xAPI Design is ADL’s Next Big Thing

For the last year, almost a hundred people internationally have contributed to the specification for Experience API™. Lots of people talked about it, but these guys put it into being. I care about Experience API as a lightweight but heavy-duty technology that helps people respond to some of the low-hanging fruit that our greater communityRead… Read more »

10 Best Practices to Utilize When Designing an Effective Survey

Evaluations are becoming an important part of almost every government activity, especially the administration of grant programs. Many grant program evaluations use surveys to collect information from both benefactors and beneficiaries. For these surveys to be effective, they should follow a few simple best practices outlined below. 1. Brief, Smooth Introduction: This should provide theRead… Read more »

Interesting elsewhere – 9 July 2013

Things which caught my eye elsewhere on the web Google logic: why Google does the things it does the way it does | Technology | guardian.co.ukThis evolutionary approach, and the Agile design processes that support it, is built into the fibre and psyche of web companies. They don’t think in terms of long-term detailed plans;Read… Read more »

When Was the Last Time Your Employees Had Fun at Work?

The phrase, fun and work, doesn’t have to be an oxymoron. Just ask any of the employees who work for the area companies recently named among the Washington Business Journal’s Best Places to Work for 2013. For the ninth year in a row, the Washington Business Journal has compiled its list of the best DCRead… Read more »

FUTURE CODE: Are web developers today’s news photographer?

A major US newspaper announced plans to fire its entire picture desk a week or two back. All 28 of them. To go. As someone who has worked on newspapers and now deals with them as part of their job that’s a significant step. It also underlines in it’s own small way this whole ‘theRead… Read more »

HR Can’t Ignore Big Data

Information remains an organization’s most valuable and underutilized asset. Top performers are investing in analytics to elevate recruitment and performance. Everyone talks about big data. People talk about being overwhelmed by information, about capturing it, storing it, struggling with it and doing something useful with it. Talent managers can’t avoid the topic. The digital universeRead… Read more »

Instagram for InstaGovies

Instagram is available for govies! It is the latest mobile and social media tool available to federal, state and local governments to better engage with the public, thanks to a newly negotiated government-compatible Terms of Service (TOS) agreement negotiated by the GSA. With over 130 million users, Instagram is a photo sharing service that makesRead… Read more »

Public Sector: Study Shows a Growing Need to Validate Eligibility Determinations

A recent study conducted by the Governing Institute and commissioned by Experian confirms that government benefit agencies can greatly improve their eligibility verification processes through automated data analytics. Historically, assorted health and human service programs have been compartmentalized, with each benefit agency having its own data collection system, eligibility requirements and program rules. The technologyRead… Read more »

FTC Member Julie Brill Pushes for Healthcare Data Protection

Julie Brill, a member of the Federal Trade Commission, has expressed support for privacy protection in the healthcare sector amid increasing big data applications, GovernmentHealthIT.com reported June 27. Anthony Brino writes that Brill proposes that consumers regain control over their personal information, determine the amount of data to share and be able choose whether toRead… Read more »