What lies ahead for L&D in the world of learning?
AI in Learning
AI will be an area of real growth in 2020 in so many ways that we may not even be aware of them.
We’re starting to see the fear of AI slowly transforming into a realization of the gifts AI can bring to our learning.
AI will impact on many aspects of learning, through analytics, algorithms and machine learning. We will see AI predict, propose, and create personalized high-quality learning experiences. Recommendation services will continue to evolve allowing learners identify and choose courses based on their needs and experiences. AI may step in to help learners at risk, spotting problems quickly enough to prevent loss of motivation and dropping out.
The sparkle of creativity, collaboration, design, and humanity
If AI progresses at the rate forecast, predicting and delivering smarter learning to our learners, it’s also worth remembering the unique capabilities humans bring to the learning party.
The answer: everything that machines will not. And that’s a pretty exciting list leading with creativity, social skills
like connecting and collaborating, problem-solving, human interaction, empathy, cognitive flexibility and emotional intelligence.
The value and meaning of humanity in the digital world will become a hot topic in the year ahead. As automation advances, understanding how and where humans will interact with technology become vital.
Recognizing unique human value in the digital age and creating environments that get the most and the best from both AI and humans, working together, will make up some of the luminous thinking of 2020.
Learning Analytics
A subset of data analytics and a relatively new domain of expertise is going to measure and shape learning in new and exciting ways. By capturing and using data, the field of educational data science or learning analytics is going to improve the impact and effectiveness of learning, customize and personalize learning to better meet learners’ needs, enhance learning content by analyzing user interactions and deliver a new level of stakeholder reporting! Learning data will gift insights into learning patterns, and help learning leaders better understand how well learning might be happening, what might be hindering it and how to improve it.
Unwrap the bots
Chatbot applications are everywhere in the consumer market: it’s predicted that over 85% of customer interactions will be handled by a bot next year.
While we aren’t assured that chatbots have passed the Turing Test, they’re in the business of learning and chatbots or educational assistants are rapidly becoming more powerful than the simple FAQ machine they’ve been up to now.
Buckle up and start to think creatively around these tools. They can offer potential for teaching and learning as learners use them for quick fact checks or basic information, clarification or questions, consolidation of material, games or exercises to embed and extend learning.
Unwrap these bots and consider too how conversational interfaces might play a significant part in your learning, working alongside human guides and teachers to create a richer more efficient learning landscape.
