It’s an old debate in education, whether learning needs to be for something or whether learning in and of itself is of value. Looking at the rise of STEM and the growing focus on skills-based, job-relevant training, one might conclude that the for-something side is winning the debate. And, yet, soft skills and less immediately applicable subjects endure. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with Jeffrey Scheuer about the role of the liberal arts in creating critical thinkers and the essential part critical thinking plays in democracy and community. They shed light on how the individuals we educate and train can contribute positively and intelligently to society at large. Show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode363.

The traditional long summer break from school in the U.S. can mean fun in the sun—and summer learning loss (SLL). While SLL is a documented phenomenon, not all K-12 students lose the same skills and knowledge over the summer. In fact, some make gains over the summer holiday. One of the most important things students can do to improve is read. And reading can be a powerful driver of learning for adults as well as K-12 students. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-hosts Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele offer a preview of their summer reading list, each sharing one book of nonfiction, one of fiction, and a wildcard—with a few bonus books thrown in for good measure. Show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode362.

To be a learner, we have to identify as a learner, and belonging is critical to self-identification. That means all learning businesses need to think about how they can create situations and offerings where individuals feel a sense of belonging. Dr. Susie Wise is a learning experience designer and author of the book Design for Belonging: How to Build Inclusion and Collaboration in Your Communities. Susie coaches leaders in equity design and innovation practices and teaches at the d.school at Stanford. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Jeff Cobb talks with Susie about the fundamental role of belonging in learning, eight moments of belonging she’s identified, and ways to intentionally design learning experiences where belonging can emerge. Show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode361.

Competition from free and low-cost offerings is a reality for many learning businesses. But it’s also true that most learning businesses do offer—or should offer—free or low-cost options in their own portfolios. CMEpalooza offers an interesting case study to examine both for competitive insight and as a potential model to emulate. Scott Kober and Derek Warnick produce CMEpalooza, a free biannual virtual conference for CME and CE professionals. CMEpalooza is a side gig for these fearless co-producers. By day, Derek Warnick works as a grant officer on the global medical team at Pfizer, and Scott Kober is managing director at Excalibur Medical Education. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with return guests Scott and Derek about how COVID did—and didn’t—impact CMEpalooza and how competition does—or doesn’t—factor into their thinking. They also discuss how producing the conference provides them with invaluable market insight and how their value proposition has evolved organically over the years but has always been guided by three principles: high-quality, easy, and free. Show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode360.

What does the term "lifelong learning" mean for you? It’s an important question for learning business professionals to ask because taking the time to reflect can lead to a better understanding of the influential role your learning business plays in your stakeholders' lifelong learning journey. In this episode, we explore the history of lifelong learning and major viewpoints on what it is, the reasons behind a renewed interest in lifelong learning, and why taking time for to know the backstory of lifelong learning represents an opportunity for learning business leaders. Show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode359.

The full, complete experience of the learner—from before they decide to sign up for a course or event, until after it's over—should be a primary concern for all learning businesses. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Jeff Cobb is joined by return guest Diana Howles, CEO and co-owner of Howles Associates, which specializes in virtual training, virtual presentation coaching, and learning experience design. They delve into the topic of learning experience design—what it is, why it matters, and how to implement it. They also discuss evidence-based practice, the four dimensions of learning, learner personas, journey mapping, social proof, and the importance of feedforward, not just feedback. Show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode358. We are grateful to our sponsor for this episode Thinkific. *** At Leading Learning, we believe reach, revenue, and impact are essential for all learning businesses. Thinkific Plus is a new-generation platform purpose-built to help growing businesses scale revenue. With Thinkific Plus, you can generate monthly recurring revenue through course subscriptions and membership programs, sell multiple seats for your learning products to a single buyer, suggest additional products in the learning flow to increase sales, and go global with 0 percent transaction fees and payments accepted in over 100 countries. Coastal Drone Co. uses Thinkific Plus to sell online courses, memberships, and certifications to those looking to fly drones in Canada. Since converting its training materials into online courses on Thinkific Plus, Coastal Drone Co. has scaled its business, earning more income, training more people, and positioning itself as a leading educator in the Canadian drone industry. Right now, as a Leading Learning listener, you can get a free month of Thinkific Plus by going to our special URL. Start your free month today at thinkific.com/learning.

COVID permanently altered the operations and offerings of many learning businesses, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Duke University is one such example In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with return guest Chris McLeod, who directs OLLI at Duke, about the pandemic-driven changes her group made and their related short- and long-term implications. Chris shares how COVID got them to rethink the competitive environment and the importance of social offerings as a key differentiator. They also discuss how the OLLI team worked together during the early days of COVID, balancing a member-driven approach to the course catalog with staff oversight, and the enduring appeal of the humanities. Show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode357. We are grateful to our sponsor for this episode Thinkific. *** At Leading Learning, we believe reach, revenue, and impact are essential for all learning businesses. Thinkific Plus is a new-generation platform purpose-built to help growing businesses scale revenue. With Thinkific Plus, you can generate monthly recurring revenue through course subscriptions and membership programs, sell multiple seats for your learning products to a single buyer, suggest additional products in the learning flow to increase sales, and go global with 0 percent transaction fees and payments accepted in over 100 countries. Coastal Drone Co. uses Thinkific Plus to sell online courses, memberships, and certifications to those looking to fly drones in Canada. Since converting its training materials into online courses on Thinkific Plus, Coastal Drone Co. has scaled its business, earning more income, training more people, and positioning itself as a leading educator in the Canadian drone industry. Right now, as a Leading Learning listener, you can get a free month of Thinkific Plus by going to our special URL. Start your free month today at thinkific.com/learning.

We believe deeply in the power of learning to transform individuals, organizations, and communities. That’s why we focus the Leading Learning Podcast on serving the learning businesses and learning business professionals that create and support adult lifelong learning, continuing education, and professional development. Learning business professionals need to invest in their own learning and development so they can grow and help the learning businesses they serve improve their reach, revenue, and impact. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, we highlight one of our existing resources: the informal learning business curriculum. We also take a high-level look at the why, what, and how of learning for learning business professionals. Show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode356. We are grateful to our sponsor for this episode Thinkific. *** At Leading Learning, we believe reach, revenue, and impact are essential for all learning businesses. Thinkific Plus is a new-generation platform purpose-built to help growing businesses scale revenue. With Thinkific Plus, you can generate monthly recurring revenue through course subscriptions and membership programs, sell multiple seats for your learning products to a single buyer, suggest additional products in the learning flow to increase sales, and go global with 0 percent transaction fees and payments accepted in over 100 countries. Coastal Drone Co. uses Thinkific Plus to sell online courses, memberships, and certifications to those looking to fly drones in Canada. Since converting its training materials into online courses on Thinkific Plus, Coastal Drone Co. has scaled its business, earning more income, training more people, and positioning itself as a leading educator in the Canadian drone industry. Right now, as a Leading Learning listener, you can get a free month of Thinkific Plus by going to our special URL. Start your free month today at thinkific.com/learning.

Engagement is at the heart of most thriving learning businesses. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, we talk about engagement with Amanda Kaiser, an engagement strategist, keynote speaker, and author of Elevating Engagement: Uncommon Strategies for Creating a Thriving Member Community. Amanda’s background and focus are on community engagement in the context of associations, but her perspective on engagement is valuable for learning businesses of all types. Co-host Jeff Cobb talks with Amanda about the necessary components of engagement including a high-level look at the six stages of engagement she covers in her book. Jeff and Amanda get into specific tactics and approaches such as e-mail communication, social proof, and priming members and learners for participation. They also discuss the primary importance of creating an organizational culture that supports and values engagement over transactions. Show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode355. We are grateful to our sponsor for this episode Thinkific. *** At Leading Learning, we believe reach, revenue, and impact are essential for all learning businesses. Thinkific Plus is a new-generation platform purpose-built to help growing businesses scale revenue. With Thinkific Plus, you can generate monthly recurring revenue through course subscriptions and membership programs, sell multiple seats for your learning products to a single buyer, suggest additional products in the learning flow to increase sales, and go global with 0 percent transaction fees and payments accepted in over 100 countries. Coastal Drone Co. uses Thinkific Plus to sell online courses, memberships, and certifications to those looking to fly drones in Canada. Since converting its training materials into online courses on Thinkific Plus, Coastal Drone Co. has scaled its business, earning more income, training more people, and positioning itself as a leading educator in the Canadian drone industry. Right now, as a Leading Learning listener, you can get a free month of Thinkific Plus by going to our special URL. Start your free month today at thinkific.com/learning.

Globalization is a strategy that makes sense for many learning businesses, and going global usually involves language services. This episode features Ingrid Christensen, president and founder of INGCO International, a full-service language solutions company, and author of The Language of Trust: Communicate to Build Meaningful Relationships in Business and Life. Leading Learning Podcast co-host Celisa Steele and Ingrid talk about what localization, globalization, translation, and interpretation are and their role in diversity, equity, and inclusion. They also discuss trust as a necessary leadership skill and ways for learning businesses to build trust through marketing and instructional materials, credentials, feedback, and more. Show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode354. We are grateful to our sponsor for this episode Thinkific. *** As a Leading Learning listener, you know the importance we place on reach, revenue, and impact for learning businesses. Thinkific Plus is a new-generation platform purpose-built to help growing businesses scale revenue. With Thinkific Plus, you can generate monthly recurring revenue through course subscriptions and membership programs, sell multiple seats for your learning products to a single buyer, suggest additional products in the learning flow to increase sales, and go global with 0 percent transaction fees and payments accepted in over 100 countries. As one quick example, entrepreneur and business coach Ellie Diop uses Thinkific Plus for her Ellie Talks Money academy. She’s generated over seven figures in revenue, and nearly 50,000 people purchased courses in her first year alone. Right now, Thinkific Plus is offering Leading Learning listeners one month free for a limited time. But that offer is only available if you go to our special URL. So go to thinkific.com/learning to learn more and to try out the platform.