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  

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  

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  

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

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