Using Data Analytics In L&D To Improve Corporate Training Experiences

In 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released an article predicting that Learning and Development (L&D) professionals and educators would use data analytics more frequently when designing training courses for new employees.

Since then, it has become clearer that data does indeed have an integral role to play in corporate training. This article will teach you everything you need to know about using analytics to improve e-learning and promote training experiences for new employees.

What Is Analytics?

The term “analytics” can often seem ambiguous, but it does have a concrete definition: “Analytics is the process of deriving insights from data which are generally beyond the purpose for which the data was originally captured.” Taking all the data that is collected from your LMS and any xAPI comformant platforms and employing advanced statistical

Some common forms of data that can be collected and analyzed for deeper insights include:

• The number of users accessing a course or program.
• Assignment and test results.
• Time spent on a course or assignment.
• Number of course material downloads

All of the above examples constitute data that can be collected and analyzed for corporate training - for example, understanding where your learners are spending their time, and how much of it, can help you design more engaging and effective training programs and courses.

Why Organizations Should Use Data Analytics in L&D to Design Corporate Training Courses

From 1979 to 1995, the average time corporations spent training their employees had fallen from 2.5 weeks to just 11 hours on average. In a 2014 article published in Washington Post by Peter Capelli, director of Wharton School's Center for Human Resource, he said that only one-fifth of the employees he researched reported receiving on-the-job training.

But while corporations may not like spending money on training employees, skimping on training won't be an option in the near future. Thirty-five percent of working Americans are now millennials who have recently graduated and need on-the-job training to become effective employees. Corporations that use data to design effective training and e-learning experiences for new employees can have lower training costs while providing new hires with the practical training that they need to succeed in the workplace.

How Training Courses Can Be Designed Using Data Analytics

There are a few recommended ways for corporations to use data in order to design effective eLearning courses for corporate training experiences of new hires.

• Designing course content - When training any new set of employees, your first question should always be: "What information will be most useful to this specific group of employees?" You can use data about the work histories of new employees to design training specifically tailored to their experience and needs. You can also use internal data analysis to improve upon iterations of standardized training courses over time.
• Adapting training courses to learners over time - Data can tell you how learners are performing on specific assignments. For example, one group of learners may excel in practical application assignments but struggle with written assignments. Data can allow you to adjust training courses to accommodate the strengths and weaknesses of specific learners on the fly.
• Course assessment - Collecting learner feedback on the training experiences you offer is important. The data can then be analyzed in conjunction with learner performance outcome to help L&D professionals and educators optimize training programs.

Using data to design training experiences for new employees can allow corporations to optimize the effectiveness and cost of their training programs. If your organization is struggling to use data effectively, Lambda Solutions can help! Zoola Analytics provides accurate, actionable data that enables you to design the training courses your new employees need to succeed. To learn more about what Zoola Analytics can do for you, click here.

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Check out our case study and learn how Toyota Reduces Costs and Improves Training Effectiveness with Automated Reporting Solutions