“The rate of change is accelerating. We are going to see more change in the next 15 years than in the past 150 years.”
I stated this at our first Breakfast Series event in 2018. Since then, we have experienced pandemics, heatwaves, fires, floods, wars, supply chain disruption, inflation and much more. It seems almost weekly there is observational evidence of climate change occurring somewhere on the planet.
Digital transformation is changing exponentially. Approximately 70% of the world’s population is now connected via the internet – doubling in only 8 years. Yes, change is definitely accelerating.
In 2017, Engine Room Business Innovation saw the future of digital learning when undertaking two online Harvard courses: Disruptive Strategy and Entrepreneurship. The online courses provided new features and opportunities, such as:
Virtual training meetings were then introduced into the Engine Room Business Innovation portfolio of training and coaching. Also, Software as a Service (SaaS) was growing exponentially and Learning Management System options were expanding into the market.
The pandemic disrupted everyone’s lives to varying degrees, and delivering training programs provided many challenges. However, due to the early adoption of Zoom and a Learning Management System, Engine Room Business Innovation was able to quickly provide alternatives to face-to-face training and coaching.
The Future
So, what is the future of learning? Engine Room Business Innovation strongly believes that Blended Learning is the future of learning in the digital age. Blended Learning (a term that emerged approximately 20 years ago) provides a mix of learning options – some provided digitally. As digital technology innovates, the potential for effective blended learning accelerates.
The Change Leader program provides in-person workshops for those that love to be in a classroom environment and partaking in face-to-face group work. The workshop also has video connection for those unable to attend, and the sessions are recorded for those that wish to view the session later. This caters for participants unable to attend the workshop in-person, or view in real time online, or just wish to reinforce the learning later.
The program also has virtual training spliced between the in-person workshops. These two hour sessions provide the benefits of being:
There are several coaching sessions provided either in-person or virtually. Whichever format the participant prefers.
The final two elements of the Blended Learning model are:
Yes, Blended Learning is the future – as it provides a range of learning options – and thereby caters for a broad range of people (as we all have varying learning style preferences).
The world is definitely changing quickly and the learning environment is no exception. If you are a leader and want to become a more effective Change Leader, then learning the concepts, principles, methods and tools of change leadership are key. And what better way to learn, than via blended learning. As Blended Learning is how people will learn more effectively in the digital age – and leading by example, is being a true Change Leader.
