In these times of great change, with the blistering pace of advancement in artificial intelligence, algorithms and automation, it is important to step back and separate immediate and near-term reality that will radically change the way we work and live . . . from elements of the hype cycle that will likely not impact businesses for many years.

It’s that time of year again. Learning conference time. Time for you to walk the trade show floor and be awestruck by the sights, sounds, demonstrations, and pure sensory overload of all the new learning technologies seeking your undivided attention. On top of that, you are on a mission to find the best, Learning Management Platform, or Microlearning Platform, or Assessment Tool, or whatever your organization is seeking to support your strategic learning plan. To say that task is daunting is a gross understatement.

In the past, learning professionals were in the business of creating content to “train” people.  Learners experienced a lot more “telling” and “showing,” and often the communication between the instructor and the learners was one way, i.e., instructor to learner.  In today’s world of mega-information and sensory overload, most adult learners can’t be “told” everything they might need to know.  Filtered quality content has much greater value than massive amounts of non-relevant information.  It is more important to be able to access the needed information or content at the right time rather than getting “trained” in the classical sense.  What implications does this have for today’s learning professional?