The Learning Technologies (#LT22UK) conference in London is Europe’s biggest learning technology conference and will be held from May 4–5 this year. What's great about this event is that there are also many excellent free sessions running in the expo hall alongside the conference. This blog post highlights some of the top conference and expo sessions on the topics of learning analytics, L&D data, and xAPI.
Which Day Should I Attend?
Learning Technologies spans two days—but if you can only spare one day away from the office, which day should you choose?
If you’re attending the main conference, we recommend coming on the first day. We’re confident you’ll find the learning analytics session at 13:55 with Tim Dickinson and Peter Manniche-Riber quite interesting. And the 15.50 session with Babcock International Ltd is likely to be inspirational as well.
These two sessions, combined with some other great conference sessions on this day, make Wednesday the best day to attend the conference.
If you’re attending the free expo seminars, Thursday is the day to pick. There are more data, measurement, and learning sessions—especially between 11am and 2pm. And I may be a bit biased, but make sure you and your colleagues attend the 13.15 session “5 Ways Learning Analytics Can Transform Your Business” with Watershed’s very own Bill Conran in Theatre 8.
Wednesday, May 4
Conference
13.55 - Conference Theatre 2
Learning Analytics with Tim Dickinson and Peter Manniche-Riber
Learning analytics is more than collecting data and generating reports; it’s about using data to inform decisions and take action. In this session, Peter Manniche-Riber of Novo Nordisk and Tim Dickinson of Novartis share how they’ve used data and analytics in their organizations to drive innovation and make informed decisions.
15.50 - Conference Theatre 2
Learning Impact with Matthew Johnston, Mikaela Green, and Matthew Ash
I first met the Babcock team at Learning Technologies several years ago when they demoed an impressive VR submarine training simulation. They used xAPI to track the entire experience so instructors could monitor learners on a tablet in real time.
The instructors used this data to inform decisions around how the scenario should develop. For instance, instructors could trigger a burst pipe to vent steam into the submarine to give learners an additional challenge. And I’m sure they’ve got some further interesting examples and advice to share in their session.
Free Exhibition Seminars
You can see full descriptions for exhibition seminars on Learning Technologies’ website.
10.15 - Exhibition Theatre 11
More Than a Feeling: An evidence-based approach to soft-skills training with Lynda Joy Gerry and Sophie Costin
This session promises a case study that uses research to evaluate the impact of mental health conversation training and whether it can encourage people to speak to colleagues they see struggling with mental health.
11:45 - Exhibition Theatre 6
Engaging Learners Like a Marketer with Emma Smith and Stephanie Lyras
We often talk about how L&D can learn lessons from marketing in terms of data and analytics. This session from our friends at Degreed explores some lessons we can learn from marketing around learner engagement and developing buy-in for a learning culture.
12:30 - Exhibition Theatre 6
The Essential Metrics That Every L&D Professional Needs to Measure with Brendan Noud
Keep your seat in Theatre 6 after the Degreed seminar for a session on return on investment (ROI). This session promises to help you evaluate the return on investment of a learning program and offers additional resources and templates to get you started.
14.00 - Exhibition Theatre 10
Moving from Mandatory to Meaningful Learning with Jonny McAlister
Developing a learning culture is essential for laying the groundwork for learning analytics. If learning matters, then so does measuring it.
This looks like an interesting session that explores how to make that shift from compliance-focused to learner-focused L&D. (If you don’t have a conference pass to attend the session with Tim Dickinson and Peter Manniche-Riber during this time, this free exhibition seminar is a great option.)
14.45 - Exhibition Theatre 2
5 Ways You Can Train Your Workforce for the Data-Driven Age with Alex Blackman and Adel Nehme
Perhaps the most critical task in learning analytics is explaining your results to the business and helping them use your insights to make informed decisions. This session outlines an approach to delivering a data literacy program designed to help everybody in your organization to better understand and make use of L&D data.
Thursday, May 5
Conference
13:55 - Conference Theatre 5
Agile L&D with Richard Kerridge, Jodie Pritchard, and Sebastian Tindall
A vital aspect of the Agile methodology is using data to rapidly iterate and improve. This session will show you how to ask the right questions and use data dashboards to ehance the positive impact of learning programs on employee job performance. This session has the potential to be quite insightful.
15:50 - Conference Theatre 2
Reskilling and Upskilling with Julie Drybrough and Kenny Barron
Skills data is increasingly important to organizations, so I’ve included this session. You’ll see how to use skills data effectively to ensure your organization has the skills it needs in an ever-changing world.
Free Exhibition Seminars
You can see full descriptions for exhibition seminars on Learning Technologies’ website.
11:00 - Exhibition Theatre 5
Measuring L&D Success: It doesn’t start with data—it starts with you! with Matty Hogarth and Ian Blackburn
This session looks packed with practical tips, processes, and inspiration to help you get started with measuring learning. Our recent MBIL report revealed that many organizations struggle with that first step of getting started with learning analytics, so this session has the potential to be very helpful for anyone new to this area.
11:45 - Exhibition Theatre 7
How to Avoid Random Acts of Data Collection: Technology alone won't get you there with Stephanie Johnson
Getting started with learning measurement is, by definition, just the start. So how do you develop and maintain an ongoing practice of learning measurement?
A learning analytics platform (like Watershed) that automates your data aggregation and reporting will certainly help, but technology is only part of the solution. This session offers advice on building sustainable measurement practices rather than sporadic ad hoc measurement projects.
11:45 - Exhibition Theatre 9
Data: The Breakfast of Champions! How to Deliver Performance and ROI from Your Learning Data Insights with Noorie Sazen and Molly Courtice
This alternative session at 11:45 provides you with the tools you need for learning analytics by combining thought-leading research and practical advice. You’ll also see how L&D data can boost workplace performance and impact the business.
12:30 - Exhibition Theatre 6
How to Progress on the Data Maturity Scale: Building actionable L&D insights with Travelodge with Zach Romain
Research from CLO published this year suggests that most organizations are at the lower levels of learning analytics maturity. And in this session, Travelodge will show how they matured their learning analytics capabilities and share some helpful ideas to help you develop your organization's own efforts.
13:15 - ExhibitionTheatre 8
5 Ways Learning Analytics Can Transform Your Business with Watershed’s own Bill Conran
Getting stakeholder buy-in can often limit your efforts in maturing your learning analytics program. You need stories showing the positive impacts of learning analytics.
In this session, you’ll hear five case studies from organizations that have used learning analytics to improve, adapt, and transform parts of their business. Bring your questions, bring your colleagues, bring your lunch—and be prepared to be inspired!
Don’t Forget to Say Hello!
Whichever day you pick, swing by to see Watershed at Stand K25 and take a selfie with Bill and the team. We’ll have our favorite free resources collated online to help you get started with learning analytics and be on hand to answer all your questions and demo the latest Watershed features.
About the author
As a co-author of xAPI, Andrew has been instrumental in revolutionizing the way we approach data-driven learning design. With his extensive background in instructional design and development, he’s an expert in crafting engaging learning experiences and a master at building robust learning platforms in both corporate and academic environments. Andrew’s journey began with a simple belief: learning should be meaningful, measurable, and, most importantly, enjoyable. This belief has led him to work with some of the industry’s most innovative organizations and thought leaders, helping them unlock the true potential of their learning strategies. Andrew has also shared his insights at conferences and workshops across the globe, empowering others to harness the power of data in their own learning initiatives.
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