Learning and development (L&D) is finally catching up to the likes of Netflix, Spotify and TikTok. But how?
All three of those companies are leaning hard into the data-driven world and L&D is up next.
The likes of Netflix uses viewership data to recommend us what to watch next, Spotify takes advantage of its listening data to push listeners to marketing campaigns and TikTok uses user watch time data to create a curated and personalised algorithm that keeps people on the app.
Now it is L&D’s turn to use data.
Thanks to Raechel Hunt, Learning and Development Co-ordinator at HW Richardson Group, we get to know how data is now being used to the benefit of L&D teams across the world.
The History of Data in eLearning and How It Has Changed
When you think of data being used in eLearning traditionally, what do you think of?
Since the beginning, data was simple and minimal. It was at a completion level. But now in 2025, we have entered a world of modern data analytics.
Traditionally, eLearning data is collated from LMS’, but the dataset is often limited to learner progress, completion data and scores on assessments.
All really important data, but never enough to understand how eLearning is working on a personal level for the learners at the time of the course.
On a post-course level, written feedback from learners provide qualitative data on learner satisfaction, training effectiveness, behaviour changes, relevance, application of learning to their roles and suggestions for improvement.
“Modern data analytics now provides deeper insights into learner behaviour, engagement and performance. Learning and development should go beyond just a tick the box exercise; it should measure behaviour changes in their day-to-day work,” says Raechel.
With a new and improved dataset, Raechel says L&D teams can get the bigger picture on the post-course and whether later down the line, your eLearning is working or not.
“Some of the most valuable data metrics that L&D teams should closely monitor include learner engagement and feedback, knowledge retention, application of learning and behaviour changes," she adds.
This is what makes L&D teams in the eLearning world catch up to the likes of Netflix, TikTok and Spotify.
“Tracking changes in behaviour post-training ensures that it’s effective, and that the time and effort invested into training aligns with the business needs and contributes to organisational strategy,” says Raechel.
Does Data Work For HW Richardson Group?
“For HW Richardson Group, analytics provides invaluable insights into learner engagement and performance with our modules. They help us ensure our learning content is effective i.e. in the goldilocks zone – not too easy, not too hard, and also to identify any areas for improvement,” she says.
Raechel and the L&D team at HW Richardson Group says that for them, analytics comes in as support to ensure that their learning is creating an impact.
She says it helps them understand three points:
- Are knowledge checks hitting the mark?
- Is there functionality to their course?
- Where are learners disengaging and why?
“This information enables us to make adjustments to improve the user experience.”
At the end of last year, HW Richardson Group was able to beta test Chameleon Analytics. Our tool to help understand learner behaviour beyond just completion rates.
Raechel recalls her time using it and how it was able to improve their content in a course.
“We noticed that many learners were speeding through the module, so we used the data on how much time learners spent in the module to adjust the course, ensuring more intentional time was spent absorbing the information,” she says.
“Engagement tracking helped us identify which pathways learners were selecting, and where they were dropping off, allowing us to pinpoint the reasons and make necessary changes.
Not only did analytics help HW Richardson Group alter changes in the content, but instructional designers can also see how they can help visually to improve the learner experience.
When a course is first released, Analytics is used to monitor how it's receptions. This makes them more agile to make adjustments when needed.
If an assessment is too hard, too easy, unclear or ambiguous they can make those changes.
“We also use analytics reports to inform our annual reviews with subject matter experts (SMEs) and to monitor what devices are learners are accessing their training on,” she adds.
She says that by actively monitoring the average time to complete courses and the engagement tracking, they can adjust according to learner’s expectations but also plan better when their employees undertake training again.
“Based on the data from Chameleon Analytics, we have been able to refine our modules, improve the user experience and enhance the effectiveness of our training.
“L&D teams should place importance on leveraging this data to ensure their learning and development is effective and supports business goals.”
With tools like Chameleon Analytics, you can start making data-driven decisions that are for the better. Not only do they enhance and improve the learner experience , they drive continuous improvement, pinpoints what is delivering in terms of impact and prove ROI.
