November 24th, 2011 by Robin Green

It’s that time of year again; we take time to give thanks for our health, our family, friends and a job that pays the bills.

Now that we’re stuffed from Thanksgiving dinner and about to move into the craziness of holiday shopping and the inevitable list of new year’s resolutions, we should also take some time to extend a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T to our fellow colleagues.

Workplace Bullying is More Common Than You Think

We’ve all had to deal with a co-worker who reminds us of the schoolyard bully we thought we left behind in our youth. Some of us have to deal with more than one. Still more of us will let a workplace bully take over our lives to the point where we can’t focus on life outside of our jobs. Not good…

There are quite a few organizations that exist specifically to try to eradicate bullying from the workplace. You hear much more about bullying in schools, but unfortunately, it does not end there. Adults can be just as childish and wreak havoc on their co-workers psyches long after they leave the schoolyards of their youth.

Now more than ever, workplaces need to adopt the culture of respect in order to preserve the sanity of everyone involved. In the best of times we never stop stressing about how to make ends meet and make sure our families are provided for. Add worrying about hanging on to the very job you depend on and it can bring out the worst in all of us. Bullies don’t usually need an excuse, but when things get tough, the claws become even sharper.

LMS Can Help Squash the Workplace Bully

With another new year upon us, companies that utilize an LMS platform can give a very valuable gift to their employees: the training and education they need to put a stop to bullying in the workplace. If you’re already utilizing online training to save money while giving your employees the knowledge they need to succeed, why not supplement their coursework with some practical information on how to identify, prevent and report abusive, manipulative and disrespectful behavior? We’ve all experienced the occasional “melt-down”, or witnessed another co-worker having one, but if you don’t know when yourself and others have crossed the line, things will devolve into a snake pit nobody wants to work in.

Your LMS platform can educate all your employees about the threat of workplace bullying and give everyone a chance to start fresh in the coming year.

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Coggno.com is a premier LMS software platform for both publishers of educational content and learners

November 17th, 2011 by Robin Green

Before I sit down to write my weekly blog post, I read countless articles about online learning and training, learning management systems, and why online learning is the key to our future educational success. And you know what? It can get confusing and more than a little overwhelming. If I’m just putting the information out there, imagine how all the prospective students feel!

The article that got me thinking was this one, published in the November 4 online edition of The New York Times. For those of you who have yet to click on the link, the title of the article is, “The Online College Crapshoot.” I’m sure I’ve got your attention now, because that title certainly got mine in a hurry.

Having received my degrees the “old fashioned” way, I have to admit that I had a healthy amount of skepticism about online learning until I learned more about it. Now, I feel confident enough to not only write about it, I would not hesitate to take an online course or two myself. But, I am in a position to experiment; what if I was counting on an education to help me find a better job in order to support my family? Then, I wouldn’t have quite as much time to research my decisions. The thing is, you have to; if you don’t you might as well be playing craps with your future, because many of these educational entities are counting on their students not being particularly diligent in their research.

Read the Fine Print and Think It Over

I suggest to everyone reading my words to go back and click on the link I provided. In the first section of the article, author Laura Pappano talks about How US News & World Report attempted to compile a list of quality online schools, similar to their trusted version of bricks-and-mortar institutions. They ran into some significant roadblocks, and to date, the list remains unpublished. Many of the online institutions refused to cooperate and provide the data US News required. Things like SAT scores, number of students, graduation statistics - you know, important stuff that is vital to figuring out if a particular school is suitable for your needs. But, the average online student may not care so much about the same information a tradition student does. Still, as your parents always told you, it pays to do your homework.

Having a clear-cut goal is crucial for getting the most from online courses. Make sure you have a specific plan of action before choosing a school. Pay attention to the reception you receive when you contact your institution of choice. Many of the for-profit online universities tend to engage in the “hard sell” because they have quotas to meet. If you choose one of them, you’d better be 100 percent certain the institution has the exact courses you need. If you’re going for a degree, make sure it is exactly the degree you want to receive. Remember, you’re embarking on enrollment with little to no guidance, so it’s up to you to make sure you kick the tires and look under the hood before you agree to anything and enter those credit card digits.

More and more traditional colleges are starting up online programs, so if there’s a school in your area you’ve always wanted to attend, investigate that one first. In other words, go with the devil you know, rather than the one you don’t. It’s a good place to start.

Always keep in mind that education is a lifelong process. As a lot of questions and think about the answers you receive. It’s only a matter of time before you find the right path.

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Coggno.com is a premier LMS software platform for both publishers of educational content and learners

November 10th, 2011 by Robin Green

Many small businesses still view employee training as the dreaded “optional expense”, only to be relied upon when absolutely necessary. In today’s roller coaster economy, that could be viewed as sound judgement, but in reality, it is counterproductive. There are so many qualified individuals looking for work that proper training is all they need to embark on a new career path. A diamond in the rough could very well be your next star employee with the right form of guidance.

Training Should Be a Priority

According to statistics from the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), companies with fewer than 500 employees devote less time to training their employees than larger companies. Ironically, that decision ends up costing more money. Historically, smaller companies shy away from large-scale training sessions due to the expenses and time involved. But, the lack of training proves costly because employees that don’t have the knowledge to perform efficiently will cost more in the long run for things like seasonal labor and additional bodies to do jobs one person can handle. All that’s needed is proper, cost-effective guidance to ensure employees are making the contributions they are capable of.

Ability and Innovation are Key

An employee who feels valued by his or her employer is one who will do a great job. In today’s workforce it is crucial to make employees feel they are making a significant contribution, and there is no better way to ensure that than by offering quality training.

Online training gives employees the opportunity to increase their skill levels and expand their knowledge bases. When you offer an employee the opportunity to conveniently sharpen their skills either at their desks or at home, you are empowering them to travel outside their comfort zones. Effective online training will boost morale, increase profits and allow employees to reap the benefits of working for a more efficient operation. Learning allows everyone to enrich their lives, be it at work or on their own time. Regardless of where or when, it is always a good thing.

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Coggno.com is a premier LMS software platform for both publishers of educational content and learners

November 3rd, 2011 by Robin Green

It’s no secret that the state of California is in a state of serious financial crisis. Everything from jobs, funding of social programs and services have been cut in an effort to close the budget gap.

Last month, one of our favorite online resources for e-learning news, InsideHigherEd.com, reported that one of the ways California is looking to save money is to increase the number of online courses the state’s public universities offer.

Teachers Feeling Threatened by Specter of Online Courses

UC teachers and administrative staff are said to be working in fear of a “bloodletting” as the state evaluates innovative ways to raise itself out of the budgetary mire it is stuck in. According to a declaration posted on its Web site, the UC chapter of the American Federation of Teachers said, “We believe that if courses are moved online, they will most likely be the classes currently taught by lecturers, and so we will use our collective bargaining power to make sure that this move to distance education is done in a fair and just way for our members.” Lecturers make up nearly half of the active teachers of undergraduate courses in the state’s system, and they seem to have gotten their way with a compromise from UC: a new provision to the collective bargaining agreement was added to protect members, barring the system from creating online courses or programs that would result in “a change to a term or condition of employment” of any lecturer without first consulting the union.This gives the teachers the power to veto the creation of online coursework without the union’s approval.

Does the UC-AFT Understand the Future of Learning?

While across-the-board budget cuts have been affecting learning in the U.S. for time immemorial, are the UC teachers really afraid of losing their jobs to budget cuts, or are they afraid of technology invading the hallowed halls of academia? And, are they preventing the access to education that many Californians need in order to make necessary career changes that they need to undertake due to their own employment issues? Many unemployed Americans have endeavored to facilitate career changes through first time forays into higher education, or returning to it in order to strengthen their skills in order to recapture gainful employment. Many job-seekers need the flexibility of online learning so they can accomplish these goals; so do traditional college-age students who may not be able to afford full or part-time course loads because of the same budget cuts affecting state employees.

Online Push Still in its Infancy

It remains to be seen how the teachers and the state will fare in this battle to balance the budget while keeping education standards in place. Other states have been working on plans to make their university systems more cost-effective, and the most sensible way is by offering more online learning courses. Stay tuned…

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Coggno.com is a premier LMS software platform for both publishers of educational content and learners