Mixed Messages

I've recently seen a lot of posts in blogs and on twitter about mixed messages. One I saw this morning on Twitter was "What message does it send if your co has a Facebook page and YouTube channel but you're blocked from it at work? (via @moehlert) " and it made me think about the various mixed messages that get sent in pur eLearning efforts.

One such mixed message is that we want our learners to be independent thinkers and adopters of knowledge and technology and then we "dumb" down our courses so much that we are insulting our learners.

Another such mixed message is when we advertise our courses as engaging and interactive and they are really just page turners with no opportunity for interaction or engagement.

I think it is important that our messages to our learners are consistent one way or another. There may be times when a page turner course is appropriate, we should advertise it in a manner that accurately represents what it is. If we don't we loose the trust of our learners. If we loose their trust we loose their participation.

This weeks interesting reads.

Here are my top reads for this week:

Recommended End of Year eLearning Tools Spending? http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2009/11/recommended-end-of-year-elearning-tools.html
Learning Power Laws: eLearning Technology - http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2009/11/learning-power-laws.html
3 Ways to Define Interactive Rapid e-Learning - http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/3-ways-to-define-interactive-rapid-e-learning/
Toondoo Spaces - http://www.fossil.energy.gov/education/energylessons/index.html
Can Fun Help Change Behaviors? - http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2009/10/31/can-fun-help-change-behaviors/
Wild and Wacky Friday: Just in Time for Halloween, photo editing made fun - http://www.upsidelearning.com/blog/index.php/2009/10/31/can-fun-help-change-behaviors/