Why Learning Analytics are Important for Businesses

In today’s world, businesses are continuously searching for ways to improve. This is understandable – after all, global markets are now oversaturated with competitors, meaning a company must keep getting better if it wants to survive.

When it comes to tools for improvement, there are many available for businesses to use. One of the most underrated and underutilized tools is learning analytics.

What is Learning Analytics?

Learning analytics is the collection and analysis of data that enables companies (and education institutions) to improve learning experiences and optimize their impact. As an example, thinqi.com provides businesses with a learning management system that comes with analytics surrounding talent progress, employee engagement levels, overall achievement, and much more.

Essentially, businesses are handed a goldmine of data which they can then use for a variety of purposes – and this guide is going to explain what they are.

Here’s why learning analytics are important for businesses:

Increase Knowledge Retention

One of the biggest problems that companies face today is a very complex one: employee knowledge retention. Specific industries – such as healthcare and technology – usually require employees to learn and memorize a lot of knowledge. However, failure to retain this knowledge can lead to all sorts of problems, from underperforming employees to angry customers. It’s a potential headache for managers that they simply don’t like to deal with.

Luckily, though, learning analytics functions like a safety net. From looking at the data, you can see which individuals and groups need to do follow-up testing. For example, you might identify three or four problem employees who lack certain knowledge in particular departments. When you conduct follow-up testing and training, you can supplement their knowledge and get it back up to scratch!

Make Improvements to Your Future Training Platform  

Nothing is perfect in the world of business – it’s a fact. This is especially true when it comes to eLearning, which is still in its infancy.

By using analytics, you can make improvements in weak areas. For instance, the data might highlight that your employees and new hires are finding a specific area of your learning course too difficult. When this type of feedback is consistent, you can then make improvements so that future learners don’t struggle as much.

Predict Employee Performance Levels

When your business conducts training courses and tests for learners, you will ultimately want to know which employees are likely to be a success and which ones are likely to not pass the course. Fortunately, analytics can provide you with insight into this.

Let’s say that you’re hiring ten brand-new employees. However, they must all go on a training course (remotely) prior to officially starting with your company. While completing their remote course, you will be able to see if any particular individuals are struggling. If this is the case, you can take one of two options:

• Provide them with additional learning materials as well as help from a one-to-one instructor
• Inform them that you don’t think they will be suited to your business

Ideally, you should always aim for the first option. This way, you can provide a worthwhile eLearning experience that doesn’t immediately dismiss people for falling behind.

There’s Less Need for Face-to-Face Learning

One of the biggest downfalls of face-to-face learning is that there’s little analytical insight to work with. Instead, management teams are left to judge employees on body language and final test results.

Through online learning analytics, this isn’t the case. You can discover insights and trends straight away, meaning you can make smarter decisions and ultimately not have to rely on face-to-face learning.