Social Vs Formal Learning, From a Certain Point of View...

In the Star Wars film, Return of the Jedi, there is a classic scene in which Luke Skywalker asks Obi-Wan Kenobi why he told him that Darth Vader killed his father, when in fact Darth Vader was in fact, Luke's father.  Obi-Wan does some verbal tap-dancing to get himself out of what was - in this fan's opinion - a bold-faced lie, ending with a popular Star Wars quote:

"So what I told you is true... from a certain point of view."

I find myself thinking of that quote a lot lately, and how it applies to learning, and the learning profession.  Too often we see things as black and white, when in reality the truth lies somewhere in the gray.  One area I see this 'certain point of view' idea very prevalent is in the current discussions around 'Social Learning'.  There's some great discussions taking place online on this topic that I think all learning professionals would do well to read.  (links shared at the end)

'Social Learning' is a term that needs to be refined.  As I and others much smarter than me have pointed out - Social Learning is not new.  People have been learning socially for ages.  When a group of cavemen stared blankly at a flame and one reached out and touched it, the others quickly learned 'Hey, let's not do that'.  They may not have had language yet, but you can bet that the 'don't stick your hand in the fire' message spread among the tribe pretty quick.  They learned the lesson through their social sharing.

The current discussion about social learning is less about social learning and more about social media - specifically the fact that social media technology has advanced to the point that it now moves at the speed of learning.  People use it to communicate and share in ways that have never been possible before and the possible applications for learning are truly exciting.

And that's where the debates start.

Some proponents of 'social learning' present the 'certain point of view' that what has been done in the past is no longer relevant, and is being replaced by social learning.  Humans tend to resist change, especially when it is conveyed in a 'What you've been doing is wrong' format. Focusing more on social learning and using social media technology in performance improvement programs is a substantial shift for many learning professionals.  When the message of the shift is packaged with a message of formal training's demise, many people naturally resist.

So here's my two cents on the topic... slightly adapted from a comment I left on Clive Shepherd's blog.

Most learning professionals agree that making learning part of the work (instead of removing people from work for learning) is usually more effective. Advancements in social media technology give us opportunities to exist in the workplace that were previously impossible.  The more we can leverage social media as a tool to make learning as part of the work, the less we need to depend on formal training programs.

That's not a statement against formal training. There is and likely always will be a need for it. Every situation is different, and every performance improvement need should be addressed using the most effective tools for that specific situation.

Keep in mind, this is not the first time we're having this discussion.  It's no different than when computer-based learning first became available. We were wondering then too if it would reduce our reliance on classroom-based training methods - and it did.

In any task, you are always best to use the most appropriate tool for the job. Social media tech has advanced to the point that it is now an excellent tool for learning and performance. Does it replace all other types of training, formal or otherwise? No. Do social media tools occupy an increasingly larger piece of the overall pie? Yes, and that subsequently makes the traditional formal training piece of the pie smaller.

And what I'm telling you here is true... from a certain point of view - mine.  Your point of view may be different, and that's OK.  Hopefully as we continue having these discussions, we can find the common ground.

To me that's the main benefit to discussions like this.  Looking at both sides of an argument gives us all a better understanding and helps us meet somewhere in the middle, in the gray.

I definitely recommend further reading and participation in some of the discussions currently taking place regarding social learning's impact on more traditional learning programs.  Here are a few links to get you started:

The e-Learning Debate: Summer 2011 - in this posting, learning professionals vote and debate on the following motion: The house believes that as social learning grows, so the requirement for traditional training departments shrinks.

Clive Shepherd's blog post: Give Cruella a Chance - Clive Shepherd was one of the speakers participating in the e-Learning Debate mentioned above.  In this blog post, he goes into greater detail about why he is against the motion.

Be sure to check out the comments added on both pages, where the outstanding discussions are taking shape.

Reflections on #lrnchat: Misconceptions About Learning Through Social Media

Image use courtesy of lrnchat and Kevin Thorn (@LearnNuggets)

Each week that I am able to participate in #lrnchat discussion I post a summary of the discussion to my blog. I do this both for my personal development as well as sharing with the Learning and Development Profession at large. This summary is based on my own interpretations of the chat; others who participated may have differing opinions or interpretations of the discussion. I welcome those that do to add your ideas to the comments.

The topic of this week's #lrnchat session was “Misconceptions about learning through social media". 

I always find looking at the questions that are used to loosely guide the chat as a nice way to see the overall theme of the chat. Here are the discussion questions that were presented to the group:

Q1) What misconceptions drive you crazy about social media in general? The big and the little peeves.
Q2) How do you address those misconceptions about social media?
Q3) What misconceptions you hear about learning with social media (aka social learning) make you crazy?
Q4) How do you address misconceptions about social learning?

Q5) What are a couple of things you wish everyone knew about learning through social media?

For decades the Leaning and Performance profession has been researching and discovering new ways to design and implement programs in a way that encourage learners to participate in their learning.  Recognizing that the traditional methods of lecture, testing, and event-based training have marginal effect on actual performance, learning professionals have strived to design programs that focus less delivering content, and more on having learners learn via experiencing the content.  In order for that to happen, the learners must be actively involved.

The pursuit of the involved or to use the more commonly used term, engaged learner, has been a goal of the learning professional for years.  Gains have been made in this area in all learning arenas, from classrooms to virtual environments.  In most cases though, the gains have struggled to reach a critical milestone: Self Direction.  Getting the learner to participate, or better yet, getting them to want to participate is one thing. Eliminating the ‘Getting them to’ part of the equation is what really defines this growing concept of the Self-Directed Learner.

Enter Social Media. This ‘new’ media has tapped into the very basic human desires of community, connectedness, and participation in ways we could not have dreamed of a decade ago.  For ages the learning profession has been trying to find the ideal environment in which we can ‘Get learners to’ participate.  Suddenly, not only was such an environment dropped into our laps, but better still, most learners were already participating and contributing to these new online communities.

The paradigm has quickly shifted. Creating the right environment is no longer the primary focus; now the focus is on nurturing the community within the environment technology has handed us.  Social media, and its tremendous potential for leaning and performance, has arrived.

Or has it?

While the audience that is likely to read this post would probably agree with the overall theme (if not all the details) of the picture I’ve painted about social media, our community has largely adopted and actively uses social media.  We live it, breathe it, and have come to respect its power and potential. 

Many other people are slow to jump on this train, and in fact may outright refuse to.  In most cases, this reluctance is likely based on ignorance.  Consider this statement:

Twitter is stupid! I have absolutely no interest in hearing about what Ashton Kutcher had for breakfast.

We’ve all someone say this, or some version of it, many times before.  If you’re like me, chances are you’ve said something like this yourself before you discovered the value that social media can provide. 

For those that have not taken this journey, misconceptions about what social media is - and isn’t – are very common.  As this new iteration* of social learning continues to gain momentum, more and more learning professionals will be encountering stakeholders who hold these misconceptions.  This week’s #lrnchat explored what these misconceptions are, and how we might be able to overcome them with our stakeholders.

*I call this a ‘new iteration’ because Social Learning has been around since the first two cavemen tried to build a fire together, and probably even before that. Social Learning has always existed – we’re just introducing new technologies and frameworks into the existing dynamic.

The discussion started by exploring the misconceptions that drive us crazy about social media.  One of the common themes of responses was that social media is just for celebrities.  That’s a popular barrier because most of the exposure social media gets in the news relates to celebrities, and it’s usually not painting social media in a good light.

Imagine you’re a learning professional who has finally gotten the opportunity to pitch using social media tools in your learning programs.  You deliver an excellent and compelling proposal, one that the senior manager is considering despite his or her reservations.  As the senior manager is relaxing that evening, the news announces that Charlie Sheen, who has been the human equivalent of a train wreck over the past week, has set the Guinness Record for fastest time to reach one million followers on Twitter.  That’s like throwing gasoline on the pilot light of misconception.  It may not completely derail your proposal, but it certainly won’t help your cause.

Another common theme was the extremes of social media misconceptions.  Some people see social media as a gaping hole in the security of their organization, while others look at it as the Holy Grail for the future.  Either it’s going to suck the organization into a never ending pit of despair, or it’s going to cure the organization of all its ills, just by flipping the social media switch to the ON position. 

That leads me to one of the misconceptions about social media that is high on my personal pet-peeve list: Looking at social media as a solution.  Social media is a tool.  Putting social media in play at an organization is no more a solution than putting a hammer into a carpenter’s hand is.  The tool is an instrument that only works if it is implemented with some degree of a plan.  Social media is not a solution, but it can be an excellent tool to use – when appropriate - in implementing a solution.

Another misconception that is high on my list deals with risk.  I’m not referring to opening the doors to social media being a risk; I actually believe there is some truth to that.  Logically speaking, if employees are engaging in social media, their actions in that community are indirectly a reflection on their organization to anyone who knows they work there.  It’s that scenario that scares many organizations.

The misconception that I’m speaking of isn’t that scenario; it’s the default way of responding to the risk of that scenario: CONTROL.  “We need to block all social media sites!  We need to install a Social Media policy that makes employees aware that they can be held accountable for their online interactions!”

Responding to the ‘risk’ of social media by trying to control it is a complete waste of time.  As Jane Bozarth said best during the chat, “Dear Organization. You blocked Facebook? Oh look, I have an iPhone.” 

There is risk associated with employees engaging in social media.  Like many fears, the weight of this risk is magnified by ignorance of social media.  You don’t mitigate the risk with control; you mitigate it with education and by fostering a community.

The discussion then moved towards how we overcome the misconceptions of social media.  Most of the responses here focused on overcoming misconceptions about social media related to learning, which I address a little later in this post.

For me though, addressing the misconceptions about social media comes down to a very simple but applicable cliché: Don’t knock it till you tried it.

The discussion then shifted towards the misconceptions that drive us crazy about social learning.  The common theme here related to talking about social learning without really understanding what it is and how it works.  I would agree; here are a few examples that I often see.

Misconception #1: That it’s about a tool. 

Picking the right tool to foster social learning is important, but it’s still secondary.  It’s more about creating a culture of sharing and a fostering a community. If the culture does not support usage, the capabilities of the tool become meaningless.

Misconception #2: The either/or concept.

First, we’re already doing social learning; what we’re really talking about here is leveraging social media technology in learning programs. Social media doesn’t replace anything anymore than e-learning ‘replaced’ the classroom.  Social media adds a new tool to our belt that we can utilize in the right situations.  The percentages of usage may shift over time, but social media is nothing more than a new tool that will enable us to enhance the work we do.

Misconception #3: That Social Learning needs to be launched.

The reality is that we don’t implement social learning.  It happens organically, whether we are involved or not.  Social learning is like a flowing river – it’s always been there and will likely always be there.  Building a social learning program is like building a water wheel to harness the power of the river that’s already there.

From there the discussion moved towards how we go about addressing the common concerns regarding social learning.  The responses made me realize that in many ways, the way we overcome the misconceptions of social media in learning actually have very little to do with social media.  Consider these common and often retweeted responses:

Don’t talk about Learning; Talk about the business.

Explain how a specific tool can be used to solve a problem.

Share business cases and examples of success.

You’ll notice that the words ‘Social Media’ are not used.  This is the way Learning Professionals operate daily to support and become part of the business.  It’s what we do to overcome the popular misconceptions of Learning and Development in general.  Discussing Social Media fits right into that existing dialog format.

Eventually, you will get down to the detail level where you will be discussing a specific social media tool.  I think it’s incredibly important that you have an example that can be shown during this discussion.  Describing something to someone, no matter how well you paint the picture, is a poor substitute for seeing and experiencing it.  The best example of this is my iPad.  I’ve described how cool it is to people numerous times, but it doesn’t compare to that Keanu Reeves-like ‘Woah…’ moment most people get when they first put their fingers to the screen and play with it.

That’s why participating in social media communities outside the organization is critical.  First, it gives you real experience and knowledge about the tool.  It changes your personal work implications from “This tool might be appropriate, we should try it…” to “This is a great tool for this program”.  It also adds immediate credibility to your ‘selling’ of the tool to the organization.  Participating in social media communities outside the organization gives you a great example to use to demonstrate the tool and its benefits to your stakeholder.

The discussion concluded by asking what we wish everyone knew about learning through social media.  I wish that people could focus on the potential of social learning, instead of its potential risks.  Moreover, as Clark Quinn mentioned during the chat, organizations should be aware of the high risks of inaction as it applies to social media. 

For me, social media today is very much like the internet a decade or so ago.  The internet has fundamentally changed the world.  Through the virtual pathways rapidly creating connections on the web, our world of opportunities has expanded exponentially; yet at the same time, the world is getting smaller every day as the barriers of physical distance are eliminated.

That’s exactly what social media does, only instead of doing it with machines; it does it with human beings.  The potential of that, and in turn, the potential for enhanced social learning, is impossible to ignore.

Until next week #lrnchat-ers!

Twas the Night Before Social Media

Just a little (relevant) holiday fun...

Twas the Night Before Social Media

Twas the night before SoMe, and all through land,

Most training was lecture, engagement be damned;

Be it classroom or e-learning, the results disappoint,

and for some reason it all was made with PowerPoint.

The learners were sleeping, or else they were vexed,

by e-learning courses of "read, then click next";

The trainers were talking, then talking some more,

Not realizing the learners felt it all was a chore.

When out of the internet there arose such a thunder,

based on this promise from a new techno wonder;

“Knowledge is not locked in an encyclopedia,

Everyone knows Everything, bring on Social Media!”

Some call it Social Media, some say Web 2.0,

There’s really just one thing we all need to know;

The tech makes it easier to make learning full,

and its power is shifting from ‘Push’ over to “Pull’.

There were early adopters, and a number of Champs,

who yearned to break learning out from it's clamps;

"Too long have we suffered,” they started to cheer,

"Give learning to learners, and don't interfere!"

They turned there attention to 'the way things have been',

Then brought up their cross hairs and aimed with a grin...

"Now ADDIE, now Rapid, and the ROI mess,

Now Learning Objectives and of course, LMS!

There was a time for your methods, which has now come to pass,

And as you exit us now, don't let the door hit your... Class."

So they wrote up some rules, using indelible ink,

That listed the terms that make us all drink;

(and if those lines confuse, as if something's not right,

after reading my blog, go check out this site.)

Many would say that the old ways are dead,

But maybe some balance is needed instead;

In truth things may not be quite so absolute,

but the message at the core is hard to refute.

The message in question?  It must be explored,

This brand new technology can not be ignored;

Its one rule is simple, though hard to obey,
"Let go of control and get out of the way!"

Learning is not about what we can teach,

So please kill that lecture and way-to-long speech;

The learners decide if they want to engage,

So it’s time that professionals got on that same page.

Social Media’s a tool that can help with this shift,

For Learning Professionals, it’s really a gift;

These tools can be used for any topic you cover,

If you set up the format as ‘search and discover’.

If there’s one thing that adult learners all seem to dread,

Its training events with the content spoon-fed;

So shift your tactics with an unexpected stunt,

Like converting your content to a scavenger hunt.

“But the costs!” I can hear some of you say,

“We can’t afford any new tech today”;

Well just take that excuse off your verbal marquee,

As there are plenty of options, and many are FREE!

There’s Twitter, there’s LinkedIn, and of course there’s Facebook,

All of which you can leverage if you just take a look;

Just look through the lens of our chosen vocation,

It’s how we use these tools that’s the key deviation.

So create a structure in which learners can pull,

Though you’ll find that your glass is still only half-full;

Fill the rest by avoiding any regulation,

that places restrictions  and results in negation.

Provide only structure, plus the tools and some tips,

Then try to let learners just write their own scripts;

Then sit back and let their engagement explode,

and nurture the community being built on this road.

I hope you enjoyed this, for I now need to close,
as I only have one more rhyme to compose;
So I’ll close with a wink and a holiday sound bite,

"Happy learning to all, and to all a good-night."

Happy Holidays from Misadventures in Learning!

-David

Reflections on #lrnchat: Our Own Learning & Development- Past, Present, Future

Each week that I am able to participate in #lrnchat discussion I post a summary of the discussion to my blog. I do this both for my personal development as well as sharing with the Learning and Development Profession at large. This summary is based on my own interpretations of the chat; others who participated may have differing opinions or interpretations of the discussion. I welcome those that do to add your ideas to the comments.

The topic of this week's #lrnchat session was "Our Own Learning & Development: Past, Present, & Future".  The topic and questions were suggested by @craigtaylor74 & @mattiaskareld.

As this week #lrnchat fell on the American holiday of Thanksgiving, participation was lighter than usual and consisted of only the earlier session.
I always find looking at the questions that are used to loosely guide the chat as a nice way to see the overall theme of the chat. Here are the discussion questions that were presented to the group:

Q1) What’s the single biggest piece of “learning” for you over the last 12 months?
Q2) How different is it to the piece of “learning” from the previous 12 months?
Q3) In the next 12 months do you intend to consolidate your “learning” in this area, or move in a new direction?
Q4) How do we maintain a development momentum for ourselves?

 

Key Learning Points

As we approach the end of another year, it is natural to reflect on the experiences of the past 12 months.  This week's #lrnchat did just that, as the discussion reflected not just on this year’s learning, but also comparing this year’s learnings to what we learned the previous year and what we expect to learn in the future.

The discussion began with a reflection on what our key learning was this year.  Not surprisingly, incorporating and emphasis on using Social Media and Informal Learning dominated the discussion.  This is, in many ways, the future of learning and development.  Incorporating these into your personal tool set and your organization’s performance strategy are critical. 

The discussion then moved towards comparing this learning to the key leaning of the previous 12 months.  Again the themes of Social Media and Informal Learning were present, but there was a key difference between the two time periods.  In the previous year, learning about these things had a feeling of ‘preparing for the future’; learning of the same topics this year had much more urgency, almost as though workplace learning professionals were unaware that the ‘future’ had arrived and were now trying to avoid falling behind the curve.

I think this is an excellent representation of how quickly technology and learning can intersect. Social media and informal learning will only increase this trend.  When you place the control of learning into the learner’s hands, they will determine what has value and its usage will naturally evolve.

The discussion then moved towards the future, wondering if we would continue to focus our learning on what we have in the past, or if we would move towards a new direction.  This was one of those rare #lrnchat moments where there was consensus amongst all.  People may have had different ways of saying it, but ultimately all agreed that what we choose to focus on in our learning is a dynamic target that is always on the move based on changes in individual and organizational need.  

The discussion concluded with sharing of ideas regarding how learning professionals can maintain momentum for their own development.  There were a number of great ideas shared here, many of which can be described as remaining connected to the passion and drive that you feel about the profession.  I think that, especially in corporate environments, it’s very easy to get caught up in the politics and stagnancy of ‘the way things are done’.  I think in an ideal world, developing yourself is completely in sync with the organizational goals. In reality though, it’s often not in complete sync. 

I think it’s critical that learning professionals and professionals in general, always remember to check the direction of both their personal and organizational compasses.  If they are not in relative sync more often than not, performance and satisfaction will suffer.

One of the reasons I enjoy reviewing the transcript of #lrnchat in addition to participating live is that often the common threads that run through most of the discussion become more apparent when reviewing the entire stream.  That was what happened this week for me.  In all the sharing of top learning, there was a theme.  In almost all of the cases, the top learning involved seeing value in something you did not see value in before.  It reminds me much of my early experience with Twitter.  I knew it was there and basically how it worked, but it wasn’t until I saw it’s value that the light bulb went off.

For me the most thought provoking tweet came in the form of the last of the four moderated questions: How do we maintain a development momentum for ourselves?

I have often coached members of my team on the importance of continued development, so the idea of maintaining focus on your own development is part of my DNA.  What struck me about that question was the addition of the word momentum. 

I can develop myself many different ways.  A class here, a book there… it all adds to my development of skills and knowledge.  What momentum implies is increased force and speed, and more importantly, a sense of building and direction.

I think that’s a critical piece of the development paradigm.  Participating in Development activities is good.  Choosing a direction and then setting a strategic development plan to get there is better.

It inspires me to re-ask myself the #lrnchat questions from this discussion, with a few important alterations:

It’s December 31^st, 2011, and I’m reflecting on an amazing year of development.

·         Q1) How have I grown in the past 12 months?  What – specifically – is different?

·         Q2) What were the critical learnings that contributed to my development?

·         Q3) What would I need to do to make 2012 even better?

With those questions answered, I have the framework for my 2011 development plan.  Now all I need to do is fill in the gaps.

Reflections of #lrnchat: 21st Century Skills, Literacies, & Fluencies

Each week that I am able to participate in #lrnchat discussion I post a summary of the discussion to my blog. I do this both for my personal development as well as sharing with the Learning and Development Profession at large. This summary is based on my own interpretations of the chat; others who participated may have differing opinions or interpretations of the discussion. I welcome those that do to add your ideas to the comments.

The topic of this week's #lrnchat session was "21st Century Skills, Literacies, & Fluencies".

I always find looking at the questions that are used to loosely guide the chat as a nice way to see the overall theme of the chat. Here are the five discussion questions that were presented to the group:

Q1) What are 21st century literacy/skills/fluencies?

Q2) What do our learners need to develop? How can we support them?

Q3) What do WE need to develop? How can we do it?

Q4) How can we support both newbies and experienced learners on this journey?

Key Learning Points

Today's #lrnchat discussion focused on what the new literacy, skills, and fluencies that are needed in 21st century learning, and what sort of support learners and learning professionals will need to develop those skill sets.

The discussion started by identifying what those literacy, skills, and fluencies are.    There were a great number of ideas shared.  When reviewing the discussion, two major themes seemed constant. The first theme was the concept of self-motivation and self-direction.  This makes sense, as it brings the world or organizational knowledge and skills in line with the overall collaborative environment being created by the ever-engaging world of Social Media.  People don't need to be told to log on to Facebook and update their profiles or review their wall - they choose to.  Organizational knowledge may be behind the curve in many cases, but it's still going in the same direction.  If you need information, don't expect someone to hand it to you.  Chances are, the information is already out there.  If you need it, go get it.

That leads to the next common theme. There is a great deal of information available, and it is growing exponentially.  When you have a search engine like Google that opens you knowledge base to almost anything, the need to filter the deluge of information becomes critical. There's an old expression: it's like finding a needle in a haystack.  That expression implies a fruitless effort, because the task may be impossible.  I think we have already reached a point where that expression is becoming obsolete.  In the 21st century, filtering through the hay to quickly find the needle isn't just possible, it's a critical skill to remain competitive.

From there the discussion moved to what learners need to develop, and how learning professionals can best support them.  The theme of self-direction was the common thread that was present in most responses.  Learners will need to take control of their own learning, which is a major shift considering most adults have had learning pushed to them since their childhood.  Flipping that coin is a concept that many have never considered.  In addition, self-direction is less about 'How?' and more about 'Why?'; it's about being motivated to be self-directed.  So how do we support such a shift?

The simple answer is this: If you want learners to start shifting to a 'Pull' learning culture, stop pushing.  It echoes comments I've made to my daughter in reference to her younger brother: "Sweetie, don't keep doing XYZ for your brother; if you do, he'll never be able to do it for himself".

Of course, in a corporate world, the answers are never that simple.  Shifting from 'Push' to 'Pull' isn't a light switch located in the Learning and Development office; it's a part of the organizational culture.  It's really the foundation to how an organization, consciously or unconsciously, structures their knowledge management strategy. 

Cultural change is hard, and it takes time.  In some organizations, Senior Management may see the value and support a strategic shift.  In other organizations, the benefits may need to be shown more tangibly first. On the plus side, if Facebook, Twitter, and other Social Media environments have shown us anything, it's that if you build an environment that people feel self-motivated to engage in, they will.  That's the support mechanism learning professionals need to tap.

The discussion then moved towards what Learning Professionals need to develop to support this shift.  The answer to this question was actually much easier than may have been initially considered.  Ultimately, when it comes to the shift to 21st Century learning, we are all 'learners'.  As learning professionals, it is critical that we practice what we preach, and set the example for other learners to follow. From this perspective, it becomes less about 'Learners and Instructors' and more accurately 'Learners helping one another'.

How do we do that?  I think it starts with the stop: If you want learners to start pulling, stop pushing. The problem with that statement is that it doesn't truly show the difficulty that many learning professionals have with the concept.  I the absence of 'Pull', many learning professionals will fill the void with 'Push'.

This problem of engagement has always existed; it's just the technology that's changed.  It echoes quite possibly the most challenging ILT skill I have coached trainers on in the past: allowing for uncomfortable silence. 

Whether it be a in-person or virtual classroom, conference presentation, or some other live setting, We've all been in an environment where we ask the attendees a question... and no one answers.  You often have this happen early in the session, and it's a critical moment.  Do you allow for the uncomfortable silence and wait for someone to respond, or do you release them from the uncomfortable moment by filling the silence yourself?

Hopefully, you choose the former and allow for the silence.  Otherwise, you set the expectation of "I'll answer the questions for you", and no one will feel compelled to participate going forward.

That same challenge exists in a cultural shift to 'Pull', only on a larger scale.  Employee are used to being spoon-fed the information they are told they need.  If the spoon suddenly disappeared, eventually the hunger for knowledge would insure self-directed action regarding learning.  Within learning active programs, we can support this culture by shifting from a 'spoon-feed' approach to more of a 'scavenger hunt' environment.

For me the tweet that best summed up the discussions came from @LearnNuggets: Goes back to Pull rather than Push. We provide the relevant content and tools to access it, and let learners discover.

I think this is an excellent summary, as it provides a relevant answer to all of the questions.  The concept of 'Pull versus Push' encompasses many of the new skills and literacy described in the chat.  The tweet also describes the roles of both learners and learning professionals in this new paradigm.  Learning professionals need to provide the open framework in which the learners can safely explore and discover. 

Most importantly, learning professionals, and the organizations they serve, need to have the patience and focus to give learners time to adpat to this new learning environment, and not give in to the temptation to pull the rug out from under it by reverting to 'Push'.