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

Don Taylor discusses the overwhelming interest in AI in L&D, reflecting on historical tech trends and potential corrections. The evolution of technology companies, the shift in workplace learning challenges, and career trends are also explored, highlighting the impact of AI on various fields.

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: 21st 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 Website (company): https://www.kindastudios.com/   Follow Sam Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samconniff Website (company): http://www.samconniff.com/ Website (company): http://www.uncertaintyexperts.com/ Website (company): 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: 21st 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/robhubbard16 Website (company): https://www.linkedin.com/in/robhubbard16 Email: rob.hubbard@las-hq.com 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

Egle Vinauskaite, director of Nodes, discusses the importance of identifying the problem before using AI in learning. Topics include product mindset, buyer-seller interface, generative AI, Egle's journey in learning, and the potential of the metaverse for learning.

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: sarah.ratcliff@cegos.co.uk 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: jussi.hurskainen@valamis.com Contact John Helmer  X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack