Looking Back on 2022 - Trends for Digital Learning
With 2022 winding to a close and many of us already taking time to relax, reflect and refuel for the upcoming new year, it only seems appropriate to share some thoughts on trends and events that shaped 2022’s workplace learning climate, and will likely have a continued impact on how 2023 unfolds as well.
As someone that has been working in adult learning and education in general for nearly 20 years, I have seen trends come and go, but coming out of the pandemic (transitioning to endemic, apparently), there are a number of unique things that seem to be hitting my radar. In no particular order, here are some thoughts on what’s going on.
Here are several major trends that are shaping the field of workplace learning in 2022 and beyond:
Ongoing Technology Advancements: No brainer here, as things always move forward in digital learning. However, the use of more modern learning technology, such as learning management systems (LXP), virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), is increasing in the workplace, and moving from experimental and pilot/prototypes and into production.
Growth in Personalization: With LXPs and content recommendation tools, learning is becoming more personalized, with employers offering customized training programs that are tailored to the specific needs of individual employees. This also includes increases in adaptive learning platforms and tools, like SparkLearn.
Flexibility Matters: The trend towards flexible work arrangements is also affecting the way workplace learning is delivered, with more emphasis on self-regulated, self-paced, and on-demand learning. This is a pleasant and natural outcome of the new normal of hybrid work environments where some people work from home, but others go into offices.
Collaboration is Growing: Collaborative learning is becoming more popular, with employees working together in groups to solve problems and complete tasks. The cool thing about this is that with good data capture tools, you can create institutional knowledge from tacit subject matter expertise and provide a machine learning model with more good data to use in content generation.
Diversity and Inclusion as a Focus: A very welcome shift to a focus on diversity and inclusion in the workplace is also driving changes in workplace learning, emphasizing creating inclusive and welcoming learning environments. This includes ensuring that tools and platforms are accessible to all and providing universal and ubiquitous engagement opportunities to reduce and eliminate bias in the workplace learning environment. I expect this trend to increase and amplify the personalization of learning mentioned above.
It’s All About Skills: Employers are placing a greater emphasis on developing soft skills, such as communication, problem-solving, and teamwork, to better prepare employees for the challenges of the modern workplace. This is vital for next-gen workplace learning teams as AI and bots are increasingly used for rote tasks and things that are less “human” in nature.
So, there you have it. These are just a few things that we are keeping an eye on here at SparkLearn. We were glad to get back on the road in earnest in 2022 - attending, speaking, and exhibiting at various events, including Learning Solutions, DevLearn, CHART, The Chicago eLearning Tech Showcase, I/ITSEC, and more. Additionally, we collaborated with our customers to pick up some more Brandon Hall awards (check out the blog), participated in some podcasts with friends and partners (more on that soon), and brought great innovations to market, including our Essential and Premium subscription plans that make AI-driven adaptive learning tools affordable for smaller businesses and enterprise departments and workgroups.
We’re thankful for partnerships and relationships with some leaders in the learning space and look forward to continuing that great work. Shout outs to the folks at ATD, Learning Guild, Learning Ninjas, OnPoint Digital, OpenSesame, Quantum Improvements Consulting, RISC, Torrance Learning, and Veracity. Happy holidays to you all, and we wish you continued success.
We had a pretty good year overall, and hope you did too. We’re just getting started here, so watch this spot and continue checking in with us. Season’s greetings to all, and see you in 2023.
