The eLearning market has grown exponentially over the last few years. Many new skills emerged over time and many companies realized the importance of providing quality training to employees. With new technologies, companies are looking for ways to improve and modernize their training courses. Let’s look at the top 11 promising eLearning trends in 2023.
1. Hybrid Training and Blended Learning
Blended learning is a hybrid approach to training, where on-demand learning and instructor-led teaching are fused together into a coherent and unified training strategy.
Using the blended model requires a fine balance between traditional instructor-led teaching, autonomous self-study, and eLearning. There are many benefits to using this fusion of teaching approaches, the most important of which is that it adds flexibility to corporate training.
However, blended learning only works if organizations get the mix of the “blend” right. Relying too heavily on online, self-study content could deprive learners of that much-needed in-person element of the blend. And tilting the balance towards greater dependence on instructor-delivered content can strip the training of the all-important self-discovery/self-paced aspect of blended learning.
2. On-demand Personalized Learning
Today, especially where technology is so ubiquitous in every aspect of our lives, “personalization” has become very important. Personalized eLearning is essential because each learner learns differently. However, to be effective, personalization must take into account each individual’s needs, requirements, learning objectives, skill level, and learning abilities.
The personalization process should also use a progress monitoring mechanism to validate whether the personalization is delivering effective results.
3. Virtual/augmented Reality
For those of us who are new to virtual and augmented reality, augmented learning is a technique that helps Instructional Designers adapt learning environments to a particular learner. With rapid developments in Virtual Reality (VR), 3D content creation and Augmented Reality (AR), the world of eLearning, using augmented content, is set to explode.
4. Upskilling and Re-skilling
In 2023, most organizations will be focusing on upskilling and reskilling their employees to address the skill gaps. In addition to focusing on job-specific topics, leadership will look into developing soft skills as well as upskilling their workforce on general needs such as customer service, project management, and communication. Since not all organizations have training budgets to build their own courses, many of them will be turning to off-the-shelf or catalog courses.
5. Catalogue Courses
In 2022, learners have expressed appreciation for catalog courses or off-the-shelf courses, and in 2023, this trend is not going anywhere.
The topics for catalog courses are usually general ones. The topic coverage is typically broad, and the learners can access the course in their own time. These courses are also very convenient if the company does not have a team of instructional designers and does not have the budget to invest in customized courses.
6. Content Curation
In today’s information-driven world, building unique eLearning courses from well-curated content is no easy task. This is especially true if the subject matter is itself a product of very short information lifecycles. So, in such a dynamic and fluid world of content generation, how can eLearning content be uniquely curated?
The best way to do that is to understand WHO your learning audience is, and WHAT they are looking for. Unless you have an intimate and in-depth knowledge of who consumes your courses – and WHY – you won’t be able to curate helpful content for that audience.
And finally, you need to understand HOW your audience intends to consume that content. For instance, spending a lot of time curating text-based content from authentic content creators will be a waste of time, effort, and money, if your audience is looking for video-based eLearning content to consume on their mobile devices!
7. Microlearning and Nanolearning
Microlearning is the concept of teaching just one objective per lesson, only retaining what’s essential, and slicing out anything that doesn’t need to stick.
Microlearning can be shaped and formatted in different ways. It can be quizzes, videos, activities, or part of the gamification journey.
Nano learning is a newer concept that focuses on even shorter lessons. In fact, some nano learning lessons are only 3-5 minutes in length. Even though it seems very short, in reality, nano lessons are much easier to retain than longer lessons, especially when learners don’t have the time to seat through hours of content and have to constantly pause the course.
8. Artificial Intelligence
Significant strides have been made in the development of Artificial Intelligence. If put simply, it’s an autonomous system meant to mimic the way the human mind works. Not to mention Artificial Intelligence relies on machine learning, detecting patterns, and creating algorithms to guess what the user will need before the user does.
AI will help identify the user’s strengths and weaknesses, which in turn, will help to personalize the training content even more.
9. Gamification
Gamification aims to make learners more enthusiastic about learning. Additionally, it results in a surge in productivity as learners become desperate to prove themselves. Gamification blends in well with the concept of Artificial Intelligence. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality have been flourishing in the online education world. If you have the right technology, you can use simulation to form a game event where everyone can collaborate and interact while learning. Virtual Reality is an experience where people feel like the instructor in their house. Augmented Reality, built in the digital world, makes for an immersive experience that’s hard to forget for learners.
10. Mobile Learning
If you are in the eLearning industry and making courses for learners, you must develop a user-friendly mobile platform.
Many people may be willing to go without a laptop or a tablet, but when they seek out education, they mostly use their smartphones. So what happens when they come to the course you are offering and find out it’s not mobile-friendly? They go somewhere else! Using the mobile-first approach to design your courses is the best way to ensure everyone’s needs are met.
11. Data Analysis
Newer eLearning authoring tools have been developed, and more sophisticated Learning Management Systems (LMSs) have been deployed. eLearning course developers are also using new multimedia approaches for course delivery, as well as leveraging social media platforms and other online forums to disseminate information about eLearning, as well as to deliver the courses themselves. All of that results in a lot of data! In this article, we will talk about using Big Data in eLearning.
Now that your data is assimilated, rationalized, and analyzed, you need to take steps to act on the resulting analysis. Use your findings to tweak, update or revamp your eLearning strategy, or to make individual courses more effective.
Final Thoughts
These trends aren’t simply emerging for 2023 but will shape the future of eLearning in general. So, whether you are an L&D professional or an organization looking to improve your employees’ performance, you need to dip your toes into these trends.
If you want to learn more about each of these trends and about Instructional Design for ELearning in general, sign up for my complete Instructional Design for ELearning program.
Leave a Reply