Preparing for the Learning Solutions Backchannel #LSCon

In just about two weeks one of the best development opportunities for professionals in the Learning and Performance field will be upon us: Learning Solutions 2012.

The annual Learning Solutions Conference and Expo, hosted by The eLearning Guild, continues to be one of the best events to attend for those focused on identifying, deploying, and managing proven technology-based learning solutions – as well as those leveraging more traditional training modalities and all manner of blended learning solutions.  The eLearning Guild conferences have a reputation for being a events that balance visions of the future with immediate skill takeaways professionals can apply today.  This year, Learning Solutions returns to Orlando at the The Hilton in Walt Disney World March 21-23.

If you have visited my blog in the past, you may have noticed that I often follow conferences online, and post curated lists of the many valuable resources that are shared via the conference backchannels.  If you are not familiar with these posts, I recently posted an archive that collects them in a single location.  You’ll find a link to that archive at the end of this post.

The organizers of the Learning Solutions conference value the backchannel very much.  They see the added value it is able to generate not only for conference attendees, but for people that were unable to attend the conference in person, and for the field in general.  They asked me to curate the backchannel for the DevLearn Conference in November, and I will be performing a similar role for Learning Solutions.

There will be a few differences between what I did for DevLearn and what I am doing for Learning Solutions. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts make me unable to attend the conference in person, so I will be following the conference remotely via the backchannel.  In addition, the backchannel resources post will be located here, on my website.

As someone that often thinks of ways to better leverage the backchannel concept as part of a learning and performance strategy, this opportunity is tremendously exciting.  At its core, the eLearning Guild’s support will enable me to do what I’m already doing, but with greater access and outreach.  That in itself could be enough to add value, as it will result in more shared resources.  We’re also looking at doing other things to enhance the backchannel.

There will be a series of posts  over the next two weeks designed to help both attendees and those monitoring the Learning Solutions backchannel from afar prepare to participate, and to get more value out of the conference. My next post will lay the groundwork by explaining exactly what a backchannel is.  Subsequent posts will explore the conference guides, apps, and other resources that can enhance your experience.

If there are ideas you would like to share on how the value of the DevLearn backchannel can be expanded this year, please do share them.  Post a comment to this blog, send me a tweet to @LnDDave, send me an e-mail to LnDDave@gmail.com, or just post to the #LSCon hashtag to share your idea with the backchannel community at large.

For more tips on getting ready for Learning Solutions, check out the other posts in this series:
Preparing for the Learning Solutions Backchannel #LSCon
What Exactly IS a Backchannel?
How to Participate in the Learning Solutions (#LSCon) Conference Backchannel
Backchannel Tips: Explore the Learning Solution Program Guides #LSCon
Mapdeck: A New Way of Bringing the #LSCon Experience Back Home
Backchannel Tips: Introducing #LSCon Hashcaster