Learning Magazine Summer 2008

27
Learning Trends
Lead Interview
American Idol
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The learning industry is constantly
changing and, thankfully, leading
learning gurus like Elliott Masie have
their finger on the pulse. Anita Peach
talks to the man behind one of the most
renown research centres in the world,
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learning arena, and his predictions for
the year ahead
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Why did you first become involved of organisation and corporate
in learning? work; network together some
I got involved in learning way back when very influential companies
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I was in the equivalent of our secondary and organisations around the
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school, when I just had a passion for world that shared that interest
education but I knew I didn’t want to and philosophy; and be able to
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work in schools. I always thought what influence the field, in some ways try
a really cool thing it would be to work in to move the needle in the world of
learning. I was an early geek, so it was learning… If we do research, we give it
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the combination of being a geek and away, we put it out there on the web –
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having this early passion for learning. It that’s our business model.
was just really being curious about how
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people learn things and how you can do Why is adult learning so important?
a better job of teaching them how to Well, I think we need to understand
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that adults, unlike children, have
a huge reservoir of knowledge,
What has been your career path information, experience, attitudes
so far? and prejudices. And so they have to
I was a training manager, I was the CEO of either unlearn, or you have to prove it
a company, I worked in the government to them. The beauty of adults is they
arena, both in US, and I even worked for know a lot when you go to teach them
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two years in government in Dublin. For something. The really horrible thing
the most part I have been a researcher, about adults is they know a lot when
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an analyst in learning, doing seminars, you go to teach them something. You’ve
teaching content of building networks of got to build a way of working with an
people and doing large events. I’ve sort of adult, that honours what they know,
been doing that since I was 26 – I think I’ve leverages it where appropriate, but you
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got the hang of it now. also have to treat them like an adult, and
unfortunately most of us have memories
What is the Masie Center? of education or learning experiences
Well, I had a desire to create an where we are not treated like adults. So
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organisation that would be able to I think that’s what unique about adults.
do three things; research in the field And to me it’s exciting! •••••
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Learning Magazine
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