Training Industry's latest issue features learning in virtual worlds

The latest issue of Training Industry Quarterly features the work of Drs. Karl Kapp and Tony O'Driscoll, who penned the cover story about learning in virtual worlds. It's a great read that examines why and how Ernst and Young used a virtual environment for new-recruit onboarding. You can read it now for free online.

The good doctors wrote this article based on the research they did for their new book, "Learning in 3D." So if their Training Industry article has you hooked, also check out their book for more case studies of organizations using virtual environments for training and learning.

From ASTD 2010: How enterprises are collaborating in virtual immersive environments

Last week, Drs. Karl Kapp and Tony O'Driscoll presented at the ASTD conference about the key concepts they cover in their new book, "Learning in 3D." It's the first title from a major publisher to help organizations understand how virtual immersive environments (VIEs) can improve enterprise learning and collaboration.

Next to their book, Karl and Tony's ASTD presentation is some of the most in-depth coverage of their 3-D learning concepts and case studies. They explained the basics of VIEs, and shared nine case studies from early adopters who are using this technology today. They also described 10 steps required to drive successful enterprise adoption of 3-D learning solutions.

Karl and Tony walked the audience through ProtoSphere, and demoed its data visualization functionality and other capabilities that organizations are using to communicate and collaborate in the 3-D virtual workplace.

If you missed their presentation at ASTD, or if you saw it and want a refresher, you can catch the complete video below.

Dr. Tony O'Driscoll and the benefits of 3-D collaboration

Yesterday I spent some time with my good friend Dr. Tony O'Driscoll, and recorded a quick video of him where he speaks about his recent visit with a group of life science CIOs and the benefits of 3-D collaboration to aid in generative learning. See what he had to say.

Jay Cross "heartily recommends" Karl Kapp and Tony O'Driscoll's "Learning in 3D"

If you're reading Karl Kapp and Tony O'Driscoll's new book, "Learning in 3D," or planning to, you might want to know Jay Cross has given it his recommendation. Jay is a well-regarded international speaker on enterprise learning. He penned a post on his blog where he pulled out what he thinks are the most valuable parts.

So if there are certain things you want to be sure not to miss, surf over to Jay's post. But if you're not in a rush, I encourage you to give the entire book a read. And don't skip the forward. I wrote that. ;-) Jay also gave a nod to ProtoSphere, so thank you!

CROSSWORDS: Jay Cross says "Learning in 3D" gets the clue

"Enterprise Learning and Collaboration in 3D Virtual Worlds" webinar resources

If you missed Tony O'Driscoll and Karl Kapp's webinar on 3-D environments the other week, they're sharing their slides from their presentation. Let the knowledge persist, as we always say! ;-)

The webinar, "Enterprise Learning and Collaboration in 3D Virtual Worlds," covered key concepts from Tony and Karl's new book, "Learning in 3D." They discussed the value of social learning for organizations, and how to integrate existing training and business into productive 3-D virtual work environments. If you have any questions or want to learn more after viewing the slides, hit up Karl's blog where he posted several related informational resources.

Bah Learning In 3 D

View more presentations from kkapp.

Webinar: Enterprise Learning and Collaboration in 3D Virtual Worlds, with Tony O'Driscoll and Karl Kapp

The good Drs. Tony O'Driscoll and Karl Kapp will be gracing computer screens on Tues., Feb. 9, when they hold a free webinar about 3-D environments, virtual worlds, and immersive learning spaces. The webinar, "Enterprise Learning and Collaboration in 3D Virtual Worlds," will cover key concepts from Tony and Karl's new book," "Learning in 3D." They'll discuss:

• The value of social learning for organizations.
• The impact of virtual immersive environments on society, business, and learning.
• How to integrate existing training and business into productive 3-D virtual work environments.
• 3-D learning experience design principles and sensibilities.

The webinar will be a great opportunity to learn how 3-D virtual worlds can (and should) be used for enterprise learning and teaming. You'll also have a chance to bend Tony's and Karl's ears with any questions you might have.

The webinar kicks off tomorrow, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. EST. For more information and to register, visit the invitation page.

LIFE SCIENCES 2010: That's a wrap!

Our LIFE SCIENCES 2010 event went great yesterday. It was standing room only, and we had a nice mix of attendees join us from many life sciences companies in the area. We've had questions from those of you who couldn't make it, asking if you can get the information that was presented. Rest assured, our blogging team was armed and dangerous with cameras o' plenty at the event. We'll be spinning out video footage, photos, slide decks, and more on the blog. Just give us some time for production, but we hope to have coverage posted over the next week or so. THANK YOU to all the attendees, our panelists, and everyone who helped put the event together!

LIFE SCIENCES 2010 event officially announced

We popped a press release on the wire to alert local media about our LIFE SCIENCES 2010: The Global Collaboration Imperative event at Microsoft's Malvern, Pa., campus. Thought I'd post it here as well. If you're a member of the media and would like a complementary press pass, please contact our PR guy, Matt McLoughlin.

"Learning in 3D" blog book tour: 30 blogs in 30 days

As you probably know, we helped Tony O'Driscoll and Karl Kapp kick off their blog book tour on Monday in promotion of their new title, "Learning in 3D," of which yours truly penned the forward. Thirty bloggers in the learning, collaboration, and virtual worlds space are participating in the tour.

On their assigned day, they're blogging about the book, its authors, virtual immersive environments, 3-D, or any other topic related to the book. Tony and Karl are hitting each day's blog to leave a comment or discuss the book, so please stop by and join the conversations! The musings will also spill over into Twitter with the hashtag #lrn3d.

You can follow the tour by clicking over to Tony's blog to see the schedule. You can also join the book's fan group on Facebook.

If you'd like to buy the book, you can pre-order it on Amazon (it will be available Jan. 19) at 20 percent off, or you can order it on the publisher's Web site and use the 20 percent off discount code, L3D1. If you want to get a sense of the book before you buy it, you can read the first chapter. Lastly, if you have a Kindle, you don't have to wait til next week. The Kindle edition is available now.

Our video visit with "Learning in 3D" coauthor Karl Kapp

As promised, we have a very special guest on the blog today, and a special treat for you.

Years before I first met today's guest, I was influenced by his work. Since the earliest days of ProtonMedia, I have been impressed by graduates of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Instructional Technology -- so much so that we have hired several.

And today's guest, Karl Kapp, is a key member of the faculty. Karl’s passion for learning and technology is one of the jewels of the Mid-Atlantic technology scene. I am proud to call him my friend.

A few months ago I was asked (and agreed) to write the forward of an upcoming new book, "Learning in 3D," coauthored by Tony O'Driscoll and Karl Kapp.

Published by Pfeiffer, a division of John Wiley and Sons, it's the first title from a major imprint to help readers understand the impact that 3-D environments, virtual worlds, and immersive spaces can have on education, business, and society.

The book is officially released next Tuesday, Jan. 19. You can order "Learning in 3D" now, or come to our Life Sciences 2010 event at Microsoft's Malvern, Pa., location, and get a signed copy, for free.

However you get it, I think you'll find it a must-read and must-share with colleagues who are interested in finding ways to improve training, collaboration, knowledge transfer, and organizational efficiency.

To celebrate the book's publishing, our blogging team interviewed Karl at his office on the Bloomsburg University campus, Bloomsburg, Pa. Kwan Morrow took the point, while Katelyn Winslow pointed the camera.

Here's the result, in high definition. Contact us if you would like a copy on DVD.


By the way, if you enjoy our interview with Karl, you might also find my video interview with Karl's coauthor, Tony O'Driscoll, informative.

Our top 10 posts of 2009

Cisco's Tandberg deal, rumors of an industry shake-out, pharmaceutical companies showing how it's done in 3-D. We've covered many important stories for our industry and company on the blog, and I thought we'd look back on the ones that you cared about the most. Here are our 10 most popular posts of 2009:

10. Why 3-D? Interactivity can't be had in 2-D -- and neither can its improved learning and collaboration

9. Ron Burns demos ProtoSphere's SharePoint integration during 3D TLC address

8. PDF case study of top pharma company's experience using virtual worlds

7. ProtoSphere now integrated with Microsoft SharePoint

6. Cisco's Tandberg deal: Big ambitions, big challenges for telepresence

5. Avatars vs. video and what IBM's Chuck Hamilton thinks of ProtoSphere's SharePoint integration

4. "Learning in 3D" a must-read for those in learning and collaboration technology

3. If Forterra Systems and Metaplace have sparked a virtual world industry shake-out, the question is, Who's next?

2. Global 500 pharmaceutical company boosts retention of MBA candidates with 3-D social network powered by ProtoSphere

1. Top five global pharmaceutical company conducts industry's first virtual poster session in ProtoSphere

Why 3-D? Replicate real-world learning environments, unbound by distance and place

Karl Kapp, author of the forthcoming book "Learning in 3D", and a good friend of mine, penned a blog post that I thought hit the nail on the head when it comes to answering the question of Why 3-D? He says that 3-D immersive environments can accurately replicate real-world learning spaces, without being constrained by real-world bounds of distance and place.

"The real power of a virtual immersive environment is the ability to transport the learner or collaborators into an environment that is ideally suited for the learning or collaborating that needs to take place and this usually requires an altering of the spaces," he writes.

Tony O'Driscoll and Karl Kapp's 3-D Learning Archetypes in ProtoSphere

In Karl Kapp and Tony O'Driscoll's new book, "Learning in 3D: Adding a New Dimension to Enterprise Learning and Collaboration," they describe 11 "3-D learning archetypes." These archetypes are what they consider the core ways organizations can use 3-D immersive environments for learning. Or in Karl's words, "These archetypes are some of the most effective methods of designing instruction to maximize the accordances of virtual spaces."

We're creating a space inside of our public demo version of ProtoSphere to demonstrate these archetypes. Karl and Tony will also be using it as part their promotional efforts for their book. Last week, I shared with Karl some screen caps of the progress we're making. You can take a look at them below too.

LIFE SCIENCES 2010: The Global Collaboration Imperative event co-sponsored by Microsoft and ProtonMedia

If you're in life sciences, I probably don't need to tell you that the industry is at a turning point. The jury is out on how it will recover from the global recession, and companies are under pressure to accelerate discovery, grow revenues, improve learning, and boost sales with a thin workforce.

However, as we have featured here on the blog, top life sciences companies are using new-generation collaboration technology to address their business needs and stay ahead of this new competitive landscape. In our experience, we've seen our life sciences customers take innovative approaches to online learning, teaming, and collaboration. And these approaches have yielded significant results in the forms of increased knowledge retention, decreased travel time and costs, improved communications, and more.

"Learning in 3D" a must-read for those in learning and collaboration technology

Two of the leading thinkers in learning and technology -- Dr. Tony O'Driscoll, Professor of the Practice at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business; and Dr. Karl Kapp, Professor of Instructional Technology at Bloomsburg University -- are publishing their new book in January. It's titled "Learning in 3D: Adding a New Dimension to Enterprise Learning and Collaboration."

It covers virtual immersive environments, and how they can redefine and improve the approach to learning and collaboration in the enterprise. I read the manuscript, and Tony and Karl asked me if I would write the forward. I was happy to do so. I think their book is a required reading for anyone in the learning and collaboration spaces. So we're doing what we can to help spread the word about it.

You can get a sneak-peek preview of their book and pre-order it on Amazon.com now. Tony and Karl will also be starting a blog book tour on Jan. 11. More details on that, as well as updates on the book to come.

What it will take to get the industry across the chasm, according to Dr. Tony O'Driscoll

Next up in the Ron Burns hot seat is Dr. Tony O'Driscoll from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. Ron talked to him at 3D TLC to get his perspective on what it will take to get the industry "across the chasm." Dr. O'Driscoll presented on this topic during the show, and we'll have that video for you soon. It's also the subject of his new book, "Learning in 3D: Adding a New Dimension to Enterprise Learning and Collaboration," which he co-authored with Karl Kapp. You can read more on his insights and musings on his blog, Learning Matters!.