Book Review: Michael Allen's e-Learning Annual 2012

Michael Allen has produced another e-Learning Annual that definitely belongs on your shelf, continuing the series he began with Pfeiffer in 2008. Like the earlier volumes, you should think of this as more like a conference than as a book.

Most especially, do not think of the Annuals as textbooks or as cookbooks, containing definitive answers about “how to do eLearning.” The one definitive assertion that the current book makes is that there is no one solution. However, the content between the covers can certainly help practitioners produce better solutions for their particular set of challenges and outcomes.

Serious questions, serious answers

What Michael Allen has done once again is to raise a number of important questions. He has enlisted 31 authors who provide, in 27 papers, alternative views on key topics. (Table 1)

Expert authors

The authors are successful business people and respected academics, all of whom have contributed to the tools, techniques, models, and concepts that we use every day in eLearning, and to the knowledge of what works and what doesn’t. You have probably heard many of the authors speak at conferences, including eLearning Guild events. Many of the other authors may be new to you, but they are well-known to your colleagues. Every one of them is a person whose ideas deserve thoughtful consideration.

Expert content

The contributions by the authors are not lightweight, “fluff” essays. The topic areas cover the range of current practice and likely future directions. The articles are thoughtful and substantial, backed up by research and experience, and they do not shy away from contentious issues. Some will challenge cherished beliefs about learning and about our work. Others may provide you with validation, and many will offer you ideas that will directly help you to improve your results. The authors support all of the content with decision aids, tables, and figures that you will find useful not only for your own understanding, but also for explaining new concepts and ideas to others, including decision-makers.

Comments from the editor

Michael Allen says in the preface, "As I continue to strive for greater levels of controversy in each subsequent Annual, along with a complementary collection of wise perspectives, I marvel at how the number of debates in our field increases over time. It is clear that we have a lot yet to learn about how to use technology most effectively."

I think this is one of the things I liked most about this edition of the Annual: if you only had one of the papers, you would only have the one expert’s opinion. But by placing so many viewpoints together, Allen has made it possible to do the classic “compare and contrast” that helps develop insights and identify possibilities and strategies that fit our particular circumstances.

Recommendations

The only suggestion I have to improve these books is for the publisher to investigate ways to use technology to enrich the reader’s experience with them. My first thought was, “Hey, how about a Kindle version?” But then I saw what another publisher has done with an interactive app that presents the work of T.S. Eliot, using rich media, critical commentary, and other enhancements. It would be great to have future editions of this anthology on the various e-readers and as an app on every tablet from the iPad to the Android to whatever comes next! (UPDATE: The Annual will be available in e-versions for e-readers, the iPad, and tablets! Hooray!)

But don’t wait for that to happen. The release date is July 11, 2011. Order yourself a copy of this book today and do some serious study. If you don’t have budget for a conference this year or even if you do, the e-Learning Annual 2012 will be an excellent substitute or complement.

Bibliographic information

Allen, Michael, ed. (2011) Michael Allen's e-Learning Annual 2012. San Francisco: Pfeiffer. 304 pages. ISBN 978-0-470-91382-6

Release date: July 11, 2011

Publisher: $76.00

Amazon: $66.33

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