At Elliott Masie’s Learning 2005 Conference there was a session on Learning R&D efforts within organizations. This seems like a great idea to me. The Masie Center has offered to host a discussion on the conference’s wiki, at this web address. It’s just getting started, but I seeded the discussion with the following goals one might have for an Internal Learning Practice R&D effort. I repeat that here. Please comment.

Goals for Internal Learning R&D Group:

1. Evaluate the possibilities for new learning technologies versus organizational needs and opportunities.
2. Compile research-based best practices to share with internal instructional professionals.
3. Look for opportunities to evaluate current training offerings on learning effectiveness, behavior change, and business results.
4. Encourage an more entrepreneurial or experimental mindset within the organization’s learning practice, to enable small test-case trials of learning innovations.
5. Help the organization build a set of standards for the organization’s learning practice, including ethical considerations related to effectiveness as well.