Learning Programs Have an Outcomes Problem, New Instructure Research Finds

71% expect learning programs to improve on-the-job performance, but organizations face widespread barriers to demonstrating impact

SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Instructure, the leading learning ecosystem and maker of Canvas Career LMS, today released "Learning Programs Have an Outcomes Problem: Research Shows the Proof Is in the Skills," a new report developed with HR Dive's studio by Informa TechTarget. The findings are based on a survey of 1,166 U.S. professionals across HR, learning and development, technology, senior leadership and related roles. The research finds a clear disconnect between what organizations expect from workforce learning and their ability to demonstrate its impact.

Key findings include:

• 71% expect learning programs to improve on-the-job performance to a great or very great extent
• 70% expect improvements in productivity or operational efficiency
• 69% expect improvements in role readiness or skills mastery
• 53% said their organizations can communicate program impact using data to a great or very great extent
• 21% reported little to no ability to communicate program impact using data

"Course completion can tell leaders who finished a program. It doesn't show whether employees built the skills they need or whether learning translated into stronger performance," said Melissa Loble, chief learning officer at Instructure. "We're helping organizations make skills more visible and outcomes easier to measure, so leaders can identify emerging gaps, understand progress and make more data-informed decisions about where to invest."

The research also points to challenges in measuring and demonstrating learning outcomes. Twenty percent of respondents reported little to no credible evidence of program impact. Organizations cited barriers including limited workforce data, reporting limitations, siloed systems and staffing constraints. Each of the seven barriers measured was cited by 42% to 46% of respondents as a limitation to a great or very great extent. Together, the findings show how difficult it can be to connect learning activities with evidence of employee performance and business outcomes.

The report identifies four areas organizations can focus on to strengthen the connection between learning and outcomes:

• Make the case: Identify the skills the workforce has today and the capabilities the business will need next, while helping employees see their progress and opportunities for growth.
• Build the evidence: Start with the desired outcome and work backward to determine the participation, assessment, skills and workforce measures needed to demonstrate progress.
• Communicate the impact: Connect learning data to employee and business outcomes so leaders can understand what is working and why it matters.
• Act on the insights: Use workforce and skills data to improve programs, address emerging skills gaps and inform decisions such as internal mobility and succession planning.

Canvas Career helps organizations put these principles into practice by providing visibility into skills and learner progress, recommending learning aligned to priority skills and connecting learning data with HRIS and CRM systems. Leaders can use those insights to identify skills gaps, improve learning programs and inform workforce decisions.

The full report, "Learning Programs Have an Outcomes Problem: Research Shows the Proof Is in the Skills," is available here.

Methodology
The findings are based on three survey administrations: a SurveyMonkey panel survey, an online Qualtrics survey distributed to contacts provided by Instructure and a Qualtrics survey administered to attendees at the Instructure booth during the 2026 ATD International Conference. Each survey used identical core question wording and response scales. Respondents identified a primary role in professional learning, workforce development, HR, learning technology or a related function. Sample sizes vary by question due to partial survey completion.

About Instructure
Instructure builds the learning ecosystem that organizations, educators and learners depend on across K-12, higher education and the workforce. Canvas, Mastery and Parchment serve thousands of school districts, university systems, statewide agencies and employers, reaching tens of millions of learners in more than 100 countries. Everything Instructure makes is built for education first, with the data privacy protections, evidence and institutional control that schools, colleges and employers require. That is how learning becomes opportunity at every age, every stage and every pivotal transition. Discover more at Instructure.com.

Contact
Brian Watkins
Corporate Communications
Instructure
(801) 658-7525

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SOURCE Instructure