Delivering learning impact data at an enterprise level

O’Reilly, the premier source for insight-driven learning in technology and business, today announced a new way to measure the impact of learning across organisations. The O’Reilly learning platform now enables leaders to go beyond completion metrics and access deeper-level insights into specific learning behaviors. Through its new data science-driven modules, enterprises can pinpoint important trends in learning and align learning initiatives with corporate strategy. 

As part of the Insights Dashboard on the O’Reilly learning platform, these three new learning behavior modules – Linear and Nonlinear Learning Patterns, Deepening Topic Engagement and Broadening Topic Engagement – provide a single-pane-of-glass view into the learning behaviors of users, generating actionable data for business leaders. This data allows leaders to understand not just what content is being consumed but how their employees are consuming it, providing insight into areas of problem solving, deep focus and emerging interest inside their workforce. 

“Measuring learning success is one of the most challenging tasks for an organisation to do effectively and, so far, nobody is getting it right. Raw usage metrics, such as time spent on learning platforms or courses completed, only scratch the surface of learning measurement and ROI,” said Karen Hebert-Maccaro, chief learning experience officer at O’Reilly.

“The learning behavior modules measure more important areas of learning behavior, providing enterprise customers with the critical information they need to ensure consistent alignment with their organisation’s corporate strategy and goals.”

The learning behavior modules provide three main areas of measurement

1. Linear and Nonlinear Learning: Structured and immersive learning activities define linear learning (roughly 55 percent of all usage of the O’Reilly learning platform). This level of learning demonstrates where users are following a structured path towards comprehensive knowledge and skill building. Nonlinear learning is behavior that is self-directed and focused on applied, on-the-job learning (45 percent of all usage of the O’Reilly learning platform). This occurs when learners have already developed a deep expertise and want to solve problems quickly by pinpointing the specific content they need to apply to their work.
2. Broadening: This module measures areas where users are broadening their understanding of a particular topic, indicating an introduction to a new learning area. This learning behavior demonstrates that enterprise employees are exploring – and trying to stay current in – new areas of interest. It also provides leaders with an understanding of what is emerging in their workforce. 
3. Deepening: These behaviors show when and where learners are focusing deeply with the intent of strengthening their expertise in an area or drilling down in order to complete on-the-job tasks.

“We created this data-driven module after analysing over 15 years of user behavior history on the O’Reilly learning platform with a focus on learning outcomes and organisational impact, not just checking a box that a course has been completed,” said Laura Baldwin, president of O’Reilly.

“By adding these new levels of analysis, we’ve answered the long-standing demand for measurement that demonstrates the true impact of learning. This is critical not only to advancing organisational learning, but to providing critical insights that enable learning to align and support organisational strategy.”

The learning behavior modules are available now to all enterprise account holders on the O’Reilly learning platform. To learn more about how to leverage learning metrics for more informed decision making, download O’Reilly’s latest report, “Deciphering Learning Behavior Patterns.”