Draft:Employee-generated Learning

Traditional e-learning development has historically been resource-intensive. Research by the Chapman Alliance, based on data from 249 organizations and nearly 4,000 learning professionals, found that producing one hour of e-learning content requires between 49 and 716 hours of development work depending on complexity, at an average internal cost of $10,054 to $50,371 per finished hour.^[1] These figures reflect the demands placed on centralized L&D teams who must gather expertise from SMEs, translate it into instructional material, and maintain content over time.

Broader workplace learning research has established that employees increasingly acquire knowledge through informal and peer-supported methods rather than formal training programs. Eraut's work on informal workplace learning demonstrated that much of what professionals know is acquired through practical experience and peer interaction, and that tacit knowledge developed in context is often more readily applied than formally taught content.^[2] These findings contributed to the rise in popularity for decentralized models of learning content creation.

The 70:20:10 model, developed by Morgan McCall, Michael Lombardo, and Robert Eichinger at the Center for Creative Leadership in the 1980s, proposes that approximately 70% of effective workplace learning occurs through on-the-job experience, 20% through social and peer-based interaction, and 10% through formal instruction.^[3] Employee-generated Learning is frequently situated within this framework, with EGL content positioned as supporting the experiential and social components of workplace learning.

Employee-generated Learning is a model in which employees or subject-matter experts design training materials for peers.^[4] It shifts responsibility for content creation from L&D teams to the people who hold firsthand operational knowledge. L&D professionals support the process through coaching, quality review, and strategic alignment, but they no longer serve as sole content producers.

Academic research on employee-driven learning and innovation suggests that bottom-up learning approaches can strengthen organizational adaptability by enabling workers to shape learning based on real operational needs.^[5]

The approach supports the creation of company-tailored training that reflects current practices. Its core principle is that knowledge should remain in the business, and that those closest to the work are best placed to document and share it.

Although Employee-generated Learning is a practical workplace methodology, it draws on several established learning theories. These theories provide the rationale for why employee-driven content may increase relevance, shorten production cycles, and improve application at work.

Research on peer learning in workplace settings shows that employees who learn from one another can improve individual and team performance, supporting the idea that employee-driven knowledge sharing can improve day-to-day effectiveness.^[6]

Studies of peer-to-peer learning programs in large organizations such as Google and Peloton show that subject-matter experts can play a central role in scaling knowledge and supporting continuous learning across distributed teams.^[9]

Organizations implement EGL in different ways, but many begin on a small scale by focusing on priority topics where operational knowledge is critical and existing training is insufficient. Starting with contained initiatives helps demonstrate value and allows employees to adjust to the model before wider adoption.

L&D teams typically play a supporting role by providing coaching, setting quality expectations, and guiding subject-matter experts through content creation. Successful implementation also depends on access to intuitive authoring tools, clear governance, and ongoing support structures, often aligned with broader workplace learning models such as the 70/20/10 model, to help employees create effective learning content independently.