Producer Principles

We heard in the period of the mid-eighties and nineties that "content was king" in the e-learning space. And yet, what the learning industry seems to continue to focus on is the delivery modality and instructional design methodology.

As we look at other creative industries, it is interesitng to note their focus. John J. Lee, Jr. says the number one principle for producers is:

Discovering, developing, and producing quality stories is the central focus. Story is the single most essential, important, and powerful asset.

I would say that rather than "content being king" it is context, that is to say "the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event or situation" that give it it's meaning. Without context or "story" you don't have much more than facts on pages--electronic pages maybe, but pages none-the-less.

Reactions? Thoughts?

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Tasty Training or Cheesy Training?

This is cheesy on many levels, but does make me wonder about the entertainment value. Check it out:



Would you consider this creative? Effective? Worth it?

MySpace or OurSpace?

Most are now agreeing that social networking has taken the Internet by storm. This "storm" is due in part to the maturity of technical infrastructures and the explosion of self-publishing and social networking applications, but mostly because that is where individuals in mass are gathering.

The real challenge/question for organizations is should they offer similar tools in their corporate communities?

Read the following Talent Management article by associate editor Tegan Jones and join in with your thoughts.

QUESTIONS

What are the corporate fears?

Why the corporate hesitation?

What are the benefits?

How should it be/not be managed?

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#1

There is no problem that cannot be overcome by force.

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#2

If it moves, DESTROY IT!

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#3

Piloting any vehicle is simple and requires no training.

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#4

One lone "good guy" can defeat an infinite number of "bad guys."

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#5

Make sure you eat all food lying on the ground.

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#6

You can break things and get away with it.

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#7

You can push other vehicles off the road and get away with it.

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#8

If someone dies, they disappear.

SOURCE: Unknown

Socialite.com

Socialight is a fun, new community that lets you connect in totally new ways - by creating, sharing, and discovering virtual Sticky Notes placed at specific locations using your mobile phone or the web.

Socialight is a location-based information service. Geeks call it "geo-tagging". With this service, you can create Stickies anywhere in the world for your friends, for everyone, or just for yourself. They can now contain text and photos, and soon you'll be able to add sound clips and video.

Watch this video to learn more:


The company claims benefits like:

Looking for restaurant reviews from friends whose opinions you trust? Use your cell phone to access their creative take on the food and service…before you’re led to your table.

Want the inside scoop on the coolest, hard-to-find shops in London? Use your mobile phone to see what your fashion-forward friends have tagged in a particular shopping district.

There are obvious concerns and critics with anything new, especially as it relates to security. Not that I believe anyone will be stalking me, there are some who this may be an issue.

QUESTIONS:

What are your thoughts about how employees may use this service on business trips?

What policies (if any) do you feel the organization should put in place to protect their people and/or themselves?

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#9

If you get mad enough, you can fight even better.

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#10

You can overcome most adversaries simply by having enough quarters.

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#11

You can operate all weapons without training.

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#12

No matter how long you fight, you can always fight again.

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#13

Death is reversible (only for you!)

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#14

Ninjas are common and frequently fight in public.

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#15

Whenever big fat mean guys are about to croak, they begin flashing red or yellow.

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#16

You never run out of ammunition, just grenades.

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#17

All women wear revealing clothes and have great bodies.

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#18

Shoot everything. If it blows up or dies, it was bad.

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#19

Don't worry if your vehicle crashes and explodes. A new vehicle will appear in its place.

SOURCE: Unknown

20 Things You Learn from Video Games

#20

A thousand-to-one odds against you is NOT a problem.

SOURCE: Unknown

Insider Principle

The learner is an "insider," "teacher," and "producer" (not just a "consumer") able to customize the learning experience and domain/game from the beginning and throughout the experience.

For more details, see James Paul Gee. What Video Games Have to Teach us About Learning and Literacy (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003).

Affinity Group Principle

Learners constitute an "affinity group," that is, a group that is bonded primarily through shared endeavors, goals, and practices and not shared race, gender, nation, ethnicity, or culture.

For more details, see James Paul Gee. What Video Games Have to Teach us About Learning and Literacy (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003).

Dispersed Principle

Meaning/knowledge is dispersed in the sense that the learner shares it with others outside the domain/game, some of whom the learner may rarely or never see face-to-face.

For more details, see James Paul Gee. What Video Games Have to Teach us About Learning and Literacy (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003).

Distributed Principle

Meaning/knowledge is distributed across the learner, objects, tools, symbols, technologies, and the environment.

For more details, see James Paul Gee. What Video Games Have to Teach us About Learning and Literacy (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003).