The Learning Geeks Podcast

Latest Episodes:

S8 E15: The Role of the Learner (Durable Learning Camp P4) Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

In the final episode of Durable Learning Camp, we focus on the learner’s role in making learning stick, framing it as preparation, learning in the moment, and consolidation. We break each of these three areas down and provide practical techniques (e.g., bias awareness, generative note-taking, distraction-free reflection). We take a quick detour to share learning myths and introduce “learning accelerators” such as exercise, nutrition, stress management, and sleep.

This episode closes Season 8, and we want to give you a HUGE THANK YOU for being a listener! We’re very thankful for your support and continue to look forward to building this community.

00:00 Cold Open and Banter

00:27 Summer Camp Catch Up

02:12 Role of Learner in Durable Learning

04:17 Preparing to Learn

11:16 In the Flow of Learning

17:33 Learning Myths

24:05 Consolidating What I’ve Learned

26:39 Learning Accelerators

31:06 Wrap Up

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

You can also download us anywhere you get your podcasts.

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If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN.

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DISCLAIMER

All thoughts and views are of our own.

S8 E14: The Facilitator’s and Teacher’s Role (Durable Learning Camp P3) Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

Part 3 of Durable Learning camp, we discuss what facilitators, or teachers of others, need to know about durable learning principles and how those principles may be challenged in a world of agentic AI. We explore how facilitation choices can unintentionally compromise durable learning and share tactics on how to retain effectiveness throughout the experience. We also debate AI’s impact on when teaching others, emphasizing effortful practice, productive friction, metacognition, and more.

00:00 Cold Open and Banter

02:56 Why Facilitators Need Principles

06:42 Facilitation Tactics

16:55 Energy Recovery in Sessions

18:27 How AI Effects Teaching process

23:05 Intentionality and Metacognition

30:58 Wrap and Signoff

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LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE, SPOTIFY, AND YOUTUBE

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

You can also download us anywhere you get your podcasts.

-----------

CONNECT WITH US

If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN.

-----------

DISCLAIMER

All thoughts and views are of our own.

S8 E13: The 8 Principles - Deep Dive (Durable Learning Camp P2) Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

In Part 2 of Durable Learning Camp, we dive into all eight durable learning principles by reading their original definitions from the ancient scripture, which was dug up from an archeological dig of Jake's closet. We unpack what each one means, why it matters, and how they connect, plus a quick update on how practice and reflection have evolved since the framework's early days.

00:00 Intro and banter

02:36 Durable Learning Setup

03:19 Relevant

04:41 Engaging

06:53 Contextual

08:40 Effortful

15:19 Generative

17:45 Social

22:04 Practice

26:28 Reflection

30:12 Do Principles Still Hold?

34:16 Wrap Up

ARTICLE REFERENCED

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/people-in-progress/designing-for-the-cognitive-cost-of-change

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE, SPOTIFY, AND YOUTUBE

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

You can also download us anywhere you get your podcasts.

CONNECT WITH US

If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN.

DISCLAIMER

All thoughts and views are of our own.

S8 E12: The Fundamentals (Durable Learning Camp P1) Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

We kick off a multi-episode our "durable learning camp". Today's episode focuses on the fundamentals of durable learning. We share personal learning examples from pinball, woodworking, and journaling to show durability in action, plus how AI tools intersect with metacognition and role-play practice. Consider this the fundamentals refresher before our next episode where we dig deeper into each principle.

00:00 Summer Camp Kickoff

00:33 Where have we been?

01:33 Movies and Broadway detour

06:58 Durable Learning Summer Camp Intro

07:58 Eight Principles Recap

12:05 Spaced Practice Pinball Story

15:38 Woodworking Skills and Recall

19:41 Experiential Learning and Journaling

24:39 AI Roleplays and Metacognition

29:54 Summer Agenda and Wrap Up

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE, SPOTIFY, AND YOUTUBE

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

You can also download us anywhere you get your podcasts.

CONNECT WITH US

If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN.

DISCLAIMER

All thoughts and views are of our own.

S8 E11: What Gets in the Way of Curiosity (Part 2) Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

In part two, Dr. Megan Cuzzolino, Dr. Lauren Hodges, and Jessica Billiet dig into what prevents curiosity in our kids, our workplaces, and ourselves. From the neuroscience of dopamine and threat response, to how schools and organizations are designed for speed over exploration, the conversation gets practical. What does it take to protect the margin where curiosity lives? And what can leaders do to model and cultivate it? Part 2 of 2.

00:00 Intro

02:02 Neuroscience of Curiosity

05:39 Aperture Threat and Learning

10:35 Failure Safety and Workplace

21:23 Curiosity Needs Margin

24:14 Awe and Context for Kids

29:00 Patience and Social Safety

31:59 Leader Takeaways and Wrap

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Megan - https://pz.harvard.edu/who-we-are/people/megan-powell-cuzzolino

Lauren - https://www.performance-on-purpose.com/about

Jessica - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicabilliet/

RESOURCES

Reflection Guide: Making Space for Everyday Awe: https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/websites.harvard.edu/dist/a/108/files/2025/10/Making-Space-for-Everyday-Awe-Reflection-Tool.pdf

Reflecting on Your Learning in the Workplace: https://nextlevellab.gse.harvard.edu/learning-modules/reflecting-on-your-learning-in-the-workplace/

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE, SPOTIFY, AND YOUTUBE

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

You can also download us anywhere you get your podcasts.

CONNECT WITH US

If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN.

DISCLAIMER

All thoughts and views are of our own.

S8 E10: Awe, Wonder, and Curiosity (Part 1) May 07, 2026

Show notes

What's the difference between curiosity, awe, and wonder and why does it matter for learning? In this episode, we welcome back three friends of the podcast: Dr. Megan Cuzzolino, researcher and educator at Harvard's Next Level Lab, Dr. Lauren Hodges, human performance researcher, and Jessica Billiet, neuroscience-informed change leader. Together, they explore curiosity as an epistemic emotion, the relationship between awe and meaning, and why widening our aperture might be the antidote to fear-based thinking. Part 1 of 2.

00:00 Cold Open

01:33 Dana Gets Meta-Curious

04:52 Meet Megan: Awe & Epistemic Emotions

07:23 Quick Curiosity vs. Sustained Interest

09:56 Does Learning Kill Awe?

11:12 Awe as Motivation at Work

14:00 Curiosity, Wonder & Vastness

21:02 Awe, Meaning & Purpose

24:18 Meet Lauren: Curiosity as Aperture

29:52 Curiosity as the Antidote to Stress

31:27 Reframing Fear with Curiosity

34:15 Wrap Up & Part 2 Preview

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Megan - https://pz.harvard.edu/who-we-are/people/megan-powell-cuzzolino

Lauren - https://www.performance-on-purpose.com/about

Jessica - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicabilliet/

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE, SPOTIFY, AND YOUTUBE

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

You can also download us anywhere you get your podcasts.

CONNECT WITH US

If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN.

DISCLAIMER

All thoughts and views are of our own.

S8 E9: How to Think When Machines Think Faster (Live from SXSW EDU) Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

Recorded live at SXSW EDU 2026, Jake and Bob sit down with Dr. Tessa Forshaw from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to explore metacognition in an AI-driven world. Tessa unpacks why our brains naturally offload thinking to AI, the power of productive friction, and what it takes to keep our own reasoning sharp. We close the show with simple strategies everyone can apply.

00:00 Cold Open

00:37 Live Show and Intro of Tessa

04:56 Metacognition in the AI Era

12:46 How to Stay Metacognitive with AI

17:26 Think While You Work, Not After

19:40 Productive Friction Explained

23:09 The Current Divide with EdTech

30:00 Practical Moves and Closing

CONNECT WITH TESSA’S WORK

https://pz.harvard.edu/who-we-are/people/tessa-forshaw

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE, SPOTIFY, AND YOUTUBE

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

You can also download us anywhere you get your podcasts.

CONNECT WITH US

If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN.

DISCLAIMER

All thoughts and views are of our own.

S8 E8: The Learner Never Retires Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

Dan Bielenberg was one of the original learning geeks who spent 25 years in adult learning at Accenture. After retiring, he only deepened that curiosity. His learning path took him through seminary studies, becoming a hospice chaplain, and now coaching faculty in higher education. Dan shares how stepping away from the corporate world opened a new chapter of intentional, reflective learning. We explore self-awareness, emotional intelligence, being present, and why the best learners never retire.

00:00 Cold Open

01:38 Learning from Seminary and Hospice

09:59 Strengths Coaching in Academia

17:13 Emotional Intelligence Matters

21:42 EdTech and Distracted Learner

25:16 Microlearning Revisited

29:55 What I'd Tell My Younger

34:45 One Last Thing…

36:10 Closing

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE, SPOTIFY, AND YOUTUBE

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

You can also download us anywhere you get your podcasts.

CONNECT WITH US

If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN.

DISCLAIMER

All thoughts and views are of our own.

S8 E7: Three Geeks Walk Into a Bar… Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

We're guest-free this week, so we pulled up some bar stools and went the unscripted happy hour route. We talk Bob’s move back to Chicago, the L&D pendulum swinging (again), AI hype, why hot takes suck and why you should teach instead. Plus, we discuss social media anxiety and a few other topics along the way. Pull up a barstool and join us!

00:00 Intro and first rounds

02:11 Bob moves back to Chicago

05:26 The L&D pendulum swings again

09:34 Resurrecting “Phenomenal Learning”

16:02 AI Hype and Human learning

21:07 Social Media anxiety and AI slop

27:41 Hot takes suck. Teach instead

31:21 Pop culture pivot: Marvel’s Wonder Man

33:14 Disney’s New CEO

35:18 Last call

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE, SPOTIFY, AND YOUTUBE

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

You can also download us anywhere you get your podcasts.

CONNECT WITH US

If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN.

DISCLAIMER

All thoughts and views are of our own.

S8 E6: This Isn’t the AI You’re Looking For Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

David Chestnut joins us to rethink one of the biggest assumptions about AI enablement. We explore why AI isn’t a replacement for expertise, what AI is great at, what it’s terrible at, what ever happened to prompt engineering, and how context and delegation are becoming critical leadership capabilities.

00:00 Cold Open

01:12 Bob's Big Announcement

04:08 David's Journey into Learning

15:12 Challenges and future of AI

16:08 Limitations of GenAI

20:39 What ever happen to prompt engineering

22:26 The Importance of Context

24:52 Teaching AI Delegation

30:00 Future of AI and Human Expertise

30:48 Closing Remarks and Upcoming Events

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE, SPOTIFY, AND YOUTUBE

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184