• Collaboration Platform Technology
• Synchronous Delivery
• Asynchronous Delivery
• Overview of Products on the Market
• Production Considerations
• What works (and what doesn’t work)
• The Online Instructor
• Mentoring
• Integrating Collaboration Solutions and Other E-Learning Channels

This is an area of technology in education that I’m especially interested in, so I’m really looking forward to bringing this set of blog posts to you here on the E-Learning Curve Blog. As the series is still under development, there’s an opportunity to request an article on an aspect of this topic that you might like to see covered: let me know and I’ll see what I can do.

In the meantime, I thought I’d give you a ‘heads up’ by discussing some of the fundamentals surrounding using collaboration solutions: streaming media.

Until about five years ago, Web-based audio and video – or digital – media was primarily a download-and-play technology. Users had to download an entire media file before it could be played back. If you’re over 30, you’ll  remember those postage stamp-sized video clips (usually in ASF or MOV format) that took forever to load over your dial-up connection (and were hardly worth the wait). Because digital media files are usually very large and take a long time to download, the only content found on the Web was short, low motion clips. Even these files could take 20 minutes or longer to download.

How video used to look – Marc J. Rosenberg discusses personalized learning
[Click to play video]

With the increasing availability of high-speed internet access, streaming digital media has become more prevalent. In the consumer market, this has led to the rise in popularity of  services like YouTube, and the current emergence of video-on-demand (VOD) solutions like Hulu, as well as ustream and for lifecasting and live video streaming of events online.

Streaming media works almost instantaneously: other than a short delay before the requested file starts to play, you don’t have to wait to start watching, no matter if the file lasts thirty seconds or thirty minutes in duration.

Broadly speaking, there are two way of delivering streaming digital media content over the Web. The first method uses a standard HTTP Web server to deliver the audio and video data  to a media player. The second approach uses a separate streaming media server designed specifically to stream digital media. Using a streaming server is more efficient and flexible, provides a better user experience, and is more secure than HTTP streaming.

Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages, and I will begin to look at these tomorrow.

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• Regulate CPAs in accordance with the law and the Institute’s Code of Ethics in the public interest.
• Ensure that CPAs are constantly up to date in all matters relating to their professional work.
• Maintain the highest levels of educational standards for new entrants to the profession.
• Represent the interests of members where appropriate.

The CPA’s Suzanne Shaw, outlined the reason for the emergence of non-formal and informal e-learning technologies in the Institute:

As one of [the bodies] in the Ireland that train accountants and regulate them throughout their professional life, our members are predominantly split three ways: practitioners; entrepreneurs; and employees of businesses.

All of them are at the coalface of the current economic climate and many of them use tools like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to give one another practical advice about sustaining businesses and planning for a long-term environment. It’s a great way to get information out to people really quickly.

It seems that the CPA members are using Facebook and Twitter to share articles and information to keep each apprised of developments in their domain. Ms. Shaw again:

The beauty of social networking is it enables two-way communication or, if you want, one-to-many communication. The CPA uses it to gauge feedback on courses and products and adjust them accordingly.

One of the benefits of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter is that they are "ready-made." The CPA’s experience is that they can concentrate on the business use of the technology without contributors having to worry about the technology per se. Despite being (by it’s very nature) a very traditional organization, the obvious business advantages of using these platforms for information-sharing seems to have eased the transition to using social media. There are a number of core uses of social media for learning in the CPA:

• The CPA recently set up a space on Facebook for new students to get and share information.
• In terms of professional use, with closed LinkedIn forums are used, so information can be kept confidential between members.
• CPA accountants are using Twitter as a way of relaying information or lobbying issues.
• Professional members make use of LinkedIn to keep in touch with each other, as well as business associates.

Interestingly, one of the main drivers of the growth in utilization of social media tools is that accountants’ clients are "pushing them to be more involved in online communication" according to Ms. Shaw.

It seems that once members are exposed to Web 2.0 technologies, they adapt their own information-sharing practices to include Twitter and Facebook. Ms. Shaw stated that:

Many share war stories and know-how in the forums. With CPE seminars taking place across the country, people not only meet up but can also keep in touch. Because people have hectic working lives and a home life to balance, they can’t get to every course or seminar, so they …use these tools to share notes and find out where the next course is taking place. Not every one can make it to the centre of Dublin after a day’s work, so we’ve started uploading video lectures. Students …are recording podcasts of lectures and sharing on places like Facebook. We estimate about 10% of our 5,500 members and students are using social media for continuous professional education. With Facebook, for example, they are truly engaging with one another. Many use it because they are that generation, others have begun dabbling. It can only grow from here.

Brutus, in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar tells Cassius that 

There is a tide in the affairs of men.
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune

Act IV, Scene 3.

In a similar vein, I would suggest that there are trends in the uses and the adoption of technology. The current global economic environment as well as the emergence and broad adoption of easy-to-use Read/Write Web tools like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn in society-at-large are profoundly re-shaping the ways people and organizations communicate.

As we know from Rogers’ writings on diffusion of innovation, people’s attitude toward a new technology is a key element in its diffusion. Roger’s Innovation Decision Process theory asserts that innovation diffusion is a process that occurs over time through five stages:

   1. Awareness
   2. Interest
   3. Evaluation
   4. Trial
   5. Adoption

The final phase of the diffusion process is characterized by large-scale continued use of the idea or technology, and by "satisfaction with" (Diffusion of Innovations, 2003, p.2) the idea. This does not mean that the the individual or organization that has accepted the idea will use it constantly, rather, it means that the diffused idea has been integrated into their schema or metal model as a valuable asset or resource.

Figure 1 Diffusion of Innovation curve
[Click to enlarge]

Individuals or organizations will typically go through these processes at varying speeds, depending on factors ranging from the cost, time, and effort required to implement the diffused concept, the return on the investment, how well it aligns with their previous experience with similar concepts, as well as the complexity of the idea or technology under consideration. By endorsing and supporting a range of well-tested, free-to-use solutions, that are currently very positively received in the public consciousness due to their apparent ability to elect presidents (Obama), overthrow despotic regimes (Obama again for Dubya Iran), and circumvent traditional media channels (Michael Jackson’s death). Such momentum is hard to ignore, especially when coupled with the economic imperative of clients demanding access to CPA members’ skills via social media.

However, a corollary to the curve described in Figure 1 (above) is the Gartner Hype Lifecycle illustrated in Figure 2 (below).

Figure 2 Generic Gartner Hype Cycle
[Click to enlarge]

I would suggest that Twitter, Facebook etc are well on their way to reaching what Gartner describes as the "Peak of Inflated Expectations" associated with this type of innovation. It remains to be seen if the CPA can take this flood in the tide of technology and progress their non-formal learning initiatives, or if they will be "bound in shallows and in miseries" if they are unable to leverage the potential of this phenomenon.

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References:

Kennedy, J. (2009). Number crunchers find social media a ‘tweet’ surprise. Silicon Republic. [Internet] 29 June. Available from: http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/article/13271/ [Accessed 29 June 2009] 

Rogers, E. M. (2003) Diffusion of Innovations, 5th ed.. Simon & Schuster International.

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So today, I’m going to look at some developments that have the potential to positively affect e-learning content delivery.

Now read on…

I have talked on other occasions about using what Douglas Adams called PETs (Personal Electronic Things) to deliver e-learning content. On May 20th, British e-learning company Atlantic Link announced that they had developed an e-learning authoring solution for the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP). According to their press release:

Atlantic Link’s …rapid e-learning authoring tools … now allow courses to be designed specifically for the Sony PSP Slim & Lite. The courses can be deployed locally (from the Memory Stick Duo) or from the Internet, giving users a true mobile learning experience … all the functionality of Atlantic Link’s rapid e-learning authoring tools can be applied to small screen format.

[Click image to view demo]

Atlantic Link MD Mike Alcock states:

The potential applications for this technology are huge … [t]ourist guides, language training, product training and updates, maintenance guides and training, medical training, interactive museum guides, schools training, the list is almost endless.

Based on the information available from Atlantic Link’s website, I can’t tell whether the organization have developed a new set of templates for their current Rapid e-Learning authoring tools, or have created a new authoring platform specifically for PSP /Lite content development.

Given the range of potential applications for their content development system, Atlantic Link may have opened up a niche market for themselves by repurposing e-learning content authoring tools to deliver informational material in predominantly non-networked environments (see Mr. Alcock’s quote above).

Is this innovative or new?

No.

Flash Lite has been around since 2004; what Atlantic Link seem to have done is created a point solution by simplifying the authoring environment (much like Captivate and Articulate do) to enable output on the PSP device. Similarly, I can’t discern from the press release or website whether this content supports learning tracking, SCORM / AICC specifications and learners’ formative and summative test results can be sent to and stored on an LMS.

It also may be the case that this type of approach has just been overtaken by events.

As well as announcing the latest version of their enterprise collaboration solution Adobe Connect Pro 7 (I’ll review it once we get our sticky hands on it here in the office), Adobe have also announced the Open Screen Project, which they say is

dedicated to driving consistent rich Internet experiences across televisions, personal computers, mobile devices, and consumer electronics.

[by] taking advantage of Adobe Flash Player and, in the future, Adobe AIR — that will remove barriers for developers and designers as they publish content and applications across desktops and consumer devices, including phones, mobile internet devices (MIDs), and set top boxes. The Open Screen Project will address potential technology fragmentation by allowing the runtime technology to be updated seamlessly over the air on mobile devices. The consistent runtime environment will provide optimal performance across a variety of operating systems and devices, and ultimately provide the best experience to consumers.

To support the Open Screen Project along, Adobe is:

• Opening up the runtime to Flash Player so that anybody can develop a customized player. Specifically, it is going to open up the SWF and FLV/F4V specifications. In the past, developers had to sign agreements not to create derivative Flash players because Adobe wanted to avoid the fragmentation that Java experienced during its early years.
• Removing licensing fees for Flash on mobile devices. While Flash is free on PCs, cell phone makers and other device manufacturers must pay a royalty fee. Instances of Flash are on 500 million mobile devices already (expected to grow to one billion over the next 12 months). As of the next major release of Flash (and AIR) for devices in 2009, it will be free to device manufacturers.
• Publishing the APIs for porting Flash to other devices. This currently also incurs a royalty fee. Now, every device should come with a pre-installed Flash API.
• Publishing Adobe protocols for pushing content to devices like Flash Cast and AMF. Adobe will also work with wireless carriers on protocols for over-the-air software updating.

I would suggest that the primary implication for learning professionals is that this could be the basis for a common (if not open) platform to enable learning materials to be delivered via multiple channels. With the support of a range of hardware manufacturers, there seems to be little threat of vendor lock-in; maybe manufacturers have finally understood that wider customer access has the potential to generate higher revenues than forcing people to use proprietary communications solutions?

in any case, being able to create content for a ubiquitous, device-independent platform will make my life less complicated and I suspect the same goes for a lot of other people too.

FOGRA: I was meant to be presenting at this year’s ILTA EDTech 2008 Conference on ‘non-formal workplace learning’, but had to cancel due travel commitments: best of luck to all attending and presenting – I’ll be keeping up with activities on the ILTA website.

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