A preview of the trends and practices that will define the next decade of design.

On New Year’s Eve when the ball drops, we’ll be counting down to the top ten trends we’re looking forward to in instructional design and eLearning in 2020. Let’s ring in the roaring twenties (the 2020s, that is) to the tune of these trends that will have everyone dancing:

10. Curation of Content

Just like all the Gatsby themed parties you were invited to this New Year, everything old is new again! Content curation is based on this principle, and will continue to be a major theme in the coming decade. Learners often turn to external sources such as YouTube and Ted talks for informational videos, and many organizations now integrate publicly available external content alongside their own content to offer learners programs that are rich in sources, perspectives, and formats.

9. Gamification

Gamification, which Merriam-Webster defines as, “The process of adding games or game like elements to something so as to encourage participation” rose to prominence in recent years, and this trend is showing no signs of slowing down. We recently explored the advantages of gamification, which include increased learner engagement and motivation, as well as the opportunity to offer instant feedback. Learners truly enjoy well-designed games, which leads to successful outcomes for everyone involved.

8. Videos

According to Omnicore, every day over one billion hours of video are watched on YouTube, by over 30 million active users worldwide. Learners’ demand for videos seems nearly insatiable, which leads to design trends such as curation as previously mentioned. Outside of YouTube, designers commonly create and incorporate videos into their eLearning courses to break up long passages of text and to provide a rich, multimedia experience.

7. Microlearning

From videos, to podcasts, to infographics, to blogs such as this very article, microlearning is another trend that dominated the past decade and will continue on well into the next decade. Microlearning, or small “bite-sized chunks” of learning, meets today’s learners’ needs. Whether they are on the go, on mobile devices, or simply only need a specific piece of information, microlearning offers learners “just in time” content in their moment of need.

6. Mobile Learning

CNBC published the findings of a 2019 report claiming that, “Almost three quarters (72.6 percent) of internet users will access the web solely via their smartphones by 2025, equivalent to nearly 3.7 billion people.” This mobile usage extends to consuming training and learning content on mobile devices as well. To meet mobile learners’ needs, it’s critical that courses are built with mobile learners in mind. Courses must be responsive and have the flexibility to be published to multiple outputs, so that learners have successful experiences no matter which device they choose to use.

5. Social Learning

Social media usage is yet another technological trend that has defined the past ten years; in 2019, Facebook had 2.4 billion users. It’s no surprise that this trend has also impacted learning. Innovative organizations are channeling their employees’ desires to be social and are encouraging them to post, hashtag, and converse with one another and with the world at large about their learning journeys. Social learning encourages colleagues to learn from one another, and does not limit learning to the confines of a classroom or a learning management system. This trend supports the concept of lifelong learning, and opens the doors to learning opportunities anywhere and everywhere.

4. Digitization of Instructor-Led Training (ILT)

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics documented that in 2018, nearly 16% of the workforce worked remotely, outside of traditional offices.  Organizations have found eLearning allows them to offer their employees consistent learning experiences no matter where they are located, and at a fraction of the costs of traditional training. The costs of travel expenses, physical supplies, and renting or owning classroom space are not considerations in the digital world of eLearning. Although classroom training may never become completely obsolete, it may be mostly replaced with online training in the very near future.

3. Focus on Soft Skills

Some training topics are universal across industries. The 2018 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report documented that the topics most sought after by organizations were leadership, communication, and collaboration. When these topics overlap across industries, content curation may be a valuable practice so that organizations do not spend unnecessary time and money duplicating content that already exists.

2. Personalization of Learning Experiences

This trend may have started with the millennials, but the youngest employees entering the workforce, Generation Z, will fully expect to have personal learning experience crafted to meet their individual needs. As true digital natives, the members of this generation are accustomed to having the world wide web at their fingertips, and will expect consumer-quality experiences in the workplace. This may be demonstrated by employees building their own learning programs out of content they curate, or expecting their employers to support them with mobile-ready gamified content, microlearning assets, and opportunities to be social with their colleagues.

1. Data-Driven Practices

The past decade saw the power of data influence society in many ways, including laws such as GDPR that affect both individuals and enterprises alike. It’s no surprise that data is now becoming a topic of conversation in the learning and development world, as designers must consider not only how to use data to guide their decisions, but how to protect online learners’ data as well. Knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative data has the power to enrich design decisions and to empower designers to innovate and meet learners’ individual needs, and designers who understand the power of data will be truly ready to lead the next decade of instructional design.