I am sitting in the Microsoft Executive Customer Briefing Center at 1290 6th Ave. in Manhattan, waiting for the Green Communications: The Case Studies event to begin. I recall seeing this in the Social Media Club email and website, but the title did not strike a cord in me until I received a call from Howard Greenstein yesterday encouraging me to consider
attending. Billed as an event that bridges the area between corporate communications and green / corporate social responsibility initiatives, this is directly within my area of personal and professional interests as a corporate communications instructor at NYU Stern School of Business.

While I am awaiting the beginning of the event, there are a few things about this space that strike me as somewhat unusual.

• Firstly, for being in a large conference room at a Microsoft facility, I am surprised there are so few power outlets. I have one of the only two near any of the seats that I found in the entire room (which I scouted out as I arrived early).
• Another thing that surprises me is that I am the only one with a laptop out and in use. Not that I expect others to be liveblogging this event (can I ever stop my research once I have started it??!!), but for an event that targets corporate communications people, I wonder if more traditional note-taking strategies (I see lots of pads of paper and pens) are still more commonplace. Nevertheless,
  live and learn.
• Another thing that I find somewhat interesting is that there is not any publicly available wifi that I can determine. There are lots of available streams, but they all require authentication (which I as an attendee do not appear to have). Of course, without live wifi, this liveblogging will again be done using Ecto, where I will maintain things as written and post them later in the day when I again have wireless.

Ahh, two others now have laptops out . . .

Technorati Tags: Green Communications, Howard Greenstein, Social Media Club

One of the interesting blogs I have recently started reading is Talking Philosophy: The Philosopher's Magazine Blog. Aimed more at scholars and practitioners alike who are interested in applied philosophy (with articles that are readable by and for a wider audience of laypeople), some of the editors have been presenting at a camp associated with The Center for Inquiry, and I posted a question and have been participating in a discussion there about liveblogging the experience.

As liveblogging conferences (particularly academic ones) have recently captured my interests, I asked if they have considered doing so. In the process, I found myself reflecting on the differences between getting a transcript / recording of a presentation (like the news or a dvd) vs. studying the internal learning and change process while attending the sessions themselves (liveblogging) vs. the writing or posting that can be done after enough processing of the information (traditional journalism and academic writing).

I find myself finally beginning to articulate why I am interested in liveblogging as a learning experience in itself, and in this capacity just posted a response on their blog about this that I want to recount here (in part so I can then readily index them later for this ongoing research and reflection):

I am not so interested in recordings or the transcripts, since I personally have trouble reading / paying attention to them without being involved in the tone and setting of the experience.

My interests are more about how learning occurs and how information and experiences are processed during the attending of the sessions themselves . . . I am interested in seeing how ideas develop from a comment here and a feeling over there with some content from this one and a paper I may read from that one–all of which happens simultaneously at times. When we write things later about how we have come to understand something, it takes all of the initial work and shows us the results. My interest in this is in the initial work and process itself.

My theory is that the more we learn about the process, the more we can take that into account while we are presenting our work to help our attendees and learners see what we are trying to communicate.

So, as I am developing my work in liveblogging, it seems it is oriented toward understanding the personal and reflective learning process to better be able to communicate. Ahh, this is an exciting development . . .

Technorati Tags: Talking Philosophy, The Philosopher's Magazine, liveblogging, The Center for Inquiry

Monica Lee — Plenary Session

She was one of the founding members of UFHRD (University Forum of Human Resource Development).

She will talk about what she means by a holistic perspective, global changes, effects of change, holistic perspectives and implications for HRD.

SHe has had trouble putting into words what she has been trying to say, and this language problem is being addressed through the help of chaos theory.

I wish she would use the microphone more, as she id difficult to hear.

She discussed issues that were deliberately outside of HRD:

1. Climate Change - she referred to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: 2007 Draft Summary. She then gave several slides of data that described the predictions for what this climate change will mean.
2. Technology Change — affecting data management and communication, and it is increasing social division. SHe made a political comment about how the poor are being asked to pay for the power consumption of the rich (though I am not sure I understand this).
3. Population Growth and Decline

She has a soothing voice and an appealing speaking tone, but I cannot follow her thesis / main idea. I feel like I am in a lecture. I am not sure she is aware of how people in the back (where I happen to be sitting) are fidgeting and losing touch with where she is going. I have trouble focusing right now. At this point, this is enough blogging for the day.

Now she is back to her initial issues, and has slides that are a bit full and complicated. Now she is speaking to the slides. Ok, enough blogging for the day, as I want to try to end on a positive note.

Alas, at least there is the formal dinner tonight (but only so formal as me not wearing suit).

Technorati Tags: Monica Lee

Rob Poell, Tilburg University

They compared research data from both Dutch and US perspectives from what the data are saying from two different angles.

He spoke about actors within an organization, and the theories of learning processes,policies, and programs that lead to content structures, organizational structures, and learning climate.

The four ideal types inlcude:

1. liberal-contractual
2. vertical-regulated
3. horizontal-organic
4. external-collegiate

This is also called the Actor Network Perspective

Critical-Pragmatist Perspective — four ways in which act action-learning projects can take place

Tacit School

Scientific School (people reflect in order to solve problems)

Experiential School (reflection on individual action)

Critical Reflection school (reflection on norms and values, such as double-loop learning)

They was a re-analysis study of previously-recorded research — four Dutch cases and four American cases that were compared.

I was a little confused as to why this comparison was done as a research project. I am not clear as to the “so what?” factor with this research. The discussion of the Findings were interesting, but I was not clear as to what to do with them.

Ahh, the Relevance slide — one really good point is about theory triangulation, where “using more lenses generates better insights in data.” This is a really good point.

Technorati Tags: Rob Poell, Tilburg University

Darlene-Russ-Eft & Robin Yap

Darlene gave the background of their presentation, that was supported by ibstpi

Robin explained ibstpi. It has 15 directors and, while based in the US, it is international. It is a non-profit organization. they have developed four books of competencies:

1. Online training and teaching
2. Instructional design
3. Training  manager
4. Instructor

There are a number of organizations that have guidelines and they are often around evaluation programs that are around the large governmental agencies. ibstpi tried to look specifically at organizations and how these relate on that level.

Their call for these competencies are since executives are increasingly asked to evaluate their success, and teachers are asked, as well as funding agencies.

There is a little empirical base that is international in scope — thus, ibstpi’s work. The literature base does not necessarily reflect the work of those working in the field.

They then asked 11 international experts in evaluation, and 10 of them responded. They had 470 evaluator responses, and while most of them were from the US and Canada, this was the first time (as Darlene claimed) that a global evaluation survey and research was done.

QUESTION from me — what do you mean by an “Evaluator?”

The lowest rated results include a demonstration of the awareness of the politics of evaluation and the pilot test data. The most significant differences include collect data & analyze and interpret data. Thus, the people who are in evaluator roles are people who manage the evaluation function, and other people are doing the data analysis and evaluation itself.

A number of useful areas for future research (see the photo I took on Flickr).

What does this all mean? This could be used by evaluators for professional development. Also, can be used to enhance the quality of the ir own academic offerings.

Questions by the audience — do the specific competencies have different meaning in different domains? They were not interested in the government areas of policies evaluation.

Question from me — your use of the term “evaluator” seems to imply people who have that as their title, and does this perhaps affect the respondents?

Technorati Tags: Darlene-Russ-Eft, Robin Yap, ibstpi

Jules Beck & Bobbie Biggs

This is the culmination of a 2-year qualitative study. They used Blackboard

Many states in the US are rural, and there is not an infrastructure that supports this work.

This is a hermeneutic / phenomenological study

Looking for 2 points to follow-up. They have information from cohorts that began 10 years ago.

Purposive sample. They used Van Manen’s bracketing method, with response followed by probing questions.

Preliminary Themes:

1. accessible
2. achievement
3. enlightenment
4. useful at work
5. useful personally
6. personal interaction
7. structured
8. educational
9. group support
10. technology
11. stressful

I found it interesting that this presentation had people with me being the only person with a laptop that is being used.

They then presented their other findings, in order.

They then had some quotes about the students, and their experiences and what they learned.

This research looks really interesting, and I am wondering how the initial findings can be useful for research as well as for practice? I will ask this question, knowing that this research project is still ongoing. Little research has been done that is blended, rather than just online. For practice, the immediacy and for those who do not have the immediacy, since the technology and support within a home community rather than just online. Also, this helps to bring smaller communities together across the state. This helps to develop the talent that is already out there.

Technorati Tags: Jules Beck, Bobbie Biggs

Joost Robben and Ida Wognum

Joost presented his working paper, with the initial results of his master’s thesis. The research came from a problem of practice, where the average age of the staff was over 50. They wanted to design a work and learning program.

He discussed the theories of Mark Krinsky (sp?) and the names of those who are now heavily users of digital media and web technology. They seems to have virtual social networks or multi-server virtual environments. Those who grew up and are growing up with these technologies and are labeled as N-gen. They designed research and asked what the actual use of digital media. Also, what is the effect of this N-gen for HRD. What are the differences between gender, educational level, and socio-economic status.

The outside door was open to let some air into the room, and the curtains were blowing and blocking my view of the presenter, Joost. He moved a chair there so he can see me, as he stated, and then I commented that it was fine, as I am doing exactly what they were talking about; I am liveblogging.

From the research population they found:

98% of respondants use MSN, which seems like an unusually high number. I wonder why so much with that IM client. Perhaps it supports the local language?

79% play (video) games — are these online or console games?

Weblogging — odd they found that 47% reads blogs, and 15% write blogs. I wonder what this number may mean, as it seems low.

They found a wide adoption of digital media and web technology, but no gender differences / none with educational tracks. Any results on socio-economic status?

Questions from the audience. One asked about the teachers, but that was not reviewed in the literature.

It seems clear that this paper presentation raised more questions than could have been answered in this short period of time that was given to this paper.

This was a very interesting paper presentation.

Technorati Tags: Joost Robben, Ida Wognum

Paul Tosey and Jane Mathison

Their topic is about the research behind NLP. He quoted Herodotus, and he spoke of the tension between something fabulous as being like a fable and beyond belief, as opposed to something remarkable.

They both work in the center of management learning and do some work on their website, NLPresearch.org. They are both trainers and consultants and educators.

Their overall interests are in tranformative learning. There are 3 main points for their work:

1. Developing research community
2. Using NLP to further understanding of TL
3. Developing a critical appraisal of NLP (especially for the book they are writing

They wanted to see practitioners who were very effective, especially with how people were behaving and enacting what they were doing. They discussed how those they studied followed the same theories that others were using, but some people were more effective then others.

They see NLP as being primarily phenomenological, and is not a stranger to HRD (and even seems to be widespread). There are many people who use NLP in their coaching sessions. It is very widespread in the practitioner community, but there is very little research done in NLP.

Gregory Batesan was an important reference for their research, but little formal work.

NLP can support everybody’s quest for achieving excellence and happiness.

There is a great need for reflectivity in the field,

Is there an underlying list of principles that are used by all people and can be gathered as foundational.

I am getting a bit drowsy. I wish he would have provided his definition for how he see NLP. Also, I wish the room were not so hot.

The voice of the user is missing from almost all the literature in the field right now.

Technorati Tags: Jane Mathison, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Paul Tosey, NLP

Nicholas Clarke - University of Southhampton

His paper won the prize for the best paper in HRDI.

He began engaging the audience with his slides that had some nice pictures and images (getting a few laughs in the process).

He discussed how the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) is not completely clearly agreed upon by all authors. He started a divergence of EI as competencies and traits (mixed models) and cognitive abilities. There was a useful slide that discussed the differences between the two models that are developing within the literature.

Wow, there is somebody else here in this presentation that is using a laptop. That makes 3 people, including me, who I have seen using in a presentation here.

EI — associated with leadership and building social capital, networks, and teamwork.There is some resaerch that is beginning to come up in the literature.

There is beginning to be a shift in the management literature to show that perhaps there is something that EI may be important.

But, the interesting question is CAN emotional intelligence be taught and if so, does it make a difference. What is the evidence that this can be done and is teachable?

He then discussed some of his previous study, and at this point I am getting confused as to what he is trying to do with this research. He then wrote about the research project he really used, where he wanted to investigate team diaries from MBA students. Those individuals that gave evidence of EI, it was when teams met more than once a week and had team conflict followed by conflict resolution.

Interesting that all the power outlets I have seen here in the hotel have their own on/off switches. I wonder if this is a British requirement or only happens here.

There were some interesting and most polite questions. I have noticed that many of the questions that are asked in an academic conference are polite and collegial. I wonder if this is to further develop knowledge or because this group of people often know one another.

Technorati Tags: Nicholas Clarke, emotional intelligence