Holograms H-Learning: The future of learning

The rapid developments in Information Communication Technology (ICT) have made tremendous changes in the many fields of life. Educational institutions along with businesses in the corporate world have been quick to take advantage of technological services via integrating ICT into education and training, which in turn has produced new models of education such as e-learning, distance learning and blended learning. These models have changed the face of learning as well as playing an essential role in the increase of the learner population and also providing a good opportunity to learn at any time and/or place.

Recently, technological developments are playing an important role in improving the educational process. For example, we see many educational institutions using sophisticated technological tools such as touch screens, new software and others. Scientists are working very hard to provide an advanced technology, which can benefit them in many areas. 3D Hologram Technology (3DHT) is one of the most creative of these solutions.

Holograms have broken out of the world of science fiction and fantasy and are about to become common currency between London and New York, Sydney and Mumbai, Shanghai and Moscow. Live and life-size 3D TelePresence holograms can now interact with their remote audiences whether they are a band performing on stage, a politician delivering a keynote speech, or a CEO holding an interactive meeting with colleagues around the world.

Musion Systems Limited is a company which is based in the UK and is the exclusive master global licensor for the Eyeliner holographic projection system. Musion’s Eyeliner technology has developed life-size holographic figures with full motion and with no latency between sound and image. Using a high-speed (20mbites/sec) MPLS Internet connection it is, quite simply, transforming the future of communication. So, if you want to make a major speech, you can stride the stage, not just sit at a desk. If you want to use 3D motion video images, they appear seamlessly beside you, not on a separate monitor. You can communicate in real time – no time lapses – with both on-stage colleagues and audiences. Eyeliner is a system that is fully bi-directional and interactive; you can see them just as clearly as they can see you. Just about the only thing you can’t do is shake their hands – or at least, only virtually.

All of this is possible only with Musion Eyeliner foil technology. But its uses go far beyond the boardroom or the political stage. Entertainment, education, design and engineering collaboration, product launches – the list goes on.

The importance of 3D Hologram Technology on education

In this area we can take advantage of 3D Hologram Technology (3DHT) in different forms. For example, holograms now allow students to be taught by a “virtual teacher” who could be many kilometers away. The process goes a step beyond video conferencing in that the hologram teacher appears to be in the classroom, and can see and speak to the pupils as if they were all in the same room. The system used by Edex, the largest supplier of Internet connections to the UK education market, at the BETT2000 educational technology show in London. Moreover, 3DHT can enhance the educational process by bringing famous characters to life again from the past, and they speak about themselves and/or explain something as an assistant teacher. For instance, there have certainly been many worthy philosophers and learned men in world history perhaps none more celebrated that the Greek Philosopher Plato. Unfortunately we are unable to talk with Plato as he is from a past period, while we are in the present period moving into the future period by hologram. In Seoul’s Alive Gallery Project, holograms and 3-D animation technology bring 62 world-renowned masterpieces of Western art to life again. In this project we can see the Mona Lisa answering questions from students, such as “Why don't you have any eyebrows?” she is answering, “When I was alive, a woman who had big forehead was considered a beauty … so most women had their eyebrows taken off for beauty”. Or, Michelangelo explains the fresco technique he is using to paint “The Last Judgment”. He explains the work of another masterpiece he had completed earlier on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. A pop-up screen shows a close-up of the famous “Creation of Adam”.

Janine Croft, Managing Director of XpertLearning, the leading e-Learning solutions provider in the Middle East, visited Musion Systems Limited studios during a visit in London. She was left spellbound by the technology. “Teachers replaced by holograms. It sounds like something from a science fiction movie or T.V. show. How awesome is that if holographic teachers or trainers could be sent to you, without you having to move or travel?”, said Janine.

She further added, “We, at XpertLearning, actively support the introduction of new learning technologies. As an organization that is seen to be one of the visionaries for the future of learning and technology within the Middle East region, we see the hologram as being a key technology/feature moving forward for the future. It will change the way people communicate/interact with each other.”

For more information about the Musion Eyeliner System, please visit http://www.musion.co.uk/.

Leadership Development Channel: Now available in Arabic!

XpertLearning, in collaboration with SkillSoft, a leading SaaS provider of on demand e-learning and performance support solutions for global enterprises, government, education and small to medium-sized businesses, is proud to announce that the Leadership Development Channel (LDC), an on-line leadership resource from Books24x7, is now available in Arabic.

Middle Eastern nations are rapidly expanding their internet usage so more and more content is in the national language. According to World Internet Statistics, latest recorded figures show that from 2000 to 2009, Arabic language on the web grew 2,297 per cent, easily ahead of Russia's 1,359 per cent. Of the world's total 1.8 billion web users, 60.2 million (3.3 per cent) are Arabic speaking (Gulf News, 2010). The mushrooming of Arabic on the internet can be attributed in part to ambitious policies such as those advocated by the United Arab Emirates, which leads the Middle East region with 74.1 per cent internet penetration (Gulf News, 2010). As many as 3.5 million of the 4.8 million residents in the UAE are online. Since 2000, the UAE has witnessed a 384 per cent increase in internet user growth, during a financial and social renaissance that has propelled the Emirates onto the world stage (Gulf News, 2010).

However, inspite of this growth, the Chief Strategist of Etisalat, the UAE’s largest telecommunications company, Ali Al Ahmed, reported that there is not enough Arabic content on the Internet to take full advantage of newly built broadband networks in the region (The National, 2010).

The new Arabic LDC offering from SkillSoft goes a long way to bridge this gap.

LDC is a unique collection of 100 on-demand programs (videos) in multiple learning formats featuring best-selling business authors, experts and CEOs, who can have the biggest impact in motivating and challenging the thinking of learners. Offerings include:

• Leadership QuickTalks - Concise, just-in-time, application-based learning from best-selling business authors and leaders! These five minute video learning programs are designed for immediate and contextual application to drive success in the workplace.

• CEO QuickTalks - The CEO QuickTalks feature the best thinking from Bill Marriott, Bob Wright, Blake Nordstrom and more of today’s top business leaders and practitioners.

• Video On-Demand Programs - Covering key competencies including business acumen, diversity awareness, attracting and retaining talent, and more; offers a suite of video learning assets targeted to drive excellence at all levels of the organization.

• Live Events - Provides executives with cutting-edge thinking in business and leadership through live and interactive presentations featuring the most recognized and sought-after thought leaders including Marcus Buckingham, Stephen Covey, Ken Blanchard and more. Up to eight Live Events are produced annually.

Video programs range in length from one minute to two hours. Many are downloadable to your computer or video iPod!

These video resources are ideal for:

• Self-Development: Just-in-time learning

• Individual Coaching: use QuickTalks for one-on-one coaching

• Team Meetings: use a QuickTalk to start your weekly meeting

An online brochure for the Arabic LDC is available here.

For more information about the Arabic LDC and for pricing, please contact XpertLearning at info@xpertlearning.com or call +97143910504.

mEKP Takes Learning to the Field: NetDimensions Set to Revolutionize Training Delivery with World's First Truly Portable LMS

Hong Kong, July 26, 2010: NetDimensions (London Stock Exchange, AIM: NETD), a global provider of performance, knowledge and learning management systems, announced today the commercial release of a revolutionary new product, mobile EKP (mEKP).

“We believe that mEKP is the world’s first full-featured personal learning environment that runs completely off a USB flash drive – no installation required,” said NetDimensions Managing Director and CEO Jay Shaw.

"There are any number of offline players that do simple course tracking. They generally install on Windows machines and have limited functionality. This is different," he added.

mEKP is the end-user version of the Enterprise Knowledge Platform (EKP) learning and performance management system, NetDimensions’ flagship product. mEKP runs directly from a USB flash drive or other storage device and can be accessed via browser on Windows and Mac OS computers.

"Our commitment to a component-based, open standards architecture in EKP is what makes mEKP work," said NetDimensions Chief Information Officer Ray Ruff. "Form-factor and user personalization flexibility is a reflection of that commitment."

A truly portable e-learning environment, mEKP supports not only courseware and exam delivery, career development reviews, news articles and end-user reporting but also direct, tracked access to technical documentation, maintenance and operating procedures, full-motion videos, high bandwidth graphics and other workforce content libraries.

The mEKP system features the same security options and permissions settings as EKP and supports high-level encryption of flash drive content. The recommended default encryption containers comply with the U.S. government approved Advanced Encryption Standard.

Current NetDimensions clients can deploy mEKP as an additional EKP service; mEKP is designed to periodically synchronize updated user data with a linked "master" EKP.

Companies that use other learning and human resource management systems can deploy a mEKP network configured to transfer data to and from their existing systems.

Designed for Disconnected and Mobile Workforces

mEKP is designed for organizations with employees who work at remote locations and have limited or restricted Internet connectivity.

Expected user groups include workers on offshore oil rigs, ships and submarines as well as private and public sector employees working in places where bandwidth may be prohibitively expensive or where training materials such as videos and simulations are simply too large for practical network-based delivery.

mEKP can be deployed to field-based workforces, including to sales people, airline crew, first responders, military personnel and public utilities staff.

At the same time, mEKP addresses the challenge of delivering training to new recruits and to employees who have limited access to computers in the workplace, for example, to floor staff in factories, stores, restaurants and hospitals.

“Our experience with clients around the world tells us that people find uses for our products we can't even imagine when we introduce the products,” noted Shaw. "We're sure the same will be true for mEKP."

Paul Michael Gledhill, Director and Co-Founder of XpertLearning, says “mEKP is an amazing product, the first within the Middle East region. We already have some of our larger customers adopting it within this region and we expect many more to acquire this outstanding product. We are currently engaged in an active marketing campaign of mEKP and so far, we have received interest from many of our customers and prospective clients”.

For more information about mEKP, visit www.netdimensions.com/mekp or contact us at XpertLearning on +97143910503 or email info@xpertlearning.com.

NetDimensions Next Steps

Next Steps 2010 is your once-a-year opportunity to see what's coming next from the NetDimensions team and learn how your peers are using and profiting from NetDimensions products and services today.

Day one will give you a thorough look at how companies like yours are deploying the newest NetDimensions technologies. With case studies, corporate snapshots, best practice discussions and product overviews, this full day of client and company sessions will give you more of the tools you need to get the most out of your NetDimensions investment.

On day two you'll receive hands-on training straight from NetDimensions' chief architect and technical consultants. The second-day Master Class certificate program at Next Steps 2010 will be led by Ray Ruff, co-founder and Chief Information Officer of NetDimensions.

The certificate program will include “Learning-in-a-Flash,” a hands-on training session on NetDimensions’ revolutionary mEKP portable learning solution. Another session will be dedicated to how EKP works with integrated talent management (and will show you how to deploy the new EKP Appraisal Editor for performance management). A third session will explore regulatory and compliance issues around assessment and the enterprise (see the Next Steps 2010 website for more information on all the Master Class sessions).

Participants who complete the program will be awarded a Master Class certificate (view a sample Master Class certificate here).

“We believe that this is a great opportunity for individuals within the corporate world to learn and share best practices from organizations which have successfully adopted and implemented the Learning Management System, EKP. We hope that such an event receives maximum attendance and turns out to be very successful”, said Paul Michael Gledhill, Director and Co-Founder of XpertLearning. XpertLearning is one of the leading e-Learning solutions provider and strategic partner of NetDimensions within the Middle East region.

Sign Up Today!

Sign up for the Master Class today (or any time on or before August 20th) and aside from saving money with the early bird discount (USD100 off the standard price), you'll get a chance to win an Apple iPad.

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to learn how you can take fuller advantage of your NetDimensions investment to free up your organization to do what it does best (and get a chance to win an Apple iPad).

Register for Next Steps 2010 and enroll in the Master Class today.

Depa goes mobile with mEKP

Dubai, UAE: July 12, 2010: Depa, the world’s largest interior contractor, providing a complete range of high-end interior services and turnkey solutions, and one of XpertLearning’s key clients in the United Arab Emirates, becomes the first company in the United Arab Emirates to acquire the mobile EKP.

The mobile EKP or mEKP for short, is a simplified version of NetDimensions’ powerful and robust learning management system (LMS), the Enterprise Knowledge Platform (EKP), running independently from a USB flash drive, with no installation or Internet connection required.

mEKP enables learners to review course materials, run courses, take exams and review documents, as well as review exam and training history information from any computer with a USB port at their convenience anywhere, anytime. It can intelligently manage learner information (AICC, SCORM, exam data) while offline and communicate with the master EKP system to synchronize learner-specific information when access to the Internet or company intranet is available. All course and exam completion data, including dates, times and scores are uploaded to the main server when an Internet connection is available.

Depa, who already has the EKP LMS, has a solid e-Learning initiative with their e-Learning portal branded Depa University. Their portal hosts more than 300 courses with more than 2000 employees registered for e-Learning. Stefanie Heidester, in charge of Internal Communication and Knowledge Management within the Talent Development section of Depa, was full of praise for the mEKP product. “Training and developing our employees is one of the core values at Depa. Due to the nature of the construction business, we adapted a blended learning approach in order to train and develop all our employees regardless of their location, mostly relying on our online university to deliver a variety of courses. As we face a lot of problems at our site offices with low or no internet connection, mEKP is a great solution for our employees to access the courses that have been assigned to them to ensure that their development needs are met. With mEKP, Depa finally has the possibility to give our employees access to Depa University without being connected to the internet, regardless if they are travelling, on site, or at home”, said Stefanie.

For more information on the mEKP product, please contact info@xpertlearning.com or call +9714 3910504.

Exercise for a good cause

Dubai, May 21, 2010. EXHALE Dubai, a fitness centre based in Jumeirah Beach Residence and Motor City, organized an event for ‘GOOD WILL JOURNEY’, an initiative in association with ‘HOPE & PLAY’ charity organization to help raise awareness and funds for the physically challenged children of Gaza.

GOOD WILL JOURNEY In May, June and July, Wissam Al-Jayyousi, a Palestinian gentleman, will be riding a motorbike over 40,000 km, crossing over 30 national boundaries from Dubai to London. He is doing this to raise awareness and funds for disabled and physically challenged children in Gaza.

HOPE & PLAY is an organization dedicated to helping add hope and play to the lives of children who are denied these most basic rights. They believe that every child has the right to safely play, learn and grow in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding.

The idea behind the initiative was to get people to participate in an exercise class at EXHALE, at a fee of AED 100 per person. The proceeds of this initiative go entirely to charity.

Rana Khoury, e-Learning Assessment Specialist and Project Manager at Xpert Learning and professional yoga trainer, was actively involved in this initiative. She headed a session on Vinyasa Yoga. Vinyasa means ’breath-synchronized movement’. In this session, the participants expect a dynamic practice offering a variety of asanas (postured) all connected by the breath, flowing with a dance-like movement. Creative and varied, this vigorous class was set to music and build strength, flexibility and endurance.

“What happened and has been happening in Gaza and the West Bank has had the most traumatizing effects on the citizens and children living there. The children of Gaza have been denied any sense of a normal childhood and any initiative that helps brings awareness, funds, and ultimately aid to those children is one that is very dear to my heart. As a yoga teacher, and a Palestinian, to be able to contribute in any way means a lot and is something I was not only happy but very proud to do”, said Rana.

Other sessions included Pilates Reformer and Flexi Bar Cardio by other qualified instructors from EXHALE Dubai.

The initiative was very successful with 50 participants attending and many more contributing.

As shown by Rana Khoury’s initiative, Xpert Learning prides itself on participating in various social responsibility initiatives, in its effort to not only lead the way in the field of e-Learning, but also to give back to the community and leave a positive mark wherever they can.

For more information about similar initiatives, please contact Rana Khoury at rana@xpertlearning.com or call +971505522741. You can also connect with Rana on LinkedIn

Rachel Devereux-Douglas: A magical e-Learning journey at Supreme Group

Rachel Devereux-Douglas has worked in Dubai for 12 years, 10 years in a Learning & Development Capacity. She began her career with Emirates Airlines in 1998 and quickly began training Cabin Crew for Service Delivery and Customer Service. During her 5 years training, she completed a Training Development Diploma through the University of Leicester, before moving to the Corporate Leadership Department as a Learning & Development Specialist to deliver management training programs and development centers for senior managers. During this period, she began and has now completed her Masters in Social Science for Human Resource Development and Performance Management through the University of Leicester. After 10 years with Emirates Airlines, she moved to a company called ‘Supreme Group’ in 2008, a Foodservice and Logistics provider to clients in challenging and remote regions. She joined ‘Supreme Group’ as the Corporate Learning and Development Manager to set up the department and deliver management training programs. Supreme has grown from 3700 employees to 9000 during Rachel’s tenure and is still growing today.

After conducting 38 interviews as part of a Training Needs Analysis (TNA), she quickly identified employee needs, which evolved around almost 300 different topics with requirements for technical and non technical skills – which of course she could not personally deliver. Through networking, she was introduced to Paul Michael Gledhill, Director and Co-founder of Xpert Learning. Paul subsequently came to visit Rachel in a small office in Deira to discuss the needs of Supreme. Rachel then attended an open seminar facilitated by Xpert Learning, SkillSoft and their clients at a five-star hotel in Dubai. The event included a panel of high-profile Learning & Development professionals and speakers, all sharing best practices. Attending this seminar helped Rachel to conceptualize her approach to e-Learning in order to make the initiative within Supreme Group, a success. After this session, she prepared a SWOT analysis and conducted a cost benefit analysis to compare the cost of classroom training, travel, accommodation, time spent out of the business amongst others, to the fractional cost and large selection of online learning modules. Rachel was particularly attracted to how e-Learning could accommodate her employees’ needs, especially those working in remote locations with 24x7 learning at the fingertips.

e-Learning began in April 2009; the contract started with 100 employees who were nominated as ‘good performers’ in order to gain membership. At the onset this was treated as a ‘Reward’ program. Rachel selected modules that linked to the organization’s Mission, Vision and Values, core competencies, through an online TNA facilitated by Xpert Learning and face-to-face TNA by herself. This approach offered a seamless development plan aligned to the annual performance review. Through the application process, employees had to analyze and prioritize which modules would add most value to their development; this required feedback from the line manager, therefore aiming to gain commitment. The Manager was also requested to set objectives in the performance review, requesting their employees to complete at least 10 modules per year. Xpert Learning offered a lot of support and flexibility to add additional modules on where necessary; with quarterly scheduling in order to provide a summary of results and revisit achievement of objectives. This added value particularly where managers needed a specific skills set outside of the core competencies.

Rachel ensured that employees received a bi-monthly newsletter on e-Learning to illustrate results, employee testimonials, top 20 learners, most usage per business unit to create healthy competition and communicate prizes and prize winners for completing the most number of modules.

Halfway through the program, Rachel initiated a recognition ceremony to reward e-Learners and employees who completed corporate programs with certificates. As part of a post-course for e-Learning, Rachel designed and recommended the use of a reflective learning log; supplemented with feedback from the line manager, that should be attached to the performance review in order to provide recognition for behavioral changes on the job. Although the training was not mandatory, the results were above 100% target with 1082 modules completed in 2009-2010. By the end of the first year, the total number of employees using e-Learning had doubled in size.

The feedback from employees has been extremely positive; this has provided a motivational tool for employees who are grateful of the investment in their development, creating ‘positive perceptions of goodness’ about the company they work for. Many potential employees even enquire if development is provided for employees, making the employer proud to confirm that e-Learning is one of the learning tools available for them.

The 2nd year of e-Learning at Supreme Group has just started and an invitation has been sent to all employees to apply for membership. Potentially, the number of users could grow between 300 – 3000 employees. Rachel whole-heartedly testifies through personal experience that adding best practices, before, during and after implementation, will support a company embarking on an e-Learning program.

Undoubtedly, this will be another successful e-Learning year for Supreme. We wish Rachel all the best in her endeavors.

Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn or contact her at racheldouglas@mailme.ae

Xpert Learning hosts its first-ever 5@Ten session

Dubai, April 29, 2010. At its head office in Knowledge Village, Dubai, Xpert Learning held its first 5@Ten session, which brought together key professionals and executives within the Learning & Development arena, from high-profile companies across the Middle East. The objective of this initiative was to bring together thought-leaders within the industry in one room, on a roundtable, with an open agenda, allowing them to share anything they want to, on any topic, with or without any relation to learning or e-Learning. This first 5@Ten session was attended by the following key individuals:

• Patricio G. Porras (Chief Learning Officer, Axiom Telecom)
• Ali Zaheer (Training Officer, Emaar)
• DharamVeer Sood (Assistant Manager, Rivoli Group)
• Lara Gibbs (Training & Development Manager, FlyDubai)

The session was chaired by Paul Michael Gledhill, Director and Co-Founder of Xpert Learning, and facilitated by David Hastings, new e-Learning Account Manager at Xpert Learning.

Paul kicked off the session by introducing the attendees and laying out the purpose of the session. To break the ice, he started the discussion on an informal note by narrating a recent story of “extreme learning”.

Paul’s story led Patricio Porras to outline a few of his achievements, on a more formal note. Patricio talked about the induction process at Axiom Telecom. He mentioned that 80% of his time was invested in the induction process which turned out to be very successful. “Companies traditionally recruit when a position becomes vacant. This is a bad policy. Our new induction process aims to break this tradition. Once new recruits pass and get certified, what we do after the first 90 days of induction is my new focus at the moment”, said Patricio. “This is the year of people development!”, further added Patricio, who is currently hiring about 20 employees per month. His current induction cycle is: 1st and 2nd day, everyone attends a broad spectrum induction at head office, 3rd day in the market place, 4th and 5th day are sales, product knowledge, process. Quizzes and evaluations come after the 4th and 5th day, following which there is a department induction and then a personal induction.

Following Patricio’s account, Ali Zaheer picked up on the discussions by sharing with the audience how online assessments are conducted at Emaar. “These tests save costs and time”, declared Ali. Visibly a few steps ahead of everyone else, Ali explained that Emaar uses online video key messages from senior management to encourage staff to use the eLearning Portal. According to Ali, this scenario has been properly tried and tested and works well for Emaar. Ali went on further to explain that they have created online policy and procedures instead of paper using rapid conversion tools. With the addition of visuals and voice-overs, these have become more interactive and effective.

Lara Gibbs contributed to the discussion by asking about the problem of missing the personal touch during the induction process. This led to further discussions amongst the attendees.

On a slightly different note, DharamVeer Sood followed up by giving his account on how induction to e-Learning happens at Rivoli Group. “We made the learners at Rivoli aware of the financial implications involved in e-learning and they appreciated that the organization was investing in its people even during these times”, declared DharamVeer. According to him, e-Learning keeps people engaged. He attributes the success of the e-Learning initiative at Rivoli Group to the shortened induction period, pilot evaluations and giving people the flexibility to opt out if they do not want to participate. DharamVeer added that he monitors the progress of the learners by running reports regularly and setting the pass mark at a high score to ensure that the learners knew their materials.

After more than an hour of discussions and interactive engagement, Paul wrapped up the session.

Following this successful session, with microphone in hand and in a truly journalistic style, Nabeel Nazeer, Technical Consultant at Xpert Learning, requested for feedback from the attendees.

David Hastings, who recently joined Xpert Learning and was invited to facilitate the session, was very impressed by the multiple topics of discussions which arose within a session which had no agenda at all. “Having joined 5@Ten as part of my induction into the world of e-Learning, I would say that if I had any lingering doubt or anxiety about joining Xpert Learning, it was washed away by listening to the thoughts of major players in today's session,” said David. 

Lara Gibbs

As L&D professionals, often we spend our days, eyes and ears focused on the day- to-day of making training/learning & development happen without taking time out to develop ourselves – 5@Ten was a great opportunity for me to share best practices and learn from my peers in various industries - Thank you Xpert Learning for including me in this inaugural endeavor and for giving back as you always do, I look forward to participating in subsequent sessions.

Ali Zaheer

It’s a great initiative! No Doubt! I think that sessions like these will bring companies (who have implemented e-Learning solutions) closer and share their strategies. Great work Xpert Learning!

Patricio G. Porras

Thank you Xpert Learning. Really enjoyed the discussion and looking forward to the next invite.

Paul Michael Gledhill

I found the session very flowing, engaging and enjoyable. It was a breeze! I can’t wait to chair the next one.

We, at Xpert Learning, are now looking forward to the next 5@Ten session which will happen on the last Thursday of next month, 27th May 2010. Please contact us at info@xpertlearning.com or call +971 4 3910503 for more information if you want to be part of this interactive and fun-filled session.

Lakshmi Prakash, active researcher in the field of e-Learning

Lakshmi Prakash completed her Masters Degree in Computer Applications from Madras University, and worked in India for some time at Amrita Institute of Technology & Science (AITEC) currently under Amritha Vishwapeedam University, Kerala, India. After a few years in India, she moved to Oman in 2001 and joined Sohar University as Course Coordinator. Since then, she developed her research interest in personalized e-learning systems tools and architecture.

Lakshmi is currently publishing research papers in these areas in collaboration with Prof. N.S. Kutti (Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman) and Dr. A.S.M. Sajeev (Professor of Computer Science, UNE, Adelaide, Australia).

Being an avid fan of e-Learning, Lakshmi has always believed that the availability of good quality learning resources plays a very important role in improving students’ performance. Tracking and reporting on students’ performance are two of the issues that almost all educational institutions face today. She feels that learning management systems and content portals like SkillSoft’s Books24x7 are the answer to this problem. At Sohar University, e-Learning was introduced very gradually. As the Course Coordinator and e-Learning Researcher, Lakshmi was able to introduce many of the University staff and students to a learning management system, through several workshops. It was not easy in the beginning. Unfreezing people’s mindsets, moving them to a new paradigm and freezing them again can be a challenging task indeed. The learning curve was quite high for people who were quite new to such a system. However, the students embraced the initiative and the software with open arms. e-Learning has brought Sohar University and its staff closer to students and the students closer to the learning process. They appreciate the availability of resources within the learning management system and can easily develop a learning path which helps them meet deadlines, get access to their learning topics and also communicate with their course coordinators and among themselves.

The senior management at Sohar University and the Faculty of Computing & IT was quite open to new forms of learning. Lakshmi kept in touch with Xpert Learning and after assessing their learning needs, Xpert Learning presented them with SkillSoft’s Books24x7, which suited their requirements and was subsequently acquired. Students and faculty members were grappling with the need to acquire more knowledge and needed more resources. Similar to the learning management system adoption, it was not easy to encourage the students and staff to use Books24x7; most of whom often cited time as a constraint. However, within a short period of time, Books24x7 experienced a growing number of users. This, anytime, anywhere, library with such a large and ever-growing collection of very useful book excerpts, covering almost every topic in IT, Engineering and Business is more than what we expected at the University. Now students are free not only to refer books that are mentioned in their course profiles, but also read books on the latest technologies and new research areas. Students browse the site from their mobile phones and a growing number of students are using Books24x7 more for knowledge rather than just to pass the course. The Search, Personal Folders, History, Recommended, Mobile Access, Top Titles and other features provide the much required personalization tools that endear Books24x7 to serious learners at Sohar University.

Contact Lakshmi Prakash at lakshmi@soharuni.edu.om

Xpert Learning turns over a new leaf

Xpert Learning, the leading e-Learning solutions provider of the Middle East, turned 7 this month. Ranked among the few fortunate and successful organizations which announced growth in 2009, Xpert Learning boasts a significant growth on last year’s revenues. Astounding success as it may sound to many, Xpert Learning has managed to keep itself level-headed in many areas of business.

Recognizing and following His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision of a Greener Dubai and in line with the Earth Day (April 22, 2010), Xpert Learning decided to take it to the next level by going Green and Eco-Friendly. All waste paper and tins in the office are deposited in special boxes for recycling. But this is not where Xpert Learning stopped.

Asim Saeed, a technology freak and a visionary employee at Xpert Learning, suggested that we must all give Dubai something back. According to Asim, it is unfair to the city of Dubai to billow smoke and all other carbon emissions in the atmosphere with air-conditioning equipment running 24x7 and monster trucks patrolling the 13 lane highways aimlessly; where water and greenery are scarce. Asim believes that we all need to do our share to not only reduce carbon emissions, but also increase oxygen supply by doing our small bit. So, one Sunday morning, on his 2x2 desk, he places a can, not larger than a Soft Drink Tin.

The tin contains a bean in a special type of soil and ready to germinate. Asim watered it for 3 days and a plant sprouted out. Out of the plant comes a bean with a special message on it… “Hope”.

    

The bean grows a few inches every day. It not only got the staff members at Xpert Learning excited about the concept, but people from a few of the neighboring offices and some delivery boys who come on a daily basis to say Hello to their little plant friend.

While Asim is busy booking orders for the beans, when asked to comment on this great idea, he said it gives him great pleasure to see the bean grow and shape up.

Since Asim’s bean is a beautiful little indoor plant, it requires minimum sunlight and water. Feel like trying one?

Contact Asim at asim@xpertlearning.com for more information and connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

Saba Al Tukmachy: A successful change of career - From dental surgeon to e-Learning fairy

After graduating from the prestigious Ajman University of Science & Technology with a Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) in 2002, Saba Al Tukmachy practiced as a dental surgeon for a few years in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Over these years, she nurtured a particular interest in surgeries and treatment methodologies that could be carried out using cutting-edge electronic and high-tech equipment. According to Saba, her dental surgeon career was a childhood dream come true for her. Even if she spent a short period of time within the medical profession, she enjoyed the experience and gained exposure that would prove vital for her next steps in life.

A great philosopher, Frederick F. Flack, once said, “Most people can look back over the years and identify a time and place at which their lives changed significantly. Whether by accident or design, these are the moments when, because of a readiness within us and a collaboration with events occurring around us, we are forced to seriously reappraise ourselves and the conditions under which we live and to make certain choices that will affect the rest of our lives”. Similarly, Saba made a choice that changed her life. She took up a job offer from the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) in Dubai, as an event, marketing and customer relation executive. Switching from a medical profession into the business world was quite a challenge for Saba but her determination and confidence allowed her to adapt to the new field with ease. Her job scope was a lot focused on building relationships, marketing, branding, advertising, event management. She also got exposed to various advanced graphic design software, online registration systems and Cisco-related online courses.

Following this step in her career, Saba joined Emirates National Oil Company Limited (ENOC) in 2009. ENOC, a wholly-owned Dubai government company, is a global energy group, operating 30 active subsidiaries and joint ventures, many forged with key international blue chip organizations. Its services range from real estate to retail, where an extensive network of ENOC and EPPCO service stations across Dubai and the Northern Emirates supply motorists’ fuel needs and include convenience stores, car wash and quick oil change facilities.

By the time she moved to ENOC, Saba was pretty experienced in online systems. At that time, ENOC had already launched a pilot e-Learning initiative with behavioral courses for its employees. However, this initiative was unsuccessful due to lack of buy-in from senior management.

With the help of Xpert Learning and using two of its main product offerings, NetDimensions Enterprise Knowledge Platform (EKP), and SkillSoft’s courseware library of key business topics and competencies as well as utilizing the marketing and branding techniques she acquired from her previous work experience, Saba re-introduced the concept of e-Learning in a much more fashionable way and turned it into one of the most important innovative modern learning tools within the ENOC culture. Since then, e-Learning has helped ENOC in its goal of becoming a large organization with operational businesses.  e-Learning allowed ENOC employees who work in long shifts and in external sites such as Jebel Ali and Fujairah, amongst others, to have access to training materials. According to Saba, e-Learning has been the much-needed solution to learning & development of their competencies online.

Besides the fact that e-Learning is a very valuable and cost effective opportunity provided by the organization, Saba felt that it has proved to be an incentive for many senior managers to try and benefit from it. “I, myself have enjoyed a lot of the simulations and the business scenarios I experienced through these simulations, and the fact that I can refer back to learning materials whilst undertaking these online modules, is really amazing”,  Saba enthusiastically added.

Saba reserves special plaudits to the Xpert Learning team. “Xpert Learning has provided us with the right tools that we needed at ENOC to make e-Learning a success. They have given us many great opportunities to meet with other clients and major companies, within the UAE and Middle East region where we’ve shared our success story at ENOC and best practices. Let’s not forget the continued technical support and customer service of the Xpert Learning team. The technical orientation sessions delivered by the team for our staff periodically has proved to be very useful to us”, said Saba.

Saba Al Tukmachy currently works as a Training Coordinator within the Learning & National Development Department of ENOC.

Contact Saba at saba.altukmachy@enoc.com

NetDimensions User Day 2010: Save the Date

Xpert Learning is proud to announce that it will be hosting its first ever NetDimensions User Day Event on the 2nd of June 2010. This event is a first of its kind within the Middle East region and will be held in collaboration with NetDimensions, based in Hong Kong. NetDimensions is a global enterprise solutions provider of performance, knowledge and learning management systems. Its main offering is the Enterprise Knowledge Platform (EKP), which is a powerful, multilingual learning management system that manages the entire training and development process from delivering and tracking to testing and reporting. Xpert Learning’s clients within the Middle East region are active users of the EKP System. Our clients effectively use EKP for candidate screening, new-hire orientations, skill and competency assessments, employee reviews, career development planning, certification procedures, sales and service training, and much more.

The aim of the NetDimensions User Day event is to bring together current and potential users of EKP in order to:

• Share best practices, ROI and new innovations through interactive sessions and case studies
• Learn about success stories
• Understand the full functionalities of the LMS and make full use of these functionalities
• Learn about current trends within the LMS space and future offerings of NetDimensions and Xpert Learning

The venue for this FREE event will be advised within the coming weeks. The full event agenda will also be posted shortly.

To register for this event, please send us an email with your name, company name and number of seats required to events@xpertlearning.com or call +9714 4461219.  Seating will be limited. Please book your seat as soon as possible.

Paul Michael Gledhill, a visionary leader with a passion for e-Learning

Having worked in the travel industry in some of the world’s most exotic locations, Paul returned to the UK to continue his training career and development studies. He worked for the UK Government as Business and Training Advisor and received several awards from the Training and Development Lead Body (TDLB), and Lincoln and Durham Business Schools for Business and Training Counseling. As a professional trainer and an excellent presenter with a keen interest in emerging technologies, Paul started looking into the booming e-Learning industry. Paul is currently a Director and Co-founder of Xpert Learning FZ-LLC, an e-Learning service and solutions provider, based in Dubai and founded in April 2003. Xpert Learning works with the leading corporate, government and educational establishments throughout the Middle East.

Paul has implemented over 100 technology-enabled learning and development initiatives for the likes of FedEx, Siemens, DEPA, Nestle, Dubai Duty Free, Emirates National Bank of Dubai, Unilever, GUST University, Etihad Airways, Rivoli Group, Supreme, ENOC, Ministry of Bahrain, Dubai Airports, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Emirates Airlines and many others. The successful implementations have helped these leading companies optimize learning efficiency through the use of innovative learning techniques and technologies.

Paul is also a provider of research centric consulting solutions that assist organizations to define, operate and optimize their strategic learning initiatives.

With thousands of learners on customized corporate learning portals throughout the Middle East, Paul has introduced a new modality of learning to an array of people from so many cultures and demographics. Learners using these portals range from blue-collar workers to white-collar workers to managers and CEOs.

In terms of his achievements, Paul’s list scales from SkillSoft Sales Person of the Year in 2005 to International Business Partner of The Year in 2008. He has been recognized by many of Xpert Learning’s high profile clientele and has been recognized as an expert in the field of e-Learning both in the region and internationally by peers both within and outside the industry.

As a pioneer of research on technology-enabled learning in the region, Paul has also conducted online surveys and collected feedback from learners and managers of online learning initiatives and has provided tremendous insights to trends and future options for the general public. A white paper on the state of e-Learning in the Middle East written by Paul along with two colleagues, Nabeel Nazeer and Riham Khoury, can be found on Xpert Learning’s website via the following link:

http://tinyurl.com/y24yk9a 

Over the past 7 years, Paul has been actively conducting round tables and has been hosting many conferences, most of which he was appointed Master of Ceremonies. Through these high-profile events, he has enthusiastically engaged participation and opened the minds and hearts of people wishing to enhance their knowledge using technology.

The main impact to the region of Paul’s highly avid initiatives has been the 60+ companies that, year on year, continue to work with Paul and Xpert Learning to enhance the working lives and knowledge base of workers throughout the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

All in all, Paul is a very enthusiastic individual who is committed to promoting lifelong learning for people from different cultures within the Middle East. His passion has brought him success in the e-Learning field and with the growing number of clientele for Xpert Learning, lots of opportunities exist for him to share his knowledge to the masses and take e-Learning to a different level in the coming years.


Connect with Paul Gledhill via: 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/paul.xpert?ref=ts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/xpertpg
LinkedIn: http://tinyurl.com/y48bvpv

Xpert Learning set to participate in the 5th Annual GCC Nationalisation Summit

Dubai, April 25 - 29, 2010. The Middle East region’s longest running and highly acclaimed Nationalisation event is back. The 5th Annual GCC Nationalisation Summit 2010 is not just another HR event. It is designed to incorporate the region’s leading Nationalisation programmes and it will tackle the attraction, retention and development strategies that companies are now facing whilst arming themselves with proven solutions that they can implement in their future and existing Nationalisation programmes. This year, the event will be held from the 25th to the 29th of April 2010 at Arjaan Rotana Hotel, Dubai Media City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The event will include speeches and workshops led by GCC Nationalisation industry leaders who will share exclusive best practices and case studies on implementing the latest techniques and programmes, challenges faced and successful solutions.

Paul Michael Gledhill, Director and Co-Founder of Xpert Learning, has been appointed as a workshop leader during the event. Mr. Gledhill has more than 7 years of experience in the field of e-Learning. He has been recognized as an expert in this field both in the region and internationally by peers both within and outside the industry. Mr. Gledhill has also been actively conducting round tables and has been hosting many conferences, most of which he was appointed Master of Ceremonies. Through these high-profile events, he has enthusiastically engaged participation and opened the minds and hearts of people wishing to enhance their knowledge using technology.

Mr. Gledhill will be leading an interactive workshop entitled “Sustainable employee engagement and empowering company culture”, on Wednesday 28 April 2010 (13:30 for 13:45 start – 16:45 for 17:00 finish with a 30 minutes break mid afternoon) at the Arjaan Rotana Hotel. An overview of this workshop, which promises to be very thought-provoking, follows:

Workshop Overview

How do you know if your employees are actually satisfied, happy, motivated or even engaged in their day-to-day roles? Do they talk about your organisation outside of the office – what do they say? This workshop will show you how to create an engaging, interactive environment that Nationals will find hard to leave.

By attending this workshop you will be able to:

• Build a company culture that engages all employees
• Look at programmes to empower your employees and to make them loyal advocates of the organisation
• Understand where there may be current problems and explore how you can eradicate them

For more information on how to register for this event and attend the workshop, please contact Paul Michael Gledhill via paul.gledhill@xpertlearning.com or call +97143910503.