...I have to admit, my immediate thought when he came out with 'work is learning and learning is work' was 'he's read that somewhere' But, I'm pretty sure (certain actually) that he doesn't secretly read blogs and books on learning in his spare time :) Now, as far as writing your next article Charles, if he could use Minecraft to communicate the article's message I'm sure he'd be up for it! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minecraft

Thanks for the great feedback Clare! I chose to use Prezi for this presentation as I think it helps to show the holistic, connected nature of design far better than a typical PowerPoint slideshow. Some more posts are on the way, hope you like these too!

It's interesting how alternate terms for those who design learning are appearing. I like the idea behind 'Learning Architect', it does, as you say, bring in cooperation across disciplines. I suppose my leaning towards Learning Designer is that it is descriptive of what I do, I design learning (not instruction). Architects are lucky that they have their own special term that describes someone that designs buildings/spaces. Both Learning Designer and Learning Architect do however steer the conversation towards the holistic and away from narrow formal training definitions, so we're on the same wavelength there!

Hi Taruna A late reply to your comment, sorry :) The influence of outside specialities in an are I'm quite interested in. Overall I think that it is because we are all designers in some way that we see links between architecture, graphic design, interaction design, service design and so forth. We are all seeking to find solutions for a defined problem. Your link to the desire paths post is great, thanks. I reminds me of the saying, "pave the cow paths" (and I should remember who said this, but don't). Cheers Michael

Great post Garr! Traditional lecture theatres were great when the only way to hear from the expert was to load up a large room and let him speak. We're past that now, we can all find the basic information any time and any place we like. So, if learners are still to gather in rooms then the best thing they can do is to talk to each other, question their understanding and if there is an 'expert' on site she can tailor her responses appropriately.

Hi Holly Yep, agree with you, there are definitely a number of benefits from using social media at conferences. I follow others when they're at conferences that I can't attend and whilst it's not as good as being there I still get a taste of the presentations, ideas and sometimes some really good links. Within a conference it does build connections between people and engagement generally. Thanks for stopping by! Michael

Ryan, yes, this is a question that is often raised. Will people use social media for learning? Certainly there can be no sense of compulsion on employees, encouragement yes, compulsion is less helpful. This is all about informal learning, people finding answers for themselves from other people they work with. I reckon we do all do this right now. So much of what I've learnt when working in workplaces has been through 'chats' with others, it didn't feel like learning but I learnt! Social spaces just provide another place to do this. It also means that in businesses with a workforce spread geographically you are able to access a broader range of people, ideas and knowledge. The social space becomes a repository of business knowledge, accessible upon demand. At the end of the day it comes down to how the business builds a culture around social media. Then the more people try it, find answers they were looking for (or even answers they weren't looking for) and meet others with shared interests/challenges, the more people will just use it, naturally. Just as they very naturally chat with the person in their own office.

Yes, many people are drawn to lists, they like their structure. And yep, lists can definitely help all of us with memorisation, facts and processes (and getting things out of your head!) But, if you like to 'play' with ideas lists do not encourage this, that why mind mapping and other creative processes are great to link ideas and see connections. I'd say that the world we live in has a bias towards certainties, lists make things seem more certain. I say that lists are the enemy of learning because for me learning is about creating new links, new ideas in your head. So yes, use lists, but encourage creativity. For students who adore lists, build in creative activities that help them to also see how these can help them to see problems in new ways.

I know what you mean, download out of your head onto a list. A lot of the time however that list and others structure so much of our time leaving little or no opportunity for free creative thought. So much focus on productivity so little time for creativity. However I do agree with you, structure can have some good when it builds an opportunity for time off the grid! Sent from my iPad

'A veteran' Janet! OK I've got quite a bit of grey hair but..... :)