I have worked in L&D since 2001 and have seen so many changes over the years, I thought I would share some of my observations with you.

Back in 2001 the department was called Training and Development (T&D) and we changed to Learning & Development over the last few years. 

Training was mainly face to face workshops with workbooks to complete and take away.  There was more of a ‘tell’ culture in the learning classroom, I remember my train the trainer course where we were told ‘tell them, tell them and tell them again’. Since then I have been introduced to Charles Jennings 70:20:10 model. This was a big shift change in mindset for organisations who had previously done 70% or sometimes more formal learning and little on the job learning or encouraging learning from others. A more blended approach to learning has been adopted over recent years.

Another change I have seen is how we have moved from looking at learning styles. We used the Honey and Mumford model when I started working in learning. Now we look more at learner’s generation type and adapt the learning accordingly. For example, millennials prefer informal learning and ‘just in time’ learning which has seen more bitesize learning sessions (microlearning) being created rather than full day workshops.

There has also been a great increase in digital learning. The CIPD reports that “Digital learning has progressed rapidly since the coining of the term 'e-learning' at the turn of the century and now encompasses websites, e-books, social media and online communities, online lectures, webinars, podcasts and microblogging. As such, it has proven to be a viable way of training and developing people in organisational settings, and one that forms part (though not all) of an organisation's wider learning strategy.”

I have seen L&D departments move to a Learning Management System (LMS), so a virtual learning environment over the last few years. The system manages and delivers content and looks after course administration, tracking progress and assessments for each learner. When I first started working in L&D, we had a more manual approach to keeping training records and had a dedicated Learning Support Team that looked after this.

L&D will continue to evolve, and L&D teams need to make sure they are keeping up with the fast pace of change to engage their learners and develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours that will be needed for professions of the future.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you have seen L&D evolve and change over the years!

Thanks

Karen :)

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Replies

    • I love a good community too, Jacqueline Carver - but then I would say that since I work here ;)

      Seriously though, I think there is a strong link in what you have said: in the past learning sessions were 'instructor-led', where the instructor would impose what they wanted to teach on the learners - whereas in a community the instructor isn't in control and members learn what they want and when. Surely this is now a better approach :)

       

  • Learning and development has become more of a flexible and integral consultancy these days IMHO, not a 'shop owner' selling wares that no one needs to buy. We're influencing leadership, management and talent programmes to ensure that people can realise their potential. If we remain 'shop owners' offering a stale pick and mix selection and dont adapt to change (enter the Covid-19 challenge), we're going to go bust pretty soon...

    • Agreed, Jason Fox .

      L&D needs to have a 'seat at the top table' to enable us as a business strategic partner. We need data that shows the impact of L&D so that we can demonstrate more than just the 'one trick pony' of ROI (although ROI continues to have a significant place in this).

      I note that you mention the challenge of Covid-19. Again, I agree. This has brought about significant changes in how (and often where) we work and it's L&D that can help people learn how to succeed in this new environment.

      It's a good time to be in L&D!

  • Hi Karen

    A very insightful and accurate blog in my experience. 

    I have to say the move to looking at learners' generation type is perhaps the most uncommon in the industries I have worked in, and I am still finding organisations trying to fit into this one-size-fits-all mentality where classroom learning is still the prefered method but the material remains the same despite the learner group dynamic.

    That is until COVID! Now, both my current and previous employer have found themselves forced into the virtual space with little or no previous experience in this arena. We have had to adapt at a rapid pace to keep our department current and productive, while simultaneously ensuring our overall L&D offering is unaffected, and the learner experience is as good as it always has been. This has been tough and presents ongoing daily challenges. I think this year, the ever evolving L&D landscape has moved more rapidly than ever.

    Thanks for sharing :)

  • I am reading this as part of my L&D Level 5 course but agree with your comments.  I have worked in L&D across a variety of roles for over 20 years and have seen a significant move from face to face training delivery to a more experiential way of learning and digital learning.  I am now in a position to influence forced changes of delivery due to covid, to an organisation very traditional in their delivery methodology and excited to update my knowledge of more current practice to inform the establishment and modernise delivery.

  • Hi Karen

    Such an interesting post, thank you for sharing your insights. I started my HR career back in the mid 1990s and quickly realised I much preferred training and so specialised in that field by studying my Certificate in Training Practice.

    Like you I remember training being about face to face delivery and very much about the trainer leading the session, I'm the expert with all the answers and I'm here to teach you stuff. Training was initially a separate function however we merged this into personnel, welfare, pay and expenses to create this new fangled thing called human resources (I have to say on a personal note I've never really like the term as I'm not a resource I am a person so I'm really pleased to see the term 'People Teams' or 'People Hubs' gaining traction .. however I digress!).

    I'd say a number of changes have occured in this space not least the structural aspect of the learning function and where it sits. Firstly business has realised that face to face training can be expensive in terms of time and money. Secondly much of what we used to train tended to be quite transactional stuff and most of this has either been replaced by technology or is simply obsolete. Thirdly, and perhaps the game changer, a recognition that this isn't a 'one size fits all' and to your point Karen that there's something about how people like to learn. You could also build on that the availability of online platforms which we just didn't have in 1995!

    Some of my major influences in thinking have been around 'growth mindset' (Dweck) and the learning organisation (Senge) this has really helped me consider approaches to L&D whilst ensuring that the learning offer aligns to business need.

    As others have said I'd be cautious of the generational segmentation that seems to be popular. My view is that this feels like lazy thinking, neatly putting people into 'boxes' is easy to do, I think humans are a little more complex than that! I guess that's why I've been attracted by Dweck's work on growth mindset which basically offers this view, everyone is capable of learning.

    Our job in L&D is to enable that to happen and to provide the organisation the tools/platform to make that happen.

  • Thanks, Karen great post, this is certainly my experience of L and D in the education sector.

  • Hi Karen,

    Great post and highly relatable. I have recently started my Level 5 L&D diploma and find this really useful and it's helped me reflect on my own experiences- having made similar observations myself.  Thanks for sharing!

    All the best,

    Rich 

    • Thanks Rich,  Good Luck with your Level 5 L&D diploma.

       

      Karen :)

  • + 1 Richard, Generation X wasnt only a good band too....

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