Welcome to the October issue of Element K News, the e-Learning newsletter from Element K®, intended for our customers and other friends! Element K News provides a monthly update of our latest e-Learning product releases. But it goes beyond that, variously including partner spotlights, dates of upcoming Element K webinars and conferences, highlights from Element K Blog, and more. This month includes many exciting updates, a focus on research into the value of e-Learning and blended learning, plus a special Element K announcement!
 

Learning News You Can Use:

• E-Learning, and Even More So Blended Learning, Beats the Classroom
• Unemployment Numbers, Economy Changes, and the Need for Employee Development
• Element K is Now On Facebook!
• What's New at Element K Blog

Upcoming Element K Events

• Conference, October 19-23:
  CSTD and IFTDO World Conference and Trade Show 2009
• Webinar, November 18:
  Enabling Informal Learning with Web 2.0 Collaboration

Product Updates

• Special Announcement!
• E-Learning Courses
• Knowledge Portals
• GetAbstract Book Summaries
• Did You Know?

E-Learning, and even more so Blended Learning, Beats the Classroom

Claims of the value of online learning have long included noting its increased flexibility and cost savings when compared with traditional classroom learning. Studies focusing on online learning's value as a learning medium have varied, with many resulting in a near equivalence. But over the summer an impressive report was issued by the U.S. Department of Education titled "Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies." As a meta-analysis, the study didn't provide new empirical evidence but rather attempted to combine "the results of multiple experiments...to obtain a composite estimate of the size of the effect." It included 99 studies, mostly from higher education and professional training, that compared learning in online and face-to-face conditions from 1996 to 2008.

Discussion of this study increased after the August 19th New York Times blog posting by Steve Lohr, "Study Finds That Online Education Beats the Classroom." As he notes: "Over the 12-year span, the report found 99 studies in which there were quantitative comparisons of online and classroom performance for the same courses. The analysis for the Department of Education found that, on average, students doing some or all of the course online would rank in the 59th percentile in tested performance, compared with the average classroom student scoring in the 50th percentile. That is a modest but statistically meaningful difference."

But a key aspect of the study that Lohr omitted is that the report actually differentiated between purely online learning and what is typically called blended learning, such as learning programs that involve a mix of face-to-face learning and online learning. Over the years, blended learning programs have grown in organizational learning and development, so a meta-analysis that can differentiate blended from purely online learning is of great interest.

And the results were striking: "Instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction." In other words, this meta-analysis of dozens of studies found that blended learning did even better than purely online learning.

But it gets even more interesting. The report indicated results for 13 "variations in the way in which different studies implemented online learning" (for example, the use of video), and of those only two showed statistically significant influences on effectiveness:

• The use of blended rather than a purely online approach
• The expansion of time on tasks for online learners

In discussing the many important caveats to their report, the authors note the meta-analysis does not actually demonstrate that online learning is superior as a medium per se. This is because in many of the studies the online and classroom conditions "differed in terms of time spent, curriculum, and pedagogy." They explained that it was "the combination of elements in the treatment conditions (which was likely to have included additional learning time and materials as well as additional opportunities for collaboration) that produced the observed learning advantages." But importantly, they also noted that "online learning is much more conducive to the expansion of learning time than is face-to-face instruction." And this is precisely because of the two other major reasons for preferring e-learning over the classroom: flexibility and cost-savings.

This 93-page report is clearly written but has many nuances and is by no means light reading. The seven-page executive summary is highly recommended, but if you can find time to read the entire report you will likely find many more interesting results than have been summarized here.

At Element K, we pride ourselves on developing a robust catalog of award-winning e-learning courses. But unlike other learning providers we do so via a single-source development model that creates both multimedia-rich e-Learning as well as professional print courseware for use in the classroom. In addition to this, our Real World Blended Learning Solution provides a way to integrate not only online and print courseware, but also a variety of other learning products.

Contact your Element K Account Executive or Learning Consultant to learn more about our award-winning e-Learning content and our unique and powerful blended learning solutions.

Unemployment Numbers, Economy Changes, and the Need for Employee Development

In September, Josh Bersin wrote a very interesting posting at his blog The Business of Talent, US Employment Update: Not Out of the Woods Yet. He started by reviewing some key statistics and trends, indicating both the obvious growing unemployment in the United States and other countries, but also various employment shifts brought about by the economic downturn. He concludes with the following, a valuable call-to-action for Learning and Development professionals:

"Rather than watch these statistics and wait for them to turn around, I think it is our job to create a new future. TalentWatch® research continues to show that despite the large number of people unemployed, businesses still suffer from technical and professional skills shortages. Our research clearly shows that "deep specialization" is the secret key which has helped businesses survive this recession. Companies like Accenture, Intel, Goldman Sachs, IBM, Cisco, Google, Aetna, and many others have gained market share during this business cycle. They did this by becoming even more focused on hiring and developing deep levels of expertise in their core markets, a strategy which helps every business succeed.

"Although much of the employment data is discouraging, I see this as a wake-up call for us as HR and L&D leaders to focus on defining and building high-value job roles, recruiting and developing people for these roles, and becoming rutheless in our efforts to make sure that all HR and L&D spending is focused. While HR spending is down almost 8% in 2009 and L&D spending is down over 11%, these changes give you the opportunity to redefine your priorities and put your reduced resources into the key talent strategies that drive your organization's competitive advantage.

"I spoke with the head of talent acquisition for one of the biggest banks in the U.S. last week and she told me that "while we are not spending a penny on external recruiting right now, we are actively talking with key talent in all areas and very aggressively moving people around the company to make sure they are in the highest value roles." A good lesson for all of us.

A further benefit of robust organizational learning and development programs was highlighted in an August Chief Learning Officer magazine article, Fostering a Passionate Workforce. It notes an Emerging Workforce Study that "found that in companies where training is perceived to be poor, about 4 out of 10 employees are thinking of quitting; and in companies where training is perceived to be good or excellent, only about 1 in 10 is considering leaving."

Contact your Element K Account Executive or Learning Consultant to learn what role Element K's many learning solutions can play in transforming your existing employees to become more passionate and better suit your organization's needs now and in the future.
 

Element K is Now On Facebook!

Social media continues its impressive growth, and Element K is increasingly participating. Earlier this summer, we notified you of our corporate Twitter account (Element_K), and now we are pleased to announce our official corporate page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ElementK. Facebook users can become "fans" of our page, and in coming months we'll be using this location to share special announcements, videos, and more.

Further, to learn of all the ways that Element K is engaging with Web 2.0 and social media, see our new "Stay Connected" page located at: www.elementk.com/about-us/stay-connected. This includes information about our presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as a link to our company blog. We intend to make further additions to this page in the future, so stay tuned!

What's New at Element K Blog

Here is what you'll find at Element K Blog recently:

• Learning and Development Roundup (Vol. 6) - Includes links to items from Clive Shepherd and Laura Overton, Josh Bersin, Roger Schank, ASTD's Learning Circuits Blog, and the good folks at LearnTrends.
• The New L&D Virtual Cocktail Party - A discussion of "learn chat" (or #lrnchat) on Twitter, and why as a learning professional you might want to give it a try!
• On the Need for Reasonable Expectations for Social Media - A discussion of the importance of the 90-9-1 principle.
• Learning and Development Roundup (Vol. 5) - Includes links to items from Elliott Masie, Marcia Connor, Tony Bingham, key articles from Chief Learning Officer magazine and T+D magazine, and more!
• Results from Masie's Survey on Learning Systems - Highlights from a recent survey on learning systems by Elliott Masie.
• Update on Twitter for Learning Professionals - An update to an earlier posting, including an extensive list of key L&D experts to follow on Twitter.

We hope you'll check out Element K Blog, come back regularly, and add us to your RSS reader. Also, if you use Twitter you can follow us there at our account "Element_K".

Conference, October 19-23:
CSTD and IFTDO World Conference and Trade Show 2009

Location: Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Tom Stone will present "Blending Web 2.0 Technologies with Traditional Formal Learning" on Oct. 21 from 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

For more information, visit the CSTD conference page.

For more information about conferences that Element K will be participating in, see the Element K Events page.  

Webinar, November 18:
Enabling Informal Learning with Web 2.0 Collaboration

Date: Wednesday November 18, 2 PM to 3 PM EST

Join us for this free webinar to hear about why informal learning is important to the future success of your Learning Program and business in general. We will discuss real world examples of how companies are using tools like blogs, wikis, discussion forums and virtual classrooms to achieve their goals and take their training programs to the next level.

For more information about upcoming webinars, visit our Webinars page.

Special Announcement!
Element K is proud to unveil a new look for our online courses! The updated course interface provides you with many new and enhanced features designed to increase usability, user engagement, and navigability.

These features include:

• New global navigation. The new skin has consolidated course navigation into a simple-to-use icon tool bar located on the bottom of each course page. This tool bar includes buttons for the course map, rewind, play/pause, progress bar, muting, transcript ("text always on"), close caption, back/next, and page tracker. A tool tip for each button is available by rolling the cursor over them.
• New tab structure. With this new release, the tab structure on the right-hand side of each course page has been simplified to increase usability. In addition to being streamlined, we have added subtle animation to the relevant tabs when there is new information pertaining to the current course page.
• "Text always on" transcripts. With the new course skin, users can now select to have their transcript text "always on" in a resizable and movable text box on each page. This is improved support for different learning styles, as some learners like to read along with the narrated animations as they play. This transcript information is also printable.
• Enhanced bookmark feature. The new course skin enhances the bookmark functionality by positioning the "return to last screen" option more clearly than before.
• Updated visual look and feel. Overall, the new course skin utilizes new color schemes and other design improvements to keep the content's "look and feel" more engaging to learners.

Contact your Element K Account Executive or Learning Consultant to learn more about this and other ways we are investing to make our products and services the best in the industry!

E-Learning Courses
Element K's award-winning e-Learning content includes robust multimedia content, software simulations, business simulations, quizzes, assessments, and more. And our massive libraries continue to grow each month! The latest e-Learning course additions in the following general areas include:

Business Skills

• HR Optimization: Creating and Maintaining a Talented Workforce
• Employee Relations: Communicating for Effective Employee Relations
• Employee Relations: Satisfying Employees
• Green Fundamentals
• Harnessing Innovation Within Teams 1: Being an Innovator
• Harnessing Innovation Within Teams 2: Generating Ideas
• Harnessing Innovation Within Teams 3: Putting Ideas Into Practice
• Harnessing Innovation Within Teams 4: Managing Innovation
• HR Optimization: Communicating Effectively
• HR Optimization: Creating Development Plans
• Knowledge Management: Basics of Knowledge Management
• Knowledge Management: Implementing Knowledge Management
• Knowledge Management: Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning
• Team Sponsorship: Sponsoring Standing and Ad Hoc Teams
• Women in Leadership: Gaining Leadership Excellence Through Effective Communication

Compliance

• Violence in the Workplace (Third Edition)

Office Productivity

• IBM® Lotus Notes® 8.5: Databases
• Microsoft® Windows® 7: Level 2 (First Look)

Design and Media

• Adobe® Fireworks® CS4
• Adobe® FrameMaker® 9.0: Level 1
• Adobe® Photoshop® CS4: Web Production (Macintosh)
• Adobe® Soundbooth® CS4
• Adobe® Dreamweaver® CS4: Level 1 - ACA
• Adobe® Dreamweaver® CS4: Level 2 - ACA
• Adobe® Flash® CS4: Level 1 - ACA
• Adobe® Flash® CS4: Level 2 - ACA
• Adobe® Flash® CS4: Level 3 - ACA
• Adobe® Photoshop® CS4: Level 1 - ACA
• Adobe® Photoshop® CS4: Level 2 - ACA
• Adobe® Photoshop® CS4: Photo Printing and Color - ACA
• Adobe® Photoshop® CS4: Web Production - ACA

IT Professional

• Advanced Wireless Communications
• Agile Essentials
• Automating Administrative Tasks in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 (10156)
• CompTIA® A+® Certification: A Comprehensive Approach for All 2009 Exam Objectives (Comprehensive)
• CompTIA® Linux+™ Certification (2009 Objectives) - Comprehensive
• CompTIA® Server+® Certification (2009 Objectives)
• Creating and Managing Databases in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 (10152)
• Fundamentals of Finance for IT Managers
• Fundamentals of WiMAX
• Implementing High Availability and Replication in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 (10158)
• Installing and Configuring Microsoft SQL Server 2008 (10151)
• Managing Security in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 (10155)
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 (10157)
• Oracle Database 11g: Administration Workshop II
• Securing Networks with ASA Fundamentals
• SQL: Fundamentals of Querying (Fourth Edition)
• Strategic IT Planning Skills (Second Edition)

Localized Courses

• Uso de la información para la comunicación (Español)
• Internet Explorer 6.0: Introduction (Français)
• Business Meeting Skills (International English)
• Dynamic Business Presentations (International English)
• Get The Most Out of Your Meetings (International English)
• Developing and Leading an Effective Team (International English)
• Leading Your Team To Business Results (International English)
• Negotiating Skills in Action (International English)
• Sviluppare e gestire un gruppo efficace (Italiano)
• Gestione del gruppo per ottenere risultati aziendali (Italiano)
• Implementazione del cambiamento per manager (Italiano)
• Valutazione del cambiamento per manager (Italiano)
• Presentazioni commerciali dinamiche (Italiano)
• Tecniche per la conduzione di riunioni commerciali (Italiano)

Contact your Element K Account Executive or Learning Consultant to learn more about our various libraries of e-Learning courses.
 

Knowledge Portals
With our easy-to-use Knowledge Portals, you can quickly utilize the wide variety of tools that are included in your subscription, such as e-Learning courses, e-Reference libraries, management videos, book summaries, and more. In addition, Knowledge Portals provide quick access to relevant Element K blogs and forums on the KnowledgeHub platform. Each Knowledge Portal is centered around a particular job role, topic area, or industry certification area, and displays only the content that the user has a subscription to, so everything they see in the portal is accessible to them.

The new Knowledge Portal from the past month is:

• Systems Administrator

Earlier this year, Element K released the following Knowledge Portals:

• Management
• Office Professional
• Project Management
• CompTIA
• Creative Designer
• Web Developer
• IT Network Administrator

Contact your Element K Account Executive or Learning Consultant to learn more about Element K's new Knowledge Portals.

getAbstract
One of our most innovative partners, getAbstract, provides book summaries of the latest and most important books in business. Most of us don't have time to read every interesting book that comes along, but with getAbstract, you don't have to. Access book summaries in a variety of formats, including PDFs or as audio content for your iPhone, iPod, BlackBerry, or other MP3 player. The latest getAbstract additions include:

• America's Response to China: A History of Sino-American Relations by Warren I. Cohen
• Chindia: How China and India Are Revolutionizing Global Business by Peter Engardio (Ed.)
• Cloud Computing: Web-Based Applications That Change the Way You Work and Collaborate Online by Michael Miller
• Everything Is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder by David Weinberger
• Global Catastrophes and Trends: The Next Fifty Years by Vaclav Smil
• High Altitude Leadership: What the World's Most Forbidding Peaks Teach Us About Success by Chris Warner and Don Schmincke
• Leadership Without Easy Answers by Ronald A. Heifetz
• Managing the Older Employee: Overcoming the Generation Gap to Get the Most Out of Your Workplace by Casey Hawley
• Managing the Unexpected: Assuring High Performance in an Age of Complexity by Karl E. Weick and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe
• Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex by John Gray
• Mobilizing Minds: Creating Wealth From Talent in the 21st Century Organization by Lowell L. Bryan and Claudia L. Joyce
• Profiting from Clean Energy: A Complete Guide to Trading Green in Solar, Wind, Ethanol, Fuel Cell, Carbon Credit Industries, and More by Richard W. Asplund
• Real Venture Capital: Building International Business by Richard Thompson
• Sell Your Business for the Max!: How to Prepare, Negotiate & Profit—in Good Times and Bad by Steve Kaplan
• Soros: The World's Most Influential Investor by Robert Slater
• The Facebook Era: Tapping Online Social Networks to Build Better Products, Reach New Audiences, and Sell More Stuff by Clara Shih
• The Green Business Guide: A One Stop Resource for Businesses of All Shapes and Sizes to Implement Eco-Friendly Policies, Programs, and Practices by Glenn Bachman
• Transforming East Asia: The Evolution of Regional Economic Integration by Naoko Munakata
• Ultimate Cover Letters by Martin Yate
• Write to Sell: The Ultimate Guide to Great Copywriting by Andy Maslen

Contact your Element K Account Executive or Learning Consultant to learn more about the getAbstract products.

Did You Know?
Element K vLabs enhance learners' skills using risk-free networking hardware and software. This means there is no need to put your own infrastructure at risk when training your staff. If they get stuck, they can restore systems without the time-consuming and dangerous rework necessary on actual systems. There's no substitute for real experience, and virtual labs enable users to go beyond a static demonstration or simulation, to experiment and make mistakes working with live equipment. Element K vLabs provide an environment that can mirror almost any hardware or software configuration—even custom environments or proprietary application modules—to meet your specific sales training, classroom education, and IT certification requirements. And our e-Learning modules support all major Cisco®, Microsoft®, CompTIA®, and Linux® certifications.

To learn more about Element K vLabs, see the vLabs tutorial, or contact your Element K Account Executive or Learning Consultant for more information.

 

For more information on Element K:
http://www.elementk.com or call 1-800-434-3466.
Element K, 500 Canal View Blvd., Rochester, NY 14623

Copyright 2009 Element K Corporation. All rights reserved. Element K and the Element K logo are trademarks of Element K Corporation. Products or other names may be trademarks of their respective proprietors who may not be affiliated with Element K. Element K is part of NIIT, a global talent development corporation operating in 40 countries.