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Is learning technology becoming like Netflix?

schedule 2 months, 2 weeks, 2 days by Ben Piper in Virtual College

why learning tech is becoming similar to netflix

Is learning technology becoming the norm?

The days of traditional classroom learning are becoming a thing of the past, with employees now expecting online training sessions and other e-learning methods.

In the past decade, the way we learn has changed dramatically. Although traditional classroom-based learning, workshops and assessments are still effective, the advancement of technology now means digital content and the internet play an integral part of learning.

It is crucial for businesses to incorporate technology into training as learning is now becoming more about user experience and what the individual manages to retain from their learning. With generations now growing up in a digital world, failure to keep up with their digital knowledge can have detrimental effects.

Even if a business has a learning system that contains high-quality content, if it doesn’t have a good user experience - is easy to use, intuitive and provides instant understanding - then it will not be effective. Learners want quick results, good interactability and simple interfaces - navigation and user journey is more important than it ever has been before.

How this links with Netflix

The success of Netflix is hugely down to its interface and how easy it is to use and navigate. Netflix adapted its interface based on statistics and the elements of what people think they need and what organisations think they need. By bringing these two points together, they achieved a sound user journey.

Netflix has been so popular because it collects data for a clear purpose and then uses it for a specific reason. This is different to the corporate world employee data as it is a mix of corporate data from a legal point of view and private data from psychological point of view. While this may not yet be a topic in the UK, it is one being discussed largely in Europe.


Technology is also becoming more personalised, to the point where it is now expected from users. By monitoring and analysing a learner's actions, high-tech systems can build recommendations and provide employees with recommendations on what they should watch or read next, based on their career aspirations and current roles.

According to Liam Butler, VP Sales EMEA, SumTotal, the future of learning technology is all about building a picture around an individual. While it’s all great talking about Big Data, predictive analytics and predictive learning, he argues, actually, all users want is a piece of software that makes it easier for them to do their job and to find the information they need.

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Ben Piper - Virtual College

Author: Ben Piper

Ben is a member of the Virtual College marketing team. He has a degree in economics and writes about business and education issues. In his spare time he loves food, drink and films.


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