Corporate learning: the trend towards an agile learning design » agateno

Learning is culture. And in a company, competence development is at best part of a lively resonance culture. In the first part of this mini-series on corporate learning, you have become acquainted with the three building blocks of competence: knowledge, skills and attitude. This article deals with five trends that have a lasting influence on learning in a company:

The trend towards agile learning design

Co-creation is an approach in which innovations are won in an open process of entrepreneurial value creation. Companies specifically invite external partners and increasingly also customers into this process of joint creation. In the case of learning design, the learner is this customer. The currently popular innovation approach of Design Thinking also focuses on involving the consumer of a product or service as early as possible. Both approaches rely on the intensive participation and early feedback of the user. In other words, a “resonance space” is deliberately created in which the emergent appearance of a solution is made possible by an iterative approach. This means that the solution only shows itself “in joint action”.

Unfortunately, too many companies still buy off-the-shelf training solutions – and thus the proverbial pig in a poke. Only after the first trainings have been carried out is it checked whether these have brought the desired success. This is far too late and often associated with immense costs. Or even worse: The training measure, which has been recognized as bad, is simply allowed to continue, because one does not want to admit the mistake, a re-conceptualization is excluded and previously untrained employees insist on their right to further training. Paradoxically, the blunt continuation of poor training then appears to be the simplest option. Ultimately, however, a company will find it much more expensive to put countless employees into a wrongly conceived training course than to help shape a good training course in co-creation.

User and benefit orientation before technology and methods

Technology and methods must not be an end in themselves in learning design. Rather, they must serve a learning need that is clearly defined and takes into account the specific requirements of the customer. A common mistake is to purchase technology and methods without first clarifying the actual needs and specific benefits of a training course. Does the off-the-shelf offer really fit the current needs, framework conditions and target group of the training measure? Often the focus is too narrowly on the known or obvious. Or what the training provider already has on the shelf. Many offers suggest “one-size-fits-all” solutions that are often technically sophisticated, but force the learning content into a tight corset.

Design tailor-made solutions in co-creation with learning experts

It is better to follow a path based on a thorough analysis of the requirements and root causes of a problem. In an iterative process, the learning design is developed together with the client and in accordance with their actual needs. The result is often a pragmatic and tailor-made solution that is more sustainable than ready-made concepts.

Co-creation from order clarification to final training: A tailor-made training requires the involvement of developers, customers, users and other stakeholders right from the start.

Therefore it can only mean: Thorough analysis before conception before implementation – everything in co-creation of customer and consulting specialist. With clearly defined iteration steps which, in the sense of an agile approach, guarantee a continuous approach to the learning design solution that is optimal for the customer at that moment.

If you need a learning design solution in co-creation with sound expertise, we are happy to support you.

Corporate learning: 5 current trends

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