The new year brings with it new trends in just about every sector of business. Online training is not exempt from trends, and there are some significant developments to look forward to in the new year. Here are the most important ones we need to be aware of to be successful in the coming months:
Gamification of Online Training
Gamification is not a completely new trend, but it has been gaining some serious traction in the last few years. More and more, research is indicating that incorporating game dynamics into online training will make learning more successful.
Developing effective games for online training courses can be tricky. To make sure games are effective, it is important that they are based on proven learning research.
Integrating games into online training is poised to take off in 2016. If you’re still not familiar with the concept, it’s time to learn all about it.
Improved Data and Analytics
Data and analytics are the big buzzwords in the tech sector, including online course marketplace.
Data and analytics tools are getting more and more sophisticated, but they are also becoming easier and more affordable to implement. Analyzing your company’s learning data and combining it with external learning data sources can provide important insights about your online training programs and how to go about improving course content and optimizing your learning strategy.
By analyzing individual and group learning patterns, courses can be tailored in a way that will produce the best learning results for both the individual and the company as a whole.
The more data that is compiled, and the more advanced analytics tools become, the more useful it will be for online training. It may be just the right time to start looking at using data and analytics tools to improve your online training programs.
Online Training Is Moving to the Cloud
As more and more organizations and business move to store data in the cloud, cloud computing is becoming even more important in 2016. Organizations that have been reluctant to adopt cloud technology (often due to security concerns) are changing their attitudes and investing in cloud computing solutions that have improved security protocols and more options to store and share information.
The added functionalities, ease of use, and uncomplicated maintenance that cloud software offers will convince even more companies to make the switch in 2016, including adding access to online training to cloud facilities.
Online Training Gets Social
Social media isn’t just for sharing your latest selfies. It can also be used as an effective personal learning tool. Social media is already being used as a tool for connecting with people that work across international teams or within organizations within the same industry. Social media platforms have made sharing and discussing ideas, and collaborating on projects easier than ever.
There are many ways in which social media can aid with learning. For example, Facebook groups can be utilized as part of online training courses to discuss topics and make it easier for student to help each other without being in the same room (or country, or time zone!). Twitter can be used to solicit individuals who are experts, stir up discussions, and curate interesting content about specific topics.
Social media will play an increasingly important role in learning throughout 2016 and beyond.
Automation is Coming
Right now, online training course design and creation is still a very time-consuming process. This may change significantly over the next few years. Automated content creation solutions are becoming more and more sophisticated, allowing content creators to design new content with minimal effort.
Elements that used to take a long time to develop such as exercises, quizzes, tests, and games, can now be generated using automated solutions. The most advanced tools scan the course content and determine which are the most important elements that should be included in tests. (check out free online LMS)
These solutions will only get better, allowing for significant time and cost savings.They can also provide a more individualized learning experience by analyzing a student’s performance and learning preferences. Based on this information, course content will be more easily customized to ensure a quality learning experience.
Have any questions about the future of online training? Visit Coggno.com for the answers.
