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The knowledge warriors: busy professionals--call them "knowledge warriors"--have no time for courses, no need for grades. They learn in new ways, through new technologies, on the go. Here's how.

Article Excerpt
Researchers have found that we spend a high percentage of our time--some estimate it at 28 percent--just seeking the information we need to do our jobs.

What workers need, says Levy, isn't just a way to access data, but a way to filter it so the information they receive is exactly what they require, when they need it.

This new system of learning starts with the premise that everyone has different prior knowledge, different learning needs, and a different context for knowledge. At its core is a taxonomy that creates solutions on the fly for every user. No courses, no classes, no separate learning experience; learning becomes an inseparable part of working, of doing one's job. Instead of requiring knowledge workers to come to classrooms (physical or virtual), it brings the knowledge to them, empowering them.

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In 2001, Harvard Business School and Stanford University created a working model of a futuristic advanced learning system that enabled them to research the desirability of several visionary concepts with chief learning officers and top HR executives. The idea was that if a picture is worth 1000 words, then a working model is worth 100,000. The model helped everyone to start from an identical vision and underlying assumptions, and to provide meaningful feedback about the future of corporate and professional learning. The picture that emerged was one of a sustainable model of knowledge transfer with new metrics, performance-based ROI, and a capacity to embed not just knowledge, but also corporate vision and strategy in a next-generation system. This article is breed on thin model.

The doctor's usually busy, and this day was no exception. Too many patients, too little time. This morning, he'd "sit in" on a Grand Round, a lecture from an esteemed colleague in his field, via the Internet. He'd attend virtually while having breakfast at home. At least, that was the plan. The state requires all physicians to continually update their knowledge and skills by taking hundreds of hours of education each year. The state doesn't say how the doctors are supposed to find the time to do that while tending to patients and the myriad administrative tasks required of the 21st-century medical practitioner.

The toast popped, the doctor poured his coffee, all the while listening to his overnight voicemail messages, his cell phone held to his ear with his shoulder to keep both hands free for the coffee and...

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