MWL Newsletter No 58

Here are posts, articles and news about Modern Workplace Learning (MWL) selected by Jane Hart for the week 25-31 March 2018

From around the Web

Tyranny of time, why learning is a waste of time …  Donald Clark, 18 February 2018

“The learning world, at all levels, including offline and online learning, suffers from an obsession that leads to massive waste and low productivity – an obsession with time. This is why learning, rather than increasing competence, performance and productivity, often exhibits failure, poor performance and low productivity. The metrics almost universally cost ‘teaching and learning’ like sausages…. by the pound/kilo – face time, contact time, fixed length courses, and hour of learner time in online learning. All are metrics that work against efficient delivery. The inconvenient truth is that most learning experiences could be reduced by at least 20% with a little effort up front.”


It’s time for an RSS revival  Emily Waite, Wired 20 March 2018

“THE MODERN WEB contains no shortage of horrors, from ubiquitous ad trackers to all-consuming platforms to YouTube comments, generally. Unfortunately, there’s no panacea for what ails this internet we’ve built. But anyone weary of black-box algorithms controlling what you see online at least has a respite, one that’s been there all along but has often gone ignored. Tired of Twitter? Facebook fatigued? It’s time to head back to RSS.”


Why Practical Skills Will Matter More Than Your Degree In The New Economy  Rick Warzman, Fast Company, 30 March 2018

““Getting a job at today’s IBM does not always require a college degree,” the company’s CEO, Ginni Rometty, has asserted. “What matters most is relevant skills.” Jeff Weiner, the CEO of LinkedIn, has been pushing the same message at his company. And David Blake, cofounder of the learning platform Degreed, has put it like this: “It shouldn’t matter how you picked up your skills, just that you did.””


In the MWL Magazine

Boost employee engagement with knowledge sharing  Kasper Spiro,  27 March 2018

Today’s workforce is accustomed to personalized, on-demand training, in which on-the-job knowledge is always just a quick search away. Yet, learning environments and cultures at many organizations are failing to deliver this. In light of the generational shift currently taking place, the top-down culture that has dominated learning and development (L&D) for decades must now make room for a bottom-up approach. This is the only way today’s companies can keep up with the pace of change and continue to engage employees, a critical factor for business success.

Next MWL Workshop

Supporting Learning from Daily Work

Next public workshop runs: 16 April – 11 May 2018

In the modern workplace it is no longer enough for L&D to just organise and manage modern training, they also need to enable and support constant learning at work. In this 4-week online workshop we look at how to help managers and individuals get the most out of and learn from their daily working (and learning) experiences.


Modern Workplace Learning 2018

This new book includes some (updated) content from Jane Hart’s previous books as well as new material. 

Part 1: An Introduction to Modern Workplace Learning in 2018)
Part 2: Designing, Delivering and Managing Modern Training for the Workplace
Part 3: Supporting Independent Continuous Learning at Work 

Available as a PDF to download.

Find out more about the Modern Workplace Learning 2018 here.


How to Become a Modern Professional Learner

Suitable for everyone!

In the modern workplace there is no longer such a thing as a job for a life – only a life of jobs – so it’s up to everyone to continuously update their knowledge, skills and productivity and become an independent modern professional learner. This resource contains 100 short Tasks to help you get the most out of your work life and take control of your career.

Find out more about this resource here


Jane Hart
Centre for Modern Workplace Learning

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