Marc J. Rosenberg, Ph.D., is a management consultant, writer, educator, and expert in the world of training, organizational learning, e-Learning, knowledge management and performance improvement. He is the author of the best-selling book, E-Learning: Strategies for Delivering Knowledge in the Digital Age (McGraw-Hill). His most recent book is Beyond E-Learning: Approaches and Technologies to Enhance Organizational Knowledge, Learning and Performance (Pfeiffer). Marc is past president of the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI). He holds a Ph.D. in instructional design, plus degrees in communications and marketing, and the Certified Performance Technologist (CPT) designation. Dr. Rosenberg has spoken at The White House, keynoted dozens of professional and business conferences, authored more than 40 articles and book chapters, and is a frequently quoted expert in major business and trade publications.
Articles by Marc J. Rosenberg, Ph.D.
Marc My Words: Ten Common Mistakes in Building an eLearning Strategy
(1/10/12)Having a strategy is important, and it needs to be a solid strategy if it is to be the basis for a successful and sustainable eLearning effort. Here are ten of the mistakes that people most often make when setting their strategy, and each mistake will weaken the strategy.
All I Want for Christmas Are Some Great Teachers
(12/13/11)Great teachers are still necessary. But there are some characteristics, beyond being impressive lecturers, which make teachers great. Why do great teachers matter in eLearning? It is because great teachers also make great eLearning developers.
Marc My Words: eLearning Myths, Part 2
(11/8/11)More eLearning myths, folklore, and legends busted this month! Has Marc left out any of your favorites?
Marc My Words: eLearning Myths, Part 1
(10/11/11)There are so many myths about eLearning that it is hard to know where to begin. But here are five myths about eLearning design, and the truth to counter each one of them.
Marc My Words: Back to School – Tablets in the Classroom
(9/13/11)As students return to school, many of them (and their teachers) are seeing tablet computers in the classroom, a trend that will only grow. Marc looks at what tablets bring to K-12 education, the concerns that they raise, and what we can do to ensure the success of this technology in the classroom.
Marc My Words: Back to Basics – When Training Is the Answer
(8/9/11)After you have analyzed a performance problem and determined the non-instructional components of the solution, it’s time to begin working on the parts that have to be taught. Here are eight fundamental points of instructional design and delivery that you must incorporate into eLearning in order to get the results you intend.
Marc My Words: Back to Basics – When Training Is Not the Answer
(7/12/11)We know that training is only one solution to performance problems, and that there are several others. So why always fall back on “build a course to fix it” as the default solution? Here’s an aid to help with that particular performance problem, and there’s no course required.
Marc My Words: Vendors Are People Too
(6/14/11)Business ethics apply to customers as well as to vendors. Here’s a look on the other side of the fence.
Marc My Words: The Best eLearning Demo I Have Ever Seen
(5/10/11)Early adopters of eLearning more than 15 years ago – before the mass adoption of the Internet and the Web – were already producing innovative programs that can still serve as models for us today. Great design and production values went a long way to overcome the primitive technology. Marc reviews the most successful example, and what it takes to be that effective.
Marc My Words: Is This Recession Good for eLearning?
(4/12/11)You’ve probably heard that every cloud has its silver lining, although it may have been hard to find any silver at all in the current recession. Marc suggests that this set of tough times may actually have been better for eLearning than might at first appear. But don’t wait too long to act on the opportunity.
Marc My Words: Beyond SCORM – A Welcome New Direction
(3/8/11)While the LMS and SCORM may not be dead, they do not address the complexities of new learning design strategies and their transcendence of technical standards. Marc reflects on the history of standards and comments on the new ADL Future Learning Experience Project.
Marc My Words: Want a Free iPad? Get an Equus
(2/8/11)Mobile devices as performance support platforms is a pretty cool idea these days – but only if the designer thinks through the whole problem, from the customer’s point of view. Marc has some words for Hyundai about this.
Marc My Words: Handy Tips for Expo Shopping
(1/11/11)Shopping an expo at a conference can be daunting. So, based on more than 100 expo visits over 30 years, here are Marc’s 14 tips for making your expo time a success.
Marc My Words: E-Dreaming
(12/14/10)Marc’s wish list for the New Year. How many of these are on all our lists?
Marc My Words: The Greatest Mobile Learning App Ever (until the next one comes along)
(11/9/10)Two-dimensional barcodes, also called 2D tags, provide a new dimension for mobile learning, performance support, and printed content. Learn how (and why) to use 2D tags in this informative column.
The Special Sauce of Social Learning
(10/18/10)Social media and social learning are attracting a lot of attention, but don’t overlook the fact that it’s not the technology that makes them effective. Here are the eight ingredients you need to make social learning successful.
Marc My Words: Will Social Media Rot Our Brains?
(10/12/10)Love it or hate it, social media and its compression of expression is here to stay. Marc presents the pros and the cons, and asks the critical question: What are we going to do about it?
Marc My Words: OMG, I'm Tweeting!
(9/14/10)What's the real value of Twitter and other social media? Marc discovers that it's not about the tweets, it's about the context. Whether you're a social media maven, or a total skeptic, this column is for you.
Marc My Words: Learning Technology in Our Schools – How We Can Help
(8/10/10)One of the most important things we in e-Learning today can do for the generations to come is to support effective use of technology in primary and secondary education. For the past several months, Anne Derryberry has written about her experiences as a volunteer in her local high school. Now Marc shows you eight more ways you can make a difference in your local schools.
Marc My Words: What Can We Learn from Bartender School?
(7/13/10)High-level simulations, an interactive student guide, student-created job aids, simple memory aids, substantial realistic practice, and a competency-based assessment. Where are you… in a military training center? Medical school? Nope. It’s Bartending 101. Pull up a stool.
Marc My Words: Thinking About Mobile Learning in the Age of iPad
(6/15/10)As mLearnCon 2010 begins today in San Diego, Marc reflects on the nature of mobile learning and the devices that might support it, and he proposes a new definition of mLearning.
Marc My Words: iPad Envy
(5/11/10)The iPad has done an admirable job of capturing the imaginations of many of us (not to mention the cash of a million buyers – so far). But is it a game changer for learning?
Marc My Words: Farewell, Training Magazine
(4/20/10)Training Magazine made important contributions to our field. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, editors Jack Gordon, Chris Lee, and others, and contributors like Ron Zemke, were unafraid to tackle the tough issues as well as some of the silliness of the training and e-Learning field, and to accept articles that made you think. There is no question that the field has lost one of its most strident voices.
Locked Out: Bridging the Divide Between Training and Information Technology
(1/7/10)Customers demand more flexibility, less disruption in how training is delivered, and faster, better access. Business demands more frequent updates to training content. Both Training and IT have a vested interest in meeting these demands. Despite their differences, the two groups ultimately have the best interests of the organization in mind and can only succeed when bridges are built between them.
Is Instructional System Design Dead? Why there are better questions to ask
(5/10/04)Is instructional systems design (ISD) dead? The arguments against ISD usually center on its perceived inflexibility and the excessive time it takes to go through the process. The arguments for ISD cite its systematic approach and evidence that, if followed, you’re likely to produce more effective training. Maybe there are better questions to ask. Here are four such questions.
