Learning Metrics ft The Hare & the Tortoise
Ever feel like you're drowning in a sea of data? I get it.
As learning experience designers, it's easy to become obsessed with measuring EVERYTHING. But are you tracking the right things? Are your "metrics" actually helping you create better learning experiences, or are they just adding more noise?
The Hare and the Tortoise: Two Types of Metrics
Have you heard of the story of the Hare & the Tortoise?
The Hare is all about speed, sprinting ahead and easily measuring its progress. The Tortoise, on the other hand, is slow and steady, focusing on consistent effort rather than immediate results. In the world of learning metrics are also like this.
Leading Metrics (The Hare 🐇)
Think of these as your Hare metrics. They are measurements that predict future success. They're like checking the weather forecast to see if it's likely to rain later. In learning, leading metrics might include:
Engagement: How actively are learners participating in the experience?
Motivation: Do learners feel excited and eager to continue learning?
Progress: Are learners steadily moving through the material?
Leading metrics are useful because they give us an early warning system. If learners are struggling with motivation or engagement, we can adjust our approach before it's too late. However, it's important to remember that these are just predictions. High engagement doesn't always guarantee great results.
Lagging Metrics (The Tortoise 🐢)
These are your Tortoise metrics. They measure the outcomes of learning after the fact, like looking back at how much rain actually fell. In learning, lagging metrics might include:
Test scores: How well did learners perform on assessments?
Course completion rates: How many learners finished the entire course?
Long-term retention: Do learners still remember the material months or years later?
Lagging metrics are important because they tell us whether our learning experiences are actually effective. However, they don't always give us the full picture. Test scores can be influenced by many factors, and not everyone who completes a course will necessarily remember everything they learned.
The Power of Combining Both
Just like the hare and the tortoise both have their strengths, we need both leading and lagging metrics to truly understand learning. Leading metrics help us stay on track and make adjustments along the way, while lagging metrics tell us if we ultimately reached our destination.
In a Nutshell 🌰
Here are a few tips for using metrics wisely:
Don't rely on just one metric: Choose a variety of metrics that give you a well-rounded view.
Focus on what matters: What are the most important outcomes you want to achieve?
Use metrics to drive improvement: Don't just measure for the sake of measuring. Use the data to make your learning experiences better.
Be open to surprises: Sometimes the data will tell you something unexpected. Be willing to learn from it.
As Albert Einstein once said,
"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."
Metrics are a tool, not a rule. Use them wisely, and remember that the ultimate goal is to create learning experiences that are engaging, effective, and meaningful.