Getting Personal With Your Learning Platform
Modern expectations for digital content are high – it needs to be relevant, meaningful, timely, and ultimately useful, fitting into a point of need right there and then. Content that delivers on these points with well-honed UX design, will do well in the learning marketplace, and go viral amongst social networks.
But L&D teams’ role here isn’t to put up a shop full of bitesize content for all to choose from – use what you know to help filter, recommend, personalize and focus the content around needs and preferences. And while there are constant cries for shorter, quicker resources, don’t forget you’re there to help bring about longer-term development in people. Make sure you offer effective deep learning experiences too; interactive videos, simulations, scenarios, games (that can be short but challenging and more holistic). If they’re good, you’ll be thanked.
Take The MicroPersonalNetwork Approach With A Personalized Learning Platform
What is the MicroPersonalNetwork approach? This custom learning strategy more of a mindset than a prescriptive approach. It means respecting and making the most of today’s employee expectations, especially around technology. It also means moving away from the traditional teacher-pupil relationship and pedagogy that still informs much work-based training provision. Crucially, and arguably most controversially, it means relinquishing control in the sense of monitoring and tracking what has constituted “completion”. Where compliance is concerned, there will still have to be tests and assessments, but does the SCORM wrapper have to apply to the content that leads up to those assessments? And is there any need for tracking when it comes to everything else?
Micro
“Micro” refers to content in the sense of it being more targeted, flexible and adaptable in terms of its scale and duration. But it also means a personalized learning platform that supports multi-format and multi-device.
Personalization
“Personal” talks more of what you can do with micro, multi-format, multi-device custom eLearning content to make it suit your particular needs and preferences. This embraces the idea of self-directed learning, without excluding curricula and guidance, and facilitates self-motivated learning, for example, beyond the immediate workplace, a trend identified in the research.
Using And Creating Networks
“Network” is about the social learning dimension, it may complement formal learning such as microlearning, it may be social learning as a wrap-around or a continuation of other learning experiences, virtual classrooms for example, as part of a blend. It can be to do with a community of colleagues and the immediate support, such as the help and problem-solving they can bring. And it can be about informal, user-generated content which is shared freely in the personalized training platform, and rated by peers in terms of its value and veracity. So the network turns into the ultimate goal when it becomes self-sufficient, self-generating, and self-moderating in much the same way as successful sites such as Stack Overflow work, and which some pioneering blue chip businesses are achieving.
Micropersonalnetwork learning = a principle to deliver highly relevant learning that people will actually do.
Conclusion
A personalized learning platform fosters individualized L&D experiences. It should be easily accessible, quick to consume, and targeted to address specific pain points. First and foremost, social learning and remote collaboration is the key to unlocking internal talent. Successful online training programs balance self-directed learning with peer engagement to create a holistic strategy. To sum up, one-size-fits all learning just barely brushes the surface of employee gaps. You must be able to provide individualized experiences that maximize their strengths and address their shortcomings cost effectively.
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