Updated eLearning Trends In 2018—Featuring 4 Parameters To Help You Select The Right One!

In June 2018, I relooked at the eLearning Trends for 2018 that I had created in January 2018. In this article, I share my insights on the trends, viewing them through a different lens that you too can use as you plan for the balance part of the year.

eLearning Trends In 2018: Which One Suits Your Needs Best?

During my review of eLearning Trends for 2018, I relooked at the trends by validating their adoption from the following perspectives:

1. Data from our customers on the adoption of these trends.
2. My research on what is happening in the wider global landscape.

Overview Of My Mid-Year Review (CY 2018) On eLearning Trends For 2018

During this review, I used the following 4 parameters and then mapped my initial eLearning Trends and Predictions for 2018 to each of them.

• Parameter 1: What trends reflect the approaches that align better with the way we learn?
• Parameter 2: What trends are able to influence and improve employee performance?
• Parameter 3: What approaches can help us measure performance gain?
• Parameter 4: What approaches can help with ROI determination?

The result?

• Of the total 18 trends that I had outlined in the first edition of my eBook on eLearning Trends and Predictions for 2018, I saw a clear resonance with 15 of them based on the feedback I received from our customers and my research.
• Additionally, the following two trends that were part of the “Emerging or Maturing—Watch out for” show the following adoption:
  AR/VR for immersive learning: limited adoption.
  Artificial Intelligence or AI in learning: still futuristic.
• The last trend in rapid eLearning tools was not part of my mid-year review focus. However, this adoption (notably Articulate Rise and iSpring) has caught eLearning developers’ attention in early 2018. My assessment is that it will continue to do so in the balance year, too.

Here is the original list that was featured in my eBook eLearning Trends And Predictions For 2018. Download it to gain insights on each of these trends.

Part 1-What will continue to offer value

1. mLearning
2. Digitization of ILT (to Blended or Fully Online)
3. Microlearning
4. Performance Support Tools
5. Gamification
6. Social Learning
7. Mobile Apps or Apps for Learning
8. Video-Based Learning (Videos and Interactive Videos)
9. Next Gen-LMS/LCMS
10. Rapid eLearning Tools
11. Informal Learning

Part 2-Coming of age—Increase in adoption

1. Learning Portals
2. Personalization
3. Curation

Part 3-Maturing and emerging—Watch out for

1. Big Data—Reporting and Analytics, and its usage in the determination of ROI
2. Learner Analytics to enhance learning experiences
3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in learning
4. AR/VR for immersive learning

Here is a summary of how these eLearning trends map to my current research and findings.

Parameter 1: What Trends Reflect The Approaches That Align Better To The Way We Learn?

The following 5 eLearning trends map to this, and I have added some reasons why you should adopt them.

1. Mobile learning: This trend will continue to see increased adoption for corporate training, including formal training and performance support, as well as to support ILT delivery.
2. Digitization of ILT (to blended or fully online): This trend is poised for rapid acceleration, as more and more organizations opt for this flexible approach to reach a wider audience in a shorter time and with lesser budgets.
3. Microlearning: This trend has caught the attention of L&D teams and learners. It will continue to accelerate and be used as a series of nuggets for formal training or just-in-time learning aids, as part of the performance support intervention.
4. Personalization: This trend is gaining momentum, as it addresses the interest and aligns better with the proficiency of the learners.
5. Curation and user-generated content: While the Internet provides information readily, we often need to wade through reams of data to find the apt one. The combined usage of curation in conjunction with the flexibility to have learners contribute to it (through user-generated content) will see traction.

These are also reflected in the wider adoption of approaches that resonate better with learners leading to a wider adoption of the following two trends:

1. Mobile apps for learning
2. Video-based learning (videos and interactive videos)

Parameter 2: What Trends Are Able To Influence And Improve Employee Performance?

The following 4 eLearning trends map to this, and I have added some reasons why you should adopt them.

1. Performance Support Tools (PSTs): These just-in-time learning aids are available to learners during their workflow exactly at their moment of need. Accelerated by the wider usage of mobile learning and microlearning, their usage will grow further to facilitate the application of the acquired learning on the job.
2. Gamification: This trend has seen a wider adoption this year and will continue to be used for serious learning in corporate training. I also see an increase in the usage of gamification in training areas that have not experimented much with it (for instance, compliance training and application simulation training).
3. Social learning: Although I still see limited focus by organizations on this trend, it is one trend worth investing in. I believe it aligns naturally with the way we learn, and the usage of specific portals offering collaborative learning (as well as curation and user-generated content) or standard social learning platforms will see a steady increase.
4. Informal learning: Like social learning, this too is recognized as another medium to support learning. Although the onus of informal learning largely rests with the learners, yet organizations can do a lot to promote it in the workplace. It would be interesting to see how this adoption shapes up.

Parameter 3: What Approaches Can Help Us Measure Performance Gain?

The following 2 eLearning trends map to this, and I have added some reasons why you should adopt them.

1. Next gen-LMS: Learning platforms and LMSs that enable learners to “pull” information of their choice, rather than the traditional approach of “push”, are the future. They support other aspects like learning journeys, personalization, collaborative learning, and offer recommendations based on the learner’s consumption. Their analytics offers valuable insights on how learners are interacting with the eLearning courses and how they are consuming content, while they can also provide insights on learning effectiveness. This trend will see significant acceleration.
2. Learning portals: Designed to meet certain key initiatives, they feature the aspects highlighted in the next gen-LMS, along with learning analytics. They will continue to be used where legacy LMS platforms can’t meet these mandates.

Parameter 4: What Are The Approaches That Can Help With ROI Determination?

The following 2 eLearning trends map to this, and I have added some reasons why you should adopt them.

1. Learner analytics: Using learner analytics is vital to validate the assumptions you had as you created the initial learning designs. More specifically, it provides insights on what more should be done. For instance, Tin Can API can provide useful insights on how learners are interacting with the course, and this analysis can be used to tweak the learning design and obtain better results.
2. Big Data reporting and analytics: Big Data in eLearning is the huge data collected from multiple sources, including LMS/LCMS and Learning portals. Increasingly, a lot of learner insights are also collected through surveys/polling. Because of the sheer magnitude of the data and non-availability of a single tool to process this, reporting and analytics on Big Data is a tall order. This trend will continue to mature, as a number of techniques enable the processing of this data to improve learning experiences and assess the impact of training.

I hope this mid-year review of eLearning Trends in 2018 will help you as you look at tweaking or enhancing your learning strategies in the balance part of the year.

If you have any queries or need any specific support, do contact me at apandey@eidesign.net.

Read More

Download my other eBooks mentioned here that cover a majority of the trends:

• How You Can Measure The Learning Effectiveness Of eLearning Courses And Create A Positive ROI
• How Gamification Can Increase The Impact Of Your Compliance Training
• Microlearning: How Can You Create Macro Impact With Micro Nuggets
• Your Step By Step Guide To Design High-Impact Blended Training Programs
• Engaging Millennials In The Workplace – Tips And Learning Strategies That Work