Musings from ASTD Greater Philadelphia Chapter meeting

Last night was the October meeting of the ASTD Greater Philadelphia Chapter (American Society for Training and Development). There was a great turnout of local learning and training folks, and I got the opportunity to spend time with some old friends and make new ones.

My buddy Karl Kapp, who presented with me, recapped the meeting well on his blog. And to his post I'll add some coverage of my own. I snagged Dave Fink, Vice President of Programs of the ASTD Philly chapter, for a few minutes to talk about the organization and the businesses involved in making it tick. Watch it here, and don't go far, because I have another video from the meeting to share with you shortly as well!

Upcoming ASTD Philly chapter meeting to cover learning in virtual worlds

This Wednesday I'll be taking the stage for my next great performance. Unfortunately I'll be leaving my guitar at home. This stint is for my day job!

I'll be presenting at the October meeting of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of ASTD (American Society for Training and Development). For the unacquainted, ASTD is the world's largest professional association for the training and development industry.

I'm honored to have several industry thought leaders with me at the podium this week.

• Wain Ballard, President of Ballard Education. Wain is very proficient in enterprise learning strategy and technology, having spent about 20 years in education, IT consulting, and banking/finance. We asked him if he would contribute a guest post for us about what he'll be covering, and we're hoping to share that with you soon.
• Dr. Lia DiBello, President and Director of Research for Workplace Technologies Research, located at City University of New York. She's spent over 18 years in workplace research at organizations including Harvard, IBM Cognitive Science Labs, and the Laboratory for Cognitive Studies of Work.
• Dr. Karl Kapp, Bloomsberg University professor whom we know and love.
• Dr. Tony O'Driscoll, Duke University professor and also close bud, who will be joining us virtually in ProtoSphere.

The topic of the meeting is the business value of 3-D immersive environments for enterprise learning and collaboration. We'll be taking a look at the present and future of virtual world technologies and their use for learning and collaboration.

You'll gain insight into how and why some companies are using virtual worlds today, and advice on deciding when, where, and how to use virtual worlds for enterprise learning in your organization. It will be an informative, educational event, and a good opportunity to bounce ideas off of us and your peers.

The meeting will be held Oct. 13 from 6 p.m to 8:30 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn in Center City Philadelphia. For those of you who are out of the area or can't make it, I'm planning to bring my camera to capture the goings-on. We'll post the footage to our blog, so keep your eyes peeled. Hey, if I can't bring my guitar, I guess a camera will have to do!!

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.

Pretty version of the LIFE SCIENCES 2010 transcript

I know, I know, it took us longer to create the PDF of the transcript from our LIFE SCIENCES 2010 event than it has taken us to create a 3-D virtual environment in ProtoSphere ... but here it is at long last!!! This transcript officially caps off our coverage of the event. Feel free to download, read, save, and share it.

It's packed with a lot of great information about improving knowledge transfer, speeding collaborative decision-making, and creating high-performance workplaces in life sciences. You'll get thoughts from moderator Erica Driver, ThinkBalm industry analyst, plus all the panelists, which included:

* Thomas Kaney, M.B.A., M.H.A., M.S.; Change Management Lead, Mandala Partners International (formerly Sr. VP, Human Resources and Strategic Planning, GlaxoSmithKline)

* Melanie W. Kittrell, Ph.D.; Executive Director, Global Customer Strategy and Channels, Knowledge Management and Innovation, Merck

* Dr. Tony O'Driscoll, Professor of the Practice, Duke University Fuqua School of Business, and co-author of the new book, “Learning in 3D”

* Sam Batterman, Business Intelligence Evangelist, Pharmaceutical/Life Science, Microsoft (formerly U.S. Sales Force project leader for CRM/SFA at Merck)

* And me

For all of our coverage of the event, including the video, podcast, photos, and more, hit our LS2010 label.

LIFE SCIENCES 2010: The transcript

If you thought we squeezed all the audio/visuals out of our LS2010 event from January, well, think again. We had a bit more water left in the sponge: The transcript of our panel discussion.

As you might imagine, proofeading a 90-minute transcript (30 pages!) takes some time. But we wanted to make sure there weren't any typos and our transcriber got everything down accurately. Nothing has been altered beyond correcting typos.

Here's the LS2010 transcript as a Word doc. We're also prettying it up in a nice PDF, and will have that for you on the blog in the next day or so. If you want to listen to the podcast or watch the video, you know what to do. (Hit the links!!!)

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: The podcast

Here's the podcast of the complete Life Sciences 2010 seminar and panel discussion that we held in Malvern, Pa., with Microsoft. You can listen to it online using our embedded player, below, or download it to your mobile device of choice.

As I mentioned in my previous post, which features Life Science 2010's complete video, we have more event content in the pipeline. Keep an eye on the blog to grab the upcoming transcript, slide show, and a high-def video of my ProtoSphere demo.

LIFE SCIENCES 2010: The video

As promised, we're rolling out video, audio, and other multimedia content spun out of the recent Life Sciences 2010 event held in Malvern, Pa., in partnership with Microsoft.

Our first deliverable is this video, which captures the entire panel discussion. We have a second video in the hopper, which we'll present here in another week or so. Also coming: an audio podcast that you can download and listen to offline, or right here using our embedded player; a slide show; and a complete transcript of the seminar.

Enjoy the show. And stay tuned to our blog for news of upcoming educational events.

MedAdNews recaps our LIFE SCIENCES 2010 event

Steven Niles provided a rundown of our LIFE SCIENCES 2010 event on MedAdNews. If you missed the event, Steven gives a good recap of some of the major arguments the panelists presented. Thanks, Steven, for covering it!

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.

LIFE SCIENCES 2010 event: Panelists announced, few seats remain

Last week we told you that ThinkBalm analyst Erica Driver will be keynoting and moderating our LIFE SCIENCES 2010: The Global Collaboration Imperative event at Microsoft's Malvern, Pa., campus next Tuesday. Today I bring you the panelists. They are:

E. Melanie W. Kittrell, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Global Customer Strategy and Channels
Knowledge Management and Innovation
Merck and Co., Inc.

Dr. Tony O'Driscoll
Professor of the Practice
Duke University Fuqua School of Business
and author of the new book, "Learning in 3D"

Thomas K. Kaney, MBA, MHA, MS
Change Management Lead
Mandala Partners International
Formerly Sr. VP, Human Resources and Strategic Planning, GlaxoSmithKline

Sam Batterman
Business Intelligence Evangelist
Pharmaceutical/Life Science
Microsoft Corporation
Formerly U.S. Sales Force project leader for CRM/SFA at Merck

I'll also be sitting on the panel.

The event will open with a presentation by Erica, followed by a roundtable discussion with the panelists. Then Dr. O'Driscoll will present. After that, we'll turn the microphone over to you for a live Q&A session. By then everyone will be hungry, and lunch will be served.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, JUST A FEW SEATS REMAIN. So RESERVE YOUR SPOT before someone else swipes it.

I hope to see you there!

"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.

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.