Great Minds on Learning

Recorded live at Online Educa Berlin, this episode of Great Minds on Learning explores AI and the Global South through history, hard lessons, and contemporary debate. John Helmer and Donald Clark examine early techno-utopian experiments, the ethics wars around AI, and newer perspectives rooted in language, power, and lived experience. From Negroponte and Mitra to Gebru, Arora, Manyika, and Mugane, the conversation asks who AI is really for—and who gets to decide.     Timestamps   00:57 – Intro 01:58 – Introduction to AI & the Global South 14:11 – Nicholas Negroponte 17:38 – Sugata Mitra 24:11 – Global South takes on AI 28:11 – Timnit Gebru 32:27 – Payal Arora 37:39 – James Manyika 43:12 – John Mugane 54:49 – Summing up 58:41 – Q&A     About the Show   Great Minds on Learning explores 2,500 years of learning theory—from the Greeks to the geeks. Hosted by John Helmer and Donald Clark, the podcast connects historical ideas to today's debates in education, technology, and society.     Connect   LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer X: @johnhelmer Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com  

12/15/25 • 77:39

In this final episode before the summer break, Donald Clark and John Helmer explore the rise of happiness and wellbeing as central themes in psychology, education, and policy. From Seligman's Positive Psychology to Nussbaum's Capabilities Approach, they examine the thinkers who defined the science—and pseudo-science—of flourishing. Is wellbeing a universal human right, or a set of scantly-evidenced models that has somehow become an industry? And what happens when AI becomes your therapist?   ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00:00 - Start 00:01:24 - Intro 00:02:25 - Introducing Wellbeing 00:09:07 - Martin Seligman (1942–) & Richard Layard (1934–) 00:21:47 - Ed Diener (1946–2021) 00:29:57 - Carol Ryff 00:41:22 - Corey Keyes 00:51:01 - Amartya Sen (1933–) & Martha Nussbaum (1947–) 00:58:37 - Lucy Foulkes 01:09:03 - Summing up 🔗 Contact LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer X: @johnhelmer Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social Website: learninghackpodcast.com  

7/14/25 • 86:59

Learning at Scale, from Theory to Action. This episode explores the thinkers who shaped organizational learning—how institutions learn, adapt, and evolve. From Herbert Simon's decision theory to Argyris and Schön's double-loop learning, Peter Senge's "learning organization," Japanese knowledge creation, and Finnish activity theory, we trace how learning moved beyond individuals to become a strategic force for change. A must-listen for anyone in leadership, workplace learning, or change management.   Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Start 00:01:24 - Intro 00:02:23 - Introducing Organizational Learning 00:06:29 - Herbert A. Simon (1916–2001) 00:18:38 - Chris Argyris (1923–2013) & Donald Schön (1930–1997) 00:30:14 - Peter Senge (1947–) 00:43:17 - Ikujiro Nonaka (1935–2025) & Hirotaka Takeuchi (1946–) 00:57:01 - Yrjö Engeström (1948–) 01:07:20 - Summing up   Connect: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer X: @johnhelmer Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social Website: learninghackpodcast.com  

6/30/25 • 78:51

The surprising modernity of medieval minds. This episode explores the medieval thinkers known as the Schoolmen—philosophers who fused logic, faith, and classical learning to shape what would become the modern university. From Anselm's ontological argument to Ockham's razor, Donald Clark and John Helmer examine the enduring legacy of scholasticism on how we teach and learn today.   Timestamp 00:01:24 - Intro 00:02:23 - Introducing The Schoolmen 00:07:27 - Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109) 00:14:53 - Peter Abelard (1079–1142) 00:28:02 - Hugh of St Victor (1096–1141) 00:38:41 - Albertus Magnus (c. 1200–1280) 00:44:02 - Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) 00:50:15 - Duns Scotus (1266–1308) 00:59:54 - William of Ockham (c. 1287–1347) 01:05:32 - Summing up   Connect LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer X: @johnhelmer Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social Website: learninghackpodcast.com

6/16/25 • 76:39

Who is higher education really serving? In this episode of Great Minds on Learning, John Helmer and Donald Clark examine prominent critics of higher education. Economist Bryan Caplan, linguist and activist Noam Chomsky, and tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel offer powerful critiques of the academy. Meanwhile, Harold Wilson, Jennie Lee, and Paul LeBlanc present alternative visions for more inclusive and effective systems. Is higher education broken—or just in need of reinvention? TIMESTAMPS ·       00:00:00 - Start ·       00:01:54 - Intro ·       00:02:55 - Introducing Critics of Higher Education ·       00:07:19 - Bryan Caplan (1971–) ·       00:20:10 - Noam Chomsky (1928–) ·       00:31:41 - Peter Thiel (1967–) ·       00:44:06 - Harold Wilson (1916-1995) & Jennie Lee (1904-1988) ·       00:57:11 - Paul LeBlanc ·       01:06:15 - Summing up Connect with us: ·       LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer ·       X: @johnhelmer ·       Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social ·       Website: learninghackpodcast.com

6/2/25 • 86:13

Education's Ideological Battleground. Education is never entirely neutral. In our own time it has been increasingly seen as deeply ideological. However, whose ideology is being promoted – and does unpicking one set of biases only serve to replace it with a different, opposing set? Donald Clark and John Helmer explore the provocative ideas of influential theorists Paulo Freire, Allan Bloom, Henry Giroux, Judith Butler, Camille Paglia, and Jonathan Haidt. This episode dives into critical pedagogy's role in shaping today's contentious educational culture wars, examining how these thinkers challenged traditional perspectives, ignited fierce debates, and reshaped our understanding of education's relationship to power, politics, and identity. Episode timestamps: 00:01:54 – GMoL intro 00:03:00 – Introducing Critical Pedagogues 00:07:37 – Paulo Freire (1921-1997) 00:18:23 – Allan Bloom (1930-1992) 00:34:06 – Henry Giroux (1943–) 00:43:21 – Judith Butler (1956–) 00:59:48 – Camille Paglia (1947–) 01:14:41 – Jonathan Haidt (1963–) 01:35:15 – Summing up   Contact: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer X: @johnhelmer Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social Website: learninghackpodcast.com   The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/  

5/19/25 • 116:09

From Babbage to Turing: the roots of AI.  In this first episode of Season 7, Donald Clark and John Helmer trace the roots of modern computing and AI through six foundational figures—Babbage, Lovelace, Hollerith, Bush, Newman & Flowers, and Turing. Exploring their machines, insights, and visionary ideas, they uncover surprising links between early data technologies and the digital learning landscape of today. Expect Steampunk vibes, deep dives, and a speculative look at how history shaped learning innovation.    00:01:54 - Intro 00:02:58 - Donald & John catch up - Donald's new tattoo 00:05:42 - Introducing Roots of AI: Early Computing 00:13:41 - Charles Babbage (1791-1871) 00:24:14 - Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) 00:36:31 - Herman Hollerith (1860-1929) 00:50:43 - Vannevar Bush (1890 - 1974) 01:02:50 - Maxwell Newman (1897-1984) & Thomas Flowers (1905-1988) 01:10:25 - Alan Turing (1912-1954) 01:28:20 - Summing up Great Minds on Learning comes from the Learning Hack team and is produced by John Helmer. The podcast is based on a series of blog posts written by Donald Clark, who kindly collaborates on this project. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer X: @johnhelmer Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social Website: learninghackpodcast.com   The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/

5/6/25 • 95:21

Revisiting Learning Theories: Insights and Challenges for the Future In this special live episode of Great Minds on Learning, recorded at Online Educa Berlin 2024, Donald Clark and John Helmer tackle listener questions about learning theory's relevance, biases, and practical applications. They reflect on three years of the podcast, exploring 2,500 years of educational thought, and discuss the future of learning, including the transformative impact of AI. Engaging and insightful, this episode is a must-listen for learning professionals and enthusiasts alike.   00:00 - Start 00:59 - Introducing GMoL Question Time 08:17 - Why this podcast? 30:52 - What are the 'lessons learned'? 47:48 - What next? AI and the future of institutional learning The Blog that started it all:  https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html   Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/   Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer Email: john@learninghackpodcast.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/

12/16/24 • 67:13

Send in your questions for the Great Minds on Learning Q&A! Donald Clark and John Helmer will answer them at Online Educa Conference in Berlin, which will be recorded for a podcast episode to be issued before Christmas 2024. Email them in to john@learninghackpodcast.com or reach out on social media.

11/21/24 • 00:58

Deconstructing Continental Philosophy's Impact on Modern Education. At the end of the 19th Century, a split in Philosophy emerged that persists today. The Analytic tradition, led by Frege, Russell, and Wittgenstein, emphasized clarity, logical rigour, and formal methods in language analysis. By contrast, Continental theorists such as Husserl and Heidegger went to a very different place. They focused on human experience and took on broader cultural and political themes, giving us terms like existentialism, structuralism, post-structuralism, and postmodernism. In this final episode of the season, we explore the impact of Continental Theorists. What influence have these radical thinkers, whose writings often seem almost wilfully obscure, had on education and learning? 00:00:00 - Start 00:00:46 - Intro 00:01:59 - Introducing the Continental Theorists 00:09:01 - Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) 00:24:28 - Paul-Michel Foucault (1926-1984) 00:41:11 - Jean-François Lyotard (1924-1998) 00:52:42 - Jacques Derrida (1930-2004) 01:09:54 - Summing up   The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer Email: john@learninghackpodcast.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/

7/15/24 • 87:47

Learning in the post-Freudian age At the beginning of the 20th Century, fundamental assumptions about the nature of the mind and how it learns were completely overturned by a new set of ideas. Pre-eminent among the thinkers and practitioners who spearheaded a new field of study called psychoanalysis was the Austrian neurologist, Sigmund Freud. Following his death in 1939, Freud's followers continued and developed his ideas, and psychoanalysis grew ever more influential, not just in the treatment of mental illness, but in government, business, philosophy and education. Though most of Freud's theories have since been discredited, he casts a long shadow. But what do the psychoanalysts have to say to our own time about the mind and learning? 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:11 - Introducing the psychoanalysts 00:06:33 - Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1923) 00:25:33 - Anna Freud (1895-1982) 00:36:17 - Melanie Klein (1882-1960) 00:43:53 - Eric Erikson (1902 – 1994) 00:57:55 - John Bowlby (1907-1990) 01:05:14 - Carl Rogers (1902 - 1987) 01:10:41 - Summing Up The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/

7/1/24 • 75:55

Is the mind flatter than we thought? This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the 'Performance Journey Goes Dutch' conference in Ermelo, The Netherlands, organised by Xpertise Learning. Donald and John explore a group of theorists who are giving us a new picture of how we think and learn that is distinctively different from what came before. They're the Connectionists, and they see the brain as flatter than was previously thought, constantly trying to predict what will happen next, and to improvise a response. But what are the implications for learning of this New Psychology? 00:00 - Intro 00:58 - Introducing The Connectionists 11:15 - Daniel Dennett (1942 - 2024) 19:15 - Geoffrey Hinton (1947–) 24:38 - Nick Chater (1965–) 35:17 - Karl Friston (1959–) 39:19 - Joshua Brett Tenenbaum (1972–) 43:49 - Andy Clark (1957–) 46:54 - Summing Up The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/

6/17/24 • 55:01

Is the mind flatter than we thought? This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the 'Performance Journey Goes Dutch' conference in Ermelo, The Netherlands, organised by Xpertise Learning. Donald and John explore a group of theorists who are giving us a new picture of how we think and learn that is distinctively different from what came before. They're the Connectionists, and they see the brain as flatter than was previously thought, constantly trying to predict what will happen next, and to improvise a response. But what are the implications for learning of this New Psychology? 00:00 - Intro 00:58 - Introducing The Connectionists 11:15 - Daniel Dennett (1942 - 2024) 19:15 - Geoffrey Hinton (1947–) 24:38 - Nick Chater (1965–) 35:17 - Karl Friston (1959–) 39:19 - Joshua Brett Tenenbaum (1972–) 43:49 - Andy Clark (1957–) 46:54 - Summing Up The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/

6/17/24 • 55:01

Second of a two-part series on the invention of writing and the impact of literacy on learning. Last time, Donald and John discussed how writing was invented in the ancient world. This time the focus moves to the 20th Century, and thinkers such as Walter Ong and Eric Havelock who revived interest in the pre-literate world of oral culture. Their work raised themes that were to become ever more resonant with the rise of the internet and AI. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:56 - Introducing Literacy & Orality 00:09:15 - Walter J. Ong (1912-2023) 00:22:44 - Eric Alfred Havelock (1903-1988) 00:33:08 - Jack Goody (1919–2015) & Ian Watt (1917–1999) 00:42:10 - Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) 00:59:04 - Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980) 01:13:14 - Clay Shirky (1964–) 01:27:39 - Summing up   The Blog that started it all:  https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/

5/28/24 • 98:01

First of a two-part series on the invention of writing and the impact of literacy on learning. Our ability to learn from written texts is something we take for granted. But like every other technology that humans use, writing had to be invented. Notational signs used next to images of animals are seen in cave paintings from as early as 35,000 BCE. Actual writing is first recorded in Uruk (modern day Iraq), at the end of the 4th millennium BCE, but seems to have been independently invented in at least three other places; Egypt, China and Mesoamerica. It proved a pivotal moment in human history, marking the transition from prehistory to the historical record. In the centuries that followed, writing was to become central to learning. But the earliest uses to which it was put might be very different to what you would expect.   00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:06 - Introducing Scribes: The Invention of Writing 00:08:11 - Sumerians & Babylonians 00:23:09 - Egyptians 00:33:27 - Three Egyptian Scribes 00:51:39 - Chinese 01:01:18 - Summing up   The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/   Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/

5/7/24 • 72:15

Theories and critiques of leadership learning: the attribution problem and its consequences. This episode, the first of a new season, our sixth, focuses on leadership. Leadership, thought since ancient times to be critical to the destiny of nations, has long been a feature of military training and elite education. But its arrival as a staple of workplace training was relatively recent. Donald and John explore the work of the thinkers who, from the middle of the Twentieth Century onwards, developed theories and critiques of leadership learning.   00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:56 - Introducing Leadership 00:09:26 - James MacGregor Burns (1918-2014) 00:17:09 - Peter Drucker (1909-2005) 00:25:58 - Paul Hersey (1931-2012) & Ken Blanchard 00:36:19 - John Paul Kotter (1947–) 00:49:00 - Henry Mintzberg (1939–) 00:54:28 - Barbara Kellerman 01:10:07 - Jeffrey Pfeffer (1946–) 01:19:38 - Summing up   The Blog that started it all:  https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/

4/15/24 • 90:29

John and Donald preview the upcoming season of Great Mind on Learning. The sixth season of Great Minds on Learning begins on Monday 15th April 2024. Ahead of the first episode, John and Donald preview the treats in store! The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/

4/11/24 • 25:53

The theory behind generative AI as a transformational tool for learning. This episode, the last in the current season, was recorded at the Online Educa conference in Berlin and focuses on Generative AI. Since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, the learning world has been mesmerized by the potential benefits and dangers of this new form of AI. Unlike other forms, it can be accessed by non-technical people, in natural language conversations. Donald and John explore its roots in neuro-biological research, as well as the learning theory underpinning Donald's belief that it is potentially the most powerful technology invented so far for learning. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:00 - Introducing Generative AI 00:11:30 - Dialogue & Conversation 00:24:59 - Language & Learning 00:37:33 - Interface 00:51:31 - Engagement & Personalization 00:54:36 - Delivery of Learning 01:01:00 - Q&A   The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/

12/11/23 • 67:09

We don't need no education?  This episode explores the transformative ideas of three influential late 20th-century educational theorists. Each began with a flourishing career in teaching but ultimately left the classroom behind, driven by a growing disenchantment with the educational system. Their collective experiences culminated in an incisive critique of conventional schooling, sparking calls in some quarters for comprehensive educational reform. But compelling as their arguments were, did they achieve any enduring impact on the landscape of education? 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:02 - Introducing Critics of Schools 00:09:09 - Ivan Illich (1926-2002) 00:28:47 - John Taylor Gatto (1935-2018) 00:42:59 - John Holt (1923-1985) 01:00:08 - Summing up The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Illich bit.ly/2yacZKs Gatto bit.ly/34zStPx Holt bit.ly/3zzkHrp Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/

12/4/23 • 75:27

The pioneers of alternative education systems. This episode covers a group of 20th Century thinkers and educationalists in both Northern and Southern hemispheres who developed a variety of alternative visions for schools. Inspired by enlightenment figures like Rousseau, and the German Idealists who came after them, they nevertheless reacted against the strict and regimented so-called 'Prussian' system of education that had become the mainstream. They incorporated ideas from the burgeoning field of psychology, and also, in the case of Rudolph Steiner, a strong element of mysticism. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:56 - Introducing Schools 00:11:30 - Rudolph Steiner (1861-1925) 00:28:48 - Maria Montessori (1870-1952) 00:47:08 - Alexander Sutherland Neill (1883 – 1973) 01:00:50 - Vicky Colbert (1948/9 –) 01:13:44 - Martin Burt (1957 –) 01:20:39 - Summing up  The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Montessori bit.ly/38s6CiM Steiner bit.ly/2uMqkaj Neill bit.ly/2SSEv5A Colbert bit.ly/2wgY4wO Burt bit.ly/39FAHLU Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/

11/13/23 • 92:36

Marxism and education. This episode examines the impact on learning of a thinker, Karl Marx, who had a revolutionary effect on the world in general. In the name of Marx and his collaborator Engels, politicians of the 20th Century created regimes that were utopian in some cases, highly repressive and even murderous in others. Meanwhile, the heirs to Marx's intellectual tradition fleshed out Marxism as a rich and powerful explanatory system. And though controversial to this day, Marxist thought has had an enduring effect on learning and education. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:57 - Introducing The Marxists 00:05:28 - Karl Marx (1818-1883) 00:18:16 - Antonio Francesco Gramsci (1891-1937) 00:27:14 - Louis Pierre Althusser (1918-1990) 00:47:00 - Jürgen Habermas (1929 - ) 01:00:02 - Paulo Regius Neves Freire (1921-97) 01:09:38 - Summing up The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Marx bit.ly/315AxKF Gramsci bit.ly/2REFkj6 Althusser bit.ly/2UihsUe Habermas bit.ly/46TpxAS Freire bit.ly/496gQF1 Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/

10/30/23 • 81:32

THE FULL EPISODE DROPS ON 30/10/23 To listen now, subscribe to the Learning Hack Pack on Patreon. As well as early access, you'll get Text summaries AI transcripts Ads-free listening and more https://www.patreon.com/posts/gmols5e27-with-91570118 Marxism and education. This episode examines the impact on learning of a thinker, Karl Marx, who had a revolutionary effect on the world in general. In the name of Marx and his collaborator Engels, politicians of the 20th Century created regimes that were utopian in some cases, highly repressive and even murderous in others. Meanwhile, the heirs to Marx's intellectual tradition fleshed out Marxism as a rich and powerful explanatory system. And though controversial to this day, Marxist thought has had an enduring effect on learning and education.

10/25/23 • 06:02

How German philosophy created the modern education system.   Why is education the way it is? Why does the bell ring to signal the end of a lesson? Who invented teacher training? Why do universities combine teaching with research? It might surprise you to learn that the answers to these questions can be found in the writings of early 19th Century German philosophers. This episode looks at the German Idealists, a group including Kant and Hegel, inspired by the Enlightenment and the spirit of Romanticism following the French Revolution, who set the mould for the education systems of today. 00:00 - Intro 00:58 - Introducing the German Idealists 05:59 - Immanuel Kant (1724 – 1804) 18:45 - Johann Friedrich Herbart (1776 - 1841) 26:29 - Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770 – 1831) 45:20 - Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1825) 57:34 - Summing up The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Kant bit.ly/3wIBsk9 Herbart bit.ly/30rdE8w Hegel bit.ly/3qGvkYO Humboldt bit.ly/2OQzyZS Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/

10/9/23 • 69:46

In this episode, the first of a new season, we look at a group of thinkers who have focused on how we should evaluate the impact of the learning. Beginning with Donald L Kirkpatrick in the 1950s, they have given us models of how to measure and evaluate it. However, for all the work that has gone into this area, the general perception has long been that organisations simply do not evaluate anything like enough. There are indications, however, that this picture is changing, and interest in evaluation is on the up. With the advent of powerful new AI tools, could we be on the brink of a breakthrough?   00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:55 - Introducing Evaluation 00:13:52 - Donald L. Kirkpatrick (1924 – 2014) 00:25:12 - Robert O. Brinkerhoff 00:34:59 - Will Thalheimer 00:50:54 - Valerie Anderson 01:02:47 - Summing up The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Kirkpatrick bit.ly/2UdDyWf   Contact Donald X: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Contact John Helmer X: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack/  

9/25/23 • 73:57

      The Internet and the World Wide Web have revolutionised the way knowledge is produced, mediated and consumed. This episode focuses on a group of entrepreneurs who have given us the online tools and platforms that now dominate global learning. Some of them also happen to be world-leading tech brands: Google, YouTube ... and the new kid on the block, OpenAI. The episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Next Learning Conference in the Netherlands.   01:24 Introduction to Internet as Knowledge 07:06 Larry Page (1973–) & Sergey Brin (1973–) 15:16 Chad Hurley (1977–) & Steven Chen (1978–) 25:37 Jimmy Wales (1966–) 33:01 Sal Khan (1976–) 38:45 Luis von Ahn (1978–) 45:28 Sam Altman (1985–) 55:54 Summing Up The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Page & Brin bit.ly/39B26hA Chen & Hurley bit.ly/348ZOVV Wales bit.ly/34at66s Khan https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2020/04/khan-khan-academy-free-world-class.html Luis von Ahn bit.ly/3hst7uw Altman https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/search?q=altman Contact Donald Twitter: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Read Donald's latest book, Learning Technology https://www.koganpage.com/product/learning-technology-9781398608740 Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://learninghackpodcast.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/learninghack Many thanks to Sam van der Schans, Toon Brouwers and all at Next Learning Conference for their help with the audio recording. Also to Callum Clark for video assistance.

4/24/23 • 60:27

    During the Covid lockdowns of recent years, online technology became practically the only way of delivering learning. But a long road has brought us to such a place. This episode covers the theorists, inventors and entrepreneurs who pioneered technology delivery of learning, beginning in the early years of the 20th century with the mechanical teaching devices of Sidney Pressey and B. F. Skinner.   Introducing Technology Delivery – 1:20 Sidney L. Pressey (1888-1979) & B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) – 6:12 Sir Tim Berners-Lee (1955–) – 19:44 Bill Gates (1955–) – 32:43 Steve Jobs (1955-2011) – 45:12 Martin Dougiamas (1969–) – 56:10 Summing Up – 1:05:28 The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Pressey & Skinner bit.ly/3pf3L7Y Berners-Lee bit.ly/2wE9Cep Gates bit.ly/2WS3hXj Jobs bit.ly/3bFx8Go Dougiamas bit.ly/2UXOJTq Contact Donald Twitter: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Read Donald's latest book, Learning Technology https://www.koganpage.com/product/learning-technology-9781398608740 Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://learninghackpodcast.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/learninghack

4/11/23 • 72:55

  Social constructivism had its origins in the thought of Karl Marx. However, it became a strong influence on educationalists in the capitalist West during the latter half of the 20th Century, and thinkers such as Piaget and Vygotsky are popular on teacher training courses to this day. But does its central tenet, that learning is socially constructed rather than individually discovered, hold up under scrutiny?   Introducing Social Constructivism – 1:24 Jean Piaget (1896-1980) – 6:44 Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) – 19:22 Jerome Bruner (1915-2016) – 33:12 Margaret Donaldson (1926-2020) – 41:56 Merlin Wittrock (1931 - 2007) – 52:22 Summing Up – 1:04:57 The Blog that started it all:  https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Piaget bit.ly/2vRLT9J Vygotsky bit.ly/2SlHymF Bruner bit.ly/2OB4r4o Donaldson bit.ly/39eMvo1 Wittrock bit.ly/3EQW2Sp Contact Donald Twitter: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Read Donald's latest book, Learning Technology https://www.koganpage.com/product/learning-technology-9781398608740 Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://learninghackpodcast.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/learninghack

3/27/23 • 72:31

    This episode focuses on happiness. Utilitarianism is a strand in philosophy that says the greatest happiness of the greatest number should guide our judgment in all things – including education. But does its modern descendant, positive psychology, place too much trust in looking on the bright side?   0:00 - Intro 1:20 - Introducing Utilitarians/Happiness 5:37 - Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) 17:06 - John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) 28:51 - Martin Seligman (1942–) 37:35 - Summing Up The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Bentham bit.ly/3okvNi2 Mill bit.ly/3CYxBRG Seligman bit.ly/2DVc3fw  Contact Donald Twitter: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Read Donald's latest book, Learning Technology https://www.koganpage.com/product/learning-technology-9781398608740 Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://learninghackpodcast.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/learninghack

2/27/23 • 51:34

      This episode covers a sizeable sweep of history, from the perhaps misnamed Dark Ages and the Islamic Golden Age, on through the Renaissance, Reformation and Enlightenment. As the Christian and Islamic faiths spread, learning became a powerful tool of religion – and Religious Educators, in their turn, changed the shape of learning.   Introducing Religious Educators – 1:18 Augustine of Hippo (354-430) – 4:58 Al-Ghazali (1058-1111) – 10:23 Ibn Tufayl (1106-1185) – 13:18 Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) – 17:22 Martin Luther (1483-1546) – 25:06 John Calvin (1509-1564) – 32:32 Desiderius Erasmus (1466 – 1536) – 39:23 John Amos Comenius (1592-1670) – 46:25 Summing Up – 52:49 The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html   St Augustine bit.ly/2Gm22q1 Al-Ghazzali bit.ly/3kN3yGI Ibn Tufayl bit.ly/3m5UtYU Ignatius bit.ly/2v7D76V Luther bit.ly/2GcJvMH Calvin bit.ly/2Ro2MRJ Erasmus bit.ly/3HmSc5e Comenius https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2022/07/comenius-1592-1670.html Contact Donald Twitter: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Read Donald's latest book, Learning Technology https://www.koganpage.com/product/learning-technology-9781398608740   Contact John Helmer  Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://learninghackpodcast.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/learninghack

2/13/23 • 58:05

  Once the stuff of science fiction, Artificial Intelligence is now a part of everyday life. But the story of how it came into being is not often told. This episode reveals its roots in neuropsychology and observations of the physical processes in the brain that lead to learning. The theorists who Donald and John discuss began their work at a time when behaviorism, which by and large disouraged attempts to look within the mind, dominated academic psychology. But despite a few 'winters', AI has developed to the point where it is now all-pervasive, and a driving force of change in learning.   1:20 Introducing AI Learning 8:06 Eric Kandel (1929 - ) 13:29 Donald Olding Hebb (1904 – 1985) 23:29  Warren Sturgis McCulloch (1898 – 1969) & Walter Pitts (1923 – 1969) 37:37  Frank Rosenblatt (1928 – 1971) 44:16  David Everett Rumelhart (1942-2011) & Geoffrey Everest Hinton (1947–) 57:06  Demis Hassabis (1976–) 1:07:23  Summing Up  Read Donald's book, Artificial Intelligence for Learning: https://www.koganpage.com/product/artificial-intelligence-for-learning-9781789660814   Kandel bit.ly/3oiiYDo Hebb bit.ly/3kq3z2A McCulloch & Pitts bit.ly/3kn6Fo8 Rosenblatt bit.ly/31PZmih Rumelhart & Hinton bit.ly/3bXU3zd Hassabis bit.ly/3qrYgmT The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html Contact Donald Twitter: @DonaldClark LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/ Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/ Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LearningHack

1/29/23 • 69:05