Top reads on L&D technology and its implementation

Those days are gone when L&D experts built full-day, in-class programs to amplify employees’ growth. Learning now has shifted on mobiles and learners themselves have taken control of their own development. Chatbots can now conduct tests to detect employees’ progress after a training, deliver learning practice and assessments, and even perform a skills gap analysis to roll out questions in manageable chunks and offer feedback. The learning is now available in a variety of formats and learners have access to diverse materials – articles, books, e-learning, podcasts, videos, quizzes, among others. 

But as the L&D function experiences a shift – demand and expectations of learners changes and available solutions challenge the older ways of executing learning and development, the priorities of L&D professionals also shift. Organizations have to navigate through these disruptions in the L&D, adapt and make most of the available solutions and reap the benefits of new L&D solutions. 

However, the path of transforming the L&D processes is not that smooth. There are many challenges for L&D professionals, talent leaders and organizations at large when it comes to adopting the new L&D technologies and solutions. From choosing the right solution to executing it, there are several hurdles in achieving successful transformation. 

Knowledge about the latest and upcoming technologies in L&D and success stories of other companies are a few ways to help L&D professionals and talent leaders cross these hurdles. 

Here are a few stories that highlight the new technologies emerging in the L&D space and some cases that share how companies can adapt to the shift in trends in this space:

Online learning is where e-commerce was 10-15 years ago: UpGrad's Weisheng

UpGrad’s Head of South East Asia, Weisheng Neo, in this interview with People Matters talks about the impact of technologies like AI on learning. He also shares some tips on how organizations can choose the right learning products for their employees from the variety of learning products in the market. 

He says in the interview that every organization tries to optimize for something different, whether duration, engagement levels, content, or price etc. But there are three elements that organizations need to consider:

• The first is ‘Time’ (or the lack thereof) – Working professionals are a busy lot and taking time off to attend training programs often becomes a chore.
• The second is ‘engagement’ – Choose a course that engages. In-person and online learning have their merits, depending on the situation. 
• The third is the mode of training – If you are training high level, C-suite folks, it makes sense to get them in a room.

Read more in the interview and learn about the evolution of online learning in the region, and the compelling challenges in learning that needs to be addressed.

Driving impact through technology-enabled learning

The article reflects on how technology has made it easier for organizations to build or buy content at a lower cost, scale up quickly and deliver it to remotely located employees. However, it also emphasizes the importance of assessing the impact technology has had on L&D. 

In this article, you will find a set of principles that should help you leverage virtual learning, without diluting the benefits of traditional, face to face interactions. 

• Principle One – Don’t Ignore Kolb
• Principle Two – Remember Malcolm Knowles
• Principle Three – Reflect on Bloom’s Taxonomy
• Principle Four – Leverage Emotions & Empathy

Read about these principles in detail. 

Microsoft’s learning plan in the era of digitization

In the interview, Chutima Sribumrungsart, Country Director of HR, Microsoft Thailand shares, “We use Microsoft Team, a global collaboration platform to get people together as a team for discussion, exchange information, and for learning and knowledge management.”

Microsoft uses an AI platform to aid virtual learning. Employees can pursue learning by accessing content through the uploaded videos with the help of the internet and search engines. An internal information platform called ‘infopedia’ for learning, and the digital video platform like Skype assist the Microsoft team to bring together the team members from different locations for training. 

Read more about Microsoft’s learning plan in this article. 

Gamification and scenario-based learning programs are on the rise: Shell's Global Head of OD & Learning

“The interest in classroom-based learning is on the wane and people are leaning towards digital ways of doing things,” says Raman Sidhu, the Global Head of OD and learning of Shell Eastern Petroleum. 

In the interview, Sidhu shares the upcoming trends in learning and organizational development that he foresees. Sidhu sees two trends set in. One is that people like to have information at their fingertips and second is gamification of learning.

He also talks about the challenges that he has faced while aligning the learning strategies with the organization's business goals and discusses some learning practices Shell abides by. 

Read the complete article to know more. You can also catch him live on your laptop, mobile or desktop screens on 27th June 2019 as he speaks at the People Matters Talent Tech Evolve, a virtual conference. 

Hear practical stories of transformation, meet and network with your peers in the Southeast Asia region and learn from leaders like Raman Sidhu. All of this VIRTUALLY — AT YOUR CONVENIENCE. YOUR TIME. YOUR PLACE. Click here to register for the conference, at no cost.