Learning Ecosystems

As I was reading today’s posting by Clive Sheperd entitled, “The Big Question: What will workplace learning technology look like in 2015?”, I couldn’t help but reflect upon some similarities between the worlds involved in K-20 education and those involved with corporate training & development:

• (From DSC) The status quo has reigned in the past:
  (From Clive) I’ve been involved in learning technologies for 30 years now and I’d have to admit that, despite our best efforts, progress, while steady, has been disappointingly slow. The l&d profession is doggedly conservative and has been allowed to get away with maintaining the status quo because both sponsors, from above, and consumers, from below, have not – up until recently – been too bothered about pushing for change. So, can the next five years break this pattern? Just maybe.
• (From DSC) The monetary/budgetary challenges that we are facing create opportunities
  (From Clive) The recession has created an opportunity and – as they say – you should never waste a good crisis.
• (From DSC) Significantly integrating technology into our learning environments is not a choice
  (From Clive) Another five years and practically the whole l&d community will have been forced to engage with technology.
• (From DSC) We are in a game-changing environment; the pressure for change continues to mount; the status quo is being left behind with or without our permission
  (From Clive) Pressure for change is also increasing from below, from the consumers of l&d interventions. Much to the amazement of HR, it seems that the next generation is actively seeking out learning technologies, without any coercion from above, and often without even asking permission! They are not going to hang about waiting for the next classroom event when they can get what they want in a few clicks. Yes, they’ll go along with all the formal stuff when it’s absolutely necessary as a condition of employment or career progression, but they won’t rely on it to learn anything really important.
• (From DSC) The technology is there. It will change and continue to get better, but we have what we need to deliver highly interactive, engaging content. But it takes willingness to change our ways.
  (From Clive) That’s all we need to reach just about every sector of the working population. It doesn’t really matter if it’s Microsoft or Apple, HTML 5 or Flash, proprietary or open source, so long as it delivers content and allows humans to interact. Let’s be honest, all the hardware and software we could possibly want is already here. It’s hearts and minds that have to be won over, and that takes a lot longer.