Learning doesn’t only have to take place within your organisation’s workspace. It can - and should - be happening anywhere, at any time. That said, all of your learning can - and should - be recorded within the workspace. That’s where Log Learning comes in.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the process for providing team Managers with a record of different types of learning you’ve achieved - from past to present - but that hasn’t been done through HowNow.
Getting Started: Choosing your type of learning
On your Homepage, head to your side panel and select Learning. From here, select the History tab, followed by the Log Learning button in the right corner of the page.
This will open the Log Learning pop-up, where you’ll see nine different types of learning. Each of these, when clicked, will reveal the unique fields for you to complete before submitting.
When clicking Add Details on the pop-up, the majority of fields shown, will be replicated across these learning types. Certain learning will have its own exclusive fields.
Taking the CPD (Continuing Professional Development) option as an example, the following fields will be presented…
CPD Title - the name of the qualification, which will appear on the data table for Managers and Admins to view.
Note✨: When you input a title, it will automatically be added as an option to choose from, for any other Users to select in the future, should they too, have completed the same learning.
Description - give a detailed description of what the CPD/learning type represents, based on the topics and techniques covered in your training. This helps Managers gain a better understanding of your newfound skillset.
CPD Provider - the official body, from which you obtained your certificate.
CPD Level - provide the level achieved (for CPD this would be between Levels 1 to 5).
CPD Units - the learning points earned via your CPD training. These demonstrate commitment to upskilling in your chosen field. This is optional.
CPD Type - whether a workshop, online course, literature, or something else - choose the type of learning you completed.
CPD Duration - the number of hours provided by the institute/organisation responsible for giving the training.
Time spent in CPD - the time spent learning. This field mirrors the values given in the Duration field, by default, but can be amended.
Date Completed - completion date of the CPD training.
Expiry Date - if the learning needs to be renewed/re-done (outside of HowNow as a requirement, and not to be confused with HowNow's own Renewal Cycle/Expiry Date), then an Expiry Date can be added.
Users will receive email reminder notifications on the expiry date, and 7 days after the learning as expired. Admins/Managers can see the Expiry Date on the Users sub-page > Learning History tab.
Note✨: Books and Podcasts won't have an Expiry Date option, as it doesn't apply to such content types.
Are you logging Verifiable Learning? (toggle button) - if the number of learning minutes/hours have been officially recorded by the registered awarding body, then the learning is considered verifiable. If it’s hours tracked by yourself, it’s not.
Upload Supporting Evidence - any documentation or certificates that were gained, can be shared with Managers/Admins, as further evidence of what you had achieved.
Books and Podcasts revealed in the Title drop-down list, are originally sourced from the Google Books and Google Podcasts catalogues.
For the remaining learning types, take a look at the relevant fields, in the table below…
| CPD | Course | Qualification | Book | Podcast | Coaching | Mentoring | Workshop | Event |
Title | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Provider (or Organizer) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Author + Publisher | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Creator | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Description / Summary | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Level | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
URL | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Units | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Type | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Duration | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Date Completed | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Upload supporting evidence (or cover) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
If a User mistakenly tries to log learning that they’ve already logged, they’ll be notified within the pop-up. This allows for the information to be amended from here, or via the original logged content item, by selecting Click Here, to amend the existing entry.
Once your learning has been successfully logged, it will be stored in the History tab on your Learning page. An option to leave a Review will immediately appear, allowing you to highlight the skills, personal improvements and professional strengths taken up, thanks to this learning, and thoughts on the learning material.
Tip💡: When leaving a Review, despite the word limit, it's a snap-shot opportunity to express your key take-aways from the content, in terms of your Skills, and role aspirations going forward. This can help Managers tailor learning to you that falls in line with your personal and professional development.
Although it's interesting to give an outline of the topics covered and whether you agreed/disagreed, or liked/disliked the content, it is best to list the Skills improved and the areas you want to focus on. For example:
"- Learned: Communicating under pressure, team leadership, controlling conflict, workplace resilience, doing self-reviews, negotiation skills.
- Future Goals: Become team lead for our Comms team, manage Kim for 6 months, present quarterly plans."
This example above straight away, lets Managers know that you've gained transferrable skills, which can be worked on, and that you're aim is to take on more responsibilities of a team lead, in your role, moving forward.
Once this step is submitted, you’ll be given the option to visit your Skills Profile page, to update your Skill Level, if desired.
How to view and edit your Logged Learning
On your Learning page, select the History tab, and click on your learning’s content card: this opens the slide-out screen showing the same information as originally submitted.
Click Edit to make amendments to this information, but be aware that some fields won’t be amendable, these include the following...
CPD | Course | Qualification | Book | Podcast | Coaching | Mentoring | Workshop | Event |
Title | Title | Title | Title | Title | Name | Name | Title | Title |
Description | Provider | Provider |
| Duration | Provider | Provider | Provider | Organizer |
Provider | URL | Level |
|
| Summary | Summary | Summary | Type |
Level | Summary | Duration |
|
|
|
| Duration | Duration
|
After clicking the Update button you’ll also be prompted to amend your Review.
You can also use the History tab filters, to search for Logged Learning, by specific type. So if you just want to see your Book or Qualification, you can select these options to show.
Tip💡: Users may read both online and offline publications or articles, as part of their knowledge building. In such a case, the Book option, is recommended as the most relevant choice, when needing to log such learning.
Viewing Log Learning as a Manager/Admin
All learning that has been logged by Users, will be accessible to Managers and Admins from the Learning History tab, via both the Users sub-page and Groups sub-page.
Here is where Managers and Admins will be able to open the slide-out screen for any of the Logged Learning entries in the data table.
Click the title of the learning, to open the screen and see the related information. Managers and Admins won’t be able to edit the information.
Filters can also be used to either show the entire catalogue of Logged Learning (via Source), or a specific learning type (via Type).
As always, the value on summary cards will relate to the data included within the page’s table. For Logged Learning, each value is representative of the following:
Content Assigned - the number of learnings submitted by the User (or Group members)
In Progress - this will always be “0” as Logged Learning means it has been completed
Completed - as above, Logged Learning always means it’s completed
Time Spent Learning - a total of all the time the User(s) has spent learning
CPD Hours column on the main Users page
The data table on the Users page features the column, CPD Hours. This will show the total number of time spent learning, for each User on the workspace. The time shown will represent all of the User's CPD entries, added together.
CPD training is an accredited form of learning that often comes as top priority for L&D Managers (along with compliance training), when it comes to understanding the skillset of their team members.
For example...
120:00:00 (120 Hours) of CPD training (this could be across a 3-month period) can be the difference between a Manager making Luke a Level 4 in the Skill "Peer Coaching" and making him a Reports To User, or, keeping him at a Level 2, with no managerial experience.
Note✨: Points to note, when it comes to reporting data…
Content Viewed and Content Created values do not include Logged Learning.
Logged Learning that has been completed by multiple Users, is treated as one entry. This is to prevent a large list of duplicate learnings, for the same content.
For example…
Derek logs a “Resilience 101” podcast on 1 April
Kumar also listens to this podcast, so logs it on 1 May
It is considered an individual item of learning logged, but Managers can see that 2 Users have completed it.
In addition, remember that Users will received a pop-up notification warning them of a duplicate entry, should they insert the same details as Logged Learning. Users will be given a choice to edit the current entry or navigate to the existing one.
AI Skills-mapping is not compatible with Log Learning, as Skills are intended to be updated manually by the User, as it’s based on their own personal learning experience.
Watch our video tutorial below...