Online learning has increased in popularity over the past few years, with a report by showing that the industry has grown by 900% since the year 2000. Numerous organizations around the world are now embracing e-learning as they recognize how rewarding and effective it can be.
Employees have an excellent opportunity to learn valuable skills and increase their productivity , thus giving organizations a competitive edge.
Let's have a look at 7 trends that are shaping the online learning industry currently:
1] Personalized or adaptive learning
Adaptive learning involves customizing existing e-learning content to specific groups. This is achieved by offering pre-tests to evaluate the current knowledge of the audience.
The areas where learners score low are noted, and specific modules and materials are provided to help them improve. This means that individual learners only get what they need.
2] Game-based learning and gamification
Gamification and game-based learning are becoming increasingly important for sharing important role-based information. Several organizations have gamified their courses in an attempt make learning fun to retain the learner's attention.
Though it may sound like a paradox, gaming helps learners get more 'serious' as they totally get engaged in the process. Sales training, product training, procedural training, information security and many others can be converted into games to motivate company employees to invest their time and energy in learning.
Traditionally, virtual reality and augmented reality have been used for movies and gaming. However, VR and AR are becoming increasingly popular tools for delivering online training. VR is commonly used for training involving complex procedures and high risk tasks.
AR is useful for helping learners know more about a place, technology , tool or device. With the prices of headsets and wearable glasses dropping, more and more companies are expected to experiment with VR and AR.
4] Chatbots/Intelligent assistants
People are now showing more interest in learning more about intelligent virtual assistants, as evidenced by the buzz about Siri on iPhone.
With the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence, are likely to create intelligent search apps for topics such as compliance, data protection and security . Such apps will help learners access information instantly and augment learning when the need arises.
Microlearning involves training using a short game, quiz, interactive video, learning nugget or interactive infographic. This method works best when online training programs have modules with specific learning outcomes.
The benefits of microlearning include fast deployment, easy tracking, quick learning and boosted productivity. Microlearning can be delivered using any device.
6] Interactive video-based learning
Video-based tutorials online are very popular with many learners. Organizations are leveraging on this by shooting their own videos, adding interactive elements to them, and then uploading the videos on internal sites.
This learning method ensures that employees are immersed in the learning process. With time, a strong library or repository of content will be created for the company.
Social learning happens when information is shared amongst peers. Note sharing, chat boxes and forums are some of the channels people use to share ideas. Many organizations are now exploring social learning platforms designed for collaborative workspaces.
However, social learning should be distinguished from social media sharing . Tools such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are not suitable environments for social learning.
Charles Mburugu is a HubSpot-certified content marketer with over eight years experience in various industries. Check out his and connect on .
