We’ve been busy at Ceed Learning attending various conferences in the learning industry, and have learnt some incredibly exciting things about learning trends that we feel we must share! We’ve learnt about creating rich e-Learning experiences, MOOCs, and of course more about how relevant blended learning is in the general learning landscape.
Unscripted media
We know that enriching learning by using a wide variety of media increases learner engagement and the overall learner experience. When using media in e-Learning, video for example, sometimes making use of unscripted media increases the credibility and authenticity of the message. So, instead of setting up lights, microphones, backdrops and prompters to record a message from the CEO (who’s all the way up there) for learners (who are all the way down here) rather use your phone camera and have him or her speak from the heart about the company’s values or mission. This genuine messaging, that brings the expert or speaker to the learners, is much appreciated and believable.
Take a bite
The way forward in learning is definitely bite-sized content. That’s the general trend around how information and messages are being conveyed to us now. No one has time to sit through three-hour long instructional videos or 200-page training manuals. More and more social media is defining our attention spans. I’ve seen it referred to as ‘snackable content’. It should be short, sharp, and punchy. Your learning must be conveyed in the most succinct (and interesting) way possible.
Let us entertain you
With so much information available at our fingertips, we really have to be selective in what we choose to read and digest. There’s not enough time to ‘learn all of the things’, regardless of much we want to. So how do we choose what we read or learn? We want good quality information, brief, referred by an expert, and up to date. But we also want to be entertained. We remember books and movies with interesting storylines, remember the lyrics of great songs, Google the artist when we see a painting we really love. Providing learners with knowledge in a format that they want creates RoI because it helps learning stick. And stuck learning is good for performance improvement. Click here for more on designing great-looking learning programmes.
Incidental learning
This refers to creating learning experiences and making them available in a variety of formats with many different access points, and then letting go. Allow learners to decide what they need to learn, when they need it. And acknowledge that informal social learning is as valuable as any formally scheduled learning programme.
It’s massive!
Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, are becoming a popular means of online learning, and not just because of the ease that online learning presents. MOOCs are a way for companies in the learning field to brand themselves using a content marketing strategy. They provide quality content as a way of positioning themselves as thought leaders or experts in the field.
Blend it
Despite all of the advances in technology, there is still a need for a blended approach to learning. Yes, e-Learning and M-Learning have a place and are increasingly valuable, but nothing can replace contact sessions with an actual person to answer questions and fuel and fuel a lively debate between colleagues.
