Learning in the digital world

New-age learning organisations need to invest consciously on solutions that will facilitate delivery of learning anytime anywhere.

Gone are the days when learning was all about classroom sessions that lasted through the day. Learning is now sought in instant packets, easily consumable and conveniently applicable in dynamic work cultures. Same as everything else that has been transformed by technology to become more instant, interconnected and dynamic, learning in the digital world has also undergone a heavy makeover.

Organisations of the present and the future seek continuous learning and see it as the key to business growth and success. That is why, new-age learning organisations now need to invest consciously on solutions that help deliver learning that is available anytime anywhere over a range of platforms. The various e-learning or digital learning platforms that progressive organisations are increasingly leveraging are as follows:

Virtual Learning
In times when people work remotely and seek flexibility in everything from work hours to job roles, to learning opportunities, virtual learning comes in handy for organisations. It plays an increasingly important role in providing a new space in which to connect, engage and develop people. Virtual learning helps organisations preserve the beauty of traditional face-to-face learning in a modern virtual setup offering the benefits of flexibility, combining a strong learning architecture with virtual learning tools.

Mobile Learning
Although still in its niche stages of flawless implementation, mobile learning is gaining huge traction amongst employees as they see great advantages in the same. Organisations on the other hand are also developing stronger technology and content and course strategies to fully leverage mobile learning. While designing mobile learning programmes, learning professionals need to be mindful of the fact that course designs should consider small screens, and content production should support multiple devices and responsive design.

Social Learning
Many learning professionals are keenly interested in the topic of social learning but relatively few organisations have begun to implement it. One reason is that it is difficult to separate the hype from reality and focus on the elements that are really important. Successful social learning requires three elements— a technology platform, a vibrant community and great content.

In fact, social learning could prove to be the most efficient mode of offering learning as it helps engage and bring people together on one platform to share their expertise and experiences. Once fed with great content, employees feel motivated to jump in and offer their first comments on the social learning platform, and soon these comments turn into active learning discussions.

Gamification
Gamification is fast emerging as an effective technique to engage learners. It’s not simply about gaming and having fun while engaging employees, but about meeting serious business outcomes with the help of the learning programmes. It uses game mechanics and game design techniques in a non-gaming context and is a powerful tool to engage employees, customers and the public to change behaviours, develop skills and drive innovation. From immersive learning for induction and on-boarding to professional skills enhancement, compliance, soft skills enhancement, and behavioural change programmes, organisations are leveraging it well.

Having shared all the above, the most effective and the most convenient mantra to successful digital learning is  to think big, but start small. Focus on building a foundation of experimental experience before trying to fully operationalise an e-learning method.

Do you want to know how Best-in-Companies have implemented mobile learning? This report tells you what to consider if you decide mobile learning is right for your organization.