Back to the Periodic Table

Explore the elements from Brian Washburn’s book
What’s Your Formula? Combine Learning Elements for Impactful Training

Data

data for training
analyzing data for training

Data

(DAY-tuh)

radioactive elements
Radioactive

What is Data?

Data is quantitative or qualitative points of measurement, information, or statistics. In training, data can you help you:

  • Identify training needs
  • Persuade your audience
  • Empower learners to use data in their work

Other Common Names

Other common names for data include:

  • Metrics
  • Stats
  • KPIs

Key Properties

The core properties of element 43, data (Dt) are:

  • A collection of information to be analyzed
  • Can be qualitative or quantitative
How can you incorporate data into training?

Resources From The Train Like a Champion Blog

What is xAPI and should you be using it to collect data? – Megan Torrance joined Brian to talk about how xAPI can help you collect the right data.

Need to Present Data – Presenting data in a simple, easy to understand way is the key to making sure your audience gets it.

Get Your Audience to Care – You may love your data and find it compelling, but you how can you get your audience to care?

Some Data-Informed statements from What's Your Formula?

  • "That we need to create better and more engaging e-learning content is no secret, but there’s no need to use made up statistics, even if they seem like they’d resonate with learners."
  • "So how do we take advantage of supervisor support if supervisors are not really in our audience? My simple answer is that supervisors should be part of our audience. Not the primary audience, of course, supervisors are not typically going through the learning experience with the learners. But they are stakeholders and perhaps secondary audience members."
  • "Not every concept requires scientific certainty. Don’t lie about the strength of your content or try to manipulate your audience using deceiving statistics. Instead, be sure to apply logic and clear insights as to why your information is important, then allow participants to try your concepts out for themselves. Sometimes seeing (or doing) truly is believing."
Whats Your Formula book
Order your copy to learn more about data and all of the related elements.

Elements that Are Sure to Bond with Data

audience response systemsAudience Response

Sometimes the most powerful data is the information generated by your own learners. Integrated live audience response tools that survey, poll, or ask open-ended questions of your learners can offer insights and data to which you can refer throughout your program.

googleGoogle

Using Google to perform a quick double-check on the accuracy or veracity of your statistics can help prevent offering misinformation. Beyond the numbers, a Google search can lead you to articles and research that offers more context to the data you plan to share.

change managementChange Management

Regardless of the instructional design model you choose, your initial step will be to analyze learner needs. Researching data that shows evidence for the need of your learning initiative, and then sharing that data with your learners, can be a powerful “what’s in it for me” opening to your session.

Books to Help You work With Data

Factfulness by Hans Rosling

Chris Pirie talked about Factfulness as one of his favorite books that doesn’t get enough attention. He said, “It really comes back to this data science and really understanding the world around you.  It also has a very uplifting, kind of, subtheme.”