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I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.

– Alan Greenspan

I am very blessed to have an adventurous career so far. This could not have happened with out my wife’s support. She stood by my side and encouraged me to pursue my dreams. 2013 has been a heck of an year for us. We laughed, we cried, moved (again!!), we both became an year older and our relationship has entered its teens.

On this last day of the year 2013, i am sitting in my office reflecting on the year that just passed. Thinking of things i can do different, better, learn from my mistakes this thought comes up in my head that sums it up all.  I want to be less “I know” and be more”I understand”. When you say “I know” you have convinced yourself that there is nothing more to it but when you say “I understand” it is deep. Understanding is a deeper cognition where you are connecting the dots vs knowing is a gesture of shallow knowledge where you glanced over made some quick assumptions. The quote from Einstein sums this up very well

Any fool can know. The point is to understand.

– Albert Einstein

So there my friends thats my goal for 2014. Wishing you all a very happy new year. Lets make this world just a little better one day at a time.

PEACE!!

To all the learning tech people

I came across an article on forbes about failure in leadership training. In this the author has taken time to explain how the “training” methodology has failed especially for teaching leadership skills to people. Here is an exert from the article where the differences between training and development are explained.

1. Training blends to a norm – Development occurs beyond the norm.
2. Training focuses on technique/content/curriculum – Development focuses on people.
3. Training tests patience – Development tests courage.
4. Training focuses on the present – Development focuses on the future.
5. Training adheres to standards – Development focuses on maximizing potential.
6. Training is transactional – Development is transformational.
7. Training focuses on maintenance – Development focuses on growth.
8. Training focuses on the role – Development focuses on the person.
9. Training indoctrinates – Development educates.
10. Training maintains status quo – Development catalyzes innovation.
11. Training stifles culture – Development enriches culture.
12. Training encourages compliance – Development emphasizes performance.
13. Training focuses on efficiency – Development focuses on effectiveness.
14. Training focuses on problems – Development focuses on solutions.
15. Training focuses on reporting lines – Development expands influence.
16. Training places people in a box – Development frees them from the box.
17. Training is mechanical – Development is intellectual.
18. Training focuses on the knowns – Development explores the unknowns.
19. Training places people in a comfort zone – Development moves people beyond their comfort zones.
20. Training is finite – Development is infinite.

I want to stretch this argument little further and say this applies to all domains of knowledge. In the past decade (in reality little over a decade) a lot of time and money has been spent over training. Building training tools, technology, methodology, and content. This is what we all know it as the big “e-learning” industry. What has been forgotten in this goose chase of training is “learning”. I am sure many of my other learning colleagues will agree with me. A lot of time and money has been spent on how to deliver the content online/offline, browser/mobile app, flash or no flash on and on. We have not spent enough time to think how much the consumer of this content aka training is actually learning.

Giving a multiple choice quiz at the end of 15 page slide deck is not measuring learning. I was fortunate to work with some of the best instructional designers who get the concept of a fine balance between presenting the content so that users get it at the same time choosing the right pedagogical methods. I am big fan of learning by doing, capture the experience , inferential learning – let the users connects the dots in their learning space. This is what fundamentally differs us as a race.

Learning is a beautiful thing that happens in human cognition and we are still trying to understand the mechanics about the process. To all the learning technology, practitioners, content developers appreciate all your work but we are not done yet. There is still lot more for us to do.

First off a big round of applause to the course facilitators, guest speaker, support team and all who are involved in this initiative. The focus these efforts bring to startup community in edtech is much needed. I ardently agree with Wiley’s comments about grant money, it is great as long as you have it. Once the funding dries out the effort stops. I had my share of working on grant projects and there is so much work that hasn’t seen the world outside the walls of the universities. It disturbs me to see my tax dollars going to waste, dont get me wrong research is great, papers are wonderful but i think the money invested can get you more.

That was my motivation behind joining edstartup to force me to think hard and (may be) collaborate with like minded people that i am looking forward meeting through this course.