Know how to support effective blended learning experiences in your organization? In this post, we cover the growing popularity of the 70:20:10 model, which helps L&D leaders focus on informal and social learning activities.
The 70:20:10 Rule
What’s the last work-related task or concept you learned? How did you learn it? Chances are, it was from simply doing your job—whether it was finishing a task or using a piece of software for the first time. Or, maybe a peer or coworker taught you something. It would be quite rare, however, if it was delivered via formal training.
That’s the 70:20:10 theory. In other words, we gain knowledge through:
- our workplace challenges and job experience (70%)
- contact with other people, either face to face or online (20%)
- formal training programs and structured content (10%)
While these percentages may vary, the point is that we learn most often by simply doing our jobs. The rest results from social interactions and formal learning. This model is relevant to informal learning because it tells us that opportunities are everywhere.
Small Study, Big Impact
There’s no denying that the 70:20:10 model has caused a stir in the L&D world, as it’s often a popular topic at conferences. And an increasing amount of products and solutions are being implemented based around this model.
Yet, it's based on a research project by the Center for Creative Leadership 20 years ago that asked 200 managers to self-report how they believed they learned. The model's success is likely due to the way it rings true for L&D professionals' own experiences.
But because the study was performed in 1996 and only involved a small sampling of participants, there's a need for more industry research. After all, if that one survey can have such a far-reaching impact on the training and development industry, just imagine the insight we could glean from robust, ongoing data about learning across our organizations. Without that data, we don’t even know what we don’t know.
Up Next: Blended Learning Trends
In our next post, we’ll discuss how the internet has become a significant resource for self-directed training and cover common misconceptions about the 70:20:10 principle.
About the author
As one of the authors of xAPI, Andrew Downes has years of expertise in data-driven learning design. With a background in instructional design and development, he’s well versed in creating learning experiences and platforms in corporate and academic environments.
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