Mobility. Big Data. The Internet of Things. All do or will play a role in learning and its measurement, as noted in this article on Chief Learning Officer Magazine.
Mobility—Take Learning With You
One in every 5 people own a smartphone. One in every 17 own a tablet. (Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/smartphone-and-tablet-penetration-2013-10). That’s not in the U.S. That’s in the world. People and their devices are constantly on the go, which means training is on the go too. If your employees can’t access training on these devices, you’re missing a big opportunity. Mobile access makes training usage easy to track as well. You can measure who is using what training when and where. You can also see what training works best in mobile applications.
Big Data—What Is It?
Big Data is data so large and complex that it can’t be processed with standard data parsing tools. However, there are tools that scan through this data faster than ever. With the right data set and the right tools, you can track the tiniest changes in your business and respond to them quicker than ever.
Chief Learning Officer Magazine says this about what to expect from Big Data: “There are three areas to watch. First, improved program instruction. User data will reveal where people get stuck so program adjustments can be made. Second, real personalization will be possible. Systems will learn and adapt to the way learners like to learn, how well they learn, and how well their performance and results improve. Third, recommendation engines like those used by Amazon.com and Netflix will track the topics learners prefer, what others in similar roles are learning, and recommend programs and experiences. Learning leaders will receive instant, actionable information about employees and improved performance.”
You can imagine the implications Big Data will have on training measurement and adjustment.
The “Internet of Things”—It’s All Connected
Unless you’re in IT, this may be a new term for you. The “Internet of Things” describes how devices touch our everyday lives and are interconnected. Cisco calls this the Internet of Everything. As they note, “Today there are more things connected to the Internet than there are people in the world.” That is an astounding revelation.
Our lives and things are increasingly interconnected. Technology, and measuring the data gathered by technology, is becoming part of everything we touch. From fitness watches to appliances to home energy use to email apps in our cars. It’s everywhere. It will be interesting to see how this increasing interconnection will allow us to measure training in to most minute details.
Are you using technology to its fullest potential to measure your training? What other technology trends will impact the future of training measurement? Please tell us in the comments. If you need help measuring your training programs, contact eParamus. We’d love to help. Email or call us to discuss your needs. Call 919.882.2108. E-mail: info@eParamus.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/eParamusLLC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparamus Web: http://www.eparamus.com/
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