The Future Is Now: At the beginning of the year, we dare to take a look into the e-learning crystal ball and dedicate ourselves to 6 red-hot e-learning trends.

In the 80s and 90s, personal computers and the Internet were the crucial birthplaces of e-learning. Ever since we started carrying around the smartphone, an Internet-enabled all-rounder, e-learning has become one of the most important topics in the education and training sector. The Covid 19 pandemic and related measures have done the rest, giving digital teaching and learning an additional boost. This boom means that the industry is constantly evolving. Appropriately at the beginning of the year, we take a look at where this development is heading. Below, we turn our attention to six e-learning trends you should keep on your radar in 2022 and beyond. The drivers of these e-learning trends are two main factors: a paradigm shift in the organization of learning and technological innovations.

At the latest, the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic has made it unmistakably clear to companies that digital teaching and learning works at least as successfully as face-to-face offerings. This has led to a paradigm shift in how learning opportunities are organized and constructed. The following e-learning trends can be derived from this:

Digital knowledge transfer as a total solution
e-Learning has long since ceased to be a stopgap. Companies have recognized that digital training is a promising, sustainable method of transferring and consolidating knowledge. As an e-learning provider with years of experience, we have been recognizing a strong trend towards e-learning as a total solution for several years. Companies are increasingly putting their training programs on a digital footing and investing in professional e-learning offerings that are worthy of the name.

Microlearning
The time when training courses lasted several hours is all but over. Microlearning, i.e. learning in small bites, is becoming increasingly popular. This e-didactic approach thrives on short learning units and small, adequate learning packages. By using these so-called learning nuggets, a learning goal is to be achieved as independently of time and place as possible and with little effort. Especially in the area of mobile learning or in the context of preparation and follow-up of classroom training, microlearning is extremely effective.

e-Learning Gamification
Are you still learning or are you already playing? A question that more and more companies are asking their employees. e-Learning Gamification is currently one of the hottest e-Learning trends. The reason: e-learning enriched with video game elements has been proven to promote learning success. Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are addressed through gamification, which leads to better and more focused internalization of learning content. We at skillbest are already on the trail of this trend in our e-learning formats skillcards, skillstory or skillchat.

The second driver for the further development of e-learning is innovation in hardware and software. Smartphones, technological innovations and constant connection with the Internet lead to the following e-learning trends:

Mobile Learning
Closely linked to the microlearning mentioned above is learning with the aid of Internet-enabled mobile devices. The constant availability of smartphones makes it possible to link technological innovations and didactic goals. Mobile learning brings the learning experience to the small screen in your pocket. Everyday situations such as the drive to work or waiting for a doctor’s appointment are transformed into learning scenarios in which knowledge is imparted or consolidated in small chunks.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)
Another technology-driven e-learning trend is the establishment of augmented or virtual realities. With the help of the smartphone camera, the learners’ real environment can be expanded (augmented reality). For example, if you hold the camera on a structure or object, valuable information or data about it can be displayed. Virtual reality goes even further, allowing learners to fully immerse themselves in other worlds using special VR goggles – an e-learning trend that is particularly interesting for industries that need to train work processes in special environments from a distance.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The megatrend AI/AI does not stop at the e-learning sector. Artificial intelligence is the attempt to simulate human thought and action. One example from e-learning: AI-based chatbots that simulate conversations or work situations and respond individually to the learner’s respective reactions. Speaking of individuality: AI also makes it possible for learning offerings to adapt precisely to learners’ needs – indispensable in times of increasing personalization.

That was it, our little look into the e-learning crystal ball. For us, however, this is not just a dream for the future: the e-learning trends presented are already important guiding stars for us in the design of our e-learning offerings. True to the motto “The Future Is Now”, we also make your training or continuing education measures fit for the future.