The Learning Hack podcast

This time John is talking to Laura Overton, an award-winning international speaker, author and facilitator, with multiple institutional fellowships. Laura is probably best known for helming Towards Maturity, the research and benchmarking organization, from its inception as a Government initiative, through independence and commercial success before it was bought out by Emerald Group in 2017. Does she think during her time there she really managed to bring about change in the practice of learning? ---------- 2:54 - What is 'Emerging Stronger'? 11:30 - 'Changemakers' newsletter 16:43 - How did she get into learning? 24:28 - Towards Maturity: the legacy 31:02 - L&D skills and mindset 35:52 – Data in L&D 42:30 – How to get involved? ---------- Mentioned in the discussion: Trojan mice https://jarche.com/2012/10/on-trojan-mice/ Newsletter: #LearningChangemakers https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/learningchangemakers-6768177569251520512/ Emerging Stronger https://emergentmasterclass.com/about/#meet Contact Laura Twitter: @lauraoverton LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lauraoverton Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://johnhelmerconsulting.com/ Download the new white paper from Learning Pool written by John Helmer & Ben Betts – Suite Dreams: The Past, Present and Future of Learning Systems https://learningpool.com/suite-dreams/

John talks to Dr. Jane Bozarth, Director of Research at The Learning Guild, about how the rise of digital technology is changing expectations about the sort of skills and qualifications a learning professional should have in the 21st Century – and about her own, long career in learning. That career includes numerous books, work as a columnist for Learning Solutions Magazine, and a long-standing position as E-Learning Co-ordinator for the US state of North Carolina. More than all that, Jane has always been a fount of no-nonsense, practical advice for learning professionals, and there's plenty to be found in this interview. ---------- 03:34 - Role at the Learning Guild 06:17 - The Guild Masters' view on future of learning 12:16 - Proliferation of tools raises L&D skills issues 17:26 - How educated is L&D? 22:04 - Is learning theory important to learning professionals? 26:32 - Where is L&D with the pandemic right now? 30:02 - The widening L&D skillset 34:36 - Is L&D a buying function? 38:54 - What has been her career journey in learning? ---------- Mentioned in the discussion: The Johari Window: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johari_window Report: Guild Masters on The Future of Learning: https://www.learningguild.com/insights/266/guild-masters-on-the-future-of-learning/?from=home Report: Degrees for L&D Professionals: What, Why, and Worth? https://www.learningguild.com/insights/263/degrees-for-ld-professionals-what-why-and-worth/?from=content&mode=filter&source=insights Many other reports by Dr. Jane Bozarth can be found on the Learning Guild website: https://www.learningguild.com/ Contact Dr. Jane Twitter: @JaneBozarth LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/janebozarth Website/Blog: http://bozarthzone.blogspot.com/ Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://johnhelmerconsulting.com/ Download the new white paper from Learning Pool written by John Helmer & Ben Betts – Suite Dreams: The Past, Present and Future of Learning Systems https://learningpool.com/suite-dreams/

Another chance to hear the inaugural episode of Great Minds on Learning, which was originally aired back in March 2021 to considerable acclaim.

In this series, Donald Clark – the internationally famous author, blogger and entrepreneur, joins John Helmer to discuss the history of thought and theorising about learning.

This particular episode is about The Cognitivists, a group of theorists who made a vital contribution to what we now know about the mechanics of memory and learning. ---------- 00:47 Why is memory such an important focus for the cognitivists? 02:27 Introducing the Cognitivists 04:07 Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850-1909) 13:49 George A. MIller (1920-2012) 19:25 Richard C. Atkinson (1929- ) & Richard Shiffrin (1942- ) 24:09 Alan Baddeley (1934- ) 28:49 Endel Tulving (1927- ) 37:57 John Sweller (1946- ) 47:04 Summing up: the Cognitivists and Behaviourism ---------- The Blog that started it all: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2020/08/100-learning-theorists-2500-years-of.html Ebbinhaus bit.ly/2VvoxkX Miller bit.ly/37OaB85 Atkinson & Shiffrin bit.ly/37SEKTK Baddeley bit.ly/37WfFHq Tulving bit.ly/2VmFKNw Sweller bit.ly/2I7Pt2t Contact Donald Twitter: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://johnhelmerconsulting.com/ Download the new white paper from Learning Pool written by John Helmer & Ben Betts – Suite Dreams: The Past, Present and Future of Learning Systems https://learningpool.com/suite-dreams/

Internationally respected author, blogger and learning expert, Donald Clark joins John Helmer of the Learning Hack podcast to discuss the history of thought and theorising about learning. From the Greeks to the Geeks, they cover 2,500 years of thought and science on learning. The inspired, the enduring, the wacked-out weird and the just plain wrong, from Socrates to the present day. Starting with a repeat of the popular pilot episode The Cognitivists on 30 August, the series proper kicks off on 13 September and runs fortnightly. Here's Season One: * The Behaviorists * Instructionalists * Practice * Holists * Online Educators * The Enlightenment Don't miss a single episode: subscribe now.

The Learning Hack is taking a seasonal break. In the meantime, here's another chance to hear one of our most listened-to episodes. John talks to Julie Dirksen, a leading expert in instructional design, digital learning and behaviour change. Is it a problem for learning professionals that even when they have supported learners in gaining the knowledge and skills they need to do things right, and to do the right thing, once back in the workplace they so often do the exact opposite? The conversation dives deep into the mechanics of behaviour change, addressing the 'elephant and rider' problem in human psychology, and confronts the tricky ethical questions that effective use of behaviour change techniques inevitably brings up. ---------- 03:37 What does the 'elephant and rider' image mean in behaviour change? 12:26 The importance of feedback 16:48 Intent vs behaviour 18:00 Technology & behaviour change 24:28 The ethics of behaviour change 31:18 Is the 'conspiracy of convenience' a behaviour change problem? 39:03 Tips for overcoming resistance to being trained ---------- Links Jonathan Haidt, responsible for the 'elephant and rider' metaphor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Haidt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Damasio https://www.happinesshypothesis.com/ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51070630_The_Behaviour_Change_Wheel_a_new_method_for_characterising_and_designing_behaviour_change_interventions http://www.behaviourchangewheel.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_(book)kk Julie's Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=design%20for%20how%20people%20learn Contact Julie Dirksen LinkedIn: https://wwwlinkedin.com/in/juliedirksen Twitter: @usablelearning Website: usablelearning.wordpress.com Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://johnhelmerconsulting.com/ Download the new white paper from Learning Pool written by John Helmer & Ben Betts – Suite Dreams: The Past, Present and Future of Learning Systems https://learningpool.com/suite-dreams/

The Learning Hack is taking a break for the Summer. We'll be back in September, but meanwhile, here's our second most listened-to episode of all time, featuring an interview with Nick Shackleton-Jones. John talks to Nick about his book, 'How People Learn'. 01:22 About the book 04:04 Its ambitions 07:16 The affective context model 16:40 Instructional design 22:51 The learner experience 25:30 Learning in the flow of work 28:14 Are things getting better? 31:22 Business and emotion 33:12 Sentiment analysis and AI 37:46 Innovation

Audrey Watters' new book, Teaching Machines, tells the story of how two academics, Sidney Pressey in the 1920s and B.F. Skinner in the 1950s, attempted to develop and market mechanical devices for learning. John talks to Audrey about the book and explores the reasons why both of these pioneers of pre-computer learning technology, ultimately, failed. In the book Audrey Watters, who describes herself as 'an education writer, an independent scholar, a serial dropout, a rabble-rouser, and ed-tech's Cassandra', also draws comparisons with today's technologists, and sees the pervasive influence of B.F. Skinner at work in their attempts to use personalization as a means of control. 00:00 - Intro 03:06 - B. F. Skinner and his teaching machine 08:30 - Sidney Pressey's teaching machine, 1920s 18:38 - Did B.F. Skinner really raise his daughter in a box 21:50 - Why has personalization of education not happened? 28:06 - What technologists get wrong about education 39:03 - What has been her personal journey in learning? The Book: Teaching Machines: The History of Personalized Learning https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/teaching-machines Follow Audrey Twitter: @audreywatters LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-watters-96135a145/ Website: http://audreywatters.com/ Blog: http://hackeducation.com/ Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://johnhelmerconsulting.com/ Download the new white paper from Learning Pool written by John Helmer & Ben Betts – Suite Dreams: The Past, Present and Future of Learning Systems https://learningpool.com/suite-dreams/

John talks to Bob Mosher, champion of workflow learning and the Five Moments of L&D Need. Bob has been an active and influential leader in the learning and training industry for over 30 years and is renowned worldwide for his pioneering role in new approaches to learning. Based in South Carolina, he is CEO and Chief Learning Evangelist at Apply Synergies. Previously he was with Microsoft, as Director of Learning Strategy. Bob is also a Maisie Fellow. 00:00 - Intro 02:40 - What are the 5 moments of L&D need? 09:22 - What progress has he seen in the 20 years since the 5 moments were defined? 14:37 - Are vendors building the right tech for workflow learning? 20:55 - Why haven't we seen EPS systems emerge as a discrete product category? 23:01 - How do we stop workflow learning being an interruption? 27:45 - Which learning theorists have shaped his ideas? 35:02 - Where can people follow his ideas? 37:27 - Next time on the Learning Hack … Mentioned in the discussion: Gery, G. (1991). Electronic performance support systems: How and why to remake the workplace through the strategic application of technology. Tolland, MA: Gery Performance Press. Dr. Conrad Gottfredson: https://www.5momentsofneed.com/conrad-gottfredson.htm Dr. Alison Rosset: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Allison-Rossett Robert F. Mager https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._Mager Contact Bob Mosher Twitter: @bmosh LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmosher/ Website: https://www.applysynergies.com/ Bob's podcast: https://performancematters.podbean.com/ Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://johnhelmerconsulting.com/ Download the new white paper from Learning Pool written by John Helmer & Ben Betts – Suite Dreams: The Past, Present and Future of Learning Systems https://learningpool.com/suite-dreams/

This special edition of the podcast features interviews with two people who have each in their different ways played important roles in the effort to vaccinate the world and free us all from the menace of Covid-19. Marc Howells is VP & Head of Global Talent & Learning at AstraZeneca, developers of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine AZD1222, one of the leading weapons in the fightback against global pandemic. Reda Sadki, President of The Geneva Learning Foundation, is an old friend of the podcast. He leads a Swiss non-profit that connects learning leaders to research, invent, and trial breakthrough approaches for new learning, talent and leadership, with a focus on immunization and other critical issues in global health. 03:43 - Marc's role & priorities at AstraZeneca 04:34 - What has the last year been like for the team in AtraZeneca? 07:52 - What skills issues has this rapid rate of change given rise to? 14:02 - What's driving your increase in learning during the pandemic? 17:10 - How much of the shift to digital in AstraZeneca will be long-lasting? 22:10 Hopes (& fears) for the future? 26:26 Reda Sadki interview starts 34:52 ACT-A and COVAX 39:21 Leadership and immunization 42:52 Are we learning fast enough to beat the virus? Watch the unedited livestream of John's conversation with Reda Sadki here: https://youtu.be/s8fH9gyFMms Follow Marc Howells LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-howells-3002598?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BiVuw%2BAmoQcSZG%2FZxhl80qw%3D%3D Follow Reda Twitter: @redasadki LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/redasadki?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BYIFVZmEfQxiPNGnbhBXmxg%3D%3D Geneva Learning Foundation website: https://www.learning.foundation/ Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://johnhelmerconsulting.com/ Download the new white paper from Learning Pool written by John Helmer & Ben Betts – 'Data & learning: A new common-sense approach' https://learningpool.com/data-learning-a-new-common-sense-approach/

Cognitive load theory tells us that we have to do our best to make things easier for learners. But Bjork says that 'necessary' (or 'desirable') difficulties are an essential part of the process. Should learning be easy or difficult? Is there a simple way to resolve this apparent contradiction – or is it a matter of trade-offs? John talks to Stella Collins, one of the 'Brain Ladies' and also Co-founder and Chief Learning Officer of Stellar Labs, based in Belgium. With degrees in Psychology and Human Communication, she is an enthusiast for our growing knowledge of how the brain works. Starting with the issue of difficulty, the discussion ranges widely over the applicability (and otherwise) of brain science to how we can best support learners. 02:38 - Can psychology help us make things easier for learners? 09:25 - 'Desirable difficulties' 13:03 - How do you balance desirable difficulties and UX? 17:26 - What drew her to a career in learning? 24:47 - How useful is neuroscience for learning? 32:45 - How applicable are insights from science to practical situations? 36:33 - Sleep and learning Contact Stella Twitter: @stellacollins LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stellacollins Website: stellarlabs.eu (Company Website) Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://johnhelmerconsulting.com/ Download the new white paper from Learning Pool written by John Helmer & Ben Betts – 'Data & learning: A new common-sense approach' https://learningpool.com/data-learning-a-new-common-sense-approach/