Leading Learning Podcast

James Young is founder and chief learning officer of the Product Community, a product development learning community designed specifically for associations. Jim has decades of experience working in learning businesses that have embraced innovation in learning communities, gamification, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), cohort-based learning, and competency-based learning. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Jeff Cobb talks with return guest Jim about the connection between higher education and lifelong learning and creating indispensable learning environments. They also discuss the Product Community that Jim founded, the problem it’s trying to solve, tips for sustaining a community over time, and how to foster a culture of innovation. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode339.

When we said goodbye to 2022, we took time to reflect on milestones, trends, and potential implications for learning businesses in the previous episode. Now it's time to prepare for the new year and look ahead to the areas that are likely to impact learning businesses most in 2023. In this first episode of the new year, we share data from a recent survey to uncover the top areas of focus for learning businesses in the coming year. We also share our key takeaways from the data and the related implications for the learning business landscape. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode338.

Understanding the science behind human behavior can be extremely powerful for learning businesses. Daniel H. Pink is the author of six provocative, bestselling books that uncover the truth about complex behaviors, including Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, and, most recently, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. Dan Pink is also the creator of the Pinkcast, a series of short videos that feature science-based tools and tips for working smarter and living better, and his TED Talk on the science of motivation is one of the 25 most popular, with more than 29 million views. In this redux episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with Dan about themes he explores in his books that have implications for learning businesses, including motivation 3.0, learning goals versus performance goals, persuasion, and the importance of timing when it comes to learning. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode337.

The topic of mindfulness is likely one you’ve heard a lot about in recent years. But what does it mean to be mindful? And what is the connection between mindfulness and learning? Dr. Ellen Langer is a social psychologist and a Harvard professor. She’s also a Guggenheim Fellow and the recipient of numerous awards and honors for her work on mindfulness that spans more than 40 years. She’s written 11 books and more than 200 research articles for general and academic readers on mindfulness. Her best-selling books include Mindfulness, The Power of Mindful Learning, On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity, and Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility. In this redux episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Jeff Cobb talks with Ellen about what it really means to be mindful, the benefits that come with mindfulness, and ways you can encourage mindfulness in your own life and in the design of learning experiences. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode336.

With the end of the year quickly approaching, it’s a natural time to pause and reflect. Even though it can be easy to put reflection low on the priority list since it doesn’t necessarily lead to concrete outcomes, it’s an important practice and can have tremendous value for learning businesses. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, we reflect on 2022, our biggest milestones as a company, and bigger-picture trends impacting society more broadly. We also discuss the related challenges and opportunities these trends represent for learning businesses in the new year. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode335.

Diana Howles is an award-winning speaker, global virtual facilitator, and master trainer with 25 years of experience in the talent development field. Diana is CEO and co-owner of Howles Associates and author of Next Level Virtual Training: Advance Your Facilitation. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with Diana about Next Level Virtual Training, the capability model she developed for virtual facilitators, and the pros and cons of hybrid or, as she prefers to call it, “live mixed” learning. Diana also shares practical tips and strategies for anyone looking to improve their virtual facilitation. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode334.

Dr. Prasad Ram (Pram) is founder and CEO of Gooru, a non-profit research and technology organization on a mission to honor the human right to education. Gooru Navigator, a GPS for learning, guides learners to their goals along personalized learning pathways. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Jeff Cobb talks with Pram about Gooru, its app, and the philosophy behind it. They also talk about education as a fundamental human right, the inherent complexity of learning, and the importance of knowing where a learner is in order to effectively help her on her learning journey. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode333.

With COVID concerns drastically decreased, many learning businesses are focused on how to effectively implement blended learning and strike the balance between in-person and online learning. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, we share our definition of blended learning, how it’s different from hybrid learning, and why it’s of particular focus for us in the current moment. We also offer a four-step framework for designing effective blended learning experiences, referenced in our related executive briefing, “Why and How to Build Your Blended Learning Playbook.” Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode332.

Jim Goodell, co-editor of Learning Engineering Toolkit: Evidence-Based Practices from the Learning Sciences, Instructional Design, and Beyond, is a passionate proponent of learning engineering. He’s the director of innovation at Quality Information Partners and chairs chairs the Learning Technology Standards Committee at the IEEE Standards Association and IEEE ICICLE. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with Jim about learning engineering: what it is, its relationship with learning science, its ethical considerations, and how it can be used to design and improve learning experiences. They also discuss the Learning Engineering Toolkit and what learning businesses can do to adopt a learning engineering approach. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode331.

Hilary Marsh, president and chief strategist at Content Company, is a seasoned content and digital strategy expert. Her work focuses on helping content-rich organizations better plan, create, and leverage their content through improved and effective content strategy. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Jeff Cobb talks with Hilary about the importance of a whole-organization content strategy, the different levels of content strategy maturity, and the rise in the role of content strategists. They also discuss content management tips and tricks and why learning businesses should view their content from the consumer's point of view. Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode330.