The COVID-19 pandemic and successive lockdowns have largely favored the deployment of digital learning. But after the crisis, many are wondering: are we going to put aside digital tools to gradually return to “all face-to-face”, as before? In other words, will digital learning definitively take center stage in the training landscape or will it be confined to a plan B type fallback solution? For Mathilde Istin, deputy director of the ISTF and specialist in the digitalization of training, digital learning will be long-term provided that a few fundamentals and good practices are respected.
Before the health crisis, many talked about digital learning without knowing exactly what it consisted of. And this, whether you are a participant, trainer or training manager. With successive confinements and distancing constraints, digital learning has developed significantly. Many people have been able to get a more precise idea by experiencing it directly. However, even today, it remains legitimate to question: what is digital learning? Is it virtual classes, e-learning, distance training or even the use of digital tools during a training session?
Digital learning, what are we talking about?
In order to speak the same language, let's sort things out a little. Let’s start with what digital learning is not.
First of all, digital learning is not synonymous with a virtual classroom. This is only one of the components of distance learning courses. The virtual classroom has the characteristic of being synchronous, that is to say that learners and trainers meet together at the same time to carry out a training act. Unlike face-to-face, which is also synchronous, in a virtual classroom the participants are not grouped in the same place. They are connected remotely via an IT tool like Teams, Zoom, Classilio, Big Blue Button, etc.
Secondly, digital learning should not be confused with e-learning content. These are also just one of the components of online training. E-learning content has two main characteristics. It is asynchronous: the learner is alone, without the trainer. It is self-training: the corrections of the learner's errors are pre-programmed. For create e-learning modules, there are authoring tools. That is to say, dedicated software with advanced features, such as Articulate Storyline or Adobe Captivate. Other solutions, from the web, are easier to use, like Genially. You can also create asynchronous resources easily and quickly with PowerPoint.
But then, how to define digital learning? We can mainly retain two definitions.
A first so-called “historical” definition
Learning can be qualified as digital learning as long as it includes the use of digital technology. In this case, classroom training that uses interactivity tools such as Klaxoon, Wooclap or Beekast is considered digital. This definition is in a way the most relevant although it is not the most common.
A second, more widespread definition
In fact, the market today characterizes digital learning as a multimodal training course. That is to say a training course which combines several modalities: e-learning modules, virtual classes, tutoring and sometimes face-to-face. Another terminology is used when part of the training takes place in the classroom: the blended learning. This designates a course combining distance and face-to-face.
The winning bets of digital learning
Originally, the training market was driven by the utopia that simple self-training asynchronous modules, that is to say e-learning modules, could replace entire training courses on their own. Distance training then had a bad reputation, because it threatened to replace face-to-face training and therefore eliminate the profession of trainer.
Then, the lexicon of distance training was enriched with new terms: “rapid learning”, “learning game”… Today, thanks to a diversity of modalities, we take a different look at digital learning. The training courses have become truly well-thought-out combinations of different teaching methods. The idea is to take advantage of the advantages of each. Distancing therefore no longer replaces face-to-face work at all costs (at least, when health conditions do not require it). On the contrary, distance learning complements face-to-face work and also allows it to be optimized, notably through blended learning. Likewise, the synchronous reinforces the contributions transmitted asynchronously.
Many trainers, managers and training managers have had the opportunity to experience this type of remote multimodal course for themselves, each in their role.
“Today, digital learning has earned its stripes. »
Thus, digital learning is no longer perceived as another profession or as a less qualitative service which requires heavy financial investments. It took time to experiment first, then practice, to finally integrate very qualitative digital learning into the practices of those involved in training. But, for this, digital learning must respect certain fundamentals.
The three fundamentals of engaging digital learning
Each year, the ISTF interviews 400 training professionals about their approach to digital learning. In his 8e edition, this survey highlights the three foundations of engaging digital training. In other words, the three main factors of learner engagement during their training.
In the field of training, learner engagement is what takes them from start to finish. The objective is therefore to arouse but also maintain their interest throughout the training. Commitment is measured via the completeness or completion rate. It is the ratio between the number of learners who complete their training and the number of registered learners.
1/ Training linked to the learner’s “job” issues
Behind this first factor of commitment lies the notion of time to business. The training is there to make the participant effective in their work today or in their career plan, that is to say their work tomorrow. Achieving this requires that the company can diagnose or collect needs. And above all, immediately offer digital training in line with these needs.
" A training time to business »
Let's take the example of training salespeople on a new product, throughout France. By considering face-to-face training only, the required action could only be deployed after organizing travel, recruiting or planning the intervention of trainers, but also the physical presence of participants. And we're only talking about logistics here. The training will therefore certainly arrive after the salespeople have needed it because, in the meantime, they will have discovered the new thing for themselves to be effective in the field. Their commitment during the training will therefore be low because it will no longer be time to business. It's quite the opposite with, for example, a virtual class: short, synchronous, remote training session, with a video tool like Teams or Zoom. The training team becomes more responsive to meet participants' expectations.
For the company, this ability to deliver training quickly, facilitated by the digitalization of training, goes hand in hand with the anticipation of skills needs and therefore the management of the skills of its employees. But, for the training department and management, evaluating the achievement of educational objectives after training proves difficult in practice. Gold, “what cannot be measured cannot be managed”, according to the formula popularized by Peter Drucker, management specialist. This is why training is now moving more and more directly towards the validation of skills, thanks to micro-certifications in particular, instead of simply aiming for educational objectives.
In short: managing training through skills means above all enabling oneself to measure them and ultimately certify them.
2/ The delivery of a certification
In France, the question of certification is often limited to an economic aspect since it conditions the eligibility of the training action for the CPF (Personal Training Account). Remember, the CPF allows the participant to finance part or all of their training independently. However, beyond this economic aspect, what the learner expects is real professional recognition of skills acquired or reinforced through training.
It is therefore no surprise that obtaining a certification ranks second among the factors for engagement in training according to the ISTF survey. And this, whether the certification is national, therefore eligible for the CPF, or not. In addition to the titles registered in the various France competences directories, there are also private certifications and badges that certain training organizations or companies offer at the end of their training.
In order to respond to this development in the training market, so-called micro-credential digital platforms have appeared in France such as Procertif, Credly or BCdiploma. They make it possible to materialize the validation of skills via secure digital certificates.
3/ The presence of a tutor
Support from a tutor constitutes the third factor of learner engagement during digital training. It influences both the start of your training and the end of it. When the training takes place entirely or partly remotely, the challenge for the trainer is to engage as many learners as possible and to get as many of them through the system as possible. Our 2021 survey shows that tutoring, i.e. the support provided by the trainer or a tutor during training, has a considerable impact on this commitment.
Without tutoring, one in two systems will not engage more than 10 % participants. This means that for half of the training courses launched, nine out of ten learners will not complete their course. With tutoring, on the other hand, more than six out of ten training courses will take more than 60 % participants to the end of their course.
The possibility for the learner to interact with the trainer throughout the multimodal course is undoubtedly what will most differentiate the quality of distance learning in the coming years.
Ultimately, the prospects for digital learning are as great as the training needs are numerous. They are found in all sectors of activity and in all hierarchical strata. On condition that we understand that the quality of digital learning depends above all on the women and men who design and lead the training courses. The role of the trainer is even more central remotely than in person. Those who make this bet will be the winners of digital learning.
