The E-Learner

September 2001

Published by

© European Consortium for the Learning Organisation.

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

Welcome back from a well earned rest. You may have noticed the E-Learner grew, over the past 12 months; but like a good ‘rose’ it is time to prune the branches to allow new growth and retain a healthy plant. This year Horror Scope will give way the more serious topic of ‘Lifestyles’, which examines the understanding required to meet the challenge presented by more and more complex Learning Organisational needs, of which cultural beliefs plays a vital role.

This and future editions will be limited to 4 or 5 pages, with the emphasis on ‘links’, rather than

‘text’, to enable readers to ‘scan & focus’ on items of interest to them. The next addition of

The Learner’ is under way, so those with issues to raise sent your ‘copy’ without delay.

From the E.C.L.O. Office

Some work is at the moment being undertaken on the E.C.L.O. Website (www.eclo.org) which you will soon all be able to admire. More details on this will appear in the next Learner (printed version) which will be mailed sometime in October. This issue will announce details for the conference next year and include several goodies (in CD-ROM version) of the conference in Lisbon. We have been 'quiet' in communication during the summer but as you will notice, it was to better prepare our 'come back' !

ECLO Amsterdam Conference (May 2002)

The organising group have met again to discuss plans and preparation for next year’s Conference. Anyone, wishing to put forward ideas or better, give a help in hand please contact Brigitte on > Brigitte Jack . We welcome any forms of participation. For those wanting to keep track of event, information will soon appear on > www.eclo.org 

KITS (Knowledge management Interactive Training System)

Free Internet based KM course (Overleaf)

From October 1st until December 2001 the evaluation of the prototype of the KITS game will take place. Teams of players will be able to play the game and learn e.g.:
- Which phases and subsequent steps can be disti played over the Internet. The game will be played over a period of approximately 4 weeks, requiring a few hours per week to devote to the game. The game is played with teams and each team has three members.

Interested in playing the game, please contact Noor Christoph

Memories

The thing about ‘Learning’ is that it never rests. For those of us who have landed at Skaithos (Greek Island) airport and been informed by the Pilot that, "this is one of shortest runways in the World !!!, will know what I mean.

The pilot notified the passengers, after landing. The remarks were superfluous – all the passengers knew - Why ?

Four facts:

1. The aircraft descended at around 60 degrees to the land – a little like parachuting !
2. It bounced as it hit the runway, followed by:
3. A severe retro-sound of jet engines (brakes), causing:
4. All the passengers bumped their heads on the seat in front.

Yes, I think it was……. a short runway, with the sea waiting to greet you at the beginning and the at the end. The lesson here was "Always prepare people for the inevitable, before not after the fact". Curiousity led me to find out ‘how long was the runway ?’ = 1,570 metres !!! Need to know more, click on > Facts about Skiathos Airport <

Knowledge Board

Knowledge Board is a ‘free’ online facility, but you need to register to gain access to the facilities, click on Register for Knowledge Board

Here are a couple of extract by way of appetizers:

Towards a Knowledge Economy

The competitive position of Europe, particularly the highly developed economies of Britain and Germany, will be determined by their capability to create value through knowledge. Theories of endogenous growth stress that development of know-how and technological change, are the driving forces behind lasting growth. This report contains the results of an Anglo-German workshop held in Berlin at the Science Centre on 18 and 19 March 1999 with 25 participants

from both countries.

Understand your organisation's innovation capability

The NimCUBE project team believes that there are six important areas within an organisation that, if managed well, will help enhance a company's innovation capabilities. The opportunity to re-use company knowledge and to invent new ideas is possible within every individual and every organisation. Why not answer the NIMLight online questionnaire ?

NIMCube helps determine your Re-use and Invention capability.

Remember, you need to http://www.knowledgeboard.com/ to gain access to the above facilities and to obtain a Calendar of future KM Events.

Peter Honey on e-Learning

Amidst all this excitement we need to remember that e-Learning is fundamentally another learning opportunity, the latest addition to what is already a long list of opportunities.

We can learn by: