It seems that the tentacles of technology are infiltrating another area of our lives. Our 24/7, always-switched on world allows us little time to dedicate towards the learning of new skills – at least, offline, it seems.
We know that adopting a new discipline and enriching our professional knowledge can make all the difference in our careers, but if we’re too time-starved to physically attend training courses or workshops, what’s the alternative nowadays?
According to research from the Halifax Building Society, almost half of those interviewed said they use a digital platform or mobile application to learn something new. And it’s not just a handful of subjects that lend themselves to learning in this way; practical skills, traditionally learned offline, handed down by one generation to the next, are also being packaged up and downloaded into our brains via a number of digital providers.
The flexibility this manner of learning brings is perhaps no surprise, yet privacy was cited in the survey as one of the main benefits. And though watching videos and following their instruction may not seem as effective when adopting a practical skill compared to hands-on tuition, it seems this isn’t the case. For example, two-thirds of the respondents said they’d improved their cooking skills via digital learning.
Group work, mentors and sounding boards look to no longer be needed, given that 54% of those interviewed chose digital learning because they could do it alone. Being able to learn at their own pace made a big difference.
Barely a news report goes by without some reference to potential skill gaps across most industries; surely this surge in digital learning is a good thing?
It’s definitely a plus for employers; digital learning is less expensive, doesn’t involve the hiring of premises, no mass exodus of staff away from their desks, and the student can learn when they feel the most engaged and ‘switched on’, and not just at a time that’s convenient to the training provider.
But is it as effective? Perhaps gut reaction would tell you not, but studies have shown otherwise. For example, the Imperial College of London examined over a hundred scientific studies, and found that information absorbed via digital learning was just as likely to be retained and applied - and in some cases, even more so.
So if, as recruiters, you’re faced with a certificate that looks like it’s been printed off on the home computer, maybe that’s been the case. The candidate may have learned all he/she needs to know without even leaving their armchair…
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