Due to the Corona crisis, digitalization in the education sector is coming into focus. How could a "Corona revolution" affect companies? We highlight the chances and possibilities for HR developers in future training.
"Let’s assume that due to the coronavirus, digital learning in Germany takes a big leap forward – would we then only learn from home?" – This question is explored in the exciting podcast by Tagesschau from March 19, 2020. The episode mainly discusses developments in schools and universities, which are currently the focus of a "digital revolution."
After finishing school or university, the digital discussion seems to end as well, even though lifelong learning in companies and privately continues. This inspired me to think a step further in this article:
How would such a "Corona revolution" in schools change further education in companies?
To this end, I summarize some exciting key statements from the podcast and transfer the results to corporate training:
The Basis: Developing Digital Competencies in the School System
Germany has a backlog in digital competencies, as former Google CEO Christian Baudis emphasized at Learntec 2020. This also affects (and particularly strongly) the school system: "Germany still lacks the awareness that it is crucial for children and young people to (...) understand and master this digital world well", states the Tagesschau podcast.
The fact is: children and young adults today often lack important digital competencies, and this is not just a problem for schools. This deficiency tends to extend to future employers.
As long as many companies offer traditional training that corresponds to the familiar frontal teaching of schools, the lack of digital competencies is likely to be secondary. However, if companies follow the trend of developing digital learning offerings for employees, missing media and digital competencies can develop into serious obstacles.
The greater digital competency in schools likely offers the biggest opportunity for a revolution in companies: The goal of digital education must be to build digital and media competencies to prepare children for the realities of life after school.
Digital learning in schools can become the basis for future training in companies.
The Opportunity: Revolution in Corporate Training
The current crisis could indeed lead to a Corona revolution in all phases of lifelong learning. What's important is not to see digitalization as an end in itself: "It is not the goal that everything suddenly has to be digital. Rather, ‘digital’ must be used where it adds value" – in my opinion, this applies equally to schools and companies.
If future employees learn these important competencies already in school, E-learning could gain widespread acceptance in companies. Ideally, young employees in the future would be accustomed to self-organized learning with digital tools and could seamlessly transfer these habits into working life.
"Digital learning" does not mean "social isolation"
Of course, there are also critical voices regarding digital schools: Experts fear a social isolation of students, particularly if the learning environment becomes completely digital.
Some universities are a step ahead in this regard. A math professor reports in the podcast about a combination: The theoretical lectures are offered as online videos. This is intended to make better use of presence time, for example for questions or interactions.
This fear of social isolation in purely digital work and learning often exists in companies as well: Even in seminars or team trainings, getting to know each other, exchange, and mutual motivation in learning are important. For trainings and workshops in companies, the same concept has been proven for years as in universities:
With the combination of face-to-face training and online courses, companies can leverage the advantages of both learning methods in parallel. Blended learning could thus be a method that is reflected back from the realm of companies and universities to schools. This way, the combination of face-to-face and online learning might become the all-round learning concept for all age groups in the future.
Reading Tip: Everything about blended learning, the combination of face-to-face and online learning, can be found on our extensive information page "Blended Learning in Practice."
Conclusion: This is what the future of training could look like
For you as an HR developer or trainer in companies, this thought experiment means:
Digital learning will become even more important, in all age groups from students to your (future) employees.
Young employees could bring better self-learning and digital competencies in the future.
E-learning and blended learning could become standard offerings for companies in the future.
You as a responsible person must also expand your own competencies to keep pace with development and offer employees high-quality digital learning content.
Whether such a "Corona revolution" will occur remains to be seen in the coming years. It is quite certain that the current situation will not slow down the trend towards digital learning in companies. The only question is how strong the boost for the future of training will be.
Even today, more and more companies are relying on digital learning to train employees irrespective of location and time. Are you also facing the challenge of starting e-learning in your company? Then download our free checklist for starting e-learning now and develop step by step the foundation for future training in your company.
