What does a learning ecosystem designer do?

This blog is the first in the series of follow-up posts from our webinar ‘How to design a 70:20:10 ecosystem’. During the webinar I briefly talked about the need for learning and development people to move from being course designers to becoming learning ecosystem designers.

What is an ecosystem?

My own definition:

An ecosystem is a system whose components interact, working together to be more than the sum of its parts.  

In later posts I'll talk more about what 70:20:10 learning ecosystems look like, and provide some examples. Now on to what a learning ecosystem designer does.    

1. A learning ecosystem designer does more than design courses.

An ecosystem designer sees a course as a component of a larger system, and builds courses with this in mind. Everything an ecosystem designer does works towards fostering a learning culture in an organisation. In our Learning While Working Framework we outline some principles that foster learning.   

There are many challenges for learning and development specialists in working beyond merely organising events. In many cases it demands a totally new skillset. The approach must focus more on system thinking, which often means that the learning and development area needs to work with other parts of the organisation to effect systemic change.

2. A learning ecosystem designer designs relationships between the components.

An ecosystem is made up of interrelated components, and the design of how those components interrelate is critical. It's the classic design challenge of blended learning: which medium or platform is best, and what is the right timing for the component? One of the challenges in both blended learning design and learning ecosystem design is that learning experiences can be fragmented.

Putting the learner at the centre of the ecosystem and making sure that they set effective goals helps to make the ecosystem more learner centred, and in effect provides the ecosystem with a grounded centre point.

One of the differences between a classic approach to learning ecosystem design is that within a learning ecosystem, multiple components might have the same function, and the employee can choose which component they engage with. An example of this is where the designer sees a need for social and peer learning. In the ecosystem they therefore provide both a mentoring system and a community of practice. Having options like this means that over time components can be added and removed.    

3. A learning ecosystem designer needs to take into account the current learning landscape.

One of my favourite pieces of learning and development jargon is the term ‘L&D green fields’ (or elearning green fields). When people use this term, they mean that an L&D or elearning activity is new to the organisation, even though in most cases there might already be some learning activity going on – it’s just run by someone other than L&D. It’s nevertheless important to take existing practice and culture into account.

The table below explores the linkages between a ‘learning’ ecosystem and an ecosystem in the natural sense.

For the blog post if could be good to just have this as table, but it could also be made into a graphics with of a landscape  eg, clouds, mountains, rivers, trees. With the text as being labels on those.  This could a piece of follow up content.   

4. A learning ecosystem designer designs for the long term.  

L&D has traditionally been reactive, focusing on short-term outcomes, but for a learning ecosystem to be self sustaining it needs to provide long-term value to the organisation. These days, since most organisations are changing rapidly, ‘long term’ can mean years, not decades.

An example is where the designer might design a community of practice that is part of a learning transfer component of a change management program. If the community of practice has great leadership and good facilitation, a clear value proposition for its members, and aligns with the organisation's needs it will keep growing beyond what it was first design for. Another example is where a performance support might have initially been designed as part of a course when a new process was being introduced, but then later it is used as a just-in-time reference material.

Useful questions to ask while designing

• How can a component be used in the short term?

• How can a component be designed for use in the long term?

• In what other ways could this component be used?    

5. A learning ecosystem designer makes pathways.

In a natural ‘human-friendly’ ecosystem we need to be able to move around easily. We need paths and the ability to navigate. In a learning ecosystem the learner controls how they engage with the ecosystem. There is a risk with an ecosystem approach to learning that some people are left to sink or swim; they might not have the skills to become self-guided learners. The managers and coaches need a similar set of self management skills if they too are to thrive in the new ecosystem. A learning ecosystem designer must design pathways that help guide both learners and managers.

Here are a few examples of how to help people develop the skills they need to thrive in a learning ecosystem.

1. Competency frameworks – These can help learners know what skills, knowledge and attitudes they need to possess.

2. Visual maps – Can be used to represent the different ways the ecosystem could be used by the learner.

3. Guides for managers – Can help provide managers with timely support. In a learning ecosystem they should be targeted around ‘If ... happens then you should try …’    

The mindset of an ecosystem designer is different to that of someone who thinks of learning and development as being about events and content. Just like in a natural ecosystem, the components of a learning ecosystem must fit together nicely and complement one another. Most importantly, the system must provide an environment in which the inhabitants can thrive.