Strategic Upskilling: Top 5 Learning & Development Trends of 2024

There have been so many conflicting trends of lately, such as Artificial intelligence and economic instability, that it has posed a challenge for Learning and Development teams to prioritize focus. According to the World Economic Forum’s “The future of Jobs Report 2023”, there will be a 44% disruption in skills in the next five years. An important revelation in the report said reskilling and upskilling will be the focus of learning and development teams in the years to come.

In 2024, organizations will be actively choosing between centralized and decentralized training for learning and development.

Centralized training standardizes and unifies training across the organization and would be typically overseen by the HR (Human Resource), providing cost efficiency and transparency. This helps in reducing the risk of no-compliance.

Decentralized training, on the other hand, is managed by individual departments tailored to their specific needs. This approach drives innovation, enhances engagement, and fosters productivity.

Learning and Development to Focus on in 2024

1. VR and AR training

VR and AR have an enormous impact on professional development. They perfectly bridge the gap between theory and practice. With their interactive and immersive experiences, they create controlled environments that display real life-like scenarios, enabling professionals to gain practical skills without the hassle of causing any risks.

According to Statista, by 2030, AR and VR will create close to 2.32 million jobs in the US. Be it education, offering performance support, innovative onboarding, or upskilling solutions, in today’s time, AR and VR have become indispensable.

The adoption of AR and VR across various industries is facilitating more practical learning methods. XR’s role in professional development is going to grow increasingly as we move forward, marking its transition from an innovative idea to a sought-after training tool in the learning and development landscape in 2024.

2. Gamification

Gamification has gained a lot of traction over the years and has shown some truly promising prospects. Educators and trainers have the chance to engage kids more by integrating game elements like challenges, rewards, and competition. This could give students a chance to progress and learn at their own pace with personalized learning experiences.

Let us look at some of the examples where gamification proved to be a terrific addition in the learning and development landscape-

• A survey from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, involving 365 students, revealed that challenge-based gamification could boost student performance by 89.45% compared to traditional lecture-based methods Source. Overall, student performance improved by 34.75%.
• Gamification when integrated with an online OTT platform revealed a 65% rise in user engagement and a 30% increase in online activity among some users.
• A federation of American Scientists study found that students tend to retain only 20% of what they hear but increased to 30 % with visual aids. Source

3. Adaptive learning

According to the numbers of the adaptive learning software market study, the market size is set to reach multimillion USD by 2029 with an unbelievable CAGR from 2022 to 2029. Source

A 2023 Rethink Your Learning Approach report by Deloitte revealed that modern learning is learner-centric and uses personalized and integrated approaches.

The adaptive learning platform like LMS uses artificial intelligence mechanisms for intelligent repetition, feedback, and content recommendation systems. Adaptive learning is a wonderful way to close the digital gap and ensures equal access to technology.

The applications of adaptive learning stretch far. It can be used by teachers for grading systems and analysis of massive amounts of data. This would allow them to identify their weaknesses and develop apt teaching systems for individual students.

4. Microlearning

Microlearning offers a novel approach to traditional learning methods by delivering content in short, easily understandable, perceivable elements to achieve a desirable learning experience. Learning large topics through traditional methods can get draining and difficult to grasp. Breaking them down to smaller modules eases the process as it enhances flexibility and personalization.

Some of the effective methods microlearning utilizes are quizzes, infographics, social media notifications, flashcards, audio, and video responses etc.

Some of the main advantages of microlearning are-

• Enhances focus– It empowers students to choose and direct their way of learning as well as the content they want to learn.
• Short attention span? No problem– Having an attention span of 10 minutes is sufficient in microlearning as they are broken into several modules. It serves well in this modern, fast paced environment.
• Content diversity– Thanks to microlearning, unlike earlier times, content is made available in various formats like games, quizzing, podcasts etc.
• Accessibility– Their accessibility makes them popular and much sought after.
• Better understanding– Their content breakup into smaller modules helps facilitate a better and comprehensive understanding of concepts before progressing to the next.

5. Reskilling and Upskilling

As mentioned in the beginning of the article, reskilling and upskilling are one of the main focuses in the learning and development landscape of 2024, driven by the need to adapt to the changing labor market. With automation and digitalization on the forefront of technology, reskilling and upskilling of individuals is integral to ensure successful outcomes.

• Reskilling involves employees gaining new qualifications to switch roles within an organization.
• Upskilling equips employees with advanced skills and broader knowledge for their current roles, often through courses and training that expand their competencies.

Some of the important practices in upskilling and reskilling

• Collecting a 360-degree feedback from colleagues, clients, or business partners to identify skill gaps, incorporating other perspectives.
• Internal training sessions where employees share knowledge encourage continuous learning.
• E-learning and digital learning allows employees to gain practical knowledge efficiently without the long lecture sessions or presentations.

Final Words

In an ever-evolving world, trends in development and training are shaping the human resources landscape for 2024 and beyond. The transition to skill-based practices, the increasing role of generative artificial intelligence, the demand for “soft skills,” and microlearning are redefining how organizations train their employees.

2024 will be an interesting year for the learning and development landscape as you will be seeing more of personalized and technologically enhanced experiences. These experiences will prepare you for a more progressive, tech-driven future.