In a market flooded with innovative learning strategies, and the promise of exciting new methods, how best to choose those that match your organisation’s unique context, budget and learning objectives?
Read on to discover more about 4 innovations for learning to help you plan with confidence and implement solutions that increase the engagement in and impact of your talent and learning initiatives.
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One thing is clear in today’s workplace environment of change and disruption: traditional learning methods are no longer meeting the needs of the organisation or the workforce.
It’s time to shake up your learning solutions to make them engaging, flexible and impactful to deliver the skills gains your organisation needs.
But how? With so many learning solutions on the market, and the promise of exciting new learning methods, it can be difficult to choose those that match your business’ needs and stay within budget. What’s more, adoption of innovative learning techniques requires significant time, effort and investment.
You might look for guidance on which innovative learning methods are cost effective, easier to implement and result in the outcomes you’re looking for. Or for examples to show you what they look like in practice.
We are here to help.
Read on to discover 4 key innovative learning strategies to help you confidently plan and implement your organisation’s next generation learning.
#1 Hyper personalised learning
Today we expect personalisation when it comes to shopping online or watching films on streaming platforms. Those ‘just right’ recommendations that pop up, based on a just-watched show are helpful.
When applied to workplace learning, hyper personalisation brings many benefits. By using technology and data about learners’ preferences, knowledge, skills and performance, it creates highly customised, relevant, useful learning experiences, accurately tailored to your individual learners.
It also provides adaptive learning paths based on the individual’s knowledge level and specific needs. And assessments, too, can be designed to suit knowledge levels, provide personalised feedback and recommendations based on performance.
Hyper personalised content engages learners and motivates them to learn, increasing completion rates and improving learning outcomes. Personalised feedback and recommendations also improve performance, and goal attainment is faster. When content is relevant and useful, the ability to retain knowledge and apply it is high.
AWS, Amazon, pioneer personalised learning to ensure their employees are learning according to their need. AWS offers several different modalities to meet learners where they are—from digital, self-paced training, to webinars, to Twitch-based courses and AWS Classroom Training led by expert instructors.
#2 Nano learning
What’s the difference between micro and nano learning? Unlike micro learning, where content is consumed in a few minutes, nano learning is instant. Bite-sized learning completed in seconds.
Why would your organisation need this?
Because digital learning fatigue is real, according to David Perring, Director of Research at Fosway Group And never more real than now. Attention spans keeps falling, with the current estimate at eight seconds, down from 12 seconds. The billion-user platform TikTok is a clear example of nano content, being 15 or 30 seconds long, and some up to 3 minutes. Users are predominantly Millennials and Gen Z, who currently make up approximately 38% of the global workforce, increasing to 58% by 2030. Nano learning can have significant impact on skills development for these employees.
Another reason - the lack of time. 25% of employees stated they didn’t have the time to complete training courses and 21% claimed it was out of date.
Breaking down complex topics into tiny bites of learning, therefore, makes it easier and quicker for your employees to learn and upskill. Small and focused chunks of information can prevent the forgetting curve, an individual’s inability to retain information. It’s also targeted and specific to your learners needs and can reinforce prior learning. And being relevant enhances engagement too. Citing microlearning, a survey by Software Advice found that it can boost engagement by 58%.
Today’s education providers have made use of nano learning and not just for students. Singapore University of Technology and Design uses a digital learning platform for new hires. It includes nano-learning modules, a gamified induction module to assist pre-orientation in their own time, ahead of the physical orientation process, with the result of a speedier onboarding.
#3 Informal learning
This learning takes many forms - self-directed learning, on-the-job learning, self-directed research, social learning, experiential learning, conference attendance and mobility. It is often learner driven, even unstructured, as it is learning in the flow of work, those moments when employees integrate learning activities into their everyday tasks.
It supports organisations to remain agile, navigate today’s constant change, and develop skills in the moment of need. Informal learning also allows employees to take control of their learning, becoming more engaged and motivated as a result.
As it is any time, any place learning, this creates a continuous culture of learning where learners forever seek out opportunities to learn and apply. A virtuous circle of learning.
What’s more, the context of real-world, hands-on experiences aids knowledge retention. The opportunity to immediately apply what they’ve learnt is motivating and confidence-boosting. Which leads to the next benefit.
It stimulates creative thinking and innovation. Learning by doing encourages exploring and testing new ideas and approaches with immediate feedback for further innovation.
And the budget? Informal learning is highly cost-effective as it takes place in the flow of work. No need to budget for expensive platforms or training workshops.
#4 mLearning (mobile learning)
Learning on the go has never been more possible. With platforms, apps and social learning tools which sync across devices, learners can always be learning, in the moment of need.
In an era of constant disruption, our employees need learning to be flexible and now. mLearning is highly accessible and perfect for hybrid, remote or gig workers without laptops or desktops. It’s easy to implement in the flow of work, helping our teams balance learning, work tasks and personal responsibilities.
Another thing mLearning does well is social learning – with collaborative features such as forums, group chats, video conferencing and integrated social media platforms. Some even have geolocation and augmented reality technology. All these tools are important for connection, sharing and supporting each other, vital for today’s workforce.
With mLearning comes gamification, perfect for engagement and team building. Game-based learning, points, scores, leaderboards and simulations put the fun back into learning. MLearning also makes use of innovative learning techniques such as interactive videos where learners can answer questions, make decisions, interact with the content, making it immersive and entertaining. Storytelling is used to create a compelling narrative to hold learners’ attention and make the content more memorable. Through story, learners usually connect emotionally as well as intellectually.
The content can also be hyper personalised to match with learning needs and styles and gives learners content for just-in-time learning. Simulations can provide employees with real-life scenarios and problems to solve which creates the chance to apply knowledge in a safe and controlled environment. It’s engaging as learning is no longer a theoretical exercise.
NatWest, a UK high street bank, has embraced digital learning to support their staff with critical thinking skills through a Learning Academy which offers a suite of solutions which employees can select according to their style and need. It includes virtual reality, videos, toolkits and team activities.
Use these 4 strategies in innovative learning to help you develop and implement cost effective solutions, increase engagement and flexibility and assure the impact of your talent and learning initiatives.
Partner with the British Council to ensure your learning programmes are engaging, relevant and develop the skills your people and organisation need.
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