The Art of Active Listening | The Harvard Business Review Guide — from Harvard Business Review out on YouTube.com by Amy Gallo; with thanks to Roberto Ferraro for this resource
On 12/24/2022,
in adult learning, blended learning, change, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, engagement / engaging students, hybrid learning, Hyflex learning, leadership, pace of change, reinvent, technology (general), training / L&D, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
Top challenges for L&D leaders in 2023 — from chieflearningofficer.com by Ken Blanchard
Excerpts:
From an HR perspective, survey respondents reported that the biggest challenges they expect as HR and L&D leaders in 2023, in ranked order, are:
- Capacity and resources
- Turnover and attrition
- Improving engagement and experience
- Adapting to a hybrid culture
From DSC:
I wonder if many in higher education might respond similarly…? Perhaps some even in the K-12 space as well.
Also see:
This posting from William Kennedy-Long (re: instructional design) out on LinkedIn:
Excerpt (emphasis DSC):
I read Clark Quinn’s outstanding article which I highly recommend reading, entitled Performance Focus For Deeper Learning Design.
Immediately, I was captivated by what it and he had to say, such that I wrote a short piece to follow up on it.
What are on-ramps? Here’s how to build them for all adult learners to reach their academic potential — from chieflearningofficer.com by Michelle Westfort
Excerpt:
This may come as a surprise — adult learners over 25 make up nearly 40 percent of today’s U.S. undergraduate population at colleges and universities. However, these learners often find themselves treated as outliers by institutions designed for traditional students, which leads to poorer learner outcomes and, as a result, barriers to social mobility.
To ensure adult learners can meaningfully participate in your workforce education program, organizations can build on-ramps capable of accommodating all learners.
On-ramps provide employees access to high-quality academic programs, enable them to continue their educational journey toward a degree or certification by meeting them where they are, and hold a key role in paving the way for successful learner outcomes.
Leveraging 2022’s future-forward lessons to improve L&D — from chieflearningofficer.com by Keith Keating
Excerpts:
Top 4 future-forward lessons from 2022:
- The world changes rapidly — prepare for it
- Anticipate trends, events and the skills you’ll need in the future
- Continuously adopt new capabilities and expand your knowledge
- Use tech to your advantage
On 12/24/2022,
in accessibility / UDL, business, colleges, community colleges, corporate / business world, legislatures / government / legal, policy, United States, universities, vendors, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
Five Years of ADA Web and App Lawsuits — Key Observations & Trends — from blog.usablenet.com
Speaking of accessibility, also relevant/see:
- 5 Quick Writing Tips for Creating More Accessible Content — from boia.org
On 12/17/2022,
in Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), biology, career development, chemistry, corporate / business world, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, engineering, experimentation, future, innovation, mathematics, Michigan, science, society, sociology, STEAM-related, student-related, United States, universities, vision/possibilities, workplace, youth,
by Daniel Christian
Female scientists challenge stereotypes | Not the Science Type — from 3M.com
Female scientists challenge stereotypes and blaze paths for future generations in this 3M-produced docuseries
Excerpt:
STEM education has an access issue: let’s change that.
Around the world, people believe the we need more people in STEM careers. Eighty-seven percent of people believe we need to do more to encourage and retain girls in STEM education. At the same time, barriers remain – 73% of people believe underrepresented minorities often lack equal access STEM education.
Not The Science Type gets to the heart of access and gender inequity in STEM education and STEM fields. This four-part docuseries features four female scientists who are challenging stereotypes and confronting gender, racial and age discrimination as they rise to prominence.
Not The Science Type highlights four brilliant minds, showcasing women who break down boundaries within their fields – biology, engineering and science and technology-based applications.
.
While each woman has taken a different path to pursue scientific excellence, they are bound by the common experience of feeling excluded, or “not the type” in traditionally homogenous fields.
On 12/15/2022,
in accreditation, Alternatives, business, career development, changing business models, credentialing, new business models, reinvent, skills, staying relevant, surviving, training / L&D, vendors, vocational / trades, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
Skills, Skills, Skills Now is the time. — from by Katelyn Donnelly and Eric Scott Lavin
Skills matter more than ever.
Excerpt:
For years, the importance of building demonstrable skills has been growing. The research is clear: skills acquired through work experience increase lifetime earnings. Yet, a massive shift in how learners, educators, and employers think about skills is just beginning.
Three subtrends set the stage for a massive inflection point in how we think about skills…
Learning will be the only constant throughout a career. Success in the modern workforce is learning experiences to build skills, and the best way to build skills is to do real-world projects.
Below is a sampling of organizations and companies pushing the boundaries. Some of these are established players with mature businesses and tested business models.
Also relevant/see:
The Job Skills of 2023 — from Coursera
Excerpt from the Executive Summary Section
- The fastest-growing skills are digital skills
The top ten overall fastest-growing skills are digital skills. The ongoing evolution of technology means employers are regularly seeking new digital competencies from potential hires while also reskilling existing workers. - The fastest-growing digital skills are changing more significantly than the fastest-growing human skills
The top ten digital skills vary significantly from last year—only two have carried over year-on-year: data visualization and user experience. The human skills in demand remain steadier, suggesting an evergreen demand for skills like change management and communication.
On 12/14/2022,
in business, education technology, India, United States, vendors, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
Edtech’s brightest are struggling to pass — from techcrunch.com by Natasha Mascarenhas
Excerpts:
In the last quarter of 2022, edtech layoffs have hit venture-backed businesses including but not limited to BloomTech, Vedantu, Teachmint, Reforge, Coursera, Unacademy, Byju’s, Udacity and Brainly. Executive shifts include Quizlet CEO stepping down, Degreed’s CEO stepping aside for the founder’s return, and Invact Metaversity’s co-founder leaving after irreconcilable differences with his co-founder.
Class, an edtech company that neared unicorn status only 10 months after launching its Zoom School alternative, also conducted layoffs this year. The company raised a total of $146 million in known venture funding to date, including a SoftBank Vision Fund II check. CEO and founder Michael Chasen did not respond to a request for comment
The e-mail sent to staff was even more direct. “The truth is the layoffs in our sector are widespread for a reason,” Amir Nathoo, the co-founder of edtech unicorn Outschool, wrote in an email sent to staff. “The funding atmosphere has been dramatically impacted by the anticipation of a recession, higher interest rates and an increased need to show [return on investment] to investors.”
Addendum on 12/15/22 — and focuses on India:
- Will Edtech See a Paradigm Shift In 2023? — from entrepreneur.com by S. Shanthi
Higher education, phygital models, vernacular learning, re-skilling, up-skilling are some of the trends that are expected to stay attractive
On 12/12/2022,
in business, career development, change, changing business models, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, corporate / business world, culture, Daniel S. Christian, Design Thinking, experimentation, higher education, ideas, leadership, learning ecosystem, United States, universities, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
“How to retain talented staff members should be high on every administrator’s 2023 agenda.” This highlight from a recent email from The Chronicle of Higher Education linked to:
- How to Retain Your Best Staff Members — from chronicle.com bMeredith Davis
Four tips from a former student-affairs administrator on how to improve work culture on campus.
Unfortunately, this important item wasn’t high on the agenda in the majority of the years that I was working in higher education. I often thought that folks in higher education could have learned from the corporate world in this regard. Although even the corporate world hasn’t been doing a good job these days about treating their people well. But that wasn’t the case in my experience at Baxter Healthcare, Kraft Foods, and Wells Fargo from years ago.
Perhaps we should have more people “crossing over” between the silos that we seem to have established. That is, a person could work within higher education for 2-3 years, move over to a corporate environment/government/vocational space/other, and then works a few years there before coming back to higher education in a different capacity. Perhaps more pathways and tighter collaboration could exist in this manner.
Hmmm…design thinking…there’s got to be something here…
On 12/07/2022,
in business side of he, career development, colleges, community colleges, Daniel S. Christian, higher education, United States, universities, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
Higher Ed Is a Land of Dead-End Jobs — from chronicle.com by Kevin R. McClure
Colleges have done a spectacularly bad job of managing talent.
Excerpt:
It’s hard to conclude anything other than that higher education has done a spectacularly bad job of managing talent. Campuses have evolved over centuries and dedicated resources to perfect the art and science of human development, while largely outsourcing or ignoring the professional growth and learning of their employees. Rather than draw upon their own experts to develop and retain workers, institutions let employees burn out, and then replace them.
When I floated the idea of dead-end jobs in higher education on Twitter, I was floored by the volume and breadth of responses.
From DSC:
Having worked half of my career in the corporate world and the other half within higher education, I would agree with the main points of this article. There are very few job pathways within the world of higher education.
Looking at the one pathway that I’ve seen…it surprises me to think that faculty members who have taught in the classroom and/or served as department chairs or deans for X years are then put into the Provost position and expected to know how to do that job. There is little — if any — training on project management, how to think more strategically and with greater vision, change management, managing budgets, and managing/motivating people.
On 12/06/2022,
in career development, change, legal reform, legislatures / government / legal, society, sociology, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
A Guide to Solar Jobs for the Previously Incarcerated — from ecowatch.com by Kristina Zagame; with thanks to Elisa Andrew for this resource
Elisa writes:
As you know, employment and education are two of the biggest barriers to successful re-entry for formerly incarcerated people. At the same time, clean energy employers consistently cite a lack of skilled, qualified workers as their primary barrier to market expansion. There’s a huge opportunity for solar to pave a pathway to stable employment for those looking to re-enter the workforce.
That’s why our EcoWatch team created a comprehensive guide on how those who were previously incarcerated can get training in the industry through existing solar programs and apprenticeships:
A Guide to Solar Jobs for the Previously Incarcerated
https://www.ecowatch.com/
Excerpt:
Formerly incarcerated people continue to face huge obstacles in finding stable employment. According to a recent report, roughly 60% of people released from federal prison are jobless. Research also suggests that those who did find jobs were given no job security or upward mobility.
Mass incarceration is a crisis in this country much like climate change. While many seem aware of it, not enough action has been taken to rectify the situation. Meanwhile, controversy, stigma and misinformation surrounding the issues spread as fast as West Coast wildfires.
But what if climate action could become the key to helping those formerly incarcerated re-enter the workforce?