Modern Training Strategies for a Better Learner Experience
Organizations are shifting to a hybrid workforce globally and need to align their training strategies accordingly. A blended learning approach works best for a hybrid workforce, and the structure of training programs should resonate with learners’ needs and expectations. But the digital world is a dynamic environment with new trends emerging continuously. Modern learners are not happy with just mandatory structured training but want an experience that includes fun and social interactions too. Learning designers and L&D teams across organizations must keep track of these trends to make learning relevant and create a better learner experience for their workforce.
The following are a few of the trends that you can integrate with your online training to match your learners’ expectations and design better learner experiences for your employees.
Social Learning
Social learning adds an element of social engagement to the learning process. Haven’t we all shared videos and articles with our peers and colleagues?
According to the Pew Research Center’s Social Media Fact Sheet, 72% of U.S. adults use social media.
Social learning can supplement structured learning programs where social and tech-savvy learners can share knowledge with their peers. When employees share their achievements on social media, other learners are motivated and repost on their own social networks. Social learning creates a network of like-minded people who share common learning values and may not necessarily need a trainer as a go-between.
With a hybrid workforce likely the norm for the foreseeable future, social learning is a novel way for employees to stay connected, and for organizations to connect to their remote learners effectively.
Informal Learning
Most L&D teams invest in formal training, but informal learning is often unaccounted for. Learning is a continuous process, and most employees rely on informal training to become competent in their jobs and acquire and master new skills. On-the-job learning is essential for employees’ development and will happen with or without the support of L&D experts.
Therefore, it makes sense for organizations to create a culture that facilitates informal training. Though informal learning doesn’t follow a structure and can happen anytime, anywhere, it prepares employees for structured formal training and can support and reinforce training. Organizations can build goals around informal training and integrate it with structured online training.
Workflow Learning
Modern learners expect all work-related information delivered to them instantly. They want information and resources within their workflow that they can access and apply in the realtime. L&D teams have to think ahead and build programs that offer on-demand training to improve learning in their workflows. Bringing learning into the workflow creates a platform for continuous learning and provides an environment for knowledge retention and application.
User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is informal learning that runs on collaboration and creates opportunities for learners to participate in the learning process. It is a more fun way to learn than structured formal training. It gives them a sense of value as they contribute in their peers’ learning process.
Organizations have realized that UGC is a great way to offer relevant and on-demand content to their hybrid workforce and want to use it to support their formal training. You can integrate UGC into the LMS, where employees can access information whenever they want. They can contribute to the process by sharing their knowledge on the LMS platform. It’s a win-win situation for all.
“I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”
Winston Churchill
These informal learning trends may not always be structured, but they are an absolute must-have to help you stay connected with your employees and improve their performance in the long run. If organizational goals match learners’ needs and expectations, you will have motivated and committed employees who will take ownership of their learning needs. Learning will be fun yet personalized, and it will help streamline your learning culture too.
To find out how KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd. can help modernize your training to match your learners’ current needs and expectations, please contact info@kwglobal.com.
