ASTD June Chapter Meeting
Speaker: Doug Marlowe
Topic: What's Wrong with My e-Learning? or "Please Click Next to Continue."
Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Time: 5:30 - 8:30 pm
Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise
Doug will present a paper on "What's Wrong with My e-Learning?" The talk will cover the pros and cons of e-Learning in light of its history and use in business over the last 20 years.
For more information, go to http://www.astdftl.org/.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Business Writing Redux
A curious thing happened last month. I was asked to teach a course on business writing to a local hospital's IT department. It seemed that the IT Director was sick and tired of reading illiterate memos, reports, and letters. Her biggest complaint was that her people had forgotten how to write a formal letter with concise paragraphs. In addition, spelling, punctuation, and grammar were in need of CPR.
The first step in fixing a problem like this is to get everyone to agree on a standard reference book. The book I chose to use as a text for the course was the Business Style Handbook, by Helen Cunningham and Brenda Greene. In addition, I like to use The Gregg Reference Manual by William A. Sabin.
Well, it took about six hours and we covered punctuation, grammar, spelling, formal and informal styles, writing exercises, discussion, discussion, and more discussion, especially about how to separate the new-speak of texting from the business-centric world of a professional life.
I'm hoping that the result of the workshop was that the participants came away with a commitment and confidence to write better. The feedback immediately after and a few weeks later was very positive.
In closing, everyone can benefit from learning (or relearning as the case may be) proper English usage. If we allow ourselves and our employees, managers, and coworkers to abuse the language, then we allow our society to descend into babble, where neither of us truly understands what the other is saying.
Comments?
The first step in fixing a problem like this is to get everyone to agree on a standard reference book. The book I chose to use as a text for the course was the Business Style Handbook, by Helen Cunningham and Brenda Greene. In addition, I like to use The Gregg Reference Manual by William A. Sabin.
Well, it took about six hours and we covered punctuation, grammar, spelling, formal and informal styles, writing exercises, discussion, discussion, and more discussion, especially about how to separate the new-speak of texting from the business-centric world of a professional life.
I'm hoping that the result of the workshop was that the participants came away with a commitment and confidence to write better. The feedback immediately after and a few weeks later was very positive.
In closing, everyone can benefit from learning (or relearning as the case may be) proper English usage. If we allow ourselves and our employees, managers, and coworkers to abuse the language, then we allow our society to descend into babble, where neither of us truly understands what the other is saying.
Comments?
Training in the UK
In March, I went to the UK for a month-long training assignment for a major telecom company. In four weeks I visited over a dozen sales offices in Scotland, England, and Wales. It was my third time over and I have to say I had been unimpressed before. Training overseas has its unique challenges. In Scotland, the dialects take some time to decipher. In England, it's their wicked sense of humor, and in Wales, it's both.
But as I said, before, the UK seemed grayer, dismal, lazy and stubborn. This time I found a new energy. The learners were enthusiastic, engaged, attentive, supportive, and motivated. In addition, management was firmly behind the initiative and once I started training, the news of my visit traveled fast.
In each of my training assignments to the UK, I've attempted to blend classroom, self-paced, and e-Learning together. So far, the feedback is this, "Ditch the CBT and give us classroom training with web-available simulations."
Works for me and when I showed them their software simulation, they ate it up and it spread like wildfire across 600 sales desks.
A month-long assignment seemed like forever when I landed in Heathrow Airport in London. It went fast, too fast.
Some tips for England Travel
1. Avoid Heathrow - Try Gatwick instead
2. Always buy your train tickets before 6PM the day before
3. Tipping is not common, but I still did it.
4. Avoid the fast-food restaurants, too expensive. Try the all-night take-aways instead. Personally, I rent an apartment/flat with a kitchen and stock up at Sainsbury's or Tesco. Eating out gets to be a bore after a few days.
5. Edinburgh - The George Hotel - Outstanding
6. Newcastle - The Royal Station - Victorian decay but close to everything
7. Birmingham - The Home Serviced Apartments on Granville - Outstanding, even amazing
8. London - The Chelsea Cloisters - Quiet, clean and comfortable in Kensington.
9. Avoid Heathrow, I can't say it enough and avoid British Airways, too.
10. London - Harrods is a must. I felt like I was five years old.
11. London - Portobello Road is the place for gifts.
12. London - Walk everywhere.
13. Fall, Winter, Spring, everyone wears a scarf. Get a long one and don't tie it, loop it.
14. Visit Stratford-on-Avon and see Shakspeare's grave.
15. Watch footy (football) especially Manchester United.
16. F--K is a common adjective, adverb, verb, and other colorful parts of speech.
In March, I went to the UK for a month-long training assignment for a major telecom company. In four weeks I visited over a dozen sales offices in Scotland, England, and Wales. It was my third time over and I have to say I had been unimpressed before. Training overseas has its unique challenges. In Scotland, the dialects take some time to decipher. In England, it's their wicked sense of humor, and in Wales, it's both.
But as I said, before, the UK seemed grayer, dismal, lazy and stubborn. This time I found a new energy. The learners were enthusiastic, engaged, attentive, supportive, and motivated. In addition, management was firmly behind the initiative and once I started training, the news of my visit traveled fast.
In each of my training assignments to the UK, I've attempted to blend classroom, self-paced, and e-Learning together. So far, the feedback is this, "Ditch the CBT and give us classroom training with web-available simulations."
Works for me and when I showed them their software simulation, they ate it up and it spread like wildfire across 600 sales desks.
A month-long assignment seemed like forever when I landed in Heathrow Airport in London. It went fast, too fast.
Some tips for England Travel
1. Avoid Heathrow - Try Gatwick instead
2. Always buy your train tickets before 6PM the day before
3. Tipping is not common, but I still did it.
4. Avoid the fast-food restaurants, too expensive. Try the all-night take-aways instead. Personally, I rent an apartment/flat with a kitchen and stock up at Sainsbury's or Tesco. Eating out gets to be a bore after a few days.
5. Edinburgh - The George Hotel - Outstanding
6. Newcastle - The Royal Station - Victorian decay but close to everything
7. Birmingham - The Home Serviced Apartments on Granville - Outstanding, even amazing
8. London - The Chelsea Cloisters - Quiet, clean and comfortable in Kensington.
9. Avoid Heathrow, I can't say it enough and avoid British Airways, too.
10. London - Harrods is a must. I felt like I was five years old.
11. London - Portobello Road is the place for gifts.
12. London - Walk everywhere.
13. Fall, Winter, Spring, everyone wears a scarf. Get a long one and don't tie it, loop it.
14. Visit Stratford-on-Avon and see Shakspeare's grave.
15. Watch footy (football) especially Manchester United.
16. F--K is a common adjective, adverb, verb, and other colorful parts of speech.
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