2010 Speaker Q&A
Marty Rosenheck Talks About Using Web 2.0 Tools to Foster Learning
Marty Rosenheck, Chief Learning Strategist and Vice President at Cedar Interactive, will deliver the midday keynote presentation, "Formal, Informal, and Social Learning: Navigating the eLearning Storm," at the 2010 Chicago eLearning & Technology Showcase on August 11. Marty has been helping people and organizations develop award-winning performance-based training for over 25 years. In a recent conversation with us, he shed light on two current learning trends—cognitive apprenticeships and the marriage of formal and informal learning—and the role that Web 2.0 technologies play in these trends.
Q: Cognitive apprenticeship is the topic of your article, "Navigating the Interactive Workplace," which appeared in the May 2010 Features section of Chief Learning Officer. Can you summarize this concept?
A: I first encountered the work of cognitive scientists Allan Collins and John Seely Brown on cognitive apprenticeship over 20 years ago, and, you know, I find that these concepts are more relevant to the current situation in the workplace than ever. Cognitive apprenticeship is the knowledge-age successor to traditional apprenticeship. In the pre-industrial age, a person would learn a trade, like cobbler or blacksmith, by becoming an apprentice to a master practitioner. This time-honored learning method worked extremely well for manual skills.
Collins, Brown, and others adapted the traditional apprenticeship model to apply to complex knowledge-based areas like mathematics, reading comprehension, and science in school settings. I, and others, over the past couple of decades, have been figuring out how to apply these principles to the workplace to accelerate the speed to proficiency for complex jobs—leadership, sales, technical, customer service, and others. It turns out that these principles are particularly well-suited to helping learning professionals make sense of how to integrate formal, informal, and social learning in a coherent way.
Q: What are some of the key principles of cognitive apprenticeship?
A: The main principles of cognitive apprenticeship have to do with the social aspects of learning, types of knowledge, learning methods, and sequencing. For example, people develop proficiency fast when they learn by performing authentic tasks in context. Cognitive apprenticeship principles guide us to provide a variety of experiences (simulated and on the job) that are arranged from simple to complex, with a lot of "scaffolding" or support from coaches at the beginning—that gradually fades as learners improve. These principles also guide us to provide opportunities for learners to reflect on their experiences. If this is done right, the time it takes to become proficient at a complex job can be greatly reduced, resulting in significant gains in productivity.
Q: How can Web 2.0 and social media facilitate cognitive apprenticeships?
A: Well, the problem with the traditional apprenticeship model is that it is very expensive. In today's reality, we just can't afford to provide extensive one-on-one time with our top performers. Web 2.0 technologies enable the essence of cognitive apprenticeship to be accomplished much more economically. For instance, one organization I worked with had to get technical service reps that were spread around the country up to speed fast. We helped them create a systematic process in which the learning progressed from more formal web-based simulations and synchronous virtual classrooms to informal learning on the job with decreasing degrees of support. They created virtual learning communities using web conferencing and instant messaging to get support from mentors and from each other. They also used on-demand video and a dynamic knowledge base to capture and share expertise. The technology made it possible to efficiently leverage the expertise in the organization to provide an ongoing learning process that accelerated the speed to proficiency.
Q: You recently wrote another article "The Marriage of Formal & Informal Learning," which was published in the Spring 2010 issue of Training Today. What do you think has led to this marriage?
A: Both formal and informal learning have been around for a long time—you can say they have been "flirting" in the workplace for quite a while now. We are just starting to recognize their strengths and limitations individually. On one hand, while formal learning can be quite systematic and efficient, we are recognizing that it only accounts for a small percentage of the learning that takes place and leads to limited transfer to the job. On the other hand, informal learning happens as needed right on the job, but it can be haphazard and inefficient. The two are finally realizing that they are better together—it's time to tie the knot.
Q: In the article, you mention that technology, especially Web 2.0 technology, is a key enabler for this marriage. What can e-learning professionals do to help this marriage be a happy relationship?
A: The most important thing is to remember that the formal e-learning courses are only one part of the formal-informal marriage. We need to build in opportunities for informal learning and sharing. Web 2.0 tools like blogs, messaging, microblogs (like twitter), virtual collaboration environments, online coaching, and online directories (or Facebook-like pages) extend the reach and the range of connections to make informal learning more efficient. Formal learning can provide the baseline knowledge and skills, but the informal elements, supported by technology, enable the learning to "stick" and to translate into results on the job. That's what I call a happy marriage!
Register for the showcase to hear Rosenheck and other experts in the field speak about the latest e-learning trends.