Learning Transformation and The Rise of Learning Data Analytics

Sixty-one percent of the HR and L&D professionals that attended Speexx Exchange Berlin said their organization is going through a learning transformation. However, 37% feel that their teams are not at all prepared for industry changes to come.

Technology and talent have become top of mind in 2020, and this means that learning transformation and managing human capital must be a priority for organizations hoping to stay ahead in the game.

In the past decade, most organizations already started their digital transformation journey, enabling HR and L&D to automate a lot of day-to-day tasks. Digital transformation has provided organizations with a lot more data about all areas of the business.

Learn more about automation in HR and L&D.

The Dawn of Data

For HR and L&D, this translated into the ability to gather further insights from workforce data, and, subsequently, spurred a growing interest in better understanding data analytics. The recent Global Sentiment Survey conducted annually by industry expert, Donald Taylor, found that, for the first time, "the leading three positions when it comes to workplace learning trends are all occupied by options that rely on data: Personalization/adaptive delivery, Artificial intelligence (AI) and Learning analytics. These three options, which together accounted for 30% of all votes cast, all rely on the collection and use of data."

As Donald himself explains it, this rise of learning data analytics is influenced by several forces, including "(...) an increased awareness among L&D professionals in the use of AI, analytics and personalization elsewhere. In our daily lives as consumers, we are regularly confronted with the use of data in areas as diverse as shopping suggestions, personalized music suggestions and potential partners on dating apps." It should be no surprise, then, that the rise in data analytics has finally entered the realm of HR and L&D as well.

Speexx will host a masterclass webinar presented by Donald H. Taylor, during which he will discuss in detail the results of the annual Global Sentiment Survey. You can register for the webinar here. All registrants will receive the recording of the session, and a copy of the research report.

A Personalized Learning Experience

Machines can learn from results and improve decision-making over time, as more and more information is absorbed, and trends begin to surface. Translated to learning delivery, this means that intelligent software can eventually understand when learners are having difficulties and supply tailored learning to meet their needs – even notify learning managers when an employee might be struggling, so a new learning path can be considered before the employee “drops out” or gives up on learning. This type of adaptive learning is the goal of learning analytics data.

As technology frees learning professionals from many routine parts of their role, there is more time to consider why learners may be disengaging and where learning delivery is unsuccessful, by doing what the machines still can’t do: spending time speaking to individual learners themselves, on a human-to-human level. 

The rise of learning analytics is also a natural response to the growing importance of delivering a personalized learning experience to each individual. Learning professionals are increasingly focused on improving the learning experience (in other words, the user experience) and the employee experience (as part of human capital management), aiming for better business performance and lower employee turnover rates.

Developing and retaining talent at all levels of the organization demands a major change in learning content and delivery. This will be the decade of personalized learning. Design thinking, along with technology, will put everyone’s learning pathway at the heart of learning, engaging learners with highly customized learning content and delivery. 

Learning Transformation Needs Learning Analytics

Personalized learning and delivering targeted, customized learning experiences based on a learner’s progress through the learning content, is heavily data-driven. Data enables employers to track learning performance and ongoing measurement of learning impact. At Speexx Exchange Berlin, 84% of professionals said they measure the value of their learning programs in one way or another. Not too long ago, many companies measured learning success by using completion rates of training courses. But now, analysis and measurement can be more specific and can map engaging, personalized learning experiences directly back to the impact on business goals.

For learning transformation to take place successfully, 43% of learning professionals believe it is necessary to transform the culture of the organization. High-level learning transformation demands organizational transformation, revolutionizing how workers communicate, collaborate and learn together. HR and L&D must bring everyone on the journey and work hand-in-hand with the C level, marketing, IT and finance colleagues. 

Learn more about how to embed learning transformation, successfully manage human capital, and effectively leverage learning data analytics by downloading the Speexx whitepaper "The Big Data Era of HR - Managing Human Capital".