The Learning Hack podcast

BONUS EPISODE: A talk by John Helmer recorded at the New Learning Conference, Netherlands.

Podcasts are everywhere, and have become recognised as a powerful information medium. But can a podcast really cut the mustard as a learning experience? This talk by John Helmer of the Learning Hack podcast, given as a 'live podcast session' at the Next Learning event, provides some answers. John looks at the learning theory around audio learning, practical considerations for using podcasts in an organisational (or institutional) context, and examples of podcasts being used to teach skills and support people in their learning.

- Introduction to podcasts for learning

- What the literature says

- The eye versus the ear

- Cognitive load

- Drawbacks & caveats

- The affective domain

- Practical exercise: sleep and learning (Stickgold & Walker)

What can horses and brain damage teach us about learning?

Sarah Ratcliff is an award-winning Learning Consultant, Speaker, and Ambassador for Learning, with over twenty years experience in the industry. She is currently a spokesperson for the learning provider Cegos, and a regular chair for the Learning Technologies conference. In 2020, she earned the esteemed Learning Professional of the Year award from the LPI. She talks to John about how the experiences in her life that have formed her views about learner engagement, including her love of horses and a debilitating head injury.

• 00:00 - Start
• 02:52 - How did Sarah get into learning?
• 09:47 - How do horses inform her view of learning?
• 14:48 - Her car crash and recovery
• 23:57 - Learner engagement
• 26:47 - Are marketing techniques useful for learner engagement?
• 36:10 - The extended L&D toolkit of today
• 42:59 - End

Follow Sarah

• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sarahratcliff
• Website (company): http://www.cegos.co.uk/
• Email: [email protected]

Contact John Helmer

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

'It all started when NASA read our code ...' Jussi Hurskainen is CEO and co-founder of Valamis, a learning systems company with offices in in the US, India, and across Europe, but headquartered in Finland. In a crowded market, Valamis distinguishes itself by the sophisticated way its platform handles data. Jussi tells John about how the product got its start when Nasa engineers read and were impressed by its code – and what it has been like over the last few years running a company whose worforce straddled the Russian border.

• 00:00 - Start
• 00:35 - Intro
• 03:48 - What is Valamis?
• 05:01 - Market condition in learning technologies
• 07:19 - How does Valamis differentiate in the crowded mid-market?
• 11:50 - How does his LXP deal with personalization?
• 14:33 - What part does AI play in the solution?
• 17:17 - How have acquisitions featured in the development of the company?
• 21:11 - Origins of the company
• 23:29 - Jussi's learning journey
• 25:38 - Effects of the Ukraine invasion on Valamis
• 28:42 - Jussi's influences
• 31:04 - End

Follow Jussi

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jussihurskainen
• Website (company): http://www.valamis.com/
• X: @jhurska Email: [email protected]

Contact John Helmer

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

Lauren Waldman is a learning consultant, educator, and the founder of The Learning Pirate. She is a certified training and development professional and has received qualifications in Neuroscience from Harvard and John Hopkins University, and in Medical Neuroscience from Duke. She works with organizations to create bespoke, scientifically designed learning programs using the latest cognitive and behavioural science. But with whole learning and development departments being laid off currently, she believes the profession faces an existential threat. Could embracing neuroscience help to prevent its demise?

• 00:00 - Start
• 00:35 - Intro
• 03:39 - The Pirate Code
• 11:00 - Does learning theory conflict with neuroscience
• 15:34 - What does neuroscience tell us about how possible (or impossible) it is to change the way we think & feel?
• 17:12 - Is there a serious side to the piracy stuff?
• 23:26 - Joining Forces With Your Brain
• 30:06 - Mythbusting
• 33:30 - How did she get into learning?
• 42:55 - End

Follow Lauren

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-waldman-learning-pirate-4666bab
• Website (company): http://www.learningpirate.com/
• X: @LearningPirate
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learningpirate6046

Contact John Helmer

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

Kevin M. Yates is known in the global training, learning, and talent development community as the L&D Detective. He investigates impact and solves measurement mysteries with facts, clues, evidence, and data. His rigorous but pragmatic approach is informed by 25+ years industry experience serving in diverse roles across multiple industries and brands including Grant Thornton, Kantar, McDonald's, and Meta (Facebook). Kevin talks to John about how he see the current state of learning evaluation in organisations – he's optimistic – and what AI holds for the future of his practice.

• 00:00 - Start
• 00:35 - Intro
• 03:03 - What crimes does the L&D detective detect
• 05:00 - How did he get his start in learning?
• 06:26 - Where are we with measurement in L&D?
• 09:50 - What can and should we measure in learning?
• 15:01 - Is training that can't be measured even worth doing?
• 20:30 - Useful models For measuring learning
• 26:48 - Is measurement different in an algorithm-driven company?
• 32:39 - Will AI kill xAPI?
• 37:16 - Meals in the Meantime
• 39:57 - Kevin's inspirations
• 42:27 - End

The Six Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning: How to Turn Training and Development Into Business Results, By Roy Pollock Andrew Jefferson Calhoun Wick https://www.td.org/books/the-six-disciplines-of-breakthrough-learning-3rd-edition Follow Kevin

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmyates
• Website (personal): http://kevinmyates.com/
• Website (voluntary work) http://mealsinthemeantime.org/
• Email: [email protected]
• X (Twitter): @kevinmyates

Contact John Helmer

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

With their delivery of humanitarian aid to Ukraine accomplished, Andy and John head back home, retracing their tracks across Northern Europe. In a harrowing interview, John talks to a Ukrainian elearning specialist now based in Germany following the sad death of her husband on the frontline in Bahmut. And in Theorists Corner we feature John Comenius and Eric Kandel.

• 00:00 - Start
• 00:44 - Intro
• 02:39 - TFI Friday
• 15:29 - Theorists Corner: John Comenius
• 18:36 - Interview: Yuliia Kovach
• 28:18 - How Yuliia met Viktor
• 32:45 - Russia invades
• 41:49 - Life after Viktor
• 53:56 - Theorists Corner: Eric Kandel
• 56:04 - Final update from Run 19
• 58:59 - Outro

Ukraine Fundraiser 2022

• More information: http://www.ukrainefundraiser.co.uk
• Donate: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ukrainefundraiser2022

Contact John Helmer

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

Arrived in Ukraine, Andy and John deliver their aid to the hospital in Lviv. With the main object of the trip accomplished, they take a walk around the city and assess the mood. John interviews Vladimir Polo, a learntech entrepreneur based in Odesa about what it has been like to run a learning company in a war zone. And, in Theorists Corner we feature Lev Vygotsky and Wilhelm Reich.

• 00:00 - Start
• 01:11 - Intro
• 01:43 - From the border to Lviv
• 04:47 - Theorists Corner: Lev Vygotsky
• 06:34 - Fulfilling the Prime Directive
• 09:48 - Interview: Vladimir Polo
• 15:00 - Managing a dispersed business from a war zone
• 21:25 - The invasion and its impact on the company
• 30:29 - Lviv vibes
• 32:21 - Theorists Corner: Wilhelm Reich
• 34:16 - Outro

Ukraine Fundraiser 2022

• More information: http://www.ukrainefundraiser.co.uk
• Donate: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ukrainefundraiser2022

Contact John Helmer

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

Over three episodes we tell the story of what happened when John Helmer hitched a ride with Andy Wooler, chair of Ukraine Fundraiser 2022, to help deliver humanitarian aid to recently bombed Lviv. They chat about the conflict, about learning ... and about the history of the continent they are crossing from West to East.

• 00:00 - Start
• 00:44 - Intro
• 01:32 - JH thoughts before leaving
• 05:09 - The rehearsal
• 07:26 - Introducing Theorists Corner
• 07:47 - Dover
• 08:23 - Dunkirk
• 08:34 - Belgium
• 09:12 - Netherlands
• 10:07 - Theorists Corner: Huizinga
• 11:45 - Theorists Corner: Erasmus
• 14:31 - Adaptive learning & AI
• 21:15 - Germany
• 22:44 - Military training
• 28:07 - Theorists Corner: Ebbinghaus
• 29:15 - Theorists Corner: Luther
• 31:25 - Poland
• 40:30 - Outro

Ukraine Fundraiser 2022

• More information: http://www.ukrainefundraiser.co.uk
• Donate: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ukrainefundraiser2022

Contact John Helmer

• X (Twitter): @johnhelmer
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/
• Podcasts: https://learninghackpodcast.com/
• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack

Oceans cover 71% of the earth's surface, and a huge workforce crews and manages the ships that sail on them. These people all have to be trained. While learntech companies now largely work across business sectors, there are those whose learning needs are so niche and specific that they call for a specialist. Maritime is such a sector. In this episode, John talks to Raal Harris, Chief Creative Officer at Ocean Technologies Group, a global learntech vendor servicing the Maritime Industry. Raal definitely IS a specialist, and knows the sector inside out.

• 0:00 - Intro
• 3:37 - How important is Maritime to global business?
• 5:37 - How Raal got into the sector
• 8:38 - Uniqueness in the sector's training
• 16:52 - Importance of Language Learning
• 22:48 - Decarbonising Shipping
• 31:49 - How Ocean came together
• 38:14 - Differences between learning sectors
• 51:18 - Where Raal gets his knowledge in learning development

Follow Raal

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raal-harris-05827710
• Website (company): https://oceantg.com/
• Email: [email protected]

Contact John Helmer

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

Shell is an organisation in transition. It's moving from a federated model of training to something more centralized. At the same time it's bringing together L&D with organizational development, and knowledge management is moving closer to learning as well. And all this is happening against a background of a huge shift in skills needed within the organization as it moves into more sustainable forms of energy alongside its traditional businesses. In this episode, John talks to Jaap Hoogendoorn, VP Learning Solutions at Shell. Jaap leads a large, globally dispersed team of learning professionals in delivering these changes. He talks about the challenges, the progress made, and the effects of the Green Transition on Shell's learning function.

• 0:00 - Intro
• 3:51 - Shell and the Green Transition
• 6:56 - Jaap's background and career journey
• 10:13 - From federated to centralised learning
• 20:16 - Has tech helped the change?
• 24:16 - Uniting L&D and OD
• 37:56 - Innovative approaches to reskilling
• 45:32 - Results of the change so far?
• 50:38 - Where does he draw inspiration from?

Follow Jaap

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaap-hoogendoorn-10942a1
• Website (company): https://www.shell.com/
• Email: [email protected]

Contact John Helmer

• Twitter: @johnhelmer
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/
• Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/