Group items tagged

"The Varied Functions of Badges" summary from HASTAC discussion, 9/2012 My interest in the functions of badges was spurred along when the MacArthur Foundation asked for help documenting the design principles for using digital badges that emerge across the 30 projects underway by the awardees in their Badges for Lifelong Learning project. We needed to come up with a manageable number of categories. Here is what we came up with: Recognizing Learning. This is the most obvious and arguably the primary function of badges. David Wiley has argued cogently that this should be the primary purpose of badges. If we focus only on purposes, then he may well be right. His point is that badges are credentials and not assessments. This is also consistent with the terrifically concise definition in Seven Things You Should Know About Badgesby Erin Knight and Carla Casilli. Assessing Learning. Nearly every application of digital badges includes some form of assessment. These assessments have either formative or summative functions and likely have both. In some cases, these are simply an assessment of whether somebody clicked on a few things or made a few comments. In other cases, there might be a project or essay that was reviewed and scored, or a test that was graded. In still other cases, peers might assess an individual, group, or project as badgeworthy. Motivating Learning. This is where the controversy comes in. Much of the debate over badges concerns the well-documented negative consequences of extrinsic incentive on intrinsic motivation and free choice engagement. This is why some argue that we should not use badges to motivate learning. However, if we use badges to recognize and assess learning, they are likely to impact motivation. So, we might as well harness this crucial function of badges and study these functions carefully while searching for both their positive and negative consequences for motivation. Evaluating Learning. The final category of

Although ten years old, interesting blog post by Dave Kovaleski, July 1, 2004, Meetingsnet, makes some good points about what kinds of learning and when. Excerpt The key to an effective blended learning program lies in the mix of media used to deliver the training. Bersin identifies 16 different media, including classroom instruction, webinars, conference calls, CD-ROM courseware, study manuals, Web pages, online simulations, on-site labs, Web-based discussion groups, mentoring programs, and videos. To create a successful blended program, it's not necessary to incorporate many or all of them; in fact, two or three should suffice. Typically, a blended-learning program has several steps. The first might be a conference call, introducing students to the trainer and subject. Next is the self-directed portion, in which students are asked to study for the live session. The self-directed portion is best delivered through asynchronous means, such as webcasts or some kind of simulated, virtual exercises. Experts suggest follow-up testing on the pre-work to make sure students are prepared to move on to the live, or synchronous, session. "The self-directed portion of the blend is critical," says Jennifer Hofmann, president of InSync Training LLC, Branford, Conn., and author of The Synchronous Trainer's Survival Guide (Jossey-Bass). "It's a huge culture change." ... Post-meetings, or asynchronous evaluations, are frequently the final components of blended-learning programs. Coaching modules, online tutorials, tests, and simulations reinforce the classroom work. They also allow companies to make sure that employees are applying the new information to their jobs. In addition, testing allows employers to identify knowledge gaps so that follow-up training is well-focused.

An amazing project that utilizes gaming, social media, digital badging, and virtual worlds as methods to promote digital literacy to youth in high risk areas. These after-school programs are designed to "Global Kids believes that youth be not merely critical consumers but active producers of digital media". Kids produce games on social issues impacting them (such as neighborhood violence or racial intolerance) that are designed to teach others about not just about the issue but how it feels to be impacted by the issue.

The Global Kids definition of leadership is very in tune with what we have been trying to convey, I think. Here is there goal statement: "The Global Kids Online Leadership Program (OLP) integrates international and public policy issues into digital media programs to encourage digital literacy and technical competency, foster global awareness, promote civic participation and develop 21st Century skills. OLP was created in 2000 to bring new media into Global Kids' after school programs, introduce these programs into online communities, and explore how the combination of the two could develop 21st Century Learning Skills. Through programs utilizing video games, virtual worlds, social media, and other forms of participatory media, youth involved in our programs now have the opportunity to have their voices heard and make a global impact in ways that were previously unimaginable."

Blog by Matthew forti on Measuring Leadership Development, November 28, 2011 Neighborhood Builders by Bank of America builds high performing community-based nonprofits and gives them multiple three-day sessions of leadership training for the ED and emerging leader. Excerpts: "1. Develop a detailed theory of change. It isn't worth spending a dime on measurement until you've carefully defined which leaders you intend to target, what specific training and other programming they need, what they will gain, how those gains will be applied, and what should ultimately result." 2. Measure with mixed methods. 3. Continuously measure to improve impact. 4.Build rigor over time. Leadership programs don't need to build a full-scale measurement system right from the start. The best programs are intentional about whether and how to improve the rigor of their measurement over time, based partly on what they want to do with the results.

My Learning Springboard offers a Learning Concierge(R) which "brings together subject matter experts and curriculum specialists to develop customized programs for individuals or groups of all sizes and ages, including adult learners. Services include private tutoring, enrichment teaching, test preparation, field trips, independent study, after school programs, and summer programs in our direct service areas and beyond."

blog by Martin Davies for Wiley.com on value of eLearning programs for professional membership groups

HASTAC discussion by badge designers, 10/2012 Note this excerpt: Include badge earners in the design process of your program. Understand their motivation, what drives their involvement, and what they hope to get out of the program you are creating. Consider the diversity of your learners; they are likely to be driven by different goals. Assessment is just as important in a badge-based learning system as it is in more traditional learning environments. In order for badges to have value to the earner and to those who would consider using the badge to impute the skills or competencies of an individual, appropriate assessment practices need to back up the process by which the badge was awarded. Craft a badge system that is flexible enough to accommodate a range of learning styles, motivations and pedagogies. Some contexts call for more proscribed badging opportunities, where experts set up gauntlets which learners pass successfully before earning badges. Other systems call for a more grassroots approach, in which learners set their own goals and pursue less well-defined pathways that get them where they want to go as individuals, with badges in hand to show for their efforts. Creating a badge system that can adapt to a variety of contexts and audiences is a worthy challenge. Break up complex requirements into simpler steps and attach a badge to each step (so the badges act like waypoints on the overall path).

Amazing paper by the Berkana Institute on how networks serve as incubators for CoPs, leaders, new ideas and ways of doing to emerge. It makes me think about leadership training programs vs. networks/forums for growing leadership in the collective. This aspect of emergence has profound implications for social entrepreneurs. Instead of developing them individually as leaders and skillful practitioners, we would do better to connect them to like-minded others and create the conditions for emergence. The skills and capacities needed by them will be found in the system that emerges, not in better training programs.

blog post by Jennifer Gilhool, 6.4.2013 "You are connected to work 24/7. You don't need your lap top to be connected. You are connected via BlackBerry, iPhone and iPad to name just a few. These devices no longer provide flexibility. Instead, they tether you to the office. They enable you to work all the time and anywhere. And, now, many companies believe that is the definition of flexibility: "'What flexibility means today is not part time,' the head of work-life at one large organization told me recently. 'What people want is the ability to work anytime, anywhere.' That's true if your target labor pool is twenty-somethings and men married to homemakers. The head of HR at another large organization asked, when I described the hours problem, 'What do you mean, how can we get women to work more hours?'" - Why Men Work So Many Hours, Joan C. Williams, May 29, 2013 Harvard Business Review Why Your Manager Doesn't Want You To Innovate Ron Ashkenas Ron Ashkenas Contributor LinkedIn: Busting 8 Damaging Myths About What It Can Do For Your Career 85 Broads 85 Broads Contributor Someone has taken the "human" out of "Human Resources" departments across America. And, this behavior is not limited to operations in America. I work for a multi-national corporation that cannot seem to wean itself from the 24 hour work day. Colleagues in China often begin their day with a 6:00 a.m. meeting and end it with a meeting that begins at 10:00 p.m. or, worse, 11:00 p.m. To combat this problem, the company leadership agreed to a global meeting policy. The policy provides that global meetings should occur only between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. and that no meetings should occur on Friday nights in Asia Pacific. Further, the policy provides a 10 hour fatigue rule. In other words, there should be 10 hours between your last meeting of the day and your first meeting on the next day. First, if you need a global meeting policy, you are in

13 apps and programs recommended in Alex Pang's The Distraction Addiction. Maybe useful for uncluttering and intentional priorities learning labs. Appeared in Elle October 11, 2013

Here are five ways to successfully tap into the women's market: 1. Provide good quality information. Producing a newsletter and Web site are excellent ways to demonstrate your expertise and to keep your image in front of clients and prospects. Include plenty of strategies and tips that will help guide women to be more successful in running or growing their businesses. Conducting free seminars or workshops is another good strategy for imparting your knowledge and has the added benefit of serving as a networking forum. 2. Build relationship marketing strategies. Develop and sustain relationships with women and cultivate a sense of community. 3. Host networking events. Historically, women have not had the same opportunities to network as their male counterparts. You can create your own networking events for women clients and prospects. Featuring a guest speaker in your industry can be an excellent addition. Just be sure to build in enough time for networking as well. 4. Sponsor women's business associations or events. If you are looking to target this market and build awareness, consider sponsoring one of the many women's business associations and events. These range from something as specific as mentoring programs (such as the Step Ahead One-on-One Mentoring Program - www.stepaheadonline.com ) to associations for women exporters (such as the Organization of Women in International Trade - www.owit-toronto.ca ). Most hold regular meetings and special functions. Some provide opportunities for sponsors to speak and showcase their expertise. Contributing material to their newsletters, publications and Web sites is another good way to build your identity among members, as these associations often welcome good quality, educational submissions of interest to members. 5. Share core information on a regular basis. Email or mail information that is considered to be "in our mutual interest." News clippings, industry data, notes from indus

Blog post by Joe Rominiecki, June 11, 2014, on how staid organization--American Neurological Association--changed admission requirements and found new-"old ways" to engage with younger, newer members in the course of the first year of membership. 300 out of 1,880 at end of 2013 were new, often younger members. ""We have quite a few committees, and the committee work is a lot. The annual meeting programming is extremely scientific, so their participation in our interactive lunch workshop committee or our faculty development committee or our scientific programming committee is critical to the success of the meeting," Smith says." Excerpt: I'm a strong believer that the type of volunteering offered to young members is crucial, too. It has to be meaningful work. If I'm offered a choice between joining a group for young professionals or joining a planning committee for a particular association function (event, publication, education, etc.), I'll take the latter. I'd rather not just be lumped in with other young pros, fenced off in a separate little play area. I want to be doing some real work for the association. And DTV says I'm not alone: In that study, "I can do something for a profession or cause that is important to me" ranked as the most important reason for volunteering in associations, and that was true for all generations.""

Organizational Membership benefits from joining the American Library Association. Organizational Membership Benefits ALA encourages organizational members to investigate and engage with the resources and initiatives available to libraries of all types. Working to keep libraries strong. ALA works on behalf of all libraries in the areas of library funding, intellectual freedom, professional standards, and 21st-century literacy, helping create a future in which communities look to libraries and to librarians as vital, trusted resources. This includes making libraries eligible for funding to provide high-speed, affordable broadband service, and eligibility for other federal programs. Standing together in membership lets libraries, librarians, and other staff members access solutions and resources to address problems otherwise faced alone. Learn about all the ALA is doing to support libraries. Select a topic or just scroll down the page. Helping you serve your community Providing beneficial information & resources Offering Organizational Member Value Programs (MVP) NEW: ALA Web Badges to display on your website and use with your emails

Boston Club report, 2013, of Boston area women and nonprofit organization representation "For over 20 years, The Boston Club has worked collaboratively with local and regional nonprofit organizations of all sizes to identify and recruit qualified women for positions as directors, trustees, and overseers. During that period, we have placed over 175 women on nonprofit boards. We also have conducted over 30 programs about nonprofit board service, with topics ranging from the basic questions a board candidate needs to ask, to the latest issues of governance affecting nonprofits. Through these initiatives, we have met hundreds of nonprofit executives, board and nominating chairs, and women who serve on their boards. We are continually amazed and energized by the missions and breadth of work conducted by nonprofits, their contributions to the economy of Massachusetts, the vital services and programs provided to our citizens, and the dedication their boards exhibit. But even we could not answer the question: how many women serve on nonprofit boards in Massachusetts? Until now. Why is this information important? Nonprofit organizations play a major role in the economies of many towns and cities in the state, generating $234 billion in revenues in 2010. In 2010, nonprofit jobs represented 16.7% of the total employment in Massachusetts 1 . We are known worldwide for our universities, hospitals, and cultural institutions, most of which are nonprofit organizations. Fifty-seven percent of women in Massachusetts are in the workforce. For The Boston Club, which has long tracked the number of women in leadership positions in publically owned companies, the question of gender diversity in the leadership of nonprofit organizations is part of our mission. We believe that the advancement of women to significant and visible leadership roles in all types of businesses will have lasting and meaningful impact on business performance and the economic health of our communities."

A network of regional leaders committed to serving the common good in Silicon Valley. They have created a Fellows program that brings together demonstrated leaders to explore process of collaborative leadership that can strengthen their capacity to address difficult issues. Graduates of the program are called Senior Fellows and they act as networked servant leaders

excellent article by Jennifer Chandler and Kristen Scott Kennedy on building capacity through networks, February 5, 2016. 

CORE4Women is a free organization where women can share and discover online learning. From their website: Why CORE4Women? Traditional websites are a one-way flow of information from a computer to an end-user. CORE4Women is a live, interactive discussion among women about online learning. There are volunteers who have life experiences that have been significantly influenced by online learning. These volunteers want to mentor and share their experiences with other women. There are also scholarships available to members enrolled in fully online programs!

CORE4Women provides a way for mentors to dialogue directly with women who are looking for answers about online learning. These mentors can explain how to locate degree programs, how to seek funding, how to register, how to engage with others in the online environment, and how to balance many responsibilities while completing course work.

Interesting org that strives to foster a deeper understanding of gender and its intersections with race, culture, class, sexuality and other aspects of social identity. This program provides opportunities for women to explore career and life choices in multiple disciplines that enable them to excel and realize their full potential. Connects students with each other and to a strong supportive network of critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, problem-solving and leadership skills.

Although mostly for high school and college students, WILL has an international program and offers some wonderful learning opportunities.

article by Kevin Bushweller, June 10, 2015 in EdWeek, good guidance for adult ed programs and informal adult learning as well IMO.

Great article by Joe Rominiecki, June 24, 2015 in AssociationsNow on the online community manager role; quotes the latest Community Roundtable report on how the online community management skillset is needed by many staff, not just one person. There is a big difference between lurking or contributing as an individual in Facebook or LinkedIn groups and mentoring/leading/supporting an online community. Supports our inclusion of "convening" as a vital digital literacy skill.