From Overhead Projectors to AI. What a Ride!

You know that saying, you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

I've never been particularly convinced by that one.

I've been working in learning and development for more years than I care to admit. Long enough to remember overhead projectors, training videos on VHS and the wonders of PowerPoint clip art.

Remember Screen Beans? We thought they were the height of sophistication!

If you know, you know.

Over the years, I've watched learning technology change beyond recognition. And just when I think I've got a handle on what's available, something else comes along.

Enter artificial intelligence.

Now, I've always been a bit of a technology enthusiast. If there's a new tool that might help me create something better, faster or more interesting, I'll probably have a play with it.

Sometimes it works beautifully.

Sometimes I spend three hours trying to achieve something that should have taken ten minutes.

And sometimes I discover that the thing I was trying to do wasn't actually possible in the first place.

But I've never lost my curiosity.

There's a tendency to assume that people who've been around a while are somehow less comfortable with technology. That we're resistant to change, stuck in our ways or waiting for someone younger to show us what to do.

Well, speak for yourself.

I'm quite happy to ask AI how to do something, experiment with a new piece of software or disappear down a technological rabbit hole.

In fact, AI has opened up possibilities I wouldn't have dreamed of a few years ago.

I can create illustrations, experiment with code, produce videos and explore ideas that previously would have required specialist skills or a much bigger budget.

Does that mean I know everything?

Absolutely not.

Half the time I'm making it up as I go along.

But I do know something about learning.

And one thing I've learnt over the years is that you don't have to know how to do something before you start.

You just have to be willing to have a go.

Of course, experience helps.

After all these years, I've developed a pretty good instinct for what works in learning design, what doesn't and what makes people switch off faster than a mandatory compliance module on a Friday afternoon.

The technology might change, but the principles of good learning don't suddenly disappear.

People still need clarity, relevance, opportunities to practise and a reason to care.

And that's where experience comes in. Knowing which technology to use is one thing. Knowing when, why and whether to use it at all is quite another.

So, am I an old duck?

Probably.

Am I still learning new tricks?

Every single day.

And if I occasionally have to ask ChatGPT which button to press, well, that's a story for another day.

Quack on.