Considering the numerous changes going on in the government workplace, from increased use of mobile devices to tightening budgetary restrictions, now is a more important time that ever for trainers to stay abreast with the latest knowledge in their field.

This year, representatives from our partners at The Graduate School presented “Engaging Federal Learners Using New Technologies” to share their insights on best practices for high-quality distance learning. Below are the slides from this presentation, which will be especially insightful for trainers who are looking to leverage innovative technologies to enhance or extend the distance learning experience within their agencies:

I especially enjoyed The Graduate School’s discussion of asynchronous engagement, which allows learners to connect with training material outside the classroom and at the point of need.  With asynchronous learning, trainers can set up networks on wikis, blogs, and even social media to help learners communicate with one another to share practical information, even if they are unable to take classes in the same physical location.

I found the Annual Institute to be a valuable opportunity to learn specific best practices for federal agencies in today’s training environment, especially how technology can be leveraged for distance and asynchronous learning.  Be sure to visit the Training Officer’s Consortium website to learn more, and hopefully we’ll see you at the 2013 Annual Institute!

Thank you to the nearly 100 attendees for making our second Military Education & Training Blackboard User Group (METBUG) conference such a great success!  For those of you who were not able to join us, here is a short recap of what you missed!

Opportunities in Online Training

METBUG’s opening speaker was Col. Jeff Waechter of the Joint Forces Staff College, who spoke on his institution’s progress on creating a continuous learning environment for the joint warfighter.  Colonel Waechter emphasized the role that education plays in today’s military environment, which must face widespread and fast-paced challenges in the face of fiscal constraints.  He argued that online and distance education presents interactive and engaging learning opportunities for the military, and predicted that digital learning tools would play an expanded role in the future of Joint Forces education.

Next Generation SCORM & Social Learning

Later in the day, we heard presentations on topics ranging from mobile applications that can be leveraged for military learning to Blackboard-specific training strategies.  The keynote speaker, Advanced Distributed Learning’s Aaron Silvers, also gave a thought-provoking presentation on Project Tin Can and the next generation of SCROM.  Silvers emphasized that better media interaction and more accurate learner assessment will be key features of tomorrow’s e-learning software.  He also discussed the important role that informal learning and social networks can play in military training, and argued that future e-learning technologies should help foster this type of collaborative learning.

Maximizing Blackboard for Military

With Blackboard empowering thousands of military professionals around the world to foster learning, share information, and work collaboratively, we are proud to gather peers together to share experiences and best practices.   Attendees have already navigated the policies and procedures for implementing online learning and now want to maximize courseware, management, and cost savings.  Of course, aside from ensuring that METBUG attendees are making the most of the full capabilities of the Blackboard platform, there was plenty of time for socializing and networking after the full day of presentations!

Overall, METBUG 2012 was a highly informative meeting those across the military and intelligence training industry, especially those who leverage Blackboard solutions within their institutions.  To learn more about Blackboard’s military partnerships, visit our website and be sure to participate in future METBUG events!

Steven VanRoekel, Federal Chief Information Officer

Last month, I noticed a lot of buzz in the blogosphere and on Twitter related to policy developments in mobile government (or #mobilegov).  These conversations were largely driven by Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel’s National Dialogue on the Federal Mobility Strategy.  According to FedScoop, the goal of this Dialogue was to discuss ideas for implementing mobility in government and to find ways to expedite the adoption of emerging mobile technologies.

VanRoekel stated that his motivation to pursue a mobile government strategy was its potential to increase employee productivity, reduce technology costs, and streamline the acquisition process. Though a final version of the federal mobile strategy won’t be published until March 2012, I see the dialogue itself as a great step in promoting the many benefits of mobility in government.

The first step to embracing mobile is realizing that mobility is more than just a trend; it is a necessity.  Going mobile presents organizations of all kinds, from corporations to federal agencies, with the opportunity to leverage new technologies for cost savings and improved efficiency, benefits that can’t be overlooked in today’s economic climate.  This is especially true in government, where budget cuts and travel freezes deepen the need for mobile access to training and collaboration.

As an emerging movement within the U.S. government, mobility is also embodied by federal agencies that embrace social media and government-sponsored apps for mobile devices.  Social networks and apps not only serve as great vehicles for public engagement, but can also help federal employees stay connected with their agency when they are out of the office.  The growing adoption of these mobile opportunities highlights the readiness of government to further embrace mobile.

Other notable trends in government mobility, such as teleworking, have already led to increased productivity, reduced costs, and higher employee morale within those agencies that have adopted it so far.  Especially with these benefits in mind, I will be closely following the mobility movement as it grows over the next year.

I definitely plan on reading the completed Federal Mobility Strategy when it is published next month.  Until then, I’m interested to hear how you think this new mobility strategy will affect government agencies in the comment section below.  And of course, please let me know if you’d like to discuss these concrete examples of how Blackboard enables government mobility.

As an e-learning consultant here at Blackboard for over four years now, I work closely with Military Education institutions including the Department of Defense and other intelligence agencies, to implement e-learning programs.  I focus mainly on distance learning and I often advise clients who are just getting started with deploying online programs.

Blackboard has clients all over the world that continue to successfully implement online learning into their education plans.  These training programs can be divided into three major modes of delivery: resident, blended, and distance.

1) Resident-based instruction: This approach is common for clients who want to use Blackboard Learn to supplement a course that is primarily based on face-to-face, classroom-style learning.

2) Blended learning: This approach is one that is seen the most in the military, and is very successful in having a strong impact on learners.

What is blended learning?  Blended learning integrates face-to-face instruction with online learning.  Blended learning can be crafted in a way that best supports the mission of your institution.  Examples of this in the military combine some of the best resident-based instruction with highly collaborative solutions, such as Blackboard Learn, to facilitate a “continuous learning environment.”  This continuous learning environment helps military learners stay connected with new knowledge when they need it most, especially when they are outside the classroom.

3) Distance learning: Military clients are using Blackboard to recreate classroom-based learning environments entirely online.  This is done through online discussion threads, blogs, wikis, web-conferencing, etc.,  which work in concert to drive highly collaborative learning.  We even have a military academy that offers a Master’s degree program delivered exclusively online through Blackboard!

While there are many strategies to deliver education and training in the military, one thing remains constant: clients who use Blackboard in these three ways are doing so successfully.  Our clients have a solid grasp on the requirements of their institutions, and are making significant changes to the role that technology is having in and out of their classrooms.   These changes are creating better learner outcomes, costs savings, and efficiencies for military education programs.

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Are you interested in finding out more about how your military institution can enhance learning, even in the face of recent defense budget cuts?  Join me at an upcoming webinar entitled “Meeting Today’s Budget Cut Challenge With Blended Learning” to discuss how to sustain great military training through these difficult times.

Here are the details:

Date: February 15, 2012

Time: 2:00-3:00 PM EST

Register at: http://bit.ly/yvf0qA

I look forward to this opportunity to share how the most successful military institutions are using technology to impact their mission.  Until then, connect with me on Twitter at @DavidPalmerBb and follow @BbMilitaryGovt for real-time updates on the learning technology issues that matter most to your organization.

Here’s our solution: Blackboard Collaborate, a solution that delivers highly effective and engaging online instruction, meetings, and help—anywhere, any time—across your government agency.  Blackboard Collaborate combined with Blackboard Learn mimics face-to-face learning that many federal learners have grown accustomed to- but it’s cost effective.  So if your agency is ready to deliver succession planning, streamline knowledge transition, enhance collaborative learning, reduce training costs, and/or improve mission outcomes, Blackboard Collaborate is the solution for you.

Here are some top features of the Blackboard Collaborate solution that will deliver cost-effective results for your agency:

• Web Conferencing facilitates interactive instruction, help, and meetings through an enhanced user experience.

• Voice Authoring gives you the opportunity to create engaging and effective asynchronous learning by facilitating vocal instruction, collaboration, personalized coaching, and assessment.

When combined with solutions such as Blackboard Learn, your agency will also gain the ability to assess learning outcomes in real time to increase trainee success and measure which training programs are the most effective. Explore the ways that Blackboard Collaborate can help members of your agency stay connected and remain on-task with training plans, even in the face of today’s budget cuts and travel restrictions.

After years of classroom teaching, Silvers taught himself to create interactive learning experiences. His work with various clients eventually led Silvers to join ADL and become a contributor to the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM). As an early adopter of emerging technologies and lead content developer at ADL, Silvers prototyped content examples used around the world and across the e-learning industry.

Aaron consults on how technology enables and accelerates formal, experiential, and social learning. You can find Aaron Silvers online at his blog aaronsilvers.com and on Twitter at @aaronesilvers.

What is METBUG, you ask? It’s the Military Education & Training Blackboard User Group. It aims to bring current and prospective DoD Blackboard users together to find out what their peers are doing, learn from others’ experiences, and discuss relevant issues such as content development, and learner management.  Our first conference was a great success, so we are definitely looking forward to our second meeting on March 14, 2012 in Norfolk, VA.

For further information about METBUG and to register for the 2^nd Annual User Conference, be sure to check out metbug.org.  You can also find us on Twitter at @METBUGBb and on our Facebook page.

Capella U – A Case Study on For-Profit College Online Learning: A blog post examining one school’s successes in implementing online and continuous learning for its students.

Blackboard Learn for Sales Launch: An announcement of our exciting partnership with salesforce.com for the ultimate integration of sales and training!

What Will Army Learning Be Like in 2015? Online and Mobile:  Soldiers will soon be utilizing smart phones, tablet PCs, and other online and mobile technologies as a part of their training.  In this post, we discuss the advantages these capabilities will bring to the US Army by the year 2015.

5 Myths about Informal Learning:  How should professional educators define informal learning?  And how can informal learning impact results across your organization?  We explore these  and other questions in this much-discussed blog post.

Infographic: Online Students vs. Traditional Students : A blog post featuring an infographic that highlights the fast-growing trend towards online and blended learning across institutions of higher education.

From my perspective, these top posts show that our blog generates interest on a wide range of topics, from ways to enhance sales training to thought leadership on informal learning.  But are there any topics you want to see more of on the blog in 2012?  What types of posts interest you most?  We appreciate any feedback you have on the Next Level Learning blog, so please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below!

Mobile technologies are not only increasingly important in our daily lives, but are also playing a more substantial role in workplace training and education.  Here are just a few examples of mobile developments in various professional working and learning environments this year:

Corporations and Associations:  One interesting trend in corporate education this year was the integration of social media into workplace learning. Mobile education expert Gary Woodill has noted that the enhanced collaboration from social and mobile learning tools can benefit companies that adopt them early, especially by allowing employees to share best practices and ideas in real time.

Career Colleges:  Students at professional and career colleges often pursue their education while balancing commitments such as holding full-time jobs or raising a family.  Considering their busy lifestyles, these students depend on their schools’ online learning and mobile capabilities to take classes on-the-go.

For-profit colleges have the ability to offer highly accessible education largely because of their emphasis on the importance of IT.  Not only do they have a tendency to invest more in IT, however, but career colleges are also better at implementing student feedback into their online and digital offerings.  This ability to tailor e-learning courses to student needs is an important and growing trend, especially since the demand for online courses has exceeded the demand for traditional courses across all institutions of higher education.

Government:  Mobility is also an emerging trend within the U.S. government, as federal agencies are embracing social media and developing apps for mobile devices.  One of the more notable trends in government mobility has been the advent of government telework policies.  According to Federal Computer Week, teleworking has led to increased productivity, reduced costs, and even higher employee morale within those agencies that have adopted it so far.  We are definitely interested to watch this growing trend, especially as it influences federal employee training.

Military:  Earlier this year, we wrote about the U.S. Army’s selection of Android for its future smartphone operating system.  The Army is developing a specially designed mobile device to host the Android framework, and plans to create a suite of apps that could allow warfighters to access key information and data on the ground.

In addition, the Army also plans to implement mobile capabilities into its training regimen in the near future.  As is outlined in the Army’s Learning Concept for 2015, mobile and digital technologies will be vital to the future of training and continuous learning for its soldiers.  This will allow for enhanced peer-to-peer and social interaction in Army education, ensure that learning is not “location-dependent,” and will even create opportunities for learning outside of mandatory training.

From my perspective, this “trend” towards mobile is more than a just trend, but instead represents a significant change in the way we will learn and work in the foreseeable future.  Take smartphones as an example: many of the devices we use every day are essentially handheld computers, and the phone function seem like “just” an app on that device.  In other words, many of us have a very powerful mobile tool with us wherever our lives take us, and those mobile capabilities will become more and more integrated into our daily routines in the coming years.

Read how Blackboard can help your organization go mobile in 2012, and get ready for another year of new developments in workplace learning and training!

Here are some tips with real-world examples we want to highlight:

#1: Create custom pages: Not all Facebook pages are created equal.  When departments and agencies create custom pages, they are able to tailor their content in a way that is visually appealing and draws the viewer in.  Check out this engaging custom page from the Department of Veterans Affairs:

#2: Collaborate with groups that share your mission: Networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter should be just that: platforms for networking.  Sharing content with other groups can help spread the visibility of your agency and tap into networks you wouldn’t otherwise reach.  The Department of Health and Human Services does a great job with this on their Twitter page, especially through retweeting, hash tag use, and @-replying relevant Twitter handles:

#3: Engage in authentic conversation: Social media isn’t only a marketing tool for your latest government initiative, but should also serve as a platform for genuine engagement with the public.  Social media can also permit answering constituent questions, asking for public feedback, and sharing personal anecdotes to help your agency best interact with the public.  The Department of Homeland Security does a great job at these tasks on Facebook, as is exemplified by their sharing of pictures and stories that wouldn’t be found in the mainstream media:

From where I sit, social learning is next.  These examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to government employees embracing social tools and, of course, collaborating and learning from others is a part of that.  What have your experiences been with federal departments on social media?

One of the most interesting points Thalheimer makes in this post is that “we forget to minimize forgetting and improve remembering.”  In short, his point is that professional educators need to provide tools for memory retention so that knowledge gained during training can be used in the long term.  The article lists these three mechanisms that can help support remembering:

·         Aligning the learning and performance contexts

·         Providing retrieval practice

·         Utilizing spaced repetitions

According to Thalheimer, practicing these three strategies provides learners with chances to utilize their new knowledge in realistic scenarios, further improving their ability to retain what they have learned.

This emphasis on long-term memory and knowledge retention is something we highly value at Blackboard.  Our solutions such as Blackboard Learn provide the tools your organization needs to minimize forgetting and improve remembering of critical knowledge.  Blackboard provides a continuous learning environment that can empower your employees to engage in social learning, reach back to re-familiarize with course material, and even create custom learning plans to ensure that learning is relevant and effective.

What ways do you think you can minimize forgetting and improve retention within your organization?