Learning While Working Podcast

One of the ways work is changing, is more work being done by remote teams. In this podcast Robin talks with Naomi Waldron from easyA about making remote learning design teams work. This podcast has lots of great advice and ideas and about managing and working in remote teams.This is the last podcast in the series that was recorded at iDesignX 2019. This is the last podcast in the series that was recorded at iDesignX 2019. Useful links Learn more about easyA Connect with Naomi Waldron on LinkedIn IDesignX

In this podcast, Robin is talking with James Hanson from Cardno about how their implementation of a learning management system triggered a rethinking of learning at Cardno. Useful links Cardno IDesignX

Smart speakers such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home are changing the way we interact with computers. In this podcast, Robin talks with Cath Ellis about the potential of smart speakers in learning and some of the technology that is used for design and building voice interactions. This is another interview that was recorded at iDesignX 2019. Useful links Learn more about Cath Ellis A example voice project CoAbility Support that Cath has done Learn more about Amazon Alexa Voiceflow - A platform for authoring voice applications Connect with Cath Ellis on LinkedIn IDesignX

In this interview Robin talks with Joe Millward from the TAFE NSW Digital Lab about the work Joe is doing on using virtual reality to simulated workplace experience and how they are using AI technologies to drive complex interactive design. The work the TAFE digital labs is hint what is possible with VR and the changing roles of educators and facilitators. This is another interview that was recorded at iDesignX. Useful links TAFE Digital Labs Connect with Joe Millward on LinkedIn IDesignX

The way we work and the nature of the work we are doing is changing. In this interview, Robin talks with Jonathan Nalder about the FutureWe framework. In the interview Jonathan talks about his own background, the way work is changing and how the education system is not preparing people for the future of work. The interview then moves onto talking about the FutureWe framework as a response to these changes. Useful links Find out more about FutureWe Listen to The Edunauts podcast Connect with Jonathan Nalder on LinkedIn IDesignX

In this interview, Robin talks with Nick Perch from IMC-AG about designing learning for behaviour change. Nick has some great insights on the difference between transformational learning and learning that is knowledge and education focused. For Nick one useful key to designing learning for behaviour change is getting to know your learners and using design thinking. NB: When episode 63 (previous episode) was originally released, we linked up the wrong audio. This is now fixed. Useful links IMC-AG Connect with Nick Petch on LinkedIn IDesignX

This is an interview with Jason Reed from Croomo on why storytelling is a powerful strategy to use in elearning. We explore a lot of topics related to storytelling in this podcast, including why storytelling is important, the skills needed to be a great storyteller and how the learning challenges in workplaces can be great triggers for stories. Find out more about Croomo Find out more about Jason Reed IDesignX

This podcast is the start of a series that was recorded at iDesignX 2019. They are shorter than most of the other Learning While Working podcasts. There is a bit of background noise from the conference venue. The focus of this series is on learning design. There are lots of great conversations coming up, with people you might not have heard about before. In this podcast, I’m talking to Nicole White from the ID Crowd and Rebecca Carter from CSIRO about a project in which they are using voice based digital storytelling to increase understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Culture Awareness at CSIRO. The learning experience they are talking about is not a linear eLeaning, it’s an explorative interface. This podcast is a great summary of their journey to build a really innovative project. Towards the end of the podcast, Nicole talks about one of the most powerful questions they ask to trigger different approaches to eLearning ‘What would this project be like if it wasn't was eLearning’. **Useful links ** IDesignX The ID Crowd Find out more about Nicole White Find out more about Rebecca Carter

In this podcast Robin talks with virtual classroom expert Cheryle Walker about Learning Solutions 2019. Cheryle Walker was one of the other Australians who was at Learning Solutions 2019. The conversation was reflecting on and debriefing our experiences of the event. The focus of the podcast is on the keynote sessions. The keynotes from the event were: **Baratunde Thurston talking about Digital Storytelling Doesn’t Have to Be Boring ** Find out more about Baratunde Thurston **Sarah Prevette on Design Thinking in Learning and Work ** Find out more about Future Design School **Sarah Lewis on Creativity, the Gift of Failure, and the Search for Mastery ** Find more about Sarah Lewis

Paul Healy starts this interview by introducing Learning Pool and how they came to chatbots as an approach when they started to think about what a modern learner needs. They felt a modern learner didn’t need another platform, they needed to be able to access learning as part their workflow in other platforms. Chatbots are a perfect way to place learning inside of another platforms. A chatbot means that a learner can pull in what they need just by asking the chatbot a question. Learning Pool’s chatbot, Otto, then goes out to multiple sources, including the content in your LMS and intranet, to find the answers. To go along with the podcast series we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. To go along with the podcast series on How artificial intelligence is changing the way L&D is working, we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. The eBook also gives a brief explanation of what AI is and an overview of how it is being used in L&D. [Download the eBook][1] Useful links Find out more about Paul Find out more about Learning Pool Find out more about Otto

Emma Weber is an expert in learning transfer. This is actually the second great conversation with Emma on the Learning While Working podcast; the first conversation focused on the 70:20:10 learning model and learning transfer. This interview starts with Emma giving an overview of her approach to learning transfer. One of the key features of her approach is what she calls ‘learning breaks’, which are coaching conversations that focus on personal accountability for making changes and reflection. In the interview, Emma talks about how she struggled to find the right technology to support her approach to learning transfer. She is now using two platforms that work together: an action planning tool called Turning Learning into Action and a chatbot built with the Mobile Coach platform. The Turning Learning into Action platform is free. What she achieved is a great example of using digital technologies to automate the learning process. It might be not a perfect replacement for a personal learning transfer coach, but it is scaled and affordable. To go along with the podcast series we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. To go along with the podcast series on How artificial intelligence is changing the way L&D is working, we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. The eBook also gives a brief explanation of what AI is and an overview of how it is being used in L&D. Download the eBook Useful links Find out more about Emma Find out more about Lever – transfer of learning Find out more about Coach M – the learning transfer chatbot Start using the free Turn Learning into Action tool Find out more about learning transfer

Jamie Good is one of the people who have pioneered using chatbots in L&D. In this interview we explore how chat can be used in L&D. He talks about a great example of a conference chatbot that focused on helping conference attendees to collect their takeaway from sessions and making those takeaways more actionable. For Jamie, one of the most powerful applications of chatbots in L&D is in performance supports, which is something that Paul Healy from Learning Pool also talks about in a later podcast. This interview is also packed full of great advice from Jamie about getting started with chatbots in L&D. To go along with the podcast series we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. To go along with the podcast series on How artificial intelligence is changing the way L&D is working, we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. The eBook also gives a brief explanation of what AI is and an overview of how it is being used in L&D. Download the eBook Useful links Find out more about Jamie Find out more about Woebot

This interview with Vincent Han is the start of a section of this series that focuses on chatbots and L&D. When I started to record this podcast series I didn’t expect so many of the interviews would be focused on chatbots. Chatbots are the AI technology that is easiest for L&D application and has a high impact. Vincent is one of the leading thinkers in this area of chatbots and L&D. He is the founder of the Mobile Coach platform, which is an excellent way to get started building chatbots. While this interview with Vincent is at the start of this section in the series, it wasn’t recorded in this sequence. What happened is, as I was doing some of the other interviews in this section, with Jamie Good and Emma Webber, I discovered that they were both using Mobile Coach to build their own chatbots. As a result, I thought it would be great to talk with Vincent for this series. Vincent doesn’t come from a learning background; his background is technology, so his focus on learning as behavioural change is refreshing. In this interview, Vincent gives a great overview of how chatbots can be used to personalise learning over time and how the process of a conversation can be emotional, even if it’s with a bot. Often I think about a chatbot as being on a website. Mobile Coach can be used for building web-based chatbots, but it can also be used with other other chat platforms and SMS. SMS messages are simple, personal and can a be powerful tool for behavioural change. To go along with the podcast series we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. To go along with the podcast series on How artificial intelligence is changing the way L&D is working, we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. The eBook also gives a brief explanation of what AI is and an overview of how it is being used in L&D. Download the eBook Useful links Find out more about Vincent Find out more about the Mobile Coach platform Watch a video about Mobile Coach

The higher education sector has been using machine learning for some time, mostly to predict if students are at risk of dropping out of a program. In this series, I wanted to include an interview with someone who had been involved in this work, to see what L&D could learn from it. Mike Sharkey is one of the leaders in this area. His most recent past role was as Vice President of Analytics at Blackboard. It was great to be reminded by Mike in this interview that learning is a complex area and there are so many factors at play. Because of this it’s not a simple area for the application of machine learning. During the interview, Mike and I also briefly talk about privacy issues with analytics. As workplaces start to adopt more data-driven approaches to learning, there is a lot that we can learn about the work that has already been done in higher education, including how privacy issues can be approached. To go along with the podcast series we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. To go along with the podcast series on How artificial intelligence is changing the way L&D is working, we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. The eBook also gives a brief explanation of what AI is and an overview of how it is being used in L&D. Download the eBook Useful links Find out more about Mike Sharkey Find out more about Data and graphs This example of a university course that is using the AI we discussed

Ben Betts from HT2 Labs is back on the podcast in this interview. Ben is passionate about using social learning to build high-impact learning experiences. HT2 Labs are also the people behind Learning Locker, which is an open source learning record store for xAPI data. At the Learning While Working conference, Ben talked about the work that HT2 Labs have been doing on how they are measuring social learning. The recording of that conference session goes into more depth on that work than this podcast does, so if you’re interested in what Ben is doing I encourage you to watch that recording. The work HT2 Labs is doing is built around a series of machine learning methods that are called ‘natural language processing’, which I think of as a series of methods that look for patterns in language. It’s maybe the most complex area of machine learning. The podcast starts by exploring data, AI, and automation in L&D, then moves into using natural language processing and measuring social learning data. To go along with the podcast series we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. To go along with the podcast series on How artificial intelligence is changing the way L&D is working, we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. The eBook also gives a brief explanation of what AI is and an overview of how it is being used in L&D. Download the eBook Useful links Find out more about Ben Betts Find out more about Learning Locker and Curatr Learning Experience Platform

For this interview I spoke with Marc Zao-Sanders, CEO of Filtered, a platform that makes learning recommendations. In our daily life, we see recommendation engines in action all around us, such as Spotify and Netflix. Recommendation engines and learning are a natural fit. The process of seeing patterns in what an organisation or an individual needs, and then finding the right learning experience, is a core function of L&D. This is something a recommendation engine can do. Marc uses a bit of machine learning jargon at one stage: collaborative filtering. A basic description of a collaborative filter is that it’s a series of techniques that looks at a user’s past actions and interests, and how they relate to those of other users, and makes recommendations based on user behaviour interrelationships. Filtered’s platform is actually a combination of a chat and recommendation engine. Magpie is a version of this platform that has been designed specifically for L&D people. Magpie is a great way to experience what chatbots and recommendation engines can do. To go along with the podcast series we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. To go along with the podcast series on How artificial intelligence is changing the way L&D is working, we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. The eBook also gives a brief explanation of what AI is and an overview of how it is being used in L&D. Download the eBook Useful links Find out more about Marc Find out more about Filtered Start using Magpie

This interview with Christopher Brinton from Zoomi is a great way to start this series on artificial intelligence and learning and development. The work that Zoomi is doing now is leading the application of AI in L&D. Zoomi works with your existing platforms and learning data and can apply over 250 different AI and machine learning techniques to do things such as analyse learning content and make predictions and recommendations. This interview covers a lot of the key ways that AI technologies can be used to bring deep, powerful insights to your learning data and how this can then be used to drive personalisation on a whole new level. To go along with the podcast series we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. To go along with the podcast series on How artificial intelligence is changing the way L&D is working, we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. The eBook also gives a brief explanation of what AI is and an overview of how it is being used in L&D. Download the eBook Useful links Find out more about Christopher Find out more about Zoomi

Richard Wyles, the CEO of Totara Learn, and Robin talk about how open source learning platforms means learning platforms can be more flexible and customised to meet the needs of an evolving organisation.

Con Sotidis from Kineo and Robin talk about the state of L&D in Australia.

Owen Ferguson from GoodPractice talks about some of their findings from their research into how managers learn.

Terrena Hooper talks about her journey at Sodexo where L&D has gone from being compliance focused to being a value creator for the organisation.

Justin Sterns from Allens and Robin talk about using using human-centred design to rethink learning to meet the needs of employees. Part of what they talk about is the difference between human-centred design and design thinking.

Squiz and Robin talk about how Virtual Reality can be used to simulate experiences in the classroom that accelerate employees’ learning and create more business impact.

Michelle Gibbings and Robin talk about the future of work and the importance of decision making.

Robin and Brenden Carter talk about trends in digital learning, including microlearning, virtual reality, learning campaigns and xAPI.

Robin and Robert talk about how Austin Health is using xAPI to share learning data between hospitals. This means that healthcare professionals who work at multiple hospitals don’t need to complete mandatory training multiple times.

Peter Clowes from MAXART talks about how they have been using Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in L&D.

In this podcast we dive deep into the mindsets that are needed for design thinking with Kylie Savage and Caitlyn Cook from Huddle. Like Portable, Huddle is a service design firm. About half of Huddle’s work is capability development of organisations and individuals. In the other podcasts in this series, we have talked a lot about the design thinking process and the understanding phase in particular. Designing is not just proces, it’s also a mindset. Huddle has a great way of talking about and thinking about what these mindsets are. To go along with series podcast series we have released an eBook with transcripts of the interviews. The introduction to the eBook gives an overview of design thinking. Download the eBook Useful links To find out more about Huddle, visit their website. Listen to The Huddle Show podcast. Read This Human, the design thinking book authored by Huddle founder Melis Senova.

In this third podcast in the design thinking and learning series, we explore the relationship between the processes of design thinking and instructional design. Traditional instructional design is a form of designing thinking, but often it lacks the creative elements. Also, the ADDIE process does not have the prototyping phase that is so important for finding out if a solution is going to work. This podcast is a great exploration of design thinking in action within learning design. Download the eBook Useful links Find out more about Connie Malamed by visiting The eLearning Coach website. Listen to The eLearning Coach podcast. Read Connie’s blog post on How To Use Design Thinking In Learning Experience Design. Gain some more valuable tips from Connie’s blog post 10 Things You Should Know About Design and Design Thinking. Listen to another interview with Connie on Design thinking for L&D on the Good Practice podcast.

With this series we didn’t just want to talk with L&D people about design thinking. Half of the interviews are with design thinking leaders outside of L&D. In this episode, we’re talking with Simon Goodrich from Portable Studios. It’s interesting to hear an outsider's viewpoint on learning systems such as learning management systems and his thoughts on more lightweight approaches to learning systems. One of Simon’s most powerful insights is that design thinking can be used to harness energy for change, and that it’s important to act when the health of a project is strong. To go along with the podcast we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. The introduction to the eBook gives an overview of design thinking and demystifies some of the terms used in the podcast, like ‘ideation’. Download the eBook Useful links To find more about Portable Studios visit their website. Portable Studios report on Redesigning Work. Design kit from IDEO

The first interview in the design thinking and learning podcast series is with Arun Pradhan, on why design thinking is important to L&D at the moment. Arun is leading a new way of working in L&D. A key topic we discuss is that understanding the context of work through design thinking can lead you to design learning within the flow of work. In later parts of the interview we talk about L&D people becoming performance detectives, and how design thinking gives us some of the tools to do this. We also touch on core tools and approaches in design thinking, such as journey mapping and co-design with end users. To go along with the podcast we have released an eBook with all transcripts of the interviews. The introduction to the eBook gives an overview of design thinking and demystifies some of the terms used in the podcast, like ‘ideation’. Download the eBook Useful links Discover the mobile app Learn2Learn designed by Arun. Read Arun’s blog Design 4 Performance. Learn more about Arun. Watch a video of Arun talking about Learning Innovation – Design thinking for Learning and Performance.

In this episode you will learn from Paul Kearney about the importance of employability skills and how to develop them in your people. Paul has a deep, rich understanding of how people learn, and has been exploring how to develop these types of skills for close to 30 years. The term 'employability skills' is often seen as a bit of jargon. Paul has a great description: higher order skills. The skills he refers to are problem solving, taking initiative, planning and organising work and cooperating. Paul's background is in education and pre-employment training, but what he is talking about can be applied to help your people become self directed, continuous learners who are prepared for the future of work. During the podcast Paul talks about his framework for developing these higher order skills. Broadly, the framework is about: Increasing learner responsibility Increasing experience and practice for learners increasing reflective thinking in learners Increasing collaboration between learners This can be applied to leadership development, onboarding and trainees. He also introduces a nice model of learning: 'Caught, taught, and bought'. One of the other key takeaways from this conversation is that practice need to be diverse.

In the podcast you will hear about how GamEffective has linked workplace performance with learning, using microlearning and gamification. Roni Floman talks about how GamEffective started as a gamification of performance platform, then developed ways to help people improve performance with segments of microlearning. Gamification is typically about scores, levels and leaderboards. Roni talks about employees being able to ‘bet on themselves’ to set personal goals around metrics. Adaptive and personalised learning is often only based on employee performance in a learning scenario. The approach Roni discusses is centred on on-the-job performance first. One of the highlights of this interview is where Roni refers to ‘engagement automation’. Marketing automation is fed by triggers. For example, visiting a certain page on a website triggers a series of follow-up messages. When applied to learning, the messages will be tailored and triggered by performance. If an employee’s performance drops in an area, they will be sent (via email or mobile notifications) a series of microlearning messages that are tailored for them. Near the end of the podcast, Roni provides some worthwhile advice for getting started with these approaches: split your learning content into smaller chunks and map these workplace behaviours. That way, if someone needs to improve in an area, you will have the right learning experience ready for them.

In this interview Robin talks with JD Dillon about continuous learning and how it links with personalised learning.

Patti Shank is a leader in evidence-based learning. We're excited about the release of her book Practice and feedback for deeper learning , and Patti is our guest on this episode of the Learning While Working podcast where she and Robin discuss the need for more research in L&D.

Learning transfer professional Emma Weber is our guest on this episode of the Learning While Working podcast. Emma talks about the need to focus on the whole of the 70:20:10 model, and why the '10' is too often overlooked.

This episode is for learning professionals who are ready to dive deeper into their learning data. Robin speaks with Stewart Rogers from Lambda Solutions about framing your learning analytics with visual dashboards.

As learners, do we have our own digital body language, and can this be tracked and measured? Learning strategist Lori Niles-Hofmann talks on the podcast in a discussion about her approach to data driven learning design, which begins with some very simple steps.

In this episode, Sprout Labs digital producer and former journalist Tracey Grady grabs the mic and joins Robin in a discussion about audiences, journalism in the digital age, and content that is 'learner-worthy'—did Robin just coin a new phrase?

We continue our focus on content curation, this time with Jeevan Joshi from LearnD. An avid curator of podcast content, Jeevan takes us through his pro tips for content curation and explains how well-curated content can help with retention of learning.

Marketing is often focused on delivering messages that evoke particular emotions. Can learning campaigns use a similar approach? Mike Taylor from Mindset Digital talks about the lessons that Learning can adopt from Marketing.

Stephen Walsh, co-founder of Anders Pink, joins Robin to talk about the biggest learning eco-system, which can benefit a company's learning resources and which is right at everyone's fingertips: the Internet. But as Stephen explains, careful content curation is key.

Dr Melissa Bordogna returns to the Learning While Working podcast to discuss social learning and collaboration in the workplace. It's also worth listening to our previous discussion with Melissa on The Future of Work.

Megan Torrance from TorranceLearning discusses xAPI and how it can bring instructional designers back to the roots of focusing on learning performance.

Shelly Blake-Plock from Yet Analytics joins Robin on the podcast and talks about how xAPI's data recording reveals streams of experience in learning, and the broad scope of possibilities for the future of learning.

What is social learning, and what new opportunities can be opened up when social learning is introduced to the workplace? On the Learning While Working podcast, Ben Betts from HT2 Labs dives into social learning and how it can be used with data analysis for more valuable learning outcomes.

What can digital marketing teach us about learning? Karen Moloney from The eLearning eXperts shares the surprising parallels that she has discovered between the two fields.

Nick Stephenson from xapiapps discusses the benefits of data capture in getting the most out of the learning experience.

What happens if predictions that technology and automation will make jobs obsolete on a large scale in a few years turn out to be true? Dr Melissa Bordogna joins Robin on the podcast to discuss what role learning has in the jobs landscape of the future.

Hamish Dewe from Orion Health joins the Learning While Working podcast to outline some of the practical applications of xAPI and Totara in a company with a global reach.