Monthly Archives: January 2011

Googling the answer. How easy access to knowledge may be at the expense of analytical ability.

Posted on January 31, 2011 by julianstodd

You used to have to remember when the Battle of Hastings was and your twelve times table. Today, there’s Wikipedia and your mobile phone. It’s not just the way that we learn that is changing, it’s what we learn and … Continue reading →

Posted in Diagnostic tools, Knowledge, Theory | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Exploring the Twittersphere. The convergence of formal and informal spaces at the Learning Technology Conference.

Posted on January 28, 2011 by julianstodd

Some of the most interesting conversations i had at the Learning Technology Conference this week were around social media and, in particular, formal and informal networks. I found the conference to be a particularly useful example of these networks, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Formal Learning Spaces, Harshtags, Hashtags, Informal Learning Spaces, Spaces, Twitter, Twittersphere | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Selling snake oil. Why sometimes a little bit of common sense is worth any number of weak theories.

Posted on January 27, 2011 by julianstodd

At the Learning Technology Conference this week and struck by the mix of glorious innovation and plain old fashioned nonsense. It’s incredible the credibility that people attach to something if it’s written on a wall, stuck in a glossy brochure … Continue reading →

Posted in Theory | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Small can be beautiful. Why short, powerful stories can be more effective than novels in learning.

Posted on January 26, 2011 by julianstodd

Stories sit at the heart of communication; building rapport and empathy, creating and sharing schemas of shared understanding, imparting knowledge in a structured and predictable way. Stories can be long or short, good or bad, but they are familiar and … Continue reading →

Posted in E-Learning, Macro Stories, Micro Stories, Storytelling, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Lend me a pencil. The levelling nature of technology and it’s applications in learning.

Posted on January 25, 2011 by julianstodd

Technology is very much on my mind this week as we’re exhibiting at the Learning Technology event in London, but the transient nature of the beast was bought to my attention yesterday when one of my colleagues said ‘i don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, E-Learning, Engagement, Tablet, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Ten percent of the way. Reflections on motivation and learning from the blog so far.

Posted on January 24, 2011 by julianstodd

This is my twentieth article on the blog and my first targeted milestone. When I set out this year to try and capture some thoughts and ideas about Learning, i set myself some goals. I wanted to spend an hour … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, E-Learning, Motivation, Writing, xBox | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Who says i’m incompetent? Questioning the relevance of performance review in an interconnected age

Posted on January 21, 2011 by julianstodd

Businesses face a challenge of determining what makes a person ‘competent’ in role. They often do this through a process of Performance Review. Very much in vogue are competency frameworks, a reductionist approach that effectively produces a series of measures … Continue reading →

Posted in Assessment, Competency Framework, Competency Review, Formal Learning Spaces | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Who owns you? Identity and Ownership in social networks

Posted on January 20, 2011 by julianstodd

Informal Spaces are places that we choose to inhabit, to join other like minded people in a shared and communally owned place. Be it for contacting friends, finding knitting patterns or playing Warhammer, our motivation to be there may be … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Identity, Ownership | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

When is a Lavatory a Toilet? Getting bogged down in jargon…

Posted on January 19, 2011 by julianstodd

Sometimes i have to reset my brain to the particular flavour of acronym in use by a specific client. One man’s PBA is another man’s FW. What, for someone, is CBT is, for someone else, e-learning. To one person, Mobile Learning is flavour of … Continue reading →

Posted in Barriers to Learning, E-Learning, Engagement | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

When Worlds Collide – Trust and Honour in the convergence of formal and informal social networks

Posted on January 18, 2011 by julianstodd

This week, i’ve been working with a global organisation on the development of an online Mentoring space. Mentoring is an interesting topic, falling somewhere between a formal business activity and a highly informal personal development one. By it’s nature, it … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Engagement | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment