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Thinking of Learners as Consumers

Session Overview

What if employees were free to make a choice to consume or reject the Learning developed by L&D i.e. be consumers? Mandatory learning including compliance courses has been the engine that has driven the adoption of eLearning as it provides trackable, cost effective and a scalable solution to ensure that employees have acquired essential knowledge.

Mandatory learning however rarely addresses the higher level skills and mindsets required by organisations to stay ahead of the competition today such as innovation, resilience, customer centricity etc. Social, informal and workplace learning falls in the discretionary category and have a poor track record in most organisations.

Facilitator’s Point of View

 

LearningCafe Point of View

Earlier this year we released the “LearningCafe Digital Manifesto for L&D,” which is the result of thinking at LearningCafe about how L&D should adapt to provide value in a fast changing and digitally disrupted world. One of the principles of this manifesto is “Thinking of Learners as Consumers”.

Learners can now choose what, when and where they learn. L&D currently focuses on mandatory and compliance learning which is never a competitive advantage. Learning should be relevant and deliver value for money, time and cognitive bandwidth so that learners turn up. http://bit.ly/lcmanifesto

Big Questions

  • Uptake of discretionary learning has had a poor track record, not many start and fewer complete it. What are the causes?
  • Does discretionary learning require a different design and implementation approach which is more customer centric?
  • How does L&D make a business case for discretionary learning where success is not guaranteed?

Disruptive Thoughts

 

Next Steps

 

Resources

 

Facilitator

Brenda Smith, Learning and Organisational Development Content Lead at Telstra

 

 

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Is Learning Design Overdone?

Session Overview

Rapid change is the new fabric of doing business. Products and services that were revolutionary two years ago are rendered obsolete if they don’t adapt to market changes fast enough. VUCA – a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous and is the term coined to describe the new environment.

In this VUCA world we discuss the current state of Learning design.  Join the discussion and hear from your peers in the room and consider whether we as a profession are addicted to “beautiful”.

Facilitator’s Point of View

In the corporate world we have moved away from designing what is needed for learners and moved more and more towards complex and ‘impressive’ learning offerings.

LearningCafe Point of View

LearningCafe has long held the view that “one size fits all” high end design approach undermines the value that L&D is perceived to deliver. We need to have solutions that fit the budget and timelines that business have available.

Big Questions

  • As a profession is Learning addicted to ‘beautiful’? Why?
  • Is there a place for ‘home made’ or ‘ugly but effective and cheap’ Learning in organisations?
  • What can be done to change this? Are stakeholder and business ready for this?

Disruptive Thoughts

  • How do people learn every day?
  • Perhaps we have linked our value to ‘beautiful’
  • Where does the expectation that all Learning should be beautiful, come from? Is it the business or L&D or vendors?

Next Steps

  • Register for “Agile in Learning Design” LearningCafe workshop.

Resources

  • “Agile Learning featuring ADDIE – Tango or Face Off” LearningCafe webinar recording https://vimeo.com/125133137
  • “Outsourcing of Learning – Good, Bad, Challenges & Opportunities”. LearningCafe webinar recording https://vimeo.com/125204540
  • “Learning on a tighter budget – The mindset for the future”. LearningCafe webinar recording https://vimeo.com/125200110

Facilitator

 Ashely Spowart, Head of Learning & Development at Guild Group

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Social Learning – Invitation sent, but will anyone come?

Session Overview

Facebook has more than 800 million active users. More than 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day.LinkedIn has 430 million professionals across 200 countries and territories. 67% of LinkedIn users consider themselves to be news junkies.

Twitter has 310 million active users, 1.3 billion registered users, 44% of registered users have never tweeted, in 2013 a fake tweet temporarily wiped US$130billion of the stock market. Instagram has 400 million active users, 80 million photo’s uploaded each day. 3.5 billion likes a day. Whatsapp has 800 million users 700 million photos and 100 million videos shared each day, 72% of users check it each day. Snapchat has 200 million users, 71% under 25 years old, 10 billion daily video views, 60 million people use Snapchat Discover

An easy assumption to make in light of these numbers is that social learning at work will work. Case studies of success of social learning at organisations are compelling. However, do we as learning professionals need to utilise these opportunities? And if so what skills do we need?

Facilitator’s Point of View

Social learning is unlike anything organisations have experienced. If you can make it work it produces results like nothing else can by harnessing knowledge and insights of your employees. There are significant challenges which we need to be cognisant of and ensure that the organisation and learners are aware of them.

When you commence on the social learning journey, go there with your eyes open and your expectations tempered. Be prepared for that 99% perspiration.

LearningCafe Point of View

 

Big Questions

  • Is social learning real or new?
  • How does social learning fit into the world of learning at work? Will it be as successful as social media outside of work?
  • What does it take to make it a success?What the challenges? Legal, technical etc.?

Disruptive Thoughts

 

Next Steps

 

Resources

Facilitator

David Le Page, Director at 3 timesP & LearningCafe Melbourne Community Manager