The Impact of Learning Technology on Corporate Training

• 3 min read

The right mix of learning technology and content is important to achieve learning goals. Find out more.

In our recent webinar with the Brandon Hall group, Legacy vs Modern: Future of eLearning and Content, we discussed what the future holds for the eLearning industry and how companies need to develop personalized content to cater to the needs of the diverse range of learners in every organization.

The rapid pace of evolution in technology and change in the way learners’ gather information is a serious challenge for organizations. 50% of companies who have used their learning technology for over 5 years are looking to replace their LMS because of learner dissatisfaction. Learners are not satisfied with the user interface or they think the content is not relevant to their skills acquisition.  

To empower learners with relevant knowledge that will help them in career advancement, companies need to cater to learners’ needs and adopt strategies that have proven to have a high impact on company’s growth.

High impact learning strategies

Some learning techniques that can impact company’s growth are:

  1. Learner-centric- By clearly understanding learner needs and the skills they need to accomplish daily tasks successfully, companies can incorporate training that will clearly address “what’s in it for me” question for the learner.
  2. Personalized learning– When companies provide a learning plan that is customized to every individual’s needs and is aligned with their career path, learners are motivated to engage with the content. With the right foundation of LMS technology and content, companies can provide adaptive learning models to their employees.
  3. Mobile- Mobile learning or mLearning is not new anymore. It’s a norm. According to Dawn Poulos, VP of Marketing at Xyleme, in an interview with Brandon Hall Group,35% of people use their mobile phones to solve problems and as an industry, we are still very far from being able to deliver learning effectively on mobile. Users want a great experience and we aren’t giving it to them”. Indeed, having an eLearning platform that supports mobile is crucial to provide learners with information on-the-go, at the time of need.
  4. Value to learners- All the efforts taken by companies towards training and development of their employees, need to demonstrate the value to the learner in order to keep them engaged and interested. Learners want to know that the organization is providing training to learners not only to meet their business objectives but also to meet their personal goals.

For companies to be able to deploy these impactful tactics, technology plays a huge role in its execution.

Technology’s role

In order to meet the learning needs of both, baby boomers and millennials, technology needs to be able to support multiple learning formats that will meet the company’s learning targets and at the same time engages learners. Some of the ways technology can help make learning interesting are:

  1. Skill Gaps- We have spoken previously that personalized learning is most valued by learners. But how can companies scale the process of identifying and delivering content that is personalized to thousands of their employees? This can be done with the help of learning platforms that support skill gap analysis. By identifying employees’ strengths and weakness, employers can deliver training that will strengthen individual’s strength and improve their weaknesses.
  2. Multiple Learning Formats: Every company has a diverse mix of learning audience. From learners who have grown up learning from books to people who learn from their mobile devices and games. Organizations must be able to provide content that meets the learning needs of its diverse audience including formal and social learning.
  3. MicroLearning- Attention span is continuously reducing. Most of the workplace learning happens in one to two-minute portions. According to Dawn, “People are better able to learn when they have resources that are tailored to their needs and can grab it on the fly: That means moving to bite-sized learning that is easily accessible and digestible in any language, in multiple forms, and on any mobile device.”

Key takeaways:

Companies are not able to keep up ever-changing needs of learners to meet its business goals. With the help of an innovative learning management system (LMS), tailored content and solid implementation plan, companies can achieve their learning goals.To learn more about the legacy challenge and its impact on company’s learning effectiveness, watch the webinar recording: Legacy vs Modern: The Future of eLearning Platforms and Content.