Learning is an integral part of great workplaces, and as our world changes, continuous learning becomes not a luxury for the few but a necessity for the many, according to Nigel Paine in his book The Learning Challenge: Dealing With Technology, Innovation and Change in Learning and Development. In a new age, we need new models of business, and to match these we need new models of learning.

The author argues that workplace-based learning is undergoing a number of significant transformations:

Isolated learning operation to one which is fully aligned with the business Course catalogue approach to multifaceted learning environments Isolated incidents of learning to a focus on continuous learning Formal class-based learning to a balance between formal, experiential and on-the-job Infrequent large chunks of learning to small granules delivered at the moment of need Management indifference and polite tolerance to enthusiastic embrace After discussing the changing context for learning, the author moves on in the second part of the book to discuss new ideas for learning, including ways of measuring impact and recent developments in instructional design. The third part of the book covers such concepts as big data and learning analytics, neuroscience and learning, and trends in learning technology.

The book is probably more suited for reading by corporate learning specialists, rather than by a general audience. As a reader who is not a learning specialist, I was less interested in trends in the L & D profession and more interested in what the author had to say about measuring impact, instructional design, and technology for learning.

Methods of corporate learning and development are changing. This book explains how.