Spring has arrived and the links are blooming. We’ve got a nice bouquet of them in this edition of Leading Links, but first we’ll mention that this Thursday, April 29, we’ll be hosting The Promise of the Learning Experience Platform: What an LXP Is, Why You May Need One, and How to Choose.
Live attendees will be eligible for CAE credit and all registrants will receive the recording. Many thanks to EdCast for sponsoring and making it possible for us to offer this Webinar at no charge.
Now, on to this month’s links.
[Leadership] Navigating Disruption and Uncertainty
At the end of 2020, we devoted a Leading Learning Podcast series to the learning business in disruptive times. Really, this was a view into how a range of leaders and leadership advisors were working to help organizations adapt to a time characterized not only by a global pandemic, but by social and racial inequity, political divisiveness, climate change, and more. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to listen to and/or read the show notes for the series. We also recommend this recent Harvard Business Review article, 6 Strategies for Leading Through Uncertainty, as a great companion to the series
[Strategy] Learning Not By Degrees
Speaking of disruption: for our money, if there is one major shift that will characterize adult learning in the coming decades, it will be a de-emphasis of degree-based learning and a surge in the importance of high-quality, non-degree credentials. The academic world has very much tuned into this shift, as this article in The Evolllution on the work of the Non-Degree Credentials Research Network (NCRN) suggests. We’ve noted before – as have multiple Leading Learning Podcast guests – that this is an area that is ripe for leveraging blockchain. In this Sidecar article, Amith Nagarajan explains how blockchain could change association certifications forever.
[Portfolio] A Little Theory Can Make a Big Difference
While we too often hear people talk about “theory” in a dismissive way, the reality is that good theories are the basis for good practice. With that in mind, we recommend this brief review of Five of the best workplace learning theories. (In spite of the title, these do not apply only to the workplace.)
And, of course, as people engaged in serving adult learners, readers here should be well versed in andragogy, the theory – or really collection of theories – that governs adult learning. We’ve written extensively on the topic, but are always looking for other perspectives – especially from smart people like Clark Quinn. In Andragogy vs. Pedagogy, Quinn argues – and we tend to agree – that the distinction between these two approaches is “really is more about whether you’re at a novice or a practitioner level and the role of instruction. Age is an arbitrary element here, not a defining factor.”
[Marketing] Getting Pricing Right
As one of the 4 Ps, pricing is the area of marketing that we see learning businesses struggle with the most. We’ve written, podcasted, and Webinar’d extensively on the topic, but the appetite for insight in this area is insatiable. So, we were glad to come across this Web Courseworks post on eLearning Pricing Models: 5 Ways to Price Your Courses. We might put a bit more emphasis on “perceived value,” but it’s a very good overview of the topic all the same and recommended reading for anyone wrestling with pricing their online educational offerings.
[Trends] LXP: LinkedIn Experience Platform
If there is one company – and potential competitor – that all learning businesses should be watching, it’s LinkedIn. The latest “bold” and “aggressive” move from this uber-membership platform is that it has released its own Learning Experience Platform and skills taxonomy (aka competency framework). Not sure what an LXP is or why it matters? Be sure to join us this week (or register to get the recording) for The Promise of the Learning Experience Platform: What an LXP Is, Why You May Need One, and How to Choose.
That’s it for this edition. If you find Leading Links valuable, please share it with a colleague who may also find it valuable. (And, of course, they can get their own subscription here.)
Leading Links 2021 – Issue 3
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