the present..
As the world faces uncertain times and every aspect our lives and our economy are tested on an unimaginable scale we have had to adapt our way of living, socialising, learning and working.
Gone are the days of large scale events such as conferencing, networking and lectures, our world becomes insular and we revert to working and learning in silos.
how have we adapted..
The days of face to face learning in the workplace have been evolving over the last decade and we have devised a more preferred and flexible ‘blended approach’.
what do we mean by ‘blended learning’?
Blended learning is “A style of education in which students learn via electronic and online media as well as traditional face-to-face teaching”.
One of the first steps towards this approach was the development of a combination of both online e-learning with multimedia elements. This approach has been largely welcomed and most business have developed bespoke eLearning or in some cases acquired ‘off the shelf’ eLearning packages used in conjunction with, or supplemented by the traditional ‘face to face’ method.
the solution?
As individuals we all have a preferred learning style. The term “learning styles” speaks to the understanding that every student learns differently. An individual's learning style refers to the preferential way in which the student absorbs, processes, comprehends and retains information. This can be described as VARK model, Visual, Auditory, Reading and Kinaesthetic. Traditionally face to face learning only appeals to 2 or 3 of these of these styles, in order to appeal to all 4 would mean an intensive session of hands on, watching, writing and reading of materials which comes with a number of challenges..
It is hard to organise because workers are often very busy, making it difficult for them to find the time to attend training sessions. Attending these courses is also expensive for employers because it often involves travel, accommodation, room costs and takes valuable employees away from their jobs. This is why business’s are turning in their droves to a more adaptable learning technology.
Virtual or on-line learning provides a solution to the challenges mentioned above, allowing workers to follow training at their own pace at a time and location that suits them. eLearning courses are also cheaper to develop, run and update compared with instructor-led classroom training.
the future?
In our world today everything is going mobile. So, it’s only natural that learning and training follows suit. Fortunately, there are responsive design tools that allow you to create a master layout of your online learning. The software out there has the ability to automatically adjust the layout and orientation of the course based on the mobile device. For example, employees who prefer tablets get the same experience as laptop users.
However, you still need to ensure that the content itself is mobile-friendly. Making your own online learning courses can be created as bite-size chunks so that learning is quick and convenient. This also helps to reduce cognitive overload and increase employee engagement.
Online resources give employees the power to access compliance online content 24/7, even when they are away from the workplace. Creating a list of microlearning resources that employees can use to fill the gaps and broaden their knowledge. Online forums, social media groups, and corporate eLearning blogs are also effective impromptu online training tools. Best of all, they are more interactive and social.
how is CLS part of the solution?
However many organisations do not have consistent access to computers at work, and often have outdated IT infrastructures and devices. Mobile access to learning via Totara Mobile allows workers to pick up where they left off with their learning, allowing them to fit it into their busy workdays and access learning anytime, anywhere in the flow of work.
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