--- title: "7 ways to learn: Diagnostic tools" description: Explore blended learning as a powerful approach that combines online and in-person experiences, enhancing understanding and engagement in the workplace. image: https://desq.co.uk/hubfs/post%204%20header.jpg --- × ![Newsletter](https://desq.co.uk/hubfs/newsletter.png) ## Sign up to our newsletter [![Desq logo](https://desq.co.uk/hubfs/logo-white.svg "Desq logo")](https://desq.co.uk/) [![Desq logo](https://desq.co.uk/hubfs/logo-col.svg "Desq logo")](https://desq.co.uk/) - [What we offer](https://desq.co.uk/what-we-offer) - [What we do](https://desq.co.uk/what-we-do) - [About us](https://desq.co.uk/about-us) - [Work](https://desq.co.uk/work) - [News](https://desq.co.uk/news) - [Contact](https://desq.co.uk/contact) # 7 ways to learn online For Learning at Work Week 2026, we're exploring seven ways digital learning can go beyond the traditional course. Each day this week, we'll share a different approach. Today we're looking at diagnostic tools. Learn More ![7waystolearn](https://desq.co.uk/hubfs/7waystolearn.jpg) # 7 ways to learn: Diagnostic tools [Laura Giles](https://desq.co.uk/news/author/laura-giles) May 22, 2026 ![post 5 header](https://desq.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/post%205%20header.jpg?width=960&height=389&name=post%205%20header.jpg) ## **Many ways to learn No.5:  **Diagnostic tools   Most learning starts with content. A diagnostic tool starts with a question: what do you actually know? A diagnostic tool is designed to evaluate a person’s prior knowledge, skills, and misconceptions before instruction begins. In online learning, this information can be used to direct learners towards specific materials. Instead of giving everyone the same experience, a diagnostic helps to personalise the experience to their individual development needs. There's a deeper principle at work here too. The act of being tested isn't just a measurement, it's a learning event in itself. Attempting to retrieve knowledge, even imperfectly, strengthens memory and sharpens awareness of what you don't yet know. So a well-designed diagnostic doesn't just reveal gaps, it begins to close them. ## ![Asset 4](https://desq.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Asset%204.png?width=239&height=97&name=Asset%204.png) John Hattie's Visible Learning research identifies feedback as one of the highest-impact factors in learning. Diagnostic tools give learners a precise picture of where they stand and a clear direction for what to do next. Hattie also found that metacognition — the ability to think about and monitor your own learning — is among the strongest predictors of learning success. Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. Routledge. ## **Project profile:  **Network Rail Maintenance Team diagnostic tool     Infrastructure Maintenance Service Managers at Network Rail are responsible for a complex, high-stakes skillset. They often come to the role from varied professional backgrounds which means the gaps in their knowledge vary just as widely. ![dig tools](https://desq.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/dig%20tools.png?width=500&height=424&name=dig%20tools.png) The challenge isn't just what they don't know. It's that they don't always know what they don't know. We designed a diagnostic tool to solve exactly that problem. Learners work through a series of multiple-choice questions mapped to the core IMSM skillset. When they're done, the results don't just show a score, they reveal a personalised picture of strengths and development areas across the full range of competencies. For each area flagged for development, the learner is presented with a curated set of resources and courses they can take to build that skill. **Tomorrow, our next #ManyWaysToLearn is  **Learning through scenarios.** **   ![](https://desq.co.uk/hubfs/newsletter.png) Sign up to our newsletter **Like to hear more bite-sized L&D news and views from Desq?** Subscribe to our quarterly newsletter – **Story Board**. 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