Contents of Elearning! Magazine - MAY-JUN 2012

Elearning! Magazine: Building Smarter Companies via Learning & Workplace Technologies.

Page 44 of 54

measuringlearning2.0
these questions begins the journey of measuring for impact. For more than 50 years, Kirkpatrick's
model of the Four Levels of Evaluation has provided a framework for measuring impact (Kirkpatrick, 1998). Similarly, the Phillips ROI Methodology (Phillips, 1997) and Bersin's Learning Impact model (Bersin, 2008) provide perspectives about the impact of training. Common questions among all of these approaches that address impact include
the following: >>Did learning transfer and skill acquisi- tion occur and if so, how much was learned?
>>Will the learner apply what was learned? How quickly and how effec- tively?
increased sales and increased revenue among other business measures? These measures may be challenging to gather. But it is even more difficult to develop
the ability to isolate the impact of Learning 2.0 components that contribu- tor to these outcomes. Of course experi- mental designs offer the most rigorous approach for isolating impact, but that approach is often not practical because of time and resource constraints. Phillips advocates asking learners to estimate how much job performance is going to improve, have them identify which com- ponents helped and adjust for impact. This estimate, isolate, and adjust approach is worth researching and is a useful and valid technique. The greatest hurdle is finding an appropriate compari-
Each informal learner fundamentally
self-manages. However, managers can encourage it by providing experiences and offering coaching to correct and encourage right performance.
>>Will the application of learning improve individual and organizational performance?
Answers to these questions provide
some insight into skill acquisition and per- formance. Follow-up evaluations can solidify the
impact of learning on performance. Unfortunately, it is difficult to know when to send a follow-up evaluation because the learning process is likely ongoing. Another approach is to monitor the per-
formance management process within the organization. Talk to managers about the performance improvement of the learners who are using the Learning 2.0 tools.
IMPACT ON BUSINESS OUTCOMES It is important to consider measures of business outcomes. That is, does Learning 2.0 contribute to critical business measures like increased customer satisfaction, reduced risk, increased cycle time,
42 May / June 2012 Elearning!
son group that has not participated in the Learning 2.0 components.
CHANGING THE WORLD WITH LEARNING 2.0 AND MEASUREMENT The question that often accompanies Learning 2.0 interventions is the same question that still applies to formal learn- ing—does it have an impact on the organization? The likely answer is yes, it does. The challenge for L&D; profession- als is quantifying the impact. A fairly simple measurement approach can yield answers. By concentrating on the compo- nents, measurement instruments, and timing, a capable learning organization should be able to assess the impact of Learning 2.0 almost as easily as it assess- es the impact of traditional learning. It will certainly be a challenge, but such
are the struggles of science, business and exploration. Bon voyage!
John R. Mattox, II is the Director of
Research at KnowledgeAdvisors, a human capital metrics company that offers Metrics That Matter® software and helps improve learning effectiveness within organizations.
References
Bersin, J. (2008). The training meas- urement book: Best practices, proven methodologies and practical approaches. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
Hanley M. (2008). Introduction to Non- formal Learning. E-Learning Curve Blog. Retrieved November 19, 2011: http://michaelhanley.ie/elearningcurve/ introduction-to-non-formal-learning-2 /2008/01/28/
Jennings, C. (Oct, 2011) 70:20:10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6 WX11iqmg0&feature;=player_embed- ded# Retrieved 3/26/2012.
Kirkpatrick, D. (1998). Evaluating training programs: The four levels. (2nd
Koehler Publishers, Inc.
KnowledgeAdvisors (2009). Informal learning. http://www.knowledgeadvi- sors.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/ 09/Informal_Learning.pdf Retrieved 3/26/2012.
KnowledgeAdvisors (2010). Informal learning measurement. http://www.know ledgeadvisors.com/wp-content/uploads/ 2010/06/Whitepaper_Informal_Learning_ Measurement.pdf Retrieved 4/2/2012.
Lombardo, Michael M. and Robert W. Eichinger (1996). The career architect development Planner. Lominger Limited, Inc. p. iv. ISBN 0965571211.
Phillips, J. J. (1997). Return on investment in training and performance improvement programs. Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing Company.
Sontakey, A. (May 21, 2009) What is Learning 2.0? Infosys® Building Tomorrow's Enterprise blog http:// www.infosysblogs.com/learning- services/2009/05/what_is_learning_ 20.html Retrieved 3/26/2012.
ed.). San Francisco, CA: Berrett-