Each month we take a look at some of the most interesting research and articles on online learning, social learning and technology.  

Organisations need to make learning hard

One of our favourite articles this month comes from the Harvard Business Review, where Dorothy Leonard, Professor of Business Administration Emerita at Harvard Business School  argues that if learning is easy, it’s probably not working.  This gives real food for thought for organisations with huge focusses on performance support.

Where environments are complex, the pace of change is rapid and factors such as increased competition, budget pressures and changing workforce, the application of skills in an ever changing landscape are critical.  

‘Both learners and teachers confuse performance during training (termed “retrieval strength”) with long-term retention and the ability to apply the lessons (“storage strength”)…real learning – that is, the kind which embeds knowledge and skills in long-term memory – is never simple”

To strengthen mental storage and retrieval at point of need, Leonard suggests that using a range of strategies, interleaving different modes of learning and content types to build as many connections as possible.

Performance Catalysts

On the WillowDNA blog this month, we discuss the new learning professional and their role as Performance Catalysts.

‘A catalyst acts in a unique way to make a lower barrier to cause a reaction to happen. Putting the right people together in the right environment at the right time with right tools, that’s how we catalyse that learning’. – Tom Spiglanin.

Whilst much of the current discourse in L&D is about the Learning Revolution and questions about the very survival of the role in organisations, we offers an insight into the critical role learning professionals will take in achieving the strategic goals of orgainsations and why their role is more important than ever.

Book Review

With Christmas upon us and time for reading being squeezed by christmas parties, feeding the christmas cake and last minute present buying, this month’s book review is for the concise, 76 page publication from Donald H Taylor:

Webinar Master: Your Short Guide to Successful Webinars
Donald H Taylor

Donald H Taylor in his role as Chairman on the Learning and Skills Group has hosted more webinars than most of us have ever attended!  In his many years working with presenters from a range of backgrounds delivering online sessions, Taylor shares with us his reflections and advice on what constitutes the most engaging and successful webinars.

This short book is practical in focus and provides plenty of checklists that will aid in the planning and delivery of your next webinar.  But more than that, it’s Taylor’s opportunity to share his passion for the medium – it’s clear that in his view, webinars are in no way the face to face presentation’s poor relationship.

They provide an opportunity for collaboration across environments and timezones unrivalled by many other mediums.  This book can help you make the most of this cost effective, wide reaching presentation channel.

WillowDNA working with one of the UK’s leading retailers to transform safety training

WillowDNA are delighted to working on a major new safety programme using an innovative mix of video, scenarios, ebooks and facilitated social learning.  Keep an eye out for more on this in the coming months.

WillowDNA at Learning Technologies
It’s just 7 weeks to the 2016 Learning Technologies and Learning and Skills Conference and Exhibition at London Olympia.  WillowDNA will be there on 3rd and 4rd February at stand L12.

This month on Learning Now Radio

If you haven’t subscribed already, then pop over to iTunes or Soundcloud today to catch interviews with Mike Collins at DPG PLC, David Kelly from the e-Learning Guild, Jane Bozarth, Clark Quinn and John Delano of Saltbox.  WillowDNA are delighted to support LNRadio with our very own Lisa Minogue-White co-hosting alongside the wonderful Colin Steed.

Each month we take a look at some of the most interesting research and articles on online learning, social learning and technology.  

The latest Towards Maturity Benchmarking Report – a view from Clive Shepherd

Our friend, Clive Shepherd, attended the VIP launch of the 2015 Towards Maturity Benchmark study.  His recent post on LinkedIn confirms what many suspected but perhaps hoped was not the case:

“the call seems only to be heard by the already converted. What TM calls the ‘Top Deck’ (those organisations that are showing the best results from their L&D efforts) are shooting ahead, overcoming barriers and exploring all the possibilities for workplace learning in all its contexts, formal and informal. The rest have been stuck for years.”

Our Director Of Learning Solutions, Lisa Minogue-White believes there are many practical steps learning and development can take to put themselves centre stage in delivering the strategic goals of the organisation.  In her commentary on Clive’s post, she suggests that rather than being marginalised, the time for true business partnership could be here.

Performance Catalysts

On the WillowDNA blog this month, we discuss the new learning professional and their role as Performance Catalysts.

‘A catalyst acts in a unique way to make a lower barrier to cause a reaction to happen. Putting the right people together in the right environment at the right time with right tools, that’s how we catalyse that learning’. – Tom Spiglanin.

Whilst much of the current discourse in L&D is about the Learning Revolution and questions about the very survival of the role in organisations, we offers an insight into the critical role learning professionals will take in achieving the strategic goals of orgainsations and why their role is more important than ever.

Book Review

This month, we’ve been reading:

Engaged: he Neuroscience Behind Creating Productive People in Successful Organizations (The Neuroscience of Business)
Amy Brann

At every conference in 2015 and probably 2016, you’ll find sessions on Neuroscience, some well grounded in research, others with something of a pop psych feel.  In this book, Amy Brann, director at Synaptic Potential, Neuroscientist and medical graduate from UCL does a great job of providing a practical, accessible study of the subject.

From quick to apply changes to everyday practice to informing strategic learning plans, there’s frameworks in every chapter to help apply the principles of neuroscience to real learning challenges.

Hot on the heels of our shortlising in 4 categories at the 2015 e-Learning Awards, our partnership with Rock and A Hard Place Learning has been shortlisted for Start Up Of The Year at the LPi Learning Awards.  

Introducing Learning Now Radio

Following our work with Learning Now TV, we are delighted to announce that Lisa Minogue-White has been asked to host Learning Now Radio.

Already 4 episodes in, she has been in conversation with Mike Collins at DPG PLC, David Kelly from the e-Learning Guild, Jane Bozarth and Clark Quinn.  Subscribe today in iTunes and tune into the most interesting discussions in learning and development.