Towards Maturity - Improving the Impact of learning

Technologies at work

Policing Learning Technologies Conference

2nd April 2008

Laura OvertonDirector, Towards Maturity Project

Today’s Agenda

• Learning Technologies at work

• What might success look like?

• Growing in Maturity

Hit or Miss

• What makes the difference?

What are we talking about?

the use of any technology across the learning process, including skills

diagnostics, learning delivery, support, management, assessment, informal and

formal learning

Learning Technologies

at Work

What skills are delivered with e?

• IT and company specific skills are most likely to have an e-L component in the mix

• Few subjects taught by e-L alone (less than 3% of total responses)

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Numeracy

Literacy

General IT skills

Foreign language

IT professional

Company specific

Industry specific

Sales and marketing

Office admin

Equality and diversity

Problem solving

Technical (non IT)

Communication

Customer handling/service

Health and Safety

Induction

Leadership and management

Teamworking

Offered with no e-learning component Offered with e-learning component

Current and planned use of Learning Technologies

15%

23%

13%

20%

19%

22%

32%

33%

23%

32%

36%

38%

46%

45%

52%

63%

14%

6%

17%

12%

15%

15%

6%

6%

19%

17%

14%

13%

6%

15%

8%

17%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Video on demand

e-portfolios

Podcasting

Electronic Performance Support Systems

Blogs/wikis

Mobile learning

Rapid application development tools

Open source e-learning tools

Competency Management System

Moderated chat rooms/ discussion groups

Unmoderated chat rooms/discussion groups

Virtual classroom

Games/simulations/intray excercises

Content Management Systems

Video conferencing

Learning Management System (LMS)

Currently in use Planned within 3 yearsn=164

Significant growth areas:•Blogs/wikis & podcasting – massive growth expected – mainly in

mature organisations•Competency management (84% expected growth although still

minority ,only 40% of orgs•Moderated chat/discussion (54%)

Record keeping critical in next 3 years•82% agree organisations should have access to electronic plans

•76% agree all employees should have access to electronic records and plans

• 27% continued growth for LMS, 40% for CMS systems

What online learning services are offered?

• Top 3 services are traditional e-learning offerings– Electronic learning materials – Online assessment– Online administration

• Followed by 3 informal learning – Access to relevant online

resources– Online access to company

expertise– Online collaboration between

learners

• Significant areas of growth in next 3 years:– increased expectation of

accountability• Online evaluation of business

impact (34% expected growth on current use)

– exploiting collaboration • E-tutor support to learners

( 28% growth)• Online collaboration between

learners • ( 24% growth)

– Competency Management• Needs and skills diagnostics ( 14% growth)

How are learners learning outside of formal provision?

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Participating in online communities(discussion groups)

Electronic help and job aids

Printed job aids

Industry publications

Books

Online reference

Conversations

Searching the web

Frequently used & very helpful Used and helpful Used Not usedn=736

The rise and rise of informal learning

•Learner perspective– ‘60 % of what is learnt is from informal methods

• 40 % is from formal learning course irrespective of delivery methods

– 26% regularly share their knowledge with others– 58% would share, given the opportunity

• Organisations are waking up to this:– 79% agree that they will place greater emphasis on

supporting informal learning within the organisation

What does success in the workplace look like?

And does this change with

maturity?

Maturity – what do we mean?

The Novice ‘We know very little about e-learning’ 5%

The Sporadic user ‘Our use of e-learning is localised or sporadic (used in some departments or for some courses) ‘

21%

The Developing user

‘We are developing and coordinating our use of e-learning’  35%

The Established user

‘e-learning is established across the company and is transforming the way we manage our learning and development’ 

17%

The Embedded user

‘e-learning is thoroughly embedded within the company – we have a learning culture which influences our everyday work ‘

5%

The Innovator ‘We are thought leaders and innovators in the way in which we are using e-learning – prepared to experiment in new areas and with new technologies’

17%

Benefits of Maturity

E-learning maturity

Ben

efit

Business impact

Staff impact

Take up

Availability•Tangible business benefits

•Ability to respond to business

•Application of skills on the job

•Intangible benefits

•Staff motivation

•Increased interest in learning

•Extent of engagement with e-learning

•Individual

•Organisation

•Extent of access to learning opportunities

•Location & time

•Options

Growing in Maturity

The board agree to e-learning strategy aligned to business

24%

Training department

initiates most e-learning projects

44%Respond to

external suggestions

2%

Business projects demand e-learning

for specific initiatives

30%

n=225

Impact of Strategy on success

• Decision making– 1/3 of companies have a

board strategy

– Improved success• Increased impact on

business metrics• Increased financial

impact & cost savings• Improved business focus• More likely to

– Quickly implement– Have effective

application of skills

What stakeholders influence success?

4%

20%

24%

26%

31%

39%

42%

49%

53%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Head of Finance

Head of IT

Head of HR

Project sponsor in the business

Local e-learning champions

Board Executive

Line managers

Learners

Training department

• Key influencers of success:– Early stage adopters

• Training• Support functions

– Mature organisations • Learners

• Line Managers

Impact when Top level management are learners

• 50% of respondents said that their directors used e-learningMore likely to use in mature organisation

0

2

4

6

8

Business impact Staff impact Uptake Senior manager

commitment

Availability

Directors using e-learning Directors not users

What do mature organisations do differently?

E-learning maturity

Inp

uts

Change Management

•Promotion and marketing

•Piloting and briefing

•Communication of success

Empowerment

•Information available to learners

•Freedom to get learning they want

Managerial Support

•Appraisal

•Coaching

Training Function capability

•Skills of trainers

•Links with IT functions

•Willingness to change

Skills of Trainers – building the blend

Use tools that help Interaction

• Eg wikis & blogs, virtual conferencing, moderated & un-moderated chat

Provide workplace support

• Eg Mentors, manager as coaches, appraisal

Support Learners on the job

• Job related assignments

• Electronic job aids• Reference Books• Printed job aids• Online reference• Followed by support in

person or via e-mail

Mature organisations are more likely to

ChallengesChallenges

•Strategic behaviour change needed in a busy part time work force•No training staff on the ground•Country wide audience

• Traditional e-learning but with new twists

• Community exercises as part of learning

• Cascade approach to support• Community to support the supporters

SolutionSolution

Learning at the Frontline Lessons from the library sector

Opening the Book

LA Co-ordinator

SupervisorSupervisor Supervisor

Trainee 3 becomes Supervisor

Trainee 2Trainee 1

Trainee 4 Trainee 5

ChallengesChallenges •160,000 staff globally•Disparate processes for learning•500 competency sets make personal career mapping difficult•e-learning offerings provided too much choice & paralysed learners

• Review of all learning assets• Meaningful search• Branded and trusted content• Google, amazon and match.com in

one!

SolutionSolution

Connected learning Lessons from BAE systems

E-learning ‘super foods’• Visibly demonstrate e-learning successes within the business

• Regularly communicate e-learning successes to managers

• Senior Management regularly demonstrate commitment

• Quickly implement new learning programmes

• Ensure change management is integral to deployment and planning

• Provide each new e-learning initiative with a specific identity and brand

• Help staff quickly put into practice what they learn from e-learning

• Implement new programmes quickly across the organisation

• Personalise the learning experience for each learner

• Clearly understand of what e-learning offering your internal IT systems can supportFrom Towards Maturity Jan 2007– factors that affect business impact, staff impact and take-up of e-learning

Defining impact/Results required

Learner Context

Business Context

Ensuring engagement

Building Capability

Demonstrating Value

Aligning to

need

Delivering

Impact

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