Conference 2010 >
Plenaries
| Learning, yearning and earning: why 21st century learning is transforming schools, organisations, companies and markets
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Stephen Heppell, CEO Heppell.net and Professor, Bournemouth University |
As we enter 2010, it is interesting to reflect on the last ten years since the new millennium began. It has indeed been a remarkable decade: schools have begun to sprint away from the factory schools of the last century, companies are closing their training facilities and embracing a new future as agile learning organisations, universities are exploring exhibition and collaboration as underpinning entitlements for learners, Olympic athletes are understanding that excellence is only medal worthy when it is paired with ingenuity, and everywhere - from TV chefs to dancing celebrities - learning finds itself centre stage.
And learning is looking like a key differentiator, both in the marketplace and in the public service battle between emerging and established economies. For many this is happening so fast that it is hugely confusing. Just a moment ago, surely, content was king? And now somehow community is sovereign. A moment back, knowledge was delivered, and wisdom received. Now, knowledge is constructed, and deconstructed, in social networks and 180 degree relationships exchange wisdoms. Of course, technology is at the heart of this apparent revolution - but already for our young post-Google generation email is unfashionably what your dad does, technology lives in a pocket, and life in an Office sounds like a sentence. Technology moves rapidly too.
Drawing on a host of major projects and three decades of experience, this closing keynote aims to make sense of it all and to build a clear roadmap for the future. Miss it at your peril. |
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| Informal learning: new strategies and practices for greater business impact
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Josh Bersin, President, Bersin & Associates |
Over the last year, spending on training has declined in most organisations, however, most organisations are not making the most of the remaining spend. Bersin’s research shows that while 64% of business leaders believe it is informal learning programmes which drive the greatest business value, two-thirds of training budgets continue to go to traditional and costly formal training programs such as structured online courses and leader-led classes. This leaves limited dollars for informal learning, such as coaching programs, knowledge sharing, social learning, and mentoring – all of which have significantly higher business value and are much more cost-efficient to employ.
In this keynote, Bersin will offer a look at the key readiness indicators for transforming to a more modern learning environment, guidelines for creating a new learning framework, and how to quickly shift from a focus on traditional to informal solutions. Also included will be examples of best practices and strategies from organisations that have made the shift and have seen greater adoption of training and higher operational business performance. Bersin will provide insight into the value of informal learning as well as advice for learning organisations on how to re-tool and develop new skills, add new technologies and re-organise resources to leverage informal learning in the coming year. |
| Living in a digital world: meeting the crucial skills needs of the future
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Lord Puttnam |
In his opening address, Lord Puttnam will set out why the UK needs workplace learning more than ever if it is to remain competitive in an increasingly globalised age. He will examine the huge potential of digital technologies to help meet the crucial skills needs of the future, and the ways in which they are already transforming the nature of learning. Lord Puttnam will consider the opportunities presented by these developments for professionals in the sphere of learning. He will make the case that the expertise of learning professionals will be more valuable than ever in a full digital world, although the nature of the interaction between those professionals and learners will change significantly. He will conclude by placing these developments within the broader context of massive economic and societal change. |
