Effective experiential learning for enterprises
Most organizations consider learning in the flow of work the zenith of learning outcomes, yet only 12% do it effectively – this is from The Definitive Guide to Learning: Growth in the Flow of Work – the largest and latest research study produced by The Josh Bersin Company.
At Pearson, we recognize both the aspiration and the challenge of successful implementation of experiential learning as part of your daily work. It is this conundrum we have been seeking to solve through our development of Pearson Skills Accelerator. During the development process for the product, we decided to ‘drink our own Kool-Aid’ and work with our Learning & Development team to offer 1 of 2 courses (Improve Customer Retention and Making Decisions with Data) to a self-selected group of colleagues.
From among the hundreds of Pearson employees who helped trial the product, we used a survey and email prompts to recruit:
We conducted a one-hour interview with each of these participants, focusing on their learning journeys, the differences between their expectations and the reality of the experience, and opportunities for improvement.
The most important (and pleasing) thing we confirmed was that learners who progressed farther felt more engaged with their work, their team, and the company strategy. Implementing project-based experiential learning in the workplace isn’t easy — but it’s worth it.
This trial revealed three vital insights we believe could help all kinds of organizations to implement experiential learning. That’s why we’re sharing those insights in this short white paper.
Director of Learning Products - Workforce Skills
1yGreat post, Tom. As we've learned through Skills Accelerator pilots, people want to learn how to DO something - not just learn about something.