Have you ever implemented a learning program in your organization, felt like it was a great success, but didn’t know how to prove it? If so, you should consider pairing your next course with a learning analytics program. Learning analytics support personalized learning, measure performance, and help you better understand the strengths and weaknesses of training. But how do you know which evaluation system is right for you, and more importantly, how do you implement it?
This post will give a 6 step guide to finding and implementing a learning analytics strategy that supports your company’s mission and optimizes performance across the board.
Preparing For The Worst and Hoping For The Best In Your Learning Analytics Strategy
Step 1: Define Your Goals. Before looking for a learning analytics strategy, sit down with your team and compile at least three major goals of both your training program and the learning analytics strategy you plan on using for it.
- Think about your organization’s culture. Do you value diversity and inclusion? Is it your goal to support more women in the workplace? Do you want to focus on upskilling and reskilling? Your learning analytics strategy should support your priorities.
- Ask yourself what your organization currently represents, what you want it to look like in the future, and how measuring learner progress can help you get there.
- For example, if your goal is to provide a communication platform for differently-abled employees, look for learning analytics strategies that are accessible, encourage user feedback, and include various interpreting services.
Step 2: Predict Barriers and Consult Your Network: During times of major change, sometimes not everyone is on the same page. Think about what obstacles might come your way, and plan how you’ll present your ideas to essential stakeholders and possible business partners. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- How can you convince your team that there is a need for change?
- What’s the most effective way to communicate your goals with your audience?
- How much will support cost and how much can your organization budget for?
- Who are the people that are already in your network that can help implement your learning analytics strategy?
By preparing yourself for challenges and looking to people who could make the implementation process easier, you’ll lower your overall stress levels and set yourself up for success.
Finding A Purpose And Keeping On Track
Step 3: Identify The Purpose Of Your Learning Analytics Strategy. Learning analytics can be used to measure progress in many different areas. They can be used to:
- Evaluate learner engagement
- Record User navigation patterns
- Track the development of a concept from start to finish.
- Record the flow of information
Think about why exactly your organization wants to implement learning analytics and make sure your entire team understands how it will benefit them in both the short-term and the long haul.
Step 4: Develop A Timeline. Making a clear timeline complete with deadlines and meetings will make your goals more clearly and help your team stay on track. If the strategy needs to be updated, make sure everyone is aware of the change and why it was made.
Evaluating Your Resources and Looking For Course Development
Step 5: Look At Your Resources. Now that you’ve established your goals and what you want to get out of a learning analytics strategy, it’s time to find an expert who’s right for you. Companies like WeLearn offer support from start to finish and strive to make your experiences as personalized as possible. For great results, look for organizations with experience in:
- Project management
- Interface and Database development.
- Analytics development and design
- Learning analytics reporting
Once you’ve found a good fit, consider how much it costs and if it will fit into the overall budget that you established in the planning phase.
Step 6: Evaluate. You’ve implemented a learning analytics strategy, and now all your work is done, right? Wrong! Even after you’ve found the perfect learning analytics system for your company, it’s important to monitor progress and continually revisit the goals and objectives of the project.
- Learner experience is also a crucial part of the evaluation process. Ask your learners for feedback on the strategy and consider them in the future.
Learning Analytics And Starting Small
Everything worthwhile takes time, but with a positive mindset, clear goals, and a passion for progress, you’ll be able to implement a successful learning analytics strategy. What steps has your organization taken to measure progress and support learning? How do you think learning analytics could benefit your team? Share your thoughts and feelings with us at WeLearn, because together, we learn.
