Learning Technologies in the Workplace - by Donald H Taylor (Paperback)

About the Book

Effectively embed learning technology into your organization's L&D strategy with this complete guide.

Book Synopsis

Knowledge was once power - difficult to find, slow to transmit and coveted. Now we can access almost the sum total of human information with a swipe of our thumbs. The impact on the knowledge economy has been vast, leaving learning and development (L&D) professionals wondering how to keep pace. Many organizations naturally turn to technology to ensure workplace learning at scale and at speed, but stumble when it comes to successfully deploying and using it. Learning Technologies in the Workplace examines 16 years of learning technology implementations to find the secrets behind the most successful.

Examples in the book from the Hershey Company and BP, airlines, tech companies and manufacturers point to four common factors. Successful learning technology teams all have APPA: a clear aim, a people focus, a wide perspective and a pragmatic, can-do attitude. Learning Technologies in the Workplace gives readers practical pointers for each of these four points, helping them implement and use learning technologies well, with particular emphasis on the essential skill of identifying stakeholders and winning their support.

Review Quotes

"Anyone engaged in workplace learning will benefit from reading this book. Drawing on plenty of real-world examples, it spells out clearly what L&D professionals need to do when looking to extend their focus beyond the classroom and into integrating learning technologies."-- "Charles Jennings, Co-founder, 70:20:10 Institute"

"No one asks or answers the tricky question "How can I implement LT successfully in my organization?" Now finally someone has. We have some practical, concrete and exceptionally clear answers here that should not be ignored. This book could save you time, money and a lot of embarrassment. Go read it."-- "Nigel Paine, international speaker and author of The Learning Challenge"

"Since 2003, Towards Maturity's benchmark research has shown how learning innovation can, and does, deliver business impact. It has also uncovered that many L&D professionals struggle to understand the tactics necessary for success. Donald H Taylor combines his pragmatic experience with research and case studies to explore good practices in learning technology implementations and has created a must-read for everyone involved in the process."-- "Laura Overton, CEO and founder, Towards Maturity"

"So much of modern workplace learning relies on technologies and yet nobody has written a definitive guide to their implementation - until now. It's readable, insightful and useful and I recommend it."-- "Jane Hart, founder, Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies"

"The future of learning at work is blended and increasingly informal. No one is better placed than Donald H Taylor to understand both the opportunities and the practical approaches needed to overcome the numerous obstacles in our path."-- "Clive Shepherd, founding director, The More than Blended Learning Company"

"There is enough rhetoric around leveraging SMAC (Social, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud) within enterprise learning. This can mean putting together a comprehensive learning architecture that could include enterprise social platforms, contemporary LMS, mobile learning apps, simulations, virtual reality tools, and so on. Donald H Taylor focuses on the leadership, maturity and mindset required to launch and embed these disruptive ideas within enterprise learning. He also highlights the skills required to champion new ways of working that must be built on a robust understanding of organizations' internal reality and context."-- "Sunder Ramachandran, general manager - training, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals India"

"This book illustrates a key fact of learning and performance tools - that making them work has very little to do with the technology and almost everything to do with the people involved. These tools are just that. Having a hammer doesn't make one a carpenter. This book speaks to the key factors we need to adopt to bridge this gap and get the most out of these valuable resources. Highly recommended!"-- "Bob Mosher, learning advocate, Masie Center"

About the Author

Donald Taylor began his career in technology and training in the early 1980s. His experience ranges from training design and delivery to managing director and vice-president positions. Based in London, he travels internationally to consult and speak about workplace learning and associated technologies. He is Chairman of both the Learning Technologies Conference and the Learning and Performance Institute and is editor of Inside Learning Technologies magazine. The 2007 recipient of the Colin Corder award for services to training, he is a graduate of the University of Oxford and has an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University.