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Blog • • 4 minute read

Molding Excellence: How Associates Drive Labs & Learning Innovation

Feedback transformed Labs & Learning, turning it into a dynamic, evolving educational platform. By engaging associates in testing and feedback, we improved content and pioneered a robust development approach. Join us in shaping the future of digital education, ensuring it remains relevant and impactful for all WWT Learners.

In this blog

  1. How listening transformed Labs & Learning
  2. Why we needed a better way to listen
  3. Turning feedback into action
  4. Growing our feedback community
  5. Recognizing key contributors
  6. Looking ahead: The future of feedback
  7. Keep the momentum going

 How listening transformed Labs & Learning

Labs & Learning was created to educate industry professionals, offering hands-on experiences and practical knowledge tailored to their needs. In 2024, I began working with the WWT Associate Academy to gather live, qualitative feedback on the newly published Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) Learning Path. This initiative was not only about improving the content itself, but also served as a discovery exercise and use case for adopting alpha and beta testing programs across all our digital education products. By involving associates in early testing and feedback, we demonstrated the value of structured, iterative improvement and set the stage for a more proactive approach to our digital education product development.

 Why we needed a better way to listen

For a while, feedback was hit or miss, relying on our WWT Leaners to complete a survey with the hopes of them providing constructive feedback. Updates to learning paths did not always keep up with what industry professionals needed or wanted, and there was not a clear way for people to share what was working or what was not. We risked falling behind and missing the mark when it came to delivering a world-class learning experience.

 Turning feedback into action

That is when the Associates Academy stepped up. They encouraged associates to test new courses, rate their experiences, and speak up about what could be better. Suddenly, feedback was not just a suggestion. It became part of our process. We started running structured feedback sessions, sending out surveys, and inviting associates to beta test new content.

One example stands out. After several associates pointed out issues with one of our learning paths, our team worked directly with Academy participants to fix technical problems and clarify instructions. The difference was immediate. Completion rates went up, and learners were more engaged.

 Growing our feedback community

The lessons learned from that initial engagement with the Associates Academy led to several important changes. We expanded our feedback efforts to include summer interns, which brought in fresh perspectives and new energy. We refined our survey and interview techniques to get more actionable insights. Most notably, we developed the first WWT internal testing group, simply called the WWT Testers Community. Each evolution of our user feedback approaches and programs owes a debt of gratitude to the Associates Academy and Cohort 5, whose involvement and enthusiasm set the standard for continuous improvement.

 Recognizing key contributors

Many associates have made a meaningful impact by sharing honest feedback, trying out new material, and helping us make Labs & Learning better for everyone. I want to give special recognition to Cohort 5 participants who were especially engaged from the start:

  • Ryan Manse
  • MacKenzie Richardson
  • Katherine Moore

Their input on the RAG Learning Path and the feedback methodology helped shape our approach to alpha and beta testing and raised the bar for how we listen and respond.

 Looking ahead: The future of feedback

As Labs & Learning continues to evolve, we remain committed to listening and adapting. The foundation built by the Associates Academy and our early testers has inspired us to keep expanding our feedback programs. We are exploring new ways to engage users and improve the customer's learning experience, from survey/feedback follow-ups to beta testing groups consisting of university/college students that help us understand how our ATC digital education products resonate with our WWT Learners. The demand for feedback is growing and is critical in shaping the future of digital education at WWT.

 Keep the momentum going

Continuous improvement is now part of our DNA at Labs & Learning, thanks to the influence of the Associates Academy. There is always room to grow. If you are an associate, engineer, or leader, I encourage you to get involved. Test new paths, share your thoughts, and help us keep raising the bar. Together, we can make sure Labs & Learning stays relevant, effective, and truly built for all our WWT Learners.