goalgetter - assisting the transfer of learning

goalgetter, launched this week, is a goal-based learning system designed to help people put their learning into practice and achieve their goals. Now I have to admit an interest here because goalgetter is the brainchild of Rob Hubbard, a colleague of mine and my successor as chair of the eLearning Network. Rob is an excellent designer and a real innovator, so I feel compelled to use this blog to tell you about what he's up to with this product.

goalgetter is Rob's attempt to solve the problem of transfer of learning. When we're exposed to interesting ideas, we naturally want to put them into practice in our own lives, but good intentions all too often evaporate when we're confronted with all those day-to-day pressures. What goalgetter does is to work with you, like a virtual coach, to help you set goals for changed behaviour, provide you with tips and advice, suggest practical activities that will encourage skills development, and then follow up to see how you're getting on.

According to the blurb, it can be 'accessed from computer, tablet or smartphone and allows users to connect socially to other people attempting the same goal. It includes a mini 360-degree training needs analysis tool so users can identify their areas for development and track their progress, a library of resources which offer user-rated, real-world activities for users to complete, and supporting material delivered as text, images and video. goalgetter can be used standalone of content delivery and learning implementation and also works well as part of a blend of teaching methods (for example as an implementation and support system bolted on to face-to-face workshops.'

I had a play with the beta, and worked on a personal goal to help improve the way I handle email. The experience was fun and productive. I can see lots of applications in the work I do and would recommend you take a look.