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The Neon Elephant Award

The Neon Elephant Award is awarded to a person, team, or organization exemplifying enlightenment, integrity, and innovation in the field of workplace learning and performance. Announced on the day of the winter solstice—the day of the year when the northern hemisphere turns away from darkness toward the light and hope of warmer days to come—the Neon Elephant Award honors those who have truly changed the way we think about the practice of learning and performance improvement. Award winners are selected for demonstrated success in pushing the field forward in significant paradigm-altering ways while maintaining the highest standards of ethics and professionalism.

The Symbolism of “Neon Elephant”

The glow of neon represents enlightenment, illumination, and gravitas. The elephant represents learning, power, strength, and the importance of nurturing the community.

Winners

The 2009 Neon Elephant Award was awarded to Ruth Clark for her many years in leading the workplace learning-and-performance field with research-based insights and recommendations, and—by so doing—helping to professionalize our field. See www.work-learning.com/neon_elephant_2009.htm.

The 2008 Neon Elephant Award was awarded to Robert Brinkerhoff for developing the Success Case evaluation method and for advocating that learning professionals play a more “courageous” role in their organizations. See www.work-learning.com/neon_elephant_2008.htm.

The 2007 Neon Elephant Award was awarded to Sharon Shrock and Bill Coscarelli for advocating against the use of memorization-level questions in learning measurement and for the use of authentic assessment items, including scenario-based questions, simulations, and real-world skills tests. See www.work-learning.com/neon_elephant_2007.htm.

The 2006 Neon Elephant Award was awarded to Cal Wick of the Fort Hill Company for his work developing methodologies and software to support learning transfer. See www.work-learning.com/neon_elephant_2006.htm.

Will Thalheimer and Work-Learning Research

Will Thalheimer, President of Work-Learning Research, is the Neon Elephant Award's Sponsor.

Will is a learning expert, researcher, instructional designer, business strategist, speaker, and writer. Dr. Thalheimer has worked in the learning-and-performance field since 1985.

He was the project manager for the first commercially-viable computer-based leadership simulation, The Complete Manager. He led the Strategic Management Group’s product line, Leading for Business Results, increasing revenues fourfold. He has trained managers to be leaders at numerous Fortune 500 companies, teaching such topics as leadership, persuasion, conflict resolution, and business strategy. He has led change management efforts and workshops.

In 1998, Dr. Thalheimer founded Work-Learning Research to bridge the gap between research and practice, to compile research on learning, and disseminate research findings to help chief learning officers, instructional designers, trainers, e-learning developers, performance consultants, and learning executives build more effective learning-and-performance interventions and environments.

His clients have included giant multinationals, e-learning companies, government agencies, and institutions of higher learning. Short list: Walgreens, Novartis, DIA, UNUM, Microsoft, MIT, Pfizer, Allen Interactions, Type A Learning Agency, eInstruction, Monitor Group, ADP, Questionmark, Midi Compliance Solutions, Facility Einstein, Defense Intelligence Agency, The eLearning Guild, Rockwell, Raytheon, Boeing, Kodak, AGFA, AMD, PPG, Nabisco, Ericsson, Abbott, SMG, and the U.S. Postal Service. His research and writings have led the field in providing practical research-based recommendations through his online publications (www.work-learning.com/catalog), published articles, and his industry-leading blog (www.willatworklearning.com).

Dr. Thalheimer speaks regularly at national and international conferences. His conference presentations always receive numerous evaluation-sheet comments like the following: “This was one of the best presentations I attended—solid information delivered in a style that helped me learn.”

Will holds a BA from the Pennsylvania State University, an MBA from Drexel University, and a PhD in Educational Psychology: Human Learning and Cognition from Columbia University.

Contact Information for Will Thalheimer, President, Work-Learning Research, Inc. 

Phone:             617-666-9637
Email:              click here

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