Looking ahead to how learners will learn on the job now and into the future can help shape how we support learners to embrace new technologies and new ways of sharing knowledge and information.
How will learners learn on the job in the next 10 years? 70%—informal, on the job, experience based, stretch projects and practice 20%—coaching, mentoring, developing through others 10%—formal learning interventions and structured courses. Charles Jennings research at Reuters sought to uncover how workers self reported on how they learnt new skills while on the job. He was also interested in how effective the formal face to face sessions he oversaw were in translating training into performance.
How will learners learn on the job in the next 10 years? 70%—informal, on the job, experience based, stretch projects and practice 20%—coaching, mentoring, developing through others 10%—formal learning interventions and structured courses.
We often think of sign ups to courses as Induction, the enrolment process, government paper work, facilities tours etc. With online learning we have to consider a wider induction, made up of 4 distinct introductions: Technology – Each learning technology you are using should be introduced in an activity that isnt directly connected to assessment or learning activites. Use these are getting to know you opportunities while the learners get to know the technology: Post an introduction to your forum Upload an image of themselves to the LMS Discuss their job role and overall personal aims Comment and build on insights shared by others Time Management – suggested strategies for taking responsibility for understanding deadlines. Made more critical is some learning is to be self paced. Consider regular email reminders, directed personal emails and phone calls to stragglers or those clearly not coping/participating. Consider informal face to face sessions to allow stragglers to catch up Collaborative – will your students being working together in some form of group project? Many learners struggle to work in teams in face to face situations. The weight of sifting ideas, reflecting, adjusting information and opinions, fighting to get their point included can be very difficult once these activities move online. Peer Review activities are the perfect way to introduce learners to collaborative learning. Group work has to be carefully supported by the trainer to be successful. Organising Information – most elearning courses, and indeed all training, still contain access to handout material – be it powerpoint, word documents, PDFs, sound files etc. We ’ ve all seen learners whose face to face folders are a shambles of unorganised paper and handouts. Same goes for digital learners. Support learners to build their digital literacy skills by modelling the organisation of information particularly for: - Storing and retrieving files Saving URLs and web address Following Industry blogs Creating and building networks
Digital literacy is the ability to effectively and critically navigate, evaluate and create information using a range of digital technologies. It requires one "to recognize and use that power, to manipulate and transform digital media, to distribute pervasively, and to easily adapt them to new forms". [1] Many of our learners struggle now with traditional forms of literacy, (the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently, and think critically about the written word. ) especially comfort with working with text based information from a variety of sources. Digital literacy does not replace traditional forms of literacy, it builds upon the foundation of traditional forms of literacy. [1] Digital literacy is the marrying of the two terms digital and literacy, however, it is much more than a combination of the two terms. Digital information is a symbolic representation of data, and literacy refers to the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently, and think critically about the written word. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_literacy
Social Networking Features Most learners will be already here. Question is if you go there what for? Some RTOs have delivered there, others marketed there. RTOs can use social media as a parallel form of communication with learners for example sharing news from the sector, training opportunities, jobs etc. Consider introducing learners to LinkedIn. Social networking is based on a certain structure that allow people to both express their individuality and meet people with similar interests. This structure includes having profiles, friends, blog posts, widgets, and usually something unique to that particular social networking website Profile. This is where you tell the world about yourself. Profiles contain basic information, like where you live and how old you are, and personality questions, like who's your favorite actor and what's your favorite book. Friends. Friends are trusted members of the site that are allowed to post comments on your profile or send you private messages. You can also keep tabs on how your friends are using social networking, such as when they post a new picture or update their profile. Friends are the heart and soul of social networking. It should be noted that not all social networks refer to them as 'friends' -- LinkedIn refers to them as 'connections -- but all social networks have a way to designate members as trusted. Groups. Most social networks use groups to help you find people with similar interests or engage in discussions on certain topics. A group can be anything from "Johnson High Class of '98" to "People Who Like Books" to "Doors Fans". They are both a way to connect with like-minded people and a way to identify your interests. Sometimes, groups are called by other names, such as the 'networks' on Facebook. Discussions. A primary focus of groups is to create interaction between users in the form of discussions. Most social networking websites support discussion boards for the groups, and many also allow members of the group to post pictures, music, video clips, and other tidbits related to the group. Often also called “status” Blogs. Another feature of some social networks is the ability to create your own blog entries.
Social Networking Features Most learners will be already here. Question is if you go there what for? Some RTOs have delivered there, others marketed there. RTOs can use social media as a parallel form of communication with learners for example sharing news from the sector, training opportunities, jobs etc. Consider introducing learners to LinkedIn. Social networking is based on a certain structure that allow people to both express their individuality and meet people with similar interests. This structure includes having profiles, friends, blog posts, widgets, and usually something unique to that particular social networking website Profile. This is where you tell the world about yourself. Profiles contain basic information, like where you live and how old you are, and personality questions, like who's your favorite actor and what's your favorite book. Friends. Friends are trusted members of the site that are allowed to post comments on your profile or send you private messages. You can also keep tabs on how your friends are using social networking, such as when they post a new picture or update their profile. Friends are the heart and soul of social networking. It should be noted that not all social networks refer to them as 'friends' -- LinkedIn refers to them as 'connections -- but all social networks have a way to designate members as trusted. Groups. Most social networks use groups to help you find people with similar interests or engage in discussions on certain topics. A group can be anything from "Johnson High Class of '98" to "People Who Like Books" to "Doors Fans". They are both a way to connect with like-minded people and a way to identify your interests. Sometimes, groups are called by other names, such as the 'networks' on Facebook. Discussions. A primary focus of groups is to create interaction between users in the form of discussions. Most social networking websites support discussion boards for the groups, and many also allow members of the group to post pictures, music, video clips, and other tidbits related to the group. Often also called “status” Blogs. Another feature of some social networks is the ability to create your own blog entries.