Leading Learning Podcast

Arianna Rehak is co-founder and CEO of Matchbox Virtual Media, a firm that helps organizations produce virtual events that foster meaningful conversations. As the former coordinator of a highly successful virtual event series—a topic we interviewed her about in episode 111—Arianna became passionate about how to effectively cultivate high levels of engagement while making meaning of collective knowledge in the online space. And since we are currently in the midst of a huge surge in the demand for virtual events due to the coronavirus pandemic, she has been tirelessly working with a wide range of organizations to take their events online. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, Jeff talks with Arianna about what it takes to successfully transition events to virtual, the related benefits of doing so, and why (contrary to what many organizations think), you may actually gain much more than you lose. Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode239. 

Dr. George Siemens is professor at the University of Texas at Arlington and director of the Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning (C3L) at the University of South Australia. He’s an internationally known author and speaker who has delivered keynote addresses in more than 35 countries. He’s also a researcher and theorist in the field of learning, knowledge management, and technology. George is recognized for developing the learning theory of connectivism as well as for his pioneering work in learning analytics and the development of massive open online courses (MOOCs). And he’s continued to develop and deliver MOOCs, including one now on helping instructors new to online make the pivot necessitated by COVID-19. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, Celisa talks with George about connectivism—the theoretical framework he developed for understanding learning in a digital age. They also discuss the strengths and limitations of MOOCs as well as the potential positive and negative impacts of learning analytics with practical insight on how to begin using them in your organization. Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode238. 

Trying to figure out how to effectively price educational offerings is something many learning businesses struggle with, even under normal circumstances. But now that we are in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic—putting us in far from normal circumstances—it makes decisions related to pricing even that much more complex. From how to price conferences or seminars that have been abruptly shifted from face-to-face to online delivery, to whether your organization should lower prices given the existing challenges people are facing, there are naturally a lot of questions related to pricing. That’s why in this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast we’re offering insight and resources to address questions related to pricing educational products during the pandemic. We discuss key questions learning businesses need to ask themselves and consider, the various alternatives for pricing, and how to ensure sustainability, regardless of your approach. Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode237. 

The American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) is an organization that serves more than 200,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. With a history deeply rooted in learning and education, ASHA is a leader among professional societies in the learning business and at the forefront of embracing new approaches to learning. And leading the charge behind all of this since 2004 is ASHA CEO, Arlene Pietranton. With 25 years at the association, she’s nationally recognized for her exceptional leadership and commitment to voluntary membership organizations.  In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, Jeff talks with Arlene, first and foremost, about their response to the COVID-19 crisis and how they’ve been able to adapt to meet both staff and member needs. They also discuss ASHA’s historical vision for learning, why they are now heavily focused on the future of learning, and the critical role of associations in supporting adult lifelong learning. Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode236. 

As a management consultant, executive coach, and facilitator, Liz Kislik has three decades of experience helping organizations break through barriers to develop high performing leaders and workforces. She is also a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review and Forbes, as well as a TEDx speaker on Why There’s So Much Conflict at Work and What You Can Do to Fix It. In this episode of Leading Learning – recorded in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis – Celisa talks with Liz about the idea of conflict—good and bad conflict and how to encourage the good while limiting the bad. They also discuss ways to improve the customer (or learner) experience and learner engagement, what to consider when selling and marketing in times of crisis, and suggestions for reducing stress through self-care. Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode235. 

The coronavirus pandemic is impacting life as we know it, including how we learn. Limits to travel and social distancing have created a resurgence of interest in online learning, and many organizations are rushing to launch or expand their e-learning efforts. But—and this “but” is critical—learner expectations are higher than in the past. Also, competition from direct competitors has increased as well as competition for people’s time and attention, especially as many are working and learning from home. And it’s important for learning businesses to take some time to think about what this moment—the pandemic, social distancing, stay-at-home orders, and so on—might mean for the future of online learning.  That’s why in this episode of the Leading Learning podcast, we reflect on the situation to discuss implications of the current moment for the future of online learning, including the related benefits, challenges, and opportunities. Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode234. 

Robbie Kellman Baxter, founder of Peninsula Strategies, is a strategy and marketing expert with more than two decades of experience and an extensive list of blue chip clients. She is also a sought after keynote speaker and author of the bestselling book, The Membership Economy (which we interviewed her about in a previous podcast episode), as well as the recently released, The Forever Transaction: How to Build a Subscription Model So Compelling, Your Customers Will Never Want to Leave. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, Robbie is back to discuss what has changed since her last book related to the membership economy and key concepts behind her new book related to building forever transactions. She and Jeff explore ideas related to launching, scaling, and leading a membership-oriented business over time, as well as her thoughts on pricing and the powerful relationship between community and subscription. Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode233. 

Jim Fong, chief research officer at the University Professional and Continuing Education Association and founding director of UPCEA’s Center for Research and Strategy, has combined his extensive expertise in the areas of marketing, research, and analytics to focus on making an impact in higher education. The self-professed trend watcher also has a particular interest in exploring generational differences and how they are impacting education and the new economy. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, Celisa talks with Jim about the value of looking at these generational differences, the idea that newer generations find it "creepy" when asked too much information too soon, and what you can do to lower your level of "creepiness" with prospects. They also discuss what Jim sees on the horizon for learning including a growing need for higher ed institutions to unbundle the traditional degree to offer alternative credentials. Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode232.  We are grateful to our sponsor for this quarter, Web Courseworks: ** Web Courseworks is a leading learning technologies and consulting company that is forging a path of innovation in the eLearning industry. The company’s experiences and expertise guide its partners to become the leading providers of education in their fields. Web Courseworks channels organization learning efforts to deliver on the promise of revolutionary performance improvement. CourseStage, the learning management system (LMS) from Web Courseworks, is built for organizations and professional development initiatives. It enables organizations to customize learning experiences, track users’ success, and make data-driven decisions. CourseStage LMS is designed specifically to handle continuing education and professional development activities for organizations who want to grow their learning business.

Social learning. It’s a topic that most of us have been hearing about for well over a decade at this point. But it has recently been making a resurgence in the learning landscape, only this time, it’s for different reasons.   With the growing emphasis on learning in the flow of work as well as new and emerging technologies, social learning has been steadily gaining traction again as a rising trend. But with what is now happening with COVID-19, the focus on it is likely to intensify dramatically as we look for ways to adapt to a (previously unimaginable) new era of social interaction. In this episode of Leading Learning, we further discuss the reasons social learning is particularly relevant right now and offer our definition of it, including its four dimensions. We also share four simple steps to help your learning business design for it. Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode231.  We are grateful to our sponsor for this quarter, Web Courseworks: ** Web Courseworks is a leading learning technologies and consulting company that is forging a path of innovation in the eLearning industry. The company’s experiences and expertise guide its partners to become the leading providers of education in their fields. Web Courseworks channels organization learning efforts to deliver on the promise of revolutionary performance improvement. CourseStage, the learning management system (LMS) from Web Courseworks, is built for organizations and professional development initiatives. It enables organizations to customize learning experiences, track users’ success, and make data-driven decisions. CourseStage LMS is designed specifically to handle continuing education and professional development activities for organizations who want to grow their learning business.

Design thinking is a human-centered, flexible approach to solving big problems. And Carol Hamilton, principal and founder of Grace Social Sector Consulting, uses her background in organization development combined with her expertise in design thinking, to help nonprofits and associations solve those big problems to become more strategic, effective, and innovative. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, Celisa talks with Carol about the topic of design thinking, including what it is and how it can be used in the context of a learning business (drawing on Jeanne Liedtka’s four-question formulation: what is, what if, what wows, and what works). They also discuss areas adjacent to design thinking, such as journey mapping and innovation, as well as what could be considered the opposite of design thinking—the sunsetting of products and services. Full show notes available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode230.  We are grateful to our sponsor for this quarter, Web Courseworks: ** Web Courseworks is a leading learning technologies and consulting company that is forging a path of innovation in the eLearning industry. The company’s experiences and expertise guide its partners to become the leading providers of education in their fields. Web Courseworks channels organization learning efforts to deliver on the promise of revolutionary performance improvement. CourseStage, the learning management system (LMS) from Web Courseworks, is built for organizations and professional development initiatives. It enables organizations to customize learning experiences, track users’ success, and make data-driven decisions. CourseStage LMS is designed specifically to handle continuing education and professional development activities for organizations who want to grow their learning business.