In this final episode before the summer break, Donald Clark and John Helmer explore the rise of happiness and wellbeing as central themes in psychology, education, and policy. From Seligman’s Positive Psychology to Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach, they examine the thinkers who defined the science—and pseudo-science—of flourishing. Is wellbeing a universal human right, or a set of scantly-evidenced models that has somehow become an industry? And what happens when AI becomes your therapist?

 

⏱️ Timestamps

• 00:00:00 - Start
• 00:01:24 - Intro
• 00:02:25 - Introducing Wellbeing
• 00:09:07 - Martin Seligman (1942–) & Richard Layard (1934–)
• 00:21:47 - Ed Diener (1946–2021)
• 00:29:57 - Carol Ryff
• 00:41:22 - Corey Keyes
• 00:51:01 - Amartya Sen (1933–) & Martha Nussbaum (1947–)
• 00:58:37 - Lucy Foulkes
• 01:09:03 - Summing up

🔗 Contact

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer
• X: @johnhelmer
• Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social
• Website: learninghackpodcast.com

 

Learning at Scale, from Theory to Action.

This episode explores the thinkers who shaped organizational learning—how institutions learn, adapt, and evolve. From Herbert Simon’s decision theory to Argyris and Schön’s double-loop learning, Peter Senge’s “learning organization,” Japanese knowledge creation, and Finnish activity theory, we trace how learning moved beyond individuals to become a strategic force for change. A must-listen for anyone in leadership, workplace learning, or change management.

 

Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 - Start
• 00:01:24 - Intro
• 00:02:23 - Introducing Organizational Learning
• 00:06:29 - Herbert A. Simon (1916–2001)
• 00:18:38 - Chris Argyris (1923–2013) & Donald Schön (1930–1997)
• 00:30:14 - Peter Senge (1947–)
• 00:43:17 - Ikujiro Nonaka (1935–2025) & Hirotaka Takeuchi (1946–)
• 00:57:01 - Yrjö Engeström (1948–)
• 01:07:20 - Summing up

 

Connect:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer
• X: @johnhelmer
• Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social
• Website: learninghackpodcast.com

 

The surprising modernity of medieval minds.

This episode explores the medieval thinkers known as the Schoolmen—philosophers who fused logic, faith, and classical learning to shape what would become the modern university. From Anselm’s ontological argument to Ockham’s razor, Donald Clark and John Helmer examine the enduring legacy of scholasticism on how we teach and learn today.

 

Timestamp

• 00:01:24 - Intro
• 00:02:23 - Introducing The Schoolmen
• 00:07:27 - Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109)
• 00:14:53 - Peter Abelard (1079–1142)
• 00:28:02 - Hugh of St Victor (1096–1141)
• 00:38:41 - Albertus Magnus (c. 1200–1280)
• 00:44:02 - Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274)
• 00:50:15 - Duns Scotus (1266–1308)
• 00:59:54 - William of Ockham (c. 1287–1347)
• 01:05:32 - Summing up

 

Connect

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer
• X: @johnhelmer
• Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social
• Website: learninghackpodcast.com

Who is higher education really serving?

In this episode of Great Minds on Learning, John Helmer and Donald Clark examine prominent critics of higher education. Economist Bryan Caplan, linguist and activist Noam Chomsky, and tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel offer powerful critiques of the academy. Meanwhile, Harold Wilson, Jennie Lee, and Paul LeBlanc present alternative visions for more inclusive and effective systems. Is higher education broken—or just in need of reinvention?

TIMESTAMPS

·       00:00:00 - Start

·       00:01:54 - Intro

·       00:02:55 - Introducing Critics of Higher Education

·       00:07:19 - Bryan Caplan (1971–)

·       00:20:10 - Noam Chomsky (1928–)

·       00:31:41 - Peter Thiel (1967–)

·       00:44:06 - Harold Wilson (1916-1995) & Jennie Lee (1904-1988)

·       00:57:11 - Paul LeBlanc

·       01:06:15 - Summing up

Connect with us:

·       LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer

·       X: @johnhelmer

·       Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social

·       Website: learninghackpodcast.com

Education's Ideological Battleground. Education is never entirely neutral. In our own time it has been increasingly seen as deeply ideological. However, whose ideology is being promoted – and does unpicking one set of biases only serve to replace it with a different, opposing set? Donald Clark and John Helmer explore the provocative ideas of influential theorists Paulo Freire, Allan Bloom, Henry Giroux, Judith Butler, Camille Paglia, and Jonathan Haidt. This episode dives into critical pedagogy’s role in shaping today’s contentious educational culture wars, examining how these thinkers challenged traditional perspectives, ignited fierce debates, and reshaped our understanding of education's relationship to power, politics, and identity.

Episode timestamps:

• 00:01:54 – GMoL intro
• 00:03:00 – Introducing Critical Pedagogues
• 00:07:37 – Paulo Freire (1921-1997)
• 00:18:23 – Allan Bloom (1930-1992)
• 00:34:06 – Henry Giroux (1943–)
• 00:43:21 – Judith Butler (1956–)
• 00:59:48 – Camille Paglia (1947–)
• 01:14:41 – Jonathan Haidt (1963–)
• 01:35:15 – Summing up

 

Contact:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer
• X: @johnhelmer
• Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social
• Website: learninghackpodcast.com

 

The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Contact Donald

• X: @DonaldClark
• Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/

 

From Babbage to Turing: the roots of AI. 

In this first episode of Season 7, Donald Clark and John Helmer trace the roots of modern computing and AI through six foundational figures—Babbage, Lovelace, Hollerith, Bush, Newman & Flowers, and Turing. Exploring their machines, insights, and visionary ideas, they uncover surprising links between early data technologies and the digital learning landscape of today. Expect Steampunk vibes, deep dives, and a speculative look at how history shaped learning innovation.   

• 00:01:54 - Intro
• 00:02:58 - Donald & John catch up - Donald’s new tattoo
• 00:05:42 - Introducing Roots of AI: Early Computing
• 00:13:41 - Charles Babbage (1791-1871)
• 00:24:14 - Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)
• 00:36:31 - Herman Hollerith (1860-1929)
• 00:50:43 - Vannevar Bush (1890 - 1974)
• 01:02:50 - Maxwell Newman (1897-1984) & Thomas Flowers (1905-1988)
• 01:10:25 - Alan Turing (1912-1954)
• 01:28:20 - Summing up

Great Minds on Learning comes from the Learning Hack team and is produced by John Helmer. The podcast is based on a series of blog posts written by Donald Clark, who kindly collaborates on this project.

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer
• X: @johnhelmer
• Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social
• Website: learninghackpodcast.com

 

The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Contact Donald

• X: @DonaldClark
• Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/

Revisiting Learning Theories: Insights and Challenges for the Future

In this special live episode of Great Minds on Learning, recorded at Online Educa Berlin 2024, Donald Clark and John Helmer tackle listener questions about learning theory’s relevance, biases, and practical applications. They reflect on three years of the podcast, exploring 2,500 years of educational thought, and discuss the future of learning, including the transformative impact of AI. Engaging and insightful, this episode is a must-listen for learning professionals and enthusiasts alike.

 

• 00:00 - Start
• 00:59 - Introducing GMoL Question Time
• 08:17 - Why this podcast?
• 30:52 - What are the ‘lessons learned’?
• 47:48 - What next? AI and the future of institutional learning

The Blog that started it all:

•  https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html

 

Contact Donald

• X: @DonaldClark
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/
• Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/

 

Contact John Helmer

• X: @johnhelmer
• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/
• Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/

Send in your questions for the Great Minds on Learning Q&A! Donald Clark and John Helmer will answer them at Online Educa Conference in Berlin, which will be recorded for a podcast episode to be issued before Christmas 2024. Email them in to [email protected] or reach out on social media.

Deconstructing Continental Philosophy's Impact on Modern Education.

At the end of the 19th Century, a split in Philosophy emerged that persists today. The Analytic tradition, led by Frege, Russell, and Wittgenstein, emphasized clarity, logical rigour, and formal methods in language analysis. By contrast, Continental theorists such as Husserl and Heidegger went to a very different place. They focused on human experience and took on broader cultural and political themes, giving us terms like existentialism, structuralism, post-structuralism, and postmodernism. In this final episode of the season, we explore the impact of Continental Theorists. What influence have these radical thinkers, whose writings often seem almost wilfully obscure, had on education and learning?

• 00:00:00 - Start
• 00:00:46 - Intro
• 00:01:59 - Introducing the Continental Theorists
• 00:09:01 - Martin Heidegger (1889-1976)
• 00:24:28 - Paul-Michel Foucault (1926-1984)
• 00:41:11 - Jean-François Lyotard (1924-1998)
• 00:52:42 - Jacques Derrida (1930-2004)
• 01:09:54 - Summing up

 

The Blog that started it all:

• https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html

Contact Donald

• X: @DonaldClark
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/
• Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/

Contact John Helmer

• X: @johnhelmer
• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/
• Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/
• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/

Learning in the post-Freudian age

At the beginning of the 20th Century, fundamental assumptions about the nature of the mind and how it learns were completely overturned by a new set of ideas. Pre-eminent among the thinkers and practitioners who spearheaded a new field of study called psychoanalysis was the Austrian neurologist, Sigmund Freud. Following his death in 1939, Freud’s followers continued and developed his ideas, and psychoanalysis grew ever more influential, not just in the treatment of mental illness, but in government, business, philosophy and education. Though most of Freud’s theories have since been discredited, he casts a long shadow. But what do the psychoanalysts have to say to our own time about the mind and learning?

• 00:00:00 - Intro
• 00:01:11 - Introducing the psychoanalysts
• 00:06:33 - Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1923)
• 00:25:33 - Anna Freud (1895-1982)
• 00:36:17 - Melanie Klein (1882-1960)
• 00:43:53 - Eric Erikson (1902 – 1994)
• 00:57:55 - John Bowlby (1907-1990)
• 01:05:14 - Carl Rogers (1902 - 1987)
• 01:10:41 - Summing Up

The Blog that started it all:

• https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html

Contact Donald

• X: @DonaldClark
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/
• Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/

Contact John Helmer

• X: @johnhelmer
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/
• Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/
• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/