Chatbots for Learning: Why Successful Companies Embrace EdTech

According to research by Deloitte, the average employee only has time to devote 1% of their workweek to professional development.

That means that only 24 minutes a week or 4.8 minutes a day is allocated to training in a normal 40- hour work week.

As the modern learner has less time dedicated to learning, we need to adapt to the way training is delivered.

We have become more mobile as we are equipped with one or more mobile devices that allow us to stay connected to a range of information and communication services.

The ability to move around while remaining connected is the core of mobile learning. It empowers learning outside of fixed places like the classrooms and labs and makes information available for learning anytime it is needed.

Organisations and their training departments need to adapt to the way people view learning.

Current skills are getting obsolete 

We are living in a fast-changing technological landscape. A study has found that 70% of CEOs say that their organisations do not have the skills to adapt to a digitalized work environment.

Skills are becoming obsolete at a rapid rate. For instance, there are thousands of IT professionals in the workforce but their jobs are being threatened.

Enter lifelong learning

The new jobs created demand skills that these professionals do not possess. Lifelong learning has become the mandate and employees need access to relevant and updated information as they come. Traditional “sit and learn” programmes may be able to deliver knowledge to the masses, but they are frankly, quickly forgotten.

Also, it does not cater to the specific needs of individuals. Just as how we expect online shopping to be a personal experience, eg, the recommendations we receive based on the products we have purchased previously, we have come to expect personalisation in learning as well. There is nothing we dislike more than being forced to learn content that is not relevant to our work.

Adopting technologies in training programmes

Adopting the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence via chatbots in some training programmes means that employees learn what they want and what they need at their convenience.

For instance, a systems engineer may be able to diagnose possible faults in an aircraft by entering related search words through a company chatbot app.

The chatbot may offer suggestions and walk him through the steps to solve the issue on the spot. This saves time and eliminates the need to contact others for help.

This employee is learning and simultaneously reinforcing his previous knowledge by applying his skills to a real-life situation. In a digital setting, employees are able to absorb chunks of information that are meaningful and directly related to their field of work.

Benefits of Education Technology (EdTech) 

• Digital learning is more flexible than the traditional classroom approach. Learners can choose specific courses that help them meet work goals and allow them to complete the modules at their own pace. Bite-sized learning, which is about consuming nuggets of information, meet the needs of modern learners. It allows learners to digest information quickly, multi-task between meetings and work and more importantly, is customised to their point of need.
• Online learning platforms offer suggestions to employees about topics of potential interest or reveal topics that their colleagues have attempted.
• Tracking of employees performance or learning is possible with digital learning schemes in place. There are built-in analytics and data reports that allow managers to understand areas of weaknesses and knowledge gaps of their employees. Did your employees complete the training? Where did they struggle the most? How did they engage with the training materials? These insights will provide clear direction to refine and improve on future training for employees.
• Elearning allows for training to be conducted via multiple devices. E-courses could be accessed via a desktop computer or a smartphone.
• Technology helps to create and present content in a variety of formats so that there is something for every learner. Every one of us has a different learning style. Some of us are visual learners, others are kinesthetic learners. While graphs, charts and visuals are helpful for visual learners, kinesthetic learners prefer movements and doing experiments to understand new concepts.

Statistics show that 1 out of 3 employees say that uninspiring content is a barrier to their learning. Ineffective training costs companies a staggering $13.5 million a year per 1000 employees. Rather than let corporate training go to waste, corporate eLearning can generate a better return on investments which lead to better productivity and performance.

What do you think? 

Consideration must be given to factors such as

• How to provide easy access to information
• How to present information in a way that matches the context of a situation in which learning is required.

Companies need to move away from the idea of telling people what they need to know to help them learn what they want to know.

Digital learning represents opportunities for learning and performance enhancement that previously did not exist.

Companies need to incorporate digital learning into their training and development needs to help employees stay relevant and meet business needs while being disrupted by evolving technologies.

We hope that this article is helpful. Want to learn about technologies like chatbots that can enhance learning and education? Find out more here.