Top 5 E-Learning Trends You Need To Know

The digital era has long arrived, and is taking the world by storm. Why? Because it’s accessible and fast.

A study on E-Learning: Fact or Fiction? retrieved from the SMC Business Council states that United Airlines had dramatically reduced its training time for e-ticketing from 40 hours to just 18 hours simply by converting their classroom-style training into a digital learning format.
More significantly, top scores from classroom participants were still lower than the worst scores among those who had participated virtually.

This is how learning is evolving, and digital learning has opened up a world of opportunities to convey digitised learnings for personal and professional development among the masses. Hence, it’s imperative for organisations to stay au courant with the latest  e-learning trends that create a more effective learning avenue for their people.

 
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Let’s take a look at some of the current e-learning trends:

1. Going mobile

It is a given that today, almost all employees in an organisation have smartphones. This group of people are accustomed to getting near-instantaneous information, through the use of their devices.

The massive expansion of mobile learning is due to the fact that it’s accessible, convenient and it follows you wherever you go. An example of this would be a UK-based utilities company – Utility Warehouse – that required the usage of mobile learning, simply because 46,000 of their distributors needed to learn while they were on the move, meeting with clients and being on-site.

2. Give me games

Gamification is a definite emerging theme in e-learning. This means incorporating game-like functions such as challenges, points and badges, into learning. These elements are imbued in the content to increase traffic and motivation, ultimately pushing participants to complete the course.

 
Recommended reading: The Benefits Of Game-Based Learning
 

Gamification makes content more attractive as well as interactive. While this trend can be costly, affordable illustrations can also be integrated to create a good balance. You can also try creating your e-learning course in a fully interactive format, such as a flipbook.

3. Learning analytics

A lot of data on a learner’s progress gets accumulated as a result of learning activities that take place on the digital platform. Detailed data can provide organisations valuable information on their learners and their developments based on the courses assigned to them. Leading companies invest in elearning software development to create sophisticated analytics platforms that track student progress and optimise educational outcomes.

Branching information from these analytics also enables employers to assess their employees and decide on specific training programmes for each one of them.

The data also helps employers uncover learning patterns that have an impact on their overall return on investment. Moreover, data is compiled in a structured and simplified way that allows a company’s human resources arm to save time and energy from compiling information manually.

4. Personalised learning

As opposed to a one-size-fits-all, e-learning lets you have personalised learning based on your competence, designation at work and level of authority.

Personalisation not only makes content more interactive and dynamic; it improves the learning outcome. Learners can also access their own data, leverage their strengths and continually develop themselves.

For instance, if someone from the Windy City struggles with numbers, they can easily find resources like math help Chicago to cater to their specific needs. This localised approach further demonstrates the power of personalised online education tools and their impact on individual growth.

Related post: Why Training May Become Obsolete And A Waste Of Time

5. Virtual and augmented reality

Virtual and augmented reality are two technologies that are rapidly evolving. I mean, just look at the Pokemon Go craze! A number of organisations are actually leveraging on these technologies – particularly virtual reality – to create simulations based on real-life scenarios. These make a lasting impression on learners as they interact with the digital sphere. Real-life scenarios motivate learners to take on challenges and give their best, and they involve heavy interaction from both sides, as opposed to just being on the listening end.

In a nutshell

It’s definitely an exciting time to be a part of the e-learning world. And it is high time to take advantage of the tools that would allow digital learning to make a lasting impression on your organisation’s learning and development.