Published on 3rd March 2023

Author: jessica

Spinning on an axis of innovation: key takeaways from the 2023 World of Learning Summit

The World of Learning Summit is a hub where thought leaders and L&D professionals alike – all armed with innovative solutions – come together to discuss the latest developments, changes and challenges in, as its name suggests, the world of learning. It’s something that we here at OBRIZUM thoroughly look forward to every time it comes around, and this week’s event at The Olympia in London certainly didn’t disappoint.

As L&D teams continue to bounce back from the challenges that have arisen from the Covid pandemic and subsequent economic challenges, we’ve collated our key takeaways from what was a busy, insightful and enjoyable day.


Overcoming the confidence barrier

Everybody wants to develop their skills to progress in key areas of their careers and personal lives. It’s human nature. Yet there is often one thing holding them back.

Confidence.

Overcoming the confidence barrier in learning is crucial for success and can be a key factor in determining someone’s ability to realise their full potential. It is therefore an important role of L&D teams to help workers grow in self-confidence – but it’s sometimes easier said than done.

A key part of L&D support is providing genuine, constructive feedback to learners. However, the current tools offer little to no success measurement capability those that do are outdated and simply not fit for purpose. How can leaders deliver valuable insight and support to their teams when the data they receive is so limited? It’s a simple answer: they can’t.

That’s why our multiplexed confidence sliders, which encourage learners to signal their confidence level in each response, are designed to provide independent analysis of each individual’s conviction in a particular subject area. In turn, this allows L&D teams to identify topics that require greater attention and nurturing, in doing so bringing together an assured, driven workforce all pulling towards a common goal to the best of their abilities. Accuracy is good, accuracy with confidence is great for learning transfer, and inaccuracy with confidence is a risk.


ROI under the microscope

A recurring theme featured in this year’s World of Learning talks and across exhibition stands was Return on Investment (ROI).

Deciding which tools to add to the armoury is a difficult process for HR professionals and L&D leaders. There were so many incredible products on display at the London event on Tuesday, but how is an L&D professional meant to decide which one is right for their business?

It comes down to which product or solution is best aligned to the specific needs and objectives of your company and its people.

As our own Chief Evangelist, Markus Bernhardt discussed during his seminar on Adaptive learning: How you can measure ROI and the impact of learning programmes, the challenge of updating businesses processes lies in obtaining full buy-in from the board. Whilst return on investment is a huge factor in getting the buy-in from key stakeholders within the business, they should also be encouraged to consider the cost of inaction (COI).

How would the organisation be impacted if no new tools are deployed? If the workforce is continually limited to just 70% of their true potential, or they spend twice as long as they need to on a particular task, the cost of inaction is already extremely clear and the business will struggle to overcome these well-entrenched practices.

That’s before we have even considered the opportunity costs.

Ultimately, the learning strategy must align with business outcomes to deliver a genuine return on investment.


Endless possibilities

Realising the true extent of human potential was one of the overarching messages from the World of Learning Summit.

As an award-winning author, Liggy Webb referenced in her inspiring talk on lifelong learning: those who are curious and strive to develop their learning each and every day can never be bored and will never reach a ceiling of personal development or exploration.

There is an abundance of knowledge and possibilities out there ready to be grasped. With the right combination of people, processes and tools all pulling together to support exploration, innovation and creativity, the prospects of what can be achieved are truly mind-blowing.

In learning, measurements and data are key. It’s how every personal trainer approaches writing a training plan, it’s how every personal tutor approaches a series of lessons and practice. As we enter the era of scalable personalization and measurement, the future of learning is more exciting than ever, and we’re proud to be part of the journey.