Learning diversity
“Companies in the top-quartile for gender diversity on executive teams are 21% more likely to outperform on profitability and 27% more likely to have superior value creation.” McKinsey 2018 [1] That one statistic alone sends a powerful message to company boards about the value of diversity. And it doesn’t stand alone. I could have equally quoted […]
What is blended learning and are you doing it right?
Learning professionals have abundant tools, technologies and approaches to help boost individual and organisational performance. To create the most relevant blended solutions, start with the performance challenge and an open mind about how to tackle it. Despite the term ‘blended learning’ being in use since the late 1990s, people often still disagree about its meaning. […]
Learning techniques: why experiential learning is making a comeback
While digital learning saves on costs, organisations are rediscovering the benefits of experiential learning and embracing a blended approach. Economists will tell you that the ‘experience economy’ is thriving. Expenditure on live entertainment in the UK – such as the theatre, concerts, or events – has increased by a quarter since 2012. You may well […]
Learning transfer: are old-school training courses dead ducks?
As bite-sized, self-directed online learning continues to evolve, should we be saying goodbye to class-room based learning? Or is there still value in adopting formal training, alongside experiential approaches, for enhancing learning transfer? When I joined the world of work, lengthy, often residential, training courses were the ‘gold standard’ for imparting knowledge and new skills. […]
Learning Is the Best Weapon Against Office Boredom
Office boredom has existed for as long as human beings have worked in offices. Different people have different methods for dealing with this tedious affliction. Methods for defeating boredom include obsessively checking Instagram, texting friends, ruminating about after work errands or simply watching the minutes tick by while staring at a monitor, pretending to work. […]
Microlearning: why it’s time to ditch the ‘completer finisher’ mindset and go with the flow
Classroom-based training is no longer the only way for employees to learn, so it’s time to ditch the ‘tick box’ approach to learning and truly embrace microlearning – and everything that goes with this. We all understand the importance of employees having a growth mindset and engaging in lifelong learning. These are essential habits to […]
Engaging your virtual learners
We now live in a continuous learning culture. Most of us recognize that we can access a wide range of learning material and we are making use of it. Whether it’s checking out how to fold a duvet cover on YouTube or virtually joining an international economics course at MIT, the plethora of eLearning, formal […]
Nonsense Wakes Up the Brain Cells!
I don’t know if it’s a sign of impending middle age – I’m 52 so I’m probably nearly an adult now – but I’ve grown tired of the e-reader that I initially embraced with the same boyish fervour as every other new gadget. My love of paper books and real bookshops has been re-kindled (sorry […]
Can elearning replace the classroom?
The rise of technology A recent article said that automation is due to threaten 800m jobs worldwide. Robots and AI are on the move, at a very fast pace. With such a huge disruption on the horizon, what does this mean for traditional learning? According to the article, technology is set to impact teaching and […]
Learning styles theory: what does neuroscience say?
We’ve always been urged to apply the learning styles theory to programme design, and prospective clients often insist we show how the design will meet participants’ different learning styles. This learning style theory isn’t one theory: there are actually a variety of slightly different ones, but the most well-known is probably Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory. [PDF] Kolb’s theory is […]
Learning groups: seven things we’ve realised about social learning
Social learning can empower teams to not only learn better, but more collaboratively by taking ownership of their learning journey. Here’s what we learned by implementing a social learning strategy with a huge global workforce. People are used to going on courses. They’re used to experts, trainers and senior people standing at the front of the […]
Training for flexibility and teamwork
When the work needs doing, who steps in and gets it done? Now before you say ‘that’s obvious’, or ‘of course…’, or ‘it depends on the job’; just take a step back and look again at the interplay between individuals and approach to tasks within your organisation. Do some people and teams work 9-to-5 whilst […]
Systems coaching: how can it enhance your team’s performance?
Usually it’s only those teams that underperform – or who are wholly dysfunctional – that become a target for team development. But the truth is that any team, at every level, can improve. Working in teams is fraught with difficulty because humans are complex, emotional beings. We’re all influenced by the other people in our […]
Reinventing wheels in learning and development
There will always be new approaches to age old problems and learning techniques in L&D are no different, but despite new packaging they tend to rely on the same basic principles. Every few months, a new diet comes out. Often supported by somewhere between A-list and Z-list celebrity endorsement, it promises dramatic results in ever shortening periods and quickly becomes […]
What learning experience would you like to find in your company?
For over 12 years now, I’ve been working in Learning & Development, defining training strategies, doing instructional design and developing learning content for clients. Throughout these years, I’ve been able to see the paradigm changing from single, one time training events to having learning content at the point of need. Being a strong advocate of training, […]
Icebreakers and energisers: how useful are they to trainers?
Quick wins exercises such as ‘icebreakers’, ‘energisers’ and ‘learning reviews’ are often seen as an important tool in the arsenal of professional trainers. In 2016 we conducted a simple survey to find out trainers’ attitudes towards them and what use they made of them within training. The survey was entirely anonymous and consisted of six questions (with an opportunity […]
70:20:10: It’s not about the numbers!
What’s in a name? Martin Baker urges practitioners to get over their resistance to 70:20:10, as he reveals it’s changed the learning landscape, whilst also delivering better business results. There’s been a massive surge in popularity for the 70:20:10 learning model – even though the concept itself is not at all new. But just as […]
Curation 101: how to make sense of content overload
The digital revolution has given us greater access to content than ever before, but how do we ensure that learners are getting the best from their reading and research when there’s so much out there? Curation is key. You and I are victims of content overload. Digital technology means there is more information available to […]
Activate & amplify: Making social learning work
Social learning can have a positive impact on business performance by offering employees continuous learning opportunities. It’s time for more organisations to embrace the changes it can bring. Despite the title, learning and development professionals do not need to make social learning work in an organisation, because it already works. Whenever somebody taps a colleague on […]
How to Become a Data Scientist from Scratch
There’s a considerable measure of enthusiasm seen in today’s professionals for turning into a data scientist. The good reasons for that is the high efficiency, a higher degree of job satisfaction, high compensations, popularity etc. A quick pursuit yields a plenty of conceivable assets that could help you in becoming a successful data scientist – […]
