What Trends You Should Be Aware Of Concerning eLearning In 2018
The way we work, live, and learn is changing just as quickly as the world around us. The continuous change in the business strategies and dynamics has kept us on our toes, and in order to flourish in this era of technological advancement, we must keep a keen eye on the trends and developments for the near future.
One of the most important areas to keep pace with is the Learning and Development industry, where the rapid pace of technology transformation has given way to highly effective and innovative methods of Learning and Development. In this article, we delve into 7 such Learning and Development trends that are expected to flourish in 2018 and beyond.
1. Gamification
Gamification is the application of game-design elements and game principles in non-game contexts. This is a fancy way of effective learning which allows individuals to think outside the box and, in the process, helps to replicate the learnings in the real world. Games can be used to explain difficult concepts or test a learner’s knowledge in a fun way. They can be adapted for different skill levels and is one of the most important tools in eLearning.
2. Virtual Reality And Augmented Reality
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) have been on the digital learning trends in recent months, and organizations have really started getting to grips with the potential of this technology. With the help of VR and AR instead of watching a video-based simulation, we could put our learners inside a realistic environment in which they can observably demonstrate their mastery of the required skills and behavior.
3. Cloud-Based Learning
This offers one of the biggest advantages in eLearning. With the help of a cloud, one can gain access to information anywhere, as per their convenience, and make use of it effectively to gain knowledge. With the advancements in security and encryption, cloud-based eLearning has been on the rise for some time now. However, with quick uploading and updating of data, and the significant reduction in training expenses, cloud-based eLearning will be the most sought-after option for corporate eLearning in 2018.
4. Microlearning
Studies reveal that the average attention span of a human brain is 8 seconds. So, microlearning is more than a fad as it refers to micro-perspectives of learning, education, training, and skill development. It involves short-term, focused strategies specially designed for skill-based understanding/learning/education. With the help of the information in the form of nuggets, we can build a complex web of knowledge for an individual by combining the nuggets over a period of time. Thus, it helps to ease up the complex learning process for an individual in a very effective manner.
5. Social Learning
Social learning is a very popular learning trend that is on the rise. It enables learners to give their own opinions or versions of certain content, like a video, and see what everyone else thinks. This helps learners to explore the grey spaces, rather than the strict black and white, or the right and wrong spaces eLearning often limited itself to in the past.
6. Video Learning
By 2019, the video will be responsible for 80% of the internet traffic around the world. This opens the door to the integration of the video platforms, social learning, and video learning in the courses using authorized tools, like Elucidat, as a video platform, and drop in clips from YouTube. With the help of videos, it would provide users a platform to gain visual access to the information that would further integrate their learning process.
7. Two-Way Conversations Ιn eLearning
Feedback is an important aspect of learning, and in order to improve the learning process, it is imperative that we gain useful feedback from the learners. With the help of two-way conversations in learning, it is now easier to communicate ideas and inputs with the learners, to provide for effective and seamless learning. It helps to provide insights on what a person wants to see or needs help with.
So, these are the 7 innovative learning trends we have focused on in this article, that are expected to make the headlines in the near future. We are at the fag end of 2017, and with less than a month to go, our plans and ideas should be shifting towards these latest Learning and Development trends to ensure quality and seamless learning.
