The New Approach to Learning and Development: Contextual Learning
Corporate training is huge to businesses. Last year alone, American organizations spent a whopping $70.65 billion on corporate training and associated administrative costs. Most companies are willing to invest in the learning and development of employees because they must compete in ever-changing markets, which requires enhanced skills.
However, the question is: how effective are investments in learning and development? Research shows that only 10% of corporate training is effective, which could ultimately lead to inefficient programs and frustrated employees. The challenge is for learning and HR professionals to identify engaging and cost-effective ways to incorporate programs that support and satisfy the needs of workers.
The solution to this challenge is contextual learning - a conception of teaching and learning that helps teachers relate subject matter content to real-world situation, and motivates students to make connections between knowledge and its applications.
The Problem with Traditional Corporate Learning
There is a trend happening in which more collaborative learning is rapidly taking the place of compliance based, classroom training. Compliance-focused learning happens in silos, through modules that present a topic and then push learners to regurgitate facts to prove that the topic has been mastered. However, if the knowledge learned isn't used at work soon after that process it is easily lost and employees turn to their own devices to seek new information.
Moreover, required training faces opposition vs. the desire to learn, which comes more natural to human beings. We learn informally every day. It is when companies can tap into this, that they are better apt to capture the opportunity to improve employee performance.
Contextual Learning Understands the “why” of Training
Training must be focused on end-results rather than just going through tasks and actions without broader context. While it’s good to onboard and train employees on company procedures, what happens next in their career depends on if they feel supported with the right resources that are not forced on them. Training simply to achieve a certificate of completion does not serve organizations well.
In the past, instructional design was focused on teaching employees how to do things and this methodology is still prevalent in most corporate learning classrooms. However, “how” is what you learn on the job; therefore companies should center teaching on “why”. Companies will get better performance from employees when they spend more time helping people understand the reasons behind what they do and focus on the experience of why they can benefit from doing things a certain way.
The Benefits of Contextual Learning
It Doesn’t Rely on Memory
In reality, research shows we’ll forget 70% of what we learn in a day, and people need to apply what they’ve learned immediately for it to stick. However, when it comes to traditional classroom-style approaches, employees don’t instantly use those learnings to their jobs – and the longer time elapses, the harder it will be to remember, because it’s being taught out of context. Obtaining the information when it’s needed means that employees aren’t digging through old notes trying to decipher what was written, or delve into their recollections rather, what they need is clearly outlined in front of them
It is Performed in Real-time
Today, we’re craving information and updates in real-time. Rather than waiting for the annual performance review, employees want opportunities for constant feedback. Similarly, if an individual gets stuck on a task, it’s common for him or her to turn to a co-worker, search for the answer, or – if it pertains to using a system – ask IT helpdesk for support. There’s more pressure today to find the information instantly, which classroom learning, webinars and knowledge bases struggle to provide.
It Stays Current
One of the biggest challenges when rolling out traditional learning and development programs is that thanks to the fast pace of doing business, training can become outdated very quickly. Particularly if the training is focused around a particular technology, once the interface changes or there are updates to the system, any materials will need to be revised. Contextual learning is embedded within the system of work itself, therefore it does not need to worry about making adjustments.
It Improves the Bottom-line
The Harvard Business Review notes that new hires who use old learning methods can take eight to 12 months on average to become fully productive. Additionally, the time spent in creating a training module, arranging the logistics for everyone to attend, maintaining the information so that it stays current and responding to employee questions can it a long-winded exercise. Tools are becoming more readily available that can make a significant improvement to this process, saving time and money.
The rapid acceleration of new technologies – especially around AI and big data – means that it’s an exciting time for learning and development initiatives. New developments reflect the broader trend in how organizations are rethinking the resources they need to address their employee’s demands, adapt to changes in the workforce, and grow in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.
Moving forward:
The future of learning will be focused on delivering relevant, timely and measurable information, where speed and flexibility are critical. Savvy learning and HR professionals should not only understand how these changes can affect their training programs, but know how these trends will tie back to overarching corporate goals.
Sources:
Sweary, R. (2017). Will contextual learning upend traditional L&D? TLNT. Retrieved from https://www.tlnt.com/will-contextual-learning-upend-traditional-ld/
Taylor, T. (2017). Contextual learning could soon replace traditional learning. HR Dive. Retrieved from http://www.hrdive.com/news/contextual-learning-could-soon-replace-traditional-learning/444302/
