the e-learner


Increasing the revs I


What exciting developments does 2014 have in store? Xxxxxxxx


’m not really one for festive celebrations. I spent most of Christmas getting to grips with my new astronomical refractor telescope and reading a new book on the quirks of English


grammar. I celebrated New Year’s Eve with a lovely meal – a few cups of tea, a bit of Auld Lang Syne and I was in bed by half past midnight. And as always, my thoughts turned to the somewhat melancholy words of one of my favourite bands: “So, this is the new year, and I don’t feel any different.” New Year is seen as a chance to make some much needed changes, a break between the past and the future where many of us vow to do and be more. According to Statisticbrain.com, around 45% of us make a resolution – something along the lines of lose weight, be more organised or even fall in love. For those of us in the e-learning world, it’s worth noting that the same report placed ‘learning something exciting’ as the sixth most common resolution. While some who make this resolution may be thinking along more fantastical lines such as taking up the lute or finally getting a pilot’s licence, people really do want to learn. As learning providers, this should encourage us and ensure user experience remains a top priority. The New Year can often be a catalyst for


renewed passion in what we do, filling us with pride and the excitement which comes with possibility. But by the time Big Ben has finished chiming, Jools Holland has wrapped up his Hootenanny and the last of the champagne has gone flat, the enthusiasm has already begun to fade. The same report concludes that only 8% of those who make a New Year’s resolution are likely to achieve it. Going back to that particular song lyric, the New Year can end up feeling much the same as the old one. So how, in the cold light of January, can we maintain our positivity and make 2014 a key year for our industry? There’s plenty of change on the horizon in the upcoming months with developments in user behaviour and the release of new systems and software challenging us to take a fresh look at e-learning. With this in mind I’ve suggested a few things to get you revved up in 2014: l A new approach to social. Look out for new tools from a range of suppliers which should enhance the social experience, including those which should bring an added dimension to what is possible with an LMS. With features such as star ratings, recommendations and collective resources, engaging content will be more crucial than ever. It should be possible to create a community of learners online who can share their knowledge and crucially, learn from each other. l Making connections. There are lots of conferences, shows and networking sessions to attend in 2014, with new events popping up all the time. Learning Technologies at the end of


January as ever kickstarted the year, bringing together the widest range of e-learning experts. All of these connections offer an opportunity to form a relationship with a new client or company and to gain inspiration. l Open source e-learning framework. Another trend to look out for is open source authoring tools which open up exciting possibilities for responsive learning and beyond. It’s bringing together the industry with developers forming a collaborative community working to enhance its functionality and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Rather than make resolutions we don’t intend


to keep, we can instead focus on the highlights of the coming year and how we can use them to our benefit. In this way we aren’t focusing on our failures and what must be done to put them right, but looking at strengths and how to build on them. Being flexible rather than prescriptive also allows our goals to change and grow over the year, responding to our circumstances both as businesses and individuals. We’re much more likely to get a positive outcome working in this way so that by the end of the year we can stack up our developments, large or small, rather than our failed resolutions. With all of this in mind, I’m feeling much more positive about the year ahead and can belatedly raise a cup (of tea) to 2014. Here’s to a good one!


Sophie Tilley is an instructional designer at Mind Click @the_e_learner


Training: How to Transfer Required Skills into Daily Working Practices.


Learn about this new, effective approach to mitigate the risk of a compliance breach. Focus on skills-transfer.


Read our free whitepaper here


Download the whitepaper here Drive Behavioural Change


An effective compliance training has to lead employees through 6 stages of engagement for it to become embedded in the culture of the business.


Find out more!


Tel: +44 (0)1926 523 149 Email: info.emea@saiglobal.com Web: www.saiglobal.com/compliance


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28