From the learners’ perspective, macro learning involves a larger time commitment, a focus on specified learning objectives, and is often used when choosing to engage with content that is largely unfamiliar. In contrast, microlearning is something that can be done on your phone, in the subway on the way to work. It is quick and focuses on specific pieces of information or skills. eLearning professionals are currently grappling with these two types of learning as if they are not interrelated. However, an effective strategy embraces microlearning within the broader paradigm of the system in which it occurs.

A lot has changed with the advent of the World Wide Web in general, and smartphones in particular. We now each have access to a mini-supercomputer in our pocket, with a vast potential for learning. This technology and the wealth of information it can provide by linking to the Internet has fundamentally changed the nature of education and training. Is it any wonder that learners can’t stay focused when the course being offered is a series of PowerPoint slides, delivered by an instructor in a darkened room? Something has got to change. And it’s not going to be the learners. It must be the fundamental nature of the training itself.

The strongest starting point for designing your online training programs is to understand the business needs and desired organizational results that underlie the training initiative, and then create your goals and tracking metrics accordingly.

Digital technologies are making a tremendous impact on the global economy, demanding workers with extremely specialized and high-level skill sets. Such technology is growing and changing so rapidly that colleges, universities and other traditional education systems can no longer meet the demand for such highly qualified staff. The difference between the skills employers need and those offered by job seekers only seems to be growing. As this skills gap continues to expand, employers must look outside of academia for the solutions they need. eLearning, or using electronic media such as the Internet to access educational content outside of a traditional classroom setting, has the potential to transform workplace education. By providing more easily accessible and targeted training on a changing array of in-demand skills, e-learning might be just THE thing your company needs.

"The obvious advantage of the blended learning solution is that learning becomes a process rather than an event" Caroline Gray There are a number of definitions of Blended Learning, but all of them have some common elements. They describe Blended Learning as initiatives that: Include a combination of approaches, technology-driven as well as conventional (face-to-face) Contain a mix of medium – video, audio, in-person lectures, etc. Combine multiple pedagogical approaches, such as behavioral, constructivism and cognitive, to produce desired learning outcomes

Teachers create lesson plans in school. These are detailed documents containing what the teacher intends to teach during the session (the topics), how she plans to go about it (the methods and procedures), and how students would be evaluated at the end of the learning period (homework and assignments). Every business has a well-defined plan to move forward too. It details the business goals and their deadlines, the strategies that have to be implemented to reach the desired numbers, and the methods to use to evaluate the efforts.

Millennials will make up 75 percent of the workforce by the year 2025. As more millennials become a part of your team, the discussion of how to properly onboard them floats to the surface. Training millennials isn’t the same as training their predecessors—they’ve grown up in the age of technology where they’re always engaged and stimulated by phones, social media and more.

To grow as people, we should each constantly be striving for improvement, looking for ways to learn, progress, and better ourselves. A good company does whatever it can to educate and cultivate well-preforming employees, but the best employees are ones that take the initiative themselves and continually look for ways to expand upon their current knowledge and skill set. These are the employees who will shine in their positions. As employers, there are certain ways that we can cultivate an environment of learning, and encourage people to take the initiative, ultimately giving better benefits to both the company and themselves. But how does one do that? How exactly can your employees take the initiative and grow in your field? Here are a few ideas you can inculcate among them: