How to Create Efficient Learning Environment in Turbulent Times?

HOW TO CREATE
EFFICIENT
LEARNING
ENVIRONMENTS
IN TURBULENT
TIMES?
LAVINIA MERIGGIOLI
lavinia.meriggioli@accenture.com
MAREK HYLA
marek.hyla@accenture.com
VERSION 1.0 – APRIL 2020
This material is not an official point of view of Accenture and reflects thoughts
and findings of its authors as individual learning professionals.

PREFACE
As global megatrends and unpredictable forces shift our working habits, many workplaces are
increasingly expecting their workers to adapt their skillset accordingly. At the same time,
strong learning cultures are gaining momentum, as they have proven to be a critical factor
ensuring long-term profitability in the face of continuous & unreliable change.
Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. 2
This deck is a collection of insights to create efficient
learning environments, taking into account the latest
trends in the L&D field, digital
advances and external challenges.
The aim is to provide L&D
leaders and practitioners a high
level perspective on key
enablers and derailers shaping the
current learning environments as
well as key supports to
endow them with a blue-print to
create their own learning
environments.

Click at boxes for
more details
FRAMEWORK
ENABLERS DERAILERS
LEARNING
MINDSET
EXECUTIVE SPONSORSHIP
HEUTAGOGY
LEARNING AGILITY
ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS
UNBALANCED INVESTMENTS
RESISTANCE TO CHANGE
LEARNING
EXPERIENCE
ADAPTIVE LEARNING
BLENDED LEARNING
LEARNING IN THE WORKFLOW ANDRAGOGICAL DISTANCE
LACK OF CONTENT STRATEGIES
INADEQUATE TECH STRATEGY
LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES
SUPPORTED BY
LEARNING ORGANIZATION
LEARNING TEAM
EFFICIENT
LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT

EXECUTIVE
SPONSORSHIP
from senior leaders is often perceived as a
primary mean to success. The key role of top
leadership consist of green lighting the
strategic approach adopted & orchestrating
the transition from the old to the new.
Future Positive:
How companies
can tap into
employee
optimism to
navigate
tomorrow's
workplace
ADVOCACY – set relevant & compelling
mission & goals
COMMUNICATION – perform effective
internal communication campaigns
VISIBILITY – Bring a sustained presence
to build and maintain momentum
INTEGRATION – Build & maintain strong
coalition of leaders supporting the change

otherwise known as self-determined
learning, is a learner-centered instructional
strategy that emphasizes the development
of autonomy, capacity, and capability in the
learning experience(1).
HEUTAGOGY
Who Moved my
skills?
A framework for
self-determined
learners
Self-reflects on
learning
Self-identifies
learning needs &
outcomes
AUTONOMY
Responsible for
own linear
learning &
teaching
Advances
beyond own
knowledge &
discipline
CAPACITY
Seek & acquire
adaptive
competencies
Engages in
double loop
learning
CAPABILITY
LEARNER
(1) Davis, 2018

LEARNING
AGILITY
is a mind-set and collection of practices that
allow employees to continually develop,
grow, and utilize new strategies that will
equip them for the increasingly complex
problems they face in their organizations(2).
ENABLERS
- Adapting fast
despite ambiguity
- Strong
observation and
listening skills
- Ability to quickly
process data
PERFORMING
- Getting out of the
comfort zone – i.e.
pioneering new
opportunities
- Getting
comfortable with
progressive risk
(not thrill-seeking)
RISKING
- Questioning the
status quo &
challenging
assumptions
- Being open to
new experiences
in order to grow
personal
knowledge base
INNOVATING
- Ability to reflect
on feedback
received,
information
available and pre-
existing
assumptions &
behaviors
REFLECTING
DERAILER
- When gaining
confidence from
success, there is a
risk for the learner
to close down to
outside feedback
DEFENDING
Learning about
learning agility
A for Adaptive
Learning
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AGILE LEARNER
(2) Flaum & Winkler, 2019

ORGANIZATIONAL
BARRIERS
are common derailers of the efficient
learning environment. They are usually
symptoms of internal (e.g. ill
organizational culture) or external
challenges (e.g. Covid-19) impacting the
learning space.
LEADERSHIP BARRIERS
OBSTRUCTING LEADERS– inability
of line managers to create conducive
environment of transforming
investments in learning into tangible
business outcomes
ORGANIZATIONAL DEFENSE
ROUTINES – holding previous
processes, values, assumptions and
core beliefs and blocking new
behaviors on the job
Organizational inertia keeping both
people and teams into old trails
GROUPTHINK – common desire to
not upset the balance of a group, by
overlooking potential problems in the
pursuit of consensus, which may
translate into peer pressure
Peace of mind which trumps over
need for the change
SOCIAL BARRIERS
PERSONAL DETACHMENT – lack or
low level of direct social collaboration
impacting creativeness, engagement
and motivation of learners
STRUCTURAL BARRIERS
RIGID STRUCTURES – managerial
systems, control systems, political
systems reducing motivation and
ability to develop in the professional
space
Rigid systems not matching current
needs and challenges
UNPREPARED INFRASTRUCTURE –
hindering capabilities to take
responsibility for one’s own
professional development from
access, content, usability, etc.
perspective
Breaking Down
Barriers to
Change

TALENT
RETENTION
CAPABILITY
DEVELOPMENT
MOTIVATION
AND
ENGAGEMENT
EMPLOYER
BRANDING
Biased learning mindset puttingtoo much
attention on tangible, but meaningless
metrics (e.g. satisfaction from the training)
and forgetting about impacts on areas
critical for the business may derail the value
behind investment in L&D environment.
UNBALANCED
INVESTMENTS
LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
Learning initiative should be a
lever for both employees in
their career and organization in
its business. Not putting to
much attention to this
personal side of the L&D
activities may create
unbalanced approach which,
eventually, isn’t not treated by
trainees as conducive and
meaningful for them.
In the COVID-19 times the war
for talent seems to be
suppressed, but even now
each organization has to
attract and keep the best
people. Lack of perceived
value behind flagship
L&D initiatives of the
company may negatively
impact motivations of the best
candidates.
High level of motivation of
employees is tightly
connected with opportunities
to grow. Lack of holistic
approach to provide such
opportunities to them
(including both formal and
informal ways of development)
could be a major roadblock to
build engaging working
environment.
Lack of meaningful
learning offer developing
employees in areas of their
personal aspirations could be a
trigger for bigger rotation as
opportunities for learning and
development have been for
many years one of the key
motivators to join and stay in
the company.

RESISTANCE
TO CHANGE
reconvenes all the forces pushing to
maintain the status quo, despite the
presence of external stimuli driving for
change. Such forces are present at both an
organizational and individual level and lead
to barriers to change.
How to deal
with resistance
to change
ORGANIZATIONAL
LEVEL
INDIVIDUAL LEVEL
No sufficient technical infrastructure: the
current endowment do not support change
System relationship: a company is a set of
interrelated & integrated systems
Structural inertia: difficulty in changing
architectural features
No provided incentive: no perceived
benefit/reward provided to employees
Lack of adequate skills: individuals don’t have
the right capabilities
No perceived need: reluctance and
unwillingness to change
New advances in
technology
Economic changes
Government law &
regulations
Labor market
Selected external
forces
Levels affected Barriers to change Change
Management
Playbook

BLENDED
LEARNING
supports the learning environment by
variety of learning opportunities (e.g.
online, remote interactions with trainers &
peers, traditional classroom methods),
providing to the learner control of the
development process.
Availability 24/7 of learning material and
at learner’s pace
FLEXIBILITY
Accessibility of the learning material via
different supports/devices
MOBILITY
Combination of offline & online learning
material
ASSORTMENT
Face to face – trainer delivers training face to face in the
training room or lab.
Self-paced learning – learner consumes learning content
(usually in interactive, multimedia format) in his/her own pace
and time (asynchronously) without support of the trainer.
Rotation – learners rotate on a fixed schedule between self-
paced online learning and face-to-face training.
Remote – trainer delivers training remotelly in synchronous
mode using on-line workshop, webinar or webconference
environment.
Flex – learning is mostly delivered through an online platform
(self-learning. However, a trainer is still available as needed to
provide in-person support when needed.
Main approaches:
Learning in the
digital era
Beyond
blending:
improving the
impact of
formal learning
through
technology

is an approach bringing learning moments
closer to regular tasks of an employee. It
leverages on microlearning techniques
delivered through various, usually informal
learning experiences supported by line
managers & peers.
70:20:10
Institute
LEARNING IN
THE WORKFLOW
The 70:20:10 model
is an approach putting
learning in the
workflow in the front
seat of the professional
It treats formal learning
as a supportive
method in the journey
to the competences’
acquisition.
In many situations,
learning from others
could be also
considered as a
vehicle bringing skills
development closer to
the job.

ADAPTIVE
LEARNING
is about helping “me” to learn based on what
I know and how I learn. Adaptive learning is
about creating a personalized learning
experience that adjusts itself based on an
individual’s learning needs.
DESIGNED ADAPTIVITY ALGORITHMIC ADAPTIVITY
BASICADVANCED
Decision-Tree
Adaptive Systems
Rule-Based
Adaptive Systems
Advanced
Algorithm Adaptive
Systems
Machine Learning-
Based Adaptive
Systems
• Designed around predefined decision trees and rules
• Rules and learning material relatively static
• No inherent collective and historical knowledge capture
• Work on a preconceived set of rules
• Learning path is predetermined by rule sets that can change for individual learners
• Ongoing feedback and remediation is provided based on defined rules
• Learning paths, feedback, and content evaluated in real time by constantly analyzing
individual learner data and comparing it with other learners’ data
• Feedback provided instantly in response to the data analytics running in the
background
• Most sophisticated systems to provide truly adaptive path
• May use capabilities such as pattern recognition, statistical modeling, predictive
analytics, and statistical regularities
A for Adaptive
Learning: A
Perspective
ADAPTIVE LEARNING SYSTEM SPECTRUM

LACK OF
CONTENT
STRATEGIES
refers to the lack of a methodology to solve
business goals through the systematic
design, development, delivery and
maintenance of broadly understood
learning content.
Next Generation
Learning
Content
Strategies
How to Adopt a
Learning
Content
Strategy
Where
Companies Go
Wrong with
Learning
Development
Learners can be perceived as the people
that “consume” learning content. Guiding
learners across relevant content (in both
tangible and intangible shape) is becoming
increasingly pivotal.
Content can be anything that answers a
question employees need an answer for. It
shouldn’t be perceived as tangible assets
only – in many cases people around could
be also a source of learning content.
Useful content must be delivered in the
flow of their work so that learners can
quickly find it, access it and use it through
the most appropriate channel/ devices.
We often tend to mandate that busy
employees attend uniform topic courses
with little alignment to their needs for the
sake of flawed learning KPIs and for the
business impact.
Traditional approaches to learning tend to
formalize informal learning, not fully
embrace the 70-20-10 model at a content
level.
Content is often delivered at a time when it
bears little immediate relevance to
employee’s role and not taking into account
the Forgetting Curve, whereby learners
forget the large portion of it if the new
information is not immediatelly applied.
PEOPLECONTENT TIME & PLACE
Generalized learning objectives and
content that are not customized
according to roles/goals/aspirations
of learners.
Disaggregated content, composed
by overwhelming material with little
focus on the core. No clear path
across the content.
No clear strategy for getting this
content into the hands of employees
in the place and moment of their
need.

ANDRAGOGICAL
DISTANCE
consists of the misalignment of
interpretations by different participants in
the adult education and learning activity. It
is usually the result of the implementation of
new forms of training & learning in the
Pedagogical
distance:
explaining
misalignments
in online
learning
Impact of
distance
education in
satisfaction &
performances
Psychological &
pedagogical
problems of
distance
education for
adults
Situational
interest,
computer self-
efficacy and
self-regulation
PHYSICAL
DISTANCE
TEMPORAL
DISTANCE
COMPETENCY
DISTANCE
GENERATIONAL
DISTANCE
Educator and learner are not
necessarily physically present
together in a classroom.
Trainings may be held both in a
synchronous (simultaneously) or
asynchronous manner (with
delays).
Computer self-efficacy levels
may vary both across trainers
and learners.
Self-regulated and distance
learning might be perceived
differently across different
generations
Lack of
opportunities to
interact,
collaborate,
receive
feedback &
social support.
Inexperience in
relying
information
effectively and
successfully
leveraging the
benefits of new
learning
supports.
Lower emotional
engagement
Higher feeling of
anxiety
Lack of
commitment
Lack of
motivation
Higher feeling of
dissatisfaction
Increase of
skepticism
MISALIGNMENT
OF INTERPRE-
TATIONS, BUT
ALSO...

Without a clear set of tools and solutions
delivering fully integrated learning
experiences, there is a limited ability to
leverage their potential, hence putting the
validity of the whole learning strategy at risk.
INADEQUATE
TECH
STRATEGY
INTEGRATED
LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
LEARNING
PLATFORMS
LEARNING
DEVICES
NETWORK &
CONNECTIVITY
SOCIAL
LEARNING TOOLS
Physical tools that can be leveraged by
individuals during the learning process
(e.g. laptops, VR glasses, mobile phones).
The lack may result in the inability
to access & follow the learning
journey from the persective of both
content and connection with both
trainers and peers.
Software applications for the
management and delivery of content &
training programs (e.g. LMSes, LXPs,
MOOCs, etc.)..
The lack may result in time
consuming process, poor
engagement, poor content match &
customization.
Software applications supporting the
virtual collaboration of individuals (e.g.
internal chatting tools, webinar tools,
internal social networks).
The lack may result in limited social
learning and limited peer-to-peer
interaction.
Applications allowing employees to
access company’s tools & systems on
remote (e.g. bandwidth, VPN,
cybersecurity infrastructures).
The lack may result in limited
accessibility to the learning
ecosystem, limited consumption of
content and interaction with peers.
Learning
Technology PoV
Where to start
when
developing a
learning
technology
strategy
A fully
developed
learning
strategy

LEARNING
TECHNOLOGIES
consist in the set of available technologies
for the enhancement of training & learning.
By leveraging on new learning technologies,
L&D practitioners have the ability to foster a
strong learning culture and empower the
workforce with new tools & skills.
Security has become
a crucial topic both
from business and
personal perspec-
tive. The rise of
Device Mesh requires
that we are handling
our data in a
responsible manner.
It is critical to take
security into
consideration when
developing your
learning strategy.
SECURITY
Going mobile is no
longer a revolution –
it has become our
reality. Businesses
can leverage mobile
devices to stand out
and drive a long-term
learner engagement
(also referred to as
stickiness).
MOBILE
The multiple benefits
of cloud computing
draw more and more
organizations.
Businesses that
moved to the Cloud
successfully, observe
an increase in
efficiency, ease of
access and overall
lower costs.
CLOUD
The term Artificial
Intelligence has
evolved to signify
truly autonomous
entities. Latest
products in the AI
space, do not require
a human input to lay
out all possible
outcomes. They learn
using their own
experience and are
capable of predicting
results on their own.
AI
How learning
organizations
leverage their data is
a great differentiator
between them.
Understanding your
learners is critical to
driving behavioral
change as a result of
learning journey.
DATA
Learning in the
digital age
ENABLERS DERAILER

Digital Learning Strategy
Governance
Digital Learning Team Management Digital Learning Team Framework
Learning Environment
Use of Learning Platforms
Vendor Management
(External Processes)
Learning Administration
(Internal Processes)
Learning Culture
Management of Digital Learning Culture Knowledge Sharing and CollaborationLearners’ Experience
Describe
Project Planning
Design of the Learning
Process
Co-create
Learning Assets Design
Learning Assets
Development
Scale
Learning Assets
Management
Implementation of New
Skills and Behaviours
Sustain
Learning Data Analyses
Evaluation of Learning
Discover
Digital Learning Needs
Assessment
Emphasis on Digital
Learners
LEARNING
ORGANIZATION
could be shaped based on holistic
framework mapping & assessing readiness
of the L&D function to create and maintain
efficient & digitized learning space.
Digital Learning
Capability
Model

LEARNING
TEAM
To build efficient learning environment
well-balanced learning team embracing
digital technologies while at the same time
standing strong on the people side of the
capability development is needed.
Learning
Environment
Administrator
Instructional
Designer
Learning
Content
Developer
Media
Designer
Content
Curator
Technical
Support
Consultant
(Virtual)
Trainer
Learning
Technologist
Quality
Assurance
Officer
L&D Manager
Comms
Officer
Subject Matter
Expert
Leadership
Business
Sponsors
MarketingHR
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Trainee
ITLine Manager
Core Learning Team directly impacting
learning environment
Supporting forces
Digital Learning
Capability
Model

ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES
Resource Name Description
Who Moved my Skills? Report illustrating insights on continuous skill development
Beyond blending: improving the impact of formal
learning through technology
Report exploring new ways to improve formal learning and providing new insights relating to
the concept of blended learning
Bridging the Divide Report investigating the dividing perceptions between T&L practitioners and learners
Heutagogy: A holistic framework for creating 21st
century self-determined learners
Research paper illustrating the foundations and inner principles of heutagogy with a specific
emphasis on digital technologies.
Designing for heutagogy: an independent learning
pathway approach
Research paper investigating the application of heutagogy as underlying principle of work-
based learning professional practice programs.
Designing Effective Digital Learning Environments:
Towards Learning Analytics Design
Research paper investigating the design of effective digital learning environments.
Back to the Future: Why Tomorrow's Workforce
Needs a Learning Culture
Annual report published in February 2020 by Emerald Works investigating what makes a high-
impact learning culture, what to do differently and how to see success from your L&D strategy.
Learning in the Digital Age Framework developed by the Accenture illustrating key industry trends, evolving learners
preferences, changing workplace & technology scenarios (to be provided on demand)
Moments that Matter in Corporate Learning Framework developed by the Accenture illustrating key moments in the learning journey and
strategies on how to best leverage on them (to be provided on demand)
Digital Learning Capability Model Framework discussing 19 criterias defining various angles of maturity of digital learning in the
organization (to be provided on demand)
6 Guidelines for Building a Learning Culture Article published on the blog of HRCI by Holly Burkett – HR expert and consultant
Click on the
underlined links
for more details

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