High-Impact Learning Practices

High-Impact Learning Practices Executive Summary David Mallon Senior Analyst July 2009 © BERSIN & ASSOCIATES RESEARCH REPORT | v.1.0 High-Impact Learning Practices – Executive Summary  The Bersin & Associates Membership Program This document is part of the Bersin & Associates Research Library. Our research is provided exclusively to organizational members of the Bersin & Associates Research Program. Member organizations have access to the largest library of learning and talent management related research available. 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High-Impact Learning Practices – Executive Summary  TABLE OF CONTENTS Overview 5 Key Questions Answered 9 Responding to Transformative Change / Remaining Relevant 9 Organization and Governance 9 Learning Programs and Audiences 9 Learning Approaches 10 Operations (Disciplines, Processes, Roles) 10 Tools and Technologies 11 Learning Culture 11 Learning Architectures 11 Methodology for This Study 1 The Modern Enterprise Learning Index 12 Multidimensional Analysis 13 Summary of Key Data 14 The Challenges Facing Today’s Knowledge Worker 14 Waking up to How Learning Has Always Happened 17 Modern Enterprise Learning Index 19 Current State of Corporate L&D According to the Modern Enterprise Learning Index 21 Modern Approaches 22 New Disciplines of the Modern Learning Function 23 Modern Learning Culture 24 Demographics of the Study 6 Industries 26 Breakdown by Organization Size 27 Organization Type 28 Bersin & Associates © July 2009 • Licensed Material This Material Is Licensed to Saba for Distribution Only. High-Impact Learning Practices – Executive Summary 4 Regarding This Research 9 Come Visit with Us 29 Join Our Research Membership Program 29 Appendix I: Table of Figures 0 About Us 1 About This Research 1 Bersin & Associates © July 2009 • Licensed Material This Material Is Licensed to Saba for Distribution Only. High-Impact Learning Practices – Executive Summary 5 Overview Since 2002, we have studied the best practices in the organization, management and governance of corporate learning and development (L&D). In 2003, we published our first report, entitled The High-Impact Learning Organization®1, and then we advanced that research with a new study in 2008. Our mission throughout this effort has been to identify the specific dimensions of corporate training that define and create high levels of business impact. As part of our ongoing high-impact learning research, we began to notice certain potentially disruptive trends in the evolution of the learning functions themselves, including a growing recognition of the: • Importance of informal learning in organizations, • Power of new technologies to both deepen and hasten the flow of information across organizations; • Changing needs and expectations for learning on the part of new generations of employees; • Increasing speed at which the human capital needs of the organization are changing; and, • Increasing inability of current practices to solve all of these new challenges. These emerging trends raised fundamental questions about the basic operational practices of learning departments. We realized that the shift in thinking (which these changes represent) would require a deeper approach. Most training departments struggle with current practices, 1 For more information, The High-Impact Learning Organization: WhatWorks® in the Management, Governance and Operations of Modern Corporate Training, Bersin & Associates / Josh Bersin, May 2008. Available to research members at www.bersin.com/library or for purchase at www.bersin.com/highimpact. Bersin & Associates © July 2009 • Licensed Material This Material Is Licensed to Saba for Distribution Only. High-Impact Learning Practices – Executive Summary 6 such as e-learning development; how will they handle new practices, such as using social software tools to support social learning4? Corporate learning is entering a new era – one of social, collaborative KEY POINT and talent-driven learning. Today’s workers still need formal training that Corporate learning is is built around specific problems and talent needs; however, they also entering a new era – one need the availability of a “learning environment” in which they can find information, collaborate and build their own learning plans. The learning of social, collaborative organization must go beyond the disciplines of building content for use and talent-driven online – we must provide context and pathways through which people learning. can learn. We must help the organization to be both better learners and better creators of learning. Figure 1: Evolution of Corporate Learning Collaborative, Talent-Driven Learning Formalize Informal Learning Collaboration and Talent Management by Design Blended and Informal Learning Mixing All Forms of Media with Informal Learning Learning On-Demand and Integrated Programs The e-Learning Era Put Materials Online, Information Versus Instruction Web-Based Courseware, Virtual Classroom and Learner-Facing LMS Traditional and Computer-Assisted Training Instructor and Computer-Based (CBT) Implement the LMS as Administration Platform Source: Bersin & Associates, 2009. Copyright © 2009 Bersin & Associates. All rights reserved. Page 1 2 For more information, The High-Impact Learning Organization: WhatWorks® in the Management, Governance and Operations of Modern Corporate Training, Bersin & Associates / Josh Bersin, May 2008.