Change and opportunity:
learning and development
at the crossroads
Clive Shepherd
CEdMA meeting, January 2010
100000 years ago
Learning methods are timeless
case studies
assessment
simulation
role-play
demonstration
practice
instruction
coaching
briefings
games feedback reading lectures
discussion
collaboration work experience
projectsvisits
questioning
researchreflection
networking
observation
consultation
sharing
performance support
exploration discovery
… although the emphasis does vary
case studies
assessment
simulation
role-play
demonstration
practice
instruction
coaching
briefings
games feedback reading lectures
discussion
collaboration work experience
projectsvisits
questioning
researchreflection
networking
observation
consultation
sharing
performance support
exploration discovery
Forces for change
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
CONNECTIVISM
New thinking
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
“Instead of the individual having to evaluate and process every bit of
information, she/he creates a personal network of trusted nodes: people and content, enhanced by technology. The act of knowledge is offloaded onto the
network itself.”
George Siemens, Knowing Knowledge
New thinking
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
NEUROSCIENCE
New thinking
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
New thinking
What outdated theories
would you consign to the
dustbin?
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
New thinking
learning styles?
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
New expectations
Gen Y: digital, social and always-on
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
New expectations
Two ways of looking at Gen Y
“Gen Y are tolerant, optimistic, collaborative,
open-minded and driven.”suite101.com
“Gen Y are the 'diva' generation: high-maintenance, out for
themselves, lacking in loyalty, thinking only of the short term
and their own place in it..”Association of Graduate Recruiters
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
New expectations
How Gen Y want learning to be:
Interactive
Student-centred
Authentic
Collaborative
On-demand
don’t we all?Barking Robot, 2006
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
New expectations
But in the end, we need to
do the right thing, not pamper
to Gen Y or anyone else
case studies
assessment
simulation
role-play
demonstration
practice
instruction
coaching
briefings
games feedback reading lectures
discussion
collaboration work experience
projectsvisits
questioning
researchreflection
networking
observation
consultation
sharing
performance support
exploration discovery
New thinking and new expectations demand
a shift in emphasis …
… and innovative new ways of blending the
contexts in which we learn
LIVE GROUP EVENTS
ONE-TO-ONE COMMUNICATIONINDIVIDUAL STUDY
SELF-PACED COLLABORATION
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
“72% of all training challenges are time-critical.”
Bersin & Associates (2005)
TIME PRESSURES
New pressures
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
New pressures
Formal responses
Rapid responses
User-generated responses
TOP DOWN
BOTTOM-UP
A PYRAMID OF LEARNING INTERVENTIONS
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
ENVIRONMENTAL PRESSURES
New pressures
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
COST PRESSURES
New pressures
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
“Be aware that the
magnitude of the financial
meltdown is almost beyond
comprehension. I can foresee
training departments being eliminated
almost entirely.”
Jay Cross (2008)
New pressures
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
Oh yeh, try telling that to
Coca Cola, Facebook, BP,
Glaxo …But surely employees are
our greatest asset
New pressures
Employees are not your greatest asset
They’re much more
important than that!
New thinking
New expectations
New pressures
Surely training should be seen as
an investment, not a cost
Fair enough, so what sort of
return can you give me and
with what confidence?
New pressures
• We choose methods to maximise the effectiveness of learning
• We choose media to maximise the efficiency of learning
• And the new pressures (time, environmental, budgetary) require, above all, greater efficiencies
We can’t meet these pressures just by
changing methods
but luckily …
Learning media are evolving rapidly
books
podcasts/
vodcasts
CDs
streaming media
tapes
web pages
DVDs
simulators
downloadable
documents
chat roomsinstant
messaging
emailforums
social
networks
wikis web conferencing blogs
telephoneteleconferencing SMS
workbooks
What learning
media would have
been available to
this trainer 100,000
years ago?
New toolsNew
devicesNew
bandwidth
New learning media enable change
New toolsNew
devicesNew
bandwidth
RAPID DEVELOPMENT TOOLS
New tools
New toolsNew
devicesNew
bandwidth
WEB 2.0 TOOLS
New tools
LIVE ONLINE LEARNING USING WEB CONFERENCING
New tools
New toolsNew
devicesNew
bandwidth
New toolsNew
devicesNew
bandwidth
LOW COST TOOLS FOR CREATING VIRTUAL WORLDS
New tools
New toolsNew
devicesNew
bandwidth
SMARTER AND MORE POWERFUL MOBILE DEVICES
New devices
New toolsNew
devicesNew
bandwidth
EVER MORE ACCESSIBLE COMPUTING
New devices
New toolsNew
devicesNew
bandwidth
LOW-PRICE, HIGH QUALITY MEDIA CREATION
New devices
New toolsNew
devicesNew
bandwidth
WIDESPREAD BROADBAND AVAILABILITY
New bandwidth
We have to make sure we choose the right
medium for the job
… and set about closing the gaping new
media skills gap
FACILITATION SKILLSCURRICULUM DESIGN SKILLS
CONTENT CREATION SKILLSSTRATEGIC SKILLS
A time for action …
“When the rate of change outside exceeds the rate of change inside, the end is in sight.”
Jack Welch
… not rearranging the deckchairs
100000=?
100000=32 years ago
Change and opportunity:
learning and development
at the crossroads
Clive Shepherd
Blog: http://clive-shepherd.blogspot.com
Twitter: @cliveshepherd