THIAGI GAMELETTER: June 2010

SERIOUSLY FUN ACTIVITIES FOR TRAINERS, FACILITATORS, PERFORMANCE CONSULTANTS, AND MANAGERS.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Masthead
Our mission statement, copyright notice, and cast of characters.

Guest Gamer
An Interview with Richard Powers
Interesting thoughts from an award-winning gamer.

Jolt
Stress Balls by Gareth Kingston
Keeping several balls in the air.

Magic
How
Don't believe everything you observe.

Puzzle
Extra Letters
Use the puzzle to review the training content.

Say It Quick
The Need To Talk by Brian Remer
Get it off your chest.

Discoveries
Talking Pictures by Brian Remer
Several sources for high-quality images.

Ideas
Visualize Learning by Brian Remer
Metaphors as a powerful technique.

Activities
Picture This! by Brian Remer
Click on the purple question mark.

Chicago Workshops
Summer Workshop in Chicago
Learn interactive strategies and get certified.

Single Topic Survey
Learning On The Go by Tracy Tagliati
What do you think of mobile learning?

Webinar
Bend Your Brain with Thiagi and Tracy
A free webinar on the power of jolts.

Thiagi Podcasts
New Podcast Episodes by Matthew Richter
Matt discusses an innovative approach to eLearning with Thiagi and leadership topics with Phil Reynolds.

Masthead

THIAGI GAMELETTER:

SERIOUSLY FUN ACTIVITIES FOR TRAINERS, FACILITATORS, PERFORMANCE CONSULTANTS, AND MANAGERS.

Mission

To increase and improve the use of interactive, experiential strategies to improve human performance in an effective, efficient, and enjoyable way.

Editorial Roster

Author and Editor : Sivasailam (Thiagi) Thiagarajan

Assistant Editor : Raja Thiagarajan

Associate Editors: Tracy Tagliati and Jean Reese

Contributing Editors: Brian Remer and Matthew Richter

Editorial Advisory Board: Bill Wake, Matthew Richter, Samuel van den Bergh, and <type your name here>

Copyright Info

The materials in this newsletter are copyright 2010 by The Thiagi Group. However, they may be freely reproduced for educational/training activities. There is no need to obtain special permission for such use as long as you do not reproduce more than 100 copies per year. Please include the following statement on all reproductions:

Reprinted from THIAGI GAMELETTER. Copyright © 2010 by The Thiagi Group, Inc.

For any other use of the content, please contact us ( thiagi@thiagi.com ) for permission.

Subscription Info

To sign up, or to donate and help us continue this newsletter, please see the Online Newsletter page on our website ( http://thiagi.com/pfp.html ).

Feedback Request

Thiagi believes in practicing what he preaches. This is an interactive newsletter, so interact already! Send us your feedback, sarcastic remarks, and gratuitous advice through email to thiagi@thiagi.com . Thanks!

Guest Gamer

An Interview with Richard Powers

Richard Powers, a recent recipient of North American Simulation and Gaming Association's prestigious Ifill-Raynolds Award, is a well-known game designer. His games include the New Commons Game (Educational Simulations, PO Box 276, Oceanside, OR 97134), An Alien Among Us (Intercultural Press), and Communication Roadblocks (in The 2005 ASTD Training & Performance Sourcebook, edited by Mel Silberman).

We asked Richard Powers for advice to newcomers. Here are some guidelines that he offered:

  1. Play a lot of games—even in fields that are not your specialty.

    I'd especially encourage you to play some “classic” games, such as Garry Shirts' BaFa', BaFa' and Starpower, Thiagi's Barnga, Allan Feldt's CLUG, William Gamson's SIMSOC, Fred Goodman's They Shoot Marbles, Don't They? and Martin Shubik's Dollar Auction. I used to believe that every college student would eventually have played at least one of these games but not so. Most college students have not even played the Prisoner's Dilemma, a game used in hundreds of studies in a variety of fields over years and years. The lesson for the newcomer: Seek out well-known games and make sure you play them.

  2. Modify a game.

    In my classes I suggest that students start with a game they have played a few times and re-design it by changing one or two elements so that it's a better fit for their particular interest. With enough experience playing and facilitating a game, you will reach a point where you feel that you “own” the game and are no longer afraid to change it.

  3. Design a game.

    Newcomers will discover what games they like and what they might learn by playing these games. They'll also acquire a background and language, which will enable them to communicate more effectively with other gamers. I find that playing a well-designed game stimulates my thinking about how to incorporate features of that game into my next game. Once you've played some of these games and tried to design your own game, you'll be hooked and from then on you'll always be designing your next game, which will be better than your last.

    It may look like that I am urging newcomers to go out and start designing games as if the field is short of games and is desperate for more game designers. Not so. There are lots of excellent games out there and more than a few good ones are gathering dust in the library of forgotten games. Ghetto, designed by Dove Toll, is one such.

  4. Remember that any game can be improved.

    The rules of a game, even a classic game, are not set in stone. After you think you understand what the designer of a game was trying to do, feel free to experiment to make the game fit your needs.

We also asked Richard Powers to share one of the most unexpected moments he had in conducting games. Here's his interesting response:

At one International Simulation and Gaming Association (ISAGA) conference, I introduced the game Grand Design that I'd just developed. It's a game for a large number of players in a setting such as an auditorium full of convention goers. The object for each group of ten or so was to create a beautiful design using a set of colored, two-inch cardboard squares. Each group had one color and had some play money with which to buy colors from other teams. The constraint was that a group had to remain at its worktable so groups were restricted to direct trading only with neighbors on either side of them. But they could give money to a neighboring group and ask them to forward it to a group that had a color they wanted.

When the groups finished, a person from each group held up the design and extolled its virtues. After that, a three-person panel of judges selected the best design. When the winner was announced, there were howls of protest as the losing groups challenged the qualifications of the judges, the value of the game, and, acted as if their life's work had been called trash. The debriefing discussion was intense and long.

I had played the game before and didn't get this reaction so was not prepared for the attacks on the game, the judges, and me. Nor was I prepared for the intensity of the emotions expressed. The lesson I took away from the experience was that judging players or products of players' work should not be undertaken without considerable thought. Ask yourself if judging needs to be part of the game. It is enough in most games to let players express feelings in an atmosphere of respectful listening and without comment.

The need to judge may be relevant in some training exercises, but it's so easy for the judgment to be perceived as going beyond the product and targeting the person who did the work. I belong to a fiction writing critique group and one of our rules is that a reviewer always comments about the story, a character, or a scene, and never about the author. The reviewer says something like, “I was confused by this paragraph” but never, “The author's writing is sloppy here and confused me.” We should borrow this rule when players are asked to critique other people's work.

Jolt

Stress Balls
by Gareth Kingston

Understanding the importance of communication and teamwork is an important requirement for high performance teams of knowledge workers. This jolt is an effective energizer that requires communication and teamwork.

Synopsis

Ask participants to form a circle and throw a ball around to simulate the movement of a message. Change different variables such as speed, quantity, and complexity to create a mess.

Purpose

To demonstrate the importance of communication, teamwork, feedback, and working under pressure on a complex task.

Participants

Five or more. Best group size is 10 to 20.

Time

5 minutes for the activity. 5 to 10 minutes for the debriefing.

Supplies

5 or more stress balls.

Flow

Explain the game. Tell the participants that you will throw a stress ball to the person on your left. That person will throw the ball to the person on her left and so on until the ball comes back to you.

Start the ball circulating. Throw the ball to a participant on your left and watch as it comes around slowly.

Conduct a quick debriefing. Ask and discuss these types of questions:

Start the second round. Explain that you will now repeat the process and time the event to see how fast the participants can get the ball back to you. Time the round and announce the results.

Conduct another quick debriefing:

Add a second ball. Explain that you will send two balls around, one after the other. Start the activity and find the time required for both balls to come back to you.

Add a third ball. Explain that the third ball will travel in the opposite direction. Get the balls started and time the event.

Conclude the activity. Thank the participants for focusing on the keeping the balls moving rapidly.

Debriefing

Ask and discuss the following types of questions:

Magic

How

With a group of trainers who are also magicians (Ken Bellemare, Mark Isabella, Jeff Lefton, Dimis Michaelides, and Tracy Tagliati), I am writing a book on magic for trainers. Among other things, the book emphasizes how easy it is to misdirect people's attention and to lead them on to fool themselves.

How uses a card trick to highlight the limitations of observation as a data-collection technique.

Synopsis

Perform a card trick in which a randomly selected card apparently appears at a randomly selected number. Ask teams of participants to observe your presentation and try to figure out how the effect was achieved.

Purpose

To explore the limits of observation as a data-collection technique.

Participants

Four or more. Best group size is 10 to 30.

Time

15 minutes for the activity. 10 to 20 minutes for debriefing.

Supplies

A deck of playing cards.

Preparation

This activity is designed around a card trick. It is a self-working trick, meaning that you don't have to practice any sneaky sleight-of-hand. However, you do need a lot of practice to become fluent with the moves and the patter. Read through the instructions with a deck of cards in your hand.

Flow

Introduce the activity. Explain that you are going to conduct a psychological experiment that involves an ordinary deck of regular playing cards. Tell the participants to carefully observe what you are doing and to take detailed notes on what they see.

Organize participants into teams. If you have more than six participants, organize them into teams of three to six participants each. Tell the members of each team to talk among themselves and distribute the responsibilities for observing different aspects of your performance.

Shuffle the deck. Give a deck of playing cards to a participant. Ask her to shuffle the cards to mix them thoroughly.

Bring the joker to the bottom of the deck. Take the shuffled deck of cards from the participant and say, “I need to locate the joker.”. Turn the deck face up and hold it close to you. Thumb through the cards looking for the joker. Quickly memorize the card just before the joker (the face up card on top of the joker). Remove the cards above the joker and place them below the rest of the deck. This ensures that the card you memorized is at the bottom of the face-up deck.

Call attention to the joker. Show the joker on top of the face-up deck. Explain that when you turn the deck face down, the joker will be at the bottom of the deck. Turn the deck face down. (The joker has no importance except to give you a chance to surreptitiously memorize the card that is now at the top of the face-down deck.)

Give the deck a shallow cut. Place the deck face down on the table. Ask a participant to cut the deck about a third of the way down. Explain that she is to take a packet of the cards from the top of the deck. Ask her to turn this packet over (so that the cards are facing up) and place it on the top of the other cards. (Here's the current status of the cards: A small packet of cards are face up on top of the deck. The remaining cards are face down.)

Cut the deck deeper. Now ask another participant to cut the deck about half way down so that this cut is deeper than the previous cut. Ask the participant to turn over this packet of cards and place it on top of the other cards.

Look at a random card. Ask another participant to go through the cards that are face up, remove them, put this packet aside, and look at the first face down card. Turn your head away and ask the participant not to let you see the card but to show it to the others. Explain that the deck was shuffled and cut twice to ensure that a random card was selected. (Actually, the selected card is the card you memorized.)

Hide the card. Ask the participant to bury the selected card somewhere in the middle of the face-down part of the deck and replace the other cards, turning them face down. Ask another participant to take the deck and shuffle it thoroughly.

Locate the selected card. Take the deck and proclaim that you are going to find the selected card. Ask all participants to visualize the selected card. Turn the deck face up, hold it close to your face, run through the cards, and arrange it so the selected card is at the bottom of the face-up deck.

Confess your failure. Square the cards and show the top face-up card on top of the deck. Ask the participants, “This is not the selected card, is it?” When they say “No” turn the deck face down and confess that your psychic powers have deserted you. Place the deck on the table.

Ask for a number. Ask a participant for a random number between 10 and 20. When you get a number (let's say, 17) tell the participant that she can change her mind if she wants to. Let the participant announce her final choice of a number.

Count off the number of cards. Take the deck of cards and hold it face down. Count to the selected number, one number at a time, this way: Count “one” and place the top card of the deck on the table, face down. Count “two” and place the next card on top of the previous card on the table. Continue counting this way, placing cards on top of each other until you come to the selected number. Place this card face down on top of the packet.

Recap the process. Briefly recall what happened so far: You had the deck of cards shuffled. You had the deck cut twice to select a random card. This card was buried in the deck. The deck was shuffled. You failed to locate the selected card. You are now utilizing advanced telepathic techniques by asking for a random number and counting down to the number.

Show the selected card. Ask participants for the name of the selected card. Turn the face-down packet over to reveal the selected card. Apparently, the selected card is at the random number.

Assign teamwork. Ask participants to work with the other members of their team to figure out how you produced the magical effect. Encourage them to share their observations to compare their notes. Announce a suitable time limit. If participants ask you questions or demand an encore performance, politely tell them to work with what they have already observed.

Ask teams to report their findings. Select one of the teams and ask for its explanation of what happened and how it happened. At the end of this team's explanation, ask the other teams to add their observations and hypotheses.

Give your explanation. Do the trick again, pausing at each step to explain your secret moves. Show how you brought a memorized card to the top of the deck while bringing the joker to the bottom. Work through the two cuts and demonstrate how it left the memorized card as the top face down card. Explain how you brought the selected card back to the top and how it apparently ended up at a randomly selected number.

Debriefing

Conduct a debriefing discussion with questions like these:

Puzzle

Extra Letters

We wrote a question and added a letter to each word. Then we scrambled the letters of each word and the extra letters. This is what we ended up with:

ADHTW IRS IIKNP'S AELSTTV BEEEELLRSST?
_ _ _ _ _

To find the first word in the question, unscramble the first set of letters. Cross out the extra letter and write it in the first blank. Continue with each set of letters, writing the extra letters in one blank at a time.

Once you have unscrambled all words and filled in all blanks, you should be able to read the question and the answer.

Create Your Own Extra Letters Puzzle

You can use this type of puzzle as a review or follow-up exercise for your training session. Here's how you create the puzzle.

  1. Write a question and the answer. Select a question that lends itself to a fairly short answer.

    What motivates people?
    Mastery.

  2. Here's the tricky part: Rewrite the question so that the number of words in it is the same as the number of letters in the answer. Type the question and answer in ALL CAPS.

    WHAT IS ONE FACTOR THAT MOTIVATES PEOPLE?
    MASTERY.

  3. Add the first letter of the answer to the first word of the question, the second letter to the second word, and so on.

    WHATM ISA ONES FACTORT THATE MOTIVATESR PEOPLEY?

  4. Arrange the letters of each word in the question (along with the extra letter) in alphabetical order.

    AHMTW AIS ENOS ACFORTT AEHTT AEIMORSTTV EELOPPY?

  5. Your puzzle is now ready. Add appropriate instructions at the top of the puzzle.

How To Use the Extra Letters Puzzle

Extra Letters can be used to review the training content from a lecture, a handout, a podcast, or a video recording. An effective way to use this puzzle is to get the participants involved. Here's how to conduct a review activity:

  1. Before the session, create an Extra Letters puzzle with a question (and an answer) related to some key topic from the training content. Distribute copies of the puzzle to the participants and explain how to solve it.
  2. Explain how you created the puzzle. Demonstrate the steps listed above. Tell participants that they will be creating their own Extra Letters puzzles.
  3. Organize participants into teams and ask each team to collaboratively create an Extra Letters puzzle.
  4. Give the puzzle from Team 1 to Team 2, Team 2 to Team 3, and so on. The puzzle from the last team goes to the first team.
  5. Ask teams to solve the puzzle they received.

Say It Quick

Reprinted from the April 2010 issue of Firefly News Flash by permission of the author.

The Need To Talk
by Brian Remer

As this 99-Word story suggests, being able to put a voice to thoughts and feelings has great benefit. The Discovery for this month offers some tools that can make talking easier for members of a team or in a meeting, even when people don't know each other well.

The Need To Talk

I awoke excited, looking forward to the day's discoveries. But on the radio I heard distressing news. As it rolled around in my head, I sank deeper into the doldrums. By the time I arrived at the office my mood had become a mirror of that bleak, rain-swept November Monday.

Then I spoke to a colleague about the story I'd heard. He listened, nodding, silent. Immediately I felt better, less burdened.

Saying something out loud, getting it off your chest and onto the table, can change the mood. By noon, the sun had come out.

Discoveries

Reprinted from the April 2010 issue of Firefly News Flash by permission of the author.

Talking Pictures
by Brian Remer

Looking for a way to boost brainstorming, deepen a discussion, expand upon expectations, transform learning, or just share what's on your mind? It's easy with the right image. And you can find plenty of images in a number of different picture-based processing tools. This month's Discovery is a listing of several styles of ready-made images or photos that can be used to spark creativity or inspire dialogue among students, team members, or in meetings.

Listed here are several sources for high quality images that are easily used in a variety of situations. I like using all these products because the images in each can be used by trainers, facilitators, managers, and coaches who want to help people explore issues and ideas. No matter the situation, everyone is able to find a picture that suits their purpose. Plus, they are easily transported and stored.

There are several ways to use pictures to promote learning, enhance brainstorming, or foster interesting discussions. The most obvious is to spread pictures across a table or scatter them on the floor. Give your participants a reference point and ask them to find an image. By reference point, I mean a prompt for thinking that relates to the purpose for gathering people together. For example, in a visioning session, “What might our business environment look like in three years if current trends continue?” Or, at the beginning of a workshop you can ask, “What expectations do you have for this retreat?” For a teambuilding activity, “What are the most important characteristics of a team member?”

Invite people to find one or more pictures that somehow represent or have a metaphorical connection to the reference point. Give everyone a chance to share their pictures and to talk about the significance they hold. For a rich discussion, encourage others to add their insights onto those they have already heard. You can keep notes on a flip chart or make a collage of the images along with a few words that will help people recall their significance.

Using pictures, you'll notice more energy in your group as people's imaginations kick into gear. You'll also develop a shared language of images and ideas that take on a life of their own. It's not uncommon for certain images to grab the group's collective mind and become a sort of shorthand to describe their situation. I invite you to try some of these sources of images, then let me know (email Brian) what happens in your group as a result.

Visual Explorer by the Center for Creative Leadership, http://www.ccl.org/ve . This is a deck of 224 large-format cards each with a high-quality photo image designed to provoke reflection and conversation. They are printed on glossy card stock (4 x 6 inches) and come in a metal box. Many of the images can be viewed online which presents some interesting possibilities for distance or on-line learning! Sample images: A star-filled night sky, Dew on a spider web, Hands molding clay on a potter's wheel, Man teaching a girl to ride a bicycle, Hiker on the Great Wall of China. Cost: $395.

Expression Cards from the University of Oklahoma, http://www.ettq.ou.edu . This deck of cards contains 52 color photos. Printed on glossy stock, they are packaged in a cardboard box that fits in a pocket. Sample images: Child's drawing of a family, Eifel Tower, Traffic at night, Snowcapped mountain, Neon signs in Tokyo, Spanish dancer. Cost: $15.

Chiji Processing Cards by the Institute for Experiential Education (phone 608.784.0789), http://wilderdom.com . Chiji is a Chinese word meaning “important moment or opportunity.” These computer-drawn images come in a deck of 52 the size of playing cards. Instructions and suggestions are included for Teachers, Camp Counselors, Recreation Program Leaders, Therapists, Social Workers, and Environmental Educators but anyone—even you—can use them with ease! Sample images: Dead tree in a desert, Flames of a fire, Bottle with a message inside, Bank vault, Clown, Artist's easel, Ostrich with its head in the sand. Cost: $15.99.

Looking @ Leadership from Instruction & Design Concepts, http://www.kickitin.com/looking.html . At five by seven inches, these color photo cards are terrific for large groups. The images are easily seen from across the room. Initially designed to evoke concepts related to leadership, I have found this stack of 200 photos to be flexible enough to be used in any situation. The cards come with instructions for set up, specific activities, and debriefing. Sample images: Pine forest, Pride of lions, Field of tulips, Sign advertising "Free Manure," Rollercoaster, Globe, Flock of sheep, White water kayaker, Compass, Trapeze artists. Cost: $375.

VisualsSpeak by Image-Based Training and Consulting, http://www.VisualsSpeak.com . This set of 200 photographs is printed on gloss-laminated paper and comes in a variety of four sizes. The back side of each is color coded and labeled so you can sort them into categories such as Life (activities, spirituality, concepts), Things (household and personal, cities and structures), People (children, adults, groups), or Nature (country, animals and birds, plants). But, as with all images, I find that my participants are able to make their own categories of meaning. VisualsSpeak comes with a 52-page User Manual, vinyl envelopes to organize the images, and a zippered carrying case. Sample Images: Whale, Fireworks, Totem pole, Graduation audience, Street crowd, Mother and children swimming. Cost: $495.

Other Sources: If you have more time than cash, you can also build your own set of images for use with groups. Collect post cards, greeting cards, calendar art, or magazine photos. Ask participants to each bring five photos from a magazine to your training and you won't have to do any preparation at all!

Ideas

Reprinted from the April 2010 issue of Firefly News Flash by permission of the author.

Visualize Learning
by Brian Remer

Recently I was asked to lead a session for students of Marlboro College Graduate Center. In their study of the most up-to-date technology for learning, they wanted to know how to use interactive strategies. I gave them the opportunity to experiment with a number of different methods to generate metaphors. We used these metaphors to enhance their understanding of the learning they were doing in their classes.

The group summarized some of what they learned about using interactive techniques that have a metaphorical quality. They found them helpful for examining subjective thoughts at a safer level. The metaphor acted like a bridge between ideas and allowed people the opportunity to step back and get some perspective. Metaphors also made it easier to move from concrete to abstract thinking.

Metaphors can be an especially powerful technique to enhance learning. But it's not always easy for people to come up with the right associative concept. This is one reason I like to use photos or pictures. When I, myself, am asked to think of a metaphor, I draw a blank. But with a stack of pictures to choose from, I don't have to “draw” anything! I can simply select the images that fit my thinking.

This seems to work for the participants in my workshops too. The observations people make are always surprisingly relevant to our topic of discussion. I encourage you to try using them too, then let me know the results (email Brian)!

Activities

Reprinted from the April 2010 issue of Firefly News Flash by permission of the author.

Picture This!
by Brian Remer

Now it's your turn to use visual images to make metaphorical connections and meaningful conversations - and you can try it right now! Take a moment to think about a personal experience when someone acted as a positive leader. This would be a time when you thought someone performed extremely well in their role. Recall that incident as vividly as you can. Then do the same for a time you experienced very poor leadership. For both instances, what made them such extreme examples?

Purple question mark When you have clarified your thoughts, click on the large purple question mark to reveal five pictures from the Looking @ Leadership Card Deck created by Fran Kick. (Used with permission.) As you review the pictures, choose one for each of your leadership situations, positive and negative. Try to make connections that symbolize your emotional and intellectual experience.

Once you have some ideas, click the “back” button on your browser and send me a few thoughts (email Brian). I'll print your ideas in a future issue of the Firefly News Flash!

Have fun and thanks in advance for playing with this concept!

Chicago Workshops

Summer Workshop in Chicago

Interactive Techniques for Instructor-Led Training, a 3-day workshop conducted by Thiagi and Tracy, is scheduled for July 26-28 in Chicago, Illinois.

A 1-day certification workshop (that licenses you to conduct this workshop) will be held on July 29, 2010.

We are limiting the enrollment to 25 participants. A few seats are still open. You can register now through our secure online store. You save money if you register before June 16th.

If you register now, you save $250 for the 3-day workshop and $115 for the 1-day certification program.

Here are some additional details about these workshops. You can also download a detailed brochure (298k PDF).

Location

Courtyard by Marriott Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile (http://www.courtyardchicago.com/ )
165 E Ontario Street
Chicago, IL 60611
USA

Telephone: (312) 573-0800

Registration Fees

3-Day Workshop (July 26-28): $1,495.

1-Day Certification Workshop (July 29): $495.

Early Bird Discount

If you register before June 16, 2010

Group Discount

Groups of three or more who enroll at the same time will get a 15 percent reduction of their registration fees.

Two Easy Ways to Register

Online. Visit our online store at thiagi.com and click on “Workshops: 2010”. (You will automatically be given the early bird discounted fee.)

Telephone. Call (812) 332-1478.

What Happens in the Workshop?

You begin the first day by rapidly exploring 60 different interactive training strategies. Later you experience, select, adapt, design and use these types of training activities:

You will also master powerful principles related to the design and facilitation of activities-based training for adults.

What You Get for Your Registration Fee

3-Day ITILT Workshop

1-Day Certification Workshop

More Information

Please download our detailed brochure (298k PDF).

Single Topic Survey

Learning On The Go
by Tracy Tagliati

According to Apple, an astounding 1 million iPads were sold in the first 28 days that they hit the shelves.

Combine this figure with the sales of other mobile devices like iPods, netbooks, MP3 players, PDAs, and Smartphones, and we can quickly see that if we are not already doing so, now is the time to exploit the latest mobile learning technology.

Why? The advantage of mobile learning is that it allows us to bring learners access to everywhere, all-the-time kind of learning that is integrated with the world beyond the classroom.

Why not? Mobile learning is not without its challenges and delivering it may not be for everyone. This is due in part because some people don't have the confidence or the training, and others are concerned with the possible technical difficulties.

How about you?

Poll Question

Is mobile learning part of your learning plan?

Vote

(The poll opens in a new window.)

Open Question

What do you think of mobile learning?

Respond

(The survey opens in a new window.)

Send us your thoughts and ideas. You may choose to include your name along with your response, or if you prefer, keep it anonymous.

This topic came up during a recent during a recent discussion with a few of our colleagues. Here's what some of them had to say:

Sam: I can see some of the advantages of using mobile learning in my corporate work, but I'm concerned about using it at the university. Some of my concerns are that it may widen the gap between the haves and the have-nots, it could give tech-savvy students an advantage over non-technical students, and it may make it easier for students to cheat.

Lindsay: I think mobile learning is just a new high-tech package for the same old dull and boring content. I predict there will be an initial peak in interest, but this interest will soon wane when the novelty wears off.

Holly: I use mobile learning successfully at my corporation. This is usually in the form of podcasts. One thing I have learned is to avoid overly complex material that includes a lot of facts and figures. This is because most learners will be performing other tasks (i.e., riding a bus, driving, exercising, or walking to class) while they are listening to podcasts . Keep in mind that in most cases, they won't be taking notes as they listen.

Bill: In the past, many of my participants were secretly using their mobile phones or iPods under the table, and this was a source of irritation for me. Then I remembered the old saying that goes, “If you can't beat them, join them”. Now, not only do I give my participants permission to use their phones; I insist on it. We use the mobile devices in one or more of the new activities I have created to take advantage and integrate the new technology.

Webinar

Bend Your Brain with Thiagi and Tracy

Tracy and Thiagi are doing a monthly webinar series, sponsored by Training Magazine Network. You can attend for free, but you must register.

Here's the description of this month's webinar:

Problem: Experiential exercises require such a long time to prepare and to conduct that no time is available for debriefing. Solution: Use a jolt! Participate in different activities, each conducted in a few minutes and giving you a long-lasting wake-up call. Learn about the advantages of using brief simulations called jolts. Locate several ready-made jolts and create your own. Master a powerful model for debriefing to maximize team learning.

This month's webinar will take place at 1pm Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday, June 15, 2010.

For more information, see the webinar's page at http://www.trainingmagnetwork.com./topics/show/1441 . You may need to register (and log in) before you can view the webinar description.

Thiagi Podcasts

New Podcast Episodes
by Matthew Richter

Since the last TGL, we have uploaded one new episode for our Training Intelligence Podcast and one for the Business Intelligence Podcast. All podcasts can be subscribed or listened to from either iTunes or at http://thiagi.net/podcasts/ . Feel free to send Matt any feedback or suggestions at matthew@thiagi.com .

Training Intelligence

Episode 7: 4Door Model for eLearning
In this episode, Thiagi describes the 4 Door Model for eLearning—his innovative approach for designing eLearning faster, cheaper, and better. He and Matt provide an overview, as well as several examples. Thiagi also shares how to apply the model using different types of platforms. And, Thiagi tells a joke—we leave it to you to figure out where.

Business Intelligence

Episode 6: Phil Reynolds—Sr. Consulting Partner of The Ken Blanchard Companies
Senior Consulting Partner Phil Reynolds from The Ken Blanchard Companies joins us today to discuss a variety of leadership topics. Specifically, Phil shares with us Situational Self Leadership, one of the principal models taught and applied in his organization. He distinguishes SSL with another Blanchard staple, Situational Leadership II. He delves into the different programs they facilitate to support people becoming self leaders, including the new program, 21 Days to Becoming a Self Leader. Phil is also an executive coach and shares his approach.