Table Of Contenti
PRAISE FOR LEARNING ECOSYSTEMS
‘Katja Schipperheijn provides a helpful and important deep analysis of an area that
is rapidly changing our lives. She explains the history and direction of human and
behavioural automation clearly and then gives us a framework that we can apply
to learn and adapt – a LearnScape. Creating a LearnScape should be on every
executive’s agenda.’
Julia Cook, CEO of Change Management Group, Deputy Chair of GMC and Chair of
Consortium for Street Children US
‘As we build an innovation ecosystem to find and nurture new ideas, it is vital to feed
it with the most appropriate skills and capabilities to drive growth. Adapting to
different learning methods and styles is key to helping the ecosystem thrive. Learning
from the intelligent symbioses of humans and technology provides nimble growth
opportunities. The method for continuous improvement presented in this book is a
useful guide for business leaders who want to innovate together with their team.’
Lisa Perkins, Director of Research and Innovation, BT
‘Katja Schipperheijn has one of those unique L&D mindsets that can move your
thinking forward. Learning Ecosystems is an important book for any serious learning
professional or executive who wants to grow with their team through the opportuni-
ties that digital innovations have to offer in a world of ever-accelerating change.’
Damien Woods, Chapter Lead, Learning and Growth, 7-Eleven Australia
‘Katja Schipperheijn makes a strong case for enabling organization and human devel-
opment through technology. She takes a fresh look at the latest research in education
and the latest technology trends that will develop and amplify humans’ abilities. Any
leader who wants to unleash the collective experience and knowledge of the organiza-
tion with engaged employees and wants to meet the challenge of retraining, or nurture
a culture of continuous learning, should read Learning Ecosystems.’
Regis Chasse, founder and Chief Learning Officer, CLO Advisors LLC, and Dean of the
Leadership Institute
ii
‘Access to learning opportunities will be one of the key differentiators in adapting to
the rapidly changing world. Opportunities for continuous development can be a
scarce resource and are not available to everyone to the same extent. Thanks to the
evolution of technology, we can build learning ecosystems to provide access to knowl-
edge for learners around the world. Everyone will have a fair chance to develop and
grow and not feel limited by a lack of local offerings.’
Sami M Leppänen, Learner Experience Innovation Manager, KONE Corporation
‘The turmoil we are going through since the beginning of this century requires compa-
nies to grow resilience and people to acquire new skills. In this wonderful book, Katja
Schipperheijn shows that competences such as curiosity, openness, optimism, empa-
thy, entrepreneurship, consilience and imagination will make the all the difference
needed to thrive, grow and learn. In a world that is becoming increasingly virtual and
ever changing, learning architects will find the necessary tools and inspiration to
prepare for the future of work.’
Stefan van Hooydonk, founder of Global Curiosity Institute and author of The
Workplace Curiosity Manifesto
‘How does one build a learning organization that constantly collects data, processes
it and turns it into actionable information? The answer is simple: understand the
science and art of learning and build an organization using those building blocks and
dynamics. Connect the dots and create an ecosystem organization. Or in other
words: create a LearnScape.’
‘Katja Schipperheijn has always been passionate about “learning” and now she has
used her scientific understanding of how “learning” works to describe how to create
a LearnScape. This fascinating book is a must-read for everybody that not only
wants to be ready for the future, but wants to play an active role in shaping it.
Learning Ecosystems is an instant classic; the book as well as the concept.’
Rik Vera, international keynote speaker, thought leader, business philosopher, author,
coach and consultant
‘Effective teams need specialized training adapted to their needs, abilities and expecta-
tions. This means that a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer working. Leading
companies are less interested in hiring people with a lot of knowledge; they recruit
people that are highly curious and able to learn fast. They create a learning ecosystem
that delivers insights into the strategies, processes and tools that make the difference.
For sales organizations too, learning takes place through collaboration, innovation
and experimentation supported by AI-enabled technology.’
Gerhard Gschwandtner, founder and Publisher, Selling Power magazine
iii
Learning Ecosystems
Creating innovative, lean and tech-driven
learning strategies
Katja Schipperheijn
iv
Publisher’s note
Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is
accurate at the time of going to press, and the publishers and authors cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No responsibility for loss or
damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the material
in this publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher or the author.
First published in Great Britain and the United States in 2022 by Kogan Page Limited
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as
permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be
reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in
writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms
and licences issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be
sent to the publishers at the undermentioned addresses:
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London New York, NY 10018 Daryaganj
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United Kingdom India
www.koganpage.com
Kogan Page books are printed on paper from sustainable forests.
© Katja Schipperheijn, 2022
The right of Katja Schipperheijn to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her
in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBNs
Hardback 978 1 3986 0742 2
Paperback 978 1 3986 0740 8
Ebook 978 1 3986 0741 5
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
2022024480
Typeset by Integra Software Services, Pondicherry
Print production managed by Jellyfish
Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon CR0 4YY
v
CONTENTS
Foreword xi
Preface xiii
Acknowledgements xv
Introduction 1
PART ONE
A world in ever-increasing change 7
01 The world of human and machine 9
The time to transform your organization has come 10
Case study: The homo digitalis is a homo sapiens in
collaborative digital mode who uses technology to be more
human 12
Does homo digitalis become homo phygitalis in the
metaverse? 12
The robot beats a human on intelligence 16
Fear of the future? Moore’s law 23
The symbiosis between man and machine, hype or hope? 25
References 26
02 The value driven organization 29
The future of work 30
Case study: The golden triangle, added value from knowledge
sharing 38
Employer branding 41
Employee engagement as a driver of learning 42
Corporate social responsibility 46
vi CONTENTS
Case study: The need for self-actualization and ‘Abhaar’ to
serve the immediate and long-term interest and aspirations
of the migrant workers 47
References 49
03 The data driven organization 51
The importance of humanizing data 52
Data analytics for people-driven organizations 53
Case study: Reinventing KPIs for the future of work 55
The future of learning analytics 58
Case study: A missed opportunity with NPS 59
The ethical use of data and stakeholder involvement 60
Case study: The ethical debate that is not conducted on the
same basis for all employees 60
References 63
PART TWO
Learning to stay relevant for the future 65
04 Lifelong learning in a world of change 67
A strategic need for organizations to engage in re-skilling
now 67
Lifelong learning: a tantalizing torment or a gift to support
craftsmanship? 68
Case study: Craftmanship and the ING talent fluidity
platform 69
Learning in the flow of life 70
Digital skills 73
Case study: Coding or dancing: what does it matter? 77
References 79
05 Competences that make us unique as human beings 81
Case study: Seeing the similarities in the differences 88
Growth mindset as a catalyst for change and growth 90
References 92
CONTENTS vii
PART THREE
Learning strategies and technology 93
06 Can learning strategies stand the test of time? 95
Case study: Glocalization of learning strategies to meet the
needs of internationally diverse employees in a nimble and
measurable way 96
Learning frameworks and their added value 98
Case study: L&D professionals can also continue to learn 105
Case study: Erasmus MC in Rotterdam 110
Old ways of working in a new guise 112
Case study: A lesson in hybrid education 114
Juggling data and performance measurements 117
References 127
07 Learning technologies 129
Microlearning platforms 130
Case study: Stuck on the tarmac: the search for the right
approach 133
Gamification or game-based learning 136
Conversational AI is more than just chatbots 138
The rise of VR and AR in adult learning 139
Case study: Connect, collaborate and grow… for real using
VR and AI 142
AR, digital twins and spatial computing to bridge learning and
society needs 144
Case study: Improved surgical outcomes, learning and ethical
and safe compassionate care 146
Blockchain and learning platforms 148
Is the future of learning in the eduverse? 152
References 154
viii CONTENTS
PART FOUR
Lean learning ecosystems and LearnScapes 157
08 The learning maturity model: from data repositories to
LearnScapes 159
Data repository organizations 162
Broadcaster of news 163
Interactive communicator 164
Social collaborator 165
The LearnScape 166
References 168
09 Lean learning 169
Overproduction 171
Overprocessing 172
Time 172
Inventories 173
Skills 174
Transport 175
Defects 176
Movement 176
References 177
10 The six drivers of LearnScapes to make learning central 178
Social networks put the learner at the centre 179
Teamwork and peer coaching 180
Nielsen’s 1-9-90 rule and how everyone participates
differently 180
Bridging the knowledge gap 182
Social learning and lean learning go hand in hand 182
System security is key to the LearnScape’s success 183
Case study: How an IT consulting firm had to move from a
social collaborator to a lean learning ecosystem to support
its continued growth 185
Reference 186
CONTENTS ix
PART FIVE
Building LearnScapes 187
Habit of improvement: five steps to nimble LearnScapes 188
11 Step 1: Discovery: analysing the current learning needs
for future success 191
Wh-questions 192
Case study: When a problem is not the problem, but an
opportunity arises 196
More Wh-questions: what, who, when 198
Algorithmic business thinking 201
Looking to the future 203
Case study: San Francisco opera labs 207
Doing nothing is the biggest experiment 212
What not to do in the discovery workshop 213
References 213
12 Step 2: Burning platform: a supported choice for
change 215
The OODAP-model to make the opportunity for improvement
visible 216
Calculating the cost of opportunity or missed opportunity 224
References 226
13 Step 3: Path to improvement: where technology, content
and the learning culture come together 227
Technology and tools 231
Case study: Integration and cooperation as a starting point for
innovation 233
Content 235
Case study: The basic rules for good content creation 238
The learning culture 241
Case study: You cannot build a social learning culture with
technology alone 242
References 244
