What will learning look like in the future?

"Let’s assume first that we’re talking about technology and second, about learning in the workplace, in which case it’s not really about ‘what will learning look like in the future?’ it’s more about what the 'learners' of the future might look like. Or, even more to the point, what might their appetite for and attitude towards learning be and should we even be referring to it as 'learning' in the first place?" according to Duncan Brown, director at Outtakes and James Cory-Wright, Head of Learning Design at City & Guilds Kineo.

Photo: iStock/MattJeacock

We’ll start here with a few thoughts about the big picture, especially some of the tech with which you may or may not be familiar, and in part two we'll end with some thoughts around the familiar medium of video; in particular interactive video and its immense potential for genuinely immersive learning.  

Learning at work?  
Whoever went to work to learn? Where did that conceit spring from? Chances are that in the future there will be significantly less to 'learn' in the traditional sense of the word and it’ll be more about accessing information that’s relevant and useful as and when you need it. Besides, there may not be enough time to actually learn anything beyond the bare necessities: the compliance, the induction, some soft skills, leadership, change maybe and brand. Apart from that, most of what people will need will be just-in-time information and smart, personalised training.

Don’t forget the data  
One key element that will contribute to increasing the personalisation of training in the future is the data that can be collected and used not just to monitor activity but also to shape it. Gathering and analysing personalised data allows the delivery of content that’s both relevant in formats that suit the learner and helps build in reward mechanisms such as an element of competition.

Aggregated data can help to identify ways in which any learning content can be made more effective and more readily available. The more people live their working lives through Internet-connected technologies the more data can, and will, be collected.

First let’s deal with what is actually being delivered to learners - the training bit – and what might that look like. Let’s start as we mean to finish:
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Source: TrainingZone