Applying new technology to old thinking isn’t progress. For thirty years the learning technology landscape has been dominated by a single sales pitch: more stuff, cheaper. And despite decades of investment in dumping content in ever small chunks, it has failed to become more palatable to learners as a consequence, who continue to complain that they don’t have time for distractions. Now, poised to repeat the mistake once more with AI, we might pause to wonder why our past efforts have failed so abysmally. Could it be that we need to start with an understanding of learning? That perhaps there is more to learning that being force-fed content in the way that education so often does? Perhaps if we stopped doing education and started doing learning we might begin to make a difference?
Revolutionary. Author of How People Learn. Responsible for coining the ‘courses to resources’ shift, the first general theory of learning (the Affective Context Model), and the 5Di (human-centred learning design) approach.
about nick
A track record of shaping future learning approaches for numerous public and private organisations. Former CLO at Deloitte UK, now CEO at Shackleton Consulting.
Winner of several awards for people development, strategy, innovation, and learning content, including the Learning & Performance Institute’s Award for Services to the Learning Industry, 2017. Author of ‘How People Learn’ (Kogan Page, May 2019; second edition published Jan 2023).
Began professional life as a psychology lecturer, since worked in consultancy, Siemens, BBC & BP, PA Consulting and Deloitte in roles encompassing learning strategy, culture, leadership, innovation, technology & multimedia.
A memorable conference speaker, careful leader, & well-known in the corporate learning industry for ground-breaking work & thinking.
