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Managing the Learning Function

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Talent Brief

This comprehensive certificate course will prepare you to provide leadership in developing your organization’s people to execute organizational strategy.

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Managing Learning Programs Certificate

ATD Blog

How to Choose an LMS in 2023

Comparing Curated and Custom Educational Content

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L&D Is Having a Moment: How Your Program Can Shine

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Winning Talent Development Firms Put Together a Strategic Plan

Rethinking Learning and Development for Both Learners and Organizations

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In today’s fast-paced world, effective educational content is crucial for professional development on an employee and business level. As an organization looking to train or upskill your employees, the decision between using curated or custom educational content can influence your outcomes. This blog post aims to help you navigate this choice by exploring the benefits of both approaches and offering guidance on when to choose each.Understanding Curated Educational ContentCurated educational content consists of resources that can come from various learning organizations or training providers and is collected and organized to provide valuable learning experiences. Think of it as a carefully selected assortment of courses, programs, or certificates that are relevant to a particular career path, emerging industry, or company.Examples of curated educational content include online learning platforms that aggregate courses from different providers. Experienced upskilling platforms will even be able to match their offerings to individual users to create a personalized learning experience, or help companies fill skill gaps by identifying content within their network to best upskill employees.Benefits of Curated Educational ContentTo help you weigh your options, here are some benefits of curated content:Time Efficiency: Instead of creating courses or programs from scratch, with curated content, you can quickly access educational resources that have already been vetted.Expertise: By drawing from a diverse range of sources, curated educational content often brings together insights from various experts and institutions, providing a well-rounded perspective.Cost-Effectiveness: Generally, curated content has lower upfront costs than developing custom content because it doesn’t require extensive creation or development costs.Understanding Custom Educational ContentCustom educational content is tailored specifically to meet the unique needs and objectives of an audience or organization. This can include training programs, specially designed courses, and exclusive workshops created from in-house expertise.Examples include a learning company designing an internal training module for a new software tool, or an educational institution developing a specialized curriculum for a niche subject.Benefits of Custom Educational Content Here are a few perks associated with custom content:Relevance: Custom content is crafted to address specific learning objectives, organizational goals, or personal interests, making it highly relevant to the audience.Engagement: Tailored content is often more engaging because it resonates with the unique needs and contexts of the learners.True to You: Custom content can reflect your organization’s values, culture, and branding, providing a cohesive and tailored learning experience.Choosing Between Curated and Custom ContentWhen deciding between curated and custom educational content, consider these factors:Learning Objectives If your goal is to provide a broad overview or introductory material, curated content may be sufficient. For learning objectives that require knowledge unique to your organization, custom content might be necessary to provide the depth and detail required.Audience Needs and Preferences Assess your audience’s familiarity with the topic and their learning preferences. If they need foundational knowledge or diverse perspectives, curated content might work well. For specialized needs or specific use cases, custom content can be tailored to address those requirements if the curated content doesn’t exist.Budget and TimeCurated content is often more budget friendly and can be implemented quickly. If resources are limited, leveraging existing materials might be the practical choice. Custom content may be more resource intensive and require longer development time but can be a worthwhile investment for high-impact training or specialized knowledge.Making the Right ChoiceIt doesn’t have to be one or the other—it can be both. In many cases, a hybrid approach that combines both content types can be effective. For instance, you might use curated resources to provide a foundational understanding and then develop custom content for advanced topics or specific applications.Deciding which type of educational content is right for your business depends on various factors including learning objectives, audience needs, budget, and time constraints. By carefully assessing these elements, you can select the approach that best fits your situation and maximizes the effectiveness of your educational initiatives.

In today’s rapidly changing world, the way we learn has evolved significantly. Today’s learners expect their learning experiences to be integrated into their daily work, personalized, and supported by technology. Here are the key expectations and trends shaping the future of learning: People-Centric LearningModern learning focuses on individual needs, combining personalized digital and in-person formats embedded in daily workflows. While managers and HR support development, learners take primary responsibility for their growth.Learning in the Flow of WorkWith 65 percent of workers noting changes in job-required skills, learning must be seamlessly integrated into the workflow. Microlearning opportunities replace traditional course catalogs, ensuring continuous, accessible, and directly applicable learning.Technology-Driven LearningLearners expect user-friendly, intuitive, and engaging digital tools with gamification and social learning elements. Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs) offer personalized learning journeys, making learning a social, on-the-job event with artificial intelligence (AI)-driven recommendations.Data-Driven Insights for Personalized TrainingData collection and analysis are crucial for understanding learners' needs and tracking progress. Identifying skills gaps and providing personalized training suggestions align learning activities with career goals and organizational needs.Cultivating a Learning CultureA company culture characterized by openness, trust, and flexibility is vital. Recognizing informal learning and encouraging experimentation can enhance innovation and individual growth. Management support and targeted interventions are crucial. These evolving expectations highlight the need for organizations to adapt their L&D strategies. By focusing on personalized, integrated, and technology-supported learning experiences, organizations can ensure continuous growth and maintain a competitive edge in today’s dynamic business environment.What Do Organizations Need Regarding L&D?Organizations must adapt to the new normal to stay competitive for top talent, as 66 percent of respondents in Deloitte’s survey struggle with constantly changing skill requirements. Here are the key points organizations need to consider for effective learning and development (L&D):Strategic L&D OrientationOrganizations need a strong, long-term L&D orientation to handle short-term pressures and adapt quickly to new ways of working. Long-term investment in L&D now can better position businesses for future recovery and growth.Effective L&D Delivery ModelOrganizations must reconstruct L&D to foster adaptability, emphasizing digital and analytical skills among L&D teams. This includes virtual facilitation and online content curation.Learning Technology InfrastructureUse a learning technology ecosystem approach rather than an LMS-centric one to provide continuous, personalized learning experiences. This includes enabling informal learning, automating reporting, and improving content quality.Culture of Continuous LearningEstablish a culture that emphasizes continuous and lifelong learning, engaging employees in building an agile, customer-centric, and innovative culture. By addressing these areas, organizations can ensure their L&D strategies are aligned with modern demands, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability.Editor's note: This blog post has been adapted from Short on Skills? Rethink Your Learning Approach, authored by Christoph Hieber, Anna Hundstorfer, Belinda Spoerk, and Greta Liesenklas.

Workplaces are in their learning and development era.Imagine This: You walk into the office or log in to your workstation at home, and there’s a noticeable buzz at work. Your team is more engaged than ever, eager to learn, grow, and contribute. Conversations aren’t just about weekend plans—they’re about the latest skill someone’s picked up or a new concept that’s sparked interest. Your organization isn’t just keeping up; it’s thriving, with your learning and development (L&D) program at the heart of it all.In today’s work environment, one thing remains constant: the need to develop talent and nurturing the thirst for knowledge among employees. As employers seek to retain top talent, the spotlight is on L&D like never before.Recognizing the importance of L&D, OverDrive surveyed 150 senior HR and L&D executives in spring 2024 to understand their perspectives on L&D’s future. The findings? L&D is having a moment, and it’s up to organizations to sustain it.How to Make L&D’s Moment LastOrganizations must optimize L&D for their employees. Our research highlights three strategies to ensure the longevity of this L&D moment:1. Reimagine Your IncentivesOver half of HR executives (52 percent) believe that incentives are crucial for delivering top-tier L&D programs. However, 19 percent of companies don’t offer any incentives, and nearly one-third suggest that L&D participation would rise with more incentives. This indicates an opportunity for employers to innovate their incentive structures.Survey respondents suggest various incentives, such as cash bonuses or increased vacation time. One respondent notes, “If supervisors were incentivized for their employees’ success, we’d get more out of L&D.”Social incentives also play a vital role. For instance, creating opportunities for team members to share their learnings within their teams or departments can turn employees into recognized subject matter experts.2. Capitalize on Leadership SupportApproximately one-third of HR executives believe that L&D participation would increase with more encouragement from top management or supervisors and involve themselves as early adopters of programs. For L&D to be effective as a retention tool, senior leaders must be actively involved.In qualitative feedback, survey respondents recommend that management allocate time for learning during the workweek, preventing employees from having to extend their work hours. Leadership can share their L&D success stories through ways listed in our research report.3. Present Fresh Content ContinuouslyNearly one-third of HR executives highlight the importance of continuous learning for the future of L&D. Improved content quality is pivotal, with 36 percent of HR executives stating that better content would motivate their companies to switch to a new L&D platform. The survey and report analysis also identifies newer trends like more user-friendly platforms and some other surprising tactics to further enrich and equalize the learning experience for all to motivate their teams. Choose What Works for Your TeamUltimately, the effectiveness of your program depends on trialing what works uniquely for your one-of-a-kind team. Incentives, leadership buy-in, and frequent updates are the beginning. Find the combination of tools to make your L&D moment last by downloading our free full research report. 

By tapping into these four categories, learning leaders can shift from transactional order-takers to strategic business partners. 

Elevating Your Approach as a Strategic Business Partner

Making time for L&D helps make organizations more agile, positioning them for growth rather than stagnation.

Why Organizations Need to Make Time for Learning and Development

As a quality champion, you support a culture of quality and continuous improvement within L&D teams. You play a vital role in highlighting the significance and advantages of quality management before, during, and after the system is designed.

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