How much management does learning at work need?

Charles Jennings, Barry Sampson and Andy Wooler, each have many years experience of managing learning and of learning systems in large businesses. The three will take to the stage on day two of this January's Learning Technologies Conference to help provide the L&D community with some clarity on the future of learning management.

Conference Chair, Donald Taylor, said: "learning management and its systems has been the subject of some controversy over past conferences. At one end of the spectrum are those who believe that we learn naturally and that any intervention in the process will be counter-productive. At the other end are the strict behaviourists who demand nothing but instruction. None of our speakers is so extreme, but each has a strong opinion based on years of experience."

"How much management does learning at work need and how much do systems play a part? We've invited Charles, Barry and Andy, with three different views, to share their experiences and opinions," added Taylor.

Charles Jennings, former head of global learning at Reuters and now a director at the strategic learning and performance consultancy, Duntroon Associates, will start the discussion with his session titled 'L&D risks becoming a dead weight': "The debate over learning management is sometimes presented as a simple dichotomy of free, natural, informal learning versus the dead, heavy hand of 'push' learning systems. The real debate is more complex than that, but there is real truth in the idea that L&D spends too much time managing activity and trying to control from the centre, when it should be facilitating learning."

Barry Sampson, former Learning Technology Manager at B&Q and now an independent consultant in the use of web technologies in organisational learning, argues: "we cannot leave learning to chance. Of course we learn naturally, but in the workplace we cannot simply hope that our informal learning will be effective, aligned to the business, accurate and sufficient. We must, therefore, manage learning to some extent, if only to reach the places that informal learning does not touch.

Andy Wooler, HR Technology Manager, Legal and General Insurance Group, will follows on, with his session on the role of systems: "There is confusion about the term 'Learning Management System'. An LMS is not used to manage learning. It is used to manage the activity around learning. And that is vital. An industry veteran with a decade's experience working with LMSs/learning systems, Andy Wooler knows their shortcomings, but also understands why they are so important - especially in a highly-regulated environment.

The 'Learning management'' session takes place on Thursday 26 January 2012, from 15:30 - 16:30. To book places for January's conference, visit the Learning Technologies Conference programme and bookings web site.

To keep up to date with all the latest news and January 2012 event developments, visit www.learningtechnologies.co.uk and www.learningandskillsevents.com

About Learning Technologies 2012, 25 and 26 January 2012, Olympia 2, London

The Learning Technologies Exhibition and Conference is Europe's leading showcase of the technology used for learning at work and provides a wealth of content from the leading exhibitors in the field and a free seminar programme running in five theatres in the exhibition hall. The conference, running alongside the exhibition has expert sessions on learning technology, strategy and the issues facing L&D from some of the leading learning thinkers and visionaries in the industry.

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About Learning and Skills 2012, 25 and 26 January 2012, Olympia 2, London

Learning and Skills 2012 is co-located with the Learning Technologies Exhibition and Conference. The Learning and Skills exhibition showcases the entire spectrum of methods, products and services for workplace learning with a focus on people development, learning and performance, learning resources and HR systems and services and is built around a multi-streamed programme of free seminars in four theatres on the exhibition floor.

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Event hash tag: #LAS11UK