Stan Skrabut@uwcesedtech#uwceshttp://www.slideshare.net/skrabut

Your path to learning: How to

find your way alone

Every day there seems to be something new to learn.

On a regular basis, you find yourself facing new challenges.

You are concerned about the time and energy it takes to get on the right path.

You want to be able to pick up something new with minimal effort.

Let me show you four strategies to help you learn something new easier.

Trial &

Error

Information Gathering

Individual Instruction

OnlineHelp

Trial and error is a tried and true

method for finding the right path.

"Trial and error, or trial by error, is an experimental method of problem solving, repair, tuning, or obtaining knowledge" ~Wikipedia

You try a possible solution, and repeat until you have success.

When faced with a similar problem, you will start where you last left off.

This strategy is most useful when you are familiar with similar tools, devices, and applications.

When learning by trial and error, expect to make mistakes.

In order to learn something new, we must either learn from someone else, or learn from our mistakes.

Your risk taking may be informed by your experiences and knowledge, but it is still a risk.

Mistakes should be shared so that others can learn from the process. This helps reduce mistakes in the future.

Here are two strategies for using trial and error to learn new software applications.

MISS

Manual

The first is the Menu Item Search Strategy (MISS).

When MISS does not work, you may have to read the manual or access online help.

Information gathering is a

useful strategy for discovering a new

path.

Technology has significantly changed how we conduct information gathering.

Many people start with the Internet and then move on to more specialized libraries and databases.

Always keep an eye out for and capture best practices.

Share useful finds with others either independently, placing them in subject guides, or on another Web resource.

Determining the sources for information changes with each problem that is encountered.

Odds are that you are not the first person to run into the problem you are facing.

In many cases, people go to the Internet first, specifically Google, before talking to a colleague.

You should become more familiar with the search query structure for different systems

Here a couple of suggestions for gathering information on a topic on a regular basis.

One of the most powerful learning tools available to individuals is the RSS feed.

Twitter searches are another powerful way to tap into the information stream.

When you find information, you are strongly encouraged to share it with others.

One of the more powerful things we can do for adult learners is to create learning resource guides or lists.

Here are tools you can use to collect and share resources for others

With Evernote, you can capture virtually everything and organize them with tags and "notebooks".

Sometimes you need some individual

instruction to move you along on

your path.

Individual instruction is any activity done at a learner’s pace without unneeded instruction ~ Hoffman

One of the methods for supporting employees and their informal learning is with a corporate library.

Learning management systems are another method for distributing learning content to employees.

Developing a video tutorial library is another great way to help others learn how to do something.

Learning guides are invaluable resources for helping others develop skills. ~ Tobin

Job aids can be pushed out to users when and where a person needs it most, while performing a task.

For a learning organization, learning materials can be prepared for individual consumption.

There are a number of ways in which organizations can support individual instruction.

Recognize instruction completion in performance reviews.

Reimburse learners for expenses incurred for individual instruction.

Make learning a job requirement.

Sometimes you need a guide, and online help can be

that guide.

Most software applications have hundreds of features and it is virtually impossible to be an expert on all of them.

Help system are often task aware, and will provide users with solutions specifically related to the task at hand.

The help feature can be accessed through either a toolbar menu item, or by pressing the F1 key.

Help systems can be loaded on the computer with the application, or they may be Web-based.

Some software applications are supported by discussion forums where participants help each other.

These forums help users solve problems as well as provide tips and tricks to get the most out of a software application.

These help forums may be sponsored by the software companies or be operated by interested users.

Today I showed you four strategies to help you learn something new easier.

Trial &

Error

Information Gathering

Individual Instruction

OnlineHelp

Here are the sessions scheduled for the next five months.

Individual Strategies

Collection Strategies

Interpersonal Strategies

Creation Strategies

Organizational Strategies

Questions?