How AI is transforming learning and development
It’s all we hear about nowadays; Artificial Intelligence, or AI. Despite HEARING about it on repeat, do we KNOW enough to make informed decisions within our organisations? With AI still shrouded in misconception and unknowns, we find ourselves wary of the impact that it may have on our companies, or even on our future job prospects.
One industry that has seen significant inroads by AI is Learning and Development (L&D). If L&D leaders are not already using AI in their employee training, they are at least researching HOW they can start.
We know we can’t avoid AI – it is coming whether we like it or not. Thus, understanding how we can leverage AI tools in L&D is critical to our success in this rapidly evolving environment.
What is the impact of AI on Learning and Development?
AI has seen rapid advancement in the industry. From generating training material, to personalising learner experiences, increasing efficiency, and measuring, or quantifying training outcomes.
According to a 2023 report by the World Economic Forum, 62% of organisations are already using AI tools to enhance their learning and development initiatives. Are you?
We've taken a look at some of the ways organisations can incorporate AI tools into their L&D strategies:
Personalised learning
A significant contribitoon that AI has made to L&D industry, is personalised learning experiences.
When integrated into Learner Management Systems, AI tools can analyse individual learning styles, performance data, and learner preferences, and then tailor content suggestions accordingly.
AI will recommend specific courses that align with an individual’s learning behaviour, resulting in the recommendation of relevant content. This not only keeps your people engaged with the material, but also encourages a culture of continuous learning because, as one module is completed, another one, in line with the learner’s interests, will be recommended.
Generative Assessments
There are several software options for creating assessments to test the knowledge gained by our workforce after a particular learning intervention.
One we really like is QuizGecko. This free web-based platform allows you to copy/paste content into the tool, and then generate your own assessments. It provides great choice, too. How many questions do you want? Three, five, ten? Would you like multiple choice, free text, or selection list type questions? Or a mix? Do you want easy or difficult questions?
QuizGecko offers a multitude of choices, making it very user-friendly, and it provides you with the answer to each question as well.
Enhanced Learning Analytics
Applying learning analytics is essential for us to identify and understand trends, successes and challenges with our learning interventions. It’s the process of gathering, storing, and analysing data about the learning and your learners, to optimise the learning process. From this we can combine data analysis with educational research and learning design, and understand what should be changed, replaced, or added.
Is your learning content useful? Is it making a difference to overall performance and the business strategy? What courses have better completion rates? How do learners engage with the material? Are they satisfied with the learning? These are important questions that will help you to offer quality learning and connect more with learners.
Automated Content Creation
Creating high-quality learning content can be time-consuming, resource-intensive and just plain difficult! Until recently it required highly specialised writing and design skills, and our efforts often left us wondering why learners weren’t grasping what was being taught.
AI tools can now streamline this process for us, by automating content creation and curation, making it easier to develop and update learning material. We tested Talentlms and within three minutes we had completed the free registration and created learning content for Effective Leadership.
The tool is very user-friendly, has lots of already embedded content, and allows the user to tweak and tailor the learning to suite their more specific needs.
Of course, it does bear mentioning that highly specialised, subject- or industry-specific content is still best curated by learning and development content specialists, but for those urgent and more generic subjects, Talentlms does seem able to deliver.
Virtual and Augmented Reality
AI-powered virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) tools are transforming experiential learning by providing immersive training experiences. Sounds impressive, but what is it and how does it work?
Well, because of recent technical advancements in virtual and augmented reality, learners can now experience things in a safe space, which they were unable to previously. Using digital overlays, augmented reality “improves” the physical world and provides for a world where the learner can experience what they are learning about.
Imagine you are a mining company teaching your employees about safety, and what to look out for when they enter a work area. Now, imagine that the miner can actually go on a “field trip” into that world and walk around, selecting different elements to read, or hear, what danger each element presents. Instant feedback is given, and worst-case scenarios visuals can be added, like a rock fall happening. All very life-like, but safe in the learning environment.
Impressive, right?
Experiential learning has an immensely positive impact for learners because it promotes going through a process of experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting upon their own experiences.
The Future Outlook
We expect the role of AI in L&D to continue expanding as technology advances.
In a 2024 survey by LinkedIn Learning, 75% of learning professionals believe AI will significantly impact the future of training and development.
The key areas to watch include:
Conclusion
AI tools are revolutionising the learning and development space by making training programs more personalised, efficient, and data-driven.
As this technology continues to evolve, organisations that embrace these advancements will be better positioned to provide effective training solutions and drive employee growth.
Staying informed about, and using, the latest AI tools and trends is essential for L&D professionals now more than ever before. By leveraging these technologies, businesses can enhance their learning strategies, improve employee performance, and ultimately achieve their organisational goals.
In a world where the pace of change is relentless, AI is not just a tool but a transformative force in learning and development. Embracing this change will ensure that organisations remain competitive and their employees are equipped with the skills needed for the future.
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