Paul is learning Chinese!
I started learning Mandarin (again!) 4 weeks ago. The question you ask, is why? A couple of reasons:
The first reason is purely utilitarian. I’ve worked on a couple of projects in Shanghai recently, and have been to China a few times over the past 3 years. The enterprise learning and communications market in China continues to boom, so learning Mandarin is a good business decision.
The second and more important reason is this: As a Learning Guy I spend most of my days recommending blended learning solutions to my clients. Recently, the learning solutions I have recommended have included the use of cutting edge social media and collaboration tools (podcasts, blogging, webinars, wikis and others to name a few).
My clients are always wowed when I show them something like a corporate video presentation delivered via iPod. Or when I show how to set up a blog as a companion to a classroom based training session. Once clients get over the “cool” factor, they always ask a valid question- “Are people going to learn anything? ”
My answer is- “They are!” I am a walking and Mandarin talking example of a guy who is achieving measureable results through blended learning. A few weeks back I stumbled upon a podcast on iTunes called ChinesePod (www.ChinesePod.com). I subscribed to the podcast a now receive a daily Mandarin lesson.
The daily lesson is approximately 10 to 14 minutes in length, and consists of vocabulary building and dialogue practice combined with language and cultural insights. This is the real stuff! Not classroom based language, but practical everyday language that you can use on the streets of China.
Here’s where the blended learning part comes in: When you visit the website (and sign up as a premium user) you have access to companion learning activities, a community forum, blogs, a wiki, flashcards that you can download to your mobile phone, and other seriously cool learning stuff.
But here is the best part: I receive a daily 10 minute phone call (via Skype) from my teacher in Shanghai! I have a chance to practice speaking each day. And this is the missing link in many learning programs isn’t it. You need to take what you have learned and put it into action.
And the results: I am speaking Mandarin, and am progessing very quickly. I have tried to learn Mandarin in a classroom based setting on a couple of occasions, but with only limited success. The ChinesePod approach to blended learning is working for me.
And I am certain it will work with my clients. So I have promised each and every one of them that I will continue to use myself as a guinea pig for blended learning. Over the next few months I will document my progress in this blog. I am interested is discovering what works and what doesn’t work, and then applying the lessons I have learned to the unique needs of my clients.
As always, the Learning Guy keeps on learning!
Paul,
I wish you the best of luck in your studies and let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. I’m very interested in how e-learning (particularly blended e-learning) Informal Learning, and Communities of Practice seem to be coalescing into a perfect storm to create a new era of learning.
I think you’e touched on a number of key issues in your post. These are things I’m thinking about myself, so let’s stay in touch. My blog is here:
http://blogs.chinesepod.com/
Interestingly, one other ChinesePod learner started a blog just yesterday on the same type of topic - http://podlearner.com/
Ken Carroll
Paul,
I’m delighted to see you fellows do the blended learning thing with ChinesePod AND blog about the whole thing. Let’s stay in touch.
Ken Carroll
Paul,
You talk about Blended Learning rather than blended instruction. The difference I think is a matter of who is in the driver’s seat- the teacher or the student. In your case I feel you undertaking this experiment from the position of the learner.
This represents a semi-radical approach to instruction for most companies- to see learning from the student’s point of view first and foremost. It seems to me that this revolution isn’t only about technology and tools but fundamentally about a sift in perspective by first centering things around the learner which is something Chinesepod does quite well.
Ken
I agree with your observation that “e-learning (particularly blended e-learning) Informal Learning, and Communities of Practice seem to be coalescing into a perfect storm to create a new era of learning”.
I believe that you and the team at ChinesePod are on the cutting edge of what we can do with learning design. I am having a great experience as a learner.
We seem to have shared professional and research interests. I look forward to keeping the conversation going!
Paul
Mike
You are right. I am undertaking the ChinesePod experiment from the perspective of the learner. And I am learning a lot about what works and what doesn’t work for the learner.
You make a great point: “This represents a semi-radical approach to instruction for most companies- to see learning from the student’s point of view first and foremost.”
Most organizations design learning from the top down. I believe that the challenge for corporate learning designers is to find effective ways to incorporate Web 2.0 user behaviours into our more traditionally designed training programs. Perhaps we can call it Learning 2.0.
Thanks for posting. I look forward to hearing from you again.
Paul
Paul,
Hao jiu bu jian ni! Guess what. I’m back in Hangzhou, China teaching English and working on my Mandarin. I saw your blog via CHinesepod. How exciting that you’re learning Chinese too. That’s great.. Why don’t you send me an email. We can meet up if you come to China or when I come back to Toronto.
Mariama (you’re ex trainee from Legend)
I think Mike brings up an important point. My view is that the learner should be in the driving seat whenever possible. I have grave doubts about the efficacy of instructor-centric, traditional training, but I have unbounded optimism in the will and capacity of individuals to learn. The role of the instructor has therefore more to do with facilitating, with how the learning content is presented, contextualized, etc, and less to do with providing information.