Top Corporate eLearning Trends For 2017 eLearning Pros Need To Know
A variety of corporate eLearning trends have popped up in the world of corporate eLearning for 2017, many of which will have a long-lasting and beneficial effect on remote employees and organizations alike.
Multigenerational workforces are thirsty for fast and effective online training resources to hone their skills and talents. However, organizations must know where to focus their efforts and corporate eLearning budget in order to allocate their resources effectively. Here are 8 topics trending in the corporate eLearning industry this year.
1. Microlearning Online Training Libraries
Employees need information to be delivered quickly and efficiently. Thus, one of the biggest corporate eLearning trends of 2017 is microlearning online training libraries, which can be accessed through multiple devices. This offers employees numerous opportunities to learn what, when, and how they want. Many corporations are now using microlearning online training repositories as a "moment of need" online training resource. Staff members have the power to overcome workplace challenges immediately, instead of waiting for the next training session to remedy the gap.
2. Personalized Online Training Paths
There are a multitude of ways people can absorb and assimilate the information they need. Some employees need to be hands-on, and others need to simply hear or see the information to retain it. Identifying learning preferences takes time and careful research. However, it allows you to create more individualized online training resources for your staff, such as personalized online training paths that cater to specific performance gaps and experience levels. These personalized online training paths may involve clickable eLearning course maps, individual training contracts, and course catalogs that allow employees to pick-and-choose.
3. Coaching/Mentoring
Mentorship and coaching programs have been used in the corporate eLearning sector for years. But now they are making the move to online platforms. Mentoring benefits all parties involved. Mentees can learn from the insights of more experienced employees, while online training mentors improve knowledge retention and reinforce key skills as they put their knowledge base into practice. However, you must create communication guidelines to clarify expectations and define roles. Everyone should know the overall learning objectives and what online training resources are available to get the most from the online training program.
4. Gamification/Serious Games
It’s a proven fact that rewards are a powerful motivator for corporate learners. They don't even have to be tangible incentives, such as gift cards or monetary rewards. Earning eLearning badges, points, or progressing through levels can be enough to pique their interest. Therefore, gamification and serious games are prominent corporate eLearning trends. eLearning games give employees the rare opportunity to learn information without even realizing it. They are able to compete with peers and level up while absorbing the key takeaways. Just remember that game mechanics are there to support the prime learning objectives. Ultimately, they should trigger intrinsic motivation and foster an emotional connection to further enhance the benefits.
5. Responsive Design
Modern employees are looking for mobile-friendly resources to help them build skills and knowledge. Responsive design tools allow organizations to develop and deploy online training courses that are accessible anytime, anywhere. More importantly, on any device. Companies can create a master version of their online training content that adjusts to fit any screen size or resolution. Thus, every employee receives the same benefits from your online training activities, modules, and assessments.
6. Social & Collaborative Learning
More and more organizations are realizing the benefits of a communicative and collaborative corporate eLearning culture. Thus, they are incorporating interactive and engaging social learning activities into their online training strategy. Social media groups, online discussions, corporate eLearning blogs, and video sharing platforms are just a few of the social learning tools to consider. You can also encourage your employees to use Project Management software to facilitate online collaboration. This is particularly useful in team settings where employees must delegate tasks and provide eLearning feedback.
7. Real-World Activities
Online training must translate into real-world application in order to be truly effective. Otherwise, employees may have a wealth of knowledge and skills, but they aren't able to use them when it really counts. To make the move from theory to practice, organizations are now integrating real-world activities. This includes online training simulations, branching scenarios, and examples that stress the benefits and uses of the subject matter. For example, employees participate in a task-based simulation to explore each step and improve their mastery. They also have the chance to overcome common obstacles, which reduces on-the-job stress, as they've already faced and surmounted the problem during the online training simulation.
8. Online Training Webinar
It's true, webinars have been around for quite a while. An increasing number of organizations are now using them in creative and innovative ways, though. For example, creating 3-day training boot camps where employees can quickly boost their proficiency, or engaging compliance online training webinars that feature guest speakers, games, and online discussions. For best results, keep your live events topic-centered and scripted. Create an eLearning storyboard beforehand to ensure that you hit on all the key points and focus on one core idea or concept to reduce cognitive overload. You should also record the event for later viewing and invite employee feedback after the fact. This allows you to improve your hosting strategy for future online training webinars. Last, but not least, pair your events with social media hashtags and pages to encourage employees to share their thoughts and ideas.
Things may be constantly changing and evolving. However, these top corporate eLearning trends in the corporate eLearning industry for 2017 are sure to stay relevant. Every topic featured on this list improves the accessibility and effectiveness of your corporate eLearning content. You can provide employees with the just-in-time online training they need and encourage them to interact with peers while facilitating real-world application. As a result, your staff is more satisfied on the job, and you get a better return on your investment.
Wondering how to host orhanize a winning webinar? Check the article Hosting A Winning Webinar: The Ultimate Guide to get some guidelines on how to host a winning webinar from start to finish.
