Global eLearning market is growing very fast and is predicted to reach $398.15 billion by 2026.
What will be in great demand and eLearning trends for 2020 and beyond ?
Here are the 5 major eLearning trends for 2020 and for the next 5 years that may define eLearning industry .
1. Learning Experience Platform – LXP
Learning Experience Platform or LXP is the next step after an LMS. Its purpose to deliver self-directed learning with all the modern industry trends. LXP is a system of the future and it visually looks more like a content provider or media-sharing website. Take Netflix or YouTube as an example.
Some of the largest companies in the eLearning industry have already entered the LXP market. LinkedIn Learning is offering video courses taught by experts in technology, creative, and business topics. It’s an example of the current generation LMS introducing add-ons inherent to the LXP: panel-based and highly AI-driven learning.
Workday Learning created a brand-new LXP which combines peer-generated content, interactive media and learning management. This platform is fun, engaging and relevant for learners.
That’s how Centrum LearnPro summarizes features of their LXP platform: existing LMS vendors are offering the LXP features as add-ons, but they’re finding it hard to implement all of them in old software. On the other hand, LXPs built from scratch can easily embed mobile-friendly design, social practice, pathways, and AI-based recommendations.
Today, LXP coexists with traditional LMS, but market growth suggests that in the future the advantage can go towards a self-driven learning model.
2. Learner Analysis & Reporting
Learner analytics is used to review student behavior and improve training. There are countless tools available for that, from Learning Management Systems with xAPI to intelligent tutoring systems with the eye-tracking feature.
Remarkably, most information for learner analysis is so simple that top-end technologies are not even required. At such a basic level, even a modern LMS can solve most of your L&D woes, as long as it can track and recover the data you need. In most cases the information you need is as simple as:
- Completion rates of courses;
- Who the most proactive learners are;
- What your learners choose to learn and why;
- Where students are facing difficulties;
- What their strengths and weaknesses are;
- Who is the best fit for a certain task.
For example, some LMS allows tracking learners’ performance to identify ways to improve your eLearning course. With its reporting functionality, you can define gaps in students’ knowledge and skills, determine organizations compliance level and overall learners’ performance.
3. Big Data Analysis in eLearning
From the eLearning point of view “Big Data” is data collected from students’ activities and their performance, but the volume of this data is beyond the ability of traditional databases to capture. So Big Data Analysis helps to structure and present the data in suitable formats.
With Big Data analysis tools you can track the performance of each student to make learning more personalized. Also, big data analysis can provide information on how the training impacts your ROI.
You will know when a student makes mistakes or simply doesn’t receive knowledge properly. Then you can make the necessary adjustments to correct common problems. Besides, it can help to choose the most suitable study route for each student.
Research on adaptive eLearning model which stands on Big Data by using competence-based knowledge and social learner activities shows that the analysis transforms training paradigm and provides an effective learning rhythm.
4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in eLearning
There can be a number of possibilities for Artificial Intelligence to improve the eLearning experience. Think of it as your own virtual teacher that assists in your training.
The advantage of AI mentors is that they are available for learners via any device to provide help and the info required round-the-clock. Moreover, a cloud-based LMS can be easily integrated with existing AI-powered robot assistants like Temi to teach users even in their homes. This robotic teacher can move by himself, track surroundings and your movements. Learners can interact vocally with it to resolve their doubts instead of typing on their laptop or mobile screens.
Right now we are talking not just about an artificial teacher who would talk to students throughout the training, but also can help to choose the most correct paths of learning.
AI can facilitate the creation of highly customized training routes by analyzing the patterns and data it collects from the activities of every learner. The system will be able to provide a more comprehensive course for those with a lack of basic knowledge and skip some modules for more advanced trainees.
The main benefits expected from AI in studying processes are among others availability and affordability, speed, effectiveness, and personalization. By analyzing a huge amount of data, AI not only can help make platforms more engaging but also provide businesses with information to make training more effective.
5. AR, VR, and MR for immersive eLearning
A lot of people are visual learners – instead of reading about things, they prefer to see them. Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) are acknowledged as perfect approaches to provide highly immersive learning experiences for a long time now. Let’s consider the usefulness of all of them from a corporate point of view.
AGCO was one of the first large manufacturers to use AR Glass, a hands-free device, as part of their workers training to get step-by-step instructions. The company has managed to reduce the time needed for inspection, production, and initial training.
Yes, VR has been associated with gaming, but according to a survey by Greenlight VR, the desire for education exceeds the desire for gaming content (63.9% to 61%). Several Fortune 500 companies, such as Boeing, UPS and Walmart, have introduced VR into worker education programs on a wide scale. And some have been happily impressed with the results.
With the help of MR, trainees can interact with surroundings created by a mix of real and virtual worlds. They also can approach and manipulate things leading to a more proper understanding of how things work.
High price and substantial lead time to develop these technologies have been two factors that prevent the evaluation of immersive learning strategies. But with main authoring tool providers like Adobe and Trivantis getting into VR solutions, the price points will eventually drop.
Conclusion
Technologies such as AR/VR/MR and AI are very exciting but still far from reaching their full potential. Also, the use of different analytical tools will determine the success of any eLearning platform in the long term.
One way or another, all of the above points will be a part of a developing organism called LXP. The eLearning system of the future that combines the analytical power of AI, self-driven training model and many other advanced technologies and features of the industry.
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