3 Things The Best Leaders In Learning Will Do In 2018

3 Things The Best Leaders In Learning Will Do In 2018
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Summary: It’s a new year, which means it’s time to take stock, consider what worked well last year and what didn’t, and plan for 2018. To help you pave the way for a successful year ahead, here’s a list of the 3 things the best industry leaders will be focused on for more effective eLearning in 2018.

What’s On The Horizon? Follow The Best Leaders In Learning And Do These 3 Things

There’s already been a lot of speculation about how workplace learning industry will evolve in 2018, but it’s not all hearsay. The top eLearning trends for 2018 identifies some clear predictions that research says we can expect to see this year.

A recurring theme is that less is going to be more in 2018. The industry will develop an appetite for sorting through the heap of "content for the sake of content" to discover what is really relevant and what can be practically applied to make a real difference for learners.

Of course, this can be easier said than done. How do you know which content is worth using and which is just noise? How can you ensure that every piece of content you create is useful and adds real value to your learners?

A good place to start is by following these 3 principles that all the best leaders in learning will be taking onboard in 2018:

1. Focus On Teaching Skills, Not Sharing Knowledge

The importance of work-life skills is continuing to grow. Research shows that this year, many organizations will prepare employees for the ever-changing nature of modern-day work by teaching them transferable skills that can be applied both in and outside the workplace. Such skills include leadership, communication, problem-solving, and collaboration.

This is a smart move. As operations are increasingly becoming automated, the organizations that succeed in the future will be the ones that have equipped their employees with adaptable, transferable skills.

To help you assess whether your focus is in the right place, check out Elucidat’s project plan template and Cathy Moore’s action mapping advice on structuring content [1].

2. Encourage Others To Share Through User-Generated Content

An ever-developing belief in workspace learning industry is that every employee has the knowledge to share.

In 2018, you can tap into this trend by empowering others to contribute to content creation and share what they already know. The best part is because these employees are already a part of your organization, their knowledge will be automatically contextualized and relevant to others.

2017 saw a 38% rise in user-generated content [2], and this shift from top-down training to a more grass-roots approach is only set to increase this year. Get started by enlisting the help of a cloud-based authoring tool that enables you to create templates for others to work from, like Elucidat.

3. Get Into The Habit Of Using Data To Inform Decisions

The power of using data to inform decisions cannot be stressed enough. It should be a key part of your learning and training strategy.

After all, what is the point in planning for 2018, 2019, and beyond if you have no idea what your learners really want to know? Or what will work for them to transfer theory into practice?

You need analytics that shows you information about the ideal course length for your learners, the devices they favor, their average session time, and more. If you’re not sure which metrics would be most valuable to you, browse these top 10 eLearning analytic stats to track.

Central to making data-informed decisions is ensuring you have the right authoring tool in place; one that will provide you with what you need to know to plan your content creation and maximize the performance of existing content through continual refinement. For more on this, download the free guide on How to Use Data to Design and Refine eLearning.

Summary

For a successful year ahead, be inspired by these 3 things research say will feature heavily. But, don’t jump on the bandwagon when it’s too late. Take action today, so you can spend 2018 creating eLearning that is practical, relevant, and as useful as it can possibly be for your learners.

Check out the 10 eLearning trends you need to watch

 

References:

  1. Action mapping: A visual approach to training design
  2. How can L&D leaders deliver impact?