I was reading some publications by David Kelly this weekend, and I stumbled upon Which Technologies are Changing the Way People Learn? In particular, there was one passage from this article that really made me reflect on the way learning has evolved through the years:
The era of “push” is ending. People no longer have to wait to be spoon-fed the information they need to do their jobs. We live in an era of self-service, where people expect to be able to do things in their own way, without needing assistance. This is the future of organizational learning.
With the emergence and growth of the Internet, information on (nearly) any topic imaginable is easily accessible. Furthermore, organizations are busy, and what could be more helpful than e-learning resources to facilitate the completion of a task and/or learning experiences?!
Organizations, particularly those which tend to have higher turn over rates, may benefit immensely from the implementation of such resources, as they will serve to decrease the amount of time and resources spent on training, and may also serve to enhance employee satisfaction and retention. Even if not used as formal training resources, e-learning modules can enhance operational efficiency by allowing staff to easily locate necessary information, without having to spend time searching the Internet or asking colleagues for assistance. For example, e-learning modules developed and sold with packaged software, can often allow employees to troubleshoot issues encountered with the software instead of spending time talking to a help desk professional. Such resources may provide organizations with a streamlined operational approach, leaving the potential for increased efficiency, productivity, and profitability.
Kelly (2013) confirms this concept by explaining how learning has become embedded into work, and if employers are leveraging available technologies to provide their employees with a repository of resources to solve common problems or to address training needs, these employers are ensuring that their employees can effectively do their jobs with minimal interruption to work.
Learning will only continue to evolve – What are your thoughts on the future of learning?
The idea that learning is moving towards self-service is exciting.
Why? It means that we are evolving more as independent learners which I think that most of us naturally are independent learners.
Instructional Designers, technologists, and teachers are presented with new opportunities and challenges to facilitate the evolution of learning. Thanks for the insight! I will definitely check out the article.