The Learning Hack podcast

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 - Start 01:11 - Intro 01:43 - From the border to Lviv 04:47 - Theorists Corner: Lev Vygotsky 06:34 - Fulfilling the Prime Directive 09:48 - Interview: Vladimir Polo 15:00 - Managing a dispersed business from a war zone 21:25 - The invasion and its impact on the company 30:29 - Lviv vibes 32:21 - Theorists Corner: Wilhelm Reich 34:16 - Outro Ukraine Fundraiser 2022 More information: http://www.ukrainefundraiser.co.uk Donate: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ukrainefundraiser2022  Contact John Helmer X(Twitter): @johnhelmer LinkedIn: 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. 00:00 - Start 00:44 - Intro 01:32 - JH thoughts before leaving 05:09 - The rehearsal 07:26 - Introducing Theorists Corner  07:47 - Dover 08:23 - Dunkirk 08:34 - Belgium 09:12 - Netherlands 10:07 - Theorists Corner: Huizinga 11:45 - Theorists Corner: Erasmus 14:31 - Adaptive learning & AI 21:15 - Germany 22:44 - Military training 28:07 - Theorists Corner: Ebbinghaus 29:15 - Theorists Corner: Luther 31:25 - Poland 40:30 - Outro   Ukraine Fundraiser 2022 More information: http://www.ukrainefundraiser.co.uk Donate: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ukrainefundraiser2022 Contact John Helmer X (Twitter): @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Podcasts: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: 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.   0:00 - Intro 3:37 - How important is Maritime to global business? 5:37 - How Raal got into the sector 8:38 - Uniqueness in the sector's training 16:52 - Importance of Language Learning 22:48 - Decarbonising Shipping 31:49 - How Ocean came together 38:14 - Differences between learning sectors 51:18 - Where Raal gets his knowledge in learning development Follow Raal Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raal-harris-05827710 Website (company): https://oceantg.com/ Email: raal.harris@oceantg.com Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: 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. 0:00 - Intro 3:51 - Shell and the Green Transition 6:56 - Jaap's background and career journey 10:13 - From federated to centralised learning 20:16 - Has tech helped the change? 24:16 - Uniting L&D and OD 37:56 - Innovative approaches to reskilling 45:32 - Results of the change so far? 50:38 - Where does he draw inspiration from?   Follow Jaap  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaap-hoogendoorn-10942a1 Website (company): https://www.shell.com/ Email: jaap.hoogendoorn@me.com     Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: 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? 0:00 - Intro 3:24 - Ger's journey in learning 6:36 - The jobs-to-be-done framework 8:57 - How it will affect learning 12:14 - Examples of how the framework specifics work 20:41 - How the framework plays in an organisation 22:29 - The impact on L&D professionals 24:03 - Does AI have a role in this? 26:27 - Where to follow Ger Links An overview blog for JTBD for learning design: https://www.anewspring.com/the-jobs-to-be-done-approach/ A 'why JTBD' blog: https://www.anewspring.com/improve-learning-design-jobs-to-be-done/ Follow Ger Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerdriesen/ Twitter: @GerDriesen Ger's learning notes: https://www.anewspring.com/gers-learning-notes/ Website (company): https://www.anewspring.com/ Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack

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. 0:00 - Intro 4:51 - Origin of OBRIZUM 5:47 - How AI is used to adapt their learning courses 16:41 - Markus's background 20:05 - Should we rule out ChatGTP for its lack of imagery? 26:47 - What role do human trainers play? 36:28 - Future of corporate learning 41:52 - Risks of AI within corporate learning 48:21 - Where to follow Markus - and who Markus follows Follow Markus: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markus-bernhardt Website (company): http://obrizumgroup.com/ Contact John Helmer: Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack

Kevin Alster, Learning Strategist at Synthesia, talks about AI-generated avatars in learning, including technology behind them, impact on elearning, success stories, risks, and challenges. Discussion covers inclusivity, evolution of L&D with AI, and addressing ethical concerns. Episode also introduces AI avatars, replacing human hosts.

Coming from a background of digital transformation, Matt Wilkinson has created a live elearning company that combines human-delivered and digital learning in a scalable way, stealing a bit of a march on more content-focused competitors. His company, CEyX, help teams build the technology skills and confidence necessary to positively impact their performance. Clients include Deliveroo, PA Consulting and the Department for Culture Media and Sport. John asks him what is unique about his model, and why he thinks more technology training vendors haven't, to date, adopted it. 0:00 - Intro 3:15 - What does CEyX do? 5:28 - Matt's Background 7:42 - Perception of how tech skills are taught 10:58 - How CEyX teaches this different? 14:00 - How scale-able and tangible are these results? 18:54 - How unique is this model? 27:10 - Biggest challenges in scale-up companies 30:06 - Matt's thoughts on A.I. 42:29 - Where can we follow Matt Wilkinson? Follow Matt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-wilkinson-ceyx Website (company): https://www.ceyx.uk/ Website (personal) http://www.nutcrackermtb.co.uk/ Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack

This episode we're giving the channel over to one of our favourite podcasts, Video Learning Lab. The podcast is hosted by Kevin Alster, who runs an innovative video learning company called Synthesia, which uses lifelike AI-generated avatars as presenters. We're going to feature Kevin as a guest on the Learning Hack very soon, but in this podcast he interviews John. Kevin wanted to know what he'd picked up from running his two podcasts about how best to design learning. They also explore John's insights gleaned over the years from working in communications and also in the creative arts (he was in a top ten band, had a novel published and wrote and appeared in a series of comedy mini-musicals on Channel 4 in the UK). Due to a technical glitch the interview here is a bit truncated, but if you desperately need that last 5 minutes, you can listen to Kevin's channel on YouTube or Spotify – links below.   Key Takeaways: Instructional design can get in its way with an extremely narrow focus on instructional design principles. L&D has a marketing problem. We should always try to excite the desire for people to listen/complete our entire learning program. Learning can channel a marketing mindset by tapping into creativity – not only in how we structure content, but also by how we deliver it. If you're putting learning into video, that is a creative act and you should think about how you're engaging learners. Get the extended episode on Kevin's channels: YouTube: http://youtu.be/K_bCZEaQbRI Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/63vvFB7DpWr6eacW0qjR9X Follow Kevin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinalster Website (Company): https://www.synthesia.io/ Website (personal): http://kevinalster.wordpress.com/ Email: kevin.alster@gmail.com Twitter: @Kalstere Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack

Michelle Parry-Slater is Learning & Development Director of Kairos Modern Learning, and author of the Learning And Development Handbook. This guide for learning practitioners is realistic about the organizational context in which L&D has to operate, with its many new stresses and conflicting priorities. She encourages L&D people to think more strategically, and indicates mindsets, skillsets and toolsets for each of the major challenges L&D faces.   0:00 - Intro 2:51 - The Learning & Development Handbook 4:54 - L&D and String Theory 6:59 - The dividing line between L&D and Organisational Development 9:15 - Conversation between learning and the business 11:36 - Skillsets to think strategically 20:42 - Thoughts on A.I. Development 27:40 - Where to follow Michelle's thoughts   The Learning & Development Handbook:  https://www.koganpage.com/product/the-learning-and-development-handbook-9781789663327   Follow Michelle  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleparryslater Website (Company): http://www.kairosmodernlearning.co.uk/ Email: michelle@kairosmodernlearning.co.uk Twitter: @MiPS1608 Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack