In L&D, the flood of new ideas constantly rushes over us, sometimes making it hard to grip what really works. It can be stabilizing, therefore, to identify and hold on to core ideas that have stood the test of time, and to use those as rocks on which we can stand.
The notion that learning is best supported by a blended approach is one of our field’s most enduring tenets. I articulated an overarching approach to comprehensive blended learning in my book, Learning Environments by Design, and I’ll quietly toast to the tenth anniversary of its publication on September 14.
The list of potential elements to be blended has grown, the tools at our disposal have expanded, and our understanding of what works has evolved, but the key ideas I explored in the book remain. Other voices have added their interpretation of these ideas, and even further strengthened the core. In the interim, I myself relabeled the approach as “modern blended learning,” and I am proud to be among those consistently advocating for rich, multi-faceted strategies to support learning in organizations.
In a fortuitous twist of great timing, David Kelly recently invited me on his podcast to revisit the core concepts and practices in Learning Environments by Design, and I was able to talk about the ways that the ideas have matured in the interim decade. (Here’s a slide deck of some of the key concepts.) I invite you to take a listen; the conversation is just 30 minutes long and it delves into modern challenges and strategies for addressing them. I’d love to hear from you how these ideas play out in your organization.
I have much more in my Curated Resources for Modern Blended Learning and Learning Environments by Design.
Join me in raising a toast to the tenth anniversary of Learning Environments by Design. Thanks for reading and listening to me all these years.
Reprinted from my newsletter.