Leading with Learning
[Updated June 18, 2018] We hear the word “learning” and our knee jerk, often unconscious reaction is to think “education.” But, in reality, learning is not primarily about education. Indeed, formal, teacher-led educational experiences account for only about five percent of the learning we do in life.
No, learning is about much, much more than education. By extension, the Learning Revolution is much, much more than an education revolution. The Learning Revolution is:
I recently had the chance to talk about the Learning Revolution with the folks at the WP Tonic podcast. They asked great questions, which resulted in what I feel was a really useful discussion – one I’d encourage you to listen in on. And, if you don’t want to listen, the full transcript is also available on the WP Tonic site. For both the audio and the transcript, just go to:
A sampling of what we covered includes topics like:
How online learning borrows a lot from the past – much of it not good:
the first move that you’ll see most people make whether they’re organizations, entrepreneurs, whatever, when they jump into online learning is often going to be to do a webinar or a series of webinars. Then they use them for marketing and they try to sell them, whatever the case might be. But they’re going to go online with this tool that will allow them to present PowerPoint to the world, which of course, has been happening in lectures for decades and decades. … There’s a place for it. It does serve its purpose at times but to totally depend on that is a horrible way to go about educating people or helping people learn.
How we are in an age in which learners are taking control and the “catalog” now for online courses really is Google:
I think the edupreneurs and the traditional organizations that get that are starting to reshape their learning and realize the possibilities that the Web is offering. And so, they’re figuring out, “How can we curate that? How can we help that process?”, and then, “How can we help that interaction and engagement?”
How we know SO much more now about how people learn:
We’re finding, for example, that when people can space learning over time and practice things repeatedly over time and practice is a key word there, not just read them again and again but actually apply them in their situation. That’s one of the key areas. To take learning and do what’s called elaboration and connect it back to what you already know.
How Internet marketers were pioneers in driving the current online learning craze:
The best of the Internet marketers, the people who recognize this isn’t a one-shot deal, that you want to attract these people in and build a relationship with them and be a learning resource for them over time. And I think if there’s one key trend in adult learning, in particular right now, it’s moving beyond transactions and into relationships so that you come that go to resource for learning. And learning takes time. So you want to recognize that as part of what you’re doing.
How microlearning and video are creating such a big buzz – and how video, in particular, can be overused:
Using multimedia and giving people different ways to access content does result in better learning. And so, you can’t rely just on video. You can’t rely just on text. You can’t rely just on audio. It’s good to give people a mix. And I think particularly with video, you’re spot on [about some of the issues it can create]. This isn’t even a formal learning example, but I do happen to use a WordPress plugin provider who does all of their support with brief videos and it drives me nuts because I don’t need to watch the 5 minute. I just need to know that one thing that, if I were just looking a sheet of paper, I’d be able to find it very easily. But it’s a headache to deal with what they’re doing in terms of support.
And that’s just some what we cover before we reach the mid-show break. If you are interested in these and other Learning Revolution topics, I definitely encourage you to check out this WP Tonic podcast interview. I also encourage you to read my take on the podcast as an example of audience building that I posted on the Learning Revolution Web site.
Perhaps it’s because a bit of spring seems to be nipping through occasionally over the past week, but I’ve got baseball metaphors on my mind. I’m also deeply steeped in our annual Learning • Technology • Design™ (LTD) virtual conference, so those metaphors have been mingling with thoughts about adult lifelong learning.
There has always been an important third sector of education operating quietly outside of the spotlight, one that serves millions of adult learners globally as they move beyond K-12 and higher education and into what we call “the other fifty years.” This sector has become more critical than ever as technology has transformed how information is managed, how knowledge is created, and – more recently – the role human beings play in those processes. [Read more…] about The Learning Business Grand Slam
“One and done. That’s the approach most of our education directors take.”
This was the view shared with me by the vice president of a national nonprofit organization recently.
Even more recently, a trade association called me in to talk with its network of education managers about moving away from a “transactional” (my contact’s words) approach to selling training to more of a long-term, needs-based approach.
These are just two examples. The same general theme echoes throughout our work over the past decade: too many organizations approach learning – whether through traditional meetings and seminars or online – as a transaction.
A registration to be processed.
An evaluation to be collected.
And then, a brief pause before starting the process again. [Read more…] about Transactions vs. Relationships
I’ve had the title for this post bouncing around in my mind for quite some time now, but two recent, (previously) unconnected sources of inspiration prompted me to write more about it.
The first was my reflections on an event we’ve launched as part of our evolving strategy at my company, Tagoras. The Leading Learning Symposium is an effort to bring together leaders from across the business of continuing education and professional development but focused, at least for the time being, primarily on individuals working in trade and professional associations. There were a number of reasons we launched the event – all related to the title of this post. [Read more…] about To Be a Leader is to be an Avatar
I had the pleasure of discussing lifelong learning and the market for lifelong learning with Seth Kahan as part of his Visionary Talk video series. We talked about how and why the market for lifelong learning has changed and what organizations need to be doing to ensure they thrive in the new learning landscape. You can access the conversation by going to Visionary Talk or by clicking on the video below.
Seth, as you may know, is a best-selling author and founder of Association Transformation. He is also part of the faculty at the upcoming Leading Learning Symposium. We encourage you to join us at the symposium to interact and learn with Seth in real time.
Jeff