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    • Measurement Job Aid

    By Christine Martell | June 27, 2008

    Here is a link to a very interesting job aid created by Dr Will Thalheimer. It gives you things to think about (based on research) when you are designing evaluation for training. It is broken into sections by evaluation levels and provides best practice and rationale.

    You can download it to print out and reference the next time you are designing any kind of evaluation.

    And while you are there, poke around his blog. There is a lot there well worth reading.

    Topics: Training Tips | No Comments »

    Learning Frameworks

    By Christine Martell | June 25, 2008

    Here is an interesting chart from Ray Jimenez, PhD that he uses to illustrate his review of the new book Groundswell.

    Dr Jimenez identifies the type of social media which may be most appropriate for an audience based on the way they behave when they interact with it. He describes it this way:

    To help trainers analyze their participants, sort of a “technoprofile“, I developed a Framework to look at the types of learners. I divided them into an audience, actor, and creator based on their learning behaviors. Based on this framework, a trainer need to adjust the social media and social learning to use. For example, if the learners tended to be more audience, providing Podcasts, videos, and ability to read small presentations may appeal more. Whereas micro-games and exercises may appeal more to actors. And for creators the Wiki and Blog may have more high value.

    What do you think? The training community as a whole is still in the early stage of adopting social media. Should we be focusing on podcasts, videos, and online presentations? I know PodCascadia continues to be the most popular place on the chapter website. Is that more significant than we have realized? Learning Frameworks Video Comment “}

    Topics: - Social Learning SIG | 2 Comments »

    Improving New Hire Productivity Using Visual Thinking

    By Christine Martell | June 21, 2008

    Barrie facilitating

    Recently I attended the Senior Forum of ASTD-Cascadia program, Improve New Hire Productivity Using Visual Thinking. It was facilitated by Barrie Levinson, the Director of Consulting at Xplane

    Visual Business Cards

    To get us started thinking visually, we each got a blank card and drew a business card to explain what we do. When asked to reflect on what it was like to introduce yourself visually, and to hear others’ explanations, this is what participants reported:

    Pains and Gains

    Using a template on the wall, which you can see behind Barrie in the photo above, we explored what a new hire might be experiencing. Some of the pains included feeling confused, uncertain, incompetent, anxious, fearful and eager to please. The potential gains identified were for career, discovering a new neighborhood and restaurants, new challenges, new relationships and experience.

    Looking at the whole environment

    The next templates we filled in were to help us identify what someone might be thinking, hearing, seeing, saying and doing. We started with a role in our own offices on laptop size pages, which we could also add stickers to for more visual engagement.

    To explore all the roles perspectives in a new hire process, small groups filled in a one of Xplane big heads. Each one represented the people who might be involved in a new hire process: hiring manager, co-worker, shadow person, department head, hr/payroll/training, and the new employee.

    Mapping out how each person might intersect with the concept of new hire enabled us to see patterns across the roles. Feelings of anxiety mixed with excitement. You could see where there were similarities and differences.

    Looking at the timeline

    The next part of the process involved small groups looking at who is involved and what happens before someone is hired, on their first day, the first 30 days, and 31-60 days. Working with facilitators from Xplane, each group then listed best practices at each point.
    Outcomes from Xplane session

    Best Practices Pre-Hire

    Best Practices Day One

    Best Practices First 30 Days

    Best Practices 31-60 Days

    Overall

    It’s all about relationship building from pre-hire through 60 days.

    Many thanks to Barrie and Xplane for providing a glimpse into working visually. Also thanks to the participants who shared best practices from a wide range of organizations.

    Topics: Senior Forum | No Comments »

    Cascadia’s First CPLP Study Group - It’s a Wrap!

    By Shari Ward | June 14, 2008

    Wooo hoooo!!! The chapter’s first CPLP study group wrapped up today; all five participants aced the exam this week!! Today they wrote their CPLP Elevator Speeches, which they will continue to refine. With his or her speech at the ready, each participant will be able to clearly and succinctly articulate what the credential is and how it helps them add value to an organization. AWESOME!!!

    Then Kerri Nussbaum walked us through Chapter 4 of the Candidate Bulletin, which outlines the requirements for the Designing Learning work product. This was extremely helpful, as the bulletin can be a bit overwhelming and she broke it down into ‘digestible chunks’ and made connections between sections. The candidates really appreciated that approach.

    The group has decided to continue meeting over the summer as they prepare their work products for a September 1st submission deadline. They plan to review each others’ work product packages to get that critical “second set of eyes.” Of course, Kerri and I will be available for last-minute coaching.

    The past three months working with these folks has been inspiring. It has been wonderful to see them so supportive of each other. I get a little ‘verklempt’ just thinking of it. No, that’s not it…there’s just something in my eye, is all. <grin>

    It will be a pleasure to celebrate again toward the end of the year when these fine WLP professionals finally earn the designation they have worked so hard to attain. And we will be certain to share that celebration on the chapter’s website.

    So, when will you begin working on your certification? I’d love to hear from you and support you in your efforts.

    Topics: - Competency Model, ASTD Initiatives | 1 Comment »

    Why should I join national ASTD?

    By Kelly Orehovec | June 13, 2008

    Top 10 reasons I would not trade my ASTD National membership for anything!

    1. When I need activities to add to training that I am designing, I go to www.ASTD.org for ideas.
    2. I want to do “the best” training that we can at my company. I rely on the BEST awards that ASTD National gives annually to get ideas. http://www.astd.org/ASTD/aboutus/AwardsandBestPractices/bestAwards/bestWinners.htm
    3. I am building my confidence by earning my CPLP. http://www.astd.org/content/ASTDcertification/
    4. I use the ASTD communities to ask questions and get answers from a wide range of people in the industry. http://www.astd.org/communities/
    5. TD magazine is online and if I am missing a copy, I can always go the website to look up an article that was not as relevant at the time it fell through my mail slot. http://www.astd.org/TD/
    6. I like to know who is hiring for what in the training industry—it helps me stay current in my own job. http://jobs.astd.org/
    7. I love reading the new books that come out about training. As a member, I get discounts on that kind of stuff.
    8. I travel a lot. I like knowing what the other ASTD chapters are doing. http://www.astd.org/membership/chapters/
    9. Even though I have been in the industry for over 10 years, I still need to brush up on my skills. I use Infolines to help “train the trainer”. http://www.astd.org/content/publications/infoline/
    10. http://www.astd.org/communities/networks/OD_Leadership/ I am in the OD field and appreciate that ASTD places a special focus on OD and Leadership topics.

    Topics: ASTD Initiatives | 1 Comment »

    e-Learning Strategies, June 19-20 Profiles

    By Sandi Youngquist | June 9, 2008

    Welcome to the e-Learning Strategies course. You will spend two days together focusing on the practical application of e-learning principles. To start, we would like everyone to introduce themselves. Just tell us your name, briefly about your background, and why you are taking this class. For example,

    Hello, I’m Sandi. I have been a trainer and instructional designer, but have limited experience with e-learning.
    I’m here because I want to understand more about the strategies and gain additional background.

    We are looking forward to meeting each of you. Just add your post.

    Topics: - E-Learning Series | 12 Comments »

    I do new employee orientation when we hire, am I a trainer?

    By Kelly Orehovec | June 6, 2008

    Yes, you are!!! Even if you do not have the word “trainer” in your title, if you do new employee orientations, you are training! Orientations are prime opportunities for seasoned employees to share with new employees ideas about what makes the organization/company a great place to work. All of us train differently during new employee orientations.

    This post is not about how to conduct an orientation—it is to help us explore how we, as people who conduct the orientations—can benefit from learning some training basics that will help us when we give orientations. The goal is to make the employees’ first day memorable (yes, that includes the Benefits and Safety info) and to leave them wanting more. Right?

    So, how did we get those training skills to make our new employee orientations pop?

    What are other ways that we can learn more skills to make us do an even better job when we give new employee orientations?

    Topics: Are you new to training? | 1 Comment »

    Taste of the National ASTD conference

    By Christine Martell | June 4, 2008

    The annual ASTD International Conference and Expo (ICE) is wrapping up today in San Diego. There was quite a line up of speakers, and you can find many of the session handouts posted online .

    A number of people have been blogging and posting videos. You can find many of them on Technorati.

    Topics: Conferences | 2 Comments »

    Adapting our environment for accomodation

    By Christine Martell | June 2, 2008

    In the May newsletter of the Oregon Business Leadership Network(OBLN), Neil Ramano who is the Assistant Secretary of The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) within the Department of Labor shared this insight:

    I like to tell people who I meet about the people with the worst disabilities in the history of America… people who couldn’t even breath the air, who had to be sequestered in special clothing to protect them from possible infection, who had to have their health constantly monitored, who had no locomotion to move beyond three feet of their boundary, whose swallowing apparatus was so bad that special foods had to be invented for them, and whose ability to communicate was so poor that special communication devices were developed just for them. People are always so moved to hear about this… and then I say “And after they came back from the Moon…they brought with them the innovations and technologies that drive America today!”

    With “disability”, all we are talking about is helping people effectively deal with an environment. That’s what we did on the Moon… we helped human beings deal with an environment in which they could not function effectively. The problem wasn’t them. The problem was the environment. Now it is time for us to apply that same thinking to people with disabilities.The new techniques that we come up with, the innovation, the invention, the new ways of doing business, the universal designs… everything that we get out of it, is also going to have applications that are good for everybody.

    Designing environments for learning

    As training professionals, we know about setting up space to facilitate learning. We arrange chairs so everyone can see, use microphones so people can hear. We make sure everyone knows where the bathrooms are, when the breaks will be, and remind people to turn off their cell phones. We make sure there are vegetarian options for meals, provide a selection of beverage options. Really, we are quite good at making people who fall into the middle of the spectrum of possibilities feel comfortable and cared for.

    What about everybody else?

    Who else might we think about?

    Are you using the skills you have developed to include more learners to help others deal with your learning environment? What do you do?

    The Oregon Business Leaders Network offers insights every month in their Inclusion@Work newsletter. You can get a subscription for free.

    Topics: - Diversity | No Comments »

    Proposals & Contracts

    By Christine Martell | May 29, 2008

    Larry Fergusen presented a tip filled program for the Consultants SIG on lessons learned about proposals and contracts. Here are some tidbits that stood out for me:

    This only scratches the surface. Larry shared wisdom from his 15 years of consulting practice. What he has learned and some of the bumps along the way. He also told us about an upcoming series of webinars he will offer on setting fees. I’m sure they will be as value packed as this session was.

    If you are interested in receiving an invitation to the series on setting fees, email Larry larry@360compass.com

    Topics: -Consultants SIG | No Comments »

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