Learning in the Age of Immediacy

Welcome to the age of immediacy. Automation. The cloud. Mobile. Big data. The Internet of everything. These five factors, also known as edge technologies, are driving the radical evolution of the modern learning organization. Learning and development is at a fork in the road. As we enter the age of immediacy where we expect information to be available when we want it, regardless of where we are, and in an easily consumable format learning leaders will need a plan that s nimble and responsive. It s essential we view the learning function from two perspectives: a startup entrepreneurship and an enterprise. In Learning in the Age of Immediacy: 5 Factors for How We Connect, Communicate, and Get Work Done, learning strategist and industry insider Brandon Carson explores what every learning leader must know to move at today s speed of business. He shows that edge technologies are not fads, and explains why they will continue to affect how training is designed, delivered, and evaluated as everything becomes more and more connected. Carson asks you to consider how digital technology has fundamentally affected almost every aspect of business and what will happen over the coming decades. What will the workforce you support look like in the next several years? How will you work in the streaming economy the cloud has introduced? Do you have a mobile strategy for learning? (You should.) And how will you use the emerging practice of data science? Imagine a day when workplace knowledge is less about pushing information through your LMS; instead everything is capable of connecting to the network and assisting your learners. Carson s goal in Learning in the Age of Immediacy is to help establish a frame of reference for these factors so you can decide if, and, or how to integrate them into your future learning strategies. The stakes are high: Today s learning technology decisions can either extend your learning organization s ability to focus on real outcomes and measurable results, or translate into missed opportunities that require those you support to seek solutions elsewhere. It s time to take charge and integrate these five factors into your strategy. Use the practical approaches, case studies, and interviews with industry experts in this book to position your learning function to take full advantage of technological change!