Technology is rapidly transforming how people learn and how we provide training. This substantial number of students accounts for 33.7% of the current student population (National Center for Education Statistics, 2018, Table 311.15) and are part of a two-decade long growth trend for online learning. The Science of learning and Readiness (SoLaR) project provided specific guidance on metrics-based, most effective, at scale, and blended learning strategies within institutional systems, courseware, and pedagogical methods. Along with many specific examples of best practices, the project found four core principles (1) fundamental principles of human learning from the learning sciences are applicable to blended and learning-at-scale environments, (2) human learning within these environments must be supported by technology, (3) the technology must report data on the learning process to the learning organization, and (4) learning organizations must use data to (a) support learners with learning, social, and academic guidance, and (b) support members of the learning institutions with training, support, and recognition.

To further understand perceived importance and implementation of these practices, we surveyed learning organizations representing public, private, and academic sectors. We observed a consistent discrepancy: respondents reported that actual implementation of best practices fell short (i.e., ratings of implementation were significantly lower than ratings of perceived importance). This pattern was most striking within military organizations. The survey sample was small and thus limited in generalizability. Nonetheless, the consistently high perceived importance of best practices in the public sector—particularly the military—suggest a readiness for a transition to advanced distributed learning methodologies.

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Robert Siegle