Corporate Learning 2.x: New research trends
The EU annually invests over 40 million Euros in educational technology research. The economy contributes almost 20 million Euros of capital resources. As a consequence, it is unavoidable that learning management systems will themselves need to change. If current projects are analysed, the following trends can be identified in the field of “corporate learning”.
Trend 1: Learning management systems are becoming open to network platforms such as Facebook and iGoogle
LMS systems are being given open interfaces for use in social networks, mini learning applications and widgets. The OpenSocial virtual standard plays an important role here. The interfaces for mini applications and widgets are established within the scope of OpenSocial, enabling the connection of special applications in communities such as Facebook and iGoogle with learning processes in LMS systems. Against this background, IMC is, for instance, currently developing and testing an OpenSocial-compatible CLIX system. International companies such as Festo and training organisations such as BILD (the British Institute for Learning and Development) are involved in this project.
Trend 2: Informal learning is becoming structured
Companies currently still face a problem with wikis, blogs, e-lectures and other “social” technologies in the field of education and training. While they are increasingly open to these applications, targeted and “controlled” learning and skills management therefore only function under specific conditions. Integration into LMS systems, as has been available for some time in CLIX, does improve this aspect, but is not sufficient for broad application. The Web 2.0 components need to be enhanced with learning process control elements to make the Web 2.0 tools really useful for the enterprise, and to justify the time and money spent on training. For this reason, tools for structured informal learning will be researched in the future. So-called “recommender systems” are also technically integrated into these social technologies. They help tutors, trainers and learners to target specific skills. Learning systems are also being developed in such a way that they are directly associated with employees’ working processes. Information, support and informal communication are developed around an operational activity. IMC solutions such as LIVECONTEXT already use these concepts; the aim now is to extend this usage to LMS systems, wikis and blogs.
Trend 3: Learning game platforms
The most recent evaluations in the area of didactics at the University of Erfurt have found that learning games which follow the paradigm of adventure games are not appropriate for learning. However, at the same time it was established that games which combine narrative learning with storytelling, and which implement exercises at different levels in a competitive way, are efficient. According to these “requirements”, a market for (mobile) learning games will be created. The Scoyo initiative has given this concept additional stimulus in Germany, and further developments will also follow in the corporate sector. Learning platforms for learning games play an important role: they allow multiple games to be developed in succession and embedded in an overall learning scenario. Platforms themselves must also contain game elements, such as the comparison of points with other players or gaming communities which provide tips and tricks.
Conclusion: e-learning solutions are becoming more open, intelligent and game-orientated. Over the next few years, the nature of LMS systems will change and user interfaces will be adjusted according to these trends. The complexity of training processes within companies will, however, remain. Although this is not of interest to users, it is to the training organisation.
