The Learning Hack podcast

An award-winning learning designer reflects on 30 episodes of our sister podcast, Great Minds on Learning. This episode features a deep dive into the history of learning theory with Leonard Houx, Director of Learning Design at the Cambridge Education Group. Host John Helmer and Houx embark on an intellectual journey through the evolution of educational philosophy, touching on the contributions of ancient Greeks, German idealists, and the foundational concepts of modern education systems. 00:00:00 - Start 00:00:36 - Intro 00:03:12 - Reflections on Great Minds on Learning 00:10:22 - The Greeks 00:39:02 - Separating the knower from the known 00:53:28 - The German Idealists 01:10:47 - Hegel & recognition 01:20:07 - Previewing next season of Great Minds on Learning 01:32:19 - End Sponsor event: Celebrating its 25th year, the Learning Technologies conference & exhibition 17-18 April 2024 is Europe’s leading workplace learning event. Register today at https://www.learningtechnologies.co.uk/ Follow Leonard Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonardhoux Email: leonard.houx@gmail.com Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack

What does the intense focus on AI in learning today have to say about the future of L&D? Don Taylor is a well-recognised commentator and thinker in the fields of workplace learning and supporting technologies. He speaks world-wide, and has chaired the Learning Technologies Conference in London since 2000. His annual L&D Global Sentiment Survey, started in 2014, provides a unique perspective on L&D trends from over 100 countries, asking the question, what’s going to be hot in L&D? No surprise, perhaps, that the answer this year was AI. But the scale of the vote for AI was unprecedented, and raises serious questions about the future of L&D. 00:00 - Start 01:06 - Intro 03:39 - An unprecedented survey result 06:07 - Has any other tech ever dominated the survey quite so much? 08:42 - How has the sentiment about AI changed over time? 21:13 - Are we on the verge of a ‘correction’ to AI enthusiasm? 28:37 - What does the survey tell us about L&D challenges? 32:27 - With all the focus on AI, what are we NOT focusing on? 36:38 - Preview of Learning Technologies Ex & Conf, London 45:56 - Who does Don draw inspiration from? 51:30 - End Sponsor event: Celebrating its 25th year, the Learning Technologies conference & exhibition 17-18 April 2024 is Europe’s leading workplace learning event. Register today at https://www.learningtechnologies.co.uk/ Sponsor event: Webinar: Designing a Successful Learning Content Strategy with Mike Taylor and Bianca Baumann on 9 April 2024, register now at: https://hubs.la/Q02qdB160 The Mindtools visualization of GSS over time: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/gent-ahmetaj_lndtrends-data-ai-activity-7165807077620195328-SftU Follow Don Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldhtaylor Website: http://www.donaldhtaylor.co.uk/ Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack

Turning uncertainty from a problem into an opportunity. We are living in a time of great uncertainty. Economies are still suffering the effects of Covid. Countries that are home to nearly half the world's population will hold elections in 2024. Meanwhile the climate is going mad, and geopolitics seem balanced on a knife edge. How do we cope with all this uncertainty in our personal and working lives? Katherine Templar Lewis and Sam Conniff are uncertainty experts, who bring their learning in neuroscience, psychology, history and social entrepreneurship to bear in helping organizations and individuals improve uncertainty tolerance. 0:00:00 - Start 00:00:31 - Intro 00:03:16 - Is uncertainty more than just a trend? 00:12:23 - Where does all this uncertainty come from 00:20:42 - How can we deal with uncertainty? 00:30:09 - Is AI increasing uncertainty? 00:38:22 - Be more pirate to profit from uncertainty 00:44:45 - Practical advice for coping with uncertainty 01:02:12 - End Sponsor event: 21 March is World Learning Content Clean-up Day: https://www.anewspring.com/articles/introducing-world-learning-content-cleanup-day Follow Katherine Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ktemplarlewis Follow Sam Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samconniffhttp://www.samconniff.com/http://www.uncertaintyexperts.com/http://www.bemorepirate.com/ Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack

In the age of AI, what do we need humans for? The latest advances in AI are highlighting human capabilities, and particularly shortcomings, in a way that causes us once again to re-evaluate what it is to be human. Rob Hubbard is Founder of LearningAge Solutions, an award-winning provider of digital learning services that practices what it calls human-centred learning. What exactly does that mean in the age of AI – and what does the future, for people who want to continue to work and provide value in the learning industries, look like? 00:00 - Start 00:31 - Intro 03:06 - What does he mean by ‘Human-centred Learning’? 11:13 - What is technology telling us about our strengths & weaknesses as humans? 23:45 - Mindfulness and attention 27:11 - Human thinking vs machine thinking 31:00 - Dealing with the shortcomings of technology 41:45 - Advice for employees in the new future of work 52:16 - Who does he follow? 57:41 - End Sponsor event: 21 March is World Learning Content Clean-up Day: https://www.anewspring.com/articles/introducing-world-learning-content-cleanup-day Follow Rob Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robhubbard16https://www.linkedin.com/in/robhubbard16 Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack

Does the way we talk about learning improve our understanding – or hold it back? The language of learning is charged with resonant abstract nouns that mobilize professionals around new ideas and concepts. But are these concepts really so new in all cases – and do they provide a focus for practical action? To what extent is the debate driven by the commercial imperatives of Learntech vendors rather than the real needs of employees and students? Peter Manniche Riber is Head of Digital Learning at Novo Nordisk, Europe's most valuable company, and a formidable critic of this 'buzzword bingo'. He talks to John Helmer about the language of learning. Does it help or hinder? 00:00:00 - Start 00:00:33 - Intro 00:03:19 - Is the language we use in learning fit for purpose? 00:09:06 - Peter’s Top 3 buzzword dislikes 00:12:34 - Drilling into those top 3 buzzword hates 00:26:17 - Digital Transformation 00:36:35 - Gamification 00:38:41 - GenAI and the language of learning 00:49:51 - The language of L&D 01:05:42 – End Sponsor event: AI & Training Design Masterclass with Dr. Philippa Hardman presented by aNewSpring, sign up at: https://hubs.la/Q02f-8PZ0 Follow Peter Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/peter-manniche-riber-5565628b Email: petermr@me.com Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack

Can business professionals perform better with improv skills? We admire great improvisers in music (Charlie Parker, Jimi Hendrix, etc.) while tending to be suspicious of leaders in business and government who seem to be 'making it up as they go along'. But are we right to think that way? Berlin-based Belina Raffy runs a consultancy and training company that helps people in organisations develop improvisation ability. She’s lived in many different countries including the UK, and worked in Finance before finding her vocation as a learning person. Institutions she has studied at include Ithaca College New York, the Chinese University in Hong Kong and Cranfield School of Management. Does this peripatetic early life, we wanted to find out, perhaps hold the key to her skills as an improviser? 00:00 - Start 00:33 - Intro 03:10 - What use is improv to serious business people? 11:04 - How relevant are her exercises to the working situation? 21:27 - Leadership, improv and integrity 27:38 - Theoretical underpinnings of improv? 39:59 - Belina’s journey in learning 50:47 - End Sponsor event: AI & Training Design Masterclass with Dr. Philippa Hardman presented by aNewSpring, sign up at: https://hubs.la/Q02f-8PZ0 Book mentioned in the discussion: The Dawn of Everything. (2023, August 24). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dawn_of_Everything Follow Belina Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/belina-raffy Website (company): http://www.maffick.com/ @Maffick (Twitter for Maffick) @BelinaRaffy (Twitter for Belina) Email: belinaraffy@gmail.com Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack

What is the best approach to using AI for learning in an organisation? My guest this time on the Learning Hack thinks that it’s really important to know what problem you are trying to solve with AI in order to use it effectively for learning. The product has to come before the product. Egle Vinauskaite is the award-winning director of the learning innovation consultancy Nodes. Her expertise in learning, behavioural science, and technology has made her a sought-after edtech advisor by top startups and blue-chip companies. In this fascinating discussion, Egle describes how AI is ushering in entirely new ways of doing things in the world of learning and edtech. 00:33 - Intro 02:47 - What is ‘product mindset’? 11:22 - How well does the interface between buyers and sellers function? 22:17 - Generative AI and learning 40:01 - Egle’s journey in learning 46:56 - End Sponsor event: AI & Training Design Masterclass with Dr. Philippa Hardman presented by aNewSpring, sign up at: https://hubs.la/Q02f-8PZ0 Mentioned in the discussion: Ethan Mollick: https://mgmt.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/emollick/ Follow Egle Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/vinauskaite Website (company): https://www.nodes.works/ Email: egle.vinauskaite@gmail.com Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/

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. Follow Sarah linkedin.com/in/sarahratcliffhttp://www.cegos.co.uk/ Contact John Helmer https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/https://learninghackpodcast.com/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. Follow Jussi https://www.linkedin.com/in/jussihurskainenhttp://www.valamis.com/jussi.hurskainen@valamis.com Contact John Helmer https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/https://learninghackpodcast.com/

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? Follow Lauren https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-waldman-learning-pirate-4666babhttp://www.learningpirate.com/https://www.youtube.com/@learningpirate6046 Contact John Helmer https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/https://learninghackpodcast.com/

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. 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 https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmyateshttp://kevinmyates.com/http://mealsinthemeantime.org/kevin@kevinmyates.com Contact John Helmer https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/https://learninghackpodcast.com/

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. Ukraine Fundraiser 2022 More information: http://www.ukrainefundraiser.co.uk Contact John Helmer X(Twitter): @johnhelmerLinkedIn: 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 - Start01:11 - Intro01:43 - From the border to Lviv04:47 - Theorists Corner: Lev Vygotsky06:34 - Fulfilling the Prime Directive09:48 - Interview: Vladimir Polo15:00 - Managing a dispersed business from a war zone21:25 - The invasion and its impact on the company30:29 - Lviv vibes32:21 - Theorists Corner: Wilhelm Reich34:16 - Outro Ukraine Fundraiser 2022 More information: http://www.ukrainefundraiser.co.uk Contact John Helmer X(Twitter): @johnhelmerLinkedIn: 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. Ukraine Fundraiser 2022 http://www.ukrainefundraiser.co.ukhttps://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ukrainefundraiser2022 Contact John Helmer https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/https://learninghackpodcast.com/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. Follow Raal https://www.linkedin.com/in/raal-harris-05827710https://oceantg.com/raal.harris@oceantg.com Contact John Helmer https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/https://learninghackpodcast.com/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. Follow Jaap https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaap-hoogendoorn-10942a1https://www.shell.com/jaap.hoogendoorn@me.com Contact John Helmer https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/https://learninghackpodcast.com/

The 'Jobs To Be Done' approach (or framework) encourages a focus on what your end-user is trying to achieve when they access a product, service or experience. As professor Theodore Levitt puts it: 'People don't want a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole'. John talks to Ger Driesen, Learning Innovation Leader at the learning system provider aNewSpring, about how it can be applied to learning. Could this make for a more learner-centred approach to learning design, or might it raise conflicts with the priorities of organizational development? And what is the role of AI under this framework? Links https://www.anewspring.com/the-jobs-to-be-done-approach/ https://www.anewspring.com/improve-learning-design-jobs-to-be-done/ Follow Ger https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerdriesen/https://www.anewspring.com/gers-learning-notes/https://www.anewspring.com/ Contact John Helmer https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/https://learninghackpodcast.com/

Adaptive learning systems were among the first to use artificial intelligence, creating a subcategory in learntech that has been on a slow burn since the 2010s. With the meteoric rise to prominence this year of AI in the headlines, thanks to ChatGPT and other publicly accessible generative AI tools, does the future now look bright for adaptive learning – or does it risk being swept away in the tsunami of over-hyped hopes and fears that this phenomenon has generated? John talks to Markus Bernhardt, Chief Evangelist of adaptive vendor Obrizum about this and other current topics concerning AI. Markus brings hope, some reassurance, but also further causes for concern about the use of AI in corporates that haven't so far registered in the public debate. Follow Markus: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markus-bernhardthttp://obrizumgroup.com/ Contact John Helmer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/https://learninghackpodcast.com/

This episode is part 2 of a podcast swap with the Video Learning Lab podcast run by Kevin Alster. Kevin is a Learning Strategist at Synthesia, the Denmark-based video learning company, and was previously employed as a designer of learning experiences at The New York Times and Sotheby’s. John talks to him about Synthesia's AI-generated avatars, which are rapidly gaining use in learning programmes. This wide-ranging discussion covers many of the most topical questions about use of AI in learning. And in a first for the Learning Hack podcast, the episode is introduced by AI generated avatars, replacing the usual cast of human presenters. Episode links: https://openai.com/research/gpts-are-gptshttps://www.karenx.com/Https://ninaschick.org/ Follow Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinalsterhttps://www.synthesia.io/https://www.synthesia.io/academyhttp://kevinalster.wordpress.com/kevin.alster@gmail.com Contact John Helmer https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/https://learninghackpodcast.com/