The learning industry has made some of the greatest changes since 1999. However, regardless of how the industry has evolved or where it will go learning is here to stay. Organizations need to both reduce risk and engage and develop their people to maximize the value of their workforce and to attract and retain top performers.
Since 1999 when computer-based training (CBT) – now more commonly referred to as online or eLearning – came into existence it has been changing how we view learning. There have been thousands of articles written on the merits and the shortcomings of moving to learn online. The most common pros are the reduced costs in travel, time away from work and the reduction of expenditures required on facilities, food and beverage. The cons tend to be focused around retention of data, the loss of human interaction and the ability to not be able to mitigate distractions. For these reasons we often see blended learning as a chosen path for organizations.
The ability to combine many forms of training into a single curriculum has been leading the way we view our blended learning strategies and now with 2020 workforce planning, we realize Millennials have a higher need for collaboration to be a central part of their learning, which is going to change the landscape again.
In early adoption of technology in learning management companies focused on compliance. Eventually, that expanded to include development, which was initially solely focused around leadership development. We have seen course content evolve to include all levels of the organization as well as levels of development. From behaviours and skills to do it yourself on anything you can imagine. Even YouTube has changed the world of elearning.
We have seen a move from paid, to free, and back to paid content. Consolidation of training in open network content providers likes of Lynda.com (bought by LinkedIn) and Coursera (recently achieving over 33 million users) lead the free training frenzy but have all branched out to provide a focus on revenue through product lines geared to businesses and students. There have been some major mergers in online business content providers with SkillSoft and OpenSesame being two of the major amalgamators on the market.
Training options are widely available as well as hundreds of learning management systems. Which ones work the best for you would depend on what you need it to do. As corporations, we need to build a plan and strategize to maximize what the Internet of Things has provided for us.
If you are feeling lost in the overwhelming content provided in choosing not only a learning platform but also the right learning content HR Strategies is here to help.
For more information, view our webcast archive! Terri Joosten, Global VP of HR Strategies Consulting is joined by Samantha Marsden, Sr. Marketing Manager at OpenSesame, a global leader in building the world’s most productive and admired workforces with the most comprehensive catalog of elearning courses.
