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Overview (Child)

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It has been a while since the previous edition. Before I explain my situation (if you want to know at all), let me introduce the final edition of my Learning Notes. In this edition, I’ll share a selection of resources that have been most valuable to me over the years. For future inspiration, please subscribe to another source my colleague Roy de Vries sends out regularly: the <a href="https://www.anewspring.com/anewletter-sign-up">Love to Learn Letter</a>. You won’t regret it!What happened to me and why is this the final edition? Late 2020, I had a significant stroke. After first recovering for nine months, I worked my way back into my job, with the kind and respectful support of my colleagues. But that didn’t seem to be sustainable and my health deteriorated. So, now it’s time to say goodbye. No drama needed, or like the Japanese say: Shouganai. It is what it is.I’ll continue joining professional conversations online. See you there!

Toyota Glossary

What’s it about?Here you find a glossary of 13 Japanese business terms. Each of them are ‘containers of wisdom’. Nemawashi, Gemba and Genchi Genbutsu are my personal favorites. Read them carefully and try to apply them in your specific context.Why read it?<ul><li>Japanese principles related to work are very interesting, useful and contain a lot of practical wisdom. Use them as a lens to look at your own work.</li><li>I had the opportunity to work in a Japanese company for many years and I consider these years crucial for my career.</li><li>Although many principles became popular in an industrial setting, most of them can be applied in other industries as well, like in learning and development.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a href="https://www.toyotauk.com/toyota-in-the-uk/how-we-manufacture/glossary">https://www.toyotauk.com/toyota-in-the-uk/how-we-manufacture/glossary</a>

Learning objectives

What’s it about?The use of learning objectives has become so obvious that we take their effectiveness for granted. Don’t! Will Thalheimer presents the details that matter, and you’ll be surprised! Become a Learning Objective Master by applying the presented insights.Why watch it?<ul><li>Do you really know how/when learning objectives work, and how/when they don’t?</li><li>Do you know about different stakeholders related to learning objectives?</li><li>Check out the brilliant video that shows the power of Will Thalheimer: deep knowledge made accessible with a unique style of humor. Unparalleled!</li></ul>Where to find it?<a href="https://youtu.be/PRX1RwxybCs?feature=shared">https://youtu.be/PRX1RwxybCs?feature=shared</a>

What’s it about?We managed to set up a true classical experiment to compare adaptive e-learning with regular e-learning. We did this together with a client (using a ‘real world’ course) and a University (robust research design and data processing, so independent conclusions). A career highlight for me, with very useful outcomes as a result of great team work.Why read it?<ul><li>Adaptive learning still isn’t a mainstream practice, but it should. Read here why.</li><li>Adaptive learning might lead to more efficiency, but do check effectiveness and experience (we did).</li><li>Technology to create adaptive learning is mature and easy when using the right platform. Now it’s even simpler with the application of generative AI.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a href="https://www.anewspring.com/articles/adaptive-learning-reduce-study-time">https://www.anewspring.com/articles/adaptive-learning-reduce-study-time</a>

3 Life Lessons

What’s it about?Rob Hubbard kindly invited me to be his guest on his 3 Life Lessons podcast. I can tell you that it’s not an easy task to come up with life lessons related to learning. However, it was a very interesting exercise to work on. What would be your three life lessons?Why listen to/watch it?<ul><li>I reflected on the life lessons that have been most valuable and practical to me in my L&amp;D career. What are yours?</li><li>My life lessons are presented in slogans, so they are easier to understand, re-use and remember.</li><li>Take the opportunity to listen and find plenty of life lessons in Rob’s podcast series.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a href="https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-y84uq-17c4a7e">https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-y84uq-17c4a7e</a>

Would like a direct brain-internet connection. Loves connecting people, ideas and inspiration in the global learning community.

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Article

It's been a while since the previous edition. Before I explain my situation, let me introduce the final edition. I’ll share a selection of resources that have been most valuable to me over the years.

Ger’s Learning Notes #57: Final edition

gers learning notes

Podcast

In Learning Notes #53, I shared four of my favourite learning podcasts. A tricky thing to do, because there are so many good ones. What I hoped for, happened: I got a few comments about my choices and some suggestions on how I could have improved the quality. Thanks for that. It challenged me to do a second episode on learning podcasts.For all suggestions of good podcasts in Dutch (or other non-English languages): I know there are a lot of excellent podcasts out there but, since I serve an international audience, I will stick to English language podcasts. And I’m sure many great podcasts aren’t mentioned in my overview (although they deserve it) but I will cap it at two episodes. I want to move forward with other topics because there is just so much going on in the learniverse.I’ll share this episode like always via LinkedIn and Twitter and, again, invite you to add your favourite podcast in the comments. Let’s keep sharing to serve our community of like-minded learning pioneers!

Woman Talking About Learning

What’s it about?The Women Talking About Learning Podcast is, well… women talking about learning and development. Underrepresented in senior roles in the learning function, this podcast amplifies women’s voices talking about all things learning and development related.Why listen to it?<ul><li>Women may not be underrepresented in the learning community overall, but they are in senior roles. It’s important to have this specific platform.</li><li>Get access to more than 50 episodes on different topics with more than 100 guests sharing their perspectives.</li><li>The topics are suggested by the audience and guests invited to join, so there’s something for everyone.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://womentalkingaboutlearning.com/podcasts/">https://womentalkingaboutlearning.com/podcasts/</a>

Scott Young Podcast

What’s it about?This is the podcast by the author of the fascinating book ‘UltraLearning’ - he is an ‘ultra-learner’ himself.Why listen to it?<ul><li>Almost 250 (!) episodes of well-researched topics related to learning in one podcast.</li><li>Scott H. Young has a natural talent for explaining things in an easy manner, making his podcasts easy to digest.</li><li>All his work is backed-up with the latest insights of scientific research, so you know you’re doing the right things.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/podcast/">https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/podcast/</a>

eLearning Coach Podcast

What’s it about?Connie Malamed is well known as the e-Learning Coach and that is what she is. Find different topics here to help you with your e-learning design.Why listen to it?<ul><li>Connie’s work is always high quality and appreciated by many, many learning professionals.</li><li>Because she is such a knowledgeable person, the conversations in her podcasts have a more than average depth.</li><li>With almost 80 episodes, this is not the winner podcast in terms of quantity. However, looking at the selection of guests, it’s the winner based on quality.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://theelearningcoach.com/category/podcasts/">https://theelearningcoach.com/category/podcasts/</a>

ATD Podcast

What’s it about?The largest association for learning professionals has a rich podcast. In fact, three podcasts with a focus on different topics.Why listen to it?<ul><li>Listen to ‘The Accidental Trainer podcast’ if you want to grow in your L&amp;D career.</li><li>Listen to ‘The DE&amp;I podcast’ if you want to learn best practices related to diversity, equity and inclusion.</li><li>Listen to “The Talent Development Leader podcast’ if you are a learning leader or want to understand what’s high on the agenda of learning leaders. As a service provider, you need this!</li></ul> Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://www.td.org/search?categories.lvl0%5B0%5D=Podcast&amp;query=&amp;sort=newest">https://www.td.org/search?categories.lvl0%5B0%5D=Podcast&amp;query=&amp;sort=newest</a>

Ger's Learning Notes

In Learning Notes #53, I shared four of my favourite learning podcasts. A tricky thing to do, because there are so many good ones. What I hoped for, happened: I got a few comments about my choices.

Ger's Learning Notes #55: Learning podcasts (part 2)

Content curation

“Searching for content on the internet is like drinking from a fire hose!” is a saying often used to introduce content curation. Some people believe there’s no need to create any new content anymore; everything already exists and can be found on the internet. Need a ‘how-to’ video? Just look it up on YouTube. Others agree that there is a lot of content available, but most of it can be quite generic and not contextualised. Therefore, it’s not as relevant. If it’s not relevant for the user, it has little value.Content curation can be useful in either scenario. In situations of overload, filtering can be helpful to narrow down the amount of content. If done well, it will also improve the relevance for the end user. Additionally, curation can be helpful when the curator adds some perspective and makes content more context-based. There are many ways to do it. You can find an overview in this episode of my curated Learning Notes.You might know curation as a job related to museums, but recently, I saw a job opening at a large company looking for a content curator to join their learning team. The museum curator brings together a selection of paintings or objects, to tell a specific story from a specific angle. The selection, order and storyline are amongst the most important aspects by which the curator adds value. Content curation for learning can also add value.We know that ‘just consuming’ content isn’t the best learning approach. We also know that novices are often initially unable to assess the quality or relevance of content. These are situations in which content curation can add value in an easy way. How often do you curate content as part of your job as a learning professional? I hope that the carefully curated content that I offer in this edition will help you find a way to also benefit from it.

Seek > Sense > Share

What&#039;s it about?Seek &gt; Sense &gt; Share is a basic model created for the sake of personal knowledge management and a very meaningful way to explain the essence of content curation.Why read it?<ul><li>It shows the very essence of content curation in my opinion.</li><li>It is great as a source of inspiration and a very practical model to help you get started with content creation.</li><li>It is a very useful source to help you build a reputation as a content curator.</li></ul>Where to find it? <a target="_blank" href="https://jarche.com/pkm/">https://jarche.com/pkm/</a>

Wired, not tired

What’s it about?This is a recording of the session that ‘master curator’ Mike Taylor delivered at the 2019 Learning Technologies Conference in London.Why watch it?<ul><li>Learn about all aspects of content curation.</li><li>Benefit from the many practical examples.</li><li>If you don’t want to spend time watching the whole video, be sure to subscribe to Mike’s ‘masterpiece’ Friday Finds (see link below).</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q36elOJMkc&amp;t=215s&amp;ab_channel=LearningTechnologies">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q36elOJMkc&amp;t=215s&amp;ab_channel=LearningTechnologies</a>Friday Finds: <a target="_blank" href="https://miketaylor.beehiiv.com/">https://miketaylor.beehiiv.com/</a>

Curation approaches

What’s it about?Robin Good wrote this article with the intention of mapping the territory of content curation by explaining and exploring 12 formats.Why read it?<ul><li>When I first read something about content curation from Robin Good about 10 years ago, he mentioned five formats of content curation. Now he’s at 12!</li><li>Each format is explained and you’ll find some interesting examples for all of them.</li><li>If you want to include content curation as a regular activity in your job, you should know the work of Robin Good and follow him.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://medium.com/content-curation-official-guide/content-curation-approaches-types-and-formats-ae2b33fe6a18">https://medium.com/content-curation-official-guide/content-curation-approaches-types-and-formats-ae2b33fe6a18</a>

Content curation tools & software

What’s it about?This list of tools is a part of ‘The Complete Guide to Content Curation in 2023: Tool, Tips, Ideas’ by Hootsuite. Be aware that Hootsuite is one of them, so they’re also promoting their own tool. Decide for yourself which might be useful for you.Why read it?<ul><li>Doing curation once is ‘easy’ and doing it twice as well. But if you want to deliver it regularly, make use of the tools available.</li><li>The free options provide you with a low risk way of finding the kind of tool(s) best for you.</li><li>Remember: a fool with a tool is still a fool. In the end, you as the curator must deliver the added value.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://blog.hootsuite.com/beginners-guide-to-content-curation/#8_content_curation_tools_and_software">https://blog.hootsuite.com/beginners-guide-to-content-curation/#8_content_curation_tools_and_software</a>

“Searching for content on the internet is like drinking from a fire hose!” is a saying often used to introduce content curation. Some people believe there’s no need to create any new content anymore.

Ger’s Learning Notes #54: Content curation

“Podcasts are hotter than an American setting on a thermostat in Europe,” is a quote I heard recently. It’s a nice tool to keep up with new topics and insights regarding certain professions. As learning and development professionals, we are blessed to have a whole range of interesting podcasts about our profession. In previous editions of my Learning Notes, you could find some specific podcasts that covered one of the central topics of that episode.Last December, I joined a conference session by John Helmer and Donald Clark at Online Educa Berlin. John gave a great introduction about his journey as a podcast producer. After that, he recorded a live episode of the ‘Great Minds on Learning’ podcast together with Donald Clark. A very nice experience. Look out for them; they might do it again soon in your neighbourhood! In fact, they will do so in my neighbourhood on April 18th at the NextLearning event in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands. So, if you are around, seize the opportunity.It was hard for me to choose which podcasts to include in this episode, but I decided to stick to the regular four resources that I usually share. Of course, there are many more excellent learning podcasts out there. So, it’s possible that I didn’t include one (in English) that you think deserved to be in this list. If so, don’t hesitate to let me know! I’m looking forward to your suggestions.

The Learning Hack

What’s it about?The Learning Hack podcast is about significant innovations that are shaping the future of learning; the Great Minds on Learning podcast shares the history of thought and theorising about learning with Donald Clark in a way that only he can do.Why listen to it?<ul><li>Showrunner and host John Helmer has a background in marketing but also in music: he knows about studios and recording leading to a very high quality podcast. You can definitely hear that.</li><li>With The Learning Hack, you’ll learn about all new things and perspectives on learning (like in episode 77 on Podcasts for Learning)!</li><li>Great Minds on Learning is a must-listen if you want to be informed about the history of learning, from Aristotle to the present day.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://learninghackpodcast.com/">https://learninghackpodcast.com/</a>

Mind Tools Podcast

What’s it about?For me, this is the mother of all L&amp;D podcasts. It started as the Good Practice and is now called Mind Tools. It has arrived (at the moment of writing this edition in early April 2023) at its 337th episode!Why listen to it?<ul><li>It’s fabulous how the team of Gemma, Ross, Ross and Owen always create the special atmosphere that characterises their show.</li><li>It’s unbelievable how Owen Ferguson always comes up with so many wise and useful comments or specific angles, no matter what the topic is.</li><li>With 337 episodes and growing, you’ll have a repository of high quality podcasts covering almost any topic you can think of related to learning.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://mindtoolsbusiness.com/resources/podcast">https://mindtoolsbusiness.com/resources/podcast</a>

Learning Uncut Podcast

What’s it about?Combine learning with Australia and you’ll end up at Michelle Ockers. Via her podcast series, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from the best L&amp;D pro’s and cases from Down Under (but also from other parts of the world).Why listen to it?<ul><li>Australia has a real professional and nice learning community, and you can hear their voices in this podcast.</li><li>As a host, Michelle always steers the conversation to sharp and applicable insights, and often puts them in a broader perspective.</li><li>You’ll also find the Energent series in which Michelle works together with two other ‘power-L&amp;D-ladies’ Laura Overton (UK) and Shannon Tipton (USA).</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://learninguncut.global/podcast/">https://learninguncut.global/podcast/</a>

The L&D Podcast

What’s it about?In this series of podcasts, David James is trying to change the conversation related to learning in a direction of added value and outcomes rather than activities.Why listen to it?<ul><li>If you want inspiration on how to pivot the results of learning activities to (organisational) outcomes, this is the place to be.</li><li>Also, here you’ll find a large repository of 100+ episodes with a rather heavy (but not sole!) focus on members of the UK L&amp;D community.</li><li>Find some inspirational angles from other business functions to apply in your approach to learning focused on outcomes.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://davidinlearning.com/">https://davidinlearning.com/</a>

“Podcasts are hotter than an American setting on a thermostat in Europe,” is a quote I heard recently. It’s a nice tool to keep up with new topics and insights regarding certain professions.

Ger's Learning Notes #53: Learning podcasts

Tips

While writing this, I’m still in a very good mood related to the Bronze Learning Impact Award that we won at LPI’s awards show in London. Our submission covered the <a target="_blank" href="/articles/adaptive-learning-reduce-study-time">adaptive learning case</a> and the related research that we did together with our customer BSL. Showing a 30+% shorter time to complete by independent research has been a win in itself; getting recognition by winning an international award for it is the icing on the cake.Now back to you dear readers. What I’ve noticed over the years is that some of you like overviews and reports in the Learning Notes and others prefer practical ‘how-to’ tips. So, to try to serve both categories, I’ve decided to mix it up this time. Fifty-fifty, two posts on reports and two on tips. It’s all reading, so I promise to watch out for video and podcast material for episode 53.Meanwhile, here at aNewSpring everybody is looking forward to euughhh… a new spring! Did you know one of our founders liked the good vibe of a new spring arriving with nice sunny weather, birds singing, the smell of fresh mown lawn and the joyful people so much that he wanted to create a company based on that vibe?! He did and we will celebrate our 20th anniversary this year. Who knows, perhaps some special activities will be organised for that…But first, read this episode and see what’s in it for you. Suggestions and feedback are welcome as always. I hope to hear from you!

2023 GSS

What’s it about?Simply brilliant to ask only one question and create an interesting report about it: What will be hot in L&amp;D? Here are the results.Why read it?<ul><li>Be aware of what is on the mind of almost 4000 learning professionals from 100 different countries and what they think will be ‘hot’ in 2023.</li><li>Read what Don has to say about the results and what they mean.</li><li>Be aware: It’s about sentiment and thus doesn’t mean respondents are really working on these topics. Also, don’t forget about regional differences.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://donaldhtaylor.co.uk/insight/gss2023-results/">https://donaldhtaylor.co.uk/insight/gss2023-results/</a>

Job skills 2023 report

What’s it about?Coursera shows which job skills are high in demand in 2023. It’s based on an analysis of enterprise users and consists of four million participants in more than 100 countries.Why read it?<ul><li>Get an impression of which job skills are high in demand and see what these insights mean for you.</li><li>Compare digital job skills with what Coursera calls “human job skills”.</li><li>Use the insights to reflect on your current situation as a training provider or internal learning professional and see if you want (and need) to adjust.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://www.coursera.org/campus/resources/job-skills-2023">https://www.coursera.org/campus/resources/job-skills-2023</a>

Video for learning

What’s it about?In this trilogy, Patti Shank takes a deep dive into why and how videos can be good to support learning. Additionally, she looks at how to do it for maximum learning impact.Why read it?<ul><li>Like all writings by Patti Shank, you’ll get a good overview of pros and cons and everything is evidence-backed (with an overview of the sources).</li><li>Video is popular and often seems an undefeated ‘must have’ part of your learning design, but Patti shows you that video is ‘just a tool’ like any other. So, make a deliberate choice.</li><li>After exploring pros and cons in part one and how learners process video in part two, part three shows you how to use video for the best learning results. We like that!</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://elearningindustry.com/creating-better-video-for-learning-part-1">https://elearningindustry.com/creating-better-video-for-learning-part-1</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://elearningindustry.com/creating-better-video-for-learning-part-2">https://elearningindustry.com/creating-better-video-for-learning-part-2</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://elearningindustry.com/creating-better-video-for-learning-part-3">https://elearningindustry.com/creating-better-video-for-learning-part-3</a>

Steal like an artist

What’s it about?Catherine Lombardozzi advises to make use of what others already tried and tested, and adjust it to your own context. Like how Austin Kleon advises in his book: ‘Steal like an artist’. Like I do when I make the Learning Notes!Why read it?<ul><li>Learn how and why it is good to make use of what’s already out there.</li><li>She says it implicitly but also rather clearly: just copying won’t do the job. Mix, add, revise and above all, make it meaningful for the audience you serve.</li><li>Make use of the 17 resources that she offers; they are linked in the article. The links to the books might not work based on your location, but you can use the titles and find them in your area.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://blog.insynctraining.com/steal-like-an-artist">https://blog.insynctraining.com/steal-like-an-artist</a>

While writing this, I’m still in a very good mood related to the Bronze Learning Impact Award that we won at LPI’s awards show in London. Our submission covered the adaptive learning case.

Ger’s Learning Notes #52: Fifty-fifty

I hope the year 2023 started well for you. It did for me, being re-energized after two weeks off during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. I didn’t work during those two weeks, but I did keep an eye on the social channels that I use most: Twitter and LinkedIn. If you totally shut off for the holidays and are now wondering what you missed: everything was about the new Artificial Intelligence powered chatbot ChatGPT (GPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer). You might be up to speed with it, but if not, I will tell you more about it in this edition of the Learning Notes.It was very interesting to see how ChatGPT fuelled discussions in so many different areas of society and also in mainstream media. I guess the hottest debates came from the education sector. One side argued it should be banned at schools and forbidden for use by pupils and students; who immediately embraced this new opportunity to get their homework done, writing essays, reports and so on. On the other side, progressive educators also embraced the new technology and already found ways to use it to support their teaching. The Learning and Development community also joined the discussion on how to make use of this new opportunity and the role AI can play in workplace learning in the near future.It is really nice to see all kinds of experiments and applications that are created so fast. I also ran a little experiment for this episode of the Learning Notes. I have chosen only one post in which OpenAI (the company that launched ChatGPT) CEO Sam Waltman warns against using ChatGPT for important topics. Besides that, I looked at the results of Don Taylor’s Global Sentiment Survey (GSS) of 2022 which shows the results on the single question: ‘What will be hot in workplace learning in 2022’. The top three are upskilling &amp; reskilling, collaborative &amp; social learning and personalised learning. So, I asked ChatGPT how training providers can benefit from these three items.

ChatGPT warning

What’s it about?A quick overview on how ChatGPT pushes boundaries with a remarkable warning by the co-founder and CEO of the companyWhy read it?<ul><li>It gives a nice overview of how ChatGPT pushes boundaries (but does not overcome them).</li><li>Learn about the remarkable warning about using it for important things by the co-founder.</li><li>Understand a little better how it can be used.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://the-decoder.com/openai-founder-warns-against-chatgpt-use-for-important-things/">https://the-decoder.com/openai-founder-warns-against-chatgpt-use-for-important-things/</a>

Question #1

My question:How can the trend of reskilling and upskilling be beneficial for learning providers?ChatGPT’s answer:The trend of reskilling and upskilling can be beneficial for training providers in several ways.Firstly, it creates a demand for their services as more individuals and organizations seek to acquire new skills and knowledge.Additionally, it allows training providers to diversify their offerings and stay current with industry trends, which can increase their client base and revenue.Furthermore, it can also help training providers to establish themselves as thought leaders in the industry and build a reputation for delivering high-quality training programs.

Question #2

My question:How can training providers benefit from including collaborative and social learning into their offering?ChatGPT’s answer:Training providers can benefit from including collaborative and social learning in their offering by:- Enhancing learning outcomes: Collaborative and social learning can help learners retain information better and apply it in real-world situations.- Building a sense of community: Collaborative and social learning can help create a sense of community among learners, which can increase engagement and motivation.- Fostering creativity and innovation: Collaborative and social learning can help learners think outside the box and come up with new ideas and solutions.- Enhancing problem-solving skills: Collaborative and social learning can help learners develop problem-solving skills by working together to find solutions to complex problems.- Improving communication and teamwork skills: Collaborative and social learning can help learners develop communication and teamwork skills, which are valuable in both personal and professional settings.

Question #3

My question:Why is personalised learning and adaptive delivery of learning an opportunity for training providers?ChatGPT’s answer:Personalised learning and adaptive delivery of learning is an opportunity for training providers because it allows them to:- Meet the unique needs of each learner: Personalised learning and adaptive delivery of learning allows training providers to tailor their instruction to meet the unique needs of each learner, which can lead to better learning outcomes.- Increase engagement and motivation: When learners feel that the instruction is tailored to their needs, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated to learn.- Improve retention and transfer of learning: Personalised learning and adaptive delivery of learning can help learners retain information better and apply it in real-world situations, by providing content that is relevant to their needs and interests.- Monitor and track learner progress: Personalised learning and adaptive delivery of learning allows training providers to track and monitor learner progress in real-time and make adjustments to instruction as needed, which can improve the overall effectiveness of the training program.- Differentiation: Personalised learning and adaptive delivery allow for differentiation of content, pace, and modality of delivery based on the learner’s needs and preferences. Thus, providing an opportunity for training providers to cater to a diverse group of learners effectively.

I hope the year 2023 started well for you. It did for me, being re-energized after a two weeks off during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. I didn’t work during those two weeks, but...

Ger’s Learning Notes #51: ChatGPT

AI for learning

At aNewSpring, we are quite good at celebrating. It is embedded in our culture and a clear starting point for the company. So, we measure and steer on the objective of reaching goals together while having fun.We never waste an opportunity to celebrate a special occasion. Releasing Learning Notes #50 is such an opportunity, of course. Please allow us to be a bit self-centred this time while we provide you with a bit of insight into the world of the Learning Notes. But let’s first start with the most important message: Thank you, readers!Did you know our top-five subscribers based on country are the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, South Africa, USA and Belgium? And that we have subscribers from 59 different countries? Enough about us and back to you. Of course, we also want to reach out to you because we want to continue towards #100!You can help me by sharing your thoughts, wishes and needs, so I can include them in upcoming episodes. What topic is high on your agenda these days? What kinds of resources do you appreciate the most? Remember that the Learning Notes are only relevant and meaningful for us to continue if they are relevant and meaningful for you. Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts.

Learning Notes wishlist

What’s it about?We want to know what, to you, are the most important topics and resources to be covered in our upcoming episodes.What to share?<ul><li>Let me know the topics that are high on your agenda, so I can cover them.</li><li>Let me know what kinds of resources you like the most: thought-provoking or practical? Text, video or podcasts? Or a good blend of all of these?</li><li>Let me know any other thoughts and ideas on how to make the Learning Notes more valuable for you!</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="mailto:ger@anewspring.nl">Click here to send me some inspiration</a>

The founding fathers

What’s it about?I had a conversation with my former colleague, Corjan Bast, who, in fact, is the founding father of the Learning Notes.Why watch it?<ul><li>Learn why Corjan thought it was a good idea to start with the Learning Notes and if he thinks it still is.</li><li>Listen to the fun parts of working on the Learning Notes.</li><li>Corjan always comes up with great ideas related to marketing. Benefit from this, because like we always say: he’s simply the Bast!</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://vimeo.com/781049903">https://vimeo.com/781049903</a>

A thank you

What’s it about?I create the Learning Notes as ‘raw material’, which is later processed and put online by my wonderful colleagues. Special thanks to Callista, Kelly and Famke for doing their magic!What to write to them?<ul><li>That you like the language, structure and styling of the Learning Notes.</li><li>That you wish you had colleagues like them.</li><li>Also just a kind ‘thank you’ will be highly appreciated.</li></ul>Where to find them?On LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/callistadesterke/">Callista</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-rijsterborgh-510103139/">Kelly</a> &amp; <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/famke-vromans-5976a5176/">Famke</a>Via email: <a target="_blank" href="mailto:marketing@anewspring.nl">marketing@anewspring.nl</a>

Behind the scenes

What’s it about?In this video, you can watch me struggle behind the scenes and see a bit of the (my) process of putting together every episode of the Learning Notes.Why watch it?<ul><li>Tune in to experience a bit of the vibe.</li><li>Discover one of the secret ingredients to make it all happen (hint: it’s black, hot, liquid and comes in mugs).</li><li>You might not notice it, but I really love to work on the Learning Notes. It also helps me learn about the content that I curate and share every time.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://vimeo.com/389963536/0dfe2caa96">https://vimeo.com/389963536/0dfe2caa96</a>

At aNewSpring, we are quite good at celebrating. It is embedded in our culture and a clear starting point for the company. So, we measure and steer on the objective of reaching goals together while...

Ger’s Learning Notes #50: Celebrating episode 50

Research

There is a fundamental way of learning that we often seem to overlook; it’s called research. I remember the first research I did as a student for our national weather service, the KNMI. We conducted serious evaluation research around one of the important internal courses they did those days.Not only did I learn a lot about learning evaluation, but I also discovered a lot about how all the dynamics within an organisation could influence learning results. It made me rethink my ambitions of becoming a learning designer and helped me adjust my learning journey in a rather fundamental way. I think that piece of research was a very important one for the rest of my career. There is so much practical research out there that could help us if we just put in the effort to study the results. And we can do more ourselves.I’m happy that over the last months, I’ve been engaged in the setup and organisation of a practical research project. This was done along with our client Bohn Stafleu van Loghum (BSL) and supported by HAN University of Applied Sciences. You can find the results in this episode of the Learning Notes, along with some other fine and practical research reports. I hope they will help you to improve your work and inspire you to look at opportunities and possibilities to do some research yourself.What I learned over the past months is that working together with partners in research is helpful, fun and very rewarding. I can highly recommend that. But first, take a look at the rich resources of this episode.

What’s it about?We conducted a research project in which we compared adaptive e-learning with ‘regular’ e-learning on effectiveness, time to competence, self-efficacy and learner satisfaction. Here are the results.Why read it?<ul><li>It’s not so easy to set up this kind of “classical experiment” A/B studies to compare two learning approaches, but we succeeded!</li><li>Read about the exciting result of the 33% reduction in study time and how it affects the other elements included in this study.</li><li>Learn what the “high opportunity” boundary conditions are, to benefit from adaptive learning.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="/articles/adaptive-learning-reduce-study-time">https://www.anewspring.com/articles/adaptive-learning-reduce-study-time</a>

Blended learning trends

What’s it about?Student Consultancy from the University of Oxford researched the adoption of blended learning by 169 training providers in the UK.Why read it?<ul><li>There is a lot of research on blended learning but not with a specific focus on training providers.</li><li>The report gives a nice and interesting overview of the challenges related to “going blended”.</li><li>Also, read about solutions and the benefits that you can gain when you do it right.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://inmisceo.co.uk/blended-learning-trends-from-training-providers-2022/#more-19559">https://inmisceo.co.uk/blended-learning-trends-from-training-providers-2022/#more-19559</a>

Human focus in learning

What’s it about?The recent COVID pandemic pushed virtual and hybrid learning but how about their quality and effectiveness? This research gives some important answers.Why read it?<ul><li>When virtual learning expert Jo Cook and research expert Jane Daly combine forces, you know you will get really good stuff.</li><li>What is necessary to evolve from panic (pandemic) to performance (now?), and how are you performing right now?</li><li>TL;DR: Have a look at the very useful and insightful infographic.</li></ul>Where to find it?Research: <a target="_blank" href="https://virtualresearchinsights.com/">https://virtualresearchinsights.com/</a>Infographic: <a target="_blank" href="https://virtualresearchinsights.com/2022/09/26/infographic-for-improving-virtual-and-hybrid-learning/">https://virtualresearchinsights.com/2022/09/26/infographic-for-improving-virtual-and-hybrid-learning/ </a>

Breaking habits

What’s it about?An interesting review of research on habits by Logan Fiorella plus implications for learning.Why read it?<ul><li>Learning something new is one thing; making it a habit is a different thing. Read what is needed to do so.</li><li>Learn about the concept of effortful inhibition as an important key to success.</li><li>The New Year is just around the corner, so read this before you make up your mind about your New Year’s resolutions.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/2022/10/11/old-habits-are-hard-to-break/">https://3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/2022/10/11/old-habits-are-hard-to-break/</a>

There is a fundamental way of learning that we often seem to overlook; it’s called research. I remember the first research I did as a student for our national weather service, the KNMI.

Ger’s Learning Notes #49: Research

My colleague, Roy, went on holiday to Japan recently — a well-deserved vacation. I was a little bit envious to be honest, but as the Japanese say, ‘shouganai’ (it is what it is). I haven’t been to Japan (yet), but I worked as a training manager for a Japanese company. That was an amazing experience, and it taught me so many things about the Japanese way of looking at work. I dare to say that after all these years, it still inspires me at work at least once a week.When I reflect on it now, I think the core of its value lies in the structured, methodical way of working. When you trust a proven method and apply it with discipline, it will make your work much easier. The Japanese methods are best known for their focus on improvement, with Kaizen (kai means ‘change’ and zen means ‘for the better’) as the best-known term. In the first video, you will see ‘Mister Kaizen’ Masaaki Imai, the founding father, explain the meaning of Kaizen. He will also explain the seven types of waste (muda) as a way to recognise it and, of course, minimise it.Although Imai later redefined Kaizen as ‘improvement by everyone, everywhere, every day’, most examples come from production settings. So, you need to translate it to your own context. Clark Quinn will help you with that in his ‘Test and Tune’ blogpost, in which he reminds us that we are in the people business. The fourth source is a more “romantic” perspective on learning waste that I wrote a few years ago. Highly recommended for whisky lovers. Cheers!

Kaizen definition

What’s it about?Masaaki Imai is the founding father of the Kaizen institute and writer of the bestselling book Kaizen. He shares what Kaizen means.Why watch it?<ul><li>There is no better way (in my honest opinion) to learn about a concept than to learn it from the original source.</li><li>Find out how the concept evolved based on his experience.</li><li>Learn how Kaizen differs from stand-alone improvement initiatives.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqKMlRJUAJk">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqKMlRJUAJk</a>

Test and tune

What’s it about?Clark Quinn explains why applying rational approaches to people needs “test and tune” because people are so complex.Why read it?<ul><li>This blog post will help you translate continuous improvement to “people work”.</li><li>You’ll find some useful design approaches that will help you test and tune.</li><li>It also shows the value of working with metrics as an important condition.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://blog.learnlets.com/2022/09/test-and-tune/">https://blog.learnlets.com/2022/09/test-and-tune/</a>

Types of Muda

What’s it about?An important way to apply continuous improvement is to eliminate waste. Maasaki Imai explains the seven types of waste (muda).Why watch it?<ul><li>This video (again by ‘the master’ Imai) will open up your eyes regarding waste.</li><li>Most examples are related to industrial production so try to translate it to your specific context.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98yQa2d9Pzk">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98yQa2d9Pzk</a>

Learning transfer

What’s it about?In the tradition of producing whisky, a certain type of waste is called “the angel’s share”, which is a kind of romantic way to look at it.Why read it?<ul><li>It will give you a different, more romantic way of looking at waste.</li><li>It might make it easier for you and your stakeholders to accept certain levels of waste.</li><li>It teaches us that the kind of language we use to communicate a particular concept can have big consequences in terms of acceptance.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/deliver/training/learning-transfer-and-the-angels-share-how-to-brew-the-perfect-learning-experience">https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/deliver/training/learning-transfer-and-the-angels-share-how-to-brew-the-perfect-learning-experience</a>

My colleague, Roy, went on holiday to Japan recently — a well-deserved vacation. I was a little bit envious to be honest, but as the Japanese say, ‘shouganai’ (it is what it is)

Ger’s Learning Notes #48: Kaizen (continuous improvement)

Learning impact

Have you ever had a colleague who didn’t want to make an impact? I have never experienced that. I guess we all hope that our work has a positive impact in the end. Hard work doesn’t really do the trick; smart work does.As a worker or professional, you need to know how to approach your profession to really create a positive impact. When it comes to the learning profession, that doesn’t seem so easy all the time. The fact that we went to school for 10 years or more doesn’t make us experts in learning. Reading the Learning Notes does. 🙂This episode is packed with resources for the best by the best. The resources are evidence-based too, to help you create the positive impact that you are aiming for. Learning is too important to leave it to chance. Designing learning is not only a beautiful and purposeful profession but also a one with huge responsibility. You can do it if you know how and apply what works based on evidence. I hope this will help you.

Better video for learning

What’s it about?Patti Shank provides an evidence-based approach for how to create better video for learning in this first part of an upcoming series.Why read it?<ul><li>Video is very popular when it comes to learning. Using it seems self-evident in many situations.</li><li>Because of this, we want to know the pros and cons of using video for learning and how to use it in the best way.</li><li>In the end, you&#039;ll want to read everything Patti Shank has written because she is an extraordinary expert. If it says ‘part 1’, there is surely more good stuff to come!</li></ul>Where to find it?<a href="https://elearningindustry.com/creating-better-video-for-learning-part-1">https://elearningindustry.com/creating-better-video-for-learning-part-1</a>

The decisive dozen

What’s it about?In his quest to find the seven most important learning factors, Will Talheimer ended up with 12.Why read it?<ul><li>You are a learning professional who wants to create impact, and this post provides you with the 12 most important ingredients to do so.</li><li>The decisive dozen are all evidence-based, so you’ll use what works.</li><li>How about this claim by Will: &quot;If you put all these factors into practice, your learning interventions are likely to be more effective than 95% of all workplace learning interventions currently being utilised.&quot;</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://www.worklearning.com/2012/11/26/the-decisive-dozen-a-brief-synopsis/">https://www.worklearning.com/2012/11/26/the-decisive-dozen-a-brief-synopsis/</a>

Training not the solution

What’s it about?The article explores why training could be chosen as the wrong solution and what to do about it.Why read it?<ul><li>If you choose the wrong kind of solution, it will never create a positive impact. In fact, a negative impact is likely!</li><li>Read the nice and clear examples, which are very useful.</li><li>Learn about the very interesting and easy-to-apply Rosenstiel model.</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/deliver/training/why-training-is-often-not-the-right-solution">https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/deliver/training/why-training-is-often-not-the-right-solution</a>

Learning Impact Award

What’s it about?The longlist of 10 books that compete with each other for the Learning Impact Award 2022.Why read it/listen to it?<ul><li>Be aware of the top 10 of very interesting books.</li><li>Via this article, you will be able to access the summaries of these books.</li><li>It gets even better: you can also listen to all the abstracts. Someone will read it out loud for you!</li></ul>Where to find it?<a target="_blank" href="https://journal.getabstract.com/en/2022/09/08/learning-impact-award-2022/">https://journal.getabstract.com/en/2022/09/08/learning-impact-award-2022/</a>

Have you ever had a colleague who didn’t want to make an impact? I have never experienced that. I guess we all hope that our work has a positive impact in the end.

Ger's Learning Notes

Ger’s Learning Notes #57: Final edition

Past editions

Ger’s Learning Notes #57: Final edition

Ger's Learning Notes #55: Learning podcasts (part 2)

Ger’s Learning Notes #54: Content curation

Ger's Learning Notes #53: Learning podcasts

Ger’s Learning Notes #52: Fifty-fifty

Ger’s Learning Notes #51: ChatGPT

Ger’s Learning Notes #50: Celebrating episode 50

Ger’s Learning Notes #49: Research

Ger’s Learning Notes #48: Kaizen (continuous improvement)

Ger’s Learning Notes #47: Learning impact

Ger’s Learning Notes #46: Learning objectives

Ger’s Learning Notes #45: Rest & reflection time

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