Doug Stephen says 2018 is the year of video. Read on to find out why.
With global employee collaboration and connectivity on the rise, video has increasingly become one of the premier platforms for learning and development programmes. Organisations are looking to meet the L&D needs of an increasingly diverse workforce, and video is a cost-effective and engaging way to achieve that.
And thanks to innovations in mobile and new technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), video isn’t limited to a conference environment. Employees can ‘learn on-the-go’, ensuring that their development continues regardless of location or office accessibility.
Video is already having a huge impact on L&D programmes, but here is how it will take the industry by storm in 2018:
User-generated videos will win over the self-developing workforce
People might refer to Millennials and Gen Z as the ‘selfie generation,’ but it’s more about self-development when it comes to their workplace mentality. This empowered generation is also an extremely visual one, and video is a great way to demonstrate skills and processes.
User-generated training videos allow team members to take and share clips of the tasks they perform with their team members, creating more opportunities for training and engagement.
Everyone will want to go viral – cue the YouTube effect
In 2018, we can expect to see the YouTube effect hit L&D even harder than past years. Individuals are looking for very short, targeted instructional videos that teach one specific task or item. The world of corporate learning is a different place, the optimal sweet spot for video engagement is two minutes and only 20% of readers finish an article.
Organisations are looking to meet the L&D needs of an increasingly diverse workforce, and video is a cost-effective and engaging way to achieve that.
From employee onboarding to technical or sales training, video learning will turn internal subject matter experts into community leaders much like You Tube stars.
Move over ‘March Madness’ – hello ‘Metrics Madness’
Interactive platforms are now generating more feedback and data collection than traditional training courses because users have the ability to choose a variety of paths and options. Through the use of Experience API hooks, a new replacement for the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM), organisations can gain more meaningful analytics and metrics.
This data can be used to improve courses, looking at insights such as how many learners hesitate when a new option is introduced, or the average time it takes to complete a question or module. These insights allow organisations to further understand the needs of their workforce, leading to increased personalised development in the future.
And the winner is: Gamification!
In its Gamification 2020 report, Gartner predicted that gamification, combined with other emerging trends and technologies, will have a significant impact on innovation, the globalization of higher education and more. By integrating game mechanics into existing training programmes, employees are more engaged and motivated to participate.
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As organisations put more of an emphasis on employee performance and personal development, gamification will become an increasingly popular solution.
The future is officially here – Enter AR
AR is the biggest trend transforming the L&D space. With a variety of uses for different companies, AR is particularly beneficial to remote workers, through AR assistance apps. Previously, when field technicians were unable to fix something on-site, they would have to leave the location and call in an expert to come back and resolve the issue.
Now, with an AR app, technicians can contact an expert in the company, and get real-time video-based assistance by simply turning on their phone camera. Also, AR apps can record these sessions between the field technician and an expert; this footage can then be used to build instructional videos for further training.
As you look to retain and grow your employee base in 2018, leverage video for your L&D programs; to encourage employee engagement, while also giving your organisation the data and opportunities to learn about your workforce on an individual basis.
About the author
Doug Stephen is SVP, Learning Division at CGS
