Training Industry Magazine - November/December 2020 - 13

STELLA LEE, PH.D.

WHAT'S NEXT
IN TECH

ELEARNING TAKES CENTER STAGE:
HOW L&D CAN IMPACT CHANGE

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many
learning and development (L&D) teams
struggled to get their organizations
to include robust eLearning as part of
their learning strategy. However, as the
pandemic persists, it has forced industries
to move learning online in a hurry. With
digital learning going mainstream, there
are going to be changes in processes,
infrastructure, expertise, pedagogical
practices and learning design.
As eLearning takes center stage, now
is L&D's chance to favorably shift the
perception of online learning. Below are
the key areas to consider for becoming
change agents of eLearning:
LEARNING DESIGN IS
STILL RELEVANT
Designing thoughtful learning experiences
takes time and careful coordination.
Learning needs analysis is more critical
than ever. Yet, it is easily overlooked in
the rush to move learning online. Start
by asking, "Is this a problem that learning
can solve?" Afterall, the term "learning
design" means that we focus on the
learners rather than the content. L&D
needs to advocate for online learning
design grounded in sound educational
principles, as well as view learners as
active agents of learning rather than
passive consumers of knowledge.
CLOUD COMPUTING MAKES
THE SHIFT TO ELEARNING
MORE FEASIBLE
Cloud infrastructure has matured over the
past few years, enabling organizations

to pivot to online learning more quickly.
Online learning systems based on
cloud computing can leverage vendors'
expertise in system implementations and
integrations, are relatively low cost, and
easily scale up and down as demand
shifts. Furthermore, it is no longer
necessary for L&D to have in-depth
knowledge of information technology to
shape the direction of online learning.
While a fundamental understanding of
how the technologies function is helpful,
it is more important to be able to ask
questions about data ethics, learner
privacy, digital content retention policy,
eLearning technology governance and
how to communicate this change.

NOW IS L&D'S CHANCE
TO FAVORABLY SHIFT
THE PERCEPTION OF
ONLINE LEARNING.
USE TECHNOLOGIES ALREADY
IN PLACE
What consumer-grade technologies are
already being used by your workforce?
Consider the Top Tools for Learning
2020, a comprehensive survey compiled
by Jane Hart. Most of them are not
designed specifically for learning. Yet,
these are tools that people are using in
their workplaces and personal lives. This
is the time to think beyond the learning
management system to try lighterweight tools. Use Microsoft Teams to
create a community of practice, curate
playlists in YouTube, push microcontent
out on WhatsApp, cocreate content

in Trello, source suggestions in Padlet
and subscribe to relevant hashtags on
Twitter. Many of these technologies are
offering extended trial periods during the
pandemic, and there has never been a
better time for L&D to dig in and evaluate
what these tools can offer.
COLLECT DATA AND REFLECT
This unusual time has pushed
organizations and individuals to do
many things we didn't have the time
or desire to try in the past - such as
managing and motivating remote teams,
adapting learning to online delivery, and
reconfiguring the ways we collaborate.
Now, the key focus for L&D should be to
reflect and take what works from these
experiences to move forward. This is
experimentation on a massive scale.
Fortunately, with working and learning
online, we can collect data to analyze
and measure impacts. Document your
findings well, and use the data collected
to support your drive for change.
Let's showcase how online learning is
a viable option and one that is not likely
to go away any time soon. With some
thoughtful consideration, we can be
leaders in impacting change for a better
learning experience.
Dr. Stella Lee has over 20 years of
experience in consulting, planning,
designing, implementing and measuring
learning initiatives. Her focus is on
large-scale learning projects including
LMS evaluation and implementation,
learning analytics, and artificial
intelligent applications. Email Stella.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - L& D'S ROLE IN CHANGE MANAGE ME NT I WWW. T RAININGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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Training Industry Magazine - November/December 2020

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