Sector diversity and Lofty values?

It is interesting that the ALT values are quite sector related, where as the engineering are quiet lofty ideals.  It would appear to me that as the role of the professional in the sector become more diverse as we see with the e-learning sector, then the values which the professional holds within it become more elevated and abstract.  The wide diversity of the engineering sector requires values which include, welfare and safety, the environment, identification of risks, remaining up to date, not misleading anyone and acting with integrity.  These too could be used by the e-learning professional aspiring to professionalism and indeed may become necessary as the diversification of the sector approaches that of the engineering sector.  I guess what I'm trying to say is that the professional values of the engineer could be used for the e-learning professional, but they couldn't be used visa versa.  Therefore are lofty values of much use or value, or as I'm beginning to believe, the route to professional recognition?

E-learning Prof values in MoD?

Ah would have been helpful to put my own ideas of values down as well!  I however, work in a sector devoid of e-learning understanding and actually delivering e-learning isn't what I do, but I spend a great deal of time espousing the merits of and cajoling and bulling others into hearing me out on the subject.  Therefore my experience of the e-learning professionals values within my field constitute:

1. An infectious enthusiasm for e-learning.

2. A commitment to Lead the discussion and persuade others.

3. To remain abreast of technology and its application and relevant pedagogy.

4. To understand the needs of the customer and deliver against it with confidence.

In the final analysis I much prefer the lofty and generic values of the engineering fraternity as outlined in Bronagh Powers doc.

11 December 2010, 11:40

The E-Learning Professional

An E-learning Professional is someone who develops, implements, evaluates, and administers online education in all fields of learning.  Through their efforts they advance the technical and institutional support for practitioners and encourage the dissemination of online education, its related technologies, necessary skills, and perspectives as a discipline.  They apply educational theories and research to online education and exchange ideas and engage in scholarly debate, promoting a professional discipline based on sound pedagogical theories.

Adapted from the vision statement of the World Association for Online Education (WAOE).

Deborah Judah Post - 15 November 2010, 22:41

This is quite strange!! Deborah's review of the Lit comes to the conclusions that the Kely Activities of a LT are: 

1. Actively seek to keep abreast of developments in learning technology

2. Facilitate access to learning technology expertise and services

3. Liase and collaborate with other units in the university having related interests and objectives

4. Act as consultant, mentor or change agent for other staff

5. Advise and assist with introduction of new technology into learning and teaching programmes.

This is almost my Job description for my secondary tasks at the DCAE.!!

The Envisaged E-Learning Professional Breakdown of DCAE by Current Roles

Below is an adaption of The Research Center for e-Learning Professional ‘5 kinds of e-Learning Professional.  I have broken them down into how I would envisage the departmental responsibility across the existing DCAE according to current function, future functions and level of understanding (and therefore training required). 

Instructional Designer - As Is - The leader of Design and Development phases, design an e-Learning course to deliver the Key Learning Points are required by the course sponsor.  Would require significant awareness training. 

Contents Specialist
 - Technology based Training Unit - Developers of specialist content and media. Manages the Content Management System and is responsible for finding, tagging and utilizing existing resources. Where external assistance for media development is  necessary the TBTU would assist in its specification, and Project/contract management.  Media development unaffected, Project and contracts management would require significant training. 

Instructor and Training Development Officers- As Is - Offer the educational help to implementation phase
 subsequently grades achievement.  Critical component to the system,  considerable training would be required to develop the skills and attitudes for wholesale implementation. 

Mentor
 / Coach - Support and encourage students to learn for themselves and become independent learners.  This role would be led by a specialist team, but coaching skills would be required as part of the wide instructor development program. 

Learning System Producer
 - Implementation
 manager who sets, maintains and manages the e-Learning system.  Responsible for the implementation of and development of standards.  Holds the executive responsibility for Continuous Improvement. 


These are some initial thoughts which I will need to refine over time as I believe we will be implementing Training Transformation on a huge scale in the not to distant future. 

Reference the ‘profession’, ‘elearning’, and ‘elearning professional’

Some thoughts....  I work for the MoD and the most glaringly obvious point to come out of my recent dealings with a world leader (apparently) in training was that they didn't understand our business and were always going to struggle to deliver it more effectively and efficiently than we did, despite the promise of e'learning huge swathes of our courses. The complexity of translating our requirement into their systems and therefore producing content was immense. What it has highlighted in my mind is that when asking questions of whether elearning professionals need to have educational  qualifications I would suggest no, but they do need a background in it. A few of my current cadre of instructional staff have  a Cert Ed but the remainder have a three week train the trainer course behind them.  I am now attempting to justify the upskilling of these instructors in order deliver in a modernised context.  The key point here is that they have Subject Matter Experts in their subject, they have taught / instructed in some way shape or form and now we are going to convert them into 'learning facilitators', but the skills they require are readily lifted from the educational world.  I have previously referred to reflection as a dirty word in the MoD but I value my instructors being able to do it.  Truth is the greatest challenge for us is to get the instructor to give up the all knowing position they currently hold and become more facilitative in their approach.  Instructional Designers need to understand the art of the possible, the content specialists deliver the media and the instructor deploys it as appropriate.  The Mentor role remains unchanged here except for the fact that some of the communications methods are text based rather than face to face.  Lastly, on the Japanese model, the system producer is where I see myself sitting. Putting it (the system) in, and making it grow and develop from a management perspective.

Jane Hart - Learning and Performance Technologies.

I'd become aware of Jane's Top 100 tools a few years ago after inviting her to speak at a Modern Learning Symposium at HMS Sultan a few years ago.  The  list of tools are extensive and provide not only learning tools but also performance enhancing tools which while not always useful to my direct role as a training manager within the Royal Navy, it has provided  a backdrop on which I can appreciate the widening possibilities when approaching a specific training intervention or problem. From the perspective of developing training in the Royal Navy the tools offered are often limited.  The vulnerability our systems to cyber attack means our draconian approach to e-security means that many are not usable.  The concept of collaboration or sharing is not natural to the Armed Forces in general. Information systems are slow, outdated and generally not well connected to the web and where they are the sites which can be visited are limited.  When Flash files or YouTube footage is outside the capability of the IT, the possibilities for Modernizing Learning become stunted. Regardless, the utility of this site to E-learning practitioners in general is positive. Thank you Jane.

Core activity 2.5: My Advice for reflective writing

Core activity 2.5: Guide To Reflective Writing for Students - My advice.

Good reflective writing by its nature is personal.  It is a ‘diary’ of thoughts and reflections which can or should demonstrate development of personal academic or professional thought.  Within this personal domain, fear of failure, ridicule or assessment criteria should be absent.  Students should feel at liberty to explain and demonstrate what they felt, how they understood, what mis-conceptions they were under, or misunderstandings they have uncovered.  Reflective writing in this sense is a personal journey to which there is no final destination other than knowledge and understanding. 

At which point reality kicks in. As a student you must demonstrate the above journey within the bounds of academia.  There must be structure and boundaries to your writing. Your rambling thoughts, lack of punctuation and or lack of direction needs to be expunged while retaining the essence of reflection. 

I would offer the broad directional signposts to assist your thinking and structure. Ask yourself the following:

1.   Something Happened?

2.   What Happened?

3.   So What?

4.   What Now?[1]

Asking the question, ‘Something happened?’ is a starter question for you to recognise that something significant did actually happen;  to assist in distinguishing an event out with, or amongst, the automatic functions which form the majority of our lives. Identifying what happened, provides the boundaries and recognition of change and the final questions enable you to explore meaning and possible development objectives.  These questions may seem to deliver a very different process to that of a personal reflective experience outlined in paragraph 1, but it does so in a manner which adds clarity and value to you the student not only in a learning sense but also from an academic perspective.  However, this academic perspective requires a little more understanding. To what end should you ask the four questions above? How does one determine significance?  These answers are to be found within the Framework for personal and professional development on H808[2].

Knowing that these writings and therefore thoughts will be critiqued, requires honesty from you and trust in the staff and mutual respect for your fellow students.  On occasions, discretion from staff and fellow students will be paramount.  What is clear is that reflective writing is a skill that you must develop. It takes time and will improve with effort. Courses where reflective writing skills are necessary should be constructed to enable students to develop these skills to an appropriate level prior to assessment.

One final point, if you have any concerns, ask. Not everyone finds this skill natural, but maybe that is what makes it valuable to us as learners. 

---

[1] CETL- Reusable Learning Objects, Reflective Writing, http://intralibrary.rlo-cetl.ac.uk:8080/intralibrary/open_virtual_file_path/i1026n24186t/reflective_writing/reflective_writing.html   accessed on 2/10/2010.

[2] H808 Course Guide, The Open University institute of Educational Technology, http://learn.open.ac.uk/file.php/6847/resources/ebook_h808_courseguide_e5i1_web024148_l3.pdf  accessed on 2/10/2010. 

PDP needs analysis grid – Competencies for a Modern Learning Solutions Practitioner

		How do you rate your own abilities to:	Yourself compared with other Practitioners					Comment
			Complete novice	Below average	Average	Above average	Expert
1	Consult	Explain theory supporting Modern Learning Solutions (MLS)				X
2		Maintain wide breadth of Learning Expertise			X
3		Debate, persuade and sell MLS vision to stakeholders				X
4		Outline Relevant Instructional Design Principles			X
5		demonstrate awareness of delivery platforms and uses of				X
6		demonstrate awareness of potential tools and uses of				X
7		demonstrate awareness of process, governance and QA, QC procedures.			X
8		Identify and understand issues in current training				X
9	Manage	Document and record keep			X
10		Develop appropriate governance procedures, QA, QM, Copyright etc.				X
11		Develop cost/benefit and impact analysis		X
12		Manage stakeholder expectations			X
13		Manage personal development capabilities /activities		X				Reflection, PDP and PDR. Eportfolio maintenance.
14	Develop & Implement	Write User Requirements Documents		X
15		Ability to select appropriate Target/s content				X
16		Understand Pro’s and Cons of chosen media				X
17		Analyse Training Material for Improvement			X
18		Assess Impact of Improving Training Material		X
19		Choose Appropriate Methods & Media for Learning			X
20		Develop action plan			X
21	Evaluate	Conduct in action reflection			X
22		Conduct Inval / Exval of delivered products or solutions			X
23		Conduct formal PPE			X