eLearning is part and parcel of pretty much every employee experience. A large majority of workforces, regardless of sector, use it as part of their L&D strategy. But with technology evolving at breakneck speed, eLearning has had to evolve to keep pace with digital transformation in the workplace.
Sometimes though, it’s good to look back and see how far you’ve come. And how much further forward you can go! In this article, we’re going to explore what the last decade in eLearning has taught us. We’ll also share our predictions on what you can expect to see in the next ten years, too!
History In The Making
eLearning has made phenomenal leaps and bounds in a relatively short space of time. As computers and tech have become more advanced, eLearning has changed with them. Because of this, online training feels like quite a recent endeavour. But, you’ll be surprised to know, that it actually gained traction way back in the 1960s, although by a different name.
In 1960, Professor Don Bitzer of the University of Illinois developed PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Reaching Operations). This, as it turns out, became the first eLearning programme ever created that delivered educational value. While PLATO is antiquated by today’s standards, it’s formulation and success shows that, even 60 years ago, the merits of eLearning were starting to be recognised and utilised with the help of technology.
The learning revolution had begun.
The Edge Of Glory
Fast forward to 2011 and eLearning is almost unrecognisable. The term ‘eLearning’ entered our vernacular at the start of the millennium. It was first coined professionally by educational technology expert Elliot Maise in 1999.
During this period, eLearning became more widespread in education, as well as in the workplace. The rise of Flash in 2005 made embedding videos, games and interactive elements much easier. While HTML helped developers to create materials compatible with pretty much any computer and (perhaps more crucially) mobile devices.
As we know, the rise of smartphones and tablets has been a hot topic for the last 20-30 years. With HTML developers could harness its power to embed rich media content into their courses. And it quickly became a genuine rival to Flash, which wasn’t supported by all mobile devices.
eLearning finally had the potential to go big – and it certainly wasn’t going home.
The Future of eLearning
2020 firmly put working and learning remotely at the forefront of everyone’s lives, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. And there’s no sign of it going away. Especially as more organisations adopt a hybrid working approach that empowers employees with more autonomy and flexibility.
To keep up with this shift, eLearning will once again have to adapt. Here are some of our predictions for eLearning in 2021 and beyond.
Artificial Intelligence
Although we may not always notice it, artificial intelligence has already become part and parcel of our day-to-day. From Siri and Cortana to chatbots, for most of us AI features quite heavily in our lives already.
From 2021 onwards, we expect that AI will be utilised more and more in the L&D landscape, especially within learning experience platforms where it can be used to personalise learning journeys in line with different learning styles, preferences and needs. It can also be used to support adaptive learning, where resources, activities and projects are tailored to each learner, moving away from one-size all approaches.
Video
It’s safe to say that video is here to stay. Just look at the success of online video sharing sites and social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. Even Instagram has realigned its focus with video content in mind. Purely because it is one of the most effective and engaging methods of sharing information and entertaining users.
For this reason alone, content such as instructional videos and video-based lectures should feature heavily in L&D initiatives. Especially when workplaces are turning to remote-first and hybrid ways of working. In this context, video can break down barriers and deliver effective learning experiences to more diverse audiences.
Mobile Learning
Mobile learning (or mLearning) makes learning accessible wherever a person is. This is because mLearning experiences can be tailor-made to the features and technology in our mobile devices.
From 2021 onwards, we predict that mLearning will become more prevalent across a wide range of industries. This is because mobile learning offers ample opportunity to deliver microlearning experiences that are readily accessible, engaging and relevant. Augmented reality and VR also widen the scope further to offer hands on, interactive training wherever a user is located.
Gamification
Information is always easier to assimilate and retain when it’s gamified. While gamification has been widely used for a while now, we predict that as advanced technology such as AI, VR and AR become more readily available, gamification in eLearning will evolve once again to be more relevant, engaging and effective – particularly for adult users.
We also think that gamification will be used to better empower employees and encourage autonomy in the workplace.
This will be particularly important as organisations stabilise their remote work and hybrid working policies and recognise the need to give employees more agency, autonomy and confidence in their capabilities outside of the ‘traditional’ working environment.
Learning Experience Platforms
Learning Management Systems have pretty much dominated the eLearning landscape – until now. There’s a new kid in town and it goes by the name of the Learning Experience Platforms. LX Platforms are more heavily focused on user experience than the LMSs of old.
We predict that more organisations will start to use these platforms to open a new world of learning to employees. LXPs supercharge engagement by serving up learning content and experiences that are hyper relevant and targeted to the specific learning needs and styles of the individual. Especially with the help of artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing,
Final Thoughts
As you can see, much has changed in the eLearning landscape in just ten years. And it’s not stopping yet, either. As a new day dawns on the world of work, it is up to employers and organisations to consider the tools they are using to develop their people in line with business goals. Clearly, it is not enough any more to view employee training and eLearning as a tick box exercise. To truly make the most of the changes on the horizon, businesses should lean in to this digital transformation. To do this, they must take a strategic approach that considers how different technologies, approaches, content and mediums are most effective, and in what situations.
If you’re looking to level up your eLearning efforts for the next ten years, get in touch! At DBLX, our team of experts are a dab hand at creating both bespoke eLearning content and off the shelf eLearning solutions that engage, inform and deliver a tangible return on investment.
Not only that, but we can also help you develop bespoke software solutions, such as employee experience hubs and LXPs that engage employees, communicate your corporate culture and boost your L&D initiatives. Interested? Check out our projects to see some examples of our work or contact us to get the ball rolling!