Learning Initiative Canvas
Visually Design a Custom Learning Program
Every transformation and training need is different. Many times, designing a custom course with our Course Design Canvas is enough to achieve a goal. However, in a transformation or training initiative that involves tens, hundreds, or thousands of people, it is necessary to have broad vision of the learning program that goes beyond just a set of courses. It is also critical to align the program with an organization’s overall business objectives to achieve the maximum possible impact. To truly be agile, it’s necessary to ensure that we are adding value to the business, working collaboratively, and obtaining feedback as soon as possible so we can adapt appropriately.
For large initiatives that need more than one or several courses, we utilize our Learning Initiative Canvas to help facilitate the learning program design process.
Like the Course Design Canvas, the Learning Initiative Canvas is inspired by similarly formatted tools such as Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, or Project Canvas, and allows us to design a training program oriented to specific profiles within a transformation. It differs from Course Design Canvas in that it is much more business-oriented and takes into consideration the business results to be achieved and how the impact of those results will be measured.
To do this, the Learning Initiative Canvas summarizes the most important aspects in a single page. This facilitates the coherence between them, while allowing us to go into detail in each of its sections.
The Learning Initiative Canvas is made up of 8 different elements:
Context & Business Outcomes
What is the context of this learning initiative? Why are we funding it? Why now? What are the expected business outcomes?
Sponsor & Leadership
Who is sponsoring this learning initiative? What actions are needed to lead this initiative and make it a success?
Target Audience
Who will attend this learning initiative? How many potential attendees are expected? Will all of them attend the same learning itineraries? Can we identify different Learner Profiles or Roles based on their learning needs?
Disciplines & Training Paths
What knowledge areas should be included? Do we have different training itineraries? What courses or L&D activities will be defined? This section is further defined in more detail on the second page of the Canvas.
Learning Approach
What kind of L&D activities will be used? Classroom courses, workshops, boot camps, mentoring, online activates, CoPs,… What follow-up reinforcement activities will be performed to increase behaviour change and knowledge & skills acquisition in the learning paths? What peer-learning and sharing activities will be proposed?
Business Impact Evaluation
How will the real impact on business be measured? To what degree did the targeted outcomes occur as a result of this learning initiative and follow-up reinforcement?
Behaviour Evaluation
How will change in the learners’ behavior be measured? To what degree did the learners apply what they learned on the job?
Learning Evaluation
How will we measure what the audience has learned? To what degree did the learners acquire the intended knowledge, skills, and attitudes as a result of the learning initiative?
This tool is licensed under a Creative Commons license. Please download and use it freely.
