Does Your Learning Ecosystem Support Current and Future Needs?

Back in time the industrial workforce produced work withtheir hands, and training was designed accordingly. In the age of information, thetraining modes and workforce have changed. Today the workforce produces work mostlywith their minds. We are facing a knowledge economy. In this digital era, thehands and minds work in tandem on solving problems that have not beendiscovered yet. Technology has revolutionized the way people learn and adapt—fromneeding the knowledge, to needing ways to access the knowledge. New tools haveevolved to improve the learning process for both the employer and the employee.

What do all these mean on the ground?

As L&D, we need to change the way we manage learning andtraining for our new and existing workforce. In fact, you should give up theidea of managing their learning at all! It is not your responsibility anymore.Instead, aim to create a culture of continuous learning and curiosity. Equipyour employees with technology and tools that encourage them to collaborate, connect,and learn when they need to. You can no longer treat work and learning asdifferent entities, because your employees need to learn all the time if youwant to retain your competitive edge. They need to soak in all the informationcoming to them from all around and apply it to their work.

You will need to help build a technology-enabled learningecosystem to support this trend of self-learning.

What role does technology play in employee learning?

Technology is helping in the evolution of learning. Expertspredict that tech-enabled learning will revolutionize workplace learning inmany ways. Always treat technology as a tool that should be easy to access. Ifthe learner takes more than three steps to access the learning, you’ve failed. Hereare just a few more roles technology plays.

Knowledge on demand

Your employees are no longer limited to learning at aspecific time in a physical venue. Mobile devices and learning apps haveensured that learners can access learning content whenever and wherever theywish. They can choose their own learning path and mode of learning—videos, podcasts,text-based content, game-based modules, and so on. Learning should be apersonal endeavor. If you allow your learners to choose what they wish tolearn, then they can decide on the skills they need in order to excel in thereal world. This gives more power to your content and makes learning meaningfulto the learners.

Blended approach

Not too long ago, online training meant letting theemployees watch videos or read through online screens with text and graphics.This passive mode of learning lacked engagement and was not effective. With theadvances in technology, gaming, and modalities, a new blended training approachstarted trending due to its experiential nature. For example, instead ofteaching your employees about negotiation skills via a video, you can encourageyour learners to watch a video regarding the skill, observe a role-play inaction, and apply the skills learned at the workplace or in a simulated environment.Technology has given the required boost to the blended approach in learning.

Microlearning

New employees typically spend the first few days goingthrough onboarding training. And, after the orientation sessions, they areexpected to hit the ground running. They are expected to learn all that thereis to learn in those first few days. That is unrealistic, and retention is aminimal return. You cannot dump truckloads of information on your learner andexpect them to retain all of it. They can fit only so much in their mind atonce.

Thanks to technology, bite-sized learning is possible.Organizations find it effective to invest in several short courses instead ofone huge one. In the microlearning mode, your employees learn a skill at thetime of need. If they are stuck doing something, they just need to access therepository for relevant information and apply it to their problem. They are incontrol of what they learn. Since they put their knowledge to practiceimmediately, they are more likely to remember it.

Just make sure the modules are bite-sized. Focus on onetopic per module, and give them only what they need. Use explainer videos andgraphics as much as possible. Text-heavy screens are wasted on learners. Usegamification and serious games to engage them using fun with scenario-basedexperiences.

Social learning

You cannot ignore social media and all 140 characters thatcome with it. Its impact on the way we interact with people has been phenomenal,giving us access to people and conversations like never before. Its influenceon learning cannot be ignored either. Discussion boards and internal platformsallow your employees to share advice, seek help, and gain insight from one another.Video chats and instant-messaging bots guide you in times of need.

What is the future of learning?

The future lies in embracing technology for your learningneeds, and being in touch with the needs of the new workforce. Micro, bite-sizedeLearning is gaining popularity, especially among the Millennial generation,and gamification is quickly becoming a popular tool. The multigenerationalworkforce wants online resources to upskill whenever they wish, irrespective oftime and physical barriers. Here are the top four trends that you should keepin mind while working on your corporate training strategy.

Trend #1: Serious games

Traditional eLearning may not be engaging enough for youremployees to remember what they learned. Introducing a fun element is a goodway to keep the learners motivated. Serious games can up the fun-quotient andyet retain the learning aspect.

Learning with the help of serious games has been popular forsome time now due to the entertainment element it adds to everyday learning.Serious games are a powerful motivator for employees. Rewards, points, and badgesencourage them to move ahead. You need not even provide monetary rewards.

Here are some attributes that can help you build asuccessful serious game.

• Story:A good game should have a gripping storyline. The characters, the plot, and thestorytelling should be strong enough to keep your learners hooked.
• Gamemechanics: Game mechanics make the game work. The more interactive theyare, the easier it is to keep your learners engaged.
• Rules:Rules define the framework of the game and prevent the game from dissolvinginto chaos. If your learners break a rule, they will be penalized. This urgesthem to change their behavior and avoid going against predefined rules.
• Challengeand competition: Serious games should have the required elements ofchallenge and overcoming obstacles by learning what it takes to survive withinthe scenario. But there is a delicate balance to it. If it’s too easy, thenusers will not be motivated enough. If the challenge is quite steep, then theusers may leave it midway. Peppering in adequate elements of peer competitionkeeps the learner motivated to win.

Trend #2: Augmented and virtual reality

Augmented and virtual reality provide the learners a 3-Dexperience. Virtual reality (VR) is completely immersive in nature. It takesthe learner to a simulated environment. When your learner makes a head or eyemovement, the graphics respond accordingly. Augmented reality (AR) is partlyimmersive but engaging.

Using VR and AR breathes life into your content and enthusesthe learner. It makes learning fun and engaging. You can even consider ablended approach where you use traditional eLearning to teach them content andAR and VR to help them apply what they have learned with the help of scenarios.VR helps you gauge how well the learner has grasped the concept, how they makedecisions, and how well they react to the consequences of the decisions.

Trend #3: Mobile learning

The popularity of mobile devices has changed the way welearn, play, and work. The rise of smartphones and tablets has resulted in amobile revolution. Cisco has predicted that by 2020, the mobile-learning marketwill reach $37.6 billion. The current workforce has mostly Millennials—people whohave grown up with technology. Many are not even very comfortable usingpersonal computers because they prefer communicating through tablets andsmartphones. If you want to connect with the new workforce, you must adapt totechnology. If they prefer learning on the go, then you must provide them withthat.

Trend #4: Wearable technologies

Wearable technology is a new learning trend that has goodpotential. Educators are exploring how to use wearable devices to facilitatelearning. These technologies have numerous practical applications in learning. Accordingto a market report by Research Moz, the global market for classroom wearabletechnology is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of over 36 percent by2020. The market is occupied by key vendors like Apple, Microsoft, Google, andSamsung. These wearable technologies can enhance student-teacher communicationand improve learners’ engagement level.

The mobile revolution has changed the way we work, learn,and play. The sooner we adapt to the new way, the better for us. Embracingtechnology may be intimidating, but it is the future of business. If you delaythe process, your competitors will move ahead with the latest technology andthrive.

If you want to be ready to face the challenges of the future, youmust have a strategy in place to educate your future employees. The strongestorganizations are the ones that can identify the learning needs of theiremployees and capitalize on the opportunities.

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