Earlier today, Marc Rosenberg led a brilliant session: “Building eLearning Strategy for the Future: Nine Key Shifts to Watch.” He first defined what he meant by strategy, he followed with a discussion on how to be strategic vs. tactical, and then spent most of the hour breaking down the 9 key shifts to watch.

1. “From eLearning to eWorking”
   • Forget the classroom, most learning happens in the workplace. We are going to see more integration between working and learning, with most of learning occurring any and everywhere outside of the confines of a “class schedule.”
2. “From Information Scarcity to Information Abundance”
   • Learners want to “carve their own path.” Because we all learn at different paces, users want to guide their own path as they explore various content offerings.
3. “From Target Population to Cyber Intimacy”
   • No one wants to waste time learning what they already know. You must create individual learning experiences for each employee.
4. “From Courses to Apps”
   • Courses don’t work on tablets, smart phones, and other mobile devices. With this shift to mobility, learners want guidance and performance support not courses. They want applications that are not only quick and to the point, but simplify tasks.
5. “From Grades to Experiences”
   • With the integration of social learning and performance, and the emergence of the Experience API, there is less emphasis on “what grade did you get?” and more emphasis “on what do you know?” Rosenberg identified this as resume vs. transcript.
6. “From ‘Teach Me’ to ‘Guide Me'”
   • The instructor’s role is changing. It’s less about lectures and more about practice, creative thinking, and collective problem solving. There is a greater emphasis on informal learning, such as coaching and mentoring.
7. “From Course Catalogs to Knowledge Bases”
   • Information is everywhere! Learners should stop asking “what do you offer?” and instead ask “what do you know?”
8. “From Content Production to Content Curation”
   • There is a lot of bad information out there, especially online. We need knowledge managers and content curators to make sure learners have access to accurate and up-to-date information. Remember everyone is a content consumer and creator.
9. “From Push to Pull”
   • As a learner evolves from the novice to expert stage their needs change. There is less emphasis on training and more on collaborative learning. “Master performers” are more likely to pull from a knowledge database; they want to learn in their own way. Allow it!

If you have not already moved in the direction of change, it’s not to late. Don’t get left behind. And don’t forget to test your strategy!