Abstract

The aim of this research is to help individual learners and the HR community of practice to enable them to understand the characteristics learners need to effectively transfer learning, empowering individuals to manage their own learning and improving the value of money invested in training and education. In short to make how people apply their learning explicit and the contribution learning makes.
The outcome of the research is the design, and testing of a diagnostic model called the Learning Characteristics Inventory (LCI). The LCI focuses on the personal characteristics a learner uses in the application of their learning. The LCI is a deductive model developed from the Learning Transfer Systems Inventory created by Prof.E. Holton to measure the application of a formal learning intervention. This research bridges the gap between the measurement of a learning intervention and the personal characteristics used to apply the learning.
Whilst the changing world of work, the pandemic, technology, and different forms of learning are placing greater responsibility on the learner to apply their learning the success rate of open learning is 37% (Simpson 2017), not because of the content but the learners inability to manage their learning. The LCI provides personal characteristics which aid the application of learning in a formal and informal learning context and allows a learning conversation to take place either within the learner or with support. The research initially analysed the usage of the characteristics to establish their relevance and applicability. Pearson correlations were used to reveal relationships within and between the characteristics, and Regression analyse to reveal connectivity across contexts. They revealed the potential to accelerate the application of learning by up to eighty percent. The Community of Practice being influenced are HR, learning and development practitioners and postgraduate students i.e., learners.