Trainers, coaches and talent professionals in tomorrow’s world will be creators and curators of digital learning content, and training departments will be content factories. The first article in this series suggested that we could make learning content creation and curation more efficient and improve its quality by looking at how newspaper and broadcast newsrooms work.

In this context, “digital learning” describes content that is embedded in e-learning products, webinars, social learning, keynotes and content shared by trainers in traditional classrooms. An example is a video that is one step in an e-learning process or a podcast shared with learners between classes.

Why We Create Digital Learning Content

Knowing why we create content affects how it works as well as policies and processes like editorial standards. Training departments don’t create and curate digital media content because it’s fun (although it is), nor do they create content because it’s fashionable or on the lists of latest trends (although it is). Training departments deploy digital learning content to extend learning beyond the classroom and to support performance.

Digital content allows learners to access content on their terms – when they want, where they want and on any device. It puts the learner at the center of the learning.

Many people new to making media are influenced by what they’ve seen in films and heard on the radio. But much of this media is created for entertainment or self-expression. Learning content draws on some of these traditions but needs to have different nuances.

The Dynamics of Digital Content

What’s the difference between digital content and traditional content, like a workbook? The book “Rapid Media Development for Trainers” (ATD Press 2016) identifies three dynamics of digital media content. These dynamics are remarkably similar to the dynamics of adult learning theory:

• Multimodal means that we can use different modalities, such as a web page or mobile app, in the same space. These modalities include text, graphics, audio and video. We can choose the modality that works best for the topic. For example, a video may be more effective than text in teaching someone how to change a tire. Effective trainers strive to use different modalities to enhance learning in the classroom, based on how they make the topic or part of the topic easier to learn.
• Multiplatform refers to the fact that learners access content on many different devices, including desktops, tablets and phones. In the future, content will be available on even more devices. To be learner-centered, we need to craft content specifically for these different devices.
• Personalized refers to learners’ ability to individualize content to their needs. If they simply want one element of instruction, they can choose to consume media related only to that element. If they want to engage with others, they can create collaborative learning experiences using social learning. If they want to complete learning more quickly or more slowly, they can choose to do so. Personalization of content supports personalization of learning by giving the learner control of his or her learning.

Where the Rubber Hits the Road

What does all this mean? Here are three considerations to keep in mind:

• Digital learning content needs to be professional. It’s powerful when embraced through a multimodal mindset that seeks to craft content for the platform or device the learner uses. It’s effective when editorial decisions are made by ruthlessly focusing on learning, without being tempted to entertain or create art. To make this type of content a reality, learning executives need to embrace new standards of professionalism in content curation and creation. We’ll look at what this means in the next article.
• Digital learning content can put the learner at the center when it is structured in to enable personalization. That means allowing learners to consume content whenever they need it, at their pace, on whatever device they choose and wherever they need it. This structure takes a very deliberate mindset and process, much of which can be achieved by adopting a robust workflow. Workflows will also boost efficiency and collaboration, so your training department is equipped to more quickly turn out content. We’ll look at workflows for training departments in a later article.
• Digital learning content needs to be unapologetically about learning and high media standards. That means employing people with a hybrid set of media and learning skills. Such a person is rare. In many companies, content is produced by a media professional who is not trained in adult learning or by a learning professional who doesn’t understand production. Having both media and learning skills is crucial, and we’ll explore that topic later in this series.