TATA Interactive Learning Forum 2006: A Snapshot

(John Gibbs, Instructional Design Consultant with TIS describes the proceedings at the annual TATA Interactive Learning Forum which was held at 2 locations this year)

The TATA Interactive Learning Forum innovated this year by using a participative approach to engage the audiences, which totaled more than 100 for the two events, Sept. 28 and 29 at the UN Millennium Plaza in New York and Oct. 2 and 3 at the Allstate headquarters in Chicago.

On the second day of each event, teams competed to achieve the highest stock price for a fictitious company using the “General Management II” TopSim module, manipulating pricing, hiring, advertising, and production variables.

In New York, the education track featured speakers from Western Governors University, McGraw-Hill, Boston University, and Axia College. Corporate presenters represented Learning Tree, Telstra, and Staples. 

Carol Silk of New York Presbyterian Hospital described an accelerated training roll-out to learners with limited English and computer skills using proctors to assist learners with computer basics.

Gary Dickelman of EPSS Central gave the keynote presentation on “Performance Centered Design in the 21st Century, and Chris Proulx of eCornell adressed “Aligning Corporate Learning and Higher Education.”

The single track at the Chicago event included presentations by representatives of Allstate, Holland America, Northwest Airlines and Motorola. Dave Vance of Caterpillar University delivered the keynote on “Best Practices in Alignment and Measurement.”

Steve Smith and Lynn Misselt of Northwest Airlines described their approach to rapid task analysis. Joje DiDonato told how Countrywide accelerates time to proficiency in IT skills using a 20/30/50 model—20 percent classroom training, 30 percent through out-of-class technologies, and 50 percent via performance support systems.

Chicago participants debated what constitutes “informal learning.” Podcasts may be received by learners as informal media, yet considerable design and production expertise may go into creating them.

Comments

[Priya Thomas]

Thats quite informative....www.learnwareindia.com is one of our initiatives to make kids learn smartly and not hard!Learning by rote is still the practice in certain schools.By this Kids do not understand the fact or do not get a perception of what they are learning..Thy mug up textbooks and write all that down on their answer sheets and score higher every year..but alas do they know what they are writing?!!!We should be able to change this situation of wasting time on reproducing text matter and testing whether the kid has actually understood the topic not by rote but by perception of the mind.

Priya Thomas
www.learnwareindia.com