Imagine you are sitting at a computer and you are making your way through a survey. It's a survey of what you know or don't know about say, Excel. You have choices like, I have no idea, up through, I know it well and could teach others if needed.
In the background, as you make choices, the system you're on is also making choices. Choices like, they say they don't know that particular skill so I'm going to flag it in their profile. And choices like, they say they know it well so I'll present them with a few questions to validate that knowledge, and if validated, indicate them as mentor material for that subject.
Now imagine that at the completion of this survey the system tabulating the answers has a profile of that individual's skills for that subject at that time. Linked to this profiling tool is a set of well crafted learning modules. On the one hand, the skills that are lacking are gathered up and plugged into an engine and inside of a minute a customized self-paced learning guide is generated just for that person! On the other hand skills they excel at are identified as ones that can be mentored to others in need.
Furthermore, as you move forward in time you begin to see a historical learning pattern for each individual that allows not only them, but their supervisor or managers to see their progress. And at any given time accessing the collected skills database tells colleagues who the experts are in any given area and therefore who to turn to for help in a pinch.
Imagine a 360 degree approach from assessment to learning to measuring results all customized to each person and automated.
This is not some fantastic dream I had while dozing. In fact I can't take credit for such a comprehensive idea at all. This is all the result of a rather inspiring conversation I had with one of the most innovative members of the technology learning arena I know, David Kelly from Watsonia Publishing.
This bold fore into the world of assessment and feedback is part and parcel to the mind set I encountered from even my earliest conversations with David and his team. It's a marriage of quality and innovation that's rare, and I'm personally giddy with excitement to see what's next from this outstanding company.
Posts
