Expert Designers – Designing Experts

Expert Designers – Designing Experts:Closing the gap between Subject Matter Expertise and Instructional Design

As a member of many elearning email groups and listservs, I have noted that there occassionally surfaces a topic that clearly is worthy of a different kind of discussion – thoughtful articles and presentations delivered in a setting where interested persons can come together to read and discuss. Not long ago one of these topics came up on the evaluatingelearning group at yahoo groups. From that, several of that group’s members expressed an interest and planning got underway. We are happy to host a conference on the subject of bringing expertise and design together. Our intent is to pose the issues and explore approaches and practices, techniques and software that enables those who really know to show those who do not.

PREMISE: Many now suggest that highly interactive and realistic learning environments are better. Some also would say that the typical Instructional Designer could be much better prepared to design these newest of environments. And we also hear that it is the SME who really knows the important lessons, cases and scenarios because they have experienced them first hand. As we move toward more realistic and interactive online learning approaches (e.g., simulations scenarios, games, etc.), there is a greater need to squeeze out of SME’s those situations and dynamics about which they are familiar and by which students may learn. And most also want an easier way to create the learning environments in which these can best be deployed.

PROPOSITION: The tools and approaches we have are not well adapted to SME’s (who are not always technically proficient) AND these tools were originally designed for creating page turners, not simulations, scenarios and games. As a result, there is a gap between where we want or need to go in terms of the tools, approaches, and those who use them, on the one hand, and where we are, the tools, and those using them today.

QUESTION: How do we close this gap? What is the state of appropriate tools? Who is, or has done it? What have they learned? Etc.

Please join us to celebrate what I hope is an inaugural event – a web conference by and for elearning practitioners (see call for presentations, below).

When: Opening:Tuesday, February 10th, 11:00 am Central Standard Time (UTC/GMT -6 hours). Duration: 3 days

Papers and presentations will be posted at least one week before the beginning of the conference. Actual presentations will have a question and answer session.

Cost: Donations via PayPal are suggested but not required for attendance.

Where: www.organizationalintelligence.com/PEN

(the link will take you to web conferencing login information. No special software needed, Windows XP and Windows Media 9 recommended)

Please rsvp to: kindley@the-performance-group.com

___________________________________

Call for presentations

All are cordially invited to submit

Presentation proposals
Topic suggestions
Recommended speakers
To:

Randall Kindley
kindley@the-performance-group.com