Attending an L&D conference in 2025
Claire Gibson and Dr Anna Barnett share their reflections on Learning Technologies
Hello, dear readers!
This week, we’re doing something a little different here at the L&D Dispatch.
That’s right, we’ve taken the lessons of our last ‘deep dive’ to heart, and delegated the latest edition of this newsletter to the wonderful Claire Gibson and Dr Anna Barnett.
Claire and Anna recently spoke at Learning Technologies, and we have no doubt you’ll appreciate their reflections on the conference.
Regular programming will resume next week but, until then, we leave you in the capable hands of our esteemed colleagues.
Yours in learning,
The Rosses
Who are you? Warning: Existential questions incoming!
If, like us, you were in London for Learning Technologies this April, you might have left wondering the same thing we did.
Is AI about to solve every problem we’ve ever had?
With countless stands flogging new AI products and most conversations landing on AI at some point, it was hard to see how it won’t eventually replace us all.
We (Anna and Claire) are a little old school.
We use AI, but we also don’t rely on it as learning designers and researchers.
Instead, we rely on our experiences and creativity to solve real problems. And, after a little pep talk over lunch, we remembered that we can do this better than AI.
We know how to cut through conversations to identify needs, we have a track record of designing learning interventions that change behavior, and, when we do use AI, we’re comfortable critically evaluating its outputs.
So, at Learning Technologies, we broke rank during our seminar session and spoke about one of our projects that was totally untouched by AI. (We’re not trying to be antagonistic when we say this, but it felt like a small act of rebellion.)
We chose to showcase a project that addresses a deeply human topic (climate change) in a deeply human way.
In all of our projects, we start by identifying gaps in knowledge, skill and motivation (amongst other things – it never surprises us how complex humans are).
We do this through conversations with our clients and their learners, and by triangulating their experiences and perspectives with external research and internal data.
Through the project we shared at Learning Technologies, we showed how academic studies in behavioral science are a learning designer’s best friend. Especially when learning designers bridge the gap between what can work (because the research shows it) and what will work (because organizations are all unique).
It led to a design filled with “aha!” moments to challenge thinking, exploration of the co-benefits of simple habit changes, and the creation of a space where people could share learning and see first hand what others are doing. All areas identified through the research phase of the project.
There are, of course, many elements of our work that benefit from AI. But the “bridging the gap” bit? That’s ours.
Take, for example, literature reviews.
In a discussion about this very newsletter, our colleague in arms, Ross Dickie, shared his AI-generated review of research about behavior change in the context of climate change.
It was good… but not perfect.
It lacked relevancy for the organization we were working with, it repurposed ideas that haven’t worked (if they had, we wouldn’t be here), and it referenced sources we’d look at twice. But it did provide a pad to launch off and, for that, we’re grateful to Large Language Models.
An AI content-creation tool definitely could have created a short course on climate change. But would it have encouraged anyone to digest the information and make changes to lifelong habits?
What Ross unintentionally illustrated is that it takes a human – with the right experience, we might add – to take AI, interpret its output, and make it meaningful.
We’re proud to be those humans. So we’d urge you, take a moment and remember what makes you great at your job. It’s understanding the human you’re designing for.
Before we wrap up, here are a few other takeaways from the rest of the Mindtools gang:
‘As always, the Learning Technologies Exhibition and Conference was buzzing with energy and big ideas. AI took centre stage this year, sparking lively conversations and debate, and showcasing how it's reshaping L&D through new learning platforms and creative solutions. In short, it was two days packed with innovation, inspiration, and incredible conversations.’ - Tracey McDonald, Head of Custom
‘As a learning professional attending the event, the most useful talks and interactions were when someone was showcasing a project, explaining their approach, what went well, what didn't go so well. They could still 100% reference the tools they used and what they'd recommend, but I was much more interested in their approach and the impact it had.’ – Martin Sinclair, Learning Experience Manager
‘My main takeaway was also the AI tools on the market… It really differentiates companies that want to have the newest thing, and the ones who efficiently use what they have (ChatGPT, Copilot etc) and put their focus and money into other ways of learning that are different... but that all gets drowned out because everyone is talking about AI-fuelled products.’ – Lara Kidd, Senior Customer Success Lead
‘I noticed a huge focus on AI from many providers, with most LMS and content platforms having this embedded as standard. There were also many AI coach tools, which is a big change from last year, and it’s clear there is scope for this to further develop. There’s a definite sense of L&D being at a crossroads, with many companies taking time to decide on the next steps with both AI and upskilling. My biggest takeaway was that strong relationships with providers are still vital for companies to succeed, and this shouldn’t be forgotten in the rush to embrace new technology.’ - Colin Beaton, Senior Customer Success Lead
Want to share your thoughts on The L&D Dispatch? Then get in touch by emailing custom@mindtools.com or reply to this newsletter from your inbox.
🎧 On the podcast
On The Mindtools L&D Podcast, we've often spoken about how AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are enhancing our capabilities. But do they also come at a cost?
In last week's episode, Ross Stevenson from Steal These Thoughts joined Ross G and Dr Gent to discuss:
the relationship between tasks and skills;
whether we are over-relying on AI;
the long-term impact of AI use on critical thinking.
Check out the episode below. 👇
You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify or the podcast page of our website. Want to share your thoughts? Get in touch @RossDickieMT, @RossGarnerMT or #MindToolsPodcast
📖 Deep dive — Manager Skills Framework (5 of 12)
It’s time for the fifth instalment in our series of deep dives into the 12 skills that make up our Manager Skills Framework. This week we’re looking at inclusive leadership.
In 2010, researchers Carmeli, Reiter-Palmon and Ziv wanted to understand why inclusive leaders see higher rates of innovation in the people they manage. They discovered that inclusive leadership, as a skill, creates psychologically safer team environments – characterised by people feeling more comfortable to task risks, speak up, and discuss issues openly.
In organizations where competitive edge is largely dependent on the creativity of its people, managers who were inclusive and, by extension, promoted psychological safety, led more creative teams. Neat, huh?
By way of demystifying inclusive leadership, the researchers define it as relating to three key facets:
👐🏼 Openness. Managers who are willing to seek out and consider diverse perspectives and ideas – even when they challenge their own.
👂🏽Accessibility. Managers who are approachable and easy to engage with.
🤳🏿Availability. Managers who are physically and emotionally present for their teams.
Carmeli, A., Reiter-Palmon, R., & Ziv, E. (2010). ‘Inclusive leadership and employee involvement in creative tasks in the workplace: the mediating role of psychological safety’. Creativity Research Journal, 22(3), 250-260.
👹 Missing links
👀 Keep an eye on these two evolving technologies (that aren’t AI)
While you can’t walk down the street without spotting an advertisement for some kind of ‘AI-powered’ product, two other technologies have quietly been gathering steam in the background. As Heather Stockton points out in this article, advances in quantum computing and spatial computing have significant implications for businesses, touching everything from cybersecurity to product design.
🎓 Something alarming is happening to the job market
According to data from the New York Federal Reserve, the labor market for recent college graduates in the United States has ‘deteriorated noticeably’, with the unemployment rate currently sitting at an uncharacteristically high 5.8%. In this article, Derek Thompson presents three plausible explanations for the trend: i) the labor market for young people never fully recovered from the pandemic; ii) college degrees no longer confer the advantages they did in the past; iii) organizations are outsourcing typical graduate-level tasks (synthesize information, produce reports, etc.) to AI.
🤓 An experiment in self-directed learning
A few months ago, our friend Anamaria Dorgo decided to conduct a small experiment in self-directed learning. She listed all of the topics she was interested in exploring, she opened up her calendar, and she invited people to book 30-minute meetings to teach her whatever they wanted, so long as it tied back to one of the selected topics. She called it ‘The Highly Unqualified Learn-a-thon’, and she shared her reflections on the experience last week.
👋 And finally…
Our baby’s all grown up! This decidedly trippy clip takes us from the dawn of the personal computer to a future that is confused and unhinged. So seems accurate.
👍 Thanks!
Thanks for reading The L&D Dispatch from Mind Tools! If you’d like to speak to us, work with us, or make a suggestion, you can email custom@mindtools.com.
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Excited about the conversation about AI with Ross. 3 x Ross. 😎