Emily Justin-Szopinski

As business environments become more data-driven, the ability to measure employee skills and tie learning outcomes directly to business performance is critical for learning and development (L&D) professionals. But how do you connect the dots between skills assessments, data analytics, and true business impact?  On October 9, 2024, at 1:00 PM EST, we’re bringing together top industry experts to explore exactly that in a live panel discussion: *Mastering Skill Assessment for Business Growth*. This insight-filled event will delve into the intersection of skill assessments and data analytics to help you unlock actionable strategies and approaches that drive business results and demonstrate ROI on your L&D initiatives. Why This Event Matters Now In today’s competitive business landscape, it’s not enough to simply train employees—you need measurable results. Organizations that can assess skills effectively and leverage learning data are better positioned to make strategic decisions that impact both employee performance and overall business growth. However, many struggle to move beyond basic training metrics and link learning to tangible business outcomes. This event will show you how. We’ll explore how combining advanced skills assessments with powerful data analytics can help you: Identify and address skills gaps more effectively Align learning initiatives with your company’s strategic goals Measure the ROI of your L&D efforts and make informed, data-driven decisions For leaders in L&D, HR, and talent development, this session offers the tools and insights you need to elevate your workforce while proving the value of your programs. What You’ll Learn Our expert panel will cover the following key topics: Leveraging Skills Assessments for Business Impact: Gain actionable insights into how skill assessments can help measure employee development and align training efforts with business goals. Harnessing Data Analytics to Prove ROI: Discover how data analytics can provide a clearer picture of your organization’s learning landscape, showing the real impact of training on business outcomes. Linking Learning Data to Strategic Decisions: Learn best practices for capturing and analyzing learning data, and how to use it to influence organizational strategy and demonstrate a return on investment. Key Takeaways: Best practices for creating data-driven skill assessments that yield actionable insights How to connect learning data with key business metrics to demonstrate ROI Real-world examples of companies that have used skill assessments and learning analytics to drive growth Future trends in data analytics and skill assessments, and what they mean for your L&D strategy Meet the Speakers This event brings together seasoned experts who have successfully helped organizations harness the power of both skills assessment and data analytics to fuel business success. Here’s who you’ll hear from: Chris Tompkins | VP of Business Development, Watershed Chris leads the teams behind Watershed, the world’s leading learning analytics platform. With years of experience in the L&D sector, he’ll share insights on how organizations are using learning data to drive business outcomes and why data is critical to showing ROI. Casey Cornelius | Head of Content and Client Services, CredSpark Casey is a key strategist at CredSpark, specializing in helping organizations design interactive assessments that both engage learners and generate essential data. She’ll discuss how to construct assessments that offer meaningful insights and align with organizational goals. Jennifer Kriksciun | Enterprise Learning Professional With a background in designing and implementing effective L&D programs, Jennifer will discuss how assessment data can be used to create strategies that not only foster employee growth but also drive measurable business results. Stephanie McCurdy | Learning Analytics Professional Stephanie has years of experience in corporate training and learning data analytics. She’ll share her expertise in using data to enhance learning strategies and improve overall performance. Emily Szopinski | Customer Success Manager, CredSpark (Host) As a learning and development expert, Emily will guide the discussion, focusing on how skill assessments and learning data can be applied to achieve organizational impact and long-term success. Why You Should Attend If you’re responsible for ensuring the success of your L&D initiatives and proving their value to your organization, this event will provide immeasurable value. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of how skill assessments and data analytics work together to drive real business results—and walk away with the knowledge to implement these strategies in your own organization. Take your L&D strategy to the next level with practical insights and data-driven tools that make a measurable difference. Reserve your seat today. Ready to unlock the full potential of skills assessment and data analytics to measure ROI? and secure your spot for this exciting event. Event Details 📅 **Date**: October 9, 2024   🕐 **Time**: 1:00 PM EST   ⏳ **Duration**: 45 minutes   📍 **Location**: Online (link to be provided upon registration) Register Here About Watershed How can organizations turn vast amounts of learning data into actionable insights that drive success? Watershed, the world’s first xAPI-conformant Learning Record Store (LRS), offers a powerful platform for collecting, storing, and analyzing learning data from various sources across an organization’s entire learning ecosystem. By integrating data from tools like CredSpark, which collects robust learning data through interactive assessments, Watershed enables organizations to aggregate this data using xAPI and other connectors, creating a unified view of learning and performance. About CredSpark What if you could instantly gauge your learners’ understanding and adapt your training programs in real-time? CredSpark’s interactive assessment tool is designed to elevate the learning experience by conducting engaging polls, knowledge checks, and simple to sophisticated learning assessments. With capabilities that range from real-time audience engagement to the creation of complex assessments, CredSpark empowers organizations to gain immediate insights into learner performance and understanding.

In today’s rapidly evolving corporate landscape, “skills assessment” has become more than just a buzzword. The goal is to understand the nuanced abilities employees need to succeed in their roles and how organizations can effectively assess and develop these skills. Recently, we had an insightful conversation with Casey Cornelius from CredSpark on the intricacies of skills assessment, its challenges, and practical strategies for implementation. Here are the key takeaways and how learning and development (L&D) professionals can apply these insights to create impactful skills-based assessments. Understanding Skills in Professional Development Skills aren’t just about what people know; they’re about what people can do. This shift from knowledge to application requires a different approach to assessment. In traditional models, emphasis was often placed on the information held in one’s mind—think of the multiple-choice exams many of us are familiar with. These assessments tested recall and sometimes basic application but rarely delved deeper. In contrast, skills-based assessments explore how well employees can apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios. For instance, in customer service, awareness of company policies is one thing, but effectively communicating with customers, understanding their needs, and providing accurate solutions requires another level of understanding to effectively apply those policies in the real world. Breaking down roles into component skills helps identify areas for development, ensuring employees are ready to perform their duties effectively. Moving Beyond Traditional Assessments Although they have their purpose and place, the limitations of multiple-choice tests are evident—they primarily measure recognition rather than the ability to generate responses independently. To truly assess skills, organizations need to employ more sophisticated methods. Scenario-based assessments are a prime example, where employees engage in realistic simulations that mirror their actual work environment. This method allows for a more accurate evaluation of their abilities, providing a clearer picture of their readiness and identifying specific areas for improvement. Practical Tips for Implementing Skills-Based Assessments: Start with Real-World Scenarios: Develop assessments that mimic the actual challenges employees face. For example, if assessing a customer support agent’s skills, create a simulation where they must handle a difficult customer interaction from start to finish. Use Technology Wisely: Leverage AI to help scale assessments. These technologies—with human review—can help to create impactful assessments in a fraction of the time. As they become more sophisticated, the potential for AI for skills assessment will only increase. Incorporate Peer Review: Encourage peer assessments where employees review each other’s work against a clear rubric. This not only promotes a collaborative learning environment but also helps in scaling the feedback process. The Importance of Personalized Feedback Personalized feedback is crucial in skills development. It ensures that learners understand not just what they got wrong, but why. This approach allows for deeper reflection and promotes a growth mindset. To deliver personalized feedback at scale, consider using technology such as AI-driven sentiment analysis or branching logic that tailors feedback based on the learner’s responses. Strategies for Effective Feedback: Use Personalized, Human Feedback: Leverage technology to offer personalized feedback and guidance at scale, while developing a deep understanding of employee skill levels, gaps, and motivation. Implement Branching Scenarios: Design assessments that adapt based on the learner’s performance. If someone is struggling, they might receive more foundational questions, while those excelling can move on to more complex tasks. Encourage Self-Assessment: Ask learners to evaluate their own performance and confidence levels. This metacognitive approach can provide valuable insights into their self-awareness and readiness for further development. Overcoming Common Obstacles in Skills Assessment Defining what skills—and levels of competency—are necessary can be one of the biggest challenges organizations face. It’s essential to involve the employees who perform these roles to ensure the assessments are grounded in reality. Another common challenge is determining ownership of the skills strategy. Is it the responsibility of L&D, recruitment, or another team? Successful organizations take an organization-wide approach, breaking down silos and fostering collaboration across departments. Tips for Addressing Skills Assessment Challenges: Collaborate Across Departments: Involve various stakeholders from the outset. This ensures that the skills being assessed are relevant and comprehensive. Adopt a Continuous Improvement Mindset: Skills assessments should be dynamic. Regularly revisit and refine them based on feedback from both employees and assessors to keep them relevant and effective. Encourage an Open Dialogue: Keep the lines of communication open with employees about the skills they need and the competencies expected of them. This transparency helps align their development goals with organizational needs. Conclusion Skills-based assessment is more than just the latest trend in L&D; it’s a critical component of preparing employees for success in an increasingly complex and continuously evolving work environment. By moving beyond traditional assessment models and embracing more sophisticated, real-world methods, organizations can better understand their workforce’s abilities, drive more targeted development efforts, and ultimately achieve greater business outcomes. Start by building a collaborative skills strategy, leverage technology for scalability, and prioritize personalized feedback to meet each learner where they are. With these strategies, your organization will be well-equipped to navigate the future of skills development.

Knowledge is constantly evolving and the demand for upskilling and reskilling is ever-increasing, events like Degreed’s LENS 2024 are important spaces to interact with industry leaders around innovation and inspiration in L&D. This year’s edition of LENS, where CredSpark was a proud sponsor, brought together business leaders, technology innovators, and L&D professionals from diverse fields to explore the future of organizational learning. As the dust settles and participants return to their respective domains, it’s imperative to reflect on the insights gleaned and contemplate their implications for the evolving landscape of education and professional development. Here are our key takeaways from attending LENS 2024: Skills based hiring and training is taking center stage as the go-to for finding and nurturing talent for organizations. What does this mean?  More and more companies are basing hiring decisions on seeking out people that are able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to do their job, rather than using traditional skill-signals such as degrees. Companies are rethinking their L&D strategies to focus on broader skills, such as leadership, critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving, rather than on role-specific tasks. Some changes to traditional L&D approaches that we may see as a result of this shift are: An increase in priority for technology upskilling – especially around AI and related areas A push towards personalization and interest-based learning An uptick in training around power skills (formerly recognized as “soft skills”) across all roles and organizational levels. A decrease in linear training models, with organizations opting instead for an ecosystem paradigm around learning How does CredSpark help?  As Degreed´s assessment partner since 2016, hundreds of their  clients incorporate CredSpark’s tools into Degreed’s learning pathways to engage their learners and provide an objective diagnostic or certification of their skill sets. This information is then used to inform business decisions, individual and group learning pathways, and directions for further L&D initiatives. Learn more about CredSpark’s partnership with Degreed here. Lev Kaye, CEO, Casey Cornelius, Head of Content and Client Service, and Emily Justin-Szopinski, Customer Success Manager attended LENS 2024 on CredSpark’s behalf. Aligning skills data with business goals is key. What does this mean?  L&D’s role in an organization is to make sure that the workforce has the necessary skills, knowledge, and tools for the company to achieve its strategic goals. However, it is often the case that there is a disconnect between data around skill levels and their impact on the larger company goals. Several speakers highlighted the importance of connecting organizational stakeholders with L&D through effective communication and data sharing to increase visibility and impact. This goes not just for strategic organizational goals, but also for employee engagement and satisfaction. As a result, it is likely that we will see more and more companies collecting more data around skills and integrating that information with existing business analytics. This may take the form of a skills database or skills assessment tools that feed into BI software, for example. This allows for a real time, clear visualization of where the business wants to go and how their workforce is equipped to get them there. How does CredSpark help?  CredSpark+ harnesses the power of data by providing API / xAPI endpoints that can be tapped to safely share robust information on employee engagement and skill levels, allowing for more effective communication and understanding around how L&D initiatives are impacting our clients’ organizations. Technology, and especially AI, are changing the way we learn and train. What does this mean?  It’s impossible to ignore the capabilities and potential impact of AI on work. Noelle Russell, Chief AI Officer at the AI Leadership Institute, invited LENS attendees to not get caught up in the fear of being replaced by technology, but rather to decide how they (and their organizations) want to use it and can benefit from it. What this means for learning is that: organizations need to develop skills that help us to adapt to AI; we need to reflect on the value that each contributor brings to organizations, and world, as human beings and focus on deepening the skills related to that; there is a need to focus on new skill areas that arise as a result of an increase in usage of AI and related technologies in the workplace – like creative thinking, AI / digital literacy, adaptability, self-learning / self-awareness, and more. This represents a focal shift for L&D strategies at many organizations and the early-adapters – many of them present at LENS – are already well on their way. How does CredSpark help?  Apart from CredSpark’s ability to serve as a skills assessment tool, the app is also integrating Gen AI-based functionalities into its repertoire to give our users assistance when creating assessment questions. By simply pasting a URL or text into our tool, users can quickly create and edit question sets that before may have taken hours to create. Harnessing the power of this technology helps our users to spend more time on creative tasks, like learning, assessment, and business strategy. LENS 2024 was more than just a conference; it was a glimpse into the future of learning. From the transformative potential of technology to the enduring value of human connections, the event offered a wealth of insights and inspiration. As we chart a course into the unknown terrain of tomorrow, let us carry forward the lessons learned at LENS 2024 and continue to innovate, collaborate, and empower learners on their journey of lifelong discovery and growth. Together, we can shape a future where education knows no bounds and every individual has the opportunity to thrive. Learn more about how CredSpark can support your organization’s assessment strategy! Book a call with one of our experts today.

Tapping into the dataverse In the realm of L&D, unlocking organizational impact is dependent on integrating assessment data with learning insights, offering L&D professionals an opportunity to align workforce skills with broader company goals.  Integrating assessment data with learning analytics, performance data, and business insight tools allow companies to visualize where their workforce is at in terms of key skill development, and quickly identify areas for upskilling to drive organizational goals. But, how well are businesses harnessing this integrated knowledge to meet the demands of their own organization and workforce?  This chart illustrates the iterative process of skill assessment, training, progress evaluation, and integration with broader business data that enables organizations to effectively identify skill gaps, address training needs, and develop actionable strategies that respond to the demands of both their workforce and their business. You may happen to notice that assessment is key in several parts of the process. Is your dataverse thriving, or just surviving? What does data integration look like in the context of skill-based L&D initiatives? It takes on a few different forms. It may be an Information hub that centralizes insights on workforce abilities / knowledge / experience; it could include data-point collection during learning experiences, assessment results, and integration with data analytics within the larger organization. According to our research, an effective L&D data integration plan will include at least some element of all of these.  Sounds a bit overwhelming if you ask me. So, why put the effort in? Beyond the obvious value around leveraging data to identify skill gaps and inform training programs / progress, this data is also important in strategic decision making and forecasting, helping to inform questions like: What skills will your workforce need for your company to reach your strategic goals? What kind of L&D investment is necessary in order to achieve those goals? How do our workforce skill sets line up with company goals (and how are they progressing over time)?  However, L&D has experienced a decline in alignment with organizational goals over the past year. The 2024 HowNow L&D report noted a substantial decrease in alignment of L&D strategy with overall organizational goals, leadership recognition of L&D impact, and clarity on L&D contribution to business value within the organization.  Implementing a comprehensive data integration, with assessment data as a key figure, may help to improve these numbers. Here are a few examples of how this might play out in a business: Collecting & integrating data with CredSpark+ CS+ enables organizations to tap into the dataverse with:  API / xAPI access to CredSpark data easily integrate insights with your organization’s analysis and tracking tools Data & analytics features that allow you to easily visualize time spent on assessments, question results, and confidence levels, as well as individual engagement with each interaction.  Content & data governance for multiple teams/departments in your organization, making sure that information is securely managed, easily accessible, and compliant with regulatory standards.  Own Your Data with CredSpark Learn more about how CredSpark can support your organization’s data analytics strategy! Book a call with one of our experts today.

Skills are Just the Start Whether you’re just starting out thinking about a skills strategy, or whether you’ve got your skills taxonomy locked and loaded, one important question pertains: Does your skills strategy have an assessment component?  In a rapidly evolving global context, and given the explosive growth and possibilities that AI has thrust upon the market in the past year, upskilling workforces in the skills that they need for today AND tomorrow is more important than ever. And while much attention is being paid to skills taxonomies, many companies are running behind the curve on actually assessing skills across the workforce. Companies ahead of the curve turn to skills-based assessments and data collection methodologies that identify gaps, tailor training programs, and ensure that employees are equipped with the necessary competencies to thrive in an ever-changing landscape.  Integrating impactful, skill-based learning and development (L&D) strategies requires training and assessments that accurately reflect the complexity of real-life situations in which your workforce is using these skills.  The real question is: how well are your assessments aligned with a skills-based L&D approach?  Create assessments that reflect real life skill application. In the realm of training and assessments, there is a growing recognition of the limitations posed by traditional multiple-choice formats. CredSpark invites L&D professionals to explore the imperative of breaking out of the multiple-choice box, advocating for the development of training and assessment experiences that authentically mirror the complexity of applying real-life skills. Let’s take the example of a call center, where employees must be trained/certified to take calls on various products. In the very old days, those employees might have been evaluated by face-to-face role playing and then the contents of taped practice calls. More recently, employees might be given an online multiple-choice assessment testing their knowledge of products. That multiple-choice assessment is cheaper and faster to administer, but arguably it isn’t able to provide an evaluation experience as comprehensively as a human could.  Imagine you could have the best of both worlds: you could give automatically scored assessments during/after training, but you could also leverage technology to allow human graders anywhere on Earth to review and provide feedback on practice presentations or calls.    Here are a few ideas from the CredSpark team on how to leverage our assessment features to break out of the multiple-choice box and uncover a spectrum of skills, turning your learning experiences into dynamic, immersive journeys that resonate with real-world applications. Augment multiple-choice assessments (useful for evaluating lower-level cognitive tasks like remembering and demonstrating understanding) with confidence-based self assessments then look for disconnects in that data Invite managers to rate their perception of an employee’s skills and compare that data to the results of assessments listed above Offer employees the opportunity to ask to receive additional training; compare those hand-raisers to the people that management believes have the potential to grow.  Allow employees to submit recordings or presentations and receive feedback from actual humans Use this robust data set to gain a deeper understanding of actual skills, which you can then match up against hiring/staffing needs and offer opportunities for advancement Leverage CredSpark in your skills Assessments This is how CredSpark supports clients in creating dynamic assessments that reflect real-world application of skills:  Weight responses to account for partial correctness with custom scoring Condition responses and automatically open personalized learning paths for users with our display logic and piping logic features. Tag scored questions with specific skills or topics so you can provide more detailed information about participant performance and follow progress over time with category scoring. Get a deeper understanding of learner knowledge using confidence ratings, self-assessments that can then be compared with learning outcomes.  Keep learners engaged and motivated using tools such as live event mode, leaderboards, streaks,  participant notifications, multi-part assessments, and badging. Assess knowledge, send out temperature checks, and implement scenario-based testing using multiple question types. Get macro and micro views of learner data via reporting functions. Learn more about how CredSpark can enrich your skills-based L&D initiatives! Dig in to our assessment features and book a demo here.