Those of you who regularly read this blog are well aware of the many posts I’ve written opposing the “testing culture” that has invaded our schools. I’ve included quotes and referenced articles that have, generally, exposed a single aspect of this issue —- be it from the students’ side, the parents’ side, or the teachers’ side. However, with an article in THE AMERICAN SCHOLAR we have a more comprehensive analysis: “School Reform...
E-Learning is definitely the skills training standard today. And, it’s continuing to evolve. Initially, developers became excited about the technology and spent their time converting PowerPoints to the medium. Didn’t work! They are now learning to adopt multi-sensory learning as the better approach to education and training, particularly when skills acquisition is an ultimate goal. Many of the foundation skills and competencies — so critical to our schools and to the workplace...
A news item that was published in USA Today earlier this year provides an introduction to today’s post; “The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted to begin scaling back a program designed to help low-income Americans access the internet. The federal Lifeline program, established in 1985, provides discounted phone and internet service in poorer communities. The FCC expanded the program to include broadband last year, and has given participating households a $9.25...
We place so much emphasis on finding the right courseware for our employees — and, we should. But, I would suggest that it is nearly as important to partner with the right courseware supplier. Why? Because you will discover that the support you receive will be critical in determining the continuing success of your training initiatives. “ . . . Once you have identified the need, now is the time to source...
Although the article, “Simulations: The Next Generation of E-Learning” by Sarah Boehle is more than a decade old, many of her observations are still relevant today. While there is no hard research to prove the following quotes, logic will tell us that, in spite of the shaky percentages used, for most learners her conclusions are probably accurate: “ . . . The experts generally agree that simulations boost learning retention rates dramatically. ...
Too many people have forgotten the goals of “Skills Training.” Information transferal has begun to blur the lines. And unfortunately, the real losers will be those workers who need to learn the necessary skills their organizations require. The distinction between Education and Training has been clear for centuries. While “Education” is difficult to pin down, generally, the accepted definition revolves around the acquiring of Knowledge for one of a variety of purposes. ...