Learning at Work Needs a Real-Work Test

A new Instructure report, released October 22, highlights a gap: 71% of surveyed U.S. professionals expected learning programs to improve on-the-job performance, while 53% said their organizations could communicate program impact with data to a great or very great extent. The survey covered 1,166 professionals, with sample sizes varying by question. Read the announcement and methodology.

The useful distinction is between completing a course and being able to apply what was learned. For growth, I’d test one skill in a real, bounded handoff: agree the outcome and authority, let the new owner choose the method, then review what they could handle independently—and where the boundaries need adjusting.

The figures are survey findings, not proof that any particular learning program works. What evidence would convince you that a learning opportunity changed how someone can contribute?