What is the 70/20/10 Model? Here, we discuss experiential learning, social learning and formal learning. Check out what Juliette has to say about the 70/20/10 model here: https://youtu.be/QziiJQ2ywxE

1. WHAT IS
THE 70:20:10 MODEL?
@juliettedenny

2. THE
HISTORY
The 70:20:10 Model is a learning and development model that
provides a proportional breakdown of how people learn
effectively.
The model was first created in the 1980s, by three researchers
working with the Centre for Creative Leadership – Morgan McCall,
Michael M. Lombardo and Robert A. Eichinger. This trio were
researching the key developmental experiences that drove
successful managers.
They sent out a survey to nearly 200 executives to self-report on
how they believed they learned. The results of this survey led to
the creation of the model.

3. THE
MODEL
Learning is a lot like cake. You need the
right ingredients to achieve expertise and
an exceedingly good education. So how’s it
done? The 70:20:10 model is your
recipe for sweet success! Here’s how it
breaks down:
• 70% of learning happens experientially
• 20% of learning happens socially
• 10% of learning happens formally

4. EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
= 70%
That’s right. A massive 70% of what we know is learned
through hands-on experience, daily tasks and challenges. Just
like children learn through play, most adults still learn best by
doing. So, the age-old wisdom that learning comes through
experience turns out to be largely true!
Think about the last time you really saw your skill level shoot
up. Whatever you were trying to master, your success was
probably down to regular practice and pushing yourself a little
harder. You learned through experience!

5. SOCIAL LEARNING
= 20%
The second biggest chunk of the model tells us that social
interaction is responsible for 20% of our learning. Social
learning is growing together by observing, asking questions and
getting answers - not just from Google but from your
colleagues, friends or fellow online learners! Whatever you’re
trying to master – your day job, that perfect recipe or the next
game level – ask for help and learn together!
With experiential learning and social learning combined, we can
now see that a whopping 90% of all learning happens via
informal sources – learning that happens outside of formal
training interventions.

6. FORMAL LEARNING
= 10%
Although it only makes up 10% of our learning, formal
training is an essential part of any learning strategy. It forms
the backbone of successful training interventions. Take
learning to drive a car for example. To succeed, you first
need to understand the rules of the road and theory that
supports your growing practical skills. Formal learning is the
theory and facts that informal learning builds on.
The 70:20:10 research also shows formal training can act as
an amplifier, boosting what we’ve learned through
experience and social interaction. So, it is worth seeing
formal training as the supportive framework that creates
successful learning outcomes.

7. CRITICISMS OF
THE MODEL
• Beyond the initial survey that was sent out, there is a lack of supporting
data that validates the key claims of the model. The model was first
birthed in the 80s and has not evolved since – it doesn’t reflect changes
in online technologies and our new focus on social learning.
• There are also limits to what the model tells us. The model tells us how
the world is, not how the world should be. As learning and development
professional Andy Jefferson notes, the model is ‘neither a scientific fact
nor a recipe for how best to develop people’.
That said the model still holds some intuitive power and provides a useful
framework for thinking about the way we take in knowledge, that can be
used by learning and development professionals to help inform key
decisions.