When it comes to digital learning, we often focus on what learners complete — a module, a quiz, or a certification. But what if we could better understand how they go through it?
That’s where process mining comes in.
Wait, What’s Process Mining?
Process mining is a technique originally used in business operations. It looks at event logs — basically, a timeline of every action someone takes in a system — to figure out patterns and behaviors.
Now, researchers and forward-thinking L&D teams are starting to use it in learning.
Imagine having access not just to completion rates, but to detailed insights like:
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How often a learner rewatches a video before moving on
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Whether they explore all options in a scenario, or skip straight to the correct answer
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How much time they spend reflecting before answering a question
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When and where they give up or revisit content
These aren’t just stats — they’re clues into how learners are managing their own learning journey.
Why It Matters for L&D
The buzz around self-regulated learning — the idea that learners take control of their pace, path, and strategy — is growing. But most L&D tools only give us surface-level data.
With process mining, we can:
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Identify common learning paths among high performers
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Spot where learners get stuck or lose interest
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Design better support prompts or nudges at the right moments
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Customize the flow of content based on behavior, not just answers
A Practical Example
Say you have a scenario-based training on ethical decision-making. Traditional analytics might tell you that 80% passed.
But process mining could reveal that:
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60% of learners went back to rewatch the intro video before making a choice
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The learners who explored more than one scenario path performed better later
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Most learners dropped off when the simulation got too text-heavy
Now you know what to tweak — and how to design smarter support.
What This Means for the Future of Learning
As eLearning becomes more interactive, personalized, and mobile, the way people engage with content will matter as much as the content itself.
Process mining helps shift the conversation from Did they finish it? to How did they learn it?
And in a world where self-paced, flexible learning is the norm — that’s the kind of insight L&D teams need most.
Final Thought
Better learning experiences don’t start with better content — they start with better understanding. Process mining offers a new window into learner behavior, helping us design training that’s not just engaging, but deeply effective.
