I’ve been seeing a few articles floating around about predictions on what the edtech landscape is going to look like in 2020. Yes, we’re going to see some substantial change this year, a change that will make a difference to the way we learn through AI and many other clever new pieces of tech. However, most of what I’m seeing relates to a platform and not content.
I find that really bizarre
When I say ‘learn’, I’m not talking just about learning at school or learning at work, but also about the way we learn in the pursuit of our personal endeavours – a 360 view.
There is a view that learning technologies have become as stuffy as their bricks and mortar counterparts, and, certainly, to some extent, I agree.
There has been much focus on what we have to learn, rather than how we like to learn.
Each year at eCreators, we create content for a number of learners using a number of learning management systems, each with their own merits.
How do we go about it?
1. We start by looking at the learner, and where they need to be.
- Is this course just to inform them – perhaps a new policy or system.
- Is the course designed to teach a new skill, such as how the new CRM works?
- Or is the course there to build or enhance knowledge – a competency gap that needs to be filled.
What goes into the competency gap? You guessed it! Learning!
2. We check the makeup of the learner.
What’s the demographic, where do they conduct their informal learning? How can those approaches be implemented into the course we’re creating, while still ensuring an effective learning outcome for the learner and the organisation? How do we determine the best delivery modes?
- Do they listen to podcasts?
- Do they have YouTube as their goto?
- Do they have a preference for personalised learning?
- Do they have a preference for learning that is certified, or not? (Or is there a need?)
3. Think of the platform like your TV.
You can have the latest TV with all the bells and whistles, or you can go to Costco and get one on special. It’s all about the content. The content that’s delivered to us and the way that the story is told. We don’t need to know about the inner workings of the TV, we need:
- A simple way to navigate to the information
- Content that is desirable and entertaining – makes me want to come back for more.
- Content that is highly available and accessible.
I’ve always been a big believer that education should drive technology, not the other way around. While other mediums have caught on, it seems eLearning is just starting to catch up.
Content should drive the platform, and that’s going to be one of our main focuses for 2020.
Love the way you Learn.
