Today’s presentation came with a warning: do not overconsume: gorging is a danger to trainers who love instructional design! Content included roughly fifteen free or low cost tools for creating visuals and improving objects for workplace training. Then, participants added their favorites for all to consider. Handouts are available to those who were unable to attend.

Like Wordle? Try Tagxedo! Like Prezi? Take a look at other tools such as BrainShark and VisualBee and YawnBusters to enliven PowerPoint content. There is a bonus: no nausea induced by motion - this has been reported by viewers of Prezi so consider the importance and method of use of motion in your materials.

ASTD Alaska may have a reprise - another Tech Favs focusing on video/audio production at low cost without low quality in the bargain. Got some favorite tools? Contact us and leave a note!

Moodle is a learning management system - sort of a dry term for an incredibly powerful, fun, and maleable system for organizaing your online training department. Google that term just to see how much buzz surrounds it! Moodle.org will tell you more. Or you can attend the March 2011 meeting and hear about it from an expert, Denise Trujillo.

Moodle is the powerhouse behind the Alaska Distance Learning Network, akDLN for short. In the akDLN, adults can participate in classes both formal and informal. An informal training is called a community of interest - a place in which a group can safely interact and share ideas - with no final exam or attendance roster!

Moodle is used by businesses large and small, local and world wide. In 211 countries, Moodle is used and nearly 50,000 sites have been officially registered. Here is the spread as of March 2011:

Think you could get more organized to control costs while improving training in your organization? Moodle might be the tool that you need. Contact us if you want to chat about this.

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Here is a way for attending members to communicate what took place at a meeting. Got comments?

Speaker, Rebecca Madison

How are sellng and training alike?
How do they differ?
Who has the ‘power’ in each situation?
What is the role of motivation in each?
What are the communication tools in each?
Are the settings the same?

When people walk away from training, they need to have information they can integrate into their tasks AND tools to share the information comfortably with their peers.

A person can have conflicting thoughts about something.

Rebecca Madison, independent consultant and formerly of the the Alaska eHealth Network, engaged the attendees in thinking about the sameness and the difference between the two approaches. To illustrate her case, she provided a case study of getting electronic health records (ehr) to be shared through Health Information Exchange (HIE) throughout the state of Alaska. She has been the ‘voice’ of this project from the time that ehr and hie were not commonly uttered. Physicians must take part or they will not get reimbursed. But patients have some choices.

The public’s awareness of personal choices about ehr and hie participation is key. By participating, health care can be improved. Participants (patients) can see what is in their record and use it. But some think that sharing is not safe, and consider opting out. Is the explanation selling, or training? Her organization calls it Outreach Marketing - but it is truly training of consumers.

The issue of developing health information exchange has been in play through many administrations, as far back as Clinton. Rebecca has seen much hesittation among health care organizations, not just consumers.

Rebecca’s ‘ah-ha’ is that maybe more sales is really more about training....helping people gather information to make a change and to help that change to take place.