Free! Webcasts and online class

Notices about several free online events have landed in my inbox. This blog lets me share them with you (the events would be long over by the time I got them into T+D), but I make no guarantees as to their quality. I just wanted to point the opportunities out.

1) Emergent learning. E-learning guru Jay Cross will be holding an free online seminar on April 13th at 3 pm EST. He will be talking about what's on the horizon for learning and how to prepare for that future. Topics may include adaptive systems, social networking, contextual collaboration, business process modeling, and more. He says his content is still under development, though, and asks for suggestions on the specific topics participants want to hear about.

2) Copyright law. Customized content developer XanEdu is sponsoring a free Webcast, "Using Copyrighted Materials in Teaching and Learning," on April 14th from 1 to 2 pm EST. Copyright and intellectual property issues are hot topics right now, so this Webcast comes at a good time. It will be given by Laura "Lolly" Gasaway, an expert in copyright law, copyright and technology, and legal issues in cyberspace.

3) Mentoring. Presentation Excellence, a resource center for executives, offers a free seminar on "Mentoring and You: Master the Process and Create a Performance Culture," on April 21st at 1 pm EST. The Webseminar will cover a definition of mentoring, roles and expectations for mentors and mentees, how both parties can communicate effectively, and how to get support for the process. The event will be conducted by Jerry Cahn, a communiations expert, organizational consultant, and executive coach.

4) Collaboration and conferencing software. Robin Good's Kolabora site is sponsoring a free Buyer's Review Webseminar on these real-time tools. The April 22nd seminar will showcase various products and then allow 30 minutes for potential buyer questions and answers. A recording of the event and Good's analysis of the tools will be available for a fee.

5) Computer technology. The University of Washington is offering a free course, Fluency with Information Technology, available online to anyone anytime. The course is targeted at people without experience or training in computers and is offered asynchronously through Webpages, streaming video, and online assignments. The course is based on a taskforce that determined skills needed in the Information Age.