Charles Jennings talks about how we can extend learning beyond the formal
Enabling learning beyond the formal is about moving past the structured lining and focusing on the outputs rather than inputs, according to learning strategist Charles Jennings.
Facilitating a session at TJ’s stand during the Learning eXchanges at the Learning Technologies show last month, Jennings discussed the well-know 70:20:10 model and embedding learning at work.
Jennings believes that 70:20:10 is a change agent more than anything else and highlighted that the model is a strategy and set of practices to extend learning into the workflow. The common challenge coming from many is how do you do it? According to Jennings, “the principle is that in the new working environment learning is the work.”
“He said: Organisations that are able to move in this direction, and have the HR and L&D teams to facilitate and support the move, will extract far greater value from workforce development than those that can’t.”
Most learning professionals know that they learn better through observing, mimicking, discussing, trying things out, making mistakes, and trying again until they are adept. “That’s the nature of human learning. We are learning animals, born to learn,” Jennings added.
“Good use of 70:20:10 results in increased focus on supporting effective learning and development within the daily workflow, naturally and at the speed of business – or preferably faster than the speed of business. That’s where the model can have its greatest impact.
“Along with providing a strategy for supporting effective and efficient learning and releasing high performance, 70:20:10 thinking also helps to change and develop mindsets (and change practices). Of course, formal away-from-work learning is still necessary to build capability efficiently and effectively in certain situations – especially when people are new to a role or organisation. However, we need to think and act more widely than simply changing the delivery channel.”
