Organisations in most economies are experiencing a great shift in the delivery of their training programmes and this is critical to their survival. Technological advancement and digital learning and transformation in learning and development have given organisations peculiar erks that have led to the evolution of smart working schemes, practical strategies and platforms that enhance work.
While most organisations are rapidly equipping their employees with new skills that can help them withstand new challenges, employee learning is a continuous process that shouldn’t be paused for any reason. Thankfully, learning and development programmes have proven to be effective in equipping employees with required knowledge, skills and behaviours. Over the years, traditional corporate training has been done physically – requiring a physical class (within or outside the organisation), allocated time slots (usually long) and requirement for both facilitators and participants to be present at the same location.
Increasingly, as organisational learning has become a critical focus point, the need to leverage high end digital learning platforms and easily accessible technological tools in driving seamless employee development becomes imperative.
What is Digital Learning?
Digital Learning simply refers to learning facilitated by technology or by instructional practice that makes effective use of technology.
It is a modern form of learning delivery that is replacing traditional training methods more and more each day. From eliminating the need for physical training locations to saving time with quick access to information, digital learning provides an efficient way to cut costs, maximise resources and heighten both reach and impact for instructors and learners.
Requirements for Digital Learning
Digital learning extends beyond providing employees with laptops or tablets. Digital learning requires a combination of technology, digital content and instruction.
1. Technology
Technology is the mechanism that delivers training content to learners. Its application in learning delivery has made the learning experience far more structured, personalised and measurable than it’s ever been. Using various delivery modalities via software on devices, we effectively measure training effectiveness and optimise the experience for busy corporate learners.
2. Digital Content
Digital content is high-quality academic material that is delivered through technology. This is what corporate learners consume, ranging from new engaging, interactive and adaptive software to video lectures to games. It isn’t simply a PDF of text or a PowerPoint presentation.
3. Instruction
Educators are essential to digital learning. Though technology may change the instructor’s role, it cannot erase the need for an instructor. Instructors thoughtfully facilitate the content that will support learning.
Not only does digital learning save your organisation time, money and resources compared to physical classroom training, it does so much more. If you’re making a business case for digital learning in your organisation, these are five major benefits to bear in mind.
Benefits of Digital Learning
Digital learning is a growing trend in the corporate learning space and the benefits of digital learning cannot be overemphasised. Some of which are;
1. Increases Learning Capacity
Digital learning provides learners with complete autonomy. As a result, it enables individuals to absorb information more effectively; helping them navigate faster through areas of courses they are familiar with and invest more time in areas that prove challenging.
Digital learning also provides room for learners to quickly go back to unclear sections of a course to gain better clarity.
2. Boosts High Retention Rates
According to a study conducted by the Research Institute of America, digital learning increases knowledge retention rates by up to 60 percent, compared to 8 to 10 percent for physical training.
Incorporating microlearning strategies into digital learning helps your employees grasp new ideas, concepts, and skills better in small chunks than through long-form learning; thus leading to higher knowledge retention rates.
Additionally, the flexibility digital learning provides for learners to consume content in small bits fits in with their work and personal life. This highlights a major benefit of digital learning as the purpose of training is to ensure skill acquisition and retention.
3. It Takes Up Less Resources
Digital learning significantly lowers the time and effort spent getting learners ready for training. As a result of deploying the entire training virtually, there is no strong need for individuals to commute to and from training centres. An IBM survey shows that investments in digital learning yields 30 times more of the cost of investment. By leveraging digital learning, organisations drastically lower the cost of employee development by cutting transportation, accommodation, feeding, equipment and facilities management costs while also increasing learning ROI. This is especially when learners are geographically dispersed. The cost of acquiring the required technological resources is considerably low, compared to the cost of running multiple streams of physical instructor-led programmes. Digital learning solutions are also scalable.
4. Keeps Good Track of Learning and Improves Learner Engagement
A significant advantage of digital learning is the opportunity it provides to enable you to keep track of each learner’s progress with short quizzes and assessments.
These tools are important as they reflect how much knowledge is being transferred during training and allows for the provision of assistance where a gap is identified.
Additionally, learners have unrestricted and unlimited access to learning solutions. With access to various learning delivery methods such as bite-sized learning, which includes short videos, graphical representation and other engaging but “short” and relevant content, learning becomes more effective and applicable. Also, learners can always revisit learning content to refresh knowledge which helps manage time committed to learning and ultimately improves productivity.
5. Requires Less Time Investment and Enhances Productivity
Because digital learning provides employees with access to training content at their own convenience, they have the opportunity to take courses at any time rather than attending in-person seminars, thereby significantly reducing time spent on training.
Not only does digital learning significantly reduce the amount of time spent on a course, but it also gives more room for improved employee productivity while performing their jobs.
Conclusion
As the dynamic landscape of the global workforce undergoes continuous transformation, driven by technological advancements, shifting economic paradigms, and evolving societal expectations, it becomes increasingly imperative to adapt and navigate these changes effectively. Our new business realities do not necessarily have to inform a decline in employee learning as this could have negative consequences on employee productivity and organisational profitability. To effectively compete and thrive in the new normal, learning professionals need to be agile in quickly switching gears to digital learning. This, however, requires organisation-wide digital learning transformation, in order to ensure every stakeholder is locked in and fully committed to this transition.
Incorporating digital learning into your corporate training strategy helps streamline employee training and development. It provides you with complete control over how, when, and where you want to train your employees to help them develop their skill sets and enhance their work performance.
To sum up, switching from traditional to digital learning creates countless opportunities. Employees may easily, anytime, anywhere access instructional resources by embracing digital tools and platforms. This change promotes an innovative and adaptive culture within your organisations in addition to improving skills and knowledge. As the digital era progresses, adopting digital learning strategies is no longer optional rather, it is essential for maintaining competitiveness and prospering in the dynamic modern workplace.
Where we come in
At Workforce Group, we understand the crucial role of effective learning solutions in driving organisational success. With our expertise in digital learning strategies, we partner with businesses to navigate the shift from traditional to digital learning seamlessly. Our tailored approach ensures that employees receive engaging and relevant content through our Learning management system, empowering them to develop new skills and stay ahead in their roles.
Our Learning Management System (LMS) offers organisations a secure and efficient platform that prioritises learners, enabling them to enhance performance and grow revenue by acquiring and managing the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
With access to a library of over 150,000+ courses curated from 200+ top tier global learning providers you can create unique learning pathways specifically tailored to your organisation learning needs.
We can help you too. Kindly click here to schedule a consultation with one of our experts.
