This blog discusses five important trends that are creating an impact on and engaging learners in online learning. Read on to know what you need to incorporate in your digital learning strategy.
Many organizations have realized the benefits of digital learning for employees training. The growth of new technologies, automation of skills, and globalization have changed the ways in which training is conducted and increased the expectations of trainees as well.
Businesses are turning to digital technology to improve learners’ experiences and improve the quality of training. The trends in digital learning assets indicate a transformation in how training is conducted and point to a better learning experience for learners. Let us look at five of these trends in this blog.
1. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)
The power of both Augmented Reality(AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) to engage the learner is well-known. But the cost of developing and deploying these technology-enabled resources was prohibitive until recently. However the advances in technology have reduced development costs and more businesses are considering them for their training requirements. This means that in future, simulations or branched scenarios will be replaced with AR or VR experiences.
Instead of going through a video-based simulation, learners will go through a realistic experience which will help them learn the skills or behavior required in such situations. This technology will be especially useful when training in high-risk areas, such as complicated surgical procedures, or the operation of complex machinery. These technologies provide experiential real-world training scenarios that make it exciting for learners.
2. Customized Content
Learners today expect their training to be customized to meet the needs of their job roles and functions. So the trend is moving from creating generic learning programs to designing customized learning paths that will cover the entire learning experience. To design such content, an analysis of the learners is helpful. Digital platforms can collect data from the users. This will help training managers determine the skills needed the most by employees and the kind of learning they prefer.
It helps discover the specific areas where they need improvement. The best part is this information can be gathered at the individual level to discover the learning needs of each employee and create a tailor-made learning plan for each individual. Such customized learning helps them enhance their skills and knowledge.
As for creating content for these courses, the trend is toward using online resources such as TED talks, YouTube, blogs and in-house resources such as webinars, tools, and templates, based on the learning needs. This works well especially when performance needs are constantly changing.
3. Microlearning
Microlearning or delivering learning as short bite-sized modules in the form of animations, infographics, or videos will increase in the future. These modules are conducive to be delivered on mobile devices and are engaging to learners. They are especially appealing to the millennial generation that has a short attention span. Millennials are expected to make up to 25% of the workforce in the next ten years which means the demand for microlearning implementation will only go up.
4. Gamification
Gamification has become increasingly popular because of the engagement factor. Gamification of e-learning which involves the use of game theory and game mechanics in e-learning courses, acts as a motivator for learners to solve problems and perform better in their jobs. It adds an element of fun, transparency, and competition to the course. These elements are particularly appealing to millennials who as mentioned earlier, will comprise a major part of the workforce in the future.
The growth of digital technology has only made it easier to include gamification in e-learning courses. More businesses will be choosing gamification solutions to up-skill their employees.
5. Mobile Learning
Another trend to watch out for will be the increased traction of mobile learning. With the development of responsive authoring tools, it has now become easier to create courses that can easily adapt to mobile devices. As of now, few employees actually access online courses on mobile devices. The reasons may be that the content is not mobile-friendly or has not been designed for mobile screens or is not suited for learning on the go. But with the improvements in responsive technology, these barriers are expected to come down, making more of learning truly mobile.
These are the five important trends to watch out for in the digital learning space and they indicate that these developments will greatly improve the level of learner engagement in the future. Training managers must consider these trends to develop learning experiences that will help employees learn through exciting ways.
