eLearning Trends Of 2016 You Need To Know
The eLearning market is growing at an unprecedented rate. eLearning revenues will reach an incredible $51.5 billion in 2016. At this point, about 78 percent of organizations reportedly use a Learning Management System (LMS), which is a platform that makes eLearning possible. 100 percent of these organizations are affected by certain eLearning trends.
What Are A Few Of 2016’s Top eLearning Trends?
As social Learning Management Systems become more and more sophisticated, we are bound to see increasingly mind-blowing trends crop up in the field of eLearning. A few of 2016’s hottest eLearning trends include…
- Mobile Learning.
Mobile learning, or mLearning, is one of the main reasons company owners launch learning management systems. These leaders want their employees to have the luxury of accessing training resources on any device, at any time, from any place. It’s estimated that the mobile learning industry alone will grow to over $37 billion by 2020. Obviously, this is an eLearning trend people just can’t get enough of. - Gamification.
Of all the eLearning trends listed here, gamification is perhaps the most fun. After all, who wouldn’t want to spend time gaming at work? It offers a welcome break from the hectic day. However, gamification in the workplace promotes training and knowledge retention; it is not meant to be entertaining. Nevertheless, it does a great job of bringing elements of entertainment and relaxation to any type of online training. It’s possible that the gamification market will top off at about $2.8 billion in 2016. - Video-Based Training.
Most people love watching videos. Don’t you? As a matter of fact, it’s estimated that US adults spend over 5 hours a day watching videos. eLearning designers made a wise move when they began to implement video into online learning. Video-based training is becoming so popular that about 98 percent of ALL organizations will include video in their digital learning strategies in 2016. - Competency-Based Learning.
Employers and employees alike are becoming enthusiastic about competency-based training. This is because it helps employees get promoted quickly. The article The Top 5 eLearning Trends Happening Now states, “The opportunity to self-assess, determine skill sets, and what skills will be needed to advance one’s career provides motivation for the learner, and greater value for the organization whose learners are more engaged in training and developing demonstrable skills. Competency-based training programs…(provide) a road map for (an employee’s) professional journey”. - Big Data.
According to an article published by Learnnovators, Big Data (as it relates to eLearning) is defined as “the data produced by learners interacting with the learning content. This data is collected through Learning Management Systems…and other media.” This year, Big Data has been a big trend in eLearning, and it will continue to be one as time passes. Top 8 eLearning Trends Infographic shows that “69.6% of firms now view Big Data as important or critical to their business success. The big data and learner analytics market is expected to reach $48.6 billion by 2019.”
Is Your Learning Management System Trend-Friendly?
Trends, whether they are related to eLearning, fashion, marketing, food, or education, are a part of life that will never go away. It is human nature to want to partake of the latest and greatest trends. Your employees feel this way about many trend categories, including eLearning. Your business may have a Learning Management System, but does it have one that facilitates current trends in eLearning? Does your Learning Management System…
- Allow course creators to implement video into their online courses?
- Offer the latest mobile learning options?
- Provide individual learning paths that help employees get promoted quickly?
- Allow for the inclusion of gamification in online trainings?
If your answer to each of these questions is not “yes,” your Learning Management System may not be as trend-friendly as it should be. It might be time to make a switch to a social Learning Management System that not only enables current trends in eLearning, but also has the capacity to facilitate future trends.
