In February, PulseLearning attended Learning Technologies 2017, a ‘nirvana destination’ for people in the eLearning community.
The post-event discussions within the PulseLearning team have been intense and futuristic. After much debate, here are PulseLearning’s top 3 key takeaways from Learning Technologies 2017.
1. Mobile Learning Is Actually Mobile-Supported Learning
This year saw a shift in how mobile learning is positioned across the corporate learning world. Last year, the tagline for the conference was ‘Mobile First.’ However, the trends that were brought to the fore in 2015 and 2016 have now slowed due to the unmatched shift in organizational culture.
Last year, some major keynotes in the industry focused on a ‘mobile-only’ learning approach, whereas this year, the tone looks to have to shifted toward a ‘mobile-supported’ learning approach. The realization is that mainstream mobile devices are not going away, so when it comes to corporate learning culture, organizations cannot forget about them but need to have a clear understanding of where mobile devices fit within the learning strategy.
From the periphery, there seems to be less agencies pushing custom mobile development tools but a big push by Adobe and Articulate (off-the shelf authoring tools) to win the hearts of course developers. They are both sidestepping the fact that they are not fully responsive but apparently do not see that as restricting their market.
2. Analytics and Online User Interfaces Are the New Kids on the Block and Are Multi-Talented
The analytics of learning was brought to the fore during the conference with extensive talk of xAPI and Learning Record Stores (LRSs). Listening to the experts, you are led to believe over a short period of time that the results should allow you to predict what types of learning will be most effective based on the data. At PulseLearning, the jury remains out on the true importance of analytics but we are excited to watch how the trend unfolds.
In the world of developers, the latest release of authoring tools is always an exciting time uncovering new features and experimenting with user interfaces. Adobe and Captivate did not disappoint during Learning Technologies 2017.
Articulate are now offering 360, a review feature that will allow Clients to review and comment online while also providing tracking of these comments to closure. This could have a significant impact on the process of integrating a project storyboard and build and should significantly reduce development time.
Adobe has also released a new product called Draft, which enables instructional designers to create a storyboard using an online tool. Draft can run on a mobile tablet and the output can feed directly into the authoring tool Captivate 9.
3. The Realities of Digital Learning in 2017
Fosway Group, Europe’s number 1 HR and learning analyst organization, showcased insights from 1,000 Learning and Development professionals.
Despite the growing interest in non-traditional learning concepts, LMSs still remain the strongest consensus, with 96% of organizations maintaining or increasing their LMS application. On the other hand, the demand for MOOCs has dropped due to the concern over customer experience from industry buyers.
New technologies like virtual reality are still on course to be a top learning trend for 2017. Progress in the learning space is slow due to the hesitation of organizations to make the leap of faith.
We are excited to see how these trends from Learning Technologies 2017 will affect the industry and are eager to test elements within our custom eLearning solutions. Thank you to the event organizers for such an exceptional event. It is fantastic to see the growing demand for events like this across the Learning industry. We look forward to attending the next Learning Technologies event.
