LILA @20 in 2020 Summit: Ecologies of Learning Perspectives and Provocations

This year, the Learning Innovations Laboratory (LILA) community has been exploring the theme of Ecologies of Learning which in hindsight seems to be particularly relevant theme given the crisis we all face. Learning Ecologies offers a perspective on how organizations can develop new capabilities, organize work, and manage careers in order to take advantage of the new world order. The idea of a learning ecology recognizes that learning is unfolding all the time in complex ways, through peer relationships, networks, informal coaching, the way people interact in person and virtually, etc. which can be learning-synergistic or not.  What people are learning includes not only particular skills and understandings that formal learning might target, but also the "hidden curriculum" – how to informally pick up on the patterns of survival and thriving within the organization.   Participants can view the description of the Perspectives and Provocation Session by clicking here prior to making your More »

April 2020 LILA Member Call Beth Schinoff - Workplace Relationships in a Virtual World

The workplace is often the seedbed for meaningful connections - one of the “three main spaces” in our lives - home, work, church. Church has receded over time, replaced by technology and other places of congregation (e.g., coffee shop). Workplace has become an increasingly important source of belonging. At the same time, we are facing a loneliness epidemic. We have an aging workforce, and remote work seems to play a huge role in loneliness epidemic, even among millennials. Hence, there are societal reasons to foster connection at work. From an organizational perspective, when a friendship is overlaid on coworking relationship, this is referred to as “multiplex relationship.” The major benefits of these relationships for organizations are that they generally enhance job performance and organizational commitment. More »

Storytelling for Learning From Others with Chris Myers

We know that tapping into experiences as part of our learning ecologies makes them richer and enables us better able to adapt to new situations.  At LILA, we have explored practices that enable us to do this at the individual level.  But what about creating learning ecologies at scale that enable learning to an entire team for example.  This is the starting point for today’s presentation by Dr. Chris Myers, Assistant Professor at the Carey School of Business at Johns Hopkins More »

Human and Artificial Cognition: Systems, Ecologies and Culture

How is digital technology shifting the way that we learn within organizations?How do we prepare ourselves and our organizations in local and global ecologies of change? How do we act in that tension between current demands and future demands? How do we do significant cognitive work with sophisticated technologies? Dr. George Siemens points out that we are beginning to think with technology –it is more than a tool that we use, it is a tool that uses and shapes us. As we look towards the future of organizational performance, we need to consider technology agents in addition to human employees and More »

Ecologies of Practice for Learning, Performance and Creation of New Value

In an ecology of learning, you’re weaving together things in your environment to inform/create/make new value. All the elements (see enumerated figure) are intertwined. It is the individual’s uniqueness that delivers the results at the end of the day. More »