Evidence & Evolution

    Measurement that cannot demonstrate return.

    On why the numbers that dominate L&D count the delivery of learning, not the change it was supposed to produce — and what to measure instead.

    By David Maclean·6 min read

    Preview

    Ask any learning function what it measures and you will get a confident list. Completion rates. Attendance. Hours of learning consumed. Satisfaction scores. Net promoter scores. Certifications issued. Ask what any of these demonstrates about return, and the confidence wanes.

    The numbers themselves are sound. They are accurately counted, faithfully reported, and useless for what matters. They measure the delivery of learning. The promise was change.

    “Return claims without stated assumptions are marketing.”

    Inside the essay

    • · Why our dominant measures count activity, not change
    • · The three things return requires — baseline, follow-up, bounded contribution
    • · What is measurable today, using data the business already trusts
    • · The boundary — what mature measurement chooses not to claim

    Keynote · Diagnostic · Cohort design

    For a keynote or a LearnSmartly diagnostic, contact David Maclean.

    david@learnsmartly.institute →