Business Education Talk

Fink's Five Principles of Good Course Design

2008-06-05T05:21:00.000-07:00

Fink's Five Principles of Good Course Design

Whether teaching young people or adult learners, most course design criteria are the same. This applies to the corporate world, as well as academia.

A "Good Course" is one which meets the following five standards:

Challenges students to higher level learning

Uses active forms of learning

Gives frequent and immediate feedback to students on the quality of their learning

Uses a structured sequence of different learning activities

Has a fair system for assessing and grading students

L. Dee Fink, University of Oklahoma Instructional Development Program, July 19, 1999.
http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/finks5.htm

Six Sigma: DMAIC

2008-06-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

As we have discussed before, Six Sigma is a powerful business strategy that utilizes data and facts, rather than intuition for making sound corporate decisions. The key methodology of Six Sigma is DMAIC:

Define process improvement goals that are consistent with customer demands and corporate goals

Measure key aspects of the current process and collect data

Analyze the data to verify cause-and-effect relationships

Improve the process based upon data analysis

Control to ensure that any deviations from target are corrected before they result in defects

Even if your organization does not wholeheartedly adopt Six Sigma, it can still benefit from many of its precepts.

Leveraging Technology – VI: Adobe Engage

2008-05-30T05:53:00.000-07:00

By now you may be wondering if I work in the marketing department for Adobe. Whereas that is not the case, I certainly am a fan of many of their products.

Most recently, I have become aware of the attributes of Engage software. As the company says, “Easy-to-use templates let you create rich-media interactivity in minutes. Choose from a wide range of interaction types, including process, timeline, pyramid diagram, labeled graphic, interactive FAQ, and more. The familiar Flash format allows interactions to integrate seamlessly into virtually any e-learning course, or even stand alone on any Web site.”

The whole idea is, of course, to create engaging interactive content to further reach your e-learning students, and attain your teaching goals. If you have the cash, give it a try!

Getting Buy-in

2008-05-28T05:09:00.001-07:00

Getting Buy-in is always a desirable goal. To do this, it is good to keep in mind that People Do Not Argue with Their Own Data. People are more likely to strongly believe something if they arrive at the idea themselves (or at least think they are arriving at it themselves.)

Presenting structured activities that generate the adult students' ideas, concepts, or techniques will facilitate learning more effectively than simply giving them information to remember.

Getting buy-in is important – perhaps essential.

Edmunds, C., K. Lowe, M. Murray, and A. Seymour. 1999. The Ultimate Educator. National Victim Assistance Academy (Advanced). Washington, DC

Six-Step Plan for Coaching

2008-05-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

The Six-Step Plan for Coaching includes the following. Use these steps for every coaching session:

Preparation
Set an objective
Open
Build rapport and state the purpose of meeting
Perceptions/Needs
Let the employee talk first and only then give perceptions
Identify and Remove Obstacles
This is where you get into mutual problem solving
Close/Acton Step
Agree to next steps and be sure to cheerlead!
Follow Up
Set a follow up date

Following these steps will add structure and consistency in your coaching sessions.

Leveraging Technology - V: TeacherTube

2008-05-23T06:03:00.000-07:00

Another great technology resource (that is Free!) is TeacherTube:

TeacherTube is an online community for sharing instructional videos. It is a site where teachers can post videos designed for students to view in order to learn a concept or skill.

Among other things, with TeacherTube, community members can:

Upload, tag and share videos worldwide.
Browse hundreds of videos uploaded by community members.
Integrate TeacherTube videos on websites using video embeds or APIs.
Make videos public or private - users can elect to broadcast their videos publicly or share them privately with those they invite.

TeacherTube - Try it out! http://www.teachertube.com/index.php

The Keirsey Tests

2008-05-21T05:15:00.000-07:00

The Keirsey Temperament and Character are interesting and resemble the Meyers-Briggs test. The following link takes you to a location on line (scored immediately.)

Participants will enjoy taking the tests and learning about themselves from the scores they receive. The scores can also be used by instructors at the beginning of courses to learn about students and better plan instructional strategies, emphases, and individualized responses.

http://www.keirsey.com/

Give it a try; it is interesting and rather fun...

Life Experiences and Learning

2008-05-20T05:17:00.000-07:00

I read the following quote on the web this morning. I am still trying to decide if I think it is true.

“The more life change events an adult encounters, the more likely he or she is to seek out learning opportunities. Just as stress increases as life-change events accumulate, the motivation to cope with change through engagement in a learning experience increases.”

Can it be true that the more we have experienced, the more we want to learn? I am going to have to think about this and come up with some examples.

Roots of Adult Learning Principles

2008-05-19T05:06:00.000-07:00

Since the 1970s, adult learning theory has been based on four assumptions:

As they mature, adults tend to prefer self-direction.
Adults' experiences are a rich resource for learning. Active participation in planned experiences—such as discussions or problem solving exercises can createa powerful learning experience.
Adult learners' needs and interests are the starting points and serve as guideposts for training activities.
Adults are competency-based learners, meaning that they want to learn a skill or acquire knowledge that they can apply to their immediate circumstances.

"The Ultimate Educator" by Edmunds, C., K. Lowe, M. Murray, and A. Seymour, 1999.

Leveraging Technology IV - Kindle

2008-05-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, I confess; I am an unrepentant technology and gadget freak. One of my current favorites is the Kindle e-book from Amazon. This wireless portable reading device has great appeal to tech-savvy readers, and it also has great potential for sharing information and learning.

Though the Kindle is primarily designed to purchase books from Amazon and then make it readable on a digital screen; it is also a mobile device that creates a connection to the Internet. The capacity to distribute educational materials with this ingenious technology is as yet an essentially untapped resource.

What educational possibilities will be realized through using Kindle in the future? Our imaginations are the only limit…

Using Humor to Engage Your Audience

2008-05-15T05:06:00.000-07:00

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I like to use humor in my presentations. I have always found it beneficial in engaging the participants, and it helps to improve student learning.

The creative development of humor in the virtual classroom deals with "how" to teach, not "what" to teach. The use of humor is a teaching tool that increases the amount of "what" that is actually learned by students. Using humor can have a very positive effect on any classroom (or boardroom) experience.

Don’t be afraid. Use some humor in your presentation. Your audience will be appreciative.

Coaching in the Workplace - Part IX

2008-05-13T05:14:00.001-07:00

We have discussed the need to use questions to get buy-in from the people we coach. There are questions and there are questions, however.

- Some go for depth in a helpful way and gain buy-in

- Others sound like a prosecuting attorney

When using questions, don't fall into the trap of sounding like an interragator. Find ways to make your questions supportive.

Six-Step Process Improvement Model - Introduction

2008-05-12T05:20:00.000-07:00

There are several related modern business methodologies that outline the stages for improving processes.

In the weeks ahead, we will explore one such methodology which incorporates the following steps:

Defining the problem in terms of the process
Identifying and documenting the process
Measuring performance
Understanding why
Developing and testing ideas
Implementing solutions and evaluating

As with all things, it is important to know where you are going, and how you are going to get there.

Leveraging Technology III - Moodle

2008-05-10T08:06:00.000-07:00

Moodle is a free software e-learning platform typically referred to as a Learning Management Systems (LMS). As of early 2008, it had a worldwide base of over 17 million users.

The construct of Moodle contends that learners can contribute to the educational experience in many ways. Moodle's features reflect an enormous range of possibilities in its design aspects (e.g. forum, learning activities, wikis, quizzes, and much more). It embraces a broad range of learning philosophies, from constructivism to focused outcome-oriented methodologies.

As has been discussed previously in this blog, the days of doing all training in traditional classroom settings is past. Fulfilling your company's educational requirements through the use of powerful tech solutions such as Moodle is not the future, it is now!

Coaching-In-Workplace-Part-VIII

2008-05-09T05:08:00.000-07:00

“Buy-in”; the word/phrase is used frequently in today’s business world. The question is, “how do you get “buy-in”?

The answer is in the form of questions and practiced skill:

Use questions when doing your coaching
Be patient and wait for the answer

Do not let the employee sidestep the question

Keep asking probing, leading questions

Listen to the answers

Let’s be clear; this is no “easy fix”. Using questions is quite likely contrary to your experience and training (if you are lucky enough to have had that luxury). It is a nonetheless worthy goal.

Get Buy-in!

Identifying Key Processes

2008-05-08T05:07:00.000-07:00

Knowing which of your processes are truly key to the success of your organization takes a bit of analysis.

Four questions can be used for identifying key processes:

Ask yourself:

Which outputs are of the greatest importance to our customers?

Which processes produce these outputs?

Which processes are most visible to our customers?

Of the processes identified in response to Questions 2 and 3, which seem to have the greatest potential for improvement?

Once you have identified your key processes, you will be well on your way to serving your customers better, and growing your business!

Leveraging Technology II

2008-05-07T05:25:00.001-07:00

As I have mentioned in an earlier blog, the days of doing all of your training in traditional classroom settings should be a memory of the past. Fulfilling your company's educational requirements by leveraging the multitude of tech solutions is not the future, it is now!

Another one of my favorite sets of training software is made by Articulate. Articulate Presenter is an easy to use and very powerful solution to e-learning. As their website says, "Presenter lets non-technical users create e-learning courses by adding narration and interactivity to a standard PowerPoint file. At the press of the button, your presentation is transformed into a compelling Flash-based course.”

It's true! It is easy and allows you to create very professional training modules with a minimum of effort (Wow, I should get paid for this…).

Once again, leverage technology; it is the wave of the present.

The Importance of Benchmarking

2008-05-06T05:19:00.000-07:00

Why is benchmarking important? Simply put, “If you do not know where you have been, how will you know how far you have come”? Another way to think about it is to ask yourself, “Well, I think we are doing well, but how do I really know”?

There are four basic ways of benchmarking. Think about which one may apply to you, your department, and/or your company:

Internal Benchmarking
Compares one department’s procedures to another
Competitive Benchmarking
Compares organization’s procedures to those of a direct competitor
Functional Benchmarking
Compares how dissimilar businesses perform similar functions
Generic Benchmarking
Searches for the “Best of the Best”

Benchmarking will help you know how far you have come, and how you stack up against the competition.

Coaching in the Workplace - Part VII

2008-05-05T05:08:00.000-07:00

"Lead by example" is such an old axiom it is not often heard in modern business discussions. It is nonetheless as valid in today's business world as it was in the past. Being a model for the behavior of others is a very worthy objective for any corporate coach.

During day-to-day coaching sessions, it is important that you be open to receiving feedback (as well as giving it…)
Be the model!

Measuring Learning with Kirkpatrick's Model

2008-05-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

It can be argued that it is pointless to provide instruction to people if you have no idea whether they are learning anything.

Donald Kirkpatrick first published his widely recognized four levels of learning model in 1959:

Reaction of student - what they thought about the training and the instructor
Learning - the resulting increase in knowledge or capability (can be measured with a pretest and posttest)
Behavior - extent of behavior and capability improvement and application to their job
Results - the effects on the business or environment resulting from the students' performance (often quantified in ROI)

If you do not know what your learners are gaining from your instruction, you cannot know if you are succeeding in your educational efforts.

Crosby’s Four Absolutes of Quality

2008-05-02T05:08:00.000-07:00

Phillip Crosby, PhD, former president of the American Society for Quality established four absolutes for quality performance. These "absolutes" are as applicable to service industries as they are to manufacturing:

Definition of quality is conformance to requirements, not goodness

System for causing quality is prevention, not appraisal

Performance standard is zero defects, not “that’s close enough”

Measurement of quality is the cost of nonconformance, not indexes

Although "zero defects" may be an impractical goal for most businesses, it nonetheless is an interesting a worthy ideal parameter. The broader point is, of course, to know what you are measuring and what the proper standard of measurement should be.

Leverage Technology

2008-05-01T04:43:00.000-07:00

The days of doing all training in traditional classroom settings is past. Fulfilling your company's educational requirements by leveraging the multitude of tech solutions is not the future, it is now!

One of my favorite pieces of training software is Adobe Captivate. As their website says, "Adobe Captivate 3 software enables anyone to rapidly create powerful and engaging simulations, scenario-based training, and robust quizzes without programming knowledge or multimedia skills."

It's true! With some experimentation and a little practice, you can create learning modules that can replace expensive, instructor-led training initiatives.

Leverage technology. It is the wave of the present.

Coaching in the Workplace - Part VI

2008-04-30T05:02:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the most important, and often underutilized, tool in truly effective coaching is Giving Praise.

Great companies and coaches take the time to recognize good work and good people
They also encourage their people to ask for recognition when it is not forthcoming
It’s good for your people to “toot their own horn”!

How do you feel when you get praise for doing something? You want to do more of it!

Processing: Getting “In” to Empty

2008-04-29T05:03:00.000-07:00

Another requirement of effective Time Management is the realization that you cannot (and should try to) do everything at once. What you should do, however, is have control over all of your "In" boxes, (physical and virtual):

Getting “In” to empty doesn’t mean actually doing all the actions and projects you have collected

It just means:

Identifying each item
Deciding what it is
What it means
What you are going to do with it

Once you have done that, you have control, and in effective time management, control is what it is all about.

Measuring Outputs

2008-04-28T05:10:00.000-07:00

The measurement of outputs in business is critical to any organization. What is important, of course, is making sure what is being measured is germaine to the success of the venture.

Two ways of measuring outputs are to look at the voice of the process and the voice of the customer:

The Voice of the Process

Output measures that describe the actual outputs and capabilities of the process

The Voice of the Customer

Output measures that describe customer’s needs, wants, and expectations

Both measurements are important to understand what is needed by the customer, and what the system is delivering to satisfy those needs.