The New Economy—with
its new ways of working and new ways of thinking—puts an unprecedented
emphasis on the value of learning. Learning is the premium core process
at the heart of what the New Economy is about: performing to the max,
going faster, and breaking old rules. The New Economy is also about reinventing
community, building talent, searching for meaning in the workplace, and
combining the professional with the personal. It’s the paradox of values
and innovation, and also one of technology and social relationships. It’s
about both know-how and know-why.
It’s damn complicated,
and the people and organizations who figure how to learn faster and better
to make everything work together will win. Knowledge is power. Plus
ca change, plus c’est la meme chose. The meek who get smarter and
figure out how to apply learning will benefit from this current revolution.
Learning is more important
than ever. But in this New Economy, it’s different than before. The new
learning requires individuals and organizations to fundamentally change
the way they talk about, work with, and act on what is known and what
needs to be known in order to change, move, and grow.
There is no time to cling
to our outmoded metaphors of the classroom, school ma’rms, or the Gutenberg
Bible. It’s time for a new dawn—and some fundamental challenges to the
status quo. Here’s our starting pick list—and the rallying beliefs that
will guide this publication and the learning events it will bring along
for the ride. In the future, with your help, we may change or add others
and strike a few—but since we
mean to make a war of it, let it begin here…
Ready?
1.
We have no more time or patience for trying to distinguish between words
such as training, learning, knowledge, information
and content. They are all important, but results trump semantics.
2.
There’s still plenty of room for “learning
for its own sake”—although performance-driven and
intentional discovery will increasingly
dominate the stage.
3.
Metrics of success for the new learning will be traditional financial
and performance measures, not fancy, academic concepts.
4.
Speed and performance demands in the New Economy will shift starting
assumptions from just in case generic to just in time personalized
learning—and that’s just fine.
5.
eLearning will grow in importance, but will be only one part of the rich
mix of choice and mass personalized approaches to learning required by
knowledge workers.
6.
Technological innovation will accelerate in step with growing emphasis
on approaches that understand learning exists in both individual and social
contexts. Like it or not, every student’s lessons are also relationship-driven
and embedded in communities and their organizational cultures.
7.
New learning will be pursued cross-boundary, virtually, synchronously,
and asynchronously, and be provided by increasingly global marketplaces
for content and talent.
8.
As identities and boundaries blur, educational institutions will become
more like businesses and businesses will become more like educational
institutions.
9.
The distinction between formal and informal learning will and should evaporate.
10.
The Internet will restructure learning processes in multiple ways,
many of which cannot be known today.
June 2000
Brook Manville is
Publisher of LiNE Zine.
Marcia Conner is Editor-in-Chief of LiNE Zine.
What do you think?
Challenge the challenges then add your own.
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