The Learning Hack podcast

Looking back over a year and a half of podcast episodes, John Helmer summarizes the main themes that have emerged from these these fascinating discussions and attempts to draw insights by taking a helicopter view. Where do people agree, and where do they clash? Includes contributions from George Siemens, Nick Shackleton-Jones, Donald Clark, Connie Malamed, Gianni Giacomelli, Laura Lee-Gibbs, Andrea Miles, Sharon Claffey Kaliouby, Jane Hart, Matthew Confer, Paul Matthews, David Wilson, Julliette Denny, Steve Dineen, Dani Johnson, Henri Palmer, Paul McElvaney, Leonard Houx, Myles Runham, Victoria Marsick, Reda Sadki, Caroline Ford and David Perring. 01:23 Learning Hack Facts & Figures 04:04 5. The Learner Experience 13:18 4. Learning in the Flow of Work 20:22 3. Women in Learning 25:42 2. Evidence-Based Design 31:26 1. The Global Pandemic Writers and thinkers referenced by Leonard Houx: David Merrill Robert M. Gagné Siegfried Engelmann Charles Reigeluth John Sweller Paul Kirschner Jeroen J. G. van Merriënboer Books cited: Diana Laurillard Laurillard, D. (2002). Rethinking University Teaching. A conversational framework for the effective use of learning technologies. London: Routledge ISBN 0415256798 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 – '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/

John talks to Laura Lee-Gibbs, Digital Learning Consultant & Director of Learn Fox. In her 14 years in the industry she has worked both vendor-side and client-side, across a broad range of sectors including legal, healthcare, retail, automotive, hospitality, financial, charities, professional associations, public sector and government agencies. Her practice focuses on digital transformation, and one of the things she does a lot for clients is to guide them through the difficult decisions involved in choosing a learning system. She has a three-step process for doing this which she talks through in this interview. The discussion also covers the importance of vendor relationships and the human factors to look out for when choosing a vendor with whom to work.

 

• 02:20 How did Laura get into learning?
• 05:16 What is the Way of the Fox?
• 08:12 A 3-step process for getting the right system
• 09:06 Step 1 - Defining requirements
• 10:09 Step 2 - Define your top criteria
• 15:01 How far ahead should you look?
• 17:09 Step 3 Research available systems
• 21:34 LMS or LXP? Or both? (Or neither!)
• 25:08 Is it tougher for smaller organizations?
• 30:23 Client/vendor relationships

   

Mentioned in the episode:

  Fosway digital learning realities research: https://www.fosway.com/research/next-gen-learning/digital-learning-realities-2019/  

The MoSCoW Method: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MoSCoW_method#:~:text=The%20term%20MoSCoW%20itself%20is,to%20make%20the%20word%20pronounceable.

Laura's website http://www.learnfox.co.uk/  

Contact Laura

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sussexlmsconsultant  

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 – '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/

John talks to Andrea Miles, CEO of BestAtDigital, about her plans for the new company she is helming, spun out of Cornerstone, and her journey to get to this point. Andrea’s career spans over 20 years in learning, mostly in leadership roles. Since 2004 she has formed and managed to keep together a core team that has seen nine M&A transactions. What it it like to lead through such a time of upheaval, weathering the market consolidations of the last few years? And yet, during this time, Andrea has not only survived, but has consistently innovated. The discussion covers the agile working style she has championed, and her espousal of Design Thinking, as well as what it is like to be a woman in top teams that are mostly male.   03:44 What sort of company is B.A.D.? 06:34 How did she get into the learning industry? 08:10 Account management at Epic 10:11 Transitioning into a leadership role 13:54 Leading a team through multiple acquisitions 20:08 Advice for aspiring female (and male!) leaders 24:24 Innovating through agile teamwork 28:34 Design Thinking 32:25 Which comes first, product or brand? 46:00 Will B.A.D. create products?   Mentioned in the discussion:   'T'aint What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It' was written not by George Gershwin but by Sy Oliver & James (Trummy) Young.   The Spotify model: https://www.atlassian.com/agile/agile-at-scale/spotify#:~:text=will%20be%20used.-,Tribes,what%20we%20call%20Dunbar's%20Number).   BestAtDigital Website: https://bestatdigital.com/   Contact Andrea LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andreamilesdigitaltransformer Twitter: @AndreaMiles1   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 – '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/

John talks to Gianni Giacomelli, Chief Innovation Officer at Genpact, and Head of Design Strategy at MIT’s Centre for Collective Intelligence. Pointing to a growing body of research that pictures intelligence as an emerging property of a network, Gianni argues that we should focus on collective, rather than individual intelligence, in structuring and developing organizations. Diversity is a big part of this, with evidence piling up to show that more diverse teams get better results.   The conversation also covers the role that AI is playing in learning technology and a future in which collective intelligence also embraces human collaboration with machines.   08:34 Where does learning sit within Genpact? 10:46 What's his innovation story for learning? 15:10 The nature & science of intelligence 21:31 Role of machines (AI) 26:30 Gianni's view of the current state of AI in learning 30:57 Learning and the geopolitics of AI 34:12 The future of machine/human co-operation   Links   Augmented Collective Intelligence: https://www.supermind.design/   Research on diversity and teams: https://hbr.org/2011/06/defend-your-research-what-makes-a-team-smarter-more-women https://blogs.cfainstitute.org/investor/2016/10/04/collective-intelligence-three-factors-for-building-smarter-teams/ https://aisel.aisnet.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1259&context=amcis2017   Some of Gianni’s blogs and videos: https://www.genpact.com/insight/article/a-phygital-post-covid-19-world-of-work-time-zone-is-the-only-physical-constraint https://www.genpact.com/insight/blog/prepare-now-for-the-future-of-work https://www.genpact.com/insight/point-of-view/securing-the-critical-ties-that-bind http://www.genpact.com/insight/blog/the-translation-of-innovation-thinkers-and-tinkerers https://www.genpact.com/insight/videos/intelligent-automation-enabled-by-ai-designed-for-humans   Why do large organizations need design thinking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FdWqgU8on4 New ways of working driving collective intelligence with AI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obqbWYGZ5-Q   Contact Gianni LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ggiacomelli/ Twitter: @ggiacomelli   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 – '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/

John talks to Sharon Claffey Kaliouby, VP, North America for Learning Pool, an award-winning professional and co-founder of the #women in learning group with Kate Graham. Sharon has held several high profile executive roles in Learning & Development with the likes of Thomson Reuters and Enterprise Ireland. Prior to Learning Pool, she was a Learning Fellow & Advisor for Elliott Masie Productions and previously Head of Global Learning & Development for State Street Global Advisors in Boston, Massachusetts.   She is also a keen sportsperson – surfing, golf, fencing and basketball are among the sports that get a mention.   But the conversation is mainly about the challenges facing women in their career progression in learning, a profession whose workforce, ironically, is predominantly female at entry level. It also touches on the 'Lean-in’ movement of a few years back – was it a completely positive thing? – and the current effects of the pandemic, which is impacting women more harshly than men. What can women do about all this – and what about men?   03:35 Why are there so few women at exec level in learning? 05:58 Has there been much change over 20 years? 09:13 Does tech have a particular problem? 11:53 The 'she-cession' 14:37 Sharon's experience as a woman in L&D 20:44 When awards wins don't bring life wins 22:41 Reflections on the 'Lean In' book and movement 26:17 What can women do to change the situation? 29:45 Should they take up golf? 32:00 What can men do to change the situation? 35:14 Where next for #womeninlearning?   #womeninlearning LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12210548/   Sharon's 'Hang Tens' can be found here: https://learningpool.com/category/webinars/   Books mentioned:   Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, by Sheryl Sandberg and Nell Scovell, Alfred A. Knopf, 2013   The Orange Line: A Woman's Guide to Integrating Career, Family and Life by by Jodi Ecker Detjen, Michelle a. Waters & Kelly Watson, JMK Publishing, May 2013   The Next Smart Step: How to Overcome Gender Stereotypes and Build a Stronger Organization, by Jodi Ecker Detjen, Kelly Watson, Imagine Publishing, Feb. 2021   Our Learning Brain: Engaging Your Brain for Learning & Habit Change, by Dr. Celine Mullins, Oak Tree Press, Oct. 2018   Contact Sharon: Twitter: @Sharon_Kaliouby LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sharonkaliouby18   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 – '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/

John Helmer talks to Matthew Confer, VP, Strategy & Business Development at Abilitie, an expert in leadership and decision-making. How do leaders make tough decisions in tight situations? How do they deal with the law of unintended consequences, which can bedevil so many in positions of authority?   Matthew, who has run many simulation training events with leaders in large companies around the world, gives a three-step framework for tough decisions in tight spots, and discusses how leaders are coping with the tough decisions confronting them in the global pandemic.   03:26 A three-step decision-making framework 07:00 Tips for fast decision-making 10:48 Premortems and snakes 12:58 Decision-making and the law of unintended consequences 15:36 Decision-making in the pandemic 21:26 Matthew's personal journey to leadership learning 24:07 Advice for leaders coming out of lockdown   Matthew's Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Abiltie's website: https://www.abilitie.com/ Matthew's Podcast, Learning to Lead: https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/   Contact Matthew LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer Twitter @MatthewConfer   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/

John Helmer talks to Jane Hart, Founder of the Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies (C4LPT), whose Top Tools for Learning list, now in its 12th year, rates the popularity of various technology tools under categories of personal learning, workplace learning and education.   The list has consistently highlighted the importance of generic tools such as PowerPoint, Slack and YouTube for learning online, and how big a part informal learning plays in complementing course-based materials. As such it paints a very different picture of the world from that purveyed by learntech vendors and analysts.   John asks what this year's list shows in terms of long-term trends, as well as, inevitably, the effect of the pandemic on how people are learning.   01:31 What does the list say about learners' response to Covid-19? 05:08 The 'sub-lists': personal learning, workplace learning and education 09:20 Is learning too 'fuzzy' a word? 14:31 Why do learntech vendors score so low in the lists? 20:18 Can some of learning not be productized? 26:51 How to balance self-directed learning with the needs of the business 29:14 The biggest problem facing L&D today? 32:04 What is Jane most excited about for the future?   The Top Tools for Learning list 2020: https://www.toptools4learning.com/   Modern Workplace Learning 2020 [Magazine]: http://modernworkplacelearning.com/magazine/   Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies (C4LPT): https://c4lpt.co.uk/ c4lpt.co.uk/blog (Blog)   Contact Jane LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/c4lpt Twitter @C4LPT   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/

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/

John Helmer talks to Paul Matthews, Founder and CEO of People Alchemy, about learning transfer, the business of ensuring that what is learned results in real and measurable change in behaviours and performance. Coming from an engineering background, Paul was motivated to focus on this area by the high failure rate he observed in organisational training initiatives.   01:58 How is Covid affecting Paul and his business? 03:12 Why is learning transfer important? 07:48 What is learning transfer? 08:36 What is the best way to make it happen? 11:42 Learning transfer: elephant in the room? 14:23 Who owns learning transfer? 16:12 How generic are the guidelines for good transfer? 21:20 L&D's lack of control 22:42 Measuring learning transfer 25:14 Can L&D get the data it needs? 28:23 Is Kirkpatrick still relevant? 31:46 Is workflow learning helpful for transfer? 36:50 Is he optimistic for the future of learning transfer? 40:56 Top tips for learning transfer   Mentioned in the discussion: Julie Dirksen on behaviour change (the elephant and the rider) https://medium.com/learnmaps/designing-learning-experiences-for-elephants-cbebd272e942 Dr Ina Weinbauer-Heidel - 12 Levers of Learning Transfer https://www.amazon.co.uk/WHAT-MAKES-TRAINING-REALLY-WORK/dp/3746996775 Evaluation models mentioned: *Kirkpatrick *Brinkerhoff *Phillips *Thalheimer Here's a handy summary of learning evaluation models https://elearningindustry.com/4-learning-evaluation-models-can-use   Contact Paul: paul-matthews.com (Personal Website) peoplealchemy.com (Company Website) Twitter @PeopleAlchemy LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/paulmatthews100   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/

John Helmer talks to Myles Runham, a well respected learning consultant who has held senior leadership roles at the BBC and Ask.com, about the evolving role of L&D. Myles shares some evolving ideas about how the role should be reframed to reflect the changing realities of the digital age, moving from a focus on courses and projects to thinking like the manager of a natural ecosystem, where not everything can be tamed and controlled. This involves being hands-off in some areas and allowing elements of 'wildness' into the picture. The impact of Covid-19 is discussed, which has been beneficial in some respects, as well as potential blockers to overcome.   02:06 L&D as service management 05:42 L&D and the ecosystem 08:00 Relinquishing control 10:16 What's wrong with the current L&D role? 11:39 Managing stakeholder expectations 13:44 What new skills or hires might be needed? 15:49 The role of data 19:50 Examples 'in the wild' 25:04 Blockers 27:40 The opportunity offered by Covid 30:30 Rewilding L&D 36:35 Top tips for rewilding L&D   Myles's website: https://mylesrunham.com/ Myles's Blog: mylesrun.wordpress.com/   Contact Myles LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/myles-runham Twitter: @mylesrun   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/