Performance-Driven Learning

What it is, and how to create, deploy and leverage it.

mLevel, Inc.

1000 Parkwood Circle

Atlanta, GA 30339

(888) 564-5395

www.mlevel.com

Contents

The State of Corporate Learning Today .......................................................................................... 1

Performance-driven Learning: 2 Key Challenges ........................................................................... 2

Addressing the 2 Key Challenges to Impacting Performance ......................................................... 3

Performance-driven Learning: Best Practices ................................................................................ 4

Foundation Learning ................................................................................................................................. 4

Reinforcement Learning ........................................................................................................................... 5

Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................... 6

About the Author ............................................................................................................................ 7

© 2017, mLevel Inc., All rights reserved. Page 1

The State of Corporate Learning Today

In 2015, U.S. training expenditures rose to $70.6B, up from $55.4B just 2 years prior.1

Sadly, the vast majority of this investment results in learning that fails to improve employee

performance in a measurable way. There are several reasons for this:

• The majority of learning is little more than awareness-building,

as opposed to learning that effectively leverages activities that

build and anchor knowledge and the application of that knowledge

to improve skills.

• Up to 80% of corporate learning is comprised of learning

activities that consist of reading (manuals or elearning screens),

watching (videos or instructors) or

listening (podcasts or instructors). From

a retention and application perspective, these are the 3 least

effective learning activities because they involve very low levels of

learner interactivity. As a result, retention of that learning (and the

ability to apply it to improve job performance) is very short-lived.

• Post-training reinforcement in the form of spaced repetition is rarely used after the conclusion

of the foundation learning, impairing retention of the learning.

• Only about 10% of U.S. and global organizations consistently measure the impact of learning on

employee performance. The remainder mostly rely on post-training surveys for qualitative

feedback from employees on the learning experience, or pre- and post-training mastery test

scores to measure knowledge gain immediately after the conclusion of the training (which rarely

correlate to performance improvement on the job).

• Managers of those completing the training are rarely involved during or after the learning. This

misses a great opportunity for post-training observation, as well as mentoring and management

to ensure the knowledge and skills are being successfully applied on-the-job.

The above depicts a rather bleak picture of corporate learning. That said, there are numerous best-in-

class organizations that have successfully addressed these issues. They have done so by focusing on a

few key strategies that have produced measurable performance gains as an outgrowth of learning

initiatives that are designed, implemented and measured using tools and practices that are both cost

effective and straightforward to implement.

This position paper will explore what we believe to be the most important of these strategies.

1 Source: 2015 Training Industry Report, Training magazine. http://pubs.royle.com/publication/?i=278428&p=22

© 2017, mLevel Inc., All rights reserved. Page 2

Performance-Driven Learning: 2 Key Challenges

There are many challenges to consider in deploying learning in today’s fast-paced work environment.

Two of the most pervasive are the volume of distractions and the “Forgetting Curve”.

Bersin by Deloitte recently pulled together research from a variety of sources to create an infographic

describing the Modern Learner2. The infographic is too detailed to include here, but some of the key

factoids are included below.

Corporate learning has never faced a bigger challenge in creating learning that grabs and maintains each

learner’s focus. Add to that decades of research on a phenomenon known as the “Forgetting Curve”,

below.

Maintaining focus and improving learning retention are key for learning to impact performance.

2 https://www.bersin.com/Practice/Detail.aspx?id=18071

© 2017, mLevel Inc., All rights reserved. Page 3

Addressing the 2 Key Challenges to Impacting Performance

Learning is much more likely to improve performance if it adheres to a neuro-science model called

AGES. Here is a brief recap, but more information can be found in our white paper on this topic at

http://www.mlevel.com/brainscience/. AGES is an acronym that stands for Attention, Generation,

Emotion and Spacing.

Attention. Performance-driven learning must capture and retain attention and focus. This has

never been more challenging given today’s dynamic business environment and the multitude of

distractions your employees encounter. A high level of interactivity is required to retain attention

and focus, as is packaging learning in smaller, more intense bursts (called “microlearning”). Passive

learning activities (like reading, watching or listening, as mentioned earlier) must be short in duration

and surrounded with highly interactive learning activities that keep the learning challenging.

Generation. Generation means the learner must be able to insert the learning into an existing

neuro-context that is relevant and meaningful to them. The most effective context is that of their

job. It’s not enough for the learning to provide knowledge or skill, but it must include a WIIFM

(what’s in it for me) that makes it clear why they should spend the effort to internalize the learning.

Learning in order to develop skills must be very application-oriented. Learners require practice to not

only master the skills, but to create the confidence to apply those new skills on the job.

Emotion. The stronger the emotions each learner feels during learning, the higher their retention

of the material will be. These emotions can be either positive or negative. How can your learning

programs engender feelings of success? Or fear of failure? Are the majority of your employees

inherently competitive? Shoshannah Tekofsky3 at the MIT Media Lab, among others, has studied the

emotions and motivation created by gamification and playing learning games, and reports that

computer gameplay creates 3 main emotive responses: achievement, satisfaction and recognition.

Spacing. As noted previously, Hermann Ebbinghaus4 and others have extensively researched

learning retention and developed a concept called “The Forgetting Curve”. Scientists have verified

that humans begin to forget what they learned in training within a few hours after the completion

of the training. In less than 30 days, over 80% of their knowledge will be forgotten. This “forgetting”

can be almost completely averted through a reinforcement technique known as spaced repetition.

Learning initiatives that include a reinforcement strategy after the primary training will have a

measurably increased impact on performance versus those that do not.

The following section of this document will share some best practices around creating, deploying and

leveraging performance-driven learning.

3 http://www.tekofsky.com/gamr-news/the-science/ 4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4492928/

© 2017, mLevel Inc., All rights reserved. Page 4

Performance-Driven Learning: Best Practices

Foundation Learning

After studying research on AGES and other neuro-science models, we recommend applying the

following model to the foundation training for key learning initiatives where performance is critical.

This model is most appropriate in use cases where the knowledge required to improve skills and

behaviors is minimal to nonexistent, and therefore must be included as part of the learning.

Anchor. We use the term “Anchor” because the learning must do more than present the knowledge

using the passive learning activities of reading, watching or listening. A high

level of interactivity and action is required, preferably leveraging multiple

senses. As an example, rather than having learners only watch a video (which

is an excellent modality to teach a concept), it is important to immediately

follow the video with an interactive learning activity or game to anchor and

imbed the knowledge or concept.

Assimilate. Knowledge building is not complete when the “facts” are imbedded. The learning must

include exercises and use cases that enable the learner to establish neuro-relationships between the

knowledge elements – how they are related. This process enables the learner to organize the

knowledge in order to answer questions, solve problems or formulate recommendations related to their

job. The optimal goal is to generate insights. Insights are, by definition, self-generated connections to

existing knowledge structures.5

Apply. Application-level learning is the holy grail of all training in order to

achieve performance improvement. As noted in the Generation component of

the AGES neuro-science model, learning must be relevant and applicable to the

learner’s job context. Application-level practice is essential. The more

5 www.creativedgetraining.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/The-Science-of-Making-Learning-Stick-AGES-

Model.pdf

AssessMeasure to

proactively identify knowledge gaps

ApplyPractice and

Apply to affirm new skills

AnchorBuild knowledge with fundamental baseline

content

AssimilateCognitively process

with interactive learning activities

© 2017, mLevel Inc., All rights reserved. Page 5

complex a skill is, the more practice is required, not only to achieve mastery of the skill or behavior, but

to build the confidence to apply the skill correctly on the job. Video is very effective in modelling

positive and negative examples of a skill, but practicing the skill, either in person-to-person roleplays, or

via multi-path branching scenarios on a self-study basis, is critical after viewing the video.

Assess. Assessments can take many forms, but assessing at intervals beyond the conclusion of the

training is essential. Assessments at the conclusion of the training are by far

the most common, but more and more organizations are also leveraging

additional assessments 30 to 60 days after the foundation training. These

may be online assessments of knowledge and/or skills, or observational

assessments completed by managers or peers.

Reinforcement Learning

Foundation learning must be reinforced, or retention and skill application will suffer greatly. Learning

reinforcement strategies are missing from the majority of learning initiatives, but must be actively

supported by both Learning & Development organizations as well as the managers of the employees.

There is no “best” formula for a learning reinforcement strategy, and the strategy may take many forms.

The duration and frequency of the reinforcement strategy (as well as the amount of spaced repetition

used) will vary according to the complexity and criticality of the knowledge and skills. Some

performance-driven reinforcement activities include:

Synchronous Activities

• Collaborative learning exercises

• Manager/employee mentoring and role plays

• Follow-on vILT (virtual instructor-led training) application-focused workshops

Asynchronous Activities

• Self-study simulations

• Multi-path branching scenarios with role plays

• Follow-on microlearning activities that might include learning games

• Follow-on assessments

© 2017, mLevel Inc., All rights reserved. Page 6

Conclusion

Learning is now central to being competitive in business, but most corporate learning fails to move the

needle in improving performance. Many times, employees return to work from training only to forget

or discard the knowledge and skills taught in a learning initiative.

There is considerable research on how to make learning not only stick, but to improve the effectiveness

and success of employees as they perform their job. We hope the research and best practices shared in

this position paper serve as a useful jumping off point for increasing the return on investment of critical

organizational learning initiatives.

But we see this paper as only the beginning. We at mLevel would love to jump in the trenches with you

in order to leverage our experience and technology to move the effectiveness of learning rapidly

forward for your organization.

If you have any thoughts you’d like to share, please feel free to email me directly at

bryan.austin@mlevel.com. I welcome your feedback and input.

© 2017, mLevel Inc., All rights reserved. Page 7

About the Author

Bryan Austin has been a leader in the corporate learning industry for over 25 years. He was a member

of the executive teams for Skillsoft, NETg, Kaplan Financial and AchieveGlobal, among others. In 2012,

Bryan founded Game On! Learning and served as its Chief Game Changer. Game On! Learning became a

reselling partner for mLevel in 2013, and Bryan began to realize mLevel’s huge potential to improve the

effectiveness of corporate learning. Bryan accepted an invitation to join mLevel in 2015 as their Vice

President of Learning Innovation.

Over the last decade, Bryan has assisted dozens of Fortune 1000 organizations in implementing

hundreds of learning initiatives focused around one common element: measurably improving

workforce performance.