Take a minute to think about using that within an online training course where a learner could see who else might be taking the training now, or if they are linked to some of the experts referenced in the course.  This may make more sense when the training is more collaborative using a tool like a wiki than with formally developed and structured content.  When reading information within the wiki, the learner could see their relationship to the people that contributed content and have a better understanding or comfort level of the quality of the content.  They also can potentially make new links with people that are interested in the same topics that they are.

If you haven’t done it yet, join LinkedIn and take a look at their Answers section.  You will see what questions people in your network are asking, and who is providing answers.

Have fun!

Social Networking with Training Wheels
Ten ways to get started with social networking today
By: John Jantsch

Look, I don’t really think that the mySpaces and Facebooks of the world are that important for the typical small business as they stand today. There may be very practical business reasons for some to actually use these and other, what are called social networks, for business gain, but most people that have jumped on the social network bandwagon have found themselves left with a “is this all there is” kind of feeling.
(more…)

Rod Brooks, the co-founder and CTO of iRobot, showed a great example of reducing the need for user training by simplifying the user interface for their PackBot by adding a game controller! Suddenly, their target audience (18 - 20 year old males) could pick up the controller and just “play” with the robot and figure it out.

Deborah Theobald, the CEO of Vecna, is working to provide schools with robotic tools and teaching supplies so that more students have the opportunity to work on robots. Her goal is to help increase the number of experienced students moving into the robotics industry.

I think if you took some of the tools Vecna is providing to schools and combined it with a Collaborative Learning process that would allow students, their teachers, and robotics experts to share their ideas and experiences, we could rapidly increase the innovation in the Robotics Industry.

You can read the full description on the NELA blog, or just register here.  It’s a free event sponsored by the British Consulate.

I hope to see you there.

There was also some talk about doing a Second Life meeting in the future.  That is new for me, so if you are interested, let me know and we can set something up.  It is always fun to try out new technologies for learning and collaboration.

But, in the interest of Collaborative Learning, you can download them, and then post your comments and questions here and we can get a discussion going.  In fact, if enough people are interested, we can do follow-up exercises from the talk and use some of the collaboration tools that I discuss to help further define the topic. 

Lance is convinced that “blogs” need to be “unfiltered” and opinionated, which is similar to what my blog mentor says about negativity.  I think they can be more focused and don’t need to have postings every day.  Who is right?

I can post a ton of stuff if I just link to other blogs and resources, but is that worth anything to people who come to my site?  Or is it better for my site to be a corporate website with a number of “articles” that are posted from time to time when I find something useful?

If you are reading this, you came here for a reason, so please click on the comment button and let me know.  I’m convinced I can’t suck as much as Lance.

I hope to see you there!

Register for the event directly with Elluminate.