Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Current Trends in Learning Focusing on Performance

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Current Trends in Learning Focusing on Performance At last summersSilkRoad Connectionsconference, David Wentworth, principal learning analyst at Brandon Hall, shared that most organizational learning is still done in the classroom (66 percent). But classroom learning has its limitations. For one thing, 61 percent of companies believe that employees need to interact with learning on a daily or weekly basis in order to be effective at their jobs. Furthermore, according to the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve, people forget 90 percent of what they’ve learned after a mere month. What High Performing Companies Do Brandon Hall’s research illustrates that one of the most effective learning methods is coaching and mentoring, and on the job exercises are almost as effective. Over 90 percent of high performing organizations think tailoring learning experiences and offering experiential learning in multiple modalities are important or critical to the business. These companies report following about their learning and development offerings: Learners can participate in coaching/mentoring Learners have access to subject matter experts Learners can comment on and rate content Learners can share content with one another Learners can generate and contribute their own content Learners can discuss content and development paths in the learning environment Learners can meet virtually to discuss topics without the need for formal scheduling Learners can use simulations to learn a skill in a no-consequence environment Learners can take on stretch assignments and special projects In high performing organizations, learning is embedded in the job and incorporates a blended approach. It is contextual (according to my role and development path), digestible, informal, social, and often mobile. For the rest of Davids insights, check out the SilkRoad blog.