Dive Brief:
- An increasing number of employees are requesting the use of self-directed learning, or 'bring your own learning' (BYOL), resources in the workplace for on-demand skill building. A contributor to Mindflash writes that IT teams are concerned about the devices' security issues, however. Ongoing research aims to investigate how BYOL tech might integrate outside learning with internal systems.
- According to a 2011 report from Forrester Research, around 47% of learners are self-provisioning technology. A study by Jensen & Kline indicated one-third to two-thirds of employees were working around L&D to meet their learning needs via external sources.
- Learning consultant Jane Hart says that L&D pros should embrace this shift to BYOL because there is a large opportunity for employees to seek knowledge outside of traditional corporate learning. Trainers can help employees design personal learning plans that combine classroom sessions with eLearning and BYOL.
Dive Insight:
The employee use of learning content provided by MOOCs, eLearning courses, YouTube and other on-demand learning forms has increased dramatically. Much of this trend has to do with the pressure on employees to keep up with changes in technology and processes at work.
The other is the lack of modern and relevant training as offered by employers. Learning and development teams may be using the same methods they've always used, a practice in and of itself that could create skill gaps.
Lower cost learning platforms for consumers, including social sharing and online communities should not be viewed as a threat by corporate trainers. Instead trainers should see this as an opportunity to work more closely with employees to provide learning plans that produce results. As if HR needed more of an incentive to make changes, self-directed learning has proven quite popular with millennials and younger employees.
