Contents of Elearning! Magazine - MAY-JUN 2012

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

Page 40 of 54

Measuring Learning 2.0 for Impact
LEARNING 2.0 MAY EXCITE YOUR LEARNERS, BUT HOW CAN YOUR ORGANIZATION MEASURE ITS IMPACT ON YOUR BUSINESS?
BY JOHN R. MATTOX, II , PH.D., DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH, KNOWLEDGEADVISORS
Great moments in science, business and exploration have always come with the advent of new technology. The steam engine reduced travel time across a conti- nent. The jet engine made transcontinental travel feasible. Rockets opened the final frontier. The printing press made books available to the masses. In modern times, the Internet has made
knowledge abundant. Moreover, many of the tools on the Internet support the latest knowledge paradigm, Learning 2.0.
WHAT IS LEARNING 2.0? In an article published on an Infosys blog,
Sontakey described Learning 2.0: "In the traditional methods of learning
like classroom training and e-learning, [the] learner is just fed with information and [the] teacher dictates the learning. Learning 2.0 is a fundamental shift in learning methodology that places [the] learner in the center of learning and allows the learner to control the learning. Learning 2.0 enables an employee to control and track individual learning using a set of Web 2.0 tools and systems that enable collaboration. Learning 2.0 doesn't replace the conventional means
38 May / June 2012 Elearning!
of learning; it augments the conventional methods of learning with a set of Web 2.0 tools and systems.
" The tools that facilitate Learning 2.0 are
numerous. They include, but are not limit- ed to blogs, wikis, communities of prac- tice, tagging, RSS feeds, collaborative workspaces, podcasting, virtual worlds and mobile devices. Melinda Sample is the Senior Director of
Learning Technology and Integration at Pharmaceutical Product Development, Inc., a leading global contract research organization providing drug discovery, development and lifecycle management services. She character- izes her business environment as a place where Learning 2.0 is necessary: "Our culture is very focused on utilization
targets. Our ability to reduce the cycle time for a new product or service allows our pharmaceutical partners to go to market faster and start to recoup a return on their investment. Therefore, it is nearly impossi- ble to pull people away for training. Knowledge and performance support needs
to be available to our employees 24x7 and at their fingers tips just in time. Informal and social learning are becoming increas- ingly important in our workplace and is a part of the overall learning strategy moving forward, so we can bring the benefits to both our internal and external customers.
"
THE 70:20:10 LEARNING APPROACH AND INFORMAL LEARNING Michael Lombardo and Robert Eichinger describe the 70:20:10 approach to learning in their book, The Career Architect Development Planner. On-the-job experiences, tasks, and problem solving comprise 70 percent of learning. Coaching feedback and examples (both good and bad) contribute to another 20 percent of learning. Formal and tradition- al training such as courses and reading con- tribute only 10 percent. With only 10 percent classified as formal
and controlled by Learning and Development (L&D;) professionals, 90 per-