Top 10 Zombie Conversations

The ‘Zombie Conversation’ is a concept I’ve found helpful in recent months. One of the characteristics of online discussions is that the same conversations keep coming up again and again – long after you thought they were dead and buried. And they’re dangerous: you find yourself compelled to finish them off – driving point after point through their lifeless hearts – only to find that they struggle back to their feet the moment your back is turned.

The secret? Recognise zombie conversations and avoid them. To this end I’ve compiled a list of my top 10 Zombie conversations in learning so that you can dodge them on sight:

1. Learning Styles: There. Are. No. Learning. Styles. Stay down, dammit!
2. Elearning vs Classroom: better retention vs better experience. Both dead. Move on.
3. NLP: Voodoo. Don’t look at the eyes.
4. Kolb: proof that the un-dead can nevertheless be seductive.
5. MOOCs: (pronounced ‘Mooooooooooocs’) Yes, I know some of you thought maybe it would pull through.
6. 70/20/10: Sometimes we need to let go of old friends.
7. Kirkpatrick: still highly infectious.
8. Instructional Design: who says the dead can’t dance?
9. Personalised learning: yup, that’s what a browser is for. Stone dead.
10. The Cone of learning: FYI, Zombies remember 0% of what they do.

It’s tough letting go – especially for those of us remember these conversations when they were alive. It’s tempting to think that maybe with a little mouth-to-mouth they could be brought back to life. But you need to put your own safety first: if it helps, just picture yourself at a learning event chatting about how learning styles have helped drive level 3 outcomes from your blended programme. That should do the trick.

I’m aware that this much commotion may attract some Zombies, but if it helps you stay alive that’s a risk I’m prepared to take.