30
Learning Trends
Lead interview
of how they learn best and which with technology. We have had times when objectives and learning investments is often
resources they can trust. In a conscious people thought technology provided all poorly designed and executed, and hence
informal learning process, self-knowledge the solutions and they didn’t understand the results achieved are suboptimal. In
and media competency become vital. It is much about individual preferences, cultural such a situation it is not surprising that line
not just about traditional IT skills. factors, and generational influences executives are often sceptical about the
in the workplace. Understand how value they get from the learning function.
These days there is also a lot of discussion people learn, and grasp the difference
about simulations, serious games and virtual between formal learning and informal Learning professionals often face an uphill
worlds. Simulations have been around for learning. Then get your hands around battle – lip service of senior company
quite a while and have proven their value the capabilities of technology and try to executives regarding the importance of
for specific application areas. With serious be innovative, leveraging technology. investing into human capital are often not
games and virtual worlds we are entering Don’t try to impose approaches on the followed by acts. In tough times when
a new field where the direct interaction user – give them choices and enable them budgets are cut, learning is frequently
between users, including experiences of to shape their learning process. Also, I axed as ‘nice to have’ and not considered
collaboration and teaming, open up new think one of the important things for mandatory. Learning professionals have
capabilities. Much of this is still in the today’s learning professionals is to be a the opportunity and the challenge to
status of experimentation but it has a big part of a professional community. This is change this perception for good. For
promise for the future. As with previous example – during the last 10 years leading
technology capabilities, there will not be companies have started to move towards a
immediate substitution and replacement more strategic view of corporate learning.
of the ‘old’ ways, but a gradual build-up of “Applying technology Independent accreditations of corporate
complementary capabilities. After all, this is
in an effective way to
learning organisations and corporate
also a question of ‘digital natives’ who are universities have emerged, setting quality
growing up with these tools and ‘digital learning. It means first standards and providing the basis for
immigrants’ such as me and maybe you…
to understand learning
continuous improvement. The Corporate
Learning Improvement Process run by the
Q: Do you think there are any areas of
as such, and then
EFMD (an ELIG member) is a case in point.
learning where the industry has moved
on from?
once you understand
The development of the learning profession
towards increasing excellence and impact is
Richard: At the learning technology and
learning better
tightly linked to this type of process where
application front we see the movement
towards openness and individualisation. In
you start to think
sharing and learning in peer-communities
is the essence.
today’s world closed application silos are
about how to apply
no longer viable. Hence open architectures
Dr. Richard Straub is Secretary General
and open standards get a lot of attention.
technology in support
of the European Learning Industry Group
At the infrastructure level the need for
of learning processes”
(ELIG) http://www.elig.org/ and senior
critical mass is evident. Large infrastructures
advisor to the Chairman of IBM Europe,
can be managed by specialised providers
Middle East and Africa, and Director
of Development and CLIP (Corporate
and ensure that the individual organisation
Learning Improvement Process) at the
can focus on the best way to utilise the happening more and more; they are not
European Foundation for Management
technology, ie, on creating value with just in a department of the company – Development (EFMD). ELIG is currently
innovative application. The time when I’d they are increasingly becoming part of a
chaired by Giunti Labs and Intel.
run my own departmental LMS or my own global community where they are sharing
Diana Bing was Director of Enterprise
content management system is definitely experiences and challenges. I think that’s
Learning at IBM with responsibility for
over. On the basis of robust and open ICT what knowledge workers such as learning
the USA. She retired in September 2008,
infrastructure, adaptable and customisable professionals need. but continues to share her wealth of
learning environments can be implemented.
learning knowledge.
It should ultimately go the point where my Q: In your opinion what challenges do
learning environment becomes portable – L&D professionals face?
regardless of organisational affiliation. No Richard: The challenge is that all too Dr. Richard Straub is speaking at
wonder portable e-portfolios and social often learning is not considered a strategic
the World of Learning Conference on
networks are so big. function of the company, meaning that the
20 November at 15:10 – 15:45. His
presentation ‘Driving L&D in a changing
questions about skills, learning and human
business environment’ will look at the
Q: What advice would you give L&D capital are not sufficiently represented in
global human capital challenge (the effect
professionals moving toward more the key planning and resource allocation that technology will have on our lives)
modern learning methods? processes of the company and the learning
that confronts us in this ever-changing
Richard: The advice I would give is first function does not have a strategic mission.
working world.
understand how people learn, do not start Alignment between the company’s
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