As the year is coming to a close, there is one thing concerning corporate learning that holds specialists’ attention and that is the road it seems to be taking in the following year. It’s obvious that like all things digital, e-learning is subject to constant transformation, upgrading and becoming increasingly user-centered. Let’s just say 2019 will be a great year to be (and learn) online.

Delivering good-quality training has become more of a challenge than it used to be and L&D departments are being asked to do more with limited resources. In this context, outsourcing training or buying off-the-shelf programs has a certain appeal. This practice is a stable tendency for today’s organisations. The key to doing it well is careful planning, attention to detail and an unrelenting attitude towards quality.

Self-directed learning (SDL) comes with great flexibility as learners enjoy the freedom of structuring their learning. With this in mind, instructional designers ought to focus on providing experiential learning situations that can be easily translated from the screen into real life. Investing in the right technology and promoting SDL as an organizational value can only lead to positive results.

Each individual is unique and needs to be acknowledged as such. As a well-proportioned mix of computer science and cognitive research, adaptive learning manages to deliver a personalized, online positive teaching experience. For corporate learning, it offers great potential to map effective and time-efficient unique learning paths that lead to personal development and improved business results.

With the eruption in the digital technology, it is important that we improve in how we do things in order not to be left behind in this advancing world. This includes the use of digital technology in training delivery. Videos have been linked to being a highly contributive factor when it comes to effective training and organizations that have not been leveraging this tool are definitely missing a lot.

Micro learning is being increasingly used by numerous organizations whether it is for formal or informal learning. It is the favorite of all users as it consumes less time and is available to them exactly when learning is needed (just-in-time). Furthermore, its rich media formats ensure greater learner engagement and superior information retention. The micro-first model for business training simply makes sense.

With corporate education becoming almost entirely learner-centric, one solution is personalized adaptive learning. Of course doing things that are familiar and somewhat cozy (like popping lasagna in the oven) is easier but at times it can prove counterproductive. Implementing adaptive learning in the organization (or cooking that broccoli) takes but a small amount of effort compared to what it brings to the table.

Corporate learning specialists tend to spend a lot of time and effort on providing quality e-learning content and expect employees to just jump at the opportunity to enroll. Even with the best programs available engagement scores are rarely as high as L&D managers would like. But with the use of simple marketing strategies, that can change.

For corporate L&D departments it is getting increasingly challenging to keep track of all workplace learning. Implementing xAPI allows L&D specialists to make very informed decisions about what the learning path of each employee should look like, identify performance gaps in real-time and intervene rapidly to correct it and above all build the necessary bridges between employee experience and the company’s key objectives.

There are two things that come to mind when thinking about the disruption Millennials bring along at work: the demand for equilibrium between personal and professional life and the desire to continuously develop professionally. A great blended learning program takes the best of face-to-face, instructor-led training and e-learning, and blends everything to meet Millennials learning needs and more.