What 10 factors are changing the landscape of workplace learning today?
Jane Hart, an e-learning consultant in the U.K. who runs the Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies, and member of the Internet Time Alliance, gave a talk at DevLearn this morning in which she outlined the state of learning in the workplace, pointing to factors that have been causing the greatest changes.
The complete slideshow from Hart’s talk is online, but here are the highlights:
1. Informal learning is a key part of workplace learning.
2. There are deficiencies in the formal learning model. “A lot of existing formal learning practices are ineffective and inefficient. Most formal learning is content-heavy and interaction-poor, provides little opportunity for practice in context and for reflection. In other words, a large amount of formal learning is a cost rather than a benefit,” says Charles Jennings, who is also part of the Internet Time Alliance with Hart.
3. Social media is having a big impact in the workplace.
4. Increasing consumerization of IT: This means people are bringing their own tools to work because they don’t feel like they can rely on the tools that they are given at work, or they just prefer their own familiar tools that they already know how to use.
5. Merging of personal, working and learning tools
6. Individuals are doing their own thing: “they know they can get the answers quickly” from Google, Wikipedia, YouTube, and so they turn to them with or without the organization’s knowledge. “Learning is not only happening in the learning department. Learning is happening all around,” says Hart.
“Everyone really has to think about learning while you work — or becoming obsolete,” says Hart.
7. Autonomy has a powerful effect on individual performance and attitude
8. Today’s “learning” systems are not appropriate for the new era of workplace learning.
“When learning is the work, then it has to be integrated with working,” says Harold Jarche, another member of Internet Time Alliance.
9. The changing learning landscape is part of a much wider changing business environment.
10. Senior decision makers think there is a need for change in L&D.
3 Practical Steps Towards the New Era of Workplace Learning
1. Encourage and support individuals and teams to address their own learning and performance problems (very much about trust).
2. Provide performance consulting services.
3. Provide advice on appropriate tools and systems.
So do you think education meets the needs of modern industry? Should schools start to worry less about the facts people learn annd more about teachhing them to find and evaluate facts.
How would this change assessments? Is the future in companies that design online tests evaluating employees with traditional formats of exams meaning that no one ever truely leaves education, or do we need an entirely new means of assesment?
I work in a situation where we are obliged to take a lot of online training. Much of it we must take on our own time. I find that much of the content is long (designed by a committee), slightly out of date, and not especially relevant. Yet the personnel folks put great value in completing these courses and earning the certifications. In conversations with colleagues, we agree that the people who have the time to take the courses and get the credentials are not the people who are doing the work. They are the strap-hangers who try to look busy by doing peripheral tasks, such as these online courses. This whole endeavor sounds like an easy answer, but often misses the mark. Adult supervision is needed.
jc
I would love to know more about how to help learning and HR departments begin to blend the old w the new knowledge worker practices. What ideas do you or others have about doing this well. Clearly we are in forefront of massive change and can help lead the way. Yet we need tools. Or maybe I should google my question
Cheers.