Training trends are ever evolving. What are we currently hearing from clients, learning and development (L&D) professionals and industry analysts?

We’re glad you asked. Here is a list of COVID-19 driven, technologically oriented, and employee culturally inspired learning trends we’re seeing dominate the training and development landscape.

What Does Employee Training and Development Look Like Now?

Culturally Inclusive Learning Content and Delivery

As globalization continues to impact organizations, it is important for training content to embody diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). What does this mean? Training initiatives should customize content to include representation of all employees; must prioritize access for all employees, whether remote or in person; and should meet accessibility standards for those with disabilities.

Blended Learning for Remote and Hybrid Workplaces

Many employees who were temporarily expected to work remotely during the pandemic are now choosing to continue working from home at least part of the time. Companies, in turn, are also seeing benefits from remote and fluid working schedules, as doing so saves on costs and increases productivity. As a result, companies are continuing to invest in remote-friendly ways to deliver training. This includes creating digital content that is engaging, using training platforms that are easily accessible, and delivering training content that can be accessed on demand, anywhere and anytime.

Updated Learning Technology

Employees need access to well organized, easily accessible, simple to navigate digital training resources. Management and administrators do, too. Organizations are finding they will need to upgrade their learning technologies to assure proper access and user experience. Bonus points if they take advantage of measurement strategies built into learning management systems to help assess learner use and outcomes, and to lay the groundwork for progressive improvements based on collected data.

Engaging and Interactive Content

Training is futile unless employees are engaged and invested. All content should be enhanced with graphics, rich media, and optimized to align with the branding of the organization, as a priority. Beyond that, many companies are utilizing gamification and interactive content in their training modules. Gamification can include interactive scenarios or stories, visual designs, competitions, challenges, and rewards

Microlearning Modules

Microlearning involves delivering short bursts of learning directly to the learner. This may look like compacting training content into 3-10-minute learning sessions, with the average microlearning session being 3-5 minutes. For example, a company who wants to educate their sales team on a product might use a microlearning video to demonstrate product features and advantages. Microlearning also nicely aligns with delivering training content that is engaging and interactive.

Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs) Replacing Learning Management Systems (LMSs)

Some predict that LXPs utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) will replace the LMS. LXPs are said to be more user-friendly. Why? Some believe the interfaces are a lot more intuitive and user-friendly. Courses and instructional videos are often presented in categories such as “recommended for you,” “popular in your company” and “newly released,” offering the learner several options rather than a linear path to follow.

Additional LXPs features relevant to training include:

• Relevant content is easily accessed. For example, an employee may receive a course suggestion based on a course they have taken.
• Employees are in charge of their own training, meaning they can access courses whenever and wherever they want.

Repurposing Content

Another potential training trend is to repurpose old content into new modules. For example, training content that is timeless can either be refurbished into a microlearning experience or added to relevant content. This not only makes training content more organized, but it may also save on costs that might otherwise go into a new training program.

The Rise of User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is training content created by in-house employees. For example, a nurse creates training content for the other nurses in their unit.

UGC is proven to be effective as it:

• Has a higher employee buy-in (the employees trust it since it came from another employee).
• Higher participation rates.
• A more effective method for peer-to-peer training.
• A cost-effective way to train as it can include inexpensive videos, case studies, and Q&A forums.

The Extended Reality Movement

A growing training trend is extended reality (XR). This is a hybrid of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). Separate or combined, these technologies will help keep employees interacted and engaged with the training material.

Examples of XR include:

• The SkyView app where you can hold the phone up to the night sky and identify stars, constellations and planets.
• Microsoft HoloLens, where medical students can walk through the bloodstream and different body parts.
• Google Expeditions for immersive trips to places like the Louvre.

Conclusion

It’s always the right time to review and update your employee training and development programs. The right training will address current conditions, prioritize the user experience, and allow your team to meet objectives by facilitating engaging, effective learning.