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ScholarLab, MPower Technologies & Moneris Solutions Team up: Join Us August 8th In Toronto!

6/27/2014

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Growing Your Membership - The Necessities of Modern eLearning & Effective Association Management

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Date: Friday, August 8th, 2014
Time: 10 am - 1 pm
Admission: No Fee
10:00 - 12:00 Morning: Open to the public
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch will be provided

Location: Moneris Solutions
3300 Bloor Street West
West Tower, 5th Floor
Toronto, ON, M8X 2X2
Show Directions
Join us on August 8th in Toronto! Click here to register now.

Our speakers

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Dr. Laurelle Jno Baptiste
Chief Operating Officer, ScholarLab Online Learning
Laurelle is an award-winning innovator in online learning and communication technologies. She is considered a leader of eLearning in North America and advises educational institutions and associations worldwide.

Laurelle will discuss how new technologies are revolutionizing traditional Learning Management Systems and what you need to know:
  • Get rid of your clunky LMS.
  • Revolutionize the way you create content.
  • Integrate: why single sign-on?
  • Make learning social.
  • Instructional design to spice up your eLearning.
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Christine Oh
Head of Marketing, Scholarlab Online Learning
With her keen understanding of the evolution of marketing, learning, communication and design in the digital age, Christine works directly with some of the largest associations across North America to develop innovative marketing strategies for their eLearning programs.

Are you letting valuable eLearning sales slip through your fingers? Christine will discuss the following seven marketing mistakes you can't afford to make
  • Not understanding your own product.
  • Forgetting to create a marketing plan.
  • Thinking of your eLearning programs as side projects.
  • Treating pricing as an afterthought.
  • Neglecting your existing website.
  • Having the wrong approach to advertising.
  • Trying to do it all alone.
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Darryl Wignall
Account Manager, Moneris Solutions

Darryl has been working exclusively with MPower's clients to bring significant annual savings and enhanced services. Darryl will present the latest tools and flexible payment options available to you and your members.
  • Moneris services, what's new for 2014
  • The latest payment options:
                o Credit and debit
                o Recurring payment options (monthly, annually)
                o Credit card security
  • Free analysis on what savings Moneris can provide
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Carolyn Tucker
Vice President, MPower Technologies

Carolyn has 10+ years' experience working with MPower's 70 + member-driven organizations that supports over 800,000 global end-users . She will share the latest tools and trends that are critical to maintaining and growing your membership.
  • Prospect Engagement = Membership Growth.
  • Member Retention.
  • Member Management.
  • Bringing it all together.

Click here to join us on August 8th in Toronto!
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eLearning in a silo: Is your association guilty of applying the silo mentality to eLearning?

6/25/2014

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association guilty of applying the silo mentality to elearning?
Anndré Robillard
By Christine Oh

What is the silo mentality?
The silo mentality in the workplace is a phenomenon where departments or groups within one organization do not cooperate, withhold information, and even develop animosity due to a sense of competitiveness and independence from one department to another. This attitude causes inefficiencies and missed opportunities for collaboration, resulting in scattered and ineffective actions that don’t come together as one united and focused effort.

Consider: Are you guilty of...
Are you guilty of creating silos when it comes to your eLearning programs? Is your education team the only one responsible for the planning and marketing of your webinars, webcasts, and online courses? Are individuals from other functions completely unaware and uninvolved? Worse, do you and your team think of eLearning as a side project?

We’re a small association. We don’t even have departments!
Even smaller associations without separate “departments” per se can be just as guilty of creating silos by separating the eLearning conversation from the association’s other initiatives, such as its in-person events or website. Creating one cohesive front when it comes to your eLearning is critical to demonstrating value and establishing consistency in your communication to your learners. After all, learners will have no reason to value your eLearning programs if it appears that your association does not either.

Key Takeaway:
Education, events, professional development, marketing, sales, IT, and of course executive level functions should all be involved in (or at least informed of) the decision making, planning, and execution of your eLearning programs.

Guilty as charged? How to minimize the silo mentality in elearning:

1. Establish basic understanding of your eLearning with everyone in your association.
Each person in your association, regardless of their formal function or title, is an ambassador and representative of your eLearning programs. Make sure you have informed brand ambassadors! They don’t necessarily have to understand the technology inside out, but they should be able to answer basic questions. Sit down with your colleagues to demonstrate the learning system, explain the content, and address questions they may have. Test them on these six questions members will ask about your eLearning programs, as previously covered on the ScholarLab Research Desk.

2. Thoroughly incorporate eLearning into your in-person events.

Consider:
  • Conference packages (e.g. offer a "complete experience" conference package - attendees can purchase the in-person and online experience together at a discounted price)
  • Incentives (e.g. early bird registrants for the in-person event receive 20% off on the online event)
  • Prizes (e.g. host an interactive activity at the in-person event and reward participants with access passes to the online event)
Raise your members’ awareness and openness to eLearning by initiating conversations and educating your members on the topic. For example, remind audiences before and after each speaker that the session will be available online for those who want to revisit the content. Have one of the sessions at your conference focus on the benefits of learning online.

Just because your in-person event is over, it doesn't mean that your marketing is done—keep your members engaged and excited. Constantly remind your members about your eLearning through email blasts, newsletters, in-person announcements, website advertising, and social media. Tell them why your programs are important and where they can be accessed.

3. Work closely with your IT and marketing team to optimize your website’s marketing power.
In a previous post we discussed the importance of setting up your association’s website to maximize its marketing power. Your association has full control of the website’s content and doesn't have to pay advertising fees to an external vendor. Best of all, you have potential learners at a computer, receptive to information about your programs. If you haven’t already, check out our piece on how to revamp your website to convert wandering website visitors into valuable online learners.

4. Coordinate with other timelines within your association and industry.
If your association has an annual membership renewal season, use this as an opportunity to promote your eLearning programs. For example, members who renew their membership by a certain date may receive a free access pass to an online course.

If there is a deadline coming up for members to submit their continuing education credits for the year, they will definitely be looking for quick and convenient education opportunities in the few weeks leading up to the deadline. Online courses are the perfect solution for these members, so make sure to increase your marketing efforts around this time.

Remember to keep conflicting industry-wide deadlines or events in mind. Members can only handle so many marketing blasts at once, and they won’t react positively to yours if they have other priorities. For example, avoid sending emails when there is an industry-wide annual conference approaching (unless of course, you are co-marketing with the conference).

5. Consolidate your library.
Minimize the amount of work your members have to do to access your complete eLearning library. If your content is spread out over various platforms and systems, your members have to figure out where to find the specific information they are looking for. They will also have to memorize and keep track of several usernames and passwords. This inconvenience discourages them from going online more often, and ultimately makes it difficult for you to build a powerful, memorable presence in one go-to place.
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[ScholarLab Dispatch] "How to create the elearning your members need" at the Texas Society of Association Executives' Tech Talks Conference

5/19/2014

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By Alexandra Caufin

Earlier this month Dr. Laurelle Jno Baptiste, ScholarLab's COO and Co-founder, travelled to Austin, Texas to present her innovative new workshop iLearn, iConnect, iGrow at Texas Society of Association Executives' Tech Talks Conference. Check out this summary that highlights the workshop's most important ideas about the future of learning online and why organizations around the world need to take notice!

Meet Madison
PictureImage (C) Christine Oh, 2014
In the Age of Information, Madison is your quintessential digital native and more importantly, your new member. She is digitally literate, digitally socialized, and digitally cultured, looking to learn in the same ways she connects with the world every day. She has never known a world that couldn't be googled, and thus, access to information defines the tools she uses in daily life. Most importantly, she’s spurred by the wealth of knowledge, discourse, and communication that’s right at her fingertips, online.

As an association executive, you should get to know Madison, because someone just like her is coming to a classroom, workplace or association near you.  The question is, how are you going to capture her attention?

Web 2.0: A new era of online learning technologies
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Web 2.0
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Web 1.0: Many associations are still using systems rooted in web 1.0 technologies
In 2014, we’re securely in the Web 2.0 age of the internet. It’s the age of mobile devices, tablets, apps, video conferencing and instant messaging technologies. With these technologies, the world has seen an upheaval of outdated and inefficient online learning systems and watched a new era of global education, digital literacy and cross-the-world communication emerge. For the first time in history, we have the technology and the tools to create a virtual experience that is on par or even superior to the in-person equivalent.
75% of American colleges and universities now offer online education programs.
Over 6 million learners in the post secondary system are taking courses online.
67% of educators believe that online education is on-par with or superior to learning in the classroom.


Barriers: Do you have learning communities for people like Madison?

Learning communities mean much more than just a classroom or some online courses. They represent an ecosystem of tools for members to not only learn, but to discuss, share, create and network along the way.

Issue 1: Madison wants to take your course but can’t make the 45 minute commute to your association’s headquarters. Plus between her school, practicum and other volunteer responsibilities, she can’t guarantee her availability every week at the same time.

Issue 2: Madison has taken one of your courses online but found the course layout, design, and content delivery outdated, text-heavy and administrative.

Issue 3: Madison is interested in your online learning programs, but none of your courses or events can be viewed on her iPhone or iPad, nor do they involve any kind of networking or social media functions. She instead opts for an online course or event that is mobile-friendly and collaboration-oriented.

What started out as a great opportunity for Madison to connect with your association has become complicated and stressful, so she seeks another vendor.

Breaking down barriers:
What are your new and existing members looking for?


Are you developing your education strategy with learners like Madison in mind? Here are some of the elements that new learners look for, and elements that you can provide by making the jump to learning in the digital:

Just-in-time learning: Turn your one-way, one-time only courses, presentations or events into ongoing resources, with unlimited outreach to potential members worldwide.

Mobile-friendly technology: With the mobile classroom, learners can use their smart phones and tablets to view your courses, conferences, presentations and events anywhere they want, whenever works for them.

24/7 access: Give members around-the-clock access to course presentations and materials, and the flexibility to learn in the way that works best for them.

Pause, skip ahead, replay: Let your members learn at their own pace, take notes, review or move ahead. You’ll be creating learning environments that cater to individual learners instead of the masses and your members will appreciate it.
 
Economic renaissance:
The rapid development of technology has made it far more economical to bring content online. Associations all over the world are using new forms of webinars, learning systems, video conferencing and more to attract and connect with learners all over the world.


Why use video?

68% of teachers
believe that video content helps stimulate discussions.


44% of high school students
in a study scored higher on their exams when material was presented in video format.



62% of teachers
believe that video helps them be more effective.


When you
hear information,
3 days later you will recall
10%.


When you
see images with audio, 3 days later you recall 65%.



Uncover the potential! 
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Digital learning communities open doors and create borderless connections. Your biggest question as an association should be: how do I attract the enormous demographic of new members?

Remember that these new members are intricately attracted to new learning communities.

We now have the technologies to address the biggest issue that associations face: how to connect with all the people who would like to come to take courses or attend your events, but can’t.


Adapted from Dr. Laurelle Jno Baptiste’s Tech Talks workshop “iLearn, iConnect, iGrow: How to create the online learning your members need.”

Source List
Infographic clip: 75% of American post-secondaries offering online education etc. http://blog.hotspotshield.com/2014/01/16/rise-online-education-infographic/
Online Learning Stats: http://www.edudemic.com/thumbs-online-learning/ 
via, created by http://www.coloradotech.edu/
“Why use video?” statistics from http://brainrules.net/pdf/BrainRules_JohnMedina_MediaKit.pdf and http://www.edudemic.com/use-video-education/

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Top 5 reasons why your conference needs to go digital

4/15/2014

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Digital/online conferences/events/meetingsMaxim Blinkov/Shutterstock.com
By Alexandra Caufin

As the leader of an association, you know how important your annual conferences and meetings are for your members and for the financial strength of your organization. Conferences across the world are going digital with an exciting array of  new live streaming and video-conferencing technologies, and yours should be no exception.

Going digital with your conference is no longer a cutting-edge idea only for the technologically brave. It’s now both easy and inexpensive—and more than this, it’s going to be necessary for the survival of your association. Here’s why:


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Expand your reach.
By going digital, your conference suddenly becomes accessible to members and potential attendees all over the country, and even, the world. By creating an online knowledge environment, physical location is no longer a  factor or barrier for people interested in attending your conference.

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Connect with the net generation.
The upcoming generation of learners are tech savvy and eager to learn in the same way they’ve been socialized. This means digitally. Being able to provide your net generation members with digital opportunities to participate in conferences will set your organization apart from those that are still stuck in traditional and limited conferencing delivery.


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Maximize value proposition for attendees.
The simple fact is, you can’t be in two places at once. This is especially problematic when your conference attendee wants to attend multiple sessions at the same time. If conference-goers had the opportunity to participate in every session of a conference, some physically and some that have been digitally recorded, it would present an obviously greater value proposition than one-time only conference sessions.


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Attract potential new members with more economic online pricing.
Non-member tickets for conferences can be very pricey, and yet, conferences are an amazing way to attract potential members to your organization. By digitizing your conferences, you can offer special online passes for the conference at a reduced rate. It will appeal to your non-members who are considering joining the organization, want to see what it’s all about, but don’t want to pay a massive non-member fee to attend.

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Build new revenue streams.
Going digital means that you can offer potential attendees more options for attending the conference, and a wider price range in tickets. Participants can buy a pass for a certain amount of online sessions, a full online pass or an inclusive conference pass that allows them access to all physical and online sessions. The options are endless and you’ll be appealing to all kinds of learners, some of whom want an in-depth conference experience and some who want less of a time and financial commitment. You’ll also be able to repurpose recorded sessions for online courses. Add quizzes, surveys and certificates and create accredited courses for your members online!

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Mental Health Goes Digital

2/19/2014

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Intro by Alexandra Caufin
People of all ages and social demographics are calling for action against a rising epidemic of mental illness across North America. This year, one in four Americans 18 and older will struggle with a diagnosable mental illness and many will not seek medical care (almost half of all Canadians who suffer from depression or anxiety have never seen a doctor about it). Without awareness, intervention and access to care, the cycle persists: mental illness is the number one reason for disability in North America and suicide remains the fourth leading cause of death in adults, more common than death by diabetes or stroke. 
 "Our online learning environment affords a safe and comfortable space for employees, conducive to the sensitive discussions that orbit mental health awareness."
- Canadian Mental Health Association 
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is stepping up as a first responder, announcing the launch of a three-part digital course Managing Mental Health in the Workplace. These kind of programs have been heralded as game changers––the difference between someone identifying mental illness and recovering, rather than allowing the disorder to spiral out of control affecting everything from family life to social life to professional life. 

CMHA’s recent release discusses the exciting new online project and zeroes in on thought-provoking articles, infographics and a TED Talk on how technology can and should be leveraged to combat mental illness. We couldn’t help but share!

Released by Canadian Mental Health Association earlier this month:
Canadian Mental Health Association Workplace
Here at the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), we are passionate about using technology to improve mental health awareness by providing better access to mental health training. With the fantastic results we’ve seen from initiatives like Bell Let’s Talk, the CMHA is proud to be taking our Managing Mental Health in the Workplace course digital. 

In partnership with ScholarLab, a leading innovator of online education in North America, we’ve developed an interactive online course loaded with helpful, perspective-shifting modules on mental health. Plus, our platform is accessible anywhere and adaptable for your individual employees.

How does it work?
Our professionally-filmed video lectures really give the feel of an in-person instructor-led course. But with pre-recorded content, you can pause and conduct discussions or backtrack to review major points and learning outcomes. Employees can register individually (or in groups for special rates) and begin the course right away. The system automatically tracks progress and organizes the modules so you and your employees always know where to pick things up again.

What are the benefits?
  • By taking this course digital, CMHA is reaching out to employers on a national level.
  • Studies show that implementing just-in-time learning results in time and cost savings, enhanced engagement and constructive changes in behaviour. Your employees won’t have to take time off or wait for an in person, one-time-only session. Consider this: a difficult mental health situation has arisen in the workplace. With the format of our online modules, your human resources team can log in and access critical information exactly when they need it.
  • Our online learning environment affords a safe and comfortable space for employees, conducive to the sensitive discussions that orbit mental health awareness. Employees will have privacy and flexibility in exploring their own perception of mental health which they may not be comfortable doing in a conventional classroom.

Is this the right choice for my organization?

Well, the Research Institute of America reported that online learning can advance knowledge retention by 25%-60%, especially because your employees will have the opportunity to revisit the training as needed. Plus, in terms of efficiency, a study conducted by Brandon Hall Research found that when compared to conventional in-classroom learning, online education requires 40%-60% less employee time.

If you’re curious about the benefits of online learning and want to learn more, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’ve assembled a selection of helpful articles, studies and infographics, below.

Resources
State of Digital Education
The State of Digital Education

Statistics Elearning Manager Should Know
Top 10 eLearning Statistics Every HR Manager Should Know

How the Internet is Revolutionizing Education
How the Internet is Revolutionizing Education

Why Improving Workplace Mental Health is Good Business
Why Improving Workplace Mental Health is Good Business from The Globe and Mail

Online Innovations 2014 Edutech

Edutech Gallops into the Year of the Horse: Five Online innovations We'll see in 2014 from the ScholarLab Research Desk

TED Talk EdX Online Education
Reshaping the learning experience with online education. TED Talk by Anant Agarwal, President of edX. EdX is a non-profit online initiative founded by Harvard and MIT.






Source List

National Institute of Mental Health - Leading Cause of Death (2007)
National Institute of Mental Health - Health and Education
Canadian Mental Health Association - Fast Facts
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Edutech Gallops into The year of the horse: 5 Online innovations We'll see in 2014

1/26/2014

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By Alexandra Caufin
Picturebloomua/Shutterstock.com
It was a good year; 2013 saw the release of the first-ever Google laptop, the rise of globally accessible education via the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), the eager implementation of the flipped classroom model and growth of platforms like Khan Academy, and a new feverish development around cloud computing. The second era of online education—one with multimedia, interactivity and social media rich at its core—has, aptly, reached a galloping pace as it proceeds into 2014, the Year of the Horse.

It’s no coincidence. The technologies coming out of the woodwork are answering a public demand to make education more accessible globally, more affordable, more practical for working adults, and more relevant in our digital and mobile-centric world. We’ve reached unbelievable momentum in the evolution of online learning tools, and here’s what we’re betting you’ll see more of in 2014:


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VIDEO BECOMES THE MEDIUM
Heavy-hitting platforms like Skype, YouTube and Vimeo paved the way for the now massively popular TED talks, releases like 2013’s Vine, and a slough of other video-based mobile apps. Effectively every major social platform now boasts a video chat feature from Facebook to Gmail to your iPhone’s FaceTime. With video, we at last have the opportunity to change how we deliver knowledge, granting a perpetually widening access to learning content. As our methods for recording, live streaming and sharing continue to sophisticate with better hardware and software, video in everyday life will become as commonplace as the in-class lecture, boardroom presentation, conference or seminar.

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COLLABORATION 3.0
The buzzword of 2013, collaboration will only surge forward this year, fuelled by technologies that have been designed to facilitate peer-friendly group work. Advances in cloud computing—Dropbox, Google Docs, Wikis and blogs to name a few—offer the tools needed to collaborate on projects, whether that it be in the same office, in different states or provinces, or even, across the world. With these capabilities at their fingertips, new graduates will be able to work and learn in the way that they socialize, continuing to blur the lines between learning, networking  and socializing.


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A ROGUE CERTIFICATE SYSTEM will rise from the influx of continuing education learners and the public’s ongoing criticism of the conventional university degree. We are beginning to see online programs that compete with university and college certification in the way of theory, practical skillsets and sophisticated evaluation systems (read: grades). Khan Academy for instance, awards ‘badges’ with the successful completion of its courses. Alternative learning certificates, diplomas and the acknowledged participation in online workshops and seminars will become the norm on resumes and CVs, complexifying the concept of a single person’s “education.” Associations and organizations, in turn, will be able to deliver more highly-recognized certification to their members.


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LEARNER CENTRIC EDUCATION
Long ago we discovered that the learning process is as unique for every individual as their own fingerprint. And yet our education systems are still touting the one-way, one-time-only, one-size-fits-all lecture. Online initiatives are responding by providing unique, adaptive programs and technologies for a spiralling spectrum of students. With the advances in user-based customization on the Web (think LinkedIn suggesting job openings that fit within your skillset and suggesting articles that coincide with your social demographic), the future of education technology will offer platforms that empower the learner by pinpointing distinct strengths, weaknesses and interests.

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DIGITALLY SUSTAINABLE INSTITUTIONS
will be the only institutions to survive in our brave new digital world. With an eager upcoming generation of digital natives who interact with mass media via a myriad of devices, those who fail to adapt will fail to capture their interest. Does your association have engaging online content accessible on computers, iPads and mobile devices? Do you use social media to share new learning opportunities with members? Do you offer any kind of digital environment that connects multimedia-rich learning with social collaboration? 2014 will make way for institutions who are ready and willing to join the digital revolution. Competition will up the stakes, entice innovators to push boundaries, and advance the face of learning online.


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