The Learning Hack podcast

John Helmer

What are the significant innovations shaping the future of learning? How is digital technology and scientific discovery changing the way we learn, train, teach and educate? Join John Helmer in conversation with the people who are visioning and actively creating that future. Published fortnightly (don't forget to subscribe!).

  1. Polynesian Navigators with Laura Overton and Michelle Ockers

    4 DAYS AGO

    Polynesian Navigators with Laura Overton and Michelle Ockers

    Does L&D know where it's going? What separates the L&D functions that genuinely move organisations forward from those that stay busy but never quite shift the dial? That question has driven Laura Overton's research for over two decades — and it sits at the heart of The L&D Leader, the new book she co-authored with Michelle Ockers. Their answer, drawn from more than ten thousand L&D professionals and two hundred learning leaders, points not to new tools or models, but to something older and harder to teach: the ability to read the organisation, sense its currents, and navigate your own way to somewhere that matters.   In this episode John talks with Laura and Michelle about the ideas behind the book, which opens with the extraordinary story of the ancient Polynesian navigators — people who crossed 2,500 miles of open ocean without a compass or a clock. They discuss the lasting legacy of the pandemic for L&D, why two decades of research on workplace learning strategy show surprisingly little change in how most functions operate, and the risk that chasing the latest tool or model is actually damaging L&D's ability to drive real value.   And then there's the question that sits underneath all the talk of L&D maturity and business alignment: when we talk about driving value through learning, who exactly is that value for?   TIMESTAMPS 00:02:44 - Intro 00:05:55 - What was the genesis of the book? 00:10:04 - The collaboration — how Laura and Michelle came to write together 00:13:29 - Legacy of the pandemic for L&D 00:16:10 - Was the pandemic a 'golden period' for L&D? 00:19:42 - What are they telling people in The L&D Leader? 00:30:00 - The Polynesian navigators — and what they mean for L&D leadership 00:39:09 - Is technology causing 'skill fade' in L&D? 00:41:42 - How has the L&D community changed over two decades? 00:50:55 - Who gets the value from workplace learning — the learner or the stakeholder? 01:02:58 - End   CONNECT WITH LEARNING HACK LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer X: @johnhelmer Threads: @jphelmer Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social Website: learninghackpodcast.com

    1h 4m

  2. 19 FEB

    What's The Vibe, Don?

    The results of the 2026 Global Sentiment Survey are out — and the mood in workplace learning is uneasy. In this episode, John speaks with Donald H. Taylor about AI's "hangover moment," rising pressure on L&D teams, diverging regional trends, vendor anxiety, and what showing value really signals this year. Is this a temporary wobble — or a structural shift in what L&D is for?   Timestamps 00:00 - Start 02:21 - Intro 04:14 - Overview of this year's GSS 12:50 - Metaverse and virtual environments 21:59 - Opportunities and Challenges of AI 26:49 - More US respondents this year? 28:33 - Global differences in vibe? 33:46 - Personalisation and individualism 36:09 - New vs returning respondents 41:04 - The challenge of technology 52:47 - End     Connect with Learning Hack LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer X: @johnhelmer Threads: @jphelmer Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social Website: learninghackpodcast.com

    54 min

  3. 9 FEB

    LH #124 Learning Hive: What's the Buzz? with Kinga Petrovai

    What if the most powerful learning system in your organisation is already there — hidden in plain sight? In this episode, Dr Kinga Petrovai introduces The Learning Hive: a structured, research-informed model for peer learning that amplifies tacit knowledge, builds community, and accelerates learning transfer. Drawing on her academic background and real-world practice, Kinga explains why informal learning is often undervalued — and how deliberate design can make peer learning both human and effective.   Timestamps 00:02 – Introducing the Learning Hive 00:06 – What makes it true peer learning 00:12 – Origins in academic research 00:19 – Why "hives", not communities 00:25 – Systems thinking and learning design 00:31 – Peer learning, tacit knowledge, and AI 00:41 – Keeping the human at the heart of learning 00:50 – Karaoke closer     Links & Contact LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer X: @johnhelmer Threads: @jphelmer Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social Website: learninghackpodcast.com

    1h 1m

  4. 26 JAN

    OEB Special: Learning and Humanity

    Voices from Online Educa Berlin 2025.  Recorded at Online Educa Berlin 2025, this episode brings together five perspectives on keeping the human at the centre of learning in the age of AI. From global learning trends and AI maturity, to human-centred education, the Global South, emerging talent, and the long view of digital learning, these conversations capture the diversity, tensions, and possibilities shaping education and workplace learning worldwide.     Guests Donald H. Taylor Margaret Korosec Ibraheem Adedayo Adediran Buena Jill Galleposo Paul Bacsich     Timestamps   00:02:19 – Intro: OEB 2025 00:02:52 – Donald H. Taylor: humanity, AI, and the learning peloton 00:26:48 – Margaret Korosec: human-centred AI and higher education 00:49:56 – Ibraheem Adedayo Adediran: AI, counselling, and the Global South 01:13:53 – Buena Jill Galleposo: 30 Under 30 and the future of learning 01:30:26 – Paul Bacsich: distance learning, perspective, and continuity 01:54:32 – End     Connect LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer X: @johnhelmer Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social Website: learninghackpodcast.com

    1h 56m
  5. The Changing Shape of Work with Josh Bersin

    12 JAN

    The Changing Shape of Work with Josh Bersin

    The year ahead for learning, skills and work As organisations head into 2026, Josh Bersin returns to The Learning Hack to make sense of what is really changing in work, skills and learning. Drawing on his latest research and global advisory work, Josh explains why AI has crossed a threshold, how jobs are being reshaped rather than eliminated, why skills velocity is fundamentally cultural, and why L&D is facing a once-in-a-generation structural reinvention.   Timestamps 01:28 – Intro 03:12 – What happened in 2025? 05:08 – 'Superworkers' & 'supermanagers' 09:39 – What's happening in the job market? 16:40 – Skills velocity 25:30 – What are the biggest shifts in L&D? 31:08 – Where are the real, durable changes in learntech, a year ahead? 36:44 – Obsequious LLMs 38:03 – Differences across global regions? 42:39 – What signals should people look out for in the coming year? 46:25 – Should we expect consolidation in the learntech market? 50:01 – End       Connect   LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer X: @johnhelmer Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social Website: learninghackpodcast.com

    51 min

  6. 15/12/2025

    AI Learning and the Global South (an episode of the Great Minds on Learning podcast)

    Recorded live at Online Educa Berlin, this episode of Great Minds on Learning explores AI and the Global South through history, hard lessons, and contemporary debate. John Helmer and Donald Clark examine early techno-utopian experiments, the ethics wars around AI, and newer perspectives rooted in language, power, and lived experience. From Negroponte and Mitra to Gebru, Arora, Manyika, and Mugane, the conversation asks who AI is really for—and who gets to decide.     Timestamps   00:57 – Intro 01:58 – Introduction to AI & the Global South 14:11 – Nicholas Negroponte 17:38 – Sugata Mitra 24:11 – Global South takes on AI 28:11 – Timnit Gebru 32:27 – Payal Arora 37:39 – James Manyika 43:12 – John Mugane 54:49 – Summing up 58:41 – Q&A     About the Show   Great Minds on Learning explores 2,500 years of learning theory—from the Greeks to the geeks. Hosted by John Helmer and Donald Clark, the podcast connects historical ideas to today's debates in education, technology, and society.     Connect   LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer X: @johnhelmer Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com

    1h 18m
  7. LH #121 A Make Or Break Year? 2025 in review with Myles Runham

    24/11/2025

    LH #121 A Make Or Break Year? 2025 in review with Myles Runham

    2025 was billed as a "make-or-break year" for L&D. But what actually happened? To make sense of a turbulent twelve months in learning, talent and HR, John Helmer speaks with Myles Runham of Fosway Group, Europe's leading analyst firm. They explore AI's real impact, shifting buying patterns, skills intelligence, evaluation, and whether L&D is heading for reinvention or obsolescence. A clear-eyed, data-led look at where we stand — and where we're heading.   Timestamps 00:59 – Intro 03:30 – Did we make it or break it? 07:02 – Are organisations spending smarter or just spending less? 09:06 – Have HR buying patterns changed too? 16:24 – Where is he seeing genuine AI transformation? 22:06 – Are organisations training enough on AI? 25:00 – AI effects on the job market 28:31 – Are we any closer to meaningful skills intelligence? 34:57 – Are we getting any better at evaluation? 37:31 – Trends in the systems and tools market 43:06 – Will L&D avoid obsolescence? 49:16 – Karaoke favourite?     Contact / Follow LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer X: @johnhelmer Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social Website: learninghackpodcast.com

    54 min

  8. 10/11/2025

    Agent Provocateur with Dr. Ashwin Mehta

    How AI agents are reshaping learning workflows and the L&D ecosystem "Agentic AI" is the buzzword of the moment. But how many people fully understand what it really means—or how it will change learning and work? Dr. Ashwin Mehta, Chief AI Strategist at the Learning & Performance Institute and founder of Mehtadology AI, joins John Helmer to unpack the hype and explore the practical realities of AI agents, workflow re-engineering, and the emerging skills ecosystem in learning and development.     Timestamps 00:00 - Start 01:51 - Intro 03:52 - AI strategist role with LPI 08:33 - What are AI agents? 12:41 - Is agentic AI tech widely available yet? 23:25 - What skills do L&D need to use Agentic AI? 29:25 - How Dr Mehta uses AI agents in his business 34:54 - Workflow re-engineering 40:14 - AI negatives Q&A: cost-cutting, slop, bias and AI armageddon 50:16 - How AI reshapes the L&D ecosystem 56:51 - End   Connect LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer X (Twitter): @johnhelmer Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social Website: learninghackpodcast.com

    59 min
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About

What are the significant innovations shaping the future of learning? How is digital technology and scientific discovery changing the way we learn, train, teach and educate? Join John Helmer in conversation with the people who are visioning and actively creating that future. Published fortnightly (don't forget to subscribe!).

Information

  • Creator
    John Helmer
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    99
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © John Helmer 2019
  • Show Website
    The Learning Hack podcast

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