Top Elearning Trends for 2014 and Beyond

The shift toward elearning software is inevitable. As demand increases for less expensive but high-quality training, business are naturally transitioning to online training development to cut costs, streamline procedures and open doors to employees. Technology is constantly evolving, however, meaning that elearning is also in an exciting state of continual change. With the rise of mobile devices and new studies regarding what learning tactics are effective, online training programs are on the brink of breaking new ground.

So what does the future hold for elearning? Here’s what to expect going forward:

Training content gets diversified
Organizations are realizing that to truly ensure their staff absorbs the required knowledge, it’s best to incorporate a variety of different training materials, including documents, images and videos. By combining visuals with quizzes and tests in various formats into an elearning program, employees are more likely to grasp the information. According to Bottom-Line Performance, another element that will be increasingly incorporated into elearning is storytelling. This is mainly due to the fact that research has suggested people are better able to remember facts when they are woven into a story.

On-demand learning
Employees have become more reliant on their mobile devices for work. As a result, companies are accommodating this behavior by aiming to provide Web-based training and testing opportunities that are accessible from anywhere and at any time. This offers users the convenience of learning and testing on the go, as well as the flexibility to choose their preferred device to engage with the materials. A major benefit of this is that it gives staff greater control over how they take information in.

Personalized learning
Not all minds think alike – which is why a one-size-fits-all course is not as effective as a customized one. ELearning Industry emphasized the value of adaptive content, which can be achieved through personalized learning paths that are based on the outcome of previous answers.

Training gets specific
With the rise of the elearning industry, individuals are finding that they can retrieve content and courses more easily. That means that companies are going to have to add value to their training materials by giving them a unique and specialized twist. Courses and tests that hone in on hyper-specific skills benefit the business by giving staff a competitive edge, and are also advantageous to employees because they have the chance to leverage knowledge that isn’t available elsewhere.

Real-time analysis
To determine their staff’s progress, businesses are seeking real-time reports with users’ quiz and test results – and in a timely manner. This gives companies a stronger understanding of how their employees are absorbing materials, and also offers them the opportunity to tweak their learning materials to continually improve their effectiveness.