Video is a truly effective learning tool

A couple of years ago I wrote this about "how-to" videos being a powerful learning force in the Web 2.0 armoury.

Now thanks to David Gurteen's knowledge letter, I have some scientific proof that they can have a real impact on the changing behaviours.

Paul Van Mele of the Africa Rice Center in Cotonou, Benin has undertaken a study where farmers were shown how to parboil rice using video and using traditional training sessions.

According to the New Scientist article:

"The team found that uptake of the parboiling technique by women who watched the video was 72 per cent, compared with just 19 per cent by those who attended a conventional workshop with a scientist or non-governmental organisation worker (International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability (DOI: 10.3763/ijas.2009.0438)".

An interesting study which I believe indicates that the success of the videos was due to their being shown in the evening, when most people were able to watch. The video also uses real farmers, enabling the viewer to connect with "like" people. It demonstrates that a story can be far more effective for encouraging new behaviours than and expert led training session.

You can read the original New Scientist article here and the full paper here.

Is KM Dead - like a zombie, its back

Having actually had some air time (god, did I really use that term then????) with Dave Snowden, I decided he and Larry Prusk were actually the same person, until David Gurteen reminded me that there is the quite brilliant video of them both in the same room.....which proves that even those with the most similar views can oppose one another with respect and energy and get a multitude of very relevant points across.  Having now met both of them, I would NOT like to be the poor guy interviewing them...

That video again

BTW these are two people you should REALLY pay attention to if you ever want to get anywhere with KM - it's a business tool, not intellectual masterbation.

Are conferences really worth it? KCUK09 and mixed feelings

So, freshly back from the KCUK09 conference, I'm now thinking, was it all really worth it.  These things aren't cheap, take a LOT of business justification (I'm a civil servant, I worry about how I spend public money!!!!) and take a lot of time out.  So I'll say it how it is...

I spent 2 days at the Arc Knowledge and Content UK 09 event where I had a very mixed experience.  I'll do pros and cons...otherwise it will be a rant no-one wants to read:

Cons

The first day particularly was a dire tirade of vendor driven presentations where the presenters were passionless and the software uninspired

There was NO WIFI - I went to the trouble of borrowing my hubbies whizzy laptop as I've had anything useful disabled by our IT dept in the spirit of "safety" but why bother as I couldnt blog (even the bleedin Hilton only has ethernet - IS THIS THE 80's?  I know shoulder pads are in but that's ridiculous).

Pros

Three KM gurus who have had the most influence on my KM career were on the same panel, and on the 1st day, there were 4 people I considered KM geniuses within shouting distance of one another.  They are responsible for said accolade in these ways:

David Gurteen: Lovely lovely guy who remembered my name (thanks, meant a lot to me) whose amazing capacity for communicating and sharing got me my job (some blame there too methinks)

Dave Snowden - genius guy, great intellect, considerable persona, is in my considered opinion, totally on the ball with his mix of sciences and a MASSIVE understanding of how people actually work.  I've used his stuff on Cognitive Edge with incredible results.  I believe we share a common interest in Shamanism...

Ron Donaldson: - estwhile student of Mr Snowden and a properly clever sausage.  He introduced me to Cognitive Edge and made me realise storytelling wasnt for hippies (well, it is, but its useful too)  Wasnt on the panel but counts as a major influence.  Love his concept of Knowledge Ecology (certainly better than Wisdom Manager!)

Richard McDermott: Helped me by doing something practical with Mr Wenger.  I believe he's since amended his theory akin to the wonderful Tom Peters.  In my opinion, anyone who can say "I was wrong" is worth listening too...

I'm pleased to say Mr Snowden considered my panel question mention worthy - having someone you hugely respect mention your contribution is always going to make you feel good, but all in all, I left feeling that I'd have done better reading these people's tweets rather than spending public dosh on suppliers time.  I made some fabulous contacts, not least Mr Plouviez who properly made me giggle by saying he was from the "provinces" (he's from Scottish Gov). And mention to Tony Quinlan who was fantastically down to earth and really very clever, and has a dead sexy wink ;-).

BTW, @Kat_mandu - you're a star.

I was seriously considering getting out of KM and doing something without all the business shite, but talking to people with real insight and real passion has made me think, well, maybe I'll stay a while, so thanks to everyone who mentioned anything to do with human beings and business for rekindling my interest. Oh, and not to forget Bonnie Cheuk who was the most intellegent, business savvy, passionate and engaging speaker of them all - she's a really switched on bunny.

Right, time to catch up on  Ashes to Ashes (in no small way responsible for the re-hideousness of the shoulder pad).

Twitter - the epitome of knowledge sharing

Well I'm gobsmacked. All my pontificating about Twitter and Microblogging has not been in vain. I've been on Twitter since 2007 when there were about what seemed like 9 people on it, and now, well... @valdiskrebs (twitter persona) has made me think very differently...

If I'd have posted a link on there in 2007, there would have been little interest - you know why? Because NO GOOD SEARCH was available. And what's useful about the internet? THE SEARCH FACILITIES - I know I'm shouting, but my god has no-one realised yet? Whatever you do, whereever the next "big" thing is, its all about the search"!"!!!!!!!

If its 2 way communication or not, GET A GOOD SEARCH ENGINE ON YOUR INTRANET!!!!!!
Social media is lovely, giving people a voice is fantastic, but if they can't find what they're looking for, you've eff star star kayed it.......

So there. (and no Maxine, still no jokes...but does that make it boring?)

Oh how technology can exclude

I've had a bit of a revelation recently - I know to the rest of the world, in terms of time spent doing online things, social networking is up on email but weirdly, 80% of DWP staff (of those surveyed, about 400) dont use any social networking sites. Which got me to thinking, are we all getting a bit carried away with this social media/social networking malarkey? Are people still really talking to one another? (probably not actually).

Then I had a technology exclusion experience of my own.

As a child I had a squint, my eyes facing in two different directions (how attractive and no I dont have a picture, I burnt them, lol). I have no binocular vision.

Cut to me looking for good films to see - a long time fan of Tim Burton and of animation, I was all excited by the prospect of seeing Coraline. Sadly, its 3D and I can't see 3D...at all (not even magic eye pictures, lol). Even the film that opened the Cannes Film Festival was a 3D animation

I now feel completely excluded, not through a lack of interest, but through a lack of ability.

How many are still in the internet wilderness suffering from that same lack of ability, being bamboozled by #links and confused by RSS - and how can we support them (and should we) to engage in this madness that is social media?
Answers on a tweet to @helennicol ;-)

New Director of Digital Engagement

So, Andrew Stott of the Cabinet Office is now the Director of Digital Engagement, responsible for working across gov to "encourage, support and challenge them in moving from communicating to citizens on the web to conversing and collaborating with them through digital technology." So says The Wardman Wire. There's a Guardian article too.

As Mr Stott has done some stirling work getting CivilBlogs and CivilWiki off the ground, I'm hoping he'll be an effective DirDigEng, (his twitter name - 1 tweet to date) -

"I'm delighted to be asked to take up the Director of Digital
Engagement role. Looking forward to building on my #poit work."

(poit being Power of Information Taskforce). Amazing the number of tweets already mentioning his appointment. He's already been picked up on his first tweet by David at Webometric Thoughts - for following only his boss & using a hash tag few people understood. As for him being a "generic civil servant" - he's actually got things moving so far, so I have some faith in him...

It seems he'll be concentrating on developing digital services already in existance - hopefully he won't be pushed into trying to control and 'manage' digital engagement, makings rules, strategies and setting standards as Ron Donaldson suggested on twitter...but he probably will...

Knowlege Management Specialist Library Needs You

I saw this call for people to take part in a survey to assess the value etc of the Knowledge Management Specialist Library in David Gurteen's newsletter. I've stolen it word for word due to lack of time...

Knowledge Management Specialist Library
Many of you will be familiar with the Knowledge Management Specialist Library from the British National Health Service National Library for Health. This is one of the best KM resource sites on the web. (It's not just about KM in the NHS but a full blown KM resource.) Well, it seems there is some doubt about its future and a survey is being carried out.

The reason for the survey is to gather people's views on the site, the resources, its relevance to their work and also how they would like to see the site developed. The future of the library is uncertain. It has already been made a static site and there is a real possibility that it will be closed. On the other hand if there is sufficient support it may be provided with a proper budget. So in addition to the above the survey is being carried out to:

• Gather evidence on the value of the site, including case studies of how the library has impacted on people's work
• Identify people that it would be helpful to include in the lessons learned review
• Identify people that it would be useful to involve if the library needs to look for a new home
• Gather information that would be helpful to pitch the library to a new host or funder
• Generally stir up support for the library

If you have used this specialist KM library and found it useful could you please help out by completing the survey. It is short and simple and should not take long to complete.

This is my bit now...
I know the lady who used to manage the library (hiya Caroline!) - she put so much effort into it and its a brilliant resource which shouldn't just be abandoned!!! So please, complete the survey and save an immensely useful site.