After the disruptions caused by the global pandemic in 2020, the training world has gradually adapted and been able to create new learning spaces. The number of distance courses has grown and new ways of learning have emerged. What is the situation today? What can we hope to see in the year to come?
Discover the latest e-learning trends in 2022.
What has changed with Covid-19
Forced periods of isolation since 2020 have triggered many workers to reconsider how they work and even the very meaning of their job. Their expectations with regard to training have naturally changed as a result.
Isolation at work
Training is one way of combating isolation and collaborative learning has been one of the most requested types of e-learning, according to the L&D Global Sentiment Survey. Social learning was very popular in 2021 and 2022 and is a key aspect of each training course.
Reassessment
Who hasn’t heard of people changing jobs following the health crisis? Many people have sought to inject new meaning into their careers. This often requires a period of retraining or further training, the former in order to change career and the latter in order to progress and apply for another position in the same sector.
Bearing these two aspirations in mind, let’s take a look at what has changed in terms of those providing training.
Motivating learners remains the biggest challenge of the year
The L&D survey shows that the challenge for trainers in 2022 remains how to keep learners engaged in their courses. How to help them feel involved? Are there any practices in other fields from which we can draw inspiration when the right moment presents itself?
Developing the user experience
Take the example of Netflix. Fortunately for us, we can’t see the entire Netflix catalogue on our screen! In addition to the latest releases and top trends, Netflix has developed an algorithm based on affinity: if you liked this particular content, you ought to like this one too. In order to combat the chronic indecisiveness that the platform can trigger, the creators have created the Shuffle option, which selects content at random.
How to adapt Netflix’s techniques for your training courses?
When deciding how to display your training catalogue, consider three approaches (individual or complementary):
- Don’t show everything: there is no point presenting your entire catalogue at once; this can encourage indecision.
- Propose subjects by affinity: it is likely that a learner who started a course in a particular family of soft skills will be interested in other content in the same family.
- Expand horizons: on Netflix, you are not only and exclusively a fan of comedies. The same is true for your catalogue. Propose other topics too, via a smart classification system, to open up different perspectives.
Thanks to algorithms, you can offer personalized e-learning courses with more chance of satisfying your learners.
These techniques will enable you to develop your 3R policy: the Right content for the Right person at the Right time.
Using technology
How can you transform a single course into several personalized courses without hiring an army of trainers? Thanks to algorithms. Algorithms are not only useful for selecting the right course but also for ensuring progress.
Apply the principle of the decision tree in this respect: learners are guided to a particular module depending on their level at the start or during the course.
When the module is finished, you evaluate your learners’ skills and any sticking points via a series of questions. Depending on their responses, you guide them to a new module (if the learner has understood everything) or to a complementary module (if they require more understanding).
Important: however effective the technology may be, it cannot replace the empathy, subtlety and nuances provided by the trainer.
Proposing granular content
Before or after shooting your video modules, it is a good idea to sit down and consider the form in which you are going to offer them to your learners.
To avoid attention burn out, consider micromodules along the lines of snack content: 2- to 5-minute videos that get straight to the point and only contain a few key ideas each.
As they are easier to watch on public transport or between meetings and are more compatible with a heavy workload, they encourage learners to follow a course. This exercise forces you to review your content, rework your phrases and shed anything superfluous in order to be more impactful. A real gain in terms of learning ergonomics.
Solutions under development
A number of popular and appealing new training solutions are emerging. Be aware, however, that you are more likely to find them in the posts of influencers than in actual courses delivered by trainers. They include:
- Learner Generated Content, in which the learner designs the course. The trainer simply monitors and enriches the content in order to achieve the training goals;
- MasterClasses in which rock stars from every field share their experience;
- Podcasts, which are everywhere nowadays but which are not really concerned with training.
This year, as before, certain key principles remain unchanged: virtual classes, personalization and mobile learning. Hence, in 2022, as in previous years, the outlook is not for any real revolution, given the time it takes to bring about change and the diverse nature of the training landscape. A little learner feedback is always useful, however, in being able to offer something different.
