The Learning environment has changed! There was a time when your employees learn around a table, watching a PowerPoint presentation during hours… Today, in modern learning environments, the information and skill-acquisition paradigm has evolved to incorporate technology!
Meet the Modern Learner
According to a study conducted by Bersin by Deloitte, the modern learner only spends 1% of its time to its own training and development of its competencies that is to say, 4.2 minutes a day. A very poor percentage that reflects their well-filled agenda and the way they operate at work.
Thanks to the figures in the infography above, we realize that the modern learner is often disrupted, impatient and only has a few seconds to spend watching a video. A learner very different from the one who spent 3 hours sitting in a room, listening to a lecture, and perusing assigned readings in paper textbooks.
Today, the information and technology has evolved and knowledge sources can leave learners feeling overwhelmed! Training managers start to take into account this new reality, by optimizing the learning tools. That’s the reason why the micro learning is becoming « fashionable » within the organization. It fits perfectly with this new reality of overloaded learners.
How Learning has changed?
1. People want to learn by using different devices: desktop elearning is not the only way!
Today, users employ different devices. They acquire information by reading text or watching a video with a cell phone and then demonstrating that knowledge via eLearning on a desktop computer. Learning professionals must make their content compatible across devices without disregarding the impact of the smartphone.
2. People don’t learn anymore with book but are learning from smartphone, tablets and computer
Devices such as computer, tablets and smartphone gather and can incorporate a great amount of information. Comparing to a book that give information on specific subject and with a limited number of pages, the digital devices offer an unlimited number of information.
The smartphone capabilities are numerous : video recording, GPS integration, app use… You have an educational tool that has as much potential as its user can envision. That’s probably the reason why 70% of modern learners use a smartphone to learn.
3. People need quick information but quality information!
First, as explained above, the modern learner can only dedicate 1% of its time to training and development – that’s just 24 minutes.
Then, the modern learner needs training information in shorter chunks, and won’t go for five days in a classroom. Many learners are looking to solve an immediate business problem, and need instant access to training on the specific matter at hand.
And, thirdly, employees are distracted with constant interruptions and overwhelmed with information. 80% of information learned at formal training is forgotten within a week. The modern learner therefore needs training information to be highly relevant, straight to the point, high in quality, and instantly available.
4. People Are Prioritizing their Own Professional Development
Those self-driven learners who prioritize professional development are likely to take responsibility for their training. People want to learn on their own, on subjects on which they need more information or on which they consider they have to learn more.
5. People are learning at the point of need, that is to say, right when they need a specific information or help
We noticed from a study – the 70:20:10 model for learning and development – that 10% of users knowledge comes from formal learning that is to say for example classroom based training methods, 20% from interactions with others like for example talking with colleagues to understand something. And, 70% comes from job-related experiences that is to say hands-on experience. Users learn when they are doing, when they are in front of their screen. This 70% is the most beneficial for employees because it enables them to discover and refine their job-related skills, make decisions, addresses challenges etc.. they also learn from their mistakes and receive immediate feedback on their performance. Modern learners need just-in time learning content!
To conclude, we could say that modern learners are “on the job learners”. They have control on their own training and learn by doing. 70% of their knowledge comes from job related experience! Do you take into account this new reality? How do you train your employees? Do you use “modern learner” methods?
Source: https://elearningindustry.com/modern-learning-6-reasons-learning-changed-forever