The CSIEEE knowledge and learning resources are an essential element in Conrad Elliott’s job performance and his continuing professional development and recognition of his standing and accomplishments within the profession. His levels of recognition from CSIEEE have become a de facto certification of professional competence.

Perpetual Knowledge Enhancement and Refreshment. While the TI portal provides for Elliott’s learning needs directly related to his job, the CSIEEE portal is his source for knowledge enhancement relating to new developments in computer science and electrical engineering. He has personalized his CSIEE portal so he will receive push e-mails regarding new developments in five technology specialties that are essential for his TI product teams. He is currently participating in two emerging communities of practice, each of which was evolved by popular demand over the past two months to address several new cross-disciplinary topics. While he is very active in CSIEEE professional and technical activities, he is uninvolved in governance, standards, or other traditional professional society activities.

“Bricks and Clicks” Meetings & Tutorials. Elliott attends three or four CSIEEE special meetings a year, either in person or as a paid “lurker” at live or asynchronous video seminars of several sessions that catch his fancy. He also participates in five CSIEEE tutorials a year, each on emerging, highly specialized technical, or application topics. These half-day sessions are conducted live. About 25 participants are in the room with the speaker with hundreds or even thousands accessing virtually. For the virtual viewers, the split screen provides a view of the presenter and the audience along with the text of his/her remarks, accompanying slides, and running comments from viewers in other locations.

Following the tutorial, a two-week community of practice is formed around the topic, facilitated by either the faculty delivering the tutorial or another mentor from the field. Results of the dialogue are synthesized using knowledge management tools and provided virtually instantaneously as part of CSIEEE’s body of knowledge.

Ambient Learning Environments. CSIEEE has utilized pervasive computing technologies to create what they have styled “the ambient learning experience” as a supplement to their annual meetings. The “ambient,” as it is popularly called, is staged in cities around the world on a rolling basis. At any time, five or six cities are staging ambient meetings, which can last for three to five days at a particular site. CSIEE members or other practitioners interested in advanced computing issues come to the ambient setting (a hotel, conference center, academic center, or community center outfitted with pervasive computing technologies to create an ambient, sensing environment that can communicate with attendees). Elliott uses the ambient to immerse himself in contemplation on key issues for a set period of time, removed from the competing demands of the office and other environments.

Experiencing the Ambient.
The last ambient that Elliott attended was scheduled to be open on Tuesday, October 23, between 07:00 and 23:00 hours. Elliott arrives at 10:00 and as he walks in the door and sits in a comfortable chair in a designated receiving area, is greeted with the salutation, “Hello, Conrad, I’ve reviewed your record, the assignment you did last night and the set of topics in which you are interested. Let me suggest the following schedule of time and energy today.”