I see this as a “beautiful question” that can spark some very productive discussion when asked of the right stakeholders in your learning business.
It’s a question that can fundamentally impact both your education business strategy and your ongoing operations.
If you treat learning like an event, then you probably place a great deal of emphasis on logistics. You focus on getting it right. You make sure they like it – which may mean you probably don’t take very many risks. You have a process, yes – probably a very good one – but the process is about the event. Learning is something that “takes place.” And then you start planning for the next time.
If, on the other hand, learning is a process, it seeps into everything you do, not just the things listed in your catalog or slotted for rooms at your annual meeting. It is deeply integrated into your marketing (all 4 Ps). It drives your social strategy. It is everywhere and always, and as a result, has the potential to create tremendous ongoing value. And it allows for risks. In fact, risks – along with a certain amount of failure – are essential.
It’s not enough, of course, to simply think about learning in this way. Look at the actual behavior of your organization. Based on the way you do things, perhaps have always done things, are you treating learning like an event or a process?
It’s worth some discussion.
Jeff
See also:
- An Essential Guide to Andragogy for Your Learning Business
- 10 Critical Shifts in the Market for Lifelong Learning
The original version of this post was published on the Tagoras blog on Jun 16, 2014.
Leading a Lifelong Learning Institute with Chris McLeod of OLLI at Duke
I’ve recently given the ‘learning process’ question a lot of thought and found it useful to break down what that process might look like and specifically how we can support an effective learning process. First, of course, we need good learning design and delivery (relevant content, engaging methodology, etc.). But then we need to support remembering through things like spaced practice, effortful retrieval, and expert feedback. These types of techniques can either be integrated into the learning ‘event’ and/or delivered after the event concludes. The learning process, though, is only truly beneficial to the learner once new knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques are applied and new results are achieved that couldn’t have been achieved before engaging in the learning process. So, to add to your thoughts, the goal of learning–or workplace learning, at least–is not simply enlightenment but outcomes that come through a change (learning) process. Thanks for flagging this important topic for us to consider!
Well put, Mark. I particularly like “not simply enlightenment but outcomes that come through a change (learning) process.” Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and add value to the post.
Jeff