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Chart Learning Solutions White Paper
Chart Learning Solutions ● 888-530-7983 ● +46 709 245 666 ●
Growing and Sustaining
Your Human Capital: Increasing Revenue through Blended Learning
ChartLearningSolutions.com When Learning Results Matter
Chart Learning Solutions White Paper
Chart Learning Solutions ● 888-530-7983 ● +46 709 245 666 ●
Achieve off-the-chart sales results while radically reducing training costs
with a Performance Assurance System that solves the problem of
underperforming sales people.
Blended learning, the integration of personal and digital
based training, offers companies an innovative and
economical means for reaching and sustaining the
training needs of the modern workforce. In addition to
being more cost effective, it is also proving to be more
learning effective than traditional, trainer-directed,
classroom training. The global transformation to blended
learning is supported by a convergence of an emerging,
tech-savvy workforce and advancements in high-tech
training tools.
In the U.S. studies on blended learning for both
education and business are proliferating and often
dovetail. Based on the research, current estimates are
that by 2019 more than 50% of students from pre-school
through post-secondary will have had significant
exposure to blended learning.1 This is the workforce of
the immediate future. Already the vanguard of that
generation is in the workplace, showing a distinct
inclination to learn better and faster with hands on
technology.
A Stanford University study dramatically revealed the
importance of matching training methodology with
learner culture. Once faced with inordinate numbers of
its top students failing to complete their programs,
Stanford conducted a reassessment, which led to this
conclusion:
Any company
has to recognize
that not only is the
human capital of
their employees a
major asset, it is
also a depreciating
asset that needs
continuing
investment.
Gary Becker, Nobel Laureate
and professor of economics and
sociology at the University of
Chicago
“
“
Chart Learning Solutions White Paper
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The
Challenge
They diagnosed the issue as a mismatch between
the student’s desired learning style – interactive,
social, mentored learning – with the program’s
delivery format. The introduction of live eLearning
into their program to address these needs raised
student completion rates to 94%. The
improvement was attributed to the ability of a
scheduled live event to motivate learners to
complete self-paced materials on time, the
availability of interaction with instructors and
peers, and higher quality mentoring experiences.
The Stanford research strongly suggests that
linking self-paced material to live eLearning
delivery could have a profound effect on overall
usage and completion rates – enabling
organizations to radically increase the return on
their existing investments in self-paced content. 2
In 2010, in the most extensive report yet conducted on the
effectiveness of different learning methodologies, the US
Department of Education found that “of the three
modalities (face-to-face, fully online, and blended
learning), blended learning had the highest learning
outcomes.”3 According to a Brandon-Hall study “eLearning
typically requires from 40% to 60% less employee time
than the same material delivered in a traditional classroom
setting.” 4 This translates directly into higher levels of
employee professionalism, competence, retention, and
ROI.
Learning is evolving
into social groups or
communities.
“ “
Chart Learning Solutions White Paper
Chart Learning Solutions ● 888-530-7983 ● +46 709 245 666 ●
Why getting the training right is so important for increasing
revenue is simple. Having untrained or poorly trained
people is a waste of a company’s huge investment in
human capital. According to Louis Harris and Associates
research, poor training led 41 percent of employees to
make plans to leave their current employers within a year.
On the other hand, only 12 percent of those who graded
their employers’ training programs to be “excellent”
planned to leave.5 The expense of replacing and retraining
those employees is one of the hidden costs of an
inadequate training program. Or as Zig Ziglar succinctly
put it: “What’s worse than training your people and losing
them? Not training them and keeping them.”
Where there are hidden costs to not properly training
people, there are also hidden returns on investment at
doing it right. Evidence shows that employee morale and
job confidence go up with good training. Also, a well-
trained workforce provides a reliable pool of
“homegrown” talent for filling new openings. It becomes a
big win-win for both employer and employee: “Research
examining 16 major brands, including Pizza Hut,
American Airlines and Bell South, found that online
training techniques resulted in “significant improvements
in learners’ motivation, ability to retain what they learn
and actual performance on the job.”6
Break your frames
about what works.
“ “
1
Chart Learning Solutions White Paper
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Solutions
Higher job performance translates to repeat customers,
which contributes directly to the bottom line. Historically
however, calculating a straightforward ROI when it comes
to training has sometimes been problematical due to a
number of factors:
Business objectives are not clearly articulated to
those responsible for training
There isn’t a clear enough ownership over most
training initiatives
Trying to isolate the effects of training on business
performance takes far too much time and too
many resources to do effectively and credibly
Compiling the necessary data is too difficult
Yet there are some spectacular examples of ROI from
good training programs. Chief among them is The
Cheesecake Factory, the highly successful food chain. The
Cheesecake Factory invests $2000 in training per hourly
employee. Not only has that investment allowed The
Cheesecake Factory to have one of the highest employee
retention rates in its industry, but Workforce Management
reported that “… employees who received less than five
days of training generated median revenue of $137,931,
while employees with more than five days of training
brought in nearly 80 percent more revenue ($210,380).” 7
The learning
experience can be
designed into a
powerful
consolidating
educational
experience.
“ “
Chart Learning Solutions White Paper
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Solutions
With such stunning results The Cheesecake Factory is
becoming a leader in training today’s workers, and going
into training areas few employers have dared go in the
past, as per this report:
There are three distinct training categories—kitchen,
front desk and general management. The company
uses a variety of educational tools, including coaching,
interactive games, role-playing and on-the-job training.
Every employee, from executives to dishwashers,
benefits from the generous training initiatives. The
company recently adopted an interactive training
program, designed by LeapFrog, to help dishwashers
master English as a second language. The learning tool,
which costs about $325 per employee, is being tested
with 15 dishwashers in California. The Cheesecake
Factory employs 2,000 dishwashers.8
Blended learning is an umbrella term for the six blended
learning models most commonly recognized by the
training industry. Choosing the best blended learning
approach for an organization requires some in-house
analysis. There is a myriad of factors that can impact the
choice. These include the scope of the training, the
complexity of the material, “time to competence,” number
of employees to be trained, and budget. Creating an
effective program designed to maximize ROI on human
capital investment is based on three fundamentals:
1. Defining explicitly the goals of the training
2. Choosing the correct blended learning
approach
3. Securing and maintaining relevance of the
training
Know your students. “ “ 2
Chart Learning Solutions White Paper
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Solutions
Table 1 presents thumbnail breakdowns of each of the six
methods for conducting the necessary in-house analysis.
Table1. Archetypes of Blended Learning Approaches
Employee
Empowerment Delivery When to Use
Light
Blend
Low
Prescribed
dates for
training
Classroom
setting
Face-to-face
session
Prescriptive
use of online
material to
reinforce
lessons or
allow
remedial
opportunities
for workers
Organizations
either lack
the resources
or the desire
to fully
embrace
blended
learning
Traditional
material can
be utilized for
a cost saving
Face-to-face
learner
interaction is
important
High
investment
costs in
software and
hardware
infrastructure
Trainers need
to evaluate
progress
firsthand
Follow the process
that we all know but
forget.
“ “ 3
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Employee
Empowerment
Delivery When to Use
Rotation
Blend
High
Self-paced;
the Learner
defines the
training
period
On-line with
remote access
Sessions with
trainer (from a
pool) when
needed
Workers are primarily
responsible for their own
success
Managers should focus on
employee evaluation
Organizations need to
customize material (e.g. basic
concepts, policies and
procedures) in order to secure
consistency and intent
Trainer bias and weakness
could have an impact on the
results of the training or
Learner evaluation
Flex Blend High Primarily on-line
Trainer
interaction is
optional; usually
one-to-one
tutoring or small
group
discussions
Certification of competency is
important
Maximum flexibility is required
Organizations or individuals are
not fully comfortable with a
total self-paced approach
Learners need customized
instruction or when trainers
can enhance the learning
The subject matter is very
difficult
The subject matter requires
trial and error to secure
understanding
Learners benefit from
immediate feedback
Deep Blend Low All learning is on-
line
Trainer
interaction is
virtual
Practice is
optional
Policies or procedures need to
be disseminated and
implemented quickly
Speed and efficiencies are
paramount
Need for variation is low
Basic and consistent content
Need to monitor progress and
Learner’s feedback is important
Self-Blend High
According to
a pre-
arranged
timetable
Employees
chooses from a
set of approved
online courses
Delivery from a
third-party
“Time to competency” is crucial
Third-party solutions are better
than in-house offerings
Organizations do not have the
resources or desire to provide
training in-house, but able
monitor outside resources
Rotation
Blend
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Employee
Empowerment
Delivery When to Use
Results
Accountability
Blend
High
Self-paced;
the Learner
defines the
training
period
All learning is on-
line
The worker takes
lessons, takes
tests, and self-
evaluates the
results
Unsatisfactory
results require
the worker to
repeat until
mastery of the
material is
achieved
Managers act as
coaches
Emphasis is on accountability
Personal mastery is important
Transparency and objectivity
are important in Learner
evaluation
An organization’s strategic
intent is that managers should
act more as coach than
supervisor
Evaluation of Learner’s
competencies is based on
employee generated data
instead of subjective
observations
Choosing a specific approach depends on a wide number of circumstances. For example, if an
organization needs to quickly disseminate information on new policies or procedures, a “Deep
Blend” approach might be best. On the other hand, an “Accountability Blend” would work
better if the goal of the training is to secure, engage and motivate talents with leadership
potential, resulting in:
Enough knowledge and insight to allow the talent to decide if they should aspire to
become a first line manager
Self-awareness about the talent’s personal profile compared to needed
competencies and behaviors to be a first line manager
Basis for future career planning and dialogue between the talent and manager
Senior management universally likes to claim that people are its company’s greatest asset.
The advent of blended learning gives senior management the opportunity to give more than
lip service to that sentiment. And with an effective choice of methodology to support the
investment, it gives senior management a golden opportunity to actually grow their most
valuable asset—their employees, and to build their bottom line.
Accountability
Blend
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Sources
1. “The Rise of K-12 Blended Learning” by Michael B. Horn
and Heather Staker
http://www.christenseninstitute.org/wp-
content/uploads/2013/04/The-rise-of-K-12-blended-
learning.pdf )
2. “A White Paper: Achieving Success with Blended
Learning “ by Harvi Singh and Chris Reed, Centra Software
http://www.leerbeleving.nl/wbts/wbt2014/blend-ce.pdf
3. “A critical reflection of the current research in online and
blended learning.” by
Anthony Picciano
http://www.lline.fi/en/article/research/442014/a-critical-
reflection-of-the-current-research-in-online-and-blended-
learning
4. “15 Facts and Stats That Reveal The Power Of eLearning”
by Karla Guttierrez, SHIFT's eLearning Blog
http://info.shiftelearning.com/blog/bid/301248/15-Facts-
and-Stats-That-Reveal-The-Power-Of-eLearning
5. “Return on Investment for Customized Training” Charles
Ecker Business Training Center
http://coned.howardcc.edu/business_and_workforce_devel
opment/customized_training/ROI_for_customized_training.
html
6. “Facts, Figures and Forces Behind e-Learning,”
learnframe. http://www.learnframe.com/aboutelearning/
elearningfacts.pdf
7. “Cheesecake Factory Cooks Up a Rigorous Employee
Training Program” by Gina Ruiz
http://www.workforce.com/articles/cheesecake-factory-
cooks-up-a-rigorous-employee-training-program
8. Ibid.
Chart Learning Solutions White Paper
Chart Learning Solutions ● 888-530-7983 ● +46 709 245 666 ●
Contributing Authors
Dan Riley:
Chart Learning Solutions
Lorna Riley, CEO
Chart Learning Solutions Inc.
United States
Organizations pay
for training whether
they invest in it or not
…
Lorna Riley
“
“
