Meeker Report Can Help Your Mobile Learning Strategy

If you are still fighting with...sorry...encouraging your peers or your company's senior executives to embrace mobile learning, then more ammunition just arrived.  The Annual Meeker Report is here and it is filled with all the technology trends you need to support just about any eLearning strategy you can imagine. And that's all I'll say about it so you can just jump right in and see for yourself.  Tell me what you think! See you at mLearnCon.KPCB Internet Trends 2012

Cell Phone is 5th Most Ubiquitous Possession

I was trolling through G+ (I know, I know, who actually hangs out there, right?) and saw this post from noted Futurist and Senior Maverick at WIRED Magazine, Kevin Kelly. In the first paragraph he writes this...

The most ubiquitous technological possession on earth is the steel blade. Second is the cotton T-shirt. Nearly every forest person will have at least these two. Next is an aluminum pot and then a plastic bottle. After that it is a cell phone. Even the most remote farmer or lowliest street sweeper will pay for a cheap phone. These are not the most profound technologies - they would be television and antibiotics -- but the most common among humans.

I was a little stunned that the cell phone beat out pants, but maybe having pants puts me into another minority group.

I do trust Kevin Kelly's data and I assume this data is probably explained more deeply in his latest book, What Technology Wants! 


But even if the cell phone only hit the top ten, or top twenty even, that would still be a remarkable thing.  And something we as training and development professionals should not take lightly.  Yes, we are annoyed by walking and texting pedestrians, and scared by driving and texting teenagers, and struggling to adjust the social norms around these devices.  But one thing is certain, and that is your learners have cell phones, period! Embrace this knowledge and use them to your advantage.  Resistance is futile!

Make the best of this situation and commit to learning about how cell phones will work in your school, or corporate enterprise.  And learn how people are using them.  Use-cases matter...maybe even more than the technology.

Get all the information you need about mobile devices and learning at mLearnCon.  It's your future! Don't be left behind.

Putting the Dance in Your mLearnCon Attendance

The mLearnCon event is 3 weeks away.  If you are designing learning experiences in any way, you've got to take mobile devices seriously.  This is not a fad that will just go away if you keep demanding that your students check their devices at the door.  mLearning is something of a buzzword these days, but no matter what you call it mobile devices are everywhere and in everyone's hands...most with more than one mobile device.  Mobile is how we live our lives, it's how we access a global world of knowledge, and it's how business gets done.  

Ignoring mobile devices in training and education is as bad as being an entrepreneur and ignoring money.  

mLearnCon is in it's third year and continues to grow.  The most influential mobile training development experts will be there to answer all of your questions.  Since this is a niche conference you won't feel lost in the crowd.  It's hyper focused on one thing...MOBILE! 

If You're New to mLearning

If you are just getting started with mobile learning then mLearnCon is the place for you.  You could spend days, even weeks, searching the internet, reading reports (Mobile Report), and consuming other content in effort to get your mind around mobile.  But in the end you'd still have questions and you'd still lack the confidence to move forward.  Do your homework and then register for mLearnCon.  You'll want to sign up for a pre-conference workshop as well.  It's well worth the extra expense.  

Once you've registered you should start creating your strategy for attendance.  What? You don't create a conference strategy when you go to conferences? Well, If you are one those boondogglers, that's cool too. There's plenty of golfing near San Jose.  If you're serious about your conference attendance, then you really should be planning your attendance.  And this doesn't need to take long.  And it's NOT all about choosing which session to attend.

Step One

Step back and take a look at your current environment.  Define the context of your current job.  If you are a manager then you'll be thinking about your long term strategies and which projects are currently in progress or in the pipeline headed your way.  You should also understand your enterprise environment and your IT departments strategy.  You do not want to run off to a conference and find a beautiful hammer only to come home and discover there are no nails.  

If you are a designer or developer, these issues are important to you as well but you'll also want make a quick list of what tools you use, how you use them, and what you think you might be missing.  You've no doubt already encountered projects where you thought a mobile solution could be useful as part of the overall solution.  If your company has settled on a certain development tool then whether you like it or not, you should find a pre-conference workshop on that tool and a few sessions to help you hone those skills.  Remember, learning more about your tools is valuable. REALLY valuable in today's marketplace.  If you get the opportunity to learn more about your craft, do not squander it.

Step Two

Now that you have a solid picture of your own personal current environment, you should craft a few questions.  The questions you craft now will be what you use to refresh yourself when you've gone off track...and you will go off track.  The excitement of seeing colleagues, friends, keynote presentations, expo hall booths, etc., will no doubt begin to overwhelm you.  A short list of questions crafted BEFORE the event will act as your compas to get you back on track.  You don't need to define specifics on how these questions will get answered just yet...trust that the event and a little serendipity will offer the moments of enlightenment.  But if you don't have those questions on your mind you could very well miss the opportunities to gain the knowledge you need.

Step Three

NOW you're fully prepared to handle the detail work of reviewing the specifics about the event and how you will allocate your time.  This is when you'll engage with the conference mobile app.  If you don't have it then just use the web site. Review all of the sessions the first time by quickly scanning for the ones you think might answer your questions.  Don't think about it too much, just do a quick pass and see if anything jumps out at you.  Then do it again but look a little more closely, this time eliminating the ones that you are CERTAIN you will not need to attend.  Then do ANOTHER scan, this time dig a little deeper into the ones that are still remaining.

Make sure you have at least 2 or 3 selected in each time block.  Once you get to the event things happen fast and you don't have a lot of time for decision making.  You may find that one of your questions has been answered on day 1, and so that means a day 2 session is no longer necessary.  Having multiple sessions selected makes it easy to know exactly which one will fill in the gap.  It's no fun making decisions 5mins before sessions start, because you'll be frustrated going into what ever session you chose and every little thing will begin to annoy you.  I've experienced this many times and have heard the same from others.  Some times in those situations you get lucky and you wander into an amazing session...that's the serendipity that often occurs.  But the opposite can also occur and your state of mind going into a session that isn't working for you, is critical.  You don't want to be "that guy/gal" that starts nitpicking a well intentioned speaker because you were rolling the dice on their session.

Step Four

The greatest of plans often change in an instant.  This is where you need to put the DANCE in your attendance. Going with the flow works well if you are prepared to make adjustments without much thinking. The pre-planning takes most of the work out of decision making and allows you to feel more relaxed about the decisions you make.  When when need to adjust, it shouldn't be a big ordeal.  Just consult your session list first for alternatives.  If things have completely shifted and your session selections are no longer useful then refer to your questions and the quick environmental scan you did in in Step 1 and 2.  Because if things change THAT much on site, you will most definitely be flustered, so having your original image of the big picture will help you adjust and focus more quickly.  Remember, don't panic! Breathe. Dance.

The pre-planning may seem extreme, but I'm hoping you'll do something to prepare yourself for mLearnCon.  You cannot prepare for the changes in training and development without understanding mobile.  It's complicated.  It's different. It requires a new mindset around what training is and what it WILL be.  Moving your Powerpoint slides to mobile delivery services is NOT the solution.  Commit to being better than that.  Your learners deserve it and so do you.

Bloomfire Secures $10 Million in Series A Funding

Bloomfire has certainly taken the eLearning industry by storm.  Or should I say, set it on fire? <rimshot>

Chris Pacitti, from one of the two investing companies, Austin Ventures had this to say... 

“Bloomfire addresses old-school productivity problems with a new-school approach, using social software to create and share valuable information within an enterprise. It essentially allows you to clone your best sales people, reducing costs, improving productivity and accelerating new business opportunities that drive your bottom line.”

I'm so happy for the guys at Bloomfire.  Seriously, these are some of the most creative, hardest working guys I've known.  Every time I see a Bloomfire logo I can't help but remember seeing an naked Nemo wrapped in a Bloomfire banner running through a reception at Learning Solutions.

That was the year I started seeing that the eLearning industry was changing.  The old guard had been asleep at the wheel and frisky new startups were tackling the problems of the corporate training industry.

Of course today there are many new players and old tools have evolved, and embraced social media, collaboration, the cloud, mobile and other new technology shifts.  But I've seen a few startups fail for whatever reason, and it's just really nice to see a startup hitting on all cylinders and catching the eye of venture capitalists.

It's a great time to be in the eLearning game.  Innovative corporate training solutions are needed now, more than ever.  Even if Bloomfire is not the right tool for your current corporate need, you should still take some time and check out what their doing.  Someday it could be exactly what you need.

Check out the latest in mobile learning solutions at mLearnCon in June.

Khan Academy Announces iPad App

This Fast Company article is the first I've heard of Khan Academy's new iPad App.  I have not downloaded it yet.  But that's next on my list after writing this post.  I'm a big fan of what the Khan Academy is doing and my favorite new school model is "flipped" instruction.  The app supports that model well.

For the growing number of schools that are adopting iPads, the most impactful potential for the app is for Khan Academy's "flipped classroom," in which lectures are watched at home by students, and then assignments are completed collaboratively in class, where a teacher is present. "The teacher is free to do a lot more of the human interaction," says Shantanu Sinha, President and COO of Khan Academy.

I know this blog is supposed to be about corporate learning strategies but so much of what is going on in tech impacts both corporate AND academic learning environments.  Some of the same methods could of Khan Academy could very easily be incorporated into corporate training environments.

Let me know if you are doing anything similar to Khan Academy in your corporate training department.  I'd love to hear about it.

Check out more mobile learning innovations at mLearnCon June 19-21.

GSMA 2012 Global Mobile Awards Announced - Congratulations to OnPoint Digital!

The GSMA Global Mobile Awards were announced this week. I'd like to congratulate Robert Gadd and the OnPoint Digital team for their award.

Best Mobile Innovation for Education or Learning

Winner: OnPoint Digital - CellCast Solution

You can read more from one of the judges, Judy Brown, at her blog mLearnopedia.
See the full list of winners at the Mobile World Congress site HERE. 
Be sure to visit OnPoint at mLearnCon this June and see their winning solution for yourself.

The Changing Context of Video in eLearning

If you haven't been following my previous posts you may want to review quickly before diving into this one.  At the very least be sure to have watched the videos from the first link.

What Have We Learned About Training in Over 70 Years
Creative Training Course Titles
Good Story Telling Takes Time - So Does Good Learning

1930s Film Projector

I think it's important that we begin to discuss the bigger training questions as they relate to these 2 videos. After all, there is a CONTEXT around each that is quite unique.  And however obvious these points might be, I think it's helpful to point them out because I'm certain their on your mind and you just don't want to ask or comment.  That's cool.

1937 had black and white film on reels of "tape" and it was a physical, analog, medium.  This required a long production process, and a long complicated delivery process.  The film needed to be duplicated and transported to many different locations.  The learners needed to be gathered into a room.  The properly skilled technician needed to setup and run the projection equipment.  Duh! Right? Yea, I know.

Okay, so what does that mean from an instructional design perspective?  Obviously, there HAD to be more to the training than JUST this video.  Did they break up into teams and have a lab session with a differential sitting there in front of them? Who was the intended audience?  Was the film intended for soon to be military vehicle mechanics or was it for ALL new Chevrolet mechanics?  Perhaps it was produced by Chevy but intended to be sent to mechanical engineering schools.  We don't know.  But if you do know, I'd love to hear about it.

The changes in instructional design have changed very little over the decades, while technology has progressed significantly.  The technology restrictions of analog media have long since vanished, and yet I still see the instructional models of old being employed.

Let's just take a look at video.  70 years ago it took a massive amount of effort, by today's standards, to get that film in front of a learner.  Today, with YouTube and other video sharing platforms and the simple fact that the internet is the greatest distribution channel ever, it takes VERY little effort to accomplish the same task.  But the reality is even bigger and better than that.  Because of mobile devices anyone can watch videos where ever they are at any given time.  And the best part is that they can watch it as many times as they want.

Google+ Hangout - 3 Viewers watching
the same video

Knowing that your learners can watch your video anytime, anywhere, as often as they want is a significant change in context since 1937.  Heck, it's even a big change since 1997.  And that's just video.   What about the fact that a learner could be watching the video WITH many other learners/classmates from around the globe at the same time.  AND they all could be chatting about the video and sharing comments?  Is this not a HUGE shift in learning context?

Stop telling me that a video is not training.  A video used in today's digital context can absolutely be effective training.  Video can now be a shared, interactive, repetitive, experience at very little cost.  The idea of viewing a film/video once and then moving on to the next part of the training is old and yet we still make that part of the learning EVENT design.  Your videos can be viewed multiple times, on multiple technologies, and in a group or alone with people in dispersed locations across the globe. So, shouldn't we be thinking differently about the instructional design opportunities that video now provides for us?

While the script writing and production values play a roll, it's really the delivery mechanism that changes everything.  That 1937 video is more effective, impactful, and valuable today than it ever was in back in the 1930s simply because it can now be a shared experience between a global audience.

How has video played a part in your eLearning?  Do your learners take advantage of collaborating while watching videos together?  Do you think they'll ever watch your videos on a mobile device?

May the 4S be with You...at DevLearn 2011

Sorry, I couldn't resist the title.  So, I spent some time this morning listening to the Apple announcement.  Actually, I spent time listening to conversations ABOUT the Apple announcement (live.twit.tv) and WATCHED streaming text and images of the announcement being made.  There.  That's more accurate.  And yes, it was as boring as it sounds.

You can read all of the iPhone 4s details at Apple's site.

All the little upgrades to the iPhone4 are great.  All of which make the iPhone4s an even BETTER media creation device.  And since MOST people STILL don't create that much media with the iPhone they have, the updates aren't that meaningful...to most.

I love the idea of a better camera.  I love that a LOT.  And the higher rez HD video recording is a plus as well.  But it also means that each image will take up more space on the harddrive.  That means, for me, I'll  be needing the 32GB model at the very least.  My current iPhone4 is 16GB and I fill that with video and images, and apps, very quickly.

The real announcement today was about the integration of Siri.  This is the type of app that simply makes the iPhone easier to use.  It's a user experience boost which Apple, in my opinion, is most famous for.  Most of the other technology sites will be debating how well it works.  I'm going to assume it works as advertised. Watch the video.  

What does this mean for eLearning?  Does our iPhone become a mobile SME?  Dare I even write, mSME?  Does something like Siri work well with WolframAlpha?  That would be pretty cool...and very educational.  What if there was an API that we, as eLearning developers, could tap into and give our eLearning solutions the ability to "hear" the learner, and then respond?  These are all the things I'm currently pondering while I wait patiently for Oct. 14th.  Just in time for DevLearn 2011...phew.

QR Codes are Still Alive and Useful - Thanks Wikipedia!

I've been excited about the possibility of QR codes for a couple years now.  But, for whatever reason, they've never really taken off.  I must admit that I find it a little cumbersome to fumble around my iPhone apps trying to find the right QR code reader that will get the job done.  So, in general, I've stopped thinking about them other than to impress non-geek friends as a party trick.

Then I came across QRpedia today.  The famous WIKIPEDIA has released a code creator specifically for Wikipedia pages.  Honestly, I really like this as a solution.  Wikipedia is a great source of information and QR codes are a cheap way to make connections between our physical world and information rich digital world.

Of course I tested QRpedia with the eLearning page in wikipedia.  Mostly because I'm not important enough to have my own wikipedia entry.  Maybe some day ;-)  So, the cool thing about these QR codes is that they can also detect what language your phone is set too.  This way the wikipedia article is automatically returned to the device in the language set on the device.  Sure, it's a little thing.  But its those little things that can really make a difference.

Upside Learning and Others Showcasing Mobile Learning Products at mLearnCon

I did my usual search for press releases today and noticed one from Upside Learning.  They are one of the exhibitors participating at mLearnCon in San Jose, CA June 21-23.  That's only a week away and I'm excited by all the new mobile learning products.  Upside Learning will be showcasing Upside2Go and it sounds interesting.

While this is off topic I feel the need to say how impressed I was with Upside's integration of mLearnCon's design.

I had just been reviewing the mLearnCon site prior to clicking through the press release to their site.  And it struck me how the visual elements immediately made the connection for me.  And of course this made me think about how powerful good design and imagery can be in learning when applied correctly.  It's that consistent visual theme, and branding, that helps the brain form the connections it craves.

But anyways, back to the original idea.  It's also apparent from the web site that the expo has grown significantly over last year.  The mLearning marketplace is real, and it continues to grow.  Everyone is scrambling to make sure their tools produce content ready for mobile delivery.  It's exciting to see.

Mobile Learning is definitely on everyone's radar now.  Managers, Developers, and Designers of mLearning have no choice but to face the reality of delivering content to smaller screens, breaking content into smaller chunks, understanding SMS, designing for touch screens, and SO much more.

Many of the long time readers of this blog will be at mLearnCon speaking, sharing, connecting, and helping move our industry forward.  If you're not registered for the event you can still stop by the Fairmont for an expo pass and check out all the GREAT products/services as well as benefit from mini-stages delivering hallway sessions on all sorts of topics.  

If you see me (@bschlenker) there, please stop me and say hi!

mLearnCon Speaker Prep: Insights on Presenting from Nancy Duarte

You might be getting yourself ready for mLearnCon this week.  For some of you that means getting presentations ready.  For others, preparation means picking out sessions to attend.  I would argue that BOTH of you should take a look at this interview on presenting.  Chris Brogan and Nancy Duarte talked about a few of the main points from  slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations and Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences.

Just because you aren't presenting THIS year doesn't mean you won't be presenting at some point in your career.  Watch the video, read the books, and evaluate the presentations you see.  This will help you understand WHY Nancy says what she says, and WHY its important.

And for you speakers, the bar has been set! Tell a great story! Engage your audience! Present a session that even you would be willing to sit through ;-)

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you at mLearnCon!

The eLearning Guild releases Mobile Learning Report in time for mLearnCon

The eLearning Guild announced the release of this years research report on mobile learning titled, Mobile Learning: Landscape and Trends.

Paid Guild members can download the report HERE.

Dr. Clark Quinn has done an excellent job of distilling the most important information about mobile learning into a readable research report. The Guild's survey of its members regarding mobile device usage has some great data points to consider.

For example: The number one stated barrier to implementing mLearning is that its "Hard to integrate with our enterprise tools". Security issues and a Lack of Standards also topped the list of barriers.

Its also interesting to see that the percentage of organizations planning to "Do More mLearning" has increased from 38.5% in 2007 to 51% in 2011. That may not seem like much, but I expect the number to grow significantly over the next 4+ years.

So, get the report and read it for yourself. Then you'll be more than prepared to engage the thought leadership represented at mLearnCon this June. Plan your mobile learning strategy at the event and chat with Dr. Quinn to get his advice on your plans. You can also follow him on twitter @quinnovator

mLearnCon - Save $$$ with Group Rate at Fairmont

If you have employees/learners that have cell phones, you NEED to be thinking about how this impacts your learning solutions. All of the info you need to make smart decisions about mobile learning is at mLearnCon. Don't wait until management approaches you and your team. Be proactive and make sure you're ready with a smart answer.

SAVE $$$ at the Fairmont San Jose by booking your hotel stay this week. The block of discounted rooms is selling fast. Don't wait too long.

You might be thinking mobile learning is still a few years away before your organization will support you. That's okay. But did you know there are learning solutions you can deploy TODAY even if you're locked behind a firewall? There are companies supporting learning in ways you've never dreamed of, and they're all at mLearnCon.

[Ad: mLearnCon - June 21-23 - San Jose, CA - Put Your Learning in Motion!]

I'm really looking forward to this year's keynotes. Jeremiah Owyang, and Amber MacArthur are new media icons that have been researching and embracing technology before the internet became Web 2.0. They have the stats and know the trends that will impact the future of your organization like no others. And I can tell you they are 2 of the nicest technology speakers I've had the pleasure to work with.   

I love elearning. What mobile devices mean to eLearning is VERY different than what you might think. mLearning is NOT transferring your eLearning onto a mobile device. mLearning does NOT mean exporting your existing courses in a different format and calling it good. Many rganizations have tried that and failed. Learning from those who have gone before you is the smartest decision you can make. Its priceless.

Many mLearnCon 2010 attendees are making mLearning happen today. I can't wait to hear what they've done and where we all will go next. I'm looking forward to the hallway conversations and seeing all my twitter peeps as well. Ping me now if you are planning on attending so I can be sure to find you and say hi.

Find the Mobile Learning Answers You Need - mLearnCon 2011

The way you manage and deliver learning is dramatically changing because of new mobile technologies. Come discover new strategies, identify the skill sets needed, learn best practices, and explore new technologies for designing, delivering, and managing your mobile learning at The eLearning Guild’s mLearnCon 2011, June 21-23 in San Jose, CA. 

* Explore cutting-edge thinking with keynote speakers Jeremiah Owyang on mLearning Strategy, Amber MacArthur on Power Learning, and the new mLearning Insights Panel, featuring eight mLearning gurus who will address the most challenging mLearning issues facing learning professionals today.

* Choose from more than 125 learning activities, including 80 concurrent sessions across ten learning tracks spanning mobile learning management, design, case studies, content, tablet technology, and more.

* Stay on top of the newest trends in mLearning and discover the latest tools and technologies on three exciting learning stages, including the mLearning Future Zone, MOSHPit (Mobile Operating Systems Help) and Master Classes stages.

Whether you are just starting to develop your mobile learning strategy or are already leveraging mobile technologies for your learning efforts, you will find the answers you need at mLearnCon 2011.

Register by this Friday, April 29th, to save $200 with our Early Registration Discount, in addition to other discounts for which you may qualify.

We look forward to seeing you in San Jose!

mLearnCon Keynote Amber MacArthur Hosts Hot New Show: App Central

When I was talking with Amber about keynoting mLearnCon she mentioned that App Central was in the works but I was not allowed to say anything. Now that the show is airing (in Canada) it's safe for me to talk.

The bad news is that it's only available to Canadians. The good news is that you can watch segments on the BNN web site . The show is fast-paced fun and VERY educational. Those of you that know me, know of my early video broadcasting/production career. That curse makes me highly sensitive to production value. I'm happy to report that the production value is fabulous! They are serious about Apps and have created an outstanding viewing experience.

Amber Mac, as she's known to many, is not only doing App Central she also hosts Work Smart for FastCompany.com.

If you don't know her already, you will soon. She understands tech and more importantly can wade through the geekiness and help the rest of us truly understand the future of mobile technologies and how they apply to our world of work, performance, training, and learning. You will not want to miss your opportunity to hear her speak this June at mLearnCon. The power of mobile technologies for learning will blow your mind.

If you are considering mobile in your eLearning strategy then you need to be in San Jose for mLearnCon. Register by April 29th and save $200.

mLearnCon 2011 - Mobile Learning Awesomeness in 1 place!

The buzz from Learning Solutions 2011 is still humming. But for me, its time to move on to Mobile Learning and mLearnCon.com.

The web site is up and running and you can start planning your event today. Mobile technologies seem to be flooding the market on a daily basis. They get smaller, faster, and cheaper. If you are in elearning, whether a n00b or tested old timer, you need to get up to speed on mobile learning. Get your travel approval today and make it happen. You will not regret it.

I am very excited to have Jeremiah Owyang and Amber MacArthur keynoting mLearnCon. And then closing out the event will be a great panel conversation.

The mLearning Future Zone and MOSHPit will also be back. And of course there will be Master Classes giving you an up close and personal look at the tools of mlearning. The stages of Guild events offer additional content in a comfortable relaxed format.

Aaron Silvers, is back as the host of the mLearning Future Zone. With a deep and varied background in eLearning Aaron understands all aspects of the industry at a level matched by very few. He sees the future of mlearning from many different angles and brings that to the stage with experts challenging your thoughts on what mobile learning will be. Neil Lasher is also back for a second year hosting the Mobile Operating System Help stage....better known as the MOSH Pit. Neil has unique ideas on what mlearning should be and what the landscape of mlearning systems offers us today. He will bring a collection of great speakers to help you understand the systems of mlearning and how you can make sense of it all.

As mobile devices become more prevalent we may find that mLearning is just part of the increasing landscape of elearning. But until that day comes its important that we take time to gather and discuss the challenges we face as an industry.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone in San Jose this June.

BINARY - There's an App to LEARN that! And its a GAME!

Last week I had the pleasure of chatting with Jerry Bush, Program Manager Learning@CISCO. I must say, it sounds like CISCO has an amazingly innovative culture that allows them to experiment with new technologies and ideas around learning. Check out their Games Arcade. Lots of great desktop games...with a few recently ported over to mobile technologies.

While we had a great conversation in general about eLearning, mobile devices, and serious games, I loved hearing about their new FREE iPhone/iPad app called BINARY. Be aware that there is another binary game app NOT created by CISCO that costs $.99. The CISCO binary game is FREE.

Now, I like to think of myself as having a little bit of geek cred. And of course every self-respecting geek has a full and complete grasp of the ultimate geek language - BINARY....right? Well, I know enough now to know that I only had a simple-man's grasp of what binary is. I knew binary was a string of 1's and 0's. And I also knew that a string of one's and zeros "added" up to a larger number. But I guess that's about as far as my lesser-geek knowledge went. The BINARY game was exactly what I needed to fill in the missing pieces in my knowledge base of binary.

This is the type of content that works great in a game...in my opinion. There are no instructions. You just start playing. Its exactly how I like to learn. The game also helps you learn "the code" in both directions. In some cases you are given the 1' and 0's in the proper positions and asked to give the answer on the right side of the "=" sign. And in other cases you are given the number and then by tapping the 1,0, chicklets you set up the binary code to equal the given number.

Okay, so that doesn't sound like much fun does it? Well, notice in the image above how the different rows are stacked? Yea, they just keep coming. More rows after more rows. This forces you to learn to think in binary...FAST. And what you soon learn is that there are patterns in binary code. So at a certain point you stop "doing the math" and just remember the patterns. Which is exactly how the brain learns to process complex information. But I'll leave the brain science stuff to others. Give it a try. If you already are certain that you know binary then you will still get a good idea how simple game mechanics can make learning fun...and fast.

micro-mobile vs. macro-mobile: mLearning Impacting Your eLearning Design

I was just responding to a comment on LinkedIn and I used the term micro and macro to describe my personal use-case for digital mobility...connectedness.  I have a MacBookPro, an iPad, and an iPhone.  Most likely many of your learners are not in this situation, but it feels like our digital lives are heading in this direction more and more.  With the iPad in hand, I can now very easily define my mobility as within my house - micro, and within the world - macro.

The Main Machine - Desktops and Laptops
I use my laptop more like a desktop these days.  Basically, it sits on my desk all day.  So, I'm actually thinking about going back to an iMac because you get more bang for your buck.  The only time I find myself truly NEEDING my laptop is when I give an event, or corporate presentation.  I like having a "clicker" in my hand and so swiping through my presentation on my iPad is just not an option for me.  Everything else revolves around this main machine and in regards to this blog post the distance from this machine.

Micro-mobility - iPads and Tablet PCs
Since I work out of my home, micro-mobility is easily define within my house.  But more generically, I would define it as within walking distance of your main computer.  The iPad, or any new tablet, fits nicely into this mobile space.  It turns on quickly.  You can pick it up and go.  This micro-mobility is great for times when your job calls for lots of reading.  You don't want to do it at your desk and so you grab the iPad and move to a comfy chair near better natural lighting...for example.

Macro-mobility - Smartphones, and other small devices
Some may not like this use of micro and macro because I'm not using it to refer to the size of the device.  They would be right, I'm not.  I'm always thinking about the learner.  The smaller the device the more likely it is to be used for MACRO-mobility: long distances away from the main machine.  Since my iPhone fits nicely in my pocket, I know I have all I need when I leave the house.  If I plan ahead and know that I will be sitting for a long period of time or I'm meeting a business colleague then the iPad comes along for the ride...just in case.  But honestly, taking the iPad anywhere is still very counterproductive since I ALWAYS get asked by strangers how I like it.

So, are we thinking about micro v. macro mobility when we talk about designing mLearning?  Despite the shiny newness of mobile devices we are still needing to design with the LEARNER in mind first, device second.  This is where e-Learning development needs to catch up.  We need to be considering the learning environment as existing on a main machine, accessible from the web(any machine), and accessible on a mobile device.  And NO, that does not mean that you create ONE eLearning course and demand that it plays exactly the same way on an iMac, an iPad, and an iPhone.  It means that as designers we MUST start designing experiences around content that are uniquely created for each CONTEXT.  Its time to start being creative and re-thinking our design options.

 DevLearn 2010 Conference and Expo - November - San Francisco, CA

mLearnCon Showcases Abilene Christian University's mLearning Innovation with iPhones/iPads

Abilene Christian University

mLearnCon is fast approaching - June 15-17, San Diego, CA.  When I first started working on the eLearning Guild's first event devoted to mobile learning I did what every 21st century researcher does...I googled it.  Of course I had already been following the mobile learning industry for several years, but never with a focused objective.  My search turned up Abilene Christian University over and over again.  They were IT! Surely there were other schools dabbling with the idea of handing out ipods to incoming freshman, etc.  But none of the others put themselves out there the way ACU did.  That's BOLD!  And I LIKE THAT!

Dr. Bill Rankin
Director of Educational Innovation
Abilene Christian Univ.

I'm thrilled to have ACU as part of mLearnCon.  Dr. Bill Rankin is on our Advisory Board and brings many years of mobile learning experience to the event. In the spring of 2007, Rankin and a team of colleagues began work on the initiative that became "ACU Connected," ACU's ground-breaking iPhone and iPod touch-based mobile-learning initiative. Along with the other members of the ACU Connected team, he was named an "Innovator of the Year" for 2008 in the mobile learning category by Campus Technology magazine, and ACU's initiative continues to garner awards, most recently from ACUTA and Alcatel-Lucent. In 2009, Rankin was named ACU's first Director of Educational Innovation, an academic technology imagineering position designed to explore and develop new educational technologies and pedagogies. In 2009, he was also recognized by Apple Inc. as an Apple Distinguished Educator.

Kyle Dickson
Director, Digital Media Center
Abilene Christian Univ.

I am also very excited to have Kyle Dickson on the program.  Kyle is the Director of the Digital Media Center at ACU.  Kyle will be presenting session 203 - Building a Mobile Vision: From Content to Collaboration.

Before the iPad was even official introduced (but the world knew it was coming), ACU was hard at work engaging its students on an iPad project.  You've GOT to check out this video (and YES, it plays on the iPad)

What ACU is doing with mLearning puts every other university way behind the curve.  Because its not just "having an iPhone app".  Yea, sure, there's an app for that.  But engaging the student body in defining the project is what I think higher ed is all about.  And the level at which the students were involved is truly impressive.  No wonder U.S. News & World Report lists ACU as one of America's Best Colleges.

mLearnCon - Mobile Learning Conference and Expo - June 15-17 - San Diego, CA
DevLearn 2010 Conference and Expo - November 3-5 - San Francisco, CA

iPad Fever

Yes.  I did call UPS today and ask if I may lend a hand by driving to the central hub and picking up my, um, "shipment from China" so my driver doesn't have to worry about stopping by my house.  Seriously! I'm just trying' to be helpful.  "That's not possible" she said.  I told her that I'm just a little excited to get my "shipment from China".  "I'm sure you are" she laughed as if she knew me.  We bonded.

My favorite writer and Mac fan boy, Andy Ihnatko, has had HIS iPad for a week already and is GUSHING about how AWESOME it is.  All the other high profile writers have theirs as well and are writing like crazy.  Here's a good blog post with the run down. http://www.publicola.net/2010/04/01/early-reviews-of-the-apple-ipad-hit/

And yes, plenty of my eLearning peeps have been blogging about it.  The only difference being that they have not actually used, or even seen one yet. 

Honestly, I don't think their's much to talk about really.  Its all just too obvious.  The iPad is all the awesomesauce of the iPhone in a larger form factor for doing the things I CAN do, but DON'T LIKE to do, on my iPhone.  

Let's start with playing music.  No, not playing songs in iTunes.  I'm talking about replacing paper sheet music with the iPad.  I can't read a score…even a one-pager on my iPhone while jamming with the band.  but an iPad will sit nicely on the music stand and be easily readable.  Not only that, I can actually make annotations right on the music during practice with one band leader and then start from scratch when rehearsing with the next leader.  And OH SO MUCH more.  This alone is worth the price.  Wait!  Is this app even available?  Maybe I'm just hoping.

I have a long flight to Philadelphia on Thursday which I'm actually looking forward too…and I hate cross-country flights.  I may upgrade to first class for this trip just to experience 5 hours of uninterrupted iPad time in style ;-) I hope Keynote works as advertised because that's the purpose of the trip.  It will be fun to put the iPad through its paces and see how we do.

mLearnCon - Mobile Learning Conference and Expo- June - San Diego, CA
DevLearn 2010 Conference and Expo - November - San Francisco, CA