Amazon Hires Candace Thille for Workplace Learning
Candace Thille, a pioneer in learning science, has been hired to work with Amazon’s Global Learning Development Team. An Amazon spokesperson says her title is “Director of Learning Science and Engineering” and it’s speculated that she was hired to bring innovation to Amazon’s learning workplace. In that capacity, Thille will work with their Global Learning Development Team to scale and innovate workplace learning at Amazon.
Though there are few details about the position, Thille taking time away from Stanford to work on the project.
But could this mean something for the realm of Higher Education, as well?
Leaders in education-technology aren’t surprised that a company like Amazon would want to utilize a learning scientist to help it improve how it trains employees.
Louis Soares, vice president for policy research and strategy at the American Council on Education weighs in on the acquisition. “Amazon is experimenting with new ways to offer products and services five times a day in different places around the world. You need learning that keeps up with it. t’s hard to imagine anybody better than Thille to attack a problem like that.”[1]
Whether or not technology reaches the realms of higher education remains to be seen, but if Amazon has anything to say about it, it might happen sooner than we think.
