In a former life, I managed client education at a brilliant SaaS company called Eloqua. It was there that I began to learn about digital marketing and marketing automation. To a L&D person, it was fascinating to see the completely different approach to digital content and the usage of metrics and data.

I've continued to think about this for a long time and (finally) have the time to pull together my thoughts in what I'm loosely calling an eBook, which sounds rather grandiose for a 20 -25 page article.

As I write, I wanted to post a few sections to see how the concept resonates with other learning professionals. Download the full piece in June.

Excerpt from "Data Driven Learning Design"

The current landscape of Learning & Development is precarious. Companies are no longer willing or able to invest in large-scale initiatives, and departments are expected to deliver more with less. These trends are true for most industries. What is unique to L&D are the number of predators circling. Unlike a decade ago, content is everywhere. A flick of a mobile gives a learner access to millions of pieces of digital content. Knowledge assets are built by anyone, anywhere. How does a Learning department survive when its biggest competitor is a Google search? L&D is the ageing elephant on the Serengeti surrounded by hungry lions and poachers. The elephant may be wise, but it is slow and cumbersome.

L&D has not embraced digital disruption the way other industries have. Yes, we have adopted eLearning and other digital modalities as delivery channels, but we still apply our traditional classroom lens to what we build. Design and development is based on methodologies like performance consulting, Bloom’s taxonomy, and ADDIE, all of which were constructed far before digital learning was even a glimmer on the horizon. This type of thinking will only hold back L&D.

Unlike the classroom, learners can, and WILL, close the browser and open Facebook if not interested in the content. This massive shift in the dynamic between L&D and learner means the learning design methodologies have to change. The learner is now in control of the content consumption.

Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section.