Experiential Learning

We live in a time where the corporate skyline changes every day. Organisations, people, working methods, decision making, communication, even the way we connect with each other evolves daily. While we are still exploring this change, we inevitably find ourselves also being a part of it. But what is this evolution and change that’s so prominent across the entire corporate sector? In just one word – digitization! It wouldn’t be wrong to say that we now live in a digital world. Today digital touch points exist across multiple aspects of our daily life. From setting an alarm, shopping for clothes, finding a cab, and checking emails to even looking for a life partner – it is all digital. The biggest and the smallest things we do in our personal and professional life are now facilitated by it. Technology and digitization have changed the way we live our lives. It has also taken over the way we consume information – news, current affairs, movies, and learning/tutorial videos. Times are changing, and it is only going to continue as time marches on. Gen X are slowly getting a hang of it with their presence on social platforms, and Gen Y having developed most of this digital innovation is hugely immersed in this change, but Gen Z was born in it – they breathe and live it! This is probably the reason why many companies across the world in the Learning & Development space are now becoming digitally inclined, because 15 years from now the work force will be even more digitised. It is not only about pre-empting this need, but also understanding it fully, and therefore providing the right solutions and speaking the language that will connect the most effectively. McKinsey, in one of its publications, says, ‘Digitisation offers a huge opportunity to transform learning and address some of its current deficiencies, though it bears noting that digital learning tools are not new. What is new—and disruptively so—is the fact that the content of learning is moving to the cloud, becoming accessible across multiple devices and teaching environments and often being generated, shared, and continually updated by users themselves.’ But McKinsey also explains that integrated cloud-based platforms enable more than just cool smartphone apps. Leading-edge organizations can leverage the cloud to more easily expand their suite of offerings to include MOOCs (massive open online courses), instructional videos, learning games, e-coaching, simulations, virtual classrooms, and more. Technology has clearly broadened the spectrum of the L&D space with the offerings and possible tools. What started as storyboarded e-learning modules a decade ago are now experiential training programs. But, the question often asked is, how effective is digitization for an end user or learner? First of all, it breaks barriers and moves you out of a physical training space because of its flexibility. It is literally ‘learning on-the-go’! Then, it provides a highly engaging learning environment wherein the gamification aspect completely involves the learner with heightened commitment; the experiential aspect ensures that the learning happens effectively and takes hold. Next, it drastically reduces the time spent on learning and getting responses from the learning. The instant gratification that blended learning (digitization + facilitation) provides connects very well with both individuals and teams. Last, it manages to create an alternate reality around the learner where the magic happens – it is the subconscious aspirational identity individuals develop for themselves that enables them to become more than what they were before the advent of digital learning. It is safe to say that digitization in L&D is on an exponential rise, similar to our other worldly aspects and embracing this early is key. We fully believe in technology’s role in the learning space in the future and have proactively worked towards bettering our offerings by including digital touch points and even full-scale digital offerings into our team building, innovation and leadership activities. It makes possible the numerous benefits stated above while easily fitting into the comfort zone of our consuming stakeholders. If these possibilities excite you as much as they do us, let us know! Drop us a line at hello@focusu.com for a unique digital offering for your own team!

Experiential Learning

Are Digital & Blended Learning the Future?