Top 7 Training Technologies for 2019

What technology do you have your eye on this upcoming year?

Technology is always changing and improving. As members of the learning and development world, that means we’re always looking for ways to harness new advancements in training technologies and incorporate them into our development process. After all, it’s in our best interest to find the best way to deliver great training content to our clients and meet their needs.

Training Technologies to Watch For

When we presented at DevLearn last October, we made sure to keep an eye out for tech that we believe will be seeing exciting developments in the training world this year. Here are a few of our areas of interest and thoughts about how training might change as we reach for the future.

Voice to text

Those who use a computer regularly in our work have honed our typing skills, but even the fastest typist can’t match the speed which we think. While dictation technologies aren’t anything new, they’ve only gotten more accurate and useful as time has gone on and as tech capabilities have improved. There isn’t a lot of voice to text and speech recognition in the eLearning world to date, but that’s likely to change, thanks to the potential for personalization, delivering real-life scenarios (through conversation with an AI), and practical soft-skills learning.

AR/VR

Augmented reality and virtual reality technology have generated a lot of hype lately and for good reason. Out of the tech listed here, it’s closest to a sci-fi vision of the future. But that doesn’t mean it’s out of reach for modern training initiatives. In fact, AR/VR technology is becoming more accessible and affordable than ever. As companies move toward incorporating this technology in the workflow, consider how you can use its capabilities to build support into the training itself.

360 video

Immersion is a powerful tool for engaging learners through training. True-to-life scenarios and simulations make the training journey personal and compelling. 360 video can work to bring these scenarios to life, literally surrounding the user with content. Its applications are flexible enough that it can be used on multiple devices, and it can often be scaled to fit a variety of budget sizes.

3D modeling

Incorporating the use of 3D models in training opens up a world of possibilities. In some cases, learners can manipulate these models to explore them from every angle, receiving relevant information as they go. Gaining familiarity and acquiring competency through the use of a simulated model rather than real equipment gives learners hands-on experience without the use of the physical object in question.

Microlearning

Microlearning is another familiar trend in the L&D world, but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s any less relevant. Many companies are leaning hard into this approach, breaking down their training content for a result that is easy to digest and promotes retention. Microlearning is highly compatible with mobile learning trends and technology as well, so keep an eye out for ways to incorporate it with other learning strategies.

Communication tools

As technology has evolved, the methods of communication we use evolve as well. As these communication tools become more robust, the potential applications continue to grow. For instance, imagine how incorporating a message system, like FaceTime, into a learner’s set of tools could enable them to reach out to mentors and better access resources. Communication will always be important to effective learning, so we should be sure to use the technology available to us to the fullest.

Detailed reporting and analytics

It’s difficult to tell whether a training strategy has been effective or not without the ability to measure the results. Reporting and analytics is another area where technology is making leaps and bounds, and the ability to access more detailed reporting can help us more easily identify what’s working, what isn’t, and what areas could most benefit from a change.

What technology do you have your eye on this upcoming year? For more information about how Allencomm’s process works to incorporate new tech and trends to help meet our clients’ needs, contact us!