Digitization will have profound effects on the world of work. According to McKinsey , while technology will lift productivity and economic growth, up to 375 million people may need to switch occupations or upgrade their skills. MORE

Earlier this month I attended FUTUR.E.S in Africa in Casablanca, the first event to connect French, Moroccan and African digital ecosystems. Startups, academics and government shared projects in various sectors, including education. MORE

Chatting about Chatbots at ATD TechKnowledge Chatbots are software programs that have conversations with people either based on a set of predefined rules, or by using algorithms that include a degree of artificial intelligence. A conversation with a chatbot may be in text or voice, or a combination of the two. While chatbots have been … The post Hey Chatbot, How Can You Help Me Learn? appeared first on Float. Conferences MORE

Technology has had a profound impact on the learning industry, from its accessibility to cost effectiveness. As mentioned in a piece by the blog, eLearning industry, technology impacts learning through various ways – in allowing the user to be flexible on when and where they learn, and also through accountability of tracking their progress along … The post Mobile Learning vs. Microlearning – Is There a Difference? appeared first on Float. Uncategorized microlearning mobile learning MORE

Continuing the focus on artificial intelligence (AI) , this weekend looks at it in education. In general, there are many fanciful AI in Ed possibilities proposed to help people teach and learn, some of which are genuinely exciting and others that just look much like today. MORE

Designing for Emergent Learning Technologies When you’re in the middle of a period of rapid technological change, such as the one we are in now with no anchor points to hang onto in sight, it can seem never ending. In reality, change often occurs slowly, sometimes even imperceptibly, and is only apparent after a long … The post Punctuated Equilibrium: Shifting from the Familiar to a New Normal appeared first on Float. Conferences Mobile Development Pedagogy and Learning MORE

Last month CO.DESIGN published the 10 New Principles of Good Design (thanks Air-bel Center for the link). The article, which is based on a set of industrial design principles from the 1970s, makes for important reading. MORE

Utilizing Presence in Augmented?Reality Reality Applications to Improve Learning Outcomes Steve Richey, a software developer here at Float who focuses on mobile, augmented reality, and machine learning has written an article for the International Society of Performance Improvement on Utilizing Presence in Augmented-Reality Applications to Improve Learning Outcomes. MORE

Next week from May 6th through May 9th the 75th ATD International Conference is taking place in San Diego, CA. We’re excited to be attending and speaking at this years ATD International Conference as well as reconnecting with Gary Woodill there. Chad Udell and Gary Woodill will be speaking on May 7th, 2018 about their upcoming book, The Shock … The post ATD International Conference Preview appeared first on Float. Conferences ATD MORE

Classrooms were developed in Prussia in the 1770s as a new technology for dissemination of information that the state wanted students to know. Its purpose was to efficiently deliver a standardized curriculum to as many young people as possible, and in the 19th century, universal compulsory education at the elementary grades was available in most … The post Rapid Doubling of Knowledge Drives Change in How We Learn appeared first on Float. Pedagogy and Learning learning microlearning MORE

Augmented Reality Recap 2018 So, it’s clear that augmented reality is a hot new technology that is bridging the gap between real and virtual environments. (To To learn more on AR and how its affecting the learning industry read up on What Does AR for Learning Enable That Previously Wasn’t Possible? in a previous Float blog post … The post Float’s and Augmented Reality – Catching Up On Recent & Future Events appeared first on Float. Augmented Reality Conference MORE

There are over half a billion children living in countries affected by conflict and disasters , making them three times more likely to be out of school than children living in stable, but low-income countries. MORE

It’s nearly here! ATD Techknowledge is just around the corner. Are you attending? Come talk with us. As technology makes vast advancements we have to keep learning more and more about these changes. At ATD’s TechKnowledge in San Jose taking place from Jan 24th-26th, there will many learning opportunities jam packed into a three day … The post ATD TechKnowledge 2018 – What’s Float Got in Store? appeared first on Float. MORE

After five years researching the effectiveness of non-profit organizations (NPOs) in the USA, Stanford University lecturer Kathleen Kelly Janus found that while 75% of NPOs collect data, only 6% feel they are using it effectively. Just to be clear, these were not all tech organizations.). MORE

Creating killer content is critical to ICT4D success. One of the major barriers to digital uptake is a lack of incentives to go online because of a lack of relevant or attractive content. MORE

Facebook currently has a Cambridge Analytica problem. It is under severe pressure to explain how 87 million users had their personal data leaked and offer assurances of how it will not happen again. Beyond the US, Cambridge Analytica has been a player in multiple elections in Kenya and Nigeria. MORE

While ICT4D innovates from the ground up, most tech we use comes from the top. Yes, it takes a little time for the prices of commercial services in Silicon Valley to drop sufficiently, and the tech to diffuse to the audiences we work with, but the internet and mobile have made that wait short indeed. MORE

In an increasingly online world, people need digital skills to work and live productively. One of the major barriers to digital uptake is a lack of these skills. Across Africa, seven in ten people who don’t use the Internet say they just don’t know how to use it. MORE

As we saw recently, when it comes to big data for public services there needs to be algorithmic accountability. People need to understand not only what data is being used, but what analysis is being performed on it and for what purpose. Further, complementing big data with thick, adjacent and lean data also helps to tell a more complete story of analysis. MORE

In 2018 around half the world’s population will be online, which is a major achievement. It also means there is still much work to be done to include the other half. The next four billion users look different to those already benefiting from digital opportunities for livelihoods, life and work. MORE

The use of big data by public institutions is increasingly shaping peoples’ lives. In the USA, algorithms influence the criminal justice system through risk assessment and predictive policing systems, drive energy allocation and change educational system through new teacher evaluation tools. MORE

We know that the first step to good human-centered design is understanding your user. IDEO calls this having an empathy mindset, the “capacity to step into other people’s shoes, to understand their lives, and start to solve problems from their perspectives.” MORE

Artificial intelligence (AI) was one of the hottest topics of 2017. A Gartner “mega trend,” their research director, Mike J. MORE

There is only one week left until Learning Solutions Conference & Expo 2018 in Orlando, FL. Will you be attending? Come and chat with us at the expo! As the learning industry is growing and developing we have to keep up on the newest ideas and solutions. At The eLearning Guild’s: Learning Solutions Conference & Expo 2018 from … The post Learning Solutions Conference & Expo 2018 appeared first on Float. Conferences conference eLearning Guild Learning Solutions LSCon MORE

Quartz Africa reports that last year feature phones took back market share from smartphones in Africa. The market share of smartphones fell to 39% in 2017 (from 45%), while feature phones rose to 61% (from 55%). MORE

Intrigued with learning more about how xAPI is revolutionizing the learning community? Join us on Tuesday March 20th, 2018 at 2:30pm EST for a webinar hosted by IEEE Technical Advisory Group on xAPI. The webinar will consist of a 30 minute session followed by 15 minutes after reserved for Q&A. Chad Udell will be speaking on behalf … The post TAG xAPI Webinar on March 20th, 2018 appeared first on Float. Webinars Experience API free webinar webinar xAPI MORE

UNESCO, in partnership with Pearson , has released the final batch of case studies of digital solutions that are inclusive for people with low skills and low literacy, helping them to participate in the knowledge society in innovative ways. MORE

Experience the Affordances of Augmented Reality at TechKnowledge 2018 The invention of modern classrooms in the 1770s separated information about a subject from the real-world context in which that information actually occurs. The introduction of enterprise-level classroom training after World War II, brought this trend into corporate learning. Augmented reality (AR) is a new technology … The post What Does AR for Learning Enable That Previously Wasn’t Possible? MORE

I was honoured to be a discussant in the IIEP-UNESCO strategic debate in Paris on the question Can education systems anticipate the challenges of AI? MORE