As pressure mounts on L&D to get out of its bind on learning analytics and start taking data seriously, John Helmer talks to Dr George Siemens, founder president of the Society for Learning Analytics Research, and the father of connectivist learning theory. In George’s view, conditions have never been more favourable for a more data-driven approach in Corporate learning, with the Covid crisis massively accelerating digital transformation across all areas of organisational operations.   Learning analytics are just one area of this internationally renowned author and speaker's work. George is also professor at the University of Texas at Arlington and Director of the Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning at the University of South Australia. This wide-ranging discussion also covers connectivism, MOOCs and the offloading of human cognitive capabilities to AI with its implications for learning.   05:26 Learning analytics 10:16 Could corporates work with academics on analytics? 16:50 Connectivism 21:37 How has connectivism aged? 25:32 AI and learning 35:03 MOOCs 40:52 The road out of Covid   Mentioned in the discussion: [Book] Learning as a Way of Being by Peter B. Vaill (1996) https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Learning_as_a_Way_of_Being.html?id=DzDIwAEACAAJ&source=kp_book_description&redir_esc=y   Peter Senge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Senge   [Book] Psychology of Learning for Instruction by Marcy P. Driscoll https://www.amazon.co.uk/Psychology-Learning-Instruction-Driscoll-Second/dp/B004BRZPC6   Ronald S Burt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Stuart_Burt   SOLAR Website: https://www.solaresearch.org/   Contact George: http://hacognition.org/ Twitter @gsiemens LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/gsiemens   Download the new white paper from Learning Pool written by John Helmer – 'Experience: Theory, design and supporting technologies for an experience-based learning culture' https://learningpool.com/theory-design-and-supporting-technologies-for-an-experience-based-learning-culture/   Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://johnhelmerconsulting.com/