Want to Create Real Change with Online Learning?

You need to measure the right things!

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Most online courses don’t change behaviour.
They just give people more information.

And information, on its own, isn’t enough.

I recently edited episode 430 of the Mind Tools podcast, which dives into exactly this — how behaviour actually changes, and what role digital learning can (and can’t) play.

Even though the episode focuses on workplace learning, it applies just as much to coaches, trainers, and small business owners putting learning online.

If you want your digital product to deliver real transformation — not just passive “aha” moments — this one’s worth your attention 👇

Why Behaviour Is So Damn Hard to Measure

You can’t change what you don’t understand.

But most course creators don’t have a clear picture of the starting point. Instead, they rely on:

• 🤷 Self-assessments (which are often biased)

• 👂 Feedback from others (which can be… generous)

• 🌀 A general sense of “I think they struggle with…”

Here’s the kicker: people are notoriously bad at evaluating their own skills.

It’s called the Dunning-Kruger effect — where the least skilled people tend to overrate themselves, while the most skilled often underrate themselves.

So if you’re basing your course or program on self-reported behaviour? You might be designing for the wrong problem.

Yes, You Can Measure Behaviour (But You’ll Need Layers)

There’s no one perfect tool — but combining a few simple methods can give you a clearer picture:

🟢 Behavioural interviews – Ask people how they approach real situations (and compare it to others’ experiences)
🟢 360-style feedback – Not just peers, but clients or customers if relevant
🟢 Observations – Even short, informal ones can reveal what people really do
🟢 Self-assessments – Used carefully, and never as the only source of truth

It's all about triangulating. One perspective alone is rarely reliable.

Learning Alone Doesn’t Drive Change

One of the standout points from the podcast was this:

You can’t just tell people what to do better.
You need to understand what’s stopping them now.

This is where the COM-B model comes in. It’s a dead simple framework — and honestly, one of the best tools for designing digital learning that sticks.

To change behaviour, people need:

• C – Capability: The skills or knowledge to do it

• O – Opportunity: The environment that supports it

• M – Motivation: The desire or drive to follow through

Most digital products focus on the C — give them the “how”.
But ignore O and M… and nothing changes.

What Actually Works? Nudges, Not Nagging.

Here’s a real-world example:

UK doctors were overprescribing antibiotics. Posters in waiting rooms saying “please prescribe less” made no difference.

But a £20K behavioural nudge campaign did:

💌 Doctors got a letter from a trusted source
📊 It said, “80% of your peers prescribe less than you”
🔁 It offered a simple change: delayed prescriptions instead of instant ones

That one tweak cut prescriptions by 3.5%.
Meanwhile, the government spent £4 million trying to achieve just 1% change — and failed.

That’s the power of small, strategic nudges. You can absolutely apply this in your online learning too:

• Make the next step obvious

• Reduce the effort required

• Tap into social proof and progress tracking

• Let people commit in small ways, not just consume

If You Remember Just One Thing…

This isn’t about creating more “valuable” content.
It’s about creating learning that drives action.

So before you write another lesson, ask yourself:

👉 Do I know what they’re really doing now?
👉 Have I uncovered the friction or blocks they’re facing?
👉 Am I helping them do something differently — or just know more?

That shift is what moves someone from passive learner to active changer.

And that’s what leads to results — for them and for you.

P.S. This kind of stuff is what we nerd out on inside the free Digital Skills Tribe. If you’re building online learning that’s meant to create change (not just collect dust), come join us at www.helpwithdigital.com.