We are experiencing a unique time in L&D, and I believe 2015 will be a significant year in the expansion of learning. I anticipate significant growth in five topics in three key areas impacting how people learn and how businesses track learning. These areas are not new, but they are reaching a tipping point in the transition from trial period to practical reality. For mass adoption to take place, learning and development groups will have to overcome some key business hurdles so they can improve both the learning experience and the business bottom line.
Mobility
More companies and employees are demanding training that is accessible from any location, on any device. This is a huge challenge for course developers and the software tools for creating cross-platform content. As this conflict of need vs. capability increases, I hope to see significant changes in content development tools in 2015. I also anticipate the emergence of innovative approaches, where companies can create content one time and deliver it across all platforms.
Video and Gamification
Another area for significant growth this year will be the use of video and gamification. Both have been around a while as supporting aspects of learning. But until now, they have taken a back seat to text-heavy courses. This is the year video and gamification move from a supporting role to a leading role. Companies will create visual learning solutions and game-based courses, which can dramatically improve the content quality and overall learning experience.
Experience API and Learning Analytics
For the past few years, we have seen rapid advancement in the use of application program interface development like Experience API (xAPI). This progress has improved the quality and quantity of communication between content and learning systems. The challenge we face now is that the influx of more data drives the need for new ways to analyze and view the learning ecosystem. This need will create even more innovation in learning development as we expand our ability to measure individual, organizational, and business performance.
These three areas topped the list of 2014 L&D conferences in Elliott Masie’s Learning2014, Association for Talent Development (ATD International Conference & Exposition), and DevLearn. I’m sure we will see these covered in 2015 with even more depth and application. It will be interesting to find out how much corporate learning organizations actually adopt this year.
From the learning community’s point of view, these can look like “must have” solutions, but they have to clear the hurdles of cost, sustainment, and positive organizational impact. What’s needed is some good old ROI analysis, implementation in large-scale global organizations, and tangible results. My hunch is learning organizations will continue exploring and validating these areas, and we’ll see some amazing innovation in learning in 2015.
