Re: organization .. is the aversion to the word "learning" at all related to the relative ignoring of the notion(s) of the Learning Organization promulgated / proselytized / promoted about 15 years ago when forward thinkers first began seeing greater complexity in the future's cards ?

Clearly, "learning" is one of the core means of continual adaptation to ambiguous and complex conditions. If that word doesn't work well, we'd all better come up with a word or two that does ;-) because the conditions of ambiguity, complexity and uncertainty that we all face don't seem to be going away any time soon.

I agree that using the word "learning" usually results in yawns and disengagement from business execs... but smiles and cheers from parents and students...so its contextual. In my opinion the word needs to fit the situation, audience and environment. If you know your audience, the word "learning" can be perfectly appropriate. In business settings ears perk up when the words "solutions", "results", or "performance" are used.

The key for me is not necessarily the word 'learning', but the context that most attach to it.

In the past learning=training and learning=structured processes based (mainly) on knowledge acquisition and, sometimes, on skill-building.

For many that's what 'learning' still connotes.

Learning, as described by Eric Kandal (who won the Nobel prize for his work on memory and learning) is "the ability to acquire new ideas from experience and retain them as memories" - and Kandel wasn't talking about the sort of short-term memory required to regurgitate information in end-of-class assessments. He was talking about deeper long-term memory that results in persistent behaviour change.

So it's not the word (although 'learning' still carries a lot of formal 'baggage), but its context and the messages that travel along with it.

I think it's better always to focus on outputs rather than inputs. Learning is an input. Behaviour change or performance improvement are the outputs of learning. That's why, within ITA (http://bit.ly/bO4uvn), we've adopted 'Working Smarter' as a key term.

People work smarter through a range of unputs, some of which are learning.

Charles

Off to the accountants... (yawn) please carry on - back soon... your comments and thoughts are making the hairs on my arm stand up! Thank you everyone...

When I've learned something, I feel expanded - so maybe "Expanding"? As in 'I've expanded my knowledge of...' or 'my understanding of...' or' my skills in...'

@simbeckhampson Personally, I dont have any negative connotations with the word learning. Training on the other hand gives me connotations of the classroom - the practice of getting an expert's speaker-notes onto the learner's study-notes without bypassing the brain (more often than not).
I think that the reason many are searching for yet another word is that a lot of people that were delivering training are now doing exactly same thing under the learning label - not realizing that you cannot "deliver learning".
Learning cannot be forced - it comes from each individual learner's interest and motivation for learning.
Many struggle to accept that learning cannot be controlled or managed - to make the shift onto creating the environment in which learning can occur. We need to enable, nurture and facilitate learning - on the job, by the water-cooler, online and in the classroom.
We need to recognize the learner's role in learning - not as an empty vessel to be filled, but as wood that needs igniting (quote from Plutarch, greek philosopher).

simbeckhampson OK, late to this party...first, isn't it sad that the mainstream school systems have killed of all of our inborn/natural love/inclination for learning? As Seth Godin would say, all in the name of making us "compliant cogs", even though that's not really useful in the 21st century anymore.

Second, as I was skimming through the comment thread here, I a possibly pretty good one popped into my head: Thinking for Keeps (TM... NOT :) )

@gravesie erm, BS?

Want to see crowd sourcing at work? Check out all the comments at http://bit.ly/awDzUd #lrnchat #amplify #crowdsource

The term learning covers many different activities. Learning to ride a bicycle is a different deal than learning to speak French, and that's different than learning statistics or the way to San Jose. In the work context, I've been substituting "working smarter," since that's the desired outcome and unlike training, people don't say they don't want to do it.

simbeckhampson (sorry, still getting hang of using Amplify on my phone ...

Perhaps predictably, I'm going to agree with Simon that 'sensemaking' is a good phrase. I work in education and if it don't make sense to the learner, it's not worth opening your mouth in the first place. Watching learners find the sense for themselves (with or without help) is a joy. So, yes, sensemaking: APPROVED.

Re: organization .. is the aversion to the word "learning" at all related to the relative ignoring of the notion(s) of the Learning Organization promulgated / proselytized / promoted about 15 years ago when forward thinkers first began seeing greater complexity in the future's cards ?

Clearly, "learning" is one of the core means of continual adaptation to ambiguous and complex conditions. If that word doesn't work well, we'd all better come up with a word or two that does ;-) because the conditions of ambiguity, complexity and uncertainty that we all face don't seem to be going away any time soon.

I agree that using the word "learning" usually results in yawns and disengagement from business execs... but smiles and cheers from parents and students...so its contextual. In my opinion the word needs to fit the situation, audience and environment. If you know your audience, the word "learning" can be perfectly appropriate. In business settings ears perk up when the words "solutions", "results", or "performance" are used.

The key for me is not necessarily the word 'learning', but the context that most attach to it.

In the past learning=training and learning=structured processes based (mainly) on knowledge acquisition and, sometimes, on skill-building.

For many that's what 'learning' still connotes.

Learning, as described by Eric Kandal (who won the Nobel prize for his work on memory and learning) is "the ability to acquire new ideas from experience and retain them as memories" - and Kandel wasn't talking about the sort of short-term memory required to regurgitate information in end-of-class assessments. He was talking about deeper long-term memory that results in persistent behaviour change.

So it's not the word (although 'learning' still carries a lot of formal 'baggage), but its context and the messages that travel along with it.

I think it's better always to focus on outputs rather than inputs. Learning is an input. Behaviour change or performance improvement are the outputs of learning. That's why, within ITA (http://bit.ly/bO4uvn), we've adopted 'Working Smarter' as a key term.

People work smarter through a range of unputs, some of which are learning.

Charles

Off to the accountants... (yawn) please carry on - back soon... your comments and thoughts are making the hairs on my arm stand up! Thank you everyone...

When I've learned something, I feel expanded - so maybe "Expanding"? As in 'I've expanded my knowledge of...' or 'my understanding of...' or' my skills in...'

simbeckhampson We don't need another word for learning.

I wrote a comment on our blog just before I saw this conversation (serendipitous timing)

"We are in an industry in which most people are trainers, or are responsible for training, who deliver training courses, or provide training materials (traditional or e-training) and manage it all using training administration systems. It’s time to let go of the word learning, and give it back to the learners (to whom it has belonged all along)."

The rest of it isn't that relevant to this conversation, but it's here: http://onlignment.com/2010/10/the-elearning-debate-2010/comment-page-1/#comment-230

simbeckhampson Re: http://bit.ly/awDzUd You might expect me to contribute "#Rightshifting" :)

Hi Paul,
the simplest questions often are the toughest, and this one doesn't escape the rule ;-)
Wether positive or negative, each word comes with its connotations and limitations, so I don't think that "learning" could be replaced by another existing word.
Let's try a bit more... For me, learning evoques a life-long ongoing and informal process. The fact that you are trained does not imply that you learn, so learning is about self-fulfillment. It is also about a positive shift in mind, even if it involves unlearning. Learning is always turned to a ppositive direction, wichever way it takes..
I often compare people who do not learn as dead people, that's why I suggested "living", but I am conscious this isn't descriptive enough. They learned... then they stopped. So learning is about movement. A little other suggestion, with a built up word: metamoving.

Some good discussion going on here: RT simbeckhampson Help! #CrowdSource: Need a New Word for #Learning? #lrnchat http://bit.ly/awDzUd

simbeckhampson Personally, I dont have any negative connotations with the word learning. Training on the other hand gives me connotations of the classroom - the practice of getting an expert's speaker-notes onto the learner's study-notes without bypassing the brain (more often than not).
I think that the reason many are searching for yet another word is that a lot of people that were delivering training are now doing exactly same thing under the learning label - not realizing that you cannot "deliver learning".
Learning cannot be forced - it comes from each individual learner's interest and motivation for learning.
Many struggle to accept that learning cannot be controlled or managed - to make the shift onto creating the environment in which learning can occur. We need to enable, nurture and facilitate learning - on the job, by the water-cooler, online and in the classroom.
We need to recognize the learner's role in learning - not as an empty vessel to be filled, but as wood that needs igniting (quote from Plutarch, greek philosopher).

simbeckhampson I think the issue is one of connotation. Leaning is something you did as a child - learn your times tables, learn to tell the time, learn to tie your shoe laces, learn to ride a bike, swim etc. So learning could be perceived as being a childlike state. You are told to do it. I think adult learning is about facilitating [self]-discovery and enabling "eureka" moments.

@donaldhtaylorsimbeckhampson. Until you arrive on that righteous path, here is a tepid suggestion: "support".

This simple word evokes empathetic caring, while implying the need for effort on the part of the recipient. Sounds like a teacher, to me :)

Hi Paul - what a great debate! My take: if there's something wrong with the word 'learning' then changing the word won't fix the problem. We need to change approaches, and attitudes - others' as well as our own.

Managers think 'I want to get things done. That means people with the right abilities and motivation working in the right environment.' They don't think about learning.

So we need to persuade managers that a systematic approach to skills building will help them get things done, and that we are the professionals who can make it happen - directly, and through supporting them. We also need to accept ourselves that what we do is only part of the solution to getting things done.

Once we're on that path we can stick any name you like on it.