Does anyone have any learning transfer statistics or know where to look for them? No matter what I google, I can't find any good data.

We are proposing a blended-learning curriculum for our new hires (mostly Gen X & Y) which includes training programs, case studies, jobsite visits, speakers, group projects, pod-casting, message boarding, etc.

I need to convince our Baby Boomer Engineer Executives that all-day 8-10 hour traditional training sessions (and some that go longer into the evening) are NOT effective for learning transfer. Any statistics would be useful.

Thanks!
Tricia

Hi TWMesser:

I suggest:

Transfer of Training: Action-Packed Strategies to Ensure High Payoff From Training Investments. By Mary L. Broad and John W. Newstrom. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, INC.

They site history and stats beginning with the first formal research studies in 1955 conducted by Fleishman, Harris and Burtt.

Good Luck!

Cj

Broad and Newstrom are fine. You will need, unless I miss my guess on your potential audience, more. Not knowning what specific engineering goes on or the specfic situation try: their professional organizations, their trade associations, input from the participants and their managers.
It is my view that there are too many moving parts here so,run your own study using separate methodologies run it for an agreed time and do what the evidence tells you to do.

Nero

I am a strong advocate for educating stakeholders in what makes learning more efficient and effective. They're usually resistant to something different because... "we learned it that way, and we're doing just fine" Sometimes, the pushback from stakeholders is due to their inability to accept that maybe the way they learned could have been better. They could have learned more in a shorter period of time had they been actively involved in the learning process instead of passive consumers of information. Get your hands on anything about how people (particularly adults) learn. Get your hands on books about the brain, accelerated learning (aka suggestopedia in Europe), "androgogy", emotional intelligence, etc..

This isn't news, by the way. Using many modes, materials and methods to get learners actively involved in the learning process is centuries old. That proverb about teaching a man to fish is REALLY old. Unfortunately, at some point, institutionalized learning came along and forced the "one size fits all," completely joyless, passive absorption learning model onto most of us.

The other thing that works every time for me -- ask them if any of them could learn how to play golf ONLY by sitting and listening to someone talk about it.

If you don't already have it, check out or buy Bob Pike's Creative Training Techniques Handbook. There is a lot of great, convincing arguements and statistics in there.

Also, in Bob Pike's Training Boot Camp's manual he sites a study (unnamed) by R. Benschofter) that found:

Telling, when used alone, results in 70% recall 3 hours later and 10% recall 3 days later.

Showing, when used alone, results in 72% recall 3 hours later and 20% recall 3 days later.

Blend of telling and showing results in 85% recall 3 hours later and 65% recall 3 days later.


I hope this helps!