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!

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?

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 With these technologies, the world has seen an upheaval of outdated and inefficient online learning systems and watched a new era of global education, digital literacy and cross-the-world communication emerge.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.

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Issue 2: Madison has taken one of your courses online but found the course layout, design, and content delivery outdated, text-heavy and administrative.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

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/

WHY: You don’t need us to tell you how important having a strong Twitter presence is. It’s how your members read the news, connect with friends (and strangers!), and keep up-to-date on their industry. Tweeting is a no-cost way of getting the word out about your elearning programs to your members. It can build up excitement for an upcoming course by getting the conversation started, and it can spark new interest in existing courses by reminding members about them. The sharability of tweets also helps you reach potential learners who don't know about your courses. So the truth is, not using Twitter as part of your outreach approach just isn’t an option anymore.

WHEN: To ensure that your tweets are consistent and well-timed, it’s important that you establish a daily schedule. Try planning out your tweets in three-week phases, especially if you've recently launched a course. Here is a suggested schedule:

• Week 1 of the campaign: Three tweets per day: one between 10am-11am, one between 3pm-4pm, and one between 6pm-7pm
• Week 2 of the campaign: Two tweets per day: one between 10am-11am and one between 3pm-4pm
• Week 3 of the campaign: One tweet per day: one between 3pm-4pm

If you're doing a three-week campaign leading up to the launch of a course, you'll want to reverse that order: in the first week, tweet once a day. Then in the second week tweet twice a day. And finally, in the week leading up to the launch, tweet three times a day!

WHERE:  Where will you tweet from? Scheduling software like Hootsuite allows you to schedule your tweets ahead of time in one sitting, so you don’t have to worry about being out of the office or forgetting when and what to tweet weeks down the road. Hootsuite’s basic scheduling functions are free, so we encourage you to give it a try. If you would still prefer to tweet manually, make sure to create calendar reminders for yourself and your team to stay on schedule.

WHO: Make sure you identify who will be responsible for each of the following steps in the process:

• Creating a tweeting schedule
• Researching what’s hot in the twittersphere, which keywords to use, and related articles and blog posts that complement your courses
• Writing out tweets and checking that they fit in the character limit
• Scheduling tweets or tweeting on the spot according to the tweet schedule

People involved could be anyone in social media, marketing, communications, education, and of course, yourself. Consider your resources and figure out who would be best for the job.

WHAT: 
Explain...

• Why taking this course is important and what new skills can be gained through the course
• Why taking this course in the online environment is beneficial
• If you have more than one course or session in your catalog, mention what each session topic is and why it’s relevant (tweet at least 1-3 times for each course or session)

Use...

• Compelling statistics to catch people's attention
• Photo or video attachments
• A conversational tone that is approachable and friendly

Hashtags:

• Key terms relevant to your industry (e.g. #RealEstateEd #CME #Legal)
• Event names if your content was recorded at a conference (e.g. #ChicagoAGM #Conference2014)
• Trending topics that you can tie into your programs (e.g. If there is a spring deadline for registrations and the hashtag #Spring2014 is trending, make sure to use it!)

Links:

• A five minute preview! Hook readers in with a quick way to find out more about the course
• Your online learning system homepage
• Articles about the benefits of online learning

Your organization’s website is arguably the most important marketing tool to attract new online learners and generate sales. Your organization has full control of the website content and you don’t have to pay advertising fees like you would externally. Best of all, you already have potential learners right where you want them—at a computer and receptive to information about your organization’s programs. Don’t let them slip through the cracks! There are simple things you can do to seamlessly convert wandering website visitors into valuable online learners.

Take a minute to read through this checklist of things you can do to optimize your website’s marketing power.

Checklist: Are you doing a good job of marketing your online learning programs through your website?

Takes one click to move from the following pages of your website to the learning portal

• Homepage -> Learning portal
• Education page -> Learning portal
• Events page -> Learning portal

Visuals of the learning portal (e.g. screenshots of the course) are clearly noticeable when people first enter your website

• Website visitors should not have to scroll or click anything to see the visuals
• If you have a rotating slideshow on your homepage, make the learning platform the first slide

Sidebar advertisements

• Automatically scroll down along with the page
• One-click link to the learning portal

In the Education section of your website (If you don’t have one, create one!)

• Education should be one of the main menu options of your website
• List of courses available online with descriptions
• If applicable, state the number of continuing education credits (CLE, CME, CPE, PD, etc.) that can be completed online
• One-click link to the learning portal
  

At the end of all event-related news and/or coverage (if you have recorded speakers from an in-person event)

• State that online versions of the sessions are available
• One-click link to the learning portal

If you have a News or Blog section on your website

• Multiple articles and/or posts about your online learning programs from different angles
• Spotlight and/or interview prominent figures (e.g. Executive Director, Education Director, and/or course instructors)
• Why the course topic(s) are important and why your organization felt it was important to take online

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:

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.

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!

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

Too often organizations treat the pricing of their online education programs as an afterthought. And yet, experts say that it is one of the driving factors that impacts sales, and should be determined as early as possible. If your organization is in the planning, launch or even post-launch stage of an online education program, here are some actions that will help you fine-tune your pricing to reach your ideal learners:
 
DO YOUR RESEARCH: Determining pricing should not be an independent exercise. Collect research on other factors like the cost of comparable in-person courses, the value of the content (i.e. do participants receive credit or certification for the course), the average prices in the industry for similar content, and the prices of your competitors. You might also have to experiment with discount codes and other promotions to find a sweet spot.

WALK IN YOUR LEARNER'S SHOES: Consider how a learner’s willingness to pay will be impacted by factors like level of education, income, geographical location and age. For example, disposable income generally rises with age, and therefore your prices should be lower to attract a younger generation and higher for a more mature group of learners. Which demographic you want to attract will depend on the type of content and your organization’s unique goals and objectives.

ScholarLab hit the road to attend the 2014 National Association of Bar Executives (NABE) Midyear Meeting in Chicago earlier this month, where the presentations, conversations and even tweets circled around the theme of embracing change. It’s true, we’ve reached a new era of law (click to read why), and it is becoming more and more evident that bar associations need to be evolving to the changing demands of today’s lawyers. 

On the online learning front, this only reinforces how important it is to take a hard look at how lawyers learn today and in turn, build programs that cater to their education needs. Some bars have taken the leap into online CLE, but they’re seeing poor sales and still fighting criticism that bar associations should be doing more for new lawyers. 

The programs are, according to the conference’s twitter feed, failing to facilitate the interactive learning, network and post-graduate skills that lawyers need to successfully enter the legal marketplace.

But how to put such programs into motion? In a time with such sophisticated learning technologies at their fingertips, bar associations need to modernize their programs to walk in stride with the capabilities of our time. This means moving past the outdated systems that rely simply on the live streaming of content. Instead, bar associations can be providing members with an ecosystem of education and communication tools that will facilitate a more complete, networked and engaged learning experience. 

At ScholarLab, we are always asking ourselves, what keeps learners coming back? The answer at the end of the day is always a superior learning experience. It’s time we start giving lawyers just that. 

If you’re interested in learning more about some of the great ideas laid out at the conference, look out for online versions of select sessions from the meeting coming soon at: http://nabe.scholarlab.com/

With these changes, bar associations have the opportunity to center themselves in what will be a new era of practicing law. Lawyers across North America are calling for change and if bars can be the ones to respond, they’ll become more than administrators, they’ll become a part of the education process at large. 

Dr. Jayne Lee is not quite a teleporter but she’s about as close as it gets. A major proponent of telemedicine, Lee is a Paris-dwelling physician who treats her patients in North Carolina and Kentucky straight from France using robotic technology. And she’s not alone. In December 2013, the tv-famous psychiatrist Dr. Phil McGraw made headlines by announcing his role as advisor to Doctor on Demand, a new enterprise designed to provide care via mobile medicine.

In a world where society’s inevitable adoption of technology has made it possible to completely reinvent how we communicate, socialize and learn, healthcare is no exception. McGraw and Lee may seem like cutting edge futurists, but they are just two unique stories of the many healthcare professionals turning to technology to improve quality of care. 45% of clinicians now use smartphones and tablets to collect data at their patients’ bedsides. In fact, nearly all healthcare IT professionals report that their organizations supply mobile devices to clinicians to support day-to-day work activities, and 2 out of 3 have an official mobile technology plan in place.

We’re not just seeing technology being used in patient care, medical education is going digital as well. In 2012, for example, 40% of practicing physicians in North America were using online Continuing Medical Education (CME) to satisfy their annual requirements, up dramatically from 18% in 2005. By evolving the way that we deliver medical education, we are seeing real potential to in turn evolve the way we heal, treat and give care. Here are the four reasons why technology will continue to transform medical education and thus, the face of healthcare this year.

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: