The Learning Hack podcast

An award-winning learning designer reflects on 30 episodes of our sister podcast, Great Minds on Learning. This episode features a deep dive into the history of learning theory with Leonard Houx, Director of Learning Design at the Cambridge Education Group. Host John Helmer and Houx embark on an intellectual journey through the evolution of educational philosophy, touching on the

What does the intense focus on AI in learning today have to say about the future of L&D? Don Taylor is a well-recognised commentator and thinker in the fields of workplace learning and supporting technologies. He speaks world-wide, and has chaired the Learning Technologies Conference in London since 2000. His annual L&D Global Sentiment Survey, started in 2014, provides a unique

Turning uncertainty from a problem into an opportunity. We are living in a time of great uncertainty. Economies are still suffering the effects of Covid. Countries that are home to nearly half the world's population will hold elections in 2024. Meanwhile the climate is going mad, and geopolitics seem balanced on a knife edge. How do we cope with all this uncertainty in our person

In the age of AI, what do we need humans for? The latest advances in AI are highlighting human capabilities, and particularly shortcomings, in a way that causes us once again to re-evaluate what it is to be human. Rob Hubbard is Founder of LearningAge Solutions, an award-winning provider of digital learning services that practices what it calls human-centred learning. What exactl

Does the way we talk about learning improve our understanding – or hold it back? The language of learning is charged with resonant abstract nouns that mobilize professionals around new ideas and concepts. But are these concepts really so new in all cases – and do they provide a focus for practical action? To what extent is the debate driven by the commercial imperatives of Le

Can business professionals perform better with improv skills? We admire great improvisers in music (Charlie Parker, Jimi Hendrix, etc.) while tending to be suspicious of leaders in business and government who seem to be 'making it up as they go along'. But are we right to think that way? Berlin-based Belina Raffy runs a consultancy and training company that helps people in organis

What is the best approach to using AI for learning in an organisation? My guest this time on the Learning Hack thinks that it’s really important to know what problem you are trying to solve with AI in order to use it effectively for learning. The product has to come before the product. Egle Vinauskaite is the award-winning director of the learning innovation consultancy Nodes. H

BONUS EPISODE: A talk by John Helmer recorded at the New Learning Conference, Netherlands. Podcasts are everywhere, and have become recognised as a powerful information medium. But can a podcast really cut the mustard as a learning experience? This talk by John Helmer of the Learning Hack podcast, given as a 'live podcast session' at the Next Learning event, provides some answers.

What can horses and brain damage teach us about learning? Sarah Ratcliff is an award-winning Learning Consultant, Speaker, and Ambassador for Learning, with over twenty years experience in the industry. She is currently a spokesperson for the learning provider Cegos, and a regular chair for the Learning Technologies conference. In 2020, she earned the esteemed Learning Professional

'It all started when NASA read our code ...' Jussi Hurskainen is CEO and co-founder of Valamis, a learning systems company with offices in in the US, India, and across Europe, but headquartered in Finland. In a crowded market, Valamis distinguishes itself by the sophisticated way its platform handles data. Jussi tells John about how the product got its start when Nasa engin