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21st December 2009
Dr. Will Thalheimer, President of Work-Learning Research, announces the winner of the 2009 Neon Elephant Award, given this year 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. 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. 2009 Award Winner – Ruth Clark Ruth Clark, EdD, a recognized specialist in instructional design and technical training, holds a doctorate in Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology from the University of Southern California. Prior to founding CLARK Training & Consulting, Dr. Clark served as training manager for Southern California Edison. She is past president of the International Society for Performance Improvement and author of six books and numerous articles. Dr. Clark is the 2006 recipient of the Thomas F. Gilbert Distinguished Professional Achievement Award from ISPI. Ruth is the author of numerous books, searchable at Amazon.com under her full name Ruth Colvin Clark, including:
In addition to her lifetime of work, she is honored this year for the 3rd edition of her excellent book, published just a little over a year ago, Building Expertise: Cognitive Methods for Training and Performance Improvement. Although this is said to be the 3rd edition, the research cited is fresh and up-to-date. This book may be Ruth’s masterwork. It covers a wide swath of the learning research. It’s written by a research translator at the height of her powers. It’s a must-read (and must-study) for everyone in the field of workplace learning-and-performance.
It’s not easy to examine learning research from refereed scientific journals and compile it so that it is practical for others. The time commitment is incredible, the research skills must be of the highest caliber—and it requires guts and gusto. Some of what the research reveals cuts against the common wisdom. Sometimes it chaffs and brings angst and heat. Ruth’s continuing perseverance over the last three decades is testament to her passion and tenacity. Her work itself is testament to her integrity and skills. I would imagine that over the last two decades there is no one in our field who has improved the work of as many instructional designers, trainers, and e-learning developers as Ruth Clark. For me, she continues to be a beacon—proof that research-based work is valued by our profession. For our field, Ruth’s work is simply indispensible. Using evidence-based reasoning and recommendations is not just useful in practice. It is what respected, successful professions are based on. We owe Ruth Clark our most grateful thanks. Selection Methodology The award is based purely on merit and the criteria detailed above. Proposals are not accepted, nor are any entrance fees solicited or accepted. While advice on the selection may be sought from industry thought leaders, Dr. Will Thalheimer of Work-Learning Research is the final arbiter. Awards will only be made in years when exceptional contributions to the workplace learning and performance field are apparent. Previous Winners 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 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 |
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