Four Thoughts
For 2014
Rachel
Burnham writes: Here are some thoughts on the current
direction of L&D for 2014. They are
very much first thoughts and it would be good to hear your response to them.
1. Critical Thinking
Isn’t
it great at last to see that more critical views of some long-standing and very
popular models of learning are getting an airing? Ever since Professor Frank Coffield and
colleagues produced their report back in 2005/6 into learning style theories,
it has been known that many of the most popular and best known models of
learning styles had been found to have questionable validity. I am picking up a lot more links to
Coffield’s research in recent months and the suggestion of a more sceptical and
questioning approach to various models of learning styles. If you haven’t yet read this report, do read
it for yourself.
Wouldn’t
it be great to see some other theories that are regularly referred to (and
misused) such as Mehrabian’s work on communication get a more accurate and
rigorous treatment within the L&D field?
2. Choose the Right Spoon for the Right
Dish – or A Spoon for Every Occasion
In
a similar vein, I am noticing that within L&D we do seem to becoming a
little more sophisticated in relation to choosing when and where to use different
learning methods. Within L&D, we
have been rather prone to fads and fancies leading us to attempt to use the
latest in learning methods for all sorts of situations, whether they were quite
suited or not. Think about e-learning,
coaching and now, perhaps social learning.
In each case, these have been trumpeted as great innovations, with lots
of promise and have been rather over-sold.
And in many cases, we in L&D have uncritically attempted to adopt
these methodologies wholesale.
My
mother – in- law has a great love of cutlery and over the course of her life
has gathered a huge collection. Under
her tutelage I have discovered that there are far more types of cutlery than I
ever realised. For example, in relation
to spoons, I knew of course of ‘desert spoons’, ‘soup spoons’, ‘table spoons’
and ‘serving spoons’ but I was less clear on the distinction between ‘tea’ and
‘coffee spoons’, nor was I aware of the full array of egg, grapefruit, ice
cream, cake, oyster and other specialist spoons that are available (though I
may be confusing oyster spoons, with oyster forks – my memory is a little fuzzy
on the details!). My mother-in-law is
emphatic about the need to use the right cutlery for the right dish.
Perhaps
like this cutlery enthusiast, we need to be better at picking the right
learning method for the right situation, rather than expecting to use the same
tool for every occasion.
3. More useful, but less dutiful evaluation
More
effective evaluation of L&D is a subject close to my heart. We all know that we need to get better at
evaluating L&D. Last year I did a
small piece of research into practice in evaluation and one of the issues that
came out of this, was about the mindset that we bring to evaluation. I think that we often see evaluation as a
duty and feel rather guilty and possibly a little embarrassed at how little or
how badly we do this.
I
think we need to change our mindset in relation to evaluation and focus on
evaluation as something that is useful.
We
know that it can be hard to find the time or resources to put into
evaluation. If we focus on evaluation
that is useful, we may find it easier to do this.
Evaluation
can be a practical tool to encourage learners to learn more effectively eg by
encouraging reflection and application.
It can provide us both with ideas to improve programmes, but also develop
our insight into what works for L&D in our particular organisation. So, the evaluation process can add real value
to L&D. So, let’s keep evaluation
simple, practical and make full use of it!
4. Peformance, performance, performance
In
2014, I think we in L&D need to focus less on learning and much more on
performance in the workplace. In some
ways this sounds a little crazy and counter-intuitive – after all we are all
about learning in L&D. But
sometimes we focus on learning and in our commitment to applying the latest
thinking about how people learn and our enthusiasm for the latest learning
methods, and all our other concerns, we forget that we are not in the business
of education for its own sake but in order to improve performance by
individuals, teams and organisations.
So,
let’s make it a priority to start with performance in mind, and build this in
all that we do.
Rachel
Burnham
20
February 2014
Burnham L & D
Consultancy specialises in the development of L&D professionals, blended
learning and evaluation
Follow me on Twitter @BurnhamLandD
Acknowledgements
I would like to particularly thank my friend, John Morris,
for the encouragement to get writing again.
