Learning and development at the crossroads: Part 2

In this second part of the three-part series, Donald Taylor examines how changes in L&D technology has forced the industry to evolve with it.

Technology has changed

There's a subtle change here in learning. Not only is technology used, frequently and in an ad hoc manner, but it's used differently to the centralised, push mechanism of the traditional training of the 80s. This is personalised, individually-driven, 'pull' learning. And often this sort of informal learning is used not – as we use traditional training – for long-term capability building. It is used for short-term performance support.

In L&D we know this in our heads, but we don't always accept it in our hearts. For example US company Ruder Finn has what it calls an internet intent index. They ask people what their intention was at the moment they went onto the internet to browse. Here are the seven choices they give people: