We are all learning machines, constantly adapting to the ever-changing threats and opportunities with which we are confronted. We learn through experience, whether consciously or unconsciously; we learn by seeking out the knowledge and skills we need to carry out our day-to-day tasks; we learn by sharing experiences and best practice with our colleagues, and by taking advantage of opportunities for development, both formal and informal.
The new learning architect designs environments that enable specific target populations to take maximum advantage of all these opportunities for learning. To do this they need to understand the unique characteristics of their clients and the business challenges they are facing; they need to find just the right balance between top-down and bottom-up learning initiatives, between the formal and informal.
As a workforce development professional with (too many) years of experience teaching within state education, commercial IT training, and now advising Policing & Law Enforcement HR / L&D departments on training, assessment and accreditation matters, I have no reservations in endorsing `The New Learning Architect' as a very helpful addition to the respective toolkits of a wide spectrum of current and potential `learning architects'. In this very handy sized text (240 pages), Clive covers 35 kinds of learning experiences, each experience being described, discussed & critiqued with `at their best when', `best avoided when', `Conditions for success' sections, and a `Profile' which case studies a personal and organisation experience of broadly applying that approach within a real-life context. The learning experiences are grouped into 4 sections: Formal * Classroom courses * Outdoor learning * Self-study e-learning ... and others Non-formal * On-job training * Coaching *... More > Webinars ... and others On-demand * Performance support materials * Mobile learning * Help desks ... and others Experiential * Benchmarking * Project reviews * Action learning ... and others With the Profiles forming an especially important part of the text, I have no doubt that this book is valuable both as a `dip-in' well researched and referenced volume for students attending university pedagogical studies courses and for hard-pressed learning managers working within L&D departments - trying to ensure that employees have the right skills, at the right place & time, delivered in the most cost efficient and effective manner available!< Less
