Learning Science Lab Newsletter - Issue 3

?? Welcome to the Learning Science Lab Newsletter, your source of inspiration, knowledge, and creative insights for scientific learning. We invite you to ?????????????????? to our monthly issue if you are interested in L&D.

In this issue (no.3):

1. Go beyond box-ticking! Find out about tactics that effectively evaluate employees' learning needs.

2. Meet Daniela Palade Teodorescu, our guest from November who shares her views on her learning activity.

3. Research Minute - Discover what is the impact of problem-based learning on the learning process.

4. Pin the L&D Concept. What is a personalized learning path?

5. Quote of the Month.

6. L&D Resources. What do L&D specialists think about the learning platforms they work with day by day?

7. L&D Books. What does infinite mentality mean for leaders?

?? Thank you for your support and for your trust in learning based on science!

It's almost the end of the year and it's time to think about the next year's L&D #strategy for the employees. What skills should they improve? What areas should they work intensively? What do they want to get better at?

These are just a couple of questions that we should find answers to in the following months.

Identifying the specific learning needs of the employees is the cornerstone of building effective training and development programs that empower them to reach their full potential.

How can we prepare a suitable and relevant learning and development plan for employees? How can we avoid the rigid process of box-ticking?

Here are some thoughts:

1. Engage in regular conversations with employees:

Regular one-on-one meetings and performance reviews provide valuable opportunities to discuss employee aspirations, career goals, and any skill gaps they may perceive. Encourage open and honest dialogue, allowing employees to express their learning preferences and motivations. This is the time to let them share their thoughts and their interests. We should remember that if people feel listened to, they will actively engage in the process.

2. Conduct formal skills assessments:

Utilize online surveys, skills inventories, or assessments to gather quantitative data on employee competencies. These tools can identify areas of strength and areas where additional training may be beneficial. This is the place where we can find out what skills people need to work on that they might not be aware of. We must keep in mind to align the needs of employees and the organization.

3. Observe employees in their daily work:

Pay attention to how employees perform their tasks, identify challenges they encounter, and observe their problem-solving approaches. This direct observation can reveal specific skills that could be enhanced through training. The observation technique is often ignored due to a busy work schedule, but it may find valuable insights. It is a complementary method in the whole process.

4. Gather feedback from managers and team leaders:

Managers and team leaders have a close-up view of employee performance and can provide valuable insights into their learning needs. Seek their feedback on individual skill gaps and areas where training could improve team dynamics and collaboration. When gathering feedback from managers and team leaders, it is important to ask questions that are specific and open-ended. This will help us to get the most detailed and informative feedback possible.

5. Analyze industry trends and emerging technologies:

Staying abreast of industry developments and emerging technologies can help us anticipate future skill requirements and identify areas where our workforce may need additional training to remain competitive. This requires a look at the external work environment and collaboration with specialists can be necessary.

6. Encourage employee participation in professional development opportunities:

Create a culture that encourages employees to take ownership of their learning and development. Support their participation in conferences, workshops, and online courses related to their fields of expertise. This may influence increased employee engagement. When employees feel that their employer is investing in their development, they are more likely to be engaged in their work. This may also improve employee morale which can be decisive for job retention.

7. Regularly evaluate training effectiveness:

Gather feedback from employees after completing training programs to assess their effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. Use this feedback to refine our training programs and ensure they are meeting the evolving needs of our workforce. In this way, organizations can identify areas where training programs are not meeting the needs of employees or the organization. This information can then be used to redesign training programs to make them more effective.

If you need help in the process of identifying employees' learning needs, you can reach us at [email protected].

Empower people to grow professionally, contribute more effectively to organizational goals, and enhance their overall satisfaction!

2. ?? Meet Daniela Palade Teodorescu! Daniela is a well-known journalist, opinion leader, brand builder, community connector, and storyseeker. In this issue, she shares with us her views on the learning experiences she engaged in. We are glad to have her as our guest. Check it up here!

? Problem-based learning (PBL) is a hands-on teaching method that immerses students in real-world problems, fostering active engagement, collaborative problem-solving, and self-directed learning. By constructing their understanding through practice and reflection, students develop a deep comprehension of concepts and cultivate essential lifelong learning skills.

Concerning its impact on learning, studies show that problem-based learning (PBL) stands out as an effective pedagogical approach, especially when assessed for its enduring impact on knowledge retention and practical applications. It also helps improve the quality of learning by developing students’ reflective, critical, and collaborative skills.

PBL is often used in employees' learning solutions dedicated to teams that focus on complex issues daily.

??Link of the study??

5. Quote of the month

6. ?? L&D Resources.

A recent study on Digital Learning Realities run by Fosway Group, Europe’s no.1 HR industry analyst, shows that only 45% of learning specialists within companies think their learning platforms are fit for the modern workforce. The results are almost identical with the ones from last year which shows that it is rather difficult to keep up with the evolving learning needs from a tech point of view. Read more!

7. ?? L&D Books.

Are you striving for an infinite mentality?

Either at a personal level or at an organizational level, it is very easy to get carried away with daily tasks. We focus on what we have to do today and we don't have much space to build our vision for the future. And, if we do find that time and that space, often our vision is limited.

Today we want to leave you with an idea borrowed from Simon Sinek's book, ?The Infinite Game” concerning the way a leader can work on an infinite mentality to create things that last. The author proposes 5 essential practices for leaders:

?? Promote a right cause. Try to outline a specific vision of a future state that doesn't exist yet. This right cause has to be optimistic, open to everyone who wants to contribute, work for the benefit of others, be resilient, and be idealist.

?? Build trustful teams. In a trustful team, its members have to feel safe to express their vulnerability. Leaders should foster this safe space which allows people to pursue responsible freedom.

?? Study the respectable rivals. Leaders should stop seeing the other players as competitors who need to be defeated and should see respectable rivals as helping them to become better players. In this way, the focus is on the process, not on the result; the focus is on getting better and not on winning.

?? Prepare for existential flexibility. When a disruptive event happens, a leader should not fear or run but should use it to create an opportunity. Flexibility is also offensive, and not defensive because a leader with an infinite mentality should forsee these kinds of moments that require strategic changes.

?? Prove the courage to lead. Have the wish and the courage to take risks for the good of an unknown future. It needs courage to stand for ethical principles, to take tough decisions, and to change the perception of how the world works.

? Book: The Infinite Game, Simon Sinek, 2019