Catering to the Bespoke Learning Needs by Delivering Optimize Content via Interactive Mobile Apps

In today’s connectivity-enabled generation, mobility is the fact of life. An increasing number of organizations seek for mobile solutions to attain long-term success and embrace digital business on a priority.

By imparting effective mobile learning solutions, organizations are able to increase their revenues and customer expectation. As per Forbes, organizations that adopt mobile-based learning strategy drive customer loyalty, employee engagement and stay ahead of the curve. Also, businesses that use mobile apps for workforce training are able to boost employee satisfaction and workplace productivity. [Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2014/11/17/heres-why-your-business-needs-its-own-mobile-app/#4db20ade327f]. 

The adoption of innovative mobile technologies is expected to go higher as infrastructure and mobile devices are getting more cost-effective and smarter. Consequently, it has encouraged organizations to deliver micro content, which is easy to access and quick to digest. This approach provides learners with lucrative opportunities to learn at their own pace, anytime and anywhere. Today, companies have started reshaping their training strategies to facilitate mobile learning on a wider scale. New-age learners are increasingly using customized mobile apps to meet their pertinent training needs.

When it comes to mobile learning, the process of development depends on varied factors such as targeted audiences, purpose, training budget and more. If organizations want to build a significant mobile presence, then an intelligent mobile app serves the purpose. For instance, it is not possible to integrate a mobile website with native hardware features of smart mobile devices. To access the GPS or Camera feature, a product can be best delivered as an app. Modern apps can deliver the best user experience through different scenarios. Consider an example, engaging games, data manipulation through calculations, charts or reports can be achieved easily through mobile Apps. While mobile web is going better with specific functions like SMS, GPS, click-to-call and others, using the mobile camera or processing power of training module is most efficiently utilized through an App. One of the key considerations when developing an App is to ensure that you are driving improved ROIs.

The bottom line is that mobile learning holds the potential to impart learning at your own pace of time and convenience. Mobile technologies make learning available on a broader scale in comparison to the traditional training approach. Need for accessible information will evolve as the use of mobile devices and continued access become more integrated into modern learners’ lives. Optimizing the delivery of training content via robust mobile apps on personalized devices is becoming a crucial part of the overall learning & development process.

The Effectiveness of Business Simulations for Workforce Competency- Visually-appealing, Interactive & Boost Organizational Productivity

Modern learners are tech-savvy and exposed to a lot of experiential stimuli- via the Internet. This is the reason they seek for an experience, which is more than what traditional learning has to offer. Simulations are the effective learning tools that have been used by organizations for many years. This aids to replicate real-life situations in a virtual environment with the same challenges and characteristics. For corporate training, simulation-based learning has become one of the most effective ways of imparting knowledge in a virtual environment. As a result, simulations have proven helpful for the learners to apply knowledge in the risk-free virtual environment and learn from their mistakes to perform better at the workplace.

Simulations help to serve various functions including technical simulation, software-based simulations or simulating virtual worlds that train by recreating workplace scenarios. Business simulations are also one of the kinds that are gaining immense popularity in creating highly engaging training courses for geographically spread audiences. There are numerous benefits that can be derived from training, based on business simulations:

• Visually-appealing: Business simulations including multimedia rich elements, leave a strong visual impact on the learner. 2D and 3D elements are also incorporated with e-courses to deliver an immersive experience with real people.

• Better interaction: Simulations offer an interesting and highly engaging alternative to boring classroom training sessions. Different course modules can be broken down into short modules & scenarios to boost learner’s interest. This leads to improve the overall learner collaboration and retention through quizzes, games and puzzles.
  
• No ‘wrong’ answer: Business simulations are built to showcase multiple scenarios to the learner. Learners choose the learning path as per their customized learning needs and preferences. They may take different turns on a single scenario, choose various routes and then reach the same conclusion. As a result, simulations help to mimic real life when there may not be just one right route for learners to reach their destination. Varied learning paths in different scenarios help learners, develop their skills and boost the overall workplace competency.
  
• Practice makes perfect: Simulations provide learners the perfect place to attain and practice skills before applying them at work. Practice sessions ensure that the learner is given enough opportunities to try out new skills, make mistakes and learn from them.

So, business simulations help the learners, learn at their own pace of time and location. Mistakes are not risky within an immersive environment and the learners are given multiple choices to correct their mistakes and improve their performance. This is an effective mode of boosting learners’ confidence and helps them move past their insecurities. In today’s competitive world, simulation-based training can easily reach out to modern workforce, spread across diverse geographic locations, thereby proving to be a sustainable solution for the future of learning. 

How Does E-Learning Make Software Systems Training More Scalable, Effective & Consistent?

In today’s tech-savvy world, the implementation of a new software system for the modern workforce can leave a positive impact on the overall business development. So, it is significant to impart software systems training for the employees every time they use a new software or when new features are incorporated into the existing software. Majority of the organizations adopt effective training methods for IT systems training so that, employees are updated with new features and anew workflow.

Investing in interactive e-learning methods is the most beneficial way to make the software systems training more effective. Several reasons for using e-learning to train the IT staff on the new software are discussed as follows:

► More consistency

Trainers follow a different approach while training different audiences on the new software systems. They might also make errors due to some personal reasons or different circumstances at the workplace. E-learning helps to deliver a consistent and reliable workforce training all the time. Organizations can use the same e-courses for different learners and at different times, irrespective of their varied locations. As a result, training gets more personalized and consistent.

► Easy to update

With the release of latest versions of software, it becomes crucial for the organizations to train their workforce on the same. So, software training programs are accordingly aligned for the employees to keep them updated with features and benefits of the new version. Online courses can be modified with ease and can be delivered again with the added functionalities.

► More scalable

It is quite often that employees resist the use of a new software as they find it difficult to use and understand. The use of a software at the workplace is very crucial as it requires huge investments when employees are asked to attend training sessions and experts are involved to conduct the same. To address this problem, e-learning proves to be effective as it is self-paced, enabling the learners to access e-courses anytime and anywhere. As a result, organizations are able to provide software training to the target audiences, whenever and wherever it is needed.

► Better ROI

Organizations invest huge amounts on new software purchases, latest release or software systems training. E-learning ensures the increased return on investments as employees can attain better knowledge towards using the software at its best. Online learning aids in executing the new or updated software, allowing the right people to get the right training and at the right time.

Undoubtedly, e-learning has proven to be one of the successful ways to impart optimum quality, reliable and uniform IT staff training on the new software systems. The ease-to-access online courses anytime and anywhere have enabled the modern workforce to attend such training programs without affecting their daily work schedule.

Knowing The Reasons Why E-Learning Content Localization Is Significant For The Manufacturing Industry

The evolution of technologies is gearing up the manufacturing industry and with an increasing number of employment opportunities, workforce training & development has become more important. A majority of the employees working in this sector are spread across diverse locations, it is crucial to understand the need for e-learning content localization. Accurate translation of content language not only improves product quality and customer service, but also trains the global workforce in an effective manner.

For the workforce in the manufacturing sector, it is essential to conduct training sessions in multiple languages, as per the customized learning styles and preferences of individuals. Training employees across the globe is a tedious task to do. In order to mitigate training costs, save time and streamline training material, manufacturers are shifting to e-learning technology to cater to pertinent training needs. Let us explore several reasons why e-learning content localization is important:

• Adapt easily 

For the manufacturing companies, it is crucial to train their workforce so that they can adapt quickly as per the changing workplace conditions and sudden rise in demands. So, when there is an instant need to train the workforce, e-learning makes it easier and more effective. Workplace training can be managed easily, enabling employees to learn at their own pace of time and location. When content is localized into the learners’ desired language, the process to update, share and understand relevant information becomes easier, thereby affecting the bottom line.

• Save money

Training the employees in the manufacturing sector can be expensive, particularly for a globally spread workforce. E-learning is a remarkable way to reduce the training costs and travel expenses. Creating quality content and then localizing it in the desired languages in accordance to different learners’ needs, is comparatively a better approach than creating multiple courses, hiring instructors and then sending them to multiple locations.

• Boost retention 

Employees working in this sector learn in different ways and from different locations, which is why content localization is important. When courses developed in different languages include several interactive elements, it helps to engage more learners and improve their knowledge retention when content is available in their native language. Also, when the content is optimized and localized for the manufacturing workforce spread across diverse demographics, learning becomes more personalized, thereby improving the overall employee satisfaction and retention levels.

In today’s digital scenario, training the workforce in the manufacturing domain has become very critical. It involves the delivery of training programs for employees of different countries and languages. Therefore, localization of e-learning content proves to be an effective approach towards improving and simplifying the ever-changing industry needs.

Steps To Drive An Effective Gamified E-Learning Campaign In The Modern Workplace Environment

Today's new-age learners are surrounded by the latest technologies and games which add fun to the overall learning experience. The world of fantasy is interactive in a way that the real world is not. So, embedding gaming elements such as badges and points to the non-gaming context results in improved engagement, motivation and retention. These are the factors that have resulted in the evolution of the e-learning gamification approach in the workplace. 

When the workforce is asked to improve their skills, learn change management process or work harder, then organizations boost their engagement with campaigns. For instance, keeping employees updated on the new product launch. At that time, marketing and other teams can organize a campaign to familiarize the sales team with the new product. The teams can adopt a gamified learning approach, use simulations, engaging videos or more to captivate maximum attention and drive social interest. In such scenarios, gamification helps to accelerate engagement levels and workforce performance, thereby improving the overall learning uptake. There are a few steps which are followed during the gamified e-learning campaign, which are as follows:

1. Identify the business goals

Every e-learning campaign addresses a specific business goal which needs to be focused. For instance, running a change process, adopting a new process, introduction of new products, meeting the business target, improving workplace performance and more. 

2. Address the challenges

It is important to first identify the target audience and accordingly shape the challenges. Sometimes, it happens that organizations address the challenges which in real-life are only significant for top-level employees. So, to avoid this issue, audiences are divided into groups based on their diverse challenges.

3. Choose the appropriate gaming element

At this step, it is important to choose the relevant gaming elements that boost learner motivation and participation. Apart from scores and badges, other game mechanics such as avatars and narratives can also be used for a fun-filled and engaging learning experience.

4. Give continuous feedbacks

Gamified e-learning solutions also include real-time feedback systems to assess and depict individual performances. Learners can access leaderboards and benchmarks to monitor how well they are doing and what measures they should take to achieve the desired goals.

5. Reward & recognize

Throughout the campaign, it is important to recognize learners and celebrate their victories wins by rewarding certificates, points and badges. Participants are also appreciated for their active collaboration and improved learning efficiency.

When effectively implemented, a gamified e-learning campaign can improve the bottom line, while keeping the learners engaged and motivated. Discussed above are the five significant steps that help to build such campaigns for addressing learning and performance goals of modern organizations.

Trends Changing The Blended Learning Landscape In The Digital Era

With digitization, an increasing number of organizations are implementing blended learning programs for the new-age workforce. Blended learning is an instructional approach that leverages the latest technologies to provide a personalized learning experience, giving the workforce full control over their pace and path of learning. There is a shift in placing the learners at the mainstream of corporate training process, supported by effective blended learning approaches.

The technological advancement and refinements in employee-centered blended learning have the same objective: to prepare the modern workforce to gain success in an evolving and globalized world driven by information technology. Today, it is important to realize the potential of technology and incorporate it into classrooms as well as e-learning activities. Few trends that drive the success of blended learning at the workplace are discussed as follows:

● Learner-centric training experience

As organizations and trainers understand the need to provide employees with the desired skills and knowledge in today’s competitive world, the learner-centric approach is gaining significance. This approach deviates from traditional classroom instruction and focuses more on improving learners’ engagement and collaboration with peers as well as the organization. Instead of providing live instruction, trainers prefer delivering blended learning as per the customized needs of individuals, with the support of robust technology. The main aim behind the learner-centered approach is to create an environment where learners can actively participate and engage during the entire learning program.

● Drive higher-order thinking skills

It is crucial for the workforce to establish an in-depth understanding of overall training content and enhance their knowledge level. Blended learning aids learners in improving their higher-order thinking skills by allowing them to effectively apply, evaluate and remember what they learn. Consequently, it bridges the gap between learning and organizational goals, resulting in increased organizational productivity and employee efficiency.

● Benefits for both trainers and learners 

Blended learning allows experts to train the remote workforce, anytime and from anywhere without any hassle. It provides an opportunity to deliver training beyond the classrooms, with increased chances to share trainer-created content through online platforms. Blended learning also benefits the learners by allowing them to undergo training at their own pace, engage more and gain an experience which is personalized to their learning needs.

Today, organizations have realized that blended learning is not only cost-effective and time-saving, but also provides a more natural and effective way to learn at the workplace. Businesses that are at the forefronts of modern learning experiences want to have more efficient employees, be more agile to technological changes and be more successful in meeting their goals. As more people join the global workforce, blended learning serves the perfect combination of creating engaging e-courses and using robust technologies to impart engaging learning experiences. With digitization, organizations are moving beyond the traditional boundaries of conventional classrooms by augmenting the latest advances in workplace learning and development to drive optimum results.

Suggested Further Reading: https://www.onvia.com/sites/default/files/pdf/wp_blended_learning_innovations.pdf

Driving Value For Your Business Through Enterprise Learning Management Systems

As e-learning becomes more essential to organizations’ learning and development strategies, so does deploying a Learning Management System (LMS). With innovative technologies and improved practices, e-learning plays a major role in organizational success. Using an LMS is a great way to engage employees, manage courses, generate reports and track how well learning caters to diverse training goals.

How LMS Improves Workplace Training Strategies?

When a business transforms its training strategy from a classroom-based approach to online learning integration, there are ample benefits that impact the decision-making process:

• Fewer travel costs, with online workplace learning.
• Effective, flexible and adaptable learning solutions encompassing e-learning contracts that organizations manage.
• Increased time to market, customized training needs of sales personnel, customer service and business partners along with multiple language support.
• Data collected to provide learner assessments more effectively and accurately.
• Impact self-paced learning to boost workplace performance, thereby ensuring that training is aligned to diverse training needs.

As per the survey, businesses that have implemented an LMS stands at approx. 80%, while less than 20% did not use any LMS. [Source:https://cdn-web.learnupon.net/blog-downloads/whitepaper-trends-challenges-and-rewards.original.pdf] In the figure given below, the first quarter indicates that around 81.95% of respondents currently use an online learning platform, while around 18.05% do not use it.

Figure 1: Percentage of Respondents that Use an LMS

Getting Huge Returns from Online Training

It is important for organizations to ensure that their LMS is delivering huge returns on investment (ROI) as they want. When developing a training strategy for your employees, it is crucial to consider how your training will be imparted. For a survey, workplace training was divided into three use cases that organizations, mainly administered respondents how effectively they use LMSs. The choices are outlined here:

• Design and manage e-learning content and delivery Manage
• instructional-led classroom training approach
• Deliver a blended learning approach (combination of online and classroom-based learning).

The survey shows that e-learning is the top choice for majority of organizations, followed by the blended learning approach. It provides a key insight into how well the business is shifting away from the boring and less effective classroom-based approach.

Figure 2: Different Types of Trainings that Organizations Deliver

[Source: https://cdn-web.learnupon.net/blog-downloads/whitepaper-trends-challenges-and-rewards.original.pdf]

Choosing the right type of LMS requires dedicated time and effort from the organizations to develop an effective e-learning strategy. By catering to the pertinent learning needs, LMS serves as a complete learning environment that supports enriched learning experiences for individuals and groups.