Re: Training/"Why the future doesn't need us"

["Steven G. Brant" <trimtab@sprynet.com>]

The cover story of the new issue of Training magazine is all about the 
dominance of on-line training in the work place.  Alex Pass, project manager
for Motorola's education assistance program is quoted as saying that he has
been told that 35% of all training offered to Motorola employees must be
delivered on-line within the next year...and that requirement rises to 50%
by 2002.

The Internet is, IMHO, the outside-the-box reality that will effect all
training programs offered in the future, not matter what the quality of the
content of the program.

I believe that our challenge will no longer "just" to sell the Deming
philosophy as a healthier route to the future.  It will be to figure out how
to deal with a world fixated on receiving training on-line...because it
"appears" to be more cost-effective.  (I say "appears" because the up-front
costs may be less, but I believe the long-term costs will be
higher...because the actual knowledge gained will be less due to how much
less effective on-line training is at imparting knowledge.

There is a remarkable article by Bill Joy that was recently published in
WIRED magazine.  Entitled "Why the future doesn't need us", it can be read
on WIRED's site at http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.04/

This article has stirred up an international debate on the subject of
whether we control technology or whether it controls us.  The article has
been likened to the letter that Albert Einstein wrote to FDR warning him
that an Atomic Bomb was now possible.  I highly recommend that the members
of the DEN get involved in this global debate.  The latest issue of WIRED
contains about 20 pages worth of letters from people reflecting on this
subject.  It also lists an email address that people can write to in order
to receive updates on future activities related to this issue.  The email
address is: whythefuture@wired.com

I will be hearing Bill Joy speak at the Organization of Economic Cooperation
and Development (of Europe)'s annual conference in Paris at the end of this
month. (http://www.oecd.org/forum2000)  I'll report back to the DEN what my
experiences are at that conference.
--
Steven G. Brant
Founder & Principal
Trimtab Management Systems
81 Ocean Parkway, Suite 3H
Brooklyn, NY 11218-1764 USA
(voice) 718-972-0949 (fax) 718-972-3465
sbrant@trimtab.com  http://www.trimtab.com

[Moderator's $0.02 USD:  As both an online CyberEducator in general and a 
CyberEducator for the Deming Virtual College - I would like to make a comment
on Steven's post -- people that get totally "taken" by the emerging
technologies will (as Steven quoted) develop less efficient learning
opportunities.  However, those that hold with solid adult learning
processes - then use technology to reach a geographically dispersed
participant base - will reach the same learning levels as face-to-face
courses.  As some of Steven's quotes point out...  too many are enamoured
with the technology side of the process.
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