For those in the field of learning and development, the semantics of training and learning are key. Training is an event that happens to you and learning is an experience that involves you. Training works best for certain types of skill requirements with the goal to gain knowledge about something post-training. Learning activities take a more holistic approach to the desired outcomes, particularly in terms of the level of understanding and perspective. Learning may happen through a training vehicle and can also be far more experiential and individually internalized.
Everyone has their preferred way of learning new things, whether they are conscious of it or not. Some prefer to read about it, others can listen to someone lecture on it, some need to watch it in action, and there are those who need to physically do it for themselves. For example, in quality new hire on-boarding programs, a combination of methods may be available and utilized either in a specific sequence or a more flexible, non-linear approach geared toward the learner. The more complex the skill to develop, the more assimilation of information should shift from memorization and rote activity to a higher level processing, from what and how to why and what if.
Another way to think about the depth of understanding a skill or topic is by distinguishing: Do you know about X vs. Do you know X?
If you’re talking about presentation skills, you may know something about it from being presented to countless times in the past whether that’s watching and listening to others or reading a list of best practices and the top five things not to do. But until you’ve actually presented, how well do you really know and understand the concept? Through the experience of doing it yourself and with time to reflect, you create an enhanced level of understanding that is both subjective and relatable.
There’s another dimension to the differences between training and learning. Consider why you participate in training. You may train because it’s required for your current job or the next level in your career. You may need a new skill in order to remain qualified, relevant and eligible. Technology is a good example whether you’re talking about shifting from offline to digital format (e.g., for payment processing, event registration, advertising methods, etc.) or upgrading the version of software used (e.g., Windows XP vs. Windows 8).
Now ask yourself, why do you learn? When you intentionally seek out learning opportunities and consciously apply yourself through initiative, curiosity and purpose, you open yourself up to far greater possibilities.
“The secret to high performance and satisfaction-at work, at school, and at home is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world,” said Daniel Pink, author of “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.”
When information must be conveyed and retained (e.g., material about regulatory, compliance and job-specific functions), training serves a purpose. When it becomes important to go beyond doing what you were taught in training, to applying a more conceptual approach and to ultimately impact the way you do things (e.g., questioning assumptions, viewing from different perspectives, imagining possibilities, developing alternatives), the objective shifts from being a recipient of training to a driver of your own learning.
On the spectrum, learning takes far greater time and investment. The cycle of learning uses all four aspects of human learning: thinking, feeling, doing and reflecting. Your intent is to have a greater influence and engagement in the possible learning outcomes – knowing the subject, other people and/or yourself better.
