| Emerging jargon in the training business includes | | | | |
| terms such as"neo-millennial learning styles," | | | | 1. "World to the Desktop" - Provides access to |
| "mediated immersion," and "distributed-learning | | | | distant experts and archives and enables |
| communities." Is all this just training industry | | | | collaborations, mentoring relationships, and virtual |
| obfuscation or do these new terms indicate | | | | communities of practice. This interface is evolving |
| substantive changes in the way people learn? We | | | | through initiatives such as Web 2.0. |
| argue for the latter! | | | | 2. "Alice in Wonderland" - Multi-user virtual |
| According to Chis Dede of Harvard University we | | | | environments (MUVEs). Participants' avatars |
| are going though a learning revolution mediated by | | | | (self-created digital characters) interact with |
| the technology. The Internet is revolutionizing the | | | | computer-based agents and digital artifacts in |
| filed of learning! Applications such as "groupware" | | | | virtual contexts. The initial stages of studies on |
| for virtual collaboration, asynchronous threaded | | | | shared virtual environments are characterized by |
| discussions, multi-user virtual environments, | | | | advances in Internet games and work in virtual |
| video-conferencing, and mobile, location-aware | | | | reality. |
| wireless devices such as personal digital assistants | | | | 3. "Ubiquitous Computing" - Mobile wireless devices |
| (PDAs) with embedded global positioning system | | | | infuse virtual resources as we move through the |
| (GPS) have shaken the roots of how people | | | | real world. The early stages of "augmented |
| access new information. Research indicates that | | | | reality" interfaces are characterized by research |
| each of these media, when designed for | | | | on the role of "smart objects" and "intelligent |
| education and learning purposes fosters particular | | | | contexts" in learning and doing. |
| types of interactions that enable (and undercut) | | | | So, if you are involved in the training and |
| various learning styles. | | | | development of employees in your organization |
| According to Dede three complementary | | | | you better jump aboard the neo-millennial learning |
| developments will shape how people learn in the | | | | train-it seems like it is already halfway out of the |
| new-millennia: | | | | station! |