultimate issue, before the Lisbon Conference, so for those Members wishing to make pre-conference announcements in the next issue, email on b.taylor@haroldnet.org

Andrew Haldane - KITS Project

E.C.L.O. is represented on the E.U. funded project, KITS - Knowledge Management Interactive Training System. The public version of the KITS website can now be found at;

http://kits.edte.utwente.nl

There is an opportunity for interested E.C.L.O. members to participate in the pilot evaluation of the prototype starting in September. Some attendees at our Munich conference have already expressed interest and Mike Kelleher and I will be presenting the project at Lisbon.

If you are interested in hearing more, please contact Andrew or Mike directly or better still come to Lisbon and hear about it face-to-face ahaldane@glenbank.force9.co.uk and learningfutures@ndirect.co.uk

Brigitte Jack – I’ve Learned in Life

I've learned - that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I've learned - that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I've learned - that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time

you see them.

I've learned - that you can keep going long after you can't.

I've learned - that we are responsible for what we do, no matter Peter Honey’s Newsletter

Learning styles - the key to personalised e-learning ?

I have been steeped in learning styles for so long that people I meet often express astonishment that I am still alive; 'So you're the Honey of Honey and Mumford ?' Warming to the theme, they usually go on to tell me how many times they have completed the Learning Styles Questionnaire, and/or that they have strong Activist preferences and hate filling out questionnaires, and/or that their learning style preferences seem stubbornly resistant to modification.

Anyway, with all the hype about e-learning, it was inevitable that sooner or later someone would pop the question 'Are there e-learning styles?' and I found myself saying 'Hmm, that's an interesting question...I wonder?' So it was that, in conjunction with my friends at the Campaign for Learning, I set about devising an online questionnaire to investigate the existence or otherwise of e-learning styles.

In this article, I discuss some of the findings of the survey; in particular the things that people like and dislike about e-learning. Click on > http://www.peterhoney.com/articles/Article.66 for more.

A thought-provoking saying about learning/development

'Learning is learnable'

Professor Guy Claxton

This reminds us of the importance of helping people to improve their learning capability so that they are fully equipped to learn from any experience - formal or informal. There is an unfortunate tendency to assume that all learning is natural, that it is safe to leave people to get on with it and that one size will fit all. For example, most contrived learning offerings (real or virtual) describe the learning objectives (by the end of this course you will be able to...'), whilst completely ignoring the learning processes (the means) that will make it likely that the objectives (the ends) are achieved. Time spent helping people to:

understand their learning style preferences
expand their repertoire of styles
put effort into all the learning cycle stages
employ the skills and behaviours that enhance both the quantity and
quality of learning

is a wise investment whatever the subject matter. Taking responsibility for learning and development is as much to do with the processes, as it is to do with the outcomes. The well known saying (I can't resist squeezing another one in!) 'Give me fish and I will eat for today. Help me learn to fish and I will eat for the rest of my life' says it all. Help people learn how to

learn and they will learn for the rest of their lives.

A worthwhile read

The book I recommend this month was published in 1996 (why do book reviews tend only to feature new books?). 'Learning as a way of being' by Peter Vaill published by Jossey-Bass

ISBN 0-7879-0246-2.

I have just finished reading this book for the third time, so, if you have read it before, why not go through it again. Here are some excerpts that capture the spirit of the book (subversive!) and set my head spinning!

'Because so much of our conscious experience with learning is in activity that someone else has assigned to us - a parent, a teacher, an employer - learning for many of us is a means to an end that is not of our choosing'.

'In virtually all learning projects there is a basic psychological state one enters as a learner - a state of felt inferiority; of tentativeness, cautiousness and dependence on those in authority!'

'A certain righteous anger is not out of place - it is after all our learning. Why has institutional learning taken so much self-direction, creativity and expressive opportunity out of our learning? Why has institutional learning not prepared us better for lifelong learning – except to teach us to regard it as 'continuing our schooling'? Why has it taught us so little about ourselves as learners and about the variety of learning exper characteristics!

Ways to help people learn and develop

Here is another idea taken from '101 Ways to develop people, without really

trying!' click on > http://www.peterhoney.com/Product.03

Analysing Mistakes

'Mistakes are inevitable and have the potential to be admirable learning opportunities. A mistake is likely to 'bounce' someone into learning mode in a bid to avoid repeating the same mistake in future. However, learning is by no means inevitable, unless ...' Click on > http://www.peterhoney.com/analysing/ to read more.

FREE SEMINARS in the UK: Learning - the only competence that never becomes obsolete

London - 11 April 2001

Sheffield - 9 April 2001

Click on > http://www.peterhoney.com/seminar/ for more details and to register.

Horror Scope – a light hearted look at Astrology, as a Business Tool

This month we examine the Arien Personality. These are general personality traits found the ‘typical’ Arien, so watch out ! An unhappy or frustrated Aries may display some of these not-so attractive traits.

Aries [The Ram] Members – (21 March to 19 April).

Positive:

Like all ‘Rams’, they make good leaders.
Are energetic and help others achieve their dreams.
Accept challenges and believe the best of others.
Take risks for others, whilst defending the vulnerable.
An Aries life is an open book.
Continue, when others give up – I think ‘stubborn’ would be the word here !

Negative:

Must be boss – so why aren’t all women Aries ?
Tend to be brash.
Blind to his/her effect on others.
Intolerant.
Tendency to be Jealous.
Tend not to listen – so why aren’t all women Aries ?
Appear selfish.
Impulsive – so why aren’t all women Aries ?
Poor judges of character.
Dislike being told what to do – so why aren’t all women Aries ?

Editors Comment: Clearly the editor is a Male Chauvinist !

Clearly, when you are next interviewing for a Managerial Position, you must incorporate into you Interview Form the Question – "Are you born under the sign Aries ?" or "Only Arians need Apply"

This month’s prediction for all you Arians is:-

"Love, romance, adventure and opportunity can be yours if you are quick to step up to the podium and present your ideas, intentions and plans. You will receive the help you require and you will make a name for yourself in the interim. Don't be shy, you've paid your dues and it's your turn to shine"

For the rest of us have a look into the ‘crystal ball’, click on > http://www.astroadvice.com/freezodiac/ <<

Arthur Battram – Plexity: The Science of Relationships

The Lisbon Conference will be full of challenges and discoveries. None more so than ECLO Member Arthur Battram’s Session, entitled "A Journey Across The Sea of Possibilities To Discover Entirely New Learning". The challenge for Arthur will be to keep us captivated for 2^1/2 hours !, afterwhich he will be running in the London Marathon ! Super Arthur, Super Theme………Don’t miss it !!!! (Thursday 17 May 2001 @ 14.30 hours until 17.00 hours)

For those of you who would like a sneak preview of Arthur’s work you can contact him directly, Click on > apb@cityplex.demon.co.uk < For the full Lisbon Conference programme/ regis increased technical and emotional connectivity; the ways in which new forms of knowledge, consciousness and individual potential might develop; and the implications for markets, communities and organizations.

Participants are able to attend three international workshops:

· Extending individuals - new 'soft' and 'hard' technologies for extending individuals' connectivity, knowledge and power – Stockholm May 2001

· Harnessing minds - the challenge facing organisations to harness the diversity that is both the individual and the organization - Montreal September 2001

· Creating sustainable communities - the role of communities in reconciling the interests of the individual and the many – London November 2001

Take a look!

For details of the forums, themes and membership options, click on>

http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0005452E?open&r=1&p=2215

For more about Business Futures:

http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0002DB9A?open&r=1&p=2215

Albert Einstein on Humans

Growing up as a scientist (my degree is in Physics for God's sake!) I only ever knew Albert Einstein as one of the world's greatest scientists. It is only in recent years that I have discovered the spiritual side to this great man. Here is one of my favourite quotes by him but follow the link to his page for several more quotes and resources.

"A human being is part of the whole, called by us 'Universe'; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest--a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely but striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security."

On Human Beings, why not click on >

http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X00003D02?open&r=1&p=2215

For more on Albert Einstein, click on>

http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X000064B2?open&r=1&p=2215

Know your value ?

Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) is about taking a personal or individual perspective to Knowledge Management rather than an organisational or corporate one - I wrote a little about the concept in last month's knowledge-letter and said that as far as I knew there were no books on the subject. Well thanks to those of you who came back and told me about Mick Cope's book

"Know your value" - clearly a book on PKM.

Know your value? value what you know, click on>

http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X0005450A?open&r=1&p=2215

For more on PKM in general:

http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X00028452?open&r=1&p=2215

Michael Porter on Strategy

"The world's most famous business-school professor is fed up with CEOs who claim that the world changes too fast for their companies to have a long-term strategy. If you want to make a difference as a leader, you've got to make time for strategy." Take a look at the article below in Fast Company Magazine to see what he has to say on the importance of strategy. Click on>

http://www.fastcompany.com/online/44/porter.html

Or go direct to the home page of the Fast Company website – its packed with useful ideas and tools, http://www.stratvisions.com/resources.html , entitled "Humanising Learning at a Distance". For her thesis Kat Barclay on kat.Barclay@usa.net interviewed 20 Synchronous e-Learning Instructors, from which she distilled eight strategies for on-line live instruction.

The Learning & Business Observatory

The Learning and Business Observatory (LBO) designs and brokers solutions for ideas and projects in the field of international business and economic development. LBO has extensive experience in private/public sector working, knowledge management, lifelong learning and international relations. The organisation specialises in the strategic and technical management requirements of large scale projects, especially those with European funding and has a track record of establishing successful transnational project partnerships.

A Public funded training and business support organisation, LBO established itself in February 2000 with more freedom to operate across Europe and the world. LBO's scope of activities include work in the Euro-region of Kent UK, & Nord-Pas de Calais and Belgium, Portugal, Poland, USA, and Croatia.

Ian White, LBO's Managing Director, has a background in commercial business and public administration. Starting his first company after University he was ACE UK's Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 1987, an award which took him to the USA for a number of months. After working in the TV and communications industry Ian changed focus to work in Kent on a range of innovative employment and economic development projects for Kent TEC and lbl.co.uk. Ian remained with lbl as Deputy Director of Research and Development until the creation of The Learning and Business Observatory in February 2000. You can contact Ian on > ian@lbointernational.com or visit the website, click on > http://www.lbointernational.com if your looking for a partner organisation.

Final Thoughts

We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. - T.S. Eliot

or…………Never get lost in a crowd – Brian Taylor

Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it. - Albert Einstein

or………...Never give up, to become Wise – Brian Taylor

Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to error that counts - Nikki Giovanni

or………..Don’t count your chickens BEFORE they are hatched – Brian Taylor