Introduction by Will Thalheimer
We are learning and performance (L&P) professionals—and we can’t keep up! At least that’s the way I often feel. First, we’ve got solutions to design, build, and deliver. And tons of them! New technologies are exploding across the landscape. We’re still figuring out the best ways to reach our online participants. And the science of learning has blossomed with new information and practical insights.
I don’t know about you, but I sometimes fear that I’m missing out on the most important ideas in our field!
But no more. To help fight our FOMO (fear of missing out), I’ve asked 48 thought leaders in the L&P field to share their favorite content from 2021—stuff they created or were involved in, ideas they think are critically important to folks like you and me as L&P professionals. They shared articles, blog posts, podcast episodes, videos, and eLearnings. They also shared their recommendations for other thought leaders and other content—and the most important trends impacting our work for 2022.
I looked at every one of their recommendations and I am blown away by the insights you’ll find in the content shared below. This is a formidable treasure trove from some of the best minds in our field.
Now obviously, I am certainly missing some of our best and brightest! But holy cannoli, look who has contributed—folks like these legendary figures: Ruth Clark, Jack and Patti Phillips, Rob Brinkerhoff, Michael Allen, Kevin Kruse, Connie Malamed, Jos Arets, Donald Clark, Donald H. Taylor, Nigel Paine, Owen Ferguson, Patti Shank, Clark Quinn, Judy Hale, Guy Wallace, Paul Kirschner, Julie Dirksen, and many, many more! There are folks around the world—you’ll notice both British and American spellings and a few articles in languages other than English (translated for you through Google Translate). In addition to well-traveled thought leaders like the folks briefly mentioned above, we have a diverse slate of new and emerging voices as well.
Gather your learning and performance team together, share conversations with your friends in the field—this trove of gold from 2021 is the bedrock for our evolving and improving work in 2022.
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I’ve put contributions in opposite alphabetical order by first name. Being one of those kids always last in line with the name Will Thalheimer, I can now right one grievous wrong by switching things around! SMILE. Ironically, I share my favorite content from 2021 all the way at the bottom. I’ve also included an invitation to you to sign up to be included on future announcements like our TiER1 Learning Trends Report 2022, my amazing list of book recommendations (in development now), the second edition of the book Performance-Focused Learner Surveys, and announcements from the Performance Institute—including several workshops I am teaching or will be teaching soon on Presentation Science, Performance Experience Design, and Performance-Focused Learner Surveys.
Thought Leader: Vincent Han
How to Connect:
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- vince@mobilecoach.com
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincehan/
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Chatbots in Workplace Learning & Performance
Description: I joined Amit Garg from Upside Learning on his L&D Go Beyond podcast series. Amit is a marvelous interviewer, and he facilitated a great conversation about chatbot technology and learning.
URL of Content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6k9F8E31E8
Thought Leader: Victoria Rodgers
How to Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriarodgers/
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Pervasive Inclusion: The Role of Learning in DE&I
Description: I sat down with learning expert Imani Mance—prior to her session at the eXLearn conference—to discuss how pervasive inclusion can cultivate a sense of belonging for learners. Included is the recorded video and transcript of our conversation.
URL of Content: https://tier1performance.com/pervasive-inclusion-the-role-of-learning-in-dei/
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Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: I must acknowledge and honor my partner in the conversation above, Imani Mance, a senior learning leader at Home Depot. You can connect with Imani at her website (https://www.imanimance.com/) or at LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanimance/).
Thought Leader: Stella Lee
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Dr. Stella Lee – Crystal Balling with Learnnovators
Description: In my interview with Learnnovators, we covered quite a range of topics from AI to chatbots, learning analytics, ethics, and the changing roles of L&D. The questions are thoughtful, thought-provoking, and well-researched, and they really pushed me to think more deeply and broadly. Of all the interviews I gave, this was the one I feel quite proud of.
Trends to Watch in 2022: Stella shares her thoughts on several ed tech trends in her Learnnovators’ interview.
URL of Content: https://learnnovators.com/blog/dr-stella-lee-crystal-balling-with-learnnovators/
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Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend:
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- Trish Uhl – blockchain and ed tech, data, very knowledgeable and passionate about what she does.
- Lori Niles-Hofmann – data-driven design, ed tech landscape, great big picture view.
- Stephanie Moore – on ed tech ethics (she has a book out soon) and ed tech research in general, evidence-based, well researched articles and posts.
- Jacinta Penn – New Zealand perspective, ed tech and very tech-oriented, well-rounded, and up-to-date research.
Other Content: While this article is directed at ed tech products for school, I think it applies to all the ed tech products for workplace learning—we too cannot afford to let tech vendors to experiment with our learning. This article outlines what is problematic with the dominant ed tech approach and why we need to push for standards and regulations: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/medialse/2021/09/22/edtech-is-at-a-crossroads-why-evidence-is-needed-standards-must-be-set-and-regulation-should-be-implemented/
Thought Leader: Sardek Love
How to Connect: https://sardeklove.com/
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: How do I grab peoples’ attention FAST in live, virtual instructor-led training?
Description: In marketing, if you’re not different, you’re boring. The same holds true for virtual training. If you want to avoid your virtual training falling victim to deaf ears, minimized screens, and distracted eyes, watch this! Use this innovative approach in your course delivery and you are guaranteed to wow your peers and virtual participants.
URL of Content: https://nomoreboringtraining.mykajabi.com/ask-a-master-facilitator-how-do-I-grab-peoples-attention-fast-in-virtual-training/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: A trend that will continue: L&D professionals will continue to struggle to deliver highly engaging, performance-enhancing training because they don’t have repeatable design and delivery processes in place to do so. Another trend that will continue: More and more apps and digital products will be introduced that could serve as a resource for L&D professionals. The challenges will be to stay digitally competent, not fall prey to shiny new object syndrome, and build repeatable processes to achieve design and delivery efficiencies.
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: Amy Porterfield is not an L&D expert, yet she is the leading expert in teaching entrepreneurs how to design and market digital courses.
Other Content: Storytelling is exploding in importance in the training industry. Training professionals who have not attended any formal training on storytelling should do so.
Thought Leader: Ruth Clark
How to Connect: Ruth@Clarktraining.com
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Evidence for Value of Simulations
Description: In 2021 I summarized a number of research articles relevant to workforce learning professionals. This meta-analysis focuses on the value of simulations for problem-solving skills. The research team found that simulations that use technology ranging from mannequins to medical training virtual reality environments were more effective than traditional instructional methods.
URL of Content: https://ldaccelerator.com/research-reviews-1/research-update-6-simulations-for-problem-solving-better-than-alternative-learning-methods/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Smart use of technology for workforce learning and performance. Technology continues to evolve in capability and ease of use. Given higher turnover in jobs, consider technology for performance support in ways that can bypass or compress traditional training time.
Thought Leader: Robert O. Brinkerhoff
How to Connect:
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- http://www.brinkerhoffevaluationinstitute.com/
- robert.brinkerhoff@wmich.edu
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Stop talking training and start talking value: six fundamental vale propositions for L&D (A CLO Magazine article)
Description: Though all training may look like “training,” the value propositions that underlie different training initiatives differ dramatically in their relevance to current business needs and goals. It is impossible to sell, design, provide, or evaluate training effectively without an understanding of, and an ability to clearly explicate, these different value propositions.
URL of Content: https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2021/08/26/stop-talking-training-and-start-talking-value/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Learning journeys conducted on digital learning platforms are the future and immediate present of the L&D profession. But it is not a question of learning journey or not learning journey: it is a matter of how much of a learning journey is needed—from almost not at all to the Full Monty.
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: Edward Boon and Jon Serrander at Promote International in Stockholm are super-smart practice leaders who know how to get the most business bang for the training buck.
Thought Leader: Paul Kirschner
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Generative Learning Generates Learning
Description: This is the opening blog which is then followed by a series of eight blogs, one for each of the eight generative learning strategies. Generative learning isn’t just “being actively involved with the subject matter,” but rather doing something with what you have to or want to learn. It’s generative when you produce new things like making a concept map or a drawing about the subject matter. It was written by me along with Mirjam Neelen, Tine Hoof, and Tim Surma.
URL of Content: https://3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/2021/03/12/generative-learning-generates-learning/
Thought Leader: Patti Shank
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Improving eLearning with Better Multiple Choice Questions
Description: In this podcast, Patti Shank joins Brent Schlenker and Chris Van Wingerden to discuss why multiple-choice questions are hard to write and how we can do a much better job with them. And we need to, because poorly written multiple-choice questions damage assessments, provide bad data, and can cause frustration and anger.
URL of Content: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/idiodc-patti-shank/register/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Because of the pandemic and the pivot to online instruction, trainers and educators, trainers, and course developers are seeing that we end up with pretty awful instruction (and bad outcomes) when we simply try to repurpose classroom instruction to online. Some major issues:
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- Social interaction online is different online than in the classroom. The answer isn’t to simply leave it out.
- Attention span becomes a much bigger issue with long online lectures.
- Instruction requires cognitive INVOLVEMENT. It’s typically not enough to lecture.
- Most trainers and instructors don’t know how to design or facilitate online or don’t know how to design or facilitate well online.
- Different types of interactions and content work best using different (synchronous or asynchronous tools). One size DOESN’T ft all. We MUST prepare trainers, instructors, and others to design and teach IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: Everyone on the LDA Board (https://ldaccelerator.com/executive-advisory-board/)
Thought Leader: Patti P. Phillips
How to Connect:
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- www.linkedin.com/in/pattipphillips/
- patti@roiinstitute.net
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Start Where You Want to Finish: Aligning Soft Skills to Business
Description: One of the most elusive issues for today’s evaluation team is how do you align soft skills programs to business measures. Can something as soft as empathy, communications, critical thinking, or inclusiveness be connected to the business? We know executives want all programs to connect to the business. This leaves many people asking, how do soft skills connect to the business? The key issue for this type of evaluation is to start with the end in mind or ask, where do you want to finish? That end shouldn’t necessarily be a behavior, but the impact on a business measure.
URL of Content: https://roiinstitute.net/start-where-you-want-to-finish-aligning-soft-skills-to-business/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Talent development will continue strengthening its alignment with the business as it becomes even more integrated throughout the organization. Demonstrating the impact and ROI of programs will become ever more important. It will also become easier as talent development professionals build capability and gain ground in cross-enterprise collaboration and partnerships while technology democratizes measurement and evaluation.
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: Kevin M. Yates at Meta
Thought Leader: Owen Ferguson
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Episode 250: What can L&D learn from product management?
Description: For our 250th episode, we took inspiration from documentary-style podcasts like This American Life, Radiolab and Freakonomics and set out to answer a single question: What can L&D learn from product management? Blending interviews with a range of experts in this area, we explore what product management is, what L&D can learn from product management and just what ‘the product’ might be in L&D.
URL of Content: https://podcast.goodpractice.com/250-documentary-special-what-can-ld-learn-from-product-management/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Every conversation I’ve had with senior organisational leaders and senior HR leaders over the last year has been heavily weighted towards the rather nebulous term “hybrid working.” How we work now that being physically collocated isn’t going to be the norm for many/most organisations is the trend I think will have the most lasting impact on what we do in L&D.
Other Content to Recommend: https://stratechery.com/2021/the-great-bifurcation/
This is a little bit out of left field but it’s important, I think, for L&D professionals to understand the potential future direction of work, while at the same time, recognising that the “metaverse” is still in a formative state (i.e., it’s going to be quite some time still before it has an impact on our day-to-day lives). Ben Thomson is, to my mind, the most grounded commentator on where technology is heading and summarises the current state and how we got there nicely.
Thought Leader: Nigel Paine
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Is Learning in Organizations the same as Organizational Learning?
Description: The premise of the article is that if you focus only on individual competence, and reward staff accordingly, you will never build agility and resilience. Organizations flourish when they get good work from their employees; good work comes from empowerment, sharing and a surfeit of trust that allows people to work productively together and make decisions that are carried into the work system, not hoarded for individual recognition or the allocation of blame.
URL of Content: https://ldaccelerator.com/lda-articles/is-learning-in-organizations-the-same-as-organizational-learning?rq=Nigel%20Paine/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Over-reliance on big tech systems to solve human issues around re-grouping or re-skilling that they were never designed to solve without context, and building the conditions for success.
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend:
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- The work of Amy Edmondson on psychological safety.
- Kevin Yates; work on impact measurement.
- Ciela Hartanov; good work on reconceptualizing the role of leaders and the purpose of leadership development.
- Michelle Ockers; developed a comprehensive framework for building effective and connected learning strategies.
Thought Leader: Mirjam Neelen
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Why a Dynamic Skills Job Protects Your Job
Description: Organizations’ focus “skills” aims at improving their workers’ job experience and career opportunities in order to beat the competition and thrive. To get there, organizations continually change their work practices. One of the main motors behind these changes is innovation. That means that those in innovation-focused jobs must constantly learn, improve, and adapt. In other words, they must be lifelong learners. This blog explores research on lifelong learning, showing that the skills of workers who are in innovation-focused jobs are very dynamic by nature. Expected, regular technological changes and innovation create their own learning situations. As a result, workers are naturally exposed to a wide variety of experiences from which they can continuously acquire new skills, and therefore, their skills constantly evolve and/or change. What does this mean for workers and how can L&D best support them? Important questions indeed and this blog answers them.
URL of Content: https://3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/2021/01/29/peristent-change-protects-your-job/
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Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: Research-to-practice translators, helping practitioners to understand the evidence from the learning sciences and how they can use it to improve their practice: Will Thalheimer, Julie Dirksen, Connie Malamed, Clark Quinn, Jane Bozarth, Catherine Lombardozzi, Donald Clark.
Thought Leader: Mike Taylor
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Rockstar PowerPoint Resources
Description: The way most people use PowerPoint is broken. Unfortunately, the PowerPoint interface guides people towards creating slides that contradict current research in cognitive science. To be effective communicators and teachers, we must change our slide design approach to align with proven principles that are compatible with how people learn. If you’d like to upgrade your skills and knowledge, this is a collection that I’ve personally curated of the very best people, tools, and resources you should know.
URL of Content: https://mike-taylor.org/2021/01/26/rockstar-resources-for-powerpoint/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: #NoCode is already a huge game changer. NoCode is revolutionizing how software is created and L&D needs to get plugged into this ASAP. Many are already reaping the benefits, but the vast majority of the L&D industry isn’t even aware of what it is yet.
Good background in these articles:
Start exploring #nocode tools like the ones referenced here:
Feel free to let me know if you have any questions, etc. Cheers!
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend:
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- Mathias Vermeulen is doing some amazing things with #NoCode in the L&D space.
- Jeremy Caplan is Director of Teaching and Learning at CUNY’s Newmark Graduate School of Journalism who shares great L&D relevant tools in his Wonder Tools newsletter (https://wondertools.substack.com/).
- Daniel Wirtz shares lots of great L&D knowledge including some #NoCode and his Facilitator School is awesome (https://www.facilitator.school/).
- Oli Gardner for speaking and virtual presenting (https://bethekeynote.com/).
- Cath Ellis & Devlin Peck are THE go-to people in the eLearning realm.
Thought Leader: Michelle Ockers
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Shaping and Evidence Informed Organisational Learning Strategy
Description: While it’s always important to have a current organisational learning strategy, given the substantial shifts in L&D in the past two years, NOW is the perfect time to create or refresh your strategy. An evidence-informed approach will not only help you to develop a learning strategy that is a great fit for your organisation and its people, it will also safeguard you against some common pitfalls. In this article organisational learning strategist, Michelle Ockers, outlines what to include in your research plan and sources of evidence to consider.
URL of Content: https://learninguncut.global/Article-Evidence-Informed-Learning-Strategy.pdf/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Uncertainty. Two years since the pandemic began, and we continue to face uncertainty on many fronts. Uncertainty about the location of work, the talent market, the expectations of our workforce, the nature of effective learning experiences and content, our role and highest value contribution. This demands L&D agility and experimentation, underscored by an open mindset, evidence-informed practice, and personal resilience. It is a time for bold action.
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend:
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- Laura Overton – at the forefront of learning impact and innovation research for around 20 years.
- Nigel Paine – challenging our thinking and practice on learning culture.
- Arun Pradhan – co-founder of Model Thinkers (mental models), a cutting-edge L&D practitioner and thought leader who is a role model in cross-domain thinking and innovation.
Thought Leader: Michael Allen
How to Connect: www.alleninteractions.com/
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Designing High Impact Learner Journeys
Description: Design emphasis has long been on content. Content accuracy, clarity, sequence. It remains the starting point for many designers. But such focus tends to lead to presentation-based passive learning, so we’ve moved forward to focus on the experience—experience-based learning. Better? Yes. Good enough? No. We still tend to forget the individual learners. How are they feeling? Motivated? Wary? Excited? Annoyed? Confident? Over-confident? Beginning design from this perspective may prove to be the most beneficial to producing High Impact Learner Journeys (HILJ).
URL of Content: https://www.alleninteractions.com/resources/exploring-the-learners-journey-with-impactful-employee-onboarding-training/thank-you/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: The dreadful uses of technology in distance learning that most of our children and many work-at-home employees are suffering through has increased awareness of what we do and don’t want from ed tech. Good experience-based design is finding broader interest and support and we’re seeing increasing innovation and creativity in designs. The trends are moving in great directions.
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: I want to recognize the many decades of contributions M. David Merrill has made to our field. It’s exciting that even in his retirement he continues to mentor designers who, as students in the Allen Academy for Learning Professionals, want to take their work to even greater heights.
Other Content: Make It Stick (https://www.amazon.com/Make-Stick-Science-Successful-Learning-dp-0674729013/dp/0674729013/). It’s the most valuable compendium of research on human learning I refer to over and over again. It substantiates many of the principles we have found effective in practice; in many cases important practices that have heretofore been considered at odds with research.
Thought Leader: Melissa Milloway
How to Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/this-side-up-6475761271714127872/
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: 7 Scenarios to Help You Improve Your Stakeholder Engagement Skills
Description: Skills in stakeholder engagement help learning professionals become better consultants. Being able to understand and influence your stakeholders will help you to create solutions for your learners that fit, keep projects moving forward, and mitigate unforeseen risks such as risks with learning technology.
URL of Content: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-scenarios-help-you-improve-your-stakeholder-skills-melissa-milloway/
Thought Leader: Megan Torrance
How to Connect: www.torrancelearning.com/
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Ain’t Nothing But an xAPI Party (and a handful of other topics)
Description: This podcast covers A LOT of territory in about 45 caffeine-fueled minutes. Megan and podcast host John Helmer talk about how L&D can (should?) use data, the adoption of xAPI in the industry, designing learner-centric experiences over time (not one-and-done events!) and the role of women in L&D.
URL of Content: https://learninghack.libsyn.com/lh-51-aint-nothing-but-an-xapi-party-with-megan-torrance/
Thought Leader: The Learning Scientists (Megan Sumeracki, Cindy Nebel, Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel, and Althea Need Kaminske) with their guest interviewee, Kathryn Desmarais
How to Connect: Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Using the Science of Learning in Organizations Description: In this episode, Cindy interviews Kathryn Desmarais, a Senior Director of Global Education Solutions at Johnson & Johnson. In Kathryn’s line of work, she is less concerned with what an individual can look up or figure out. Her reps need to be confident and know a great deal on the spot in high-pressure situations. So, she has been implementing strategies from the science of learning into her training! URL of Content: https://www.learningscientists.org/learning-scientists-podcast/2021/7/8/episode-57-using-the-science-of-learning-in-organizations/——————————
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: We must, of course, acknowledge our partner in the interview, the amazing Kathryn Desmarais (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-desmarais-15297454/).Thought Leader: Matthew Richter
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Productive Failure
Description: Last August 2021, I wrote a series of LinkedIn blog posts about failure and how we cope with it. I also ran an LDA workshop with my friend, Matt Ash, on the same topic. Below are the posts collected together and edited a bit to fit together. This is not meant as necessarily a coherent article, but a collection of ideas I had about the act of failing. Topics include, What is Failure?, Its Impact, Why It Happens, How We Can React To It, How to Avoid It, and How to Increase Our Resilience When It Happens.
URL of Content: https://ldaccelerator.com/lda-blog-1/productive-failure/
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Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: Keith Grint and his work on leadership and management. His blunt assessment of leadership and management lays a foundation for his subsequent framework of thinking about both functions in terms of problems (critical problems, tame problems, and wicked problems). Keith has written several exemplar books on the topic. Here is an excellent article summarizing his views: https://www.systemicleadershipinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Keith-Grint-problems-paper.pdf/
Thought Leader: Lori Niles-Hofmann
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: A Response to KPMG UK – The Skills City Report
Description: CLOs and Learning Leaders routinely rely on whitepapers from professional consultants to make big decisions about investment and transformation. But these need to be challenged, particularly when we have the large responsibility to get upskill right. This article is a rebuttal to the KPMG Skills City Report and what companies should be doing to ensure their workforce is prepared for the future.
URL of Content: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/response-kpmg-skills-city-report-lori-niles-hofmann/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Workforce performance metrics – Microsoft is implementing these with abandon and they can have very negative consequences and result in misinterpretation of learning needs. For example, the number of emails sent is not a true metric of productivity.
Other Content: Lead, Care, Win by Dan Pontefract (https://www.amazon.ca/Lead-Care-Win-Become-Matters/dp/1773271326/). This is not a learning book, but I like this one because the book has a key to a website full of self-driven activities and reflections.
Thought Leader: Laura Hoppa
How to Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurahoppa/ Title of Favorite 2021 Content: To Improve Retention, Re-Examine Your Employee Experience Description: Your employees should be considered customers—just of a different kind. Use the same experience design principles to create a more desirable, productive workplace that retains and engages your talent. URL of Content: https://tier1performance.com/to-improve-employee-retention-re-examine-your-employee-experience/——————————
Trends to Watch in 2022: Performance management is about to change drastically. Rather than managers offering performance feedback and coaching, the script will flip: these touch bases will become “stay” conversations, growth discussions, and manager listening meetings.Thought Leader: Lakeshia Ekeigwe
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Who Is In Your Inner Circle?
Description: The company you keep can have a profound impact on your level of success. You may be familiar with this quote: “You are the average of the five people you spend most of your time with.” Who do you spend your time with? Are you the most accomplished and successful person in your inner circle? Are you always the smartest person in the room?
URL of Content: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lakeshiaekeigwe_leaders-lawyers-leadership-activity-6821907785614290944-9CK1/
Thought Leader: Kevin Kruse
How to Connect: https://leadx.org/
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Move Over 70-20-10 Rule, 3-To-1 Is The New Model For Learning
Description: L&P professionals have long struggled with the “Knowing-Doing Gap” and the classic framework is rarely actually applied. A new simpler idea can help all instructional designers and trainers to reimagine their work and to help colleagues to form new habits.
URL of Content: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2021/10/04/move-over-70-20-10-rule-3-to-1-is-the-new-model-for-learning/
Thought Leader: Karl Kapp
How to Connect: Title of Favorite 2021 Content: The Ancient Origin of Scenario and Roleplay-based Card Games Description: Games can be effective for learning but sometimes games become overly complicated and carry too much cognitive overhead. However, it is possible to create games with low cognitive overhead and high levels of impact. Card games are a wonderful tool for learning and, it turns out, not a new tool but an ancient one from which we can learn many lessons. This video explains how we can use scenario-based card games for learning. URL of Content: https://youtu.be/e6USOvTpb3k/——————————
Trends to Watch in 2022: Many of our analog tools (like card games and whiteboards and stickie notes) are going to be more virtual. And, of course, the metaverse.Thought Leader: Julie Dirksen
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Nerdy Shop Talk – Adaptive Learning (But where are the flying cars?)
Description: Nerdy Shop Talk is a videocast where eLearning professionals talk about the things that are interesting to them right now. In this episode we discuss how back in the earliest days of computer-aided instruction, one of the most talked about features was going to be the ability of the computer to adapt the learning to individual learners. Now, it’s 2021 and we still don’t have flying cars, or adaptive learning in widespread usage. What’s it going to take? Chad Udell joined us to discuss what different kinds of adaptive learning exist, about how it’s being used now, and what’s needed to leverage it more widely.
URL of Content: http://nerdyshoptalk.com/episode-010-adaptive-learning-but-where-are-the-flying-cars/
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Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend:
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- https://mindtoolsbusiness.com/resources/podcast/ – Most consistent and useful L&D podcast
- https://headrush.typepad.com/ – It’s archived and hasn’t been updated since 2007, but I’m always sad that more people don’t know about Kathy Sierra’s work. The whole blog is here, and worth revisiting!
Thought Leader: Judith (Judy) Hale
How to Connect: Judy@HaleCenter.org
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: How to Conduct and Interpret a Sociogram – Find Out Who Really Calls the Shots
Description: This method is designed to identify powerful influencers who may not appear on the organizational chart. Leaders defer to these trusted influencers when making decisions. The method also measures the degree that work teams are engaged.
URL of Content: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wJkyJqDKur6NHAMbA3gxeJJC1i9Lfdr-/view?usp=sharing/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: The markets confusing skill in a software with expertise in learning science.
Thought Leader: Jos Arets
How to Connect: www.tulser.com/ Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Make Learning Visible (MLV) Description: L&D’s current one-sided focus on formal learning is the logical outcome of the stakeholders’ and customers’ expectations. But it also represents an atomistic vision of how people learn while working. A more holistic, inclusive view of learning in organizations should include both formal and informal learning. By making informal learning visible, L&D creates excellent opportunities to expand its services by respecting the value of both formal and informal learning. This should not be done with the intention of bringing informal and formal learning into competition. MLV creates opportunities for L&D to realize business alignment and business impact with formal and informal learning; beyond the HR-isation of L&D. URL of Content:——————————
Trends to Watch in 2022: There is this negative trend where most of the L&D departments are placed within HR. As a consequence, L&D reports to HR and will have to contribute to HR-goals as well. I call this the HR-isation of L&D. See my article.Thought Leader: John Hinchliffe
How to Connect:
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- https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-hinchliffe-yourskillshub/
- John@jam-pan.com
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: How Might We Make L&D More Attractive
Description: Within this insightful podcast, I and Scott Hunter explore: Why has digital L&D had a bad rep for so long? How can marketing be the game-changer for L&D? Creating agile organisations. Effectively using internal and external marketplaces like Jam Pan. What learning professionals can focus on asking and implementing to make L&D better for the learner as well as the business.
URL of Content: https://howmightwe.podbean.com/e/how-might-we-make-ld-more-attractive/ (scroll down to hear the podcast episode)
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Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: https://www.marketingforlearning.com/ – It doesn’t matter how great your learning experiences are. If your learners don’t know they exist, they’re never going to succeed. This is the only podcast in the world (probably) committed to providing L&D professionals with practical, tactical marketing approaches from marketing experts. (Note from Will: Ashley Sinclair, the creator of this podcast, is also one of our featured thought leaders in this post.)
Thought Leader: Jane Bozarth
How to Connect: Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Degrees for L&D Professionals: What, Why, and Worth? Description: “Degree or not degree?” is a popular question among L&D practitioners. This report combines data and practitioner interviews, as well as comments from university program leaders, to help readers think through decisions about whether to pursue degrees, and offers suggestions for choosing a program. URL of Content: https://www.learningguild.com/insights/263/degrees-for-ld-professionals-what-why-and-worth/——————————
Trends to Watch in 2022: Increased interest in accessibility. We seem to finally be moving from the “one more thing I gotta do” mindset to “making it accessible makes it better for everyone.”Thought Leader: Jack J. Phillips
How to Connect: jack@roiinstitute.net
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Five Moments of Truth: Presenting Business Results to Senior Executives
Description: After you have evaluated a major talent development program, the results need to be presented to senior executives to ensure buy-in for the results and the methodology you are using. This briefing can be stressful unless there is adequate preparation. This article shows you how to do it.
URL of Content: https://roiinstitute.net/five-moments-of-truth-presenting-business-results-to-senior-executives/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Organizations must prove that hybrid work arrangements add value to continue with them in the future.
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: Jessica Kriegel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel/)
Thought Leader: Irene T. Boland and Karen Foster
How to Connect:
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- iboland@saliencelearning.com
- www.saliencelearning.com/
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Why Capabilities Matter and How Training Your Teams on Them Drives Results
Description: The World Economic Forum recently found that “critical thinking and analysis” was one of the most in-demand emerging capabilities across countries and industries. Critical thinking—the ability to test the validity of conclusions—is a broad capability.
URL of Content: https://saliencelearning.com/insights/why-capabilities-matter-how-developing-them-drives-results/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: The trend to declare existing technologies as brand new is not slowing. Recently, one company claimed they were starting to create the metaverse—a technology that has been in existence and developing for more than 20 years. Regardless of what a technology is called (Metaverse, Second Life, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality) learning professionals have a responsibility to independently evaluate its usefulness and effectiveness for learning before jumping on board.
Other Content: https://www.reddit.com/r/consulting/comments/rogj1l/everyone_can_should_be_a_consultant_15_things/
The author of this said he intends to refine it to a blog post. Why it’s valuable: In the learning field, many people feel conflicted that they can’t or don’t want to call themselves consultants. They associate bad behaviors and outsized egos with the term. This writing describes consulting in a way that people can see they are already doing it, and that’s not a bad thing.
Thought Leader: Hadiya Nuriddin
How to Connect: http://www.duetslearning.com/
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Set Yourself Up to Create Quality eLearning
Description: In this podcast episode, I explain the importance of having formal quality assurance and control processes and how to develop them for you or your team.
URL of Content: https://theelearningcoach.com/podcasts/69/
Thought Leader: Guy W. Wallace
How to Connect:
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- www.eppic.biz/
- guy.wallace@eppic.biz
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Cowboys and White Boys
Description: Months after getting back to the ship after my A-School, when the Captain of the USS Okinawa said to me, after watching me work at running the XO’s CCTV one day, “Son, you have the best job on my ship,” I simply nodded and said, “Sir, yes sir.” Because the Old Man was right. Maybe that’s why he was The Captain. 😉 I had been taken off the Deck Force—and having one of the worst jobs on the ship—to having THE BEST JOB on a ship with 600 sailors and 2400 Marines. And I owe it all to that one moment: because I laughed out loud—before “lol” was a thing—when I first heard the phrase, “There are only two kinds of boys. Cowboys … and White Boys.”
URL of Content: https://eppic.biz/2021/02/14/cowboys-and-white-boys/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: I hope that the shift in language from Instructional Systems Design to Learning Experience Design is more than linguistic gymnastics and always includes Authentic Performance Analysis Informed Design as a subtitle and practice. Also, here’s something I’m wondering about: What should people entering the field from other disciplines read, and in what order, to start their journey in Workplace L&D? What should people with experiences have on their reading lists?
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: The dead ones include Geary Rummler, Tom Gilbert, Joe Harless, Bob Mager, and Roger Kaufman. What they taught us while they were with us is both universal, and eternal.
Thought Leader: Fiona McKenzie
How to Connect: www.orangecompass.com.au/
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Building a Culture of Learning at Scale: Learning Networks for Systems Change
Description: This scoping paper explores the question: What would it take to build a culture of learning at scale? It focuses on systems-wide learning that can help to inform systems change efforts in complex contexts.
URL of Content: https://www.orangecompass.com.au/images/Scoping_Paper_Culture_of_Learning.pdf
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Trends to Watch in 2022: There will be a growing recognition of the role of “trust” and “belief” in democracy, learning, and transformation.
Thought Leader: Dustin Shell
How to Connect:
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- d.shell@tier1performance.com
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinshell/
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Secure Leadership: How the Science of Emotion Enables Accountability
Description: This article connects a lot of research that reframes low-accountable behavior as a need for secure relationships. Once leaders can understand the emotions and the needs behind their team’s behavior, they can begin to own their role in bringing out the best in each person.
URL of Content: https://tier1performance.com/the-neuroscience-of-accountability-a-need-for-secure-leadership/
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Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: Ed Tronic, Sue Johnson, Don Rheem, and Phil Shaver are leading the pack when it comes to researching and applying the science of security at work. At its core, Attachment Theory is a human developmental theory that has a bias toward understanding the role of emotion in the change process. In that way, this body of work has a lot to teach us about environments and relationships that are conducive to growth and development.
Other Content:
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- https://adultattachment.faculty.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2015/09/Davidovitz_2007_Leaders-as-Attachment-Figures.pdf/ – This study demonstrates that leaders are not only attachment figures at work, but how a secure leader can predictably improve performance and mental health.
- https://www.amazon.com/Thrive-Design-Neuroscience-High-Performance-Cultures/dp/1946633062/ – Don Rheem does a great job connecting the science of security to organizational engagement. If you’re looking to improve engagement, this is a great resource.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3291107/ – This study demonstrates how our brains are wired to use less resources in the presence of a trusted other.
- https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.468.3741&rep=rep1&type=pdf/ – This article articulates several studies that demonstrate how our brains expect the presence of a trusted other as a baseline for optimal functioning and when it’s not there have to work harder and experience threat and pain more intensely.
Thought Leader: Donald H. Taylor
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Finding the Needle in the Learning Content Haystack
Description: We’ve moved from knowledge being power to information being (almost) free. The result: there’s too much stuff. Way too much. How do you find the content that’s right? And, in particular, how do you make sure that learning content you need is easily found by the people whose learning you support?
URL of Content: https://donaldhtaylor.co.uk/insight/finding-the-needle-in-the-learning-content-haystack/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Key trend is that things which were “hot” 3–4 years ago will surface as viable tools to support learning. I’m thinking in particular data, analytics, AI VR.
Other Content of Interest: Everyone should read The Dawn of Everything by Wengrow and Graeber (https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/314/314162/the-dawn-of-everything/9780241402429.html/). It deals with fundamentals of human thinking, culture, and society in a very accessible, but scholarly way. If you liked Sapiens, after reading this, you’ll realise that it dealt with a fascinating subject in an extremely superficial way. This goes deep with supporting evidence and will challenge many preconceptions of what you thought you knew about how human beings got to where we are today.
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: Marco Dondi of McKinsey, great report on skills in June of 2021. Dani Johnson, now leading the pack in research.
Thought Leader: Donald Clark
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: 200 learning theorists…2500 years of learning theory…from Greeks to Geeks!
Description: Learning theorists with quick synopses of their theories, influence, a critique, and bibliography, clustered into groups.
URL of Content: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Less courses, more blended, more smarter platforms using AI, such as LXPs and adaptive.
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: Julian Stodd – brilliant on all things social.
Thought Leader: Dani Johnson
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: What Belonging Really Needs to Take Hold
Description: In this episode, Stacia Garr and Dani Johnson connect with Kate Shaw, Director of Learning at Airbnb. Kate discusses how part of Airbnb’s mission—“Create a world where everyone can belong”—drives their push toward a more inclusive workplace and how DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging) has to be woven, vertically and horizontally, in everything that you do. “Creating this culture of belonging,” Kate says, “means understanding what that world looks like and all of its permutations; it means understanding the fact that we have hosts from all over the world, of every possible background, and that in order to serve them well, we need to be able to reflect that community.” Listen as she shares her story and, as Kate says, be curious and courageous about your own story and others’ stories, because without sharing those, nothing can change.
URL of Content: https://redthreadresearch.com/integrating-inclusion-podcast-episode-5/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging) is becoming a bigger part of L&D / L&P’s job. Understanding that they have influence and where to execute that influence will be key to leadership roles in L&D moving forward.
Thought Leader: Connie Malamed
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Creativity in Instructional Design
Description: Our jobs require us to be creative on demand. Yet our traditional ID models don’t explicitly address this need. This article provides a flexible framework for adding greater creativity to instructional design.
URL of Content: https://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/creativity/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: I think learning experience design practitioners will continue to enhance and expand our design skills. Watch for new models, processes, and techniques from other fields, such as Design Thinking, to help us continue to solve difficult problems in new ways.
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: Two I can recommend are Hadiya Nuriddin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hadiyanuriddin/) and Catherine Lombardozzi (https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinelombardozzi/). Also, Nyla Spooner (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nylaspooner/) is doing something important with Design for Humanity (DesignxHumanity – https://www.designxhumanity.com/).
Thought Leader: Clark Quinn
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: The (Post) Cognitive Perspective
Description: An argument for the value of looking at things from the perspective of how our minds work.
URL of Content: https://blog.learnlets.com/2021/10/the-post-cognitive-perspective/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Um, the one the post is about, the cognitive and learning sciences 😉
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: There’s a list here: https://quinnovation.com/translators.html/. You know most: Patti, Ruth, Julie, Michael Allen, Jane Bozarth, Donald Clark, Guy Wallace, Mirjam & Paul, Karl. One I think people miss is Connie Malamed, eLearningCoach; her articles are nice summaries of research.
Thought Leader: Chad Udell
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: How to Adapt to Adaptive Learning & Training (written in conjunction with the Learning Guild and my co-author Dr. Jennifer Murphy)
Description: What is Adaptive Learning? Why is it making waves in the Learning and Development space in 2021/2022? Whether you’re already putting your timeline together, just starting your research, or need a little extra insight as you find the right platform, this white paper is designed to help you understand the details of how adaptive learning fits into today’s landscape, the roadmaps of your peers, and ultimately, your organization.
URL of Content: https://www.gowithsparklearn.com/sparklearn-blog/adapt-to-adaptive-learning/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: A key trend to watch is obviously integration of AI as a service into learning tech products. Quite simply: it’s going to be everywhere soon. With the advent of publicly available platforms like GPT-3, the barrier to entry is being lowered significantly. Be mindful that the marketing teams may be overselling the products’ capabilities, so always be sure to do some research to make sure the messaging on the website or in the webinar is backed up by the actual offering.
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: Dr. Jennifer Murphy from Quantum Improvements Consulting is an expert on adaptive learning and using data to improve human performance.
Thought Leader: Cara North
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Beyond the Hype: Keeping YOU in the center of your learning and development career
Description: As a learning and development professional, the benefits of continuous learning are obvious and necessary to keep up with what is going on across the industry. How do you know if the high price tag of some opportunities is worth it? With many upskilling opportunities like instructional design academies using marketing techniques, this presentation shares some of those claims and why they are fluff. It also gives you evaluation criteria and questions you can ask to determine if an opportunity is appropriate for you.
URL of Content: https://youtu.be/zJaDkbZE4as/
Thought Leader: Ben Betts
How to Connect: https://learningpool.com/
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: The Learning Analytics Maturity Model
Description: A model designed to give you a quick point of reference for how “mature” your approach to learning analytics and data is, within a corporate learning landscape. Diagnosis is not just about technology; the model takes a holistic approach to people, strategy, and the business. And the output includes recommendations on next best steps.
URL of Content: https://learningpool.com/learning-analytics-maturity-model/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Education / learning as a central benefit in the arms race to keep employees engaged and employed in their role.
Thought Leader: Becky Willis
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: A Tech Guide to Learning Ecosystems
Description: Learning ecosystems bring people together with technology, content, and data for continuous employee learning and growth. They are especially important during times when innovation and creativity are needed. In this issue of TD at Work, Becky Willis details why you need to consider a learning ecosystem today. Along with the four main components of learning ecosystems and the various technological aspects, the guide includes tips for selecting and evaluating system components, how to implement a digital learning strategy, and tools and resources.
URL of Content: https://www.td.org/td-at-work-guide/a-tech-guide-to-learning-ecosystems/
NOTE: Content only available FREE to ATD Members. However, you can see the first few pages of the article in the publicly available sample chapter: https://d22bbllmj4tvv8.cloudfront.net/c4/16/c4a0df6640d68ddbd34cf7c66be4/december-2021-td-at-work-sample-chapter.pdf/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Learning Ecosystems continue to be of great value, regardless of company size. Having a user experience that drives usage is nothing but good. HOWEVER, there are lots and lots of choices and not all are a fit, let alone a good solution. Work with the experts and do your homework. The answer is in the strategy, not the software.
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: Todd Strosnider knows more about LXPs and LMS and how to implement them than anyone else I know.
Other Content: Basics of Graphic Design, very helpful to L&D: https://buff.ly/397aFDa/
Thought Leader: Bartlomiej Polakowski
How to Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartlomiej-polakowski/
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Digital accessibility of online training in a nutshell
Description: Accessibility is getting more and more important with increasing digitization of our lives
URL of Content: https://sektor3–0-pl.translate.goog/blog/dostepnosc-cyfrowa-szkolen-online-w-pigulce/?_x_tr_sl=pl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=de
NOTE: This content was originally posted in Polish, and the link above should enable you to utilize Google Translate to read it in English. Alternatively, here is the original link, which you can read in Polish or translate it through Google Translate or another translator into your language of choice: https://sektor3-0.pl/blog/dostepnosc-cyfrowa-szkolen-online-w-pigulce/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: A negative trend is that many will still focus on tools and technology over learning science.
Other Content: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/seven-neuroscience-facts-better-learning-experience-design-dorgo/
Thought Leader: Ashley Sinclair
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Does L&D Have An Awareness Problem?
Description: You’ve heard it all before—we need to improve engagement! Our learners aren’t ENGAGED. But is that really the problem? Perhaps the reason your people don’t connect with your learning isn’t that it’s boring or outdated. Perhaps it’s because they don’t even know it EXISTS. This short ten-minute podcast explores whether L&D is missing a fundamental rung in the ladder when it comes to helping our people learn: awareness of the learning itself.
URL of Content: https://www.marketingforlearning.com/marketing-for-learning-101/lnd-awareness-problem/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Sounds trite, but of course I am going to say marketing in a learning context. L&D MUST start looking beyond their current approaches and practices if they ever want to garner different outcomes for the function. We cannot rely on our old ways anymore. It is broke, and we do need to fix it. Wider than this is the continued introduction of “atypical” skills into the L&D function such as marketing and comms, design thinking, analytics, and more. All these are, and will continue to be, paramount to the longevity and success of L&D. Let’s stop being a cost-centre and prove our value!
Negative trend: a continued overemphasis on content and technology. In my opinion these are rarely a solution to a root problem in L&D. In many cases we over-rely on tech and content because it’s something we can change. And so we latch onto changing this stuff, only to find that when it’s rolled out the same outcomes occur. That’s because these are vehicles to learning—and if there are deeper problems lurking (such as poor attitudes towards learning, lack of awareness, disengagement, etc.) the tech ALONE is unlikely to shift these deep-set cultural problems. Let’s do the good work, dig deeper, and stop falling back on tech because it’s an “easy” solution to really, really complex problems.
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend:
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- John Hinchliffe – John supports a huge community of L&Ders through his GLDC work and is just an incredibly wise, kind person whose ideas, insights, and approaches always inspire!
- Egle Vinauskaite – Egle is super smart, inquisitive and always provocative. She never fails to get me thinking.
- Hannah Waddams – My counterpart here at MAAS and one of the smartest marketers I have had the pleasure of learning from. She’ll make you laugh, smile, and undoubtedly help you learn about marketing too.
- Non-L&D people I like: Dan Kelsall – just some fresh, challenging energy; Dave Gerhardt – great marketer, short, snappy ideas; Chris Walker (Refine Labs) – challenging traditional mindsets in marketing—in many cases you could change the word marketing to learning and so much of what he says would apply to our industry!
Other Content to Recommend: The Huberman Lab podcast (https://open.spotify.com/show/79CkJF3UJTHFV8Dse3Oy0P?si=15f28b1abd0848da/). This podcast focuses on neuroscience—how our brain works and how it affects everything we do. It’s a fascinating exploration into humans and whilst not DIRECTLY related to L&D, I think expands our thinking and provides a new layer of context for L&D practitioners beyond the echo chamber of our industry. Patti Shank got me onto this podcast and even though I only discovered it in December, it’s my favourite find of the year!
Thought Leader: Arun Pradhan
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Playbook: Future-Proof with Learning Hacks
Description: This Playbook summarises key evidence-based techniques to accelerate your own learning and support your audiences to do likewise. Each approach is captured in a simple infographic and can be clicked through to dive into more details and examples.
URL of Content: https://modelthinkers.com/playbook/future-proof-with-learning-hacks/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: I’m seeing a trend of “modular skill building” programs, particularly around professional/ soft skills. As organisations become more creative with talent mobility, they will continue to break down roles into skills plus experience, with greater opportunities to shift and reinvent careers as a result. This will create demand for L&D to create a more modular approach to building skills that can be plugged into different contexts and support such mobility.
Other Learning and Development Thought Leaders to Recommend: Scott Young, and here is a gem from him: https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2021/11/23/learning-by-doing-deep-dive/
Thought Leader: Aaron Barth
How to Connect:
Title of Favorite 2021 Content: Five Strategies to Help Your Organization Transition to Hybrid Work
Description: As we look toward the future, an estimated 72% of workplaces plan to move toward a hybrid workplace (Steelcase Global Report). After surveying more than 400 employees who transitioned to remote work in 2020 and 2021, Dr. Aaron Barth from Dialectic and Bev Attfield from Jostle found that working remotely has created new barriers to workplace belonging. Along with identifying the effects remote work has had on employees, this article provides five concrete steps companies can take to improve their employees’ sense of belonging. As well, it dives into how Dialectic’s Learning Snippets can create a more inclusive workplace by helping teams build inclusive habits and address cognitive biases.
URL of Content: https://dialectic.solutions/blog-posts/five-strategies-to-help-your-organization-transition-to-hybrid-work/
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Trends to Watch in 2022: Avoiding performative, virtue-signaling diversity training. Most progressive organizations have taken the first step in providing diversity, equity, and inclusion training to their employees. Most of this work has been event-based: Either a single workshop or eLearning experience. Employees have responded positively, but are now asking, “What’s next?” L&P needs to have an answer to this. Otherwise, we risk looking performative, which could undo any positive progress we’ve made.
Other Content: https://blog.cathy-moore.com/2018/04/3-ways-to-help-people-learn-from-mistakes-in-branching-scenarios/
Cathy Moore shows us how to avoid lazy, scenario-based learning exercises by focusing our attention on what happens AFTER learners make their choice. So often, we default to dropping a dialogue box “from the sky” that simply tells learners whether their choice was correct or incorrect, and gives them a little bit of feedback about why. Instead, it is precisely at this moment that we need to push deeper and engage learners in a process of consequential reasoning that, in turn, will drive behaviour change.
My Contributions
Hello! This is Will Thalheimer again! I wrote two articles I’m particularly proud of this year. First Title: The Work-Learning-and-Performance Field: Innovative Ideas from Our History to Our Future URL: https://tier1performance.com/the-work-performance-field/ Description: This article highlights 23 historical influences on our field, including practices like apprenticeship, systems thinking, user experience design, and performance consulting. It traces our path from training, to instructional design, to learning experience design, to performance experience design. It examines 15 current influences that are ushering in the future, including practices like performance triggering, innovative perseverance, data science, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality. This article is excellent for helping teams prepare for future initiatives and for anyone who wants to understand the arc of history into the future for our field. Second Title: MAXIMIZE YOUR TRAINING RESULTS WITH ONE POWERFUL QUESTION: What one thing can L&D teams do to improve their training? URL: https://tier1performance.com/maximize-your-training-results-with-one-powerful-question/ Description: In this article, I explore why too much content is a problem and share a list of the most important design ideas for getting the most out of our training efforts. I will also share some ideas for how to convince your stakeholders—including your subject-matter experts—why too much content is harmful.——————————
My Trends to Watch in 2022
Three beneficial mega-trends will continue.-
- We will continue to see more and more organizations integrating science-of-learning ideas into their learning designs—nudging themselves toward innovative learning practices.
- We will continue to see improvements in learning evaluation as more organizations utilize LTEM (the Learning-Transfer Evaluation Model) and move away from traditional smile sheets toward performance-focused learner surveys. (Yes! I am totally biased in this prediction.)
- We will also see more learning move toward hybrid online platforms that combine live online training and asynchronous reflection, practice, and discussion. These new learning experience platforms will enable more alignment with science-of-learning principles and a more human connection than previous generations of eLearning.
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- More organizations and learning and performance architects will use the performance sciences to push beyond training to more fully support people in their work. We will look to performance triggering, nudging, choice architecture, habit science, memory accessibility and more to more directly support those we seek to help.
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- We will continue to be targeted by techno-enthusiasts and other snake-oil salespeople who will make exuberant claims that the next panacea awaits in the [fill in the blank] revolution. We will be told to turn our attention to things like crypto, blockchain, data visualization, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, predictive analytics, robotics. While there may be benefits and promise in all these things, too often these are oversold and they under-deliver. This kind of hokey sales pitch has been around since before Aristotle, who notably recommended that television would revolutionize education. We still fall for these diversions, whether they are advocated by well-meaning true believers or crass money-motivated manipulators.
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