Technology. It's everywhere. If you're not keeping up, then you're already several steps behind. Research shows that employees of all ages—not just Millennials—want to work for a company that invests in the latest digital tools. Even better are companies that help their employees further develop their digital skills.
How is your L&D department using technology to train employees? According to the Association for Talent Development's 2018 State of the Industry report, technology-based learning accounted for 43 percent of learning hours available and 41 percent of learning hours used in 2017. More specifically, e-learning was the most heavily available and used technology-based method that year.
When it comes to learning technologies, we know that one size definitely does not fit all. Yes, some of the larger companies with bigger budgets are exploring artificial intelligence and augmented reality. But it's also quite clear that trainers and instructional designers at smaller and midsize companies are making great strides with their learn tech "basics" of e-learning programs and digital badges.
This month's tech-themed issue can help companies regardless of where they are on the technology spectrum. In the cover story, author Clark Aldrich stresses the need for interactivity in e-learning—and says it doesn't have to be time-consuming or expensive to achieve. In the other tech-themed feature article, Margaret Roth and Brit Keller present a strategy for modernizing a company's learning ecosystem. In addition, the Intelligence section introduces tech tools you can use to improve your own work.
And as your safety net, if you try out a new technology and it doesn't quite go as expected, make sure to refer to Quick Tips. The headline says it all: 5 Actions to Improve From Failure.
