Top eLearning Trends for 2022

In the last few years, humanity has witnessed an unprecedented predicament. The financial and social losses caused by the COVID-19 epidemic are heartbreaking and depressing. On the other hand, the epidemic caused various changes in the global marketplace, resulting in phenomenal growth in some industries. One of them is the incredible promise in online learning. Corporations, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations are all gravitating toward online education. As a result, many eLearning trends have been established.

The world has seen the incredible development of eLearning throughout the pandemic

With the growing interest of the worldwide economic community in online education, eLearning trends have shifted, and substantial technological advances are occurring in the industry. Great things are on the way for the eLearning business! And how will they appear in 2022? Here are the most important eLearning trends that will continue to dominate the market in 2022.

Mobile-first microlearning

Learners want better learning experiences, and everyone agrees that this will be one of the most significant eLearning trends in 2022. It’s not simply that learners have short attention spans; they only have one hour per week to spend on training.

As a result, if they want to make the most of that hour—or if they intend to extend it beyond their typical working hours—they need interesting and relevant training. Therefore, enterprises must recognize the value of a mobile-first, if not mobile-only, approach and design their learning experiences accordingly. Microlearning offers the optimal experience for learners when delivered via mobile.

When creating learning experiences, support materials, and even assessments, L & D teams must consider if course parts can be given in shorter portions and how that content will appear on mobile devices. Mobile devices are strong little tools that enable improved interaction with course material and more accessibility for on-the-go learners. It delivers just-in-time learning information, which keeps learners engaged and makes it simple for them to stay up-to-date on topics.

Furthermore, microlearning eliminates time wasters; it’s simply impossible to get distracted when you only have five minutes at a time. Microlearning is ideal for improving student engagement, increasing productivity, and lowering training expenses.

Microlearning is expected to account for at least 50% of all corporate training by 2022, if not more. And if your organization isn’t already creating microlearning modules, they should think about it. Begin by reviewing your instructional design strategy (or developing one from scratch). Then, start constructing your first two or three modules—they don’t have to cover everything about a topic, but they should provide enough information for people to learn what they need to know without feeling overwhelmed or rushed.

Finally, create some visual aids like photos or icons. If you need to, use free stock photo websites like Pixabay or Stocksy (which have high-quality photos under creative commons licenses) to make sure that these graphics look great and are legal to use under those licenses.

Scenario-Based Learning

Scenario-based learning, also known as case study learning or role-play training, may not yet be considered a legitimate trend, but it is certainly one worth watching. One of its most significant benefits is that it can help bring course content to life; however, you can learn more about programming by reading “Hello World” on a page than you could ever hope to learn from a live instructor.

Other areas, like leadership and project management, are similarly best acquired through observation and immersion, which helps to explain why scenario-based learning is becoming increasingly popular. For example, many experts believe that virtual classes will outnumber traditional schools in the future. This development should positively impact eLearning trends because it allows for increased contact between educators and students.

Gamification

By 2022, about 60% of all eLearning will be gamified. Gamification transforms a regular learning course into an interactive experience by incorporating gaming-like elements such as points, badges, leaderboards, and incentives. It has already established itself as a trustworthy solution for student involvement. And it is becoming increasingly popular due to a variety of advantages. Play-like features in a pleasant learning environment meet students’ learning demands. It also adds a much-needed element of fun to keep the learners engaged. With this strategy, even the most complex and boring things may be interesting. And using methods like scores, awards, presents, and so on, students keep coming back for more.

Gamification transforms a regular learning course into an interactive experience

Gamification unquestionably boosts students’ motivation to learn. And it is a fantastic method to improve overall content acquisition. As a result, your company’s production will improve due to higher staff retention rates. Gamification has grown in popularity because learning content is being broken down into bite-sized chunks that can be accessed anywhere and at any time, giving learners convenience while at work or on the road.

Most importantly, personnel are kept engaged as they move through courses in order to acquire levels or other prizes. Because employees are having fun, having training courses mixed with fun games makes it easier for them to remember what they’ve learned.

When you consider the benefits of gamification, it’s evident that it’s here to stay.

AI-assisted personalization

A greater emphasis on artificial intelligence and related automation technologies is one of the eLearning trends for 2022. In order to provide stronger, more tailored experiences to their learners, instructional designers will need to rely on AI more than before. eLearning and training are increasingly being designed to meet individual demands. This could mean changing a curriculum for a specific person or even making something new to meet a particular need.

Even a few years ago, the one-size-fits-all strategy simply did not work. Employees wanted to know that their employers were investing resources in producing and providing training that was exactly what they needed to execute their jobs. AI and related automation technologies require a data source to “train” the system before making appropriate recommendations. In 2022, instructional designers will give the AI platform more information about employees’ learner profiles, skills evaluations, and other things. This will help the AI platform learn how to make personalized curriculum choices for each employee.

Indeed, AI can do the time-consuming task of making recommendations that instructional designers just do not have the bandwidth to carry out. In reality, as part of a greater trend toward micro-credentialing, individuals should anticipate seeing high levels of personalization (also known as micro-degrees). We’ve already seen institutions like universities and tech platforms offer highly personalized training that is tailored to each person’s job.

Augmented/ Virtual Reality

Several analysts have identified augmented Reality (AR) as a significant trend that will penetrate the eLearning business in the future. Although the technology has been around for a while, it is only now making its way into common apps and programs. AR teaches consumers how to use new technology or software tools by allowing them to see how everything works. According to several industry leaders, consumer-facing applications such as Snapchat are making AR more accessible to normal customers, who can then understand how AR works and may be encouraged to use it in their daily lives as well.

Virtual Reality (VR) is at a tipping point and will most likely evolve swiftly. Some major corporations have already announced their VR intentions, and it’s only a matter of time before we see a flood of material. Although VR is still in its early stages, several excellent learning experiences are already being created with the technology. Educators should pay attention when these new technologies become more widely available and figure out how to incorporate them into their classrooms to improve student’s learning opportunities. While tools like VR are beneficial to students, educators must continue to focus on higher-level goals that go beyond just immersing students in a simulated environment.

This could lead to a rise in interest in learning programs that incorporate AR/VR aspects, which could help boost the adoption of eLearning software and platforms in schools all over the world. Over the next decade, AR/VR may provide numerous opportunities for eLearning development.

Visualization of data

More individuals are using visual data than ever before to help them understand information. Data visualization has grown in popularity due to its applications in the media, education, medicine, and business.

More individuals are using visual data than ever before to help them understand information

As technology advances and it becomes easier for businesses to acquire data on clients and make informed decisions about their purchasing habits, the trend is projected to continue beyond 2022. A heat map is one type of data visualization that displays data in color-coded blocks or lines to demonstrate how high or low specific values are within a broader group.

When done well, it immediately provides readers with an intuitive understanding of complicated subjects. It’s beneficial for folks who don’t have a lot of previous knowledge about what they’re reading about or who don’t have time to read for hours.

Because of its ability to provide people with simplified information at a glance, data visualization will grow in popularity. Businesses may need to invest in new technology to keep up with shifting trends or risk losing competitive advantage by falling behind competitors.

Adaptive Learning

Adaptive learning is a training technique that provides learners with individualized training experiences. As noted in the preceding paragraph, AI technologies can help with this, but other approaches generate adaptive learning. When utilized correctly, adaptive learning can improve training outcomes and assist you in meeting your goals. It is not a new idea, but it is growing more popular. If you aren’t familiar with adaptive learning, it is a process in which a computer platform finds out how well you know a subject and then tailors the questions and answers to your abilities.

The idea is that you won’t be bombarded with too many difficult questions (and if you are, you’ll have instant access to help). On the other hand, advanced students may become bored or frustrated by simple information; adaptive learning technologies can only do so much. However, because it is developed with all learners in mind, some firms have been able to create effective systems—and users have expressed high levels of satisfaction. Some even believe it’s better than eLearning classes! Given how promising adaptive learning appears to be as an industry trend in general, we may be on the verge of a major breakthrough here.

Even now, new platforms have emerged that integrate different kinds of adaptive learning into their curriculum. It enables professors to provide helpful recommendations to pupils who are having difficulty. In this manner, pupils receive just enough guidance to move forward, rather than becoming trapped in an unpleasant cycle of incorrect answers and low confidence.

Video-Based Learning

Videos have recently been a vital feature of online courses and will continue to be a focus of eLearning systems. Learners nowadays prefer to view video content such as demos, tutorials, video lectures, and other types of video content over textbooks or manuals. Videos are more visually appealing, entertaining, and have been shown to have higher information retention rates than any other means of learning in the past.
Some effective educational video networks include YouTube, Facebook, Tik Tok, and others. On the same platform, they both blend entertainment and integrated learning. It is a good area of focus if you wish to attract students and improve teaching quality.

Conclusion

Employee development will include much more than technical skills, compliance, and rules and processes in the future. Many businesses already know that training is an essential component of a healthy and effective workplace. Based on the trends we’ve seen (and those we expect to see), the role of learning and development is expanding to support better and healthier workplace environments. A solid training strategy is inextricably linked to a company’s success. It’s an important part of creating and growing your business in the future. Now is the time to emphasize the value of staff development in your organization—and to revise your plan to reflect this.

These are undeniably effective learning aids; imagine practicing skills like making a dress, boiling coffee, or repairing a car in a virtual world! Furthermore, AR, AI, and IoT-powered technologies provide many more chances for content personalization—the most effective approach to keep learners interested. Still have questions about which eLearning trends are suitable for your company? Contact Groove Technology’s team of professionals!