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A Multi-Tiered Approach to E-Book/E-Reader Training

March 31, 2011 By

“Remember, the main reading screen of the Nook is not a touchscreen.  I know it’s a bit counterintuitive, but just spend some time with the device, and you’ll get the hang of it.  Trust me.”

This was a common refrain that I found myself repeating during the Shifting Into OverDrive e-book/e-reader training sessions that I hosted alongside Digital Media Selector Chris Baker in support of our rollout for the circulation of the Barnes & Noble’s Nook device to our customers and increased marketing of our OverDrive collection.   I’ll be completely frank and perhaps a bit cavalier here: some e-readers and e-book platforms are counterintuitive to use and downright frustrating to work with; however, e-books are a game changer, and we would be remiss to ignore them outright and the subsequent learning needs that staff and customers have as they begin to work with this new technology.

E-books are a game changer, and we would be remiss to ignore them outright and the subsequent learning needs that staff and customers have as they begin to work with this new technology.

From my vantage point at the front of the classroom, I almost immediately noticed that my learners fell into two general camps each time we taught the session: those who were extremely curious about the technology and couldn’t keep their hands off the new Nooks and those who were tentative, who gave the device a quick one-over but hesitated to take it out of the case, turn it on, and start poking around a bit.

Granted, this generalized observation likely ignores the nuances of each learner’s personal situation, but taken as whole, it provides a good rule of thumb for how to approach e-book/e-reader training.  Some of your learners will need a bit of hand-holding, while others will want to explore the technologies independently.  Since we often cannot determine upfront the various learning needs of trainees before we deliver technology training, it’s important that our classes provide a blend of practical instruction and self-directed exploration.

Each of Gwinnett County Public Library’s Shifting Into OverDrive training classes — designed specifically for managers, librarians, and Library Help Line staff — lasted three hours, with the session broken into three approximately one-hour chunks.  Chris and I would begin class with an opening that invites discussion about the future of the print book and then dive into providing contextual information regarding how circulating e-books and e-readers benefits the library and customers, as well as covering common terminology in the discussion of e-books (file formats, DRM, authentication, etc).  The second chunk of class is your classic see-and-do.  Attendees mirror my steps while I demonstrate installing the pertinent e-book software on a PC, locating an item for download, and then transferring it onto the Nook.  In the final segment of class, after I’ve given a brief tour of the Nook, staff is invited to handle the e-reader and learn how it works by choosing 10 preset tasks to perform.  There is no instruction here just — staff tinkering with the device and learning how to make it work.  Of course, learners are encouraged to work together to complete the exercises and to ask questions if they get stuck.

After our training sessions concluded, we wanted to provide activities and tools to support learning back in the workplace.  Our Materials Management department sent a Nook to each branch a few weeks before we began circulating the devices to the public so that remaining line staff could have an opportunity to explore our new product.  Attendees of the original live training were given access to my annotated presentation and handouts, and were encouraged to reinforce their learning by teaching other staff members in their branch about the Nook and our OverDrive e-book platform.  Finally, Chris and I have created a couple of help videos about downloading titles from our OverDrive collection and transferring them to the Nook and to an iPhone (other videos, such as downloading and transferring to a Droid device, are in the planning stages).

As with any training, there is no one-size-fits-all model, but my hope is that by sharing GCPL’s multi-tiered approach, you’ll have a solid place to start.

Jay Turner

Jay Turner, Training Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library in Georgia, is responsible for all aspects of learning and development for a staff of 300+ employees. He considers himself a lifelong student, and delights in sharing his passion for learning with anyone willing to listen (much to their chagrin!) He is a library lifer, who began working in libraries as a teen and has worn almost every conceivable public services hat since. Jay’s diversity of experience helps him develop and deliver solutions that are creative, practical, and effective. He is a self-proclaimed information and tech junkie, who gets his fix by playing in his “digital sandbox” with new tools and neat ideas to make learning more accessible, more flexible, and more fun across any medium. He can be reached at jayturner[at]comcast.net.

Filed Under: E-readers/E-books, Feature Tagged With: , , ,

Training… Done GCPL Style!

November 17, 2010 By

My job as Training Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library has been a learning experience over the past four years. I’ve seen myriad changes and challenges during this time, but I’m excited about where we are with training in my organization, and eagerly look forward to the road ahead.

As a staff member of five years before assuming my current job as Training Manager, I witnessed firsthand how the library always placed a premium on developing staff. We had a magnificent in-house trainer, a well-endowed training budget to support external continuing education opportunities, a robust tuition reimbursement program geared toward growing our future librarians, and a culture that fostered learning. However, when I took the job, I knew that our existing model of mostly face-to-face learning was unsustainable. We were adding new buildings, more staff, and with gas prices on the rise post-Katrina, the cost of having staff constantly traveling for training — between branches, externally for seminars, and the cost of time away from the job — was straining the budget.

My primary focus since 2007 has been transitioning GCPL away from a mostly classroom-based training model to a blended learning approach that leverages e-learning and the classroom. Since 2008, we now offer about 90% of learning opportunities online, which may seem high for some, but it works for the current financial reality of my library. This is not to say, however, that GCPL has abandoned live training. We’re simply being more thoughtful about how we use it. Below I’ll explain the breakdown of our blend.

Self-Paced E-Learning
GCPL uses a learning management system from GeoLearning, which we refer to as the Playbook. The Playbook contains a catalog of roughly 300 courses from Skillsoft, which cover a range of soft and technical skills. I also regularly add to the catalog library-specific webinar archives and custom e-learning courses that I create specifically for my library. Now have about 450 total self-paced courses to fit a variety of learning needs for staff at all levels of the organization. Since the training is asynchronous, staff members can start and stop as their schedules permit. This form of learning is primarily used to meet continuing education goals, but is also used to meet other organizational training needs.

Self-paced e-learning at GCPL is often used for continuing education, but I author some courses internally to meet specific training needs.

Live, Virtual Classroom
A subscription to Webex’s Training Center is also bundled into the library’s LMS. We use Webex in a variety of ways. First, we offer webinars on general topics on a regularly scheduled basis as another method for providing continuing ed. We also use Webex occasionally during new hire training and gear the presentation style for classroom interaction, rather than a presentation where everyone just sits in and listen. Finally, we’ve begun using Webex for open Q&A sessions to provide just in time training.

Webex has a variety of uses. A new way that GCPL is utilizing Webex is for open Q&A sessions where staff can ask a SME (subject matter expect) anything relating to a predefined topic.

Classroom
GCPL employs approximately 300 people, and we realize that having large numbers of staff traveling between branches for training can be costly. However, there will be times, such as new hire training or when a strategic initiative is implemented, where live, instructor-led training is the best delivery method for meeting the need. In these instances, classroom-based training will be led by me and/or other members of our in-house Training Team, which consists of eight professional librarians who are experienced presenters and have completed portions of Bob Pike’s Train the Trainer Boot Camp. This ensures that staff receives the best possible learning experience from knowledgeable professionals.

External Conferences and Seminars
The new financial landscape has resulted in budget cuts throughout the library system, and funds for training and travel are no exception. In fact, money allocated for staff to attend local seminars is about one fifth the size of what was just three years ago. While we are currently able to continue supporting external learning opportunities, we have to be more conscious of who attends and their reasons for wanting to attend. Staff members who want to go to an external event must submit a Staff Development Approval Request, which must fit into the employee’s goals, and also receive approval through the supervisory chain.

On the Job Training
GCPL is fortunate to have, on average, two licensed and degreed librarians at each branch. These Public Services Librarians, under supervision of the branch’s managers, are responsible for delivering the on the job training that helps staff members excel (and survive!) in their daily work. The PSLs submit a monthly summary of their OJT activities to me, so that I’m attuned to the learning needs of the branches.

Implementing a blended approach has been a bona fide learning experience for me and the staff of Gwinnett County Public Library. Change can be simultaneously exciting, difficult, and necessary. I am blessed that the staff here have largely embraced the change and are thriving in our new approach to organizational learning.

Jay Turner

Jay Turner, Training Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library in Georgia, is responsible for all aspects of learning and development for a staff of 300+ employees. He considers himself a lifelong student, and delights in sharing his passion for learning with anyone willing to listen (much to their chagrin!) He is a library lifer, who began working in libraries as a teen and has worn almost every conceivable public services hat since. Jay’s diversity of experience helps him develop and deliver solutions that are creative, practical, and effective. He is a self-proclaimed information and tech junkie, who gets his fix by playing in his “digital sandbox” with new tools and neat ideas to make learning more accessible, more flexible, and more fun across any medium. He can be reached at jayturner[at]comcast.net.

Filed Under: LearnRT News, The Training Life Tagged With: ,

Never Leave Home Without It

October 5, 2010 By

I’m sure this has happened to you before, and if it has not, it’s only a matter of time before it does. Imagine: you’ve spent the past several weeks preparing a presentation for another organization. You’ve been in contact with their A/V person and they’ve assured you that all your equipment needs will be handled. They promise you a projector, speakers, Internet access – the works. You arrive on the morning of your presentation and find that someone on their end has dropped the ball. Sure, the projector is there, but where’s the VGA cable? Where are your speakers? And where the hell is your Internet access?!

Setting up a room for training or a presentation can be a harrowing experience, even for people who do this regularly. There are tons of details to cover and the logistics are exponentially more complicated to manage when working with a speaker from outside of your organization. In either case, you, as the presenter, must be prepared to overcome the unexpected challenge with aplomb. I learned very early on to bring more than a laptop to my presentation. After all, it’s not a day of training until something goes wrong. Here are the top five accessories, in no particular order that I believe every trainer should never leave home without:

1. An assortment of computer cables: I recommend carrying at minimum a VGA cable, Ethernet cable, a male-male audio cable, and an extension cord with multiple outlets. All of these items are inexpensive and it would be terrible to have your presentation ruined because you’re missing a $10 cable.

2. USB Drive: Always save your presentation locally to your hard drive and then separately to a removable USB drive. Hard drive failures can happen at the most inopportune times. By having your presentation on a removable medium, you can borrow someone else’s laptop in a pinch. I also encourage people not to rely on the Internet to show multimedia files during a presentation, and instead have those files saved on the USB drive.

3. Tetherable Cell Phone: Wireless Internet can be a fickle friend, so have a backup buddy just in case wireless decides to abandon you on presentation day. Many smart phones can be tethered to a computer and used as a modem, hence allowing your computer to use the phone’s data plan for accessing the Net. For instance, I can connect my Nokia N95 directly to my computer with a USB cable and use it as a wired modem, or I can activate the app JoikuSpot and use my phone as a wireless hotspot. Tethering definitely works for providing Internet access in a bind, but beware data usage fees.

4. Wireless mouse and keyboard: Sometimes you head into a presentation with no idea of how the room will be configured. Rearranging chairs and tables to your liking is relatively easy; however, the projector — and subsequently where you can place your laptop — is often fixed to one spot in the room. Work around this problem by carrying a decent wireless mouse and keyboard. I’m a fan of the (slightly archaic by tech standards) Microsoft 6000 wireless mouse and keyboard set, which can be bought in many places online for less than $40. The keyboard is sturdy and slim and both it and the mouse have a range of about 30 feet. You can use the mouse as a cordless presenter if you don’t already own a decent one.

5. Golf Pencils and Post-It Notes: Low-tech, but a must-have all the same. Golf pencils and stickies are good tools for collecting class input if you’re in a room without flipcharts or a whiteboard. Simply ask a question, have your audience write their responses on a sticky note, and then have them put the stickies on a wall.

I keep other sundry items tucked away in the pockets of my computer bag or in the trunk of my car, but the above list are items that I always have. What are some trainers’ first aid items you would never leave home without?

Jay Turner

Jay Turner, Training Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library in Georgia, is responsible for all aspects of learning and development for a staff of 300+ employees. He considers himself a lifelong student, and delights in sharing his passion for learning with anyone willing to listen (much to their chagrin!) He is a library lifer, who began working in libraries as a teen and has worn almost every conceivable public services hat since. Jay’s diversity of experience helps him develop and deliver solutions that are creative, practical, and effective. He is a self-proclaimed information and tech junkie, who gets his fix by playing in his “digital sandbox” with new tools and neat ideas to make learning more accessible, more flexible, and more fun across any medium. He can be reached at jayturner[at]comcast.net.

Filed Under: LearnRT News Tagged With: , ,

Put on Your Hard Hats!

August 24, 2010 By

Do you have an activity that works well for a customer service class?  Have you created a humorous video that learners in your classes always enjoy?  Maybe you’ve done a detailed study of webinar platforms and would like to share that information with others who could use it.  With the Learning Round Table’s new ALA Learning Wiki , you now have a platform to share your knowledge.

Over the course of the past several months, LearnRT has been constructing a dual-purpose wiki: a destination to serve as a comprehensive clearinghouse of tools and resources for those interested in learning and training in libraries, as well as providing an open forum for free-flowing discussion about training and learning.  We’re halfway to the finish line, but we could use the help of those who follow our blog.  The backbone of the ALA Learning Wiki is complete – that is, we have a structure in place to host tools and resources for learning and training, but we have very little content available thus far.  We invite you to help us build the wiki by adding tools and resources to the site that you believe can be useful to your fellow colleagues.  For our heartier readers, we also hope to discover a few wiki champions – people who’ll commit to posting at least five items per month through the end of December 2010.

The wiki is divided into seven broad sections:

Managing Training – Best Practices: Big picture issues of planning and managing a training program, and could include examples of curriculum plans, approaches to evaluating effectiveness, and policies and procedures for training programs.

Training Events – Best Practices: Tips and tricks for putting together effective classes and other training events.  This area also will include a wealth of resources on All Staff Days developed as a special project of LearnRT’s Emerging Leaders.

Training Materials and Resources: Materials related to specific class topics, such as outlines, lesson plans, activities, video tutorials, and slideshows.

E-Learning: Links to free and affordable self-paced courses and live webinars.

Trainers’ Tools: Recommended resources, reviews, advice, and comparisons of everything from webinar platforms to flipcharts.

Connections: A directory of colleagues who are involved in staff development, consultants, and professional organizations (e.g., the American Society of Training and Development [ASTD]).

Learn More: Reviews of books and articles, recommended websites, professional journals, and certificate and degree programs all relating to the training function.

It takes a village to raise a wiki, so we’ve made submitting content relatively simple.  Just sign up to become a member of the site and then follow the easy contribution guidelines to post.  With your help, the Learning Round Tables hopes to reach a critical mass of resources by January 1, 2011 so that we can officially launch the wiki to the rest of library land at ALA Midwinter in San Diego.  We feel confident that we can reach this goal, but we need the help of our readers, even if you only have one or two things to add.

Put on your hard hats, hop over to the wiki, and start helping us build!  Feel free to contact your wiki administrators Jay Turner (jturner@gwinnettpl.org) or Richard Mott (rmott@coj.net) if you have any questions, need assistance, or have suggestions for improving the site.

Jay Turner

Jay Turner, Training Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library in Georgia, is responsible for all aspects of learning and development for a staff of 300+ employees. He considers himself a lifelong student, and delights in sharing his passion for learning with anyone willing to listen (much to their chagrin!) He is a library lifer, who began working in libraries as a teen and has worn almost every conceivable public services hat since. Jay’s diversity of experience helps him develop and deliver solutions that are creative, practical, and effective. He is a self-proclaimed information and tech junkie, who gets his fix by playing in his “digital sandbox” with new tools and neat ideas to make learning more accessible, more flexible, and more fun across any medium. He can be reached at jayturner[at]comcast.net.

Filed Under: LearnRT News Tagged With: , ,

Welcome to the Machin(ima)

July 13, 2010 By

Yesterday I posted a video on ALA Connect of my library’s second annual Virtual Staff Day that generated a bit of interest.  Our own Peter Bromberg and a few other folks asked that I share how I created it.  Providing the play-by-play of how it was developed is a bit too much for one blog post.  You’ll need to attend future Learning Round Table events at ALA for more in-depth tricks like that.  However, let’s look at the basics of the cinematography technique – machinima — I used for Virtual Staff Day and some resources you can play with to get started in your foray into 3D storytelling.

GCPL Virtual Staff Day 2010 from jay turner on Vimeo.

Machinima is a style of film-making where a narrative is presented using 3D characters and environments culled from video games or virtual worlds.  Machinima is recorded directly from a video source (most commonly, your computer or game console) and additional editing is done to include music, sound, and special effects to enrich the story.   Getting started with machinima is simple.  All you need, aside from a computer with a good video card, is a gaming platform, screen capture software, and music and sound effects software.  The great part about it is that most of these items are available for free.  Let’s look at what you’ll need.

Platform

Like a real movie, machinima relies on the acting prowess of its thespians – in this case, the avatars.  Therefore, you should carefully consider what acting skills your avatars will need and then choose a virtual world/gaming platform where the 3D characters have the appropriate animations.  If you play the Sims or War Craft, as you can see in these eclectic videos, you already have a bevy of avatars with myriad poses.

If, however, you have the time to create your own film set, complete with custom avatars, background, lighting effects, and camera angles, you should definitely check out iClone 4.  This commercial software will set you back $150, although the free edition provides you ample tools to make your own machinima movie.

Use Exit Reality, a browser plug in that renders the Web in 3D, if you’re looking to create simple machinima with a singular background, a steady camera angle, and avatars with limited movement.  Simply launch ER from your browser, choose a webpage, select a 3D backdrop, and have a couple avatars visit a website together.  You can record simple footage of, say, the two avatars walking around a building constructed from your library’s website and talking about all the cool services that your organization provides online.  Here’s a quick machinima vid I created of a woman strolling into a library to get a new card.

Screen Capture

You’ll need to record your machinima after you’ve scripted your scene.  I recommend using the commercially available Camtasia, which has a free trial, for capturing crisp video in a variety of formats.  If cost is a concern, go with Hypercam, which also has the ability to capture video directly from your computer’s video card.  Video recorded with this free software will be slightly grainy and watermarked, but beggars can’t be choosers.

Music and Sound

Need some ambient music and sound effects to bring your machinima to life?  Hop over to ccMixter.org for Creative Commons licensed music or their sister site, FreeSound.org for a wealth of sound effects.  The more adventurous amongst us might want to give Myna, a free music maker akin to Fruity Loops, a try.  I’ve had this tool in my digital sandbox for a while now, but only recently used it to make a few music loops that I’ll use in an e-learning course and game I’m creating.  Beware: it’s addictive!

Trainers are always looking for innovative ways for engaging their audiences.  Machinima allows us to craft compelling presentations and stories without needing arrogant actors or blockbuster budgets.  I invite you all to try out these resources for creating machinima and then come back and share your masterpieces with the rest of us.

Jay Turner

Jay Turner, Training Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library in Georgia, is responsible for all aspects of learning and development for a staff of 300+ employees. He considers himself a lifelong student, and delights in sharing his passion for learning with anyone willing to listen (much to their chagrin!) He is a library lifer, who began working in libraries as a teen and has worn almost every conceivable public services hat since. Jay’s diversity of experience helps him develop and deliver solutions that are creative, practical, and effective. He is a self-proclaimed information and tech junkie, who gets his fix by playing in his “digital sandbox” with new tools and neat ideas to make learning more accessible, more flexible, and more fun across any medium. He can be reached at jayturner[at]comcast.net.

Filed Under: Cool Tools, Free Stuff Tagged With:

5 Things That Make You Look Like a Noob

June 1, 2010 By

This month marks my third anniversary as Training Manager for Gwinnett County Public Library and my fifth year working in training and development. As I prepare for my annual performance evaluation, I always like to clean up my cubicle as a symbol of receiving a new beginning. While I was tidying up the old hole in the wall, I found a notebook of handouts from a train the trainer session I attended five years ago. Alarm bells rang in my head. If I’d unearthed the notebook from the black hole that is my desk, then the dreaded video of my first recorded presentation was somewhere nearby. Surely enough the mini-DVD labeled “PB&J” (I was recorded demonstrating how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to my fellow trainees) was underneath a small hill of forgotten conference swag. I couldn’t resist playing the DVD for a good laugh, and boy did I get a belly full of laughter from watching it. My awkwardly stiff performance on that video forced me to reflect on my first year or so as a trainer. Inspired by some of my worst moments, I present to you: 5 Things That Make You Look Like a Noob – in no particular order.

1. Reading from your notes: Part of the training exercise for planning for my presentation was to write down the necessary steps on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich so that an alien could do it alone. When it was time for me to present, I was so nervous to speak in front of the group that I actually carried my notes with me and even read from them a couple of times. Nothing says uncomfortable and unprepared like reading from your presenter’s notes. This is true for webinars as well.

Nothing screams noob louder than appearing unprepared or uncomfortable.

2. Apologizing: I was stoked the very first time I taught a training class at my library. I was leading a four hour session that teaches new employees how to use the library’s ILS. I’d spent the previous week preparing, so that class would be perfect at show time. Things didn’t work the way I’d planned. Due to unplanned maintenance, I was forced to use a test version of a records database instead of the real one. I learned during my session that the database would often give cryptic error messages when certain steps were performed. I was not expecting this, so when one of these messages appeared, I would apologize to the class (and that was a lot of mea culpas!) I’ve since learned that you undermine your credibility as a presenter when you apologize repeatedly. If you say you’re sorry for an inconvenience, do it once and move on. Constant apologies draw more attention to problem and give the impression that you are not in control.

3. Dressing like the rest: The dress code at my library is business casual, and it is not uncommon to see me in the office wearing pressed slacks, a polo shirt, and sensible shoes. Early in my training career, I would teach class wearing my typical work attire. I’m no Tim Gunn, but I did find it problematic that new employees at the library thought I was a trainee and not the trainer based on my appearance. That only had to happen twice before I realized that as a presenter, I should always dress one step above the audience.

4. A long introduction: Most people don’t care about the history of your topic or how Merriam Webster defines it. Classroom time is invaluable, and blowing ten minutes on an inane intro is not a good use of it. Lead into your presentation with a solid opener – something that gets people moving, talking, and most importantly, thinking about the upcoming presentation.

5. Doing all the talking: It feels good to be the center of attention, and it’s one of the reasons why I enjoy my job. As a trainer, I can be an entertainer, motivator, and teacher – someone that people want to hear (or have to hear, depending on the circumstances). Early in my training career, I reveled in the spotlight and loved nothing more than receiving class evaluations with additional comments like, “Jay is so funny!”, or “This class was entertaining. Thanks for the good times.” The problem, I later realized, is that I was unintentionally making myself part of the subject matter, instead of the focusing solely on the learners. It took me a while to recognize the value in talking less and allowing my learners to have more meaningful interaction. If you’re doing more than 60% of the talking in your classroom, then it’s probably time to zip it.

This is only five of dozens of faux pas I’m guilty of committing. What are some noob mistakes that you’ve been guilty of? What advice would you give fledging trainers to save them some embarrassment along the way?

Jay Turner

Jay Turner, Training Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library in Georgia, is responsible for all aspects of learning and development for a staff of 300+ employees. He considers himself a lifelong student, and delights in sharing his passion for learning with anyone willing to listen (much to their chagrin!) He is a library lifer, who began working in libraries as a teen and has worn almost every conceivable public services hat since. Jay’s diversity of experience helps him develop and deliver solutions that are creative, practical, and effective. He is a self-proclaimed information and tech junkie, who gets his fix by playing in his “digital sandbox” with new tools and neat ideas to make learning more accessible, more flexible, and more fun across any medium. He can be reached at jayturner[at]comcast.net.

Filed Under: LearnRT News, Presentation Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Transfer of Training in a 2.0 World

March 10, 2010 By

If you follow ALA Learning, you’ve probably realized by now that I’m an e-learning addict. In my last post, Fighting for Attention, I shared some insight into how to add digital pizzazz to your e-learning efforts. Today I want to invite you to come and play inside my digital sandbox, and check out three intriguing tools I’ve been tinkering with to help with transferring knowledge from the classroom back to the work environment.
 

Twitter Gaming
I was a huge fan of Terminator and Terminator II: Judgment Day. Needless to say that was I stoked to learn that Sony would release another Terminator flick after the apocalyptic letdown that was Terminator III. Before the launch of Terminator Salvation, Sony cooked up Resistance 2018, an elaborate game using Twitter, in which members of the human resistance army were using Twitter to decode messages from Skynet. Players earned points by decoding the messages. As players earned points, they rose up the leader boards on the Resistance 2018 website and achieved higher rank in the army.

I’ve been experimenting with the setup of how to make a Terminator-esque Twitter game for my library. A spiel of this sort can be used as a follow up exercise for any class where you need to do a knowledge check. For example, I’ve created a basic reference e-learning module, and the “homework” portion of the class is a massive set of reference questions. While I believe in the value of having folks new to libraries demonstrate an understanding of reference resources, I heard seen in my evaluation surveys that new hires really dislike the chore answering the questions. For my next batch of new hires, I plan to use a Twitter game like Resistance 2018 in which I invite the new hires to use their Twitter accounts to answer reference questions sent by me. As in Resistance 2018, the person who answers a question the quickest with the correct answering (citing their source along the way) will receive the most points. I’ll set up a leader board on a private Sharepoint blog so the newbies can compete for bragging rights.
 

ExitReality
For years companies have valiantly attempted to transform casual web-browsing into an interactive 3D experience. Platforms like GoGoFrog and 3dxplorer can give you an overall feel for the web in three dimensions. Both sites have potential, but by and large, the result is a clunky 3D browser that subtracts – not add – value to your web surfing experience. ExitReality is one of those tools that I find absolutely useless when used as a method for web surfing; however, ExitReality serves as an outstanding three dimensional meeting platform.

ExitReality is a small plugin that, once downloaded onto a computer, turns any webpage into a 3D space based on a theme of your choosing. Turn a webpage into an apartment, dojo, movie theater, etc. The list goes on. Users can select from more than 100 available avatars and then begin chatting immediately – either with text or through VoIP, thanks to the dynamo that is Flash 10. Rooms vary in size, but most are large enough to comfortably handle a small group of 5-7 participants with plenty of space to move around.

Since the plugin automatically renders websites, you will find that pages that have many links on them are somewhat difficult to use in 3D. As a work around, I recommend designing your own simple webpage using Microsoft Word. Include a few links to material that supplement what was taught in class and then publish your site online using a free web hosting site, like X10 Hosting.

Consider using ExitReality as a live, real-time discussion forum for your learners to meet after class and discuss concepts or ask additional questions of instructors. The added layer of interactivity is nice, and the core functionality of multi-user chat with VoIP is well worth this 4.5mb download.

A 3D intro video to one of my e-learning classes shown on the big screen in Exit Reality.

 
Bubblr
Bubblr is an easy to use, web-based program that allows users to create comic strips from Flickr photos. After a strip is published, it can be printed, shared by email, or embedded in a blog. I envision Bubblr as a tool to where you can invite learners to demonstrate comprehension of class concepts by synthesizing their knowledge through a comic strip. For instance, I’ll be conducting an orientation soon to provide new employees with an overview of the library. As a follow up exercise, the new employees will need to create a short comic strip that demonstrates that they understand how our branches are arranged. Here is a quick strip that I put together to showcase this neat tool.

What online tools are you using to maximize training transfer?

Jay Turner

Jay Turner, Training Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library in Georgia, is responsible for all aspects of learning and development for a staff of 300+ employees. He considers himself a lifelong student, and delights in sharing his passion for learning with anyone willing to listen (much to their chagrin!) He is a library lifer, who began working in libraries as a teen and has worn almost every conceivable public services hat since. Jay’s diversity of experience helps him develop and deliver solutions that are creative, practical, and effective. He is a self-proclaimed information and tech junkie, who gets his fix by playing in his “digital sandbox” with new tools and neat ideas to make learning more accessible, more flexible, and more fun across any medium. He can be reached at jayturner[at]comcast.net.

Filed Under: Cool Tools, E-Learning, Technology Tagged With: , , , ,

20 Questions for Just That Guy

January 20, 2010 By

1. Your One Sentence Bio
Just that guy.

2. Do you blog? If yes, how did you come up with your blog name?
Yes, but only on ALA Learning. I have much respect and admiration for the other authors here who run their own blogs or who are writing books. I think I must have a case of permanent writer’s block or something. I’ve been going by the online moniker Lawless Librarian for a while now. I believe in the rules – I just believe more strongly that they do not apply to me. Don’t tell my boss I said that!

3. What is your professional background?
I’m a library lifer. I started shelving books at the tender age of 15, and 15 years later, here I am. I’ve worn almost every conceivable public services hat, and I try to bring that diversity of knowledge to my current role as Training Manager.

4. What training do you do? staff? patrons? types of classes?
I do staff training in a blended learning environment. I’m the Inspector Gadget of library learning. It’s rare that I’ll find a concept, tool, or trick that I don’t want to apply to training. I subject my willing (and unwilling) guinea pigs to radioactive live and virtual ILT and neuron-nuking self-paced training. Training topics run the gamut: we have a new hire onboarding program where the Training Team and I will teach the fundamental skills necessary to work in the library. We also offer a ton of continuing education — roughly 80% online and 20% face-to-face – that covers topics of interest like customer service, readers’ advisory, and communication skills..

5. What training do you think is most important to libraries right now?
I think the most important training libraries need right now would be along the lines of helping staff members help customers who need help helping themselves. Try saying that three times fast.

6. Where do you get your training?
I steal it from little kids and old ladies. You might be next, so watch out. Seriously, I’m constantly online looking for supplemental learning assets. I’ve found great content from places like the Ken Blanchard Companies, SirsiDynix Institute, Webjunction, InfoPeople, and Training Zone. I often get inspiration and ideas from notable trainers like Elliot Masie and Bob Pike.

7. How do you keep up?
Rather poorly.

8. What do you think are the biggest challenges libraries are facing right now?
((Usage)^2 +(Funding)^-1) = NOT good

9. What are biggest challenges for trainers?
Budget. Learner engagement. Getting folks to realize that some performance issues are not training issues.

10. What exciting things are you doing training wise?
I’m currently working on my library’s second annual virtual staff day. Another exciting project I’m currently working on is teaching the basics of my library’s circulation guidelines using characters from the Street Fighter games. Hadoken!

11. What do you wish were you doing?
Running my own pizza shop in the mountains of Appalachia.

12. What would you do with a badger?
Give it dredlocks and parade it around town as my long-lost twin.
13. What’s your favorite food?
I’m not picky. You could give me bread and water every day and I’d be fine with it.

14. What’s your take on handshakes?
They’re a little gross, if ask me. Germs, germs, germs!

15. How did you get into this line of work?
A great mentor and happenstance.

16. What is the best part of your job?
I’ll echo what others have said here: it feels great to know that the things I do, no matter how big or small, can help staff members serve our community. How awesome is that?!

17. Why should someone else follow in your shoes?
Like shaking hands, following in someone else’s shoes is a little gross. Seriously, who knows where those feet have been? Buy your own pair.

18. Sushi or hamburger?
How about a sushi-burger, or some cow carcass-sushi?
19. LSW or ALA?
If by LSW you mean Lego Star Wars, then I’m with LSW.
20. What one person in the world do you want to have lunch with and why?
Axl Rose so I can learn how to do the snake dance. Yes, I’m still stuck in the 80s.

Jay Turner

Jay Turner, Training Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library in Georgia, is responsible for all aspects of learning and development for a staff of 300+ employees. He considers himself a lifelong student, and delights in sharing his passion for learning with anyone willing to listen (much to their chagrin!) He is a library lifer, who began working in libraries as a teen and has worn almost every conceivable public services hat since. Jay’s diversity of experience helps him develop and deliver solutions that are creative, practical, and effective. He is a self-proclaimed information and tech junkie, who gets his fix by playing in his “digital sandbox” with new tools and neat ideas to make learning more accessible, more flexible, and more fun across any medium. He can be reached at jayturner[at]comcast.net.

Filed Under: The Training Life Tagged With: , , , ,

Fighting for Attention: Engaging E-Learning Hacks

December 21, 2009 By

Designing e-learning is my creative passion. I get stoked at the prospect of authoring a course that is fun, engaging, and appealing to learners. As an erstwhile student and current professional, I’ve taken scores of self-paced e-learning courses over the years. I’m often astonished by how static and dull most of these presentations are. Granted, there are technical limitations (and in some cases, design standards) that dictate how much multimedia can be used in self-paced course modules. However, smart uses of multimedia in online courses can help capture attention, which is fundamental to facilitating the learning process. Below you’ll find some of my favorite hacks for adding pizzazz to online presentations. Be sure to adhere to the terms of service of each resource listed… and be a good librarian by respecting copyright.

Let’s Get Visual

If you are in need of fun photorealistic visuals, but you are not a Photoshop pro, check out 3dVia’s 3D Collage app. This neat Facebook application allows you to design hybrid 2D/3D images by using a photograph as a backdrop and importing 3D models into the scene. 3D Collage is fast, fun, and free. Simply upload your own 2D image into the program or snag one from Flickr, locate a 3D model from inside the app’s library, and then publish the output to your Facebook profile. Once the picture has been published, simply save a copy of it and paste it into your e-learning course. I’m currently working on a point-and-click adventure about customer experience, and I’ve used 3D Collage to develop all the in-game images.

Hit learners with a quick shot of fun and creativity by using any of these e-learning hacks.

Hit learners with a quick shot of fun and creativity by using any of these e-learning hacks.


Of course there are times when you may need to add video to your e-learning modules. Youtube is an excellent clearinghouse for finding video assets. Depending on your authoring tool, however, streaming videos can present a challenge. If you are using Adobe Captivate 4, there is an excellent Youtube widget that allows for streaming directly to your Captivate presentation. If you do not have Captivate 4, you can likely import the Youtube video as a Flash video file. To save Youtube video as FLV, simply go to KeepVid, enter the URL of the video you want snag, download the file, and then save it as an FLV. Voila! You should now be able to insert the Flash video into your presentation. This tip is useful for authoring tools like Articulate and the free online course builder, Udutu.

Another hack I commonly use is recording screencasts to demonstrate processes. Screencasts are digital recordings of computer screen output. You do not need anything expensive like the commercial version of Camtasia to record one. It’s possible to make a screencast directly from your browser by using Screencast-o-matic.com. Screencast-o-matic integrates with Youtube so that you have a place to host your screencasts for free, provided you have a Youtube account. After recording the screencast, simply upload it to YouTube from the Screencast-o-matic interface. You can link to the screencast, stream it during a course if you are using Captivate’s Youtube widget, or you can rip the FLV file using KeepVid.

It’s Not What You Say, but How You Say It

I prefer self-paced e-learning modules that have audio narration (with the option to mute in the event that the narrator is terrible!) When recording audio, course authors must be mindful of sound quality and audio level. A best practice that I recommend is to record the audio separately, using an editor like the freeware Audacity, and then optimize the audio before importing it into a course. This ensures that all slides have equal sound levels. You can also use Audacity for more creative purposes. Consider applying a voice filter to the narration of an objective slide for a change in pace. If you are using characters or agents in your e-learning, you can also apply filters to their voices for a bit of variety. Here are my three favorite custom filters for Audacity and directions for creating each.

Robot Voice Filter:
1. Record voice
2. Highlight selection
3. Go to Effect, then scroll down to Delay
4. Change the Decay amount 10
5. Change the Delay time to .009
6. Change the Number of Echoes to 30, then click OK
7. Go back to Effect, and repeat Delay four times.
8. Play your edited track

Chipmunk filter:
1. Record voice
2. Highlight selection
3. Go to Effect, then select Change Pitch
4. Modify the Percent Change to 117.50
5. Play your edited track

Walkie-Talkie Filter:
1. Record voice
2. Highlight selection
3. Go to Effect, then FFT Filter
4. Click on purple line and drag it up to the top (12db)
5. Click 10000Hz
6. Click OK
7. Click Effect, then High Pass Filter
8. Change Cutoff Frequency to 2000, then click OK
9. Repeat this process 2 times
10. Play your edited track

Have fun using these hacks, but resist the urge of inserting too many. There is no substitute to sound instructional design.

Jay Turner

Jay Turner, Training Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library in Georgia, is responsible for all aspects of learning and development for a staff of 300+ employees. He considers himself a lifelong student, and delights in sharing his passion for learning with anyone willing to listen (much to their chagrin!) He is a library lifer, who began working in libraries as a teen and has worn almost every conceivable public services hat since. Jay’s diversity of experience helps him develop and deliver solutions that are creative, practical, and effective. He is a self-proclaimed information and tech junkie, who gets his fix by playing in his “digital sandbox” with new tools and neat ideas to make learning more accessible, more flexible, and more fun across any medium. He can be reached at jayturner[at]comcast.net.

Filed Under: Asynchronous Learning, Cool Tools, E-Learning, Screencasting Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Trainers as Stewards of Change

October 19, 2009 By

Confronting change in the library is more frightful than discovering the first hints of gray hair on your 30th birthday.  Both are very real in my world now.  Just like dealing with the turmoil of finding those gray whiskers, dealing with organizational change is an intensely emotional, personal process.   As learning and performance leaders, we’re often called upon to help shepherd this transition process, so that it is as brief and painless as possible.

Shepherding the process is a challenge that tests the mettle of even the most experienced leaders.  Each situation is different, and what works in one situation might not work in the next.  Even though I’m (technically) a greybeard now, I cannot say that I possess the wisdom of Gandalf the Grey.  I don’t have all the answers when it comes to dealing with organizational change.  However, I do know that leaders must be sensitive to individual needs when acting as stewards of transition.  We have to keep staff members performing, even when the uncertainty of change leaves them feeling powerless.  Below are a few nuggets I’d like to offer for sensitively addressing organizational change with staff members:

Nobody wants your workshop

You cannot throw a class about change at your staff and expect it to be a panacea.  This isn’t to say that your presentation about navigating the stages of change is bunk. It’s not.  Just keep in mind that staff members are less likely to care about your workshop when they’re feeling anxious, scared, and depressed.  Share your valuable knowledge more so as a coach rather than as a trainer.  For example, consider meeting with smaller groups, allowing individuals a chance to discuss their fears and thoughts, and then organically work your insight into the conversation.  Reach, don’t teach.

Raise awareness of the power of reaction

A change exercise that I’ve used in recent group discussions is to challenge staff members to imagine a situation where the library has infinite resources.  I’ll ask everyone to draw a picture of the perfect library.  After a minute, I’ll change my mind and then require everyone to draw a picture of their dream house.  Momentarily, I’ll change my mind again and ask that they draw something else.

Eventually, people figure out that this is an exercise about reacting to change.  I go on to ask the group to discuss their own reactions to the exercise.  A conversation naturally builds.  I’ll facilitate the discussion asking questions, such as:  What reactions did you observe when I kept changing the expectations?  What are reactions to our organization’s current changes?  How are your reactions and the reactions of others affecting the morale of your work unit?  What are some methods for better managing your reactions?

We are so caught up in our own worry and fear that we fail to realize how our emotional responses affect the energy of others.  Raising awareness of the power of reaction through dialog empowers staff to explore ways to constructively work through their feelings.

Challenge people to step up

Many of us tend to hide when the going gets tough.  However, I encourage staff to look for opportunities to shine.   When I’m discussing change, I challenge staff members to develop a list of areas that they can directly affect for the better and strategies for affecting positive change.  For example, if a line staff member notices that morale is low is her department, I’ll ask her what are two or three things that she can do right now to help boost morale even though she is not a titular leader.

Change can provide a perfect stage for people to be recognized as valuable assets to the organization.  Remind staff not to hide, but rather to find ways to step up.  Encourage them to stretch by building new skills, working outside of their comfort zone, and taking on the unenviable tasks.

I’m sure that the stress of change in my workplace has contributed to a few of the grey hairs I’ve found lurking in my locks.  As with any change, people (myself included) are forced to let go of the old and transition to the new.  As leaders within our organizations, it’s our responsibility to sensitively help staff navigate through their own transition processes.  We can be effective stewards of change by treating staff members as individuals, helping them manage their reactions, and encouraging them to step up to the challenge.

How many of you have experienced major organizational change in the last year or so?  What other guidance would you provide to learning and performance professionals in shepherding the transition process?

Jay Turner

Jay Turner, Training Manager at Gwinnett County Public Library in Georgia, is responsible for all aspects of learning and development for a staff of 300+ employees. He considers himself a lifelong student, and delights in sharing his passion for learning with anyone willing to listen (much to their chagrin!) He is a library lifer, who began working in libraries as a teen and has worn almost every conceivable public services hat since. Jay’s diversity of experience helps him develop and deliver solutions that are creative, practical, and effective. He is a self-proclaimed information and tech junkie, who gets his fix by playing in his “digital sandbox” with new tools and neat ideas to make learning more accessible, more flexible, and more fun across any medium. He can be reached at jayturner[at]comcast.net.

Filed Under: The Training Life Tagged With: , ,
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