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.

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

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.

• 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

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

Education's Ideological Battleground. Education is never entirely neutral. In our own time it has been increasingly seen as deeply ideological. However, whose ideology is being promoted – and does unpicking one set of biases only serve to replace it with a different, opposing set? Donald Clark and John Helmer explore the provocative ideas of influential theorists Paulo Freire, Allan Bloom, Henry Giroux, Judith Butler, Camille Paglia, and Jonathan Haidt. This episode dives into critical pedagogy's role in shaping today's contentious educational culture wars, examining how these thinkers challenged traditional perspectives, ignited fierce debates, and reshaped our understanding of education's relationship to power, politics, and identity.

Episode timestamps:

• 00:01:54 – GMoL intro
• 00:03:00 – Introducing Critical Pedagogues
• 00:07:37 – Paulo Freire (1921-1997)
• 00:18:23 – Allan Bloom (1930-1992)
• 00:34:06 – Henry Giroux (1943–)
• 00:43:21 – Judith Butler (1956–)
• 00:59:48 – Camille Paglia (1947–)
• 01:14:41 – Jonathan Haidt (1963–)
• 01:35:15 – Summing up

Contact:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer
• X: @johnhelmer
• Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social
• Website: learninghackpodcast.com

The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html

Contact Donald

• X: @DonaldClark
• Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/
  
  

From Babbage to Turing: the roots of AI.

In this first episode of Season 7, Donald Clark and John Helmer trace the roots of modern computing and AI through six foundational figures—Babbage, Lovelace, Hollerith, Bush, Newman & Flowers, and Turing. Exploring their machines, insights, and visionary ideas, they uncover surprising links between early data technologies and the digital learning landscape of today. Expect Steampunk vibes, deep dives, and a speculative look at how history shaped learning innovation.

• 00:01:54 - Intro
• 00:02:58 - Donald & John catch up - Donald's new tattoo
• 00:05:42 - Introducing Roots of AI: Early Computing
• 00:13:41 - Charles Babbage (1791-1871)
• 00:24:14 - Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)
• 00:36:31 - Herman Hollerith (1860-1929)
• 00:50:43 - Vannevar Bush (1890 - 1974)
• 01:02:50 - Maxwell Newman (1897-1984) & Thomas Flowers (1905-1988)
• 01:10:25 - Alan Turing (1912-1954)
• 01:28:20 - Summing up

Great Minds on Learning comes from the Learning Hack team and is produced by John Helmer. The podcast is based on a series of blog posts written by Donald Clark, who kindly collaborates on this project.

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer
• X: @johnhelmer
• Bluesky: @johnhelmer.bsky.social
• Website: learninghackpodcast.com

The Blog that started it all: https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html

Contact Donald

• X: @DonaldClark
• Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/

Revisiting Learning Theories: Insights and Challenges for the Future

In this special live episode of Great Minds on Learning, recorded at Online Educa Berlin 2024, Donald Clark and John Helmer tackle listener questions about learning theory's relevance, biases, and practical applications. They reflect on three years of the podcast, exploring 2,500 years of educational thought, and discuss the future of learning, including the transformative impact of AI. Engaging and insightful, this episode is a must-listen for learning professionals and enthusiasts alike.

• 00:00 - Start
• 00:59 - Introducing GMoL Question Time
• 08:17 - Why this podcast?
• 30:52 - What are the 'lessons learned'?
• 47:48 - What next? AI and the future of institutional learning

The Blog that started it all:

• https://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/2021/09/these-were-written-as-quick-readable.html

Contact Donald

• X: @DonaldClark
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-clark-04553022/
• Blog: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com/

Contact John Helmer

• X: @johnhelmer
• Email: john@learninghackpodcast.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/
• Website: https://learninghackpodcast.com/