It’s been less than a week since our latest Leading Learning event, Learning • Technology • Design (LTD), and we wanted to take some time to reflect on everything while it is still fresh in our minds. We’ve talked before about the power of reflection in leading and learning and we know that this is an extremely valuable, but often underused, tool for improvement and growth.
In this episode of the Leading Learning podcast, Jeff and Celisa conduct Part 1 of an informal After Action Review of LTD. They share insights about why they decided to create the event and reflect on the “questioning” framework used in all of the general sessions.
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Listen to the Show
Read the Show Notes
[00:20] – Preview of what will be covered in this podcast as Jeff Cobb and Celisa Steele conduct Part 1 of an After Action Review (AAR) of Learning • Technology • Design (LTD). This is the same process of reflection used after the 2015 Leading Learning Symposium with AAR Part 1 and Part 2. A big thank you to YM Learning for sponsoring the event. Also, thank you to our advisors, speaker-facilitators, and exhibitors.
[01:38] – As a refresher, the After Action Review (AAR) will address the questions:
• What did we set out to do?
• What actually happened?
• Why is there a difference between the first two (if there is one)?
• What should we continue and what should we change?
[02:15]– A discussion about the overarching theme of LTD and why they chose it as an event in the first place. Celisa and Jeff say they saw a gap and potential opportunity for a tactical event focused on the business of education for people serving the market-facing need of adult learners.
[03:56] – A conversation about the relevance of the name of the event and why focusing on learning, technology, and design together are really important. Jeff and Celisa review the concepts from a Venn diagram that was shared at LTD, highlighting why you need the three elements in order to be successful. They also admit that the name, Learning • Technology • Design (LTD), was inspired by TED (Technology Entertainment Design).
[05:29] – As referenced in Day 1 of the opening session of LTD, Jeff and Celisa talk about the huge opportunity that exists in the world of learning and technology. This is illustrated in the recent Pew report, Lifelong Learning and Technology (and discussed in a previous podcast with John Horrigan, senior researcher at the Pew Research Center), which shows that a majority of adults identify as lifelong learners yet they aren’t familiar with most of the technology associated with this.
[07:14] – A further discussion about why so many adults aren’t familiar with the technology that exists related to lifelong learning and how this is an opportunity for associations. Data from the Association Learning + Technology report also supports this.
[09:05] – Jeff adds that the Pew report is focused on structured, formal type education but most of us actually do a lot of learning using various technology tools not represented in this survey (i.e. podcasts, videos, Wikipedia, etc.).
[10:22] – Celisa and Jeff talk about the “questioning” framework that was used to drive the event and reflect on questions asked during the opening session:
- Why am I here? What is one thing I want to have achieved by the time I walk out?
- What if I focus on helping others here? What can I offer from my knowledge and experience?
These were revisited in the closing session with Socratic questioning. Jeff and Celisa note that participants were engaged in active learning throughout the event.
[13:34]– A discussion about Day 2 of LTD which focused on the design element and design thinking, which says you need to understand the user (or learner) as much as possible and know their motivation. Celisa and Jeff talk about their use of a Stanford School of Design point-of-view mad lib they used with LTD participants to help them think about this.
[16:08] – Celisa adds that good design is deceptively simple and that although the mad lib may have been easy to complete, it’s tricky to get to that surprising insight that leads you to a path of discovery. You have to keep probing and asking yourself “why?” in order to get there.
[17:13] – Jeff and Celisa reflect on the last full group session of LTD, a dynamic rotating panel. This format allowed anybody to be on the panel at any given time based on the questions being asked and the expertise in the room. Key reflections include: people were engaged, there were more comments than questions, and this would be fun to experiment with again.
[20:45] – Celisa and Jeff reflect on the questioning framework used in the general sessions and reveal that although they had the concept for a while, they weren’t exactly sure of their plan until the days leading up to the event. Overall, they both agree that this was an effective framework.
[23:38] – The end of Part 1 of the AAR. Make sure to check out the website for LTD to get information about the event.
[24:03] – Wrap-Up
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[24:49] – Sign off
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