Understanding The Learning Flywheel

A practical approach to continuously improve learning.

What is it?

The Learning Flywheel is a model which illustrates the interconnectedness of key elements in learning and development strategies: content, data, and learning methodologies, often referred to as intelligence. By progressing through each pillar facilitates informed decisions, thereby enhancing the probability of impactful learning and achieving successful outcomes.

A flywheel is an incredibly energy efficient wheel. The amount of energy it stores depends on how fast it spins, the amount of resistance it encounters, and its size. To see the impact of learning, an organisation can learn from the principals of the momentum gained by the flywheel.

How does the Learning Flywheel methodology work?

The learning flywheel assists organisations in sustaining momentum, gathering sufficient evidence and insight into the dynamics of their learning environment by:

Maintaining velocity by promptly addressing demonstrated learning needs, minimising lead times, and eliminating delays
Reducing resistance from the target audience (key decision makers and learners) through a data driven approach
Increasing the amount of actionable data points to effectively communicate the learning impact

By adopting this approach learning teams can be assured about what learning will work for their audience and understanding how to approach any learning environment.

Why its important at ClearXP

Our approach to delivering learning is embedded into each section of the flywheel, keeping the momentum flowing in your organisation. Data, Intelligence, and Content operate in synergy, creating a seamless flow that caters to the unique needs of key audience segments. Leveraging insights from each segment allows you to harness the full potential of learning offerings, ensuring they have a meaningful impact and contribute more effectively to your business goals.

Beginning with data, we have embraced and utilised xAPI as the format for our data and its standardised approach to content packaging. Put simply, xAPI is incredibly powerful for enabling the collection of highly detailed, standardised, and context-specific data on your learners’ experiences, emotions, and behaviours. These insights are then presented through visual and interactive dashboards for a more comprehensive understanding.

From there we use the intelligence gained from evidential insights gathered from collecting over a billion learning data points provide practical approaches to learning well-suited to your audience is crucial for confidently producing content. This allows us to provide organisations with templates and examples that make the content creation process smoother. Our learning also utilises tools such as notifications, structured release rules, learning pathways, micro-sites, skills matrices, academies, and workflow tools ensuring a comprehensive approach.

The iterative cycle allows for constant review of results through dashboards, sustaining momentum and providing evidence for stakeholders. Adjustments can be made based on feedback and data, allowing for a seamless continuation of successful learning experiences.