The birth of the World Wide Web created a seemingly limitless virtual space for information storage, changing the way information is researched and shared across the planet. In a sense, technology is like a tree, and it always branches out.

From the moment smartphones got into our hands, the internet was brought down to the mass level like never before, and more things started to become digitized. We began to put more stuff on the internet, and the trend is only increasing. Some businesses and occupations thrive on the internet today.

This trend has already spread across the corporate sector as well. E-Learning is growing. According to Forbes, the global e-learning market will grow by $325 billion by 2025. Companies are realizing the flexibility that online learning provides, huge efforts are being made to make corporate training more interactive, creative, personalized, and adaptive.

Making all this possible are several technologies that support the idea of online learning and training in the corporate world.

Let’s take a good look at three prominent trends and platforms:

• Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
• Gamification
• Learning Management System (LMS)
• Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
• From something as solitary as exercising emotional control in workplaces to group training sessions, VR is empowering companies in executing next-level learning and training programs. The best part is, VR provides a risk-free environment especially concerning physical safety. Employees can learn and perform various physical tasks virtually that are simulations of the real work.

For example, Igloo Vision is a company which specializes in providing shared VR experiences for various professional requirements. The company is into building VR domes and cylinders that can house up to 750 people. Such facilities enable companies to precisely mimic real-life scenarios to train their employees depending on what their business requires. BP, for instance, has installed a 6-meter tall virtual power plant to train their technicians on various safety-critical tasks like startup and emergency shutdown procedures without any risk involved.

Takeaway: Through immersive experiences that simulate real-life scenarios and tasks, employees can learn their work better and understand its true impact before it actually goes live.

Gamification

Game-based learning not only provides higher levels of engagement, it challenges employees in a fun manner while providing a sense of achievement upon completion of a task. These are typical characteristics of sports or games, which is what Gamification brings to the table for successful corporate training.

These attributes naturally enhance the learning ability of people as they don’t follow traditional methods of training, that can easily get monotonous and boring. Gamification can even help in improving the team spirit among colleagues which can eventually lead to a better working environment.

From induction & onboarding training to a variety of other domains like sales, product, soft skills, compliance, quality assurance, etc., Gamification can be applicable for any professional learning requirement.

Takeaway: Besides making learning more interactive and engaging, Gamification magnifies the sense of achievement, which is good for:

• Boosting confidence
• Overall personality development
• Enhancing professional skills for career betterment
• Learning Management System (LMS)
• The idea of enabling e-learning in corporate training is as much about the employers as it is for the employees.

A Learning Management System (LMS) allows corporations to create training programs, integrate and customize existing training material. An LMS further empowers employers to manage users and access liberties. In-depth analysis and other relevant reports can be obtained for feedback and improvement.

For example, Moodle is an LMS which is free and open-source, allowing users to make useful additions to its overall functionality. Here’s how it works:

• It integrates with other software solutions like Xero and Salesforce
• It is accessible anytime, anywhere as it’s mobile-friendly
• It supports engaging techniques like Gamification
• Moodle Analytics allow you to track compliance, course completion, and competencies

Takeaway: An LMS is designed to improve learning by taking it online. It allows integration of new and existing training materials, supports better reporting, enables 24/7 learning and better communication among employers and employees.

The advancement in e-learning is transforming corporate training around the world. Employees today expect, and want, more control over how they want to learn. Traditional methods are helpful as far as the theoretical knowledge is concerned, but there’s a rising awareness about the benefits of more interactive learning, suited to individual requirements.

Online learning has further made ways for faster and efficient communication. And that’s not only through LMS platforms. There are so many public forums, Q&A websites, like Quora, LinkedIn Answers, Yahoo Answers, Discuss, etc. where working professionals can come together for limitless discussions on training questions and answers. Such platforms are also handy when you want to research information without indulging in a discussion, or simply want to know multiple opinions on a specific subject.

Corporate training is moving beyond the traditional methods and into nearly practical, real-life experiences by leveraging multiple futuristic technologies.