June 17, 2008

L&D Focuses on mLearning, Millennials

Tuesday Tutorials Offer Alternative to Breakout Sessions

By Monta Monaco Hernon

Mobile devices have allowed technicians to better service customers by remaining in the field and not in the office.

Next Tuesday's pre-Cable-Tec Expo Conference on Broadband Learning and Development (8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., June 24) will focus on how operators can leverage mobile technology further, by using PDAs, laptops, cell phones and other mobile devices, to deliver training.

"(Today) there are more challenges to bringing the workforce together for a training session. There is also a loss of community when the techs don't have the opportunity to interact face to face. Fortunately, the tools used to help make working remotely more feasible can also be leveraged for L&D and communication," said Pam Nobles, SCTE director, education and certification.

Who and what

The buzzword to describe this mobility is mLearning, and the SCTE expects that this style of training will be especially attractive to the younger members of the workforce, referred to by yet another buzzword - the millennials.

"SCTE is currently researching who the 'millennials' are and how best to reach out to this group. It is a generation that has grown up with this (technology,)" Nobles said. "It's just natural for them to use it in this way."

One of the biggest challenges for MSOs seeking to create mLearning opportunities is developing effective content. "The format of the information that needs to be presented in these smaller devices changes," Nobles said.

"Smaller bits of information need to be imparted ... (The training) would be more suited for smaller modules, bite-sized pieces," she added.

The sessions

CBL&D's morning sessions are jam-packed with information about mLearning, running the gamut from the needs of mobile learners and ways to reach them to the benefits of on-demand applications and the development of a management strategy. A panel of MSOs will discuss their own experiences and offer suggestions on how to get started with mLearning.

In the afternoon, there are three breakout sessions that will be presented twice. The topics are: Powerful Facilitation for the Millennial Generation, Engaging Leadership in Safety, and Acquiring Training and Retaining Top Performing Employees.

Conference participants can choose to attend two of these or split their time with the Tuesday Tutorials, which will run simultaneously. The topics are: BER and MER Fundamentals, IP for Video Heads, and PacketCable 2.0 vs. IMS: Differentiation and Co-Existence in a Convergent World.

A fourth session - Virtual Learning In-Depth Exploration - will only be offered once, during the first breakout session. It will examine some of the virtual learning solutions discussed during the luncheon keynote, given by Dr. Martha Soehren, senior vice president and chief learning officer, Comcast Cable Communications.

- Monta Monaco Hernon