introduces -------------------------------------------------------------------------So,whatis ?ELLIisaninnovativeandground-breakingtoolfortheassessmentofLearningPower.Itistheresultofmorethan15yearsofresearchcarriedoutwithintheGraduateSchoolofEducation,UniversityofBristol,andPennStateUniversity,USA.TheresearchhasprofiledtheLearningPowerofmorethan100,000peoplegloballyandmostimportantly,findsthatthepowertolearnhas7verydistinctivedimensions.Notonlythat,anunderstandingofhowpeoplelearn,andwhysomefindlearningmoredifficultthanothers,hasrevolutionisedthelifechancesofcountlesspeoplefrommanywalksoflife.Whyis sodifferent?ELLIshouldneverbeconfusedwithconventionalpsychometrictesting.ELLIdoesnotpigeon-holeparticipants,itisdynamicandhasthepowerandauthoritytotakeeachandeverylearneronapersonallearningjourneythatenablesthemtochangetheirstartingpositionandthereby,makeastep-changeintheirperformance.

attackslackofconfidenceandissensitivetounduestressornewlyformedrelationships,alldrivenbyaspidergraphprofile,theresultofansweringasimpleon-linequestionnaire.Thespidergraphrevealsthelearner’sparticularstrengthsandweaknessesandprovidesthefocusfortrainingandotherinterventionsthatwillcreateapropensityforchange.Successivecompletionsoftheon-linequestionnaireprovidethenecessaryevidenceofimprovement.However,ELLIisfoundtobemuchmorethana‘messaging’toolintheassessmentofLearningPowerbecausechangesrecordedbyaseriesofcompletionshavealsobeenfoundtobesensitivetochangesinpersonalcircumstancessuchasunduestress,anunderminingofpersonalconfidenceorbreakdownsinrelationships.

isanacronymandstandsfortheEffectiveLifelongLearningInventory.ELLInotonlyprescribesthelearningjourneybutisalsoabletotakeonitsmanagement.WenowknowthattheLearningPowerthatELLIassesses,reflectsthelearner’swillingnesstochangeandbydirectingthosebehavioursthatinfluenceandunderpinperformance,isasrelevanttothefull-timestudentasitistothosechallengedbyafailuretosustainpersonalrelationships.

Whyisthepowertolearnsoimportant?Itistheessentialingredientintheimplementationofstrategiesforchange,whetheremancipatingtheindividualorengagingtheenergiesandenterpriseoftheorganisationasawhole.LearningPowerallowsthosethatstrivetoacquirenewlearningcompetencies,theskilltoabsorbthelessonsofpastendeavourandputthemtogooduse.

2

ELLIempathiseswiththeculturalandlearningenvironmentinwhichthelearnerfindshimorherselfatthepointofprofiling,andenablestheprescriptionofalearningjourneydesignedtomeeteither,orboth,individualneedandorganisationalcircumstanceandrequirement.

isfastbecomingtheinstrumentandtoolofchoiceinavarietyofsituationsasitreplacestheuseofthestatictypologiesofpsychometrictesting.AmongELLI’ssuccesseshavebeen:

• Improvementoflearningcapacityamongschoolchildrenbattlingwithunderperformance;

• Providingserialandconvictedoffenderswiththeconfidenceandmotivationtomanagetheirtransitiontotheacquisitionoftheskills,knowledgeandqualificationsthatbringanewlifeandfutureemployment;

• CreatingarecognisablepathwayforAboriginesandotherdisenfranchisedpeoplestoacceptintegrationinto,tothem,thealienconventionsandculturesof21stCenturysociety;

• Givinguniversitiesandcollegesatoolwithwhichtovaryteachingmethodsandwaysofworkingtosuitstudentsofdifferentlearningcapacities;

• Profilingapplicantsatalllevelswithinmajorcompaniesfromthespecificrequirementsofanewlytobeappointedmultinationalgroupchairmantotheselectionofapprenticesandgraduatetrainees;

• Findingthosemachinistsandshopfloorworkersinmanufacturingwiththelearningattributesthatmakethemcandidatestobecomesupervisorsandteamleaders;

• DevelopingteamworkamongsenioroperatingtheatrecliniciansintheNHS;• MappingdirectionforContinuousPersonalDevelopmentinallmanneroforganisationsacrossthepublic,privateandvoluntarysectors.ByassessingLearningPower,ELLIassistsinthedeterminationoftraininganddevelopmentrequirementaswellasmonitoringthevalueaddedbyspecifiedcoursesandprogrammes.

hasconsistentlyprovedthatthepowertolearnchangesovertime.Itrespondstothequalitiesoflearningenvironments,betheyinthehome,theworkplaceorinsocialsituations.Asenvironmentalcircumstanceschange,thosechangescanbecomeeitherconstructiveordestructiveinfluencesonLearningPower.However,interventionsinformedbyELLIcansignificantlyenhanceconfidenceorplayaroleinmitigatingthenegativeimpactofuncertaintyanddistress.

Importantly, giveslearningalanguage.ELLIprofilesitsparticipantsbyusinganon-linequestionnairewhichisfuture-proofedbyitsrepetitionasthelearningjourneyprogresses.Aspidergraphplotsresultsandrecordsscoresagainst7criticaldimensions,namely:ChangingthroughLearning;MeaningMaking;CriticalCuriosity;Creativity;StrategicAwareness,LearningRelationshipsandResilience.Therearenorightorwrongprofiles.LearningPowerprofilesarereadandreviewed

3

accordingtostrategicobjective,rolerequirement,environmentalcircumstanceandthepersonaldevelopmentopportunitiesofferedbyjobdescription,appraisal,performancereview,availablecurriculumandtheconsequencesofmanagerialintervention.

PathfinderProfile7RecruitmentprofileofacandidateseekingaseniorappointmentinbankingRequirementwasforparticularstrengthsinCriticalCuriosityandCreativitywithcandidateshavingstrongpersonalawarenesswhilstwhilstshowingthehumilityandrespectofconfidentlearnersandgoodteamplayersinahighprofileleadershiprole.Thiscandidatewasunsuccessful.CriticalCuriositywasimportantinovercominganorganisationaltendencynevertoquestionreceivedwisdom.Creativitywouldberequiredintheattendantproblemsolving.

PathfinderProfile8GraduatetraineewithinamutinationalCorporate.Secondprofiletakenafter6monthsofinduction/bespoketrainingTraineeswereinductedthroughpeer‘buddying’andtrainingsupervised‘onthejob’.However,thistraineewassubsequentlyfoundtobemostresponsiveiflefttotrusthisownjudgement.Hewasquicktoputoputhisobservationsintopractice.Hiscreativitygainedtheconfidenceofhisworkteamasa‘criticalfriend’andhewassoonresponsibleforimprovedproductivityandproductquality.Hismanagerhadrecognisedhisattributesbymonthlyconversationswiththeworkteam.

wasadoptedbyaGovernmentDepartmentastheplatformuponwhichtobuildtheLearningandDevelopmentprogrammesthatwouldprefacethe2016overhauloftheCivilService.Uncertaintyandtheprospectofredundancywerenewexperiencesformanybuttheirfutureswouldrelyontheirabilitytoadapttotheirchangedcircumstances.Theywould

4

needtolearntorecognisethemarketvalueoftheirpastexperienceandinmanycases,harnesstheirinherentmarketabilityforthefirsttime.Inthisinstance,ELLIhadadualfunction,tobringgreaterdepthofunderstandingtotheinter-relationshipsbetweentheCivilService’sownLeadershipandValuesStatementsanditsCurriculumandCompetencyFrameworkandsecond,toengagethosevulnerabletoredundancyinalearningjourneythatwould,subsequently,leadtotheconfidencetosecurefutureopportunity.

hasemergedasanessentialdriverofthemanagementofchangeinindividualsand

inorganisations,ineducation,incompanies,incommunitiesandinthewidersociety.In2017changeisinevitablewiththeimpendingconsequencesofBrexit,withthechallengessurroundingthemanagementofmulticulturalismandwithpressuresonpublicfundsthroughouttheNHSandacrosstheeducationalestablishment.

hasnowbecomeintegraltothefuturemanagementofreducedfundingasanessentialplatformforlearnerengagementin‘blended’learning.OurnewLearningManagementSystemcreativelyblendson-andoff-lineexperiencesandhasledusintoconstructivediscussionwithFurtherEducation’sBlendedLearningConsortium.Morethan40collegesarecurrentlyinmembershipastheystruggletobalancetheirbooks.Strategiesandplansforchange,theirmanagementandimplementationResearchbyManchesterBusinessSchoolfoundthatinadequaciesinindividualemployeeLearningPowerandtheinabilityoforganisationstomanagethetransmissionofnewknowledgeanditsapplication,inordertogiveenhancedmeaningtoexistingdata,layattheveryheartofa‘stalling’oforganisationalsustainabilityandgrowth.230among390companiesinvestigatedbypostgraduatestudentsatNorthwesternUniversity,USA,duringthe1990s,werefoundtobefrustratedbytheirinabilitytotackledemotivationwithintheworkforcedespitetheinternalmarketingofrousingmissionstatements.Theresearchconcludedthateffortstofacilitatechangehadbeenconfounded

GivingCivilService‘directives’arecognisablestructure

5

byinsufficientcredencehavingbeengiventoLearningPower,andtheconsequentlackofarobustfoundationforthemanagementofpersonalgrowth.

’SPOSITIVEandNEGATIVEPOLES,ITSPRINCIPALCHARACTERISTICSANDIDENTIFIERS

6

isLearningPower’sSatNav!BothIndividualandteamprofileshavethepowertokick-startalearningjourneythatcanbespecificallydesignedtomeetnotonlypersonal,butorganisational,requirement.Changetoucheseveryaspectofhumanlife....mental,physical,domestic,social,politicalandeconomic.ELLIhasauniqueauthorityoverresponsivenessbecauseitdeconstructsLearningPowertoprovideaprofilefromwhichthelearningjourneycanbeprescribedandmapped.ELLIdoesnotrelyonthetypologiesandpigeon-holingofthepsychometrictools.ELLIworkswithparticipantsandinpartnershipwithteachers,trainers,friendsandfamilytoreachaLearningPowerthatunderpinsconfidence,andinfluencesperformance,ineveryaspectofeverydaylife.Weaskacriticalquestion…Areyoupreparedforthefuture?ELLI’sassessmentprotocolhasthepowertobringrealismtoeveryperson’sfuturechoices.Youngpeoplehavenoalternativebuttoremainmarketablefor50years,shortageofpublicfundsandunchartedbusinessmodelshavedriveneducationandlearningateverystageoflifetoseeknewandmorecost-effectivesolutions.Blendedon-andoff-lineprogrammesarefastcomingtotherescue.Theanswer…Discoverandexploreyouhiddenmind-setLearningisawayoflife,intuitive,anunwrittensignaturetoourpersonalities.Someembraceit,someresistit,butregardless,thepowertolearndictatesourphysicalandmentalwell-being,theevolutionofourrelationships,ourperformanceandourveryplaceinsociety.‘Learningistheeyeofthemind’.DON’TDELAY…Calluson(+44)07831097946OrEmailDrJulietWilliamsCBEatJuliet.williams@pathways2learning.org