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Ten tips to build interactivity

Interactivity is a key component in the learning process. While it’s relatively easy for a teacher in a classroom to interact with the learners and, by ‘reading’ the situation, involve them in the learning process in the most effective ways, it’s much harder for those producing online learning materials. For one thing, they can only [...]

By | March 28th, 2013|Categories: Learning Technologies|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments

Ten characteristics of a great leader

According to ‘TEN – the Home of Leadership’, it’s easy to spot a great leader but much harder to be one. Leadership, it says, is about taking people with you on a journey with a common goal. Effective leaders are good at: Learning Strategy Creativity Goals Time Emotions Motivation Change Communication Responsibility   [...]

By | March 28th, 2013|Categories: Business, Lifestyle|Tags: , |0 Comments

It ain’t what you say, it’s the way that you say it

A recent study, published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication in the USA, has studied the impact of insulting comments about an article on readers’ capacity to understand the article’s content accurately. It has concluded that an abusive or offensive comment not only changes a reader’s response to what s/he’s read, it also changes her/his [...]

By | March 19th, 2013|Categories: Business, Learning Technologies|Tags: , , , , , , |2 Comments

How to buy the best, safely

Typically, buyers of learning materials want the best products at the least cost, in the shortest time cycles, with the minimum risk and from the best vendors. They also want ‘continuity’ from those from whom they buy.   Online learning is characterised by being produced by multi-disciplinary teams, to demanding project management requirements and – [...]

By | March 14th, 2013|Categories: Learning Technologies|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

The people aspects of learning

It’s all very well to promote the benefits of any or all forms of online learning – especially its flexibility - but people will only embrace this learning if they want to learn and are actively encouraged to do so by both their line and senior managers.   In addition to this managerial encouragement, there [...]

Facilitation skills’ methodology endorsed

Using facilitation skills expounded by Tony Mann, of Resource Strategic Change and senior examiner on APMG-International’s facilitation skills certification scheme, with the senior team at Premier Foods’ Hovis plant in Avonmouth, has proved extremely powerful, believes the Site Manufacturing Manager, Gordon Swanston. According to Gordon: “Our ability to very quickly coalesce as a [...]

By | March 7th, 2013|Categories: Business|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

Increasing engagement and motivation levels via Facilitation skills

According to Gordon Swanston, currently a Site Manufacturing Manager based in Avonmouth with the bakers, Hovis – part of Premier Foods Ltd, one of the benefits of applying facilitation tools and techniques is that both the facilitators and those who are ‘facilitated’ become much more engaged. He observed that, when he was working for British [...]

By | March 6th, 2013|Categories: Business|Tags: , , , , |5 Comments

Facilitation skills fan speaks out

Gordon Swanston, currently a Site Manufacturing Manager based in Avonmouth with the bakers, Hovis – part of Premier Foods Ltd – has been a fan of facilitation tools and techniques for some ten years. In that time, in various business contexts, Gordon has seen the application of these tools and techniques produce increased [...]

By | March 5th, 2013|Categories: Business|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

Facilitation skills launch

Quotes from Sir Winston Churchill were much in evidence at the official launch of APMG-International’s certification scheme in Facilitation skills. The scheme, which aims to teach candidates how to design, apply and use specific processes and tools in order to increase the success of programmes and projects, was launched at the Cabinet War Rooms – [...]

By | March 4th, 2013|Categories: Business|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

E-learning’s unlucky 13

A while ago, over 100 learning professionals were asked what one thing most annoys them about online learning materials. Their responses were both varied and – significantly – many. Of these, the 13 most annoying traits of online learning materials were:   Patronising the learner Having a section called ‘how to use this e-learning module’ [...]

By | March 2nd, 2013|Categories: Learning Technologies|Tags: , , |0 Comments