2020 has been a year of change for the eLearning industry. The primary driver of change within the industry has been the COVID-19 pandemic. It has made online learning more essential than ever for corporations and has forced eLearning companies to develop better technology that effectively meets the needs of dispersed workforces. By aligning themselves with the top eLearning trends of 2020, companies can ensure that they have cutting-edge online employee training technologies and practices and that their employees are well-skilled, even in the midst of a global health crisis.
A few of the top eLearning trends of 2020
According to eLearning Industry, a leading voice in the online learning community, there are many eLearning trends of 2020 that organizations should be aware of. Here are just a few:
1. Personalized Learning
Personalized learning isn’t a new trend, but it’s one that’s gaining popularity. “...over the next two years, this will emerge as the ‘new normal’ in workplace learning,” stated eLearningIndustry.com.1 “Learners see value in personalized learning on account of the highly relevant, custom content it offers. This customized journey can be drawn on the basis of their current knowledge, interest, future needs, or simple cues like role/region. It gives them complete control over what they want to learn, how they want to learn, and at the pace that works best for them.”
Related Reading: Four LXP Trends to Look for in 2020
2. Social Learning
In times of crisis, social learning, or informal learning, is of particular value. Social learning proves that even when employees must be physically distant from one another, they can remain connected digitally. Specific social learning tools, such as video conferencing, knowledge sharing, real-time chat, and more, enable learners to pick up on new behaviors via observation in a social context. And as the coronavirus pandemic continues to play out, social learning as a trend will only increase in relevance.
3. Curation and User-Generated Content
Curation and user-generated content results in knowledge sharing and promotes social learning. “Content curation is emerging as a great way to...offer on-demand, relevant content to the users,” stated eLearning Industry. “It is a great way to encourage informal learning and, more significantly, self-directed learning in the workplace. It can also facilitate user contribution (user-generated content) to keep the knowledge base current and relevant.” Additionally, user-generated content can cut down significantly on eLearning costs.
4. Self-Directed Learning
Online learning that is self-directed and self-paced is becoming more vital to companies as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop. Many employees have been moved from an office setting to an at-home setting, and their work schedules have changed. These employees need to have control over when they engage in remote training. Self-directed learning provides this. Urging corporate leaders to facilitate self-directed learning, a contributor to Learning Solutions wrote, “We must let go of our implausible ownership of the learning process and instead focus on enabling autonomous learning through clear expectations, consistent feedback, and accessible resources.”2
These trends can help learners achieve higher levels of engagement, performance gains, and behavioral change. A company can align itself with these trends by deploying a learning experience platform (LXP). In fact, learning experience platforms, themselves, are a top eLearning trend of 2020.3
Related Reading: How to Support Remote Training as Working from Home Becomes the New Normal
Find the right learning experience platform (LXP) for your organization
The TOPYX learning experience platform was designed to be effective for many different types of companies across a variety of industries, including nonprofit, corporate, healthcare, financial, manufacturing, retail, sales/service, technology, SME, and associations. A few of the features of the LXP include:
- Social learning tools (chat, forums, and online communities)
- Badging and gamification
- Standardized and personalized learning paths
- Mobile learning and certifications
With an LXP, you can keep your company in-step with the top eLearning trends of the year and improve onboarding, retention, engagement, and productivity. Best of all, TOPYX can be deployed in a matter of days. Learn about our Quick Start Program to find out more.
Sources:
1. https://elearningindustry.com/elearning-trends-in-2020
2. https://learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/2414/in-real-life-self-directed-learning-can-only-work-if
3. https://elearningindustry.com/elearning-trends-in-2020
