8 New Steps That You Need to Showcase Your Learning Platform

• 3 min read

This free report shows you how to understand the impact of your learning programs by building a framework that evolves with your learning activities.

As L&D pros, we’ve all asked ourselves the question – “How do we make a positive impact on our business?”.

The ROI Institute has outlined an 8-step framework for calculating the return on learning, but these steps have been around for years and, in that time, there have been significant changes in our industry.

A major shift in our thinking has been that learning impact should not be a set destination, but rather a continuous effort.

Research from LinkedIn has found that CEOs most want to see the business impact, followed by ROI. The problem is, only 8% of CEOs say they see the business impact from their L&D programs, and only 4% say they see ROI.

With this in mind, we’ve created a modern framework based on the continuous learning cycle, with 8 steps to achieve, measure, and optimize the impact of your learning programs, with actionable steps along the way.

1) Outline goals & embrace continuous learning

Become an enabler that leverages business-focused and technology-enabled ways to support workers (and how they work) to deliver business results. Figure out what the rest of the business is measuring by partnering with one of the business leaders in your organization and ask how decisions about L&D impact business outcomes.

2) Identify the best approach

Referencing the 70:20:10 model, realign your learning strategy to leverage, promote, facilitate, and find value in informal and experiential learning.

3) Know the impact you’re looking for

Look at how learners are using tools and how effective they are. Effectiveness isn’t just dictated by completion, it’s about assessing if there was a behavioral change. You want to be looking at whether an action was taken because of what they learned.

4) Spur reaction & learning

Understand what motivates your learners to put time, effort, and energy into learning your content. Adopt a user-generated content approach to deliver resources that are more relevant and trusted.

5) Design for application & impact

How do you make sure learning will stick and have an impact? Go to the source – your learners! One of the most important steps is to collect data after the program has been implemented through a variety of follow-up methods. Create surveys and questionnaires, monitor performance, or create an action plan based on the feedback you receive.

6) Determine immediate impact

Learning evaluation tools can analyze these responses and produce reports highlighting which activities are deemed relevant and which are less applicable to what the learners will be doing in their roles. This becomes your benchmark for ongoing activities and outlines where you should be expecting a direct impact going forward.

7) Provide a snapshot

When it comes time to communicate the outcomes of your learning program, instead of searching to pinpoint an exact result to a specific action, it’s a good idea to outline what you have done in steps 1 to 7
and then provide a snapshot of where things stand right now. This will lead you to…

8) Review & optimize

Look at the data you have collected and compare it to the benchmarks outlined in Step 6. Use this
information to review and optimize the action plan for each learner, making sure to bring the learner into the discussion of how they want to improve.

While there is no singular way to determine the business impact of your learning programs, establishing a framework for how you can reach those goals will help you answer the age-old question of “how does learning make a positive impact on the business?”.

Docebo’s latest whitepaper takes a modern look at measuring learning impact, and gives you actionable steps to build a framework that evolves with your learning activities. Read the full report and see how your learning programs can create a positive business impact.