Engaged Learning

How do you get your audience to be engaged and allow the learning to be personalized to them? There is a secret behind the madness. Although I have found that many, especially salespeople (blatant stereotype), don't like the secret. It is that the person must take responsibility for their own learning. I know, it is a bit of a stretch, but stay with me...

We go start in elementary school go through college. Why? To learn? Almost. Too often it is to get good grades and learning becomes a secondary objective. Because of this we have handed over our learning to others. We get in a mode for 16+ years of learning that others are in charge of our learning, we are in charge of our grades. So when we get out in the real world, what happens? Grades disappear and only learning matters. The rug is pulled out from underneath us.

But where is the structure? How will I learn? Alas, the corporate training system comes into sight and saves the day. They offer an LMS to record learning (after all, if it is not recorded, did you really learn it?) They offer certifications (grades). Ahhhhh. You feel at home again. Something to work toward. Recognition for learning

Unfortunately, learning so rarely comes in that form. Most learning is outside of a formalized environment. The motivation is not grades or a certification, but to experience the joy and thrill of learning. Instead of others directing our learning, we must take accountability for it. It is no longer needed (or OK) for us to wait to 'learn' until there is a course. The resources are there for us to jump in and learn.

The secret? One must take control of their learning. That is the only way we will become truly engaged. There are a ton of ways to facilitate this, but the learner must take control. Give them the tools and let them fish. In the learning profession we must allow them to take control, even encourage them to do so. We need to let go of the control and let it spread. We need to be there for our learners, give them what they need, even if it means a regular training or teaching class with grades or certification. But it need not be our focus. As Ted Hoff, VP of Learning at IBM stated, "There's so much to know, you want [employees] to be able to get information, and learn about what they need to know, at the moment they need to know it." (Training, April, 2007)