Dive Brief:

• SumTotal has been named the Corporate Learning Solution of the Year as part of the 2020 EdTech Breakthrough Awards, organized by marketing intelligence company Tech Breakthrough, per a June 24 announcement.
• Online learning community platform Participate received the award for EdTech Startup of the Year. The company described itself as a "social learning solution" that connects adult learners who, through Participate, can "learn with and from each other, grapple with new ideas to create change and share experiences to broaden impact," per a June 29 statement.
• Other notable winners in the corporate e-learning space include: InStride, named Overall Enterprise Learning Solution Provider of the Year; Cornerstone OnDemand, named Adaptive Learning Solution of the Year; and OpenSesame, named Overall e-Learning Company of the Year.

Dive Insight:

SumTotal is one of several e-learning providers looking to partner with organizations recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Skillsoft, which owns SumTotal, announced in May the launch of a free interactive workshop, Leadercamp, focused on helping learners build skills including agility and resilience, as well as tools for enhancing team engagement and leadership strategy.

Overall, learning content consumption has increased during the pandemic, per vendors. Cornerstone's Institute for People Development found that 40% of Cornerstone Learning clients saw an increase of logins in March compared to February, with particularly strong increases among healthcare and public administration clients. Udemy said usage rates for its growth mindset jumped 231% in April, while its focus mastery course and creativity course rose by 146% and 84%, respectively.

Generally, the pandemic has also raised the visibility of learning and development operations, according to LinkedIn Learning. The company's May survey of global L&D professionals found 66% of respondents said their function has become a more strategic part of their organizations, while 68% said the level of urgency around learning program launches has risen significantly.

The digital transformation experienced by many organizations as they moved to remote work may help to accelerate online learning growth. Sources who spoke to HR Dive in May noted that distance learning in particular can appeal to workers who have more time available to them while working from home, and online formats may be more accessible to individual learners. But L&D teams must also ensure that access to online content is equitable, sources noted.