A quick guide to create digital learning ecosystem in organisations to harness scarce resources for optimization of employee development & business growth. No one can resist an idea whose time has come. Nothing is stronger than an idea whose time has come. – Victor Hugo In today’s ever evolving sphere of Learning & Development the time for Digital Learning has arrived. Learning as opposed to training is the new buzz word that is taking the world of HR by storm. As opposed to the traditional training & teaching methods which were modelled on an assembly line type of teaching are redundant in today’s knowledge economy. The world seems to have moved from Andragogy to Heautagogy putting in centre, the learner himself. With technology permeating all contours of life how could, the way people learn, be same. With each passing day the speed of evolution is increasing exponentially. Thus, the way today’s millennials learn is also undergoing metamorphosis. This avant-garde approach treats learning not as an event but as a continuum of continuous and comprehensive learning instances weaved in nodes of interconnected design of change. This approach amalgamates 4 key components Technology, Digital Content, Instruction & Feeding back into the system. This entails Digital Content and Instruction which encapsulates new age tools like Virtual & Augmented Reality, Simulators, AI based analytics for personalized need assessment leading to learning plan, Robotics and Game-Boards (physical & digital). I have tried to outline the tenets of this avant-garde learning ecosystem and how can today’s Learning Development professionals devise and design such an ecosystem.

1. Digital Learning
Eco-system

2. What is Digital Learning
Digital Learning is “Learning facilitated by technology that gives students some element of
control over time, place, path and/or pace.”

3. Digital learning vs traditional training
Learning is focused on learner however training is focused on trainer.
Digital Learning is controlled by individual learner.
Traditional methods of training
◦ Lecture
◦ Group Discussion
◦ Trainer led discussion
◦ Assembly line type of training

4. Digital Learning Tenets
Time
Place
Path
Pace

5. Digital Learning – Time
Time of convenience of learner and not trainer
Anytime Anywhere

6. Digital Learning – Place
Place of convenience of the learner
Anytime anywhere

7. Digital Learning – Path
Adaptive
learning
software
Real time data
for navigation
through
instructional
adjustment
Differentiated
Learning
Meeting
unique needs
of every one
Heutagogy
instead of
Andragogy

8. Digital Learning – Pace
System controls through
Adaptive Learning tools
Learner controls
learning pace
OR

9. Digital Learning a Continuum & not an
event
Formal Social Experiential
Continuum to incorporate multiple interventions at all levels
It is not an event that happens once but creation of continuous and comprehensive path of learning. This path will
capsulate an amalgamation of the following for a common learning goal.
Technology Instruction Feeding back into the systemDigital Content

10. Technology
Game
Boards –
physical &
digital
Virtual
Reality Gear
Augmented
Reality Gear
Simulators –
A blend of
AR & VR
Artificial
Intelligence
Robotics
3 D Printing
It encapsulates the hardware and internet to be used over a laptop or smart phone
Technology
Medium that delivers
Content Instruction
It should not be confused with content or instruction.
Examples 

11. Digital Content
High quality academic content/curriculum rooted in the learning objectives for defined
outcomes and competencies.
Text, Images, Audio &
Video
Animation Streaming Videos
Interactive Application
like HTML_5
It should be 
Engaging
Interactive
Adaptive
Gamified &
Game-based
Should not be 
Simple Literature
Lectures
It’s what learner learns
Modes of content delivery 

12. Instruction
Identifying preferred
mode of learning
Fill up personalized gaps of
knowledge & skills
Educators will be able to provide personalized
guidance
Instruction is how to create a Learning
Environment
It is to assist educators and not replace them.

13. Feeding back into the system
Time
concurrency
Suggestions
post
module
completion
Analysis of
Assessment
tasks
completion
Learning
patterns Future Learning
module accordingly
• Paced &
• Placed
Future Learning
environment adapts
by changing
• Learning paths
• Content
• Medium
• Instruction
Learning data
analysed for

Leads to

14. Technology driven Social Learning
Digital Learning
Architecture
• Organizations
using digital
frameworks
& tools, for
learning
Social Learning
• Technology
platform for
social
learning. E.g.
Yammer &
Facebook-
office etc.
Organizational
Memory (OM)
• Builds &
Preserves OM
• Helps in case
of employee
attrition

15. Efficacy of Digital learning
Building
Organizational
Memory
Inculcating
desired
behaviors
Soft Skills
Skill
Development
Knowledge
Acquisition

16. Skill Development
• E learning
• Books/ Broachers
• Adaptive learning tools for Case-studies
Knowledge
of skill
• Simulators
• Adaptive learning tools
• Practice under supervision of AI enabled
Interface
• Using Game boards – Digital & Physical
Practice of
skill
Skill
Development
under digital
learning
architecture

17. How to create an organisational digital
learning strategy
Gap in
performance
Identification
of the cause
Outcomes
and timelines
defined
Learning
Design
Document
created
Stakeholder
feedback and
revision of
design
document
Learning
Continuum
designed
Modes of
learning
identified
Learning
Infrastructure
created
 Ability
 Intent
 Non-Training
Issue
 Technology
 Digital Content
 Instruction
 Feeding the
system back

18. How to create an organisational digital
learning strategy – 7 “Change” Steps
From “Mass
Instruction” to
“Micro Learning”
• Microfy existing
learning
• Weave in short
assessments
• Keep things fresh
From ‘Generic” to
“Personal”
• Create career
Pathways
• Making learning
accessible
• Give learners
agency
From “Occasionally”
to “Daily”
• Stretch current
assignments
• Loop in managers
• Nudge often

19. How to create an organisational digital
learning strategy – 7 “Change” Steps
From “Required” to
“Rewarding”
• Curate relevant
learning tracks
• Control quality
• Connect people
From “Inconvenient”
to “Intuitive”
• Get user friendly
• Go Mobile
• Simplify
administration
From “Top down” to
“Eco-systemic”
• Empower
managers
• Enable self
directed learning
• Promote Sharing

20. How to create an organisational digital
learning strategy – 7 “Change” Steps
From “Informational”
to “Transformational”
• Inject emotion
• Enable point-of-
need learning
• Be a shrepa

21. Strategy implementation
On each step of continuum use of predictive analysis by ML & AI to fine tune learning strategy
Top down Approach Supervisory Alignment – KPI & Workshops
Creation of empowered “Champions of Change”
Periodic monitoring through
Gamified Leader-
board
Using social media
tenets for appreciation
& rewards
Live challenges
All India test –
•Knowledge-othon
(knowledge-marathon)
•Skill-e-thon (skill-marathon)
Collaborative games
based competitions

22. Evolving profile of L & D Team
Paradigm Shift from rigidity caused by logistics & homogeneity of training to
personalized focused learning.
Data Analytics of performance gap & learning to derive learning outcomes,
modes, instruction, personal learning pattern & style preferences
Building learner focused “Adaptive Learning Tools”
Guide on the side rather than sage on the stage

23. Evaluation of Efficacy – Kirkpatrick model
of Evaluation

24. Future of Learning
Heutagogy
Personalized &
Adaptive Learning
AI Enabled interface Robotics
Game Based Learning
#Single player games
#Multiplayer games
MOOC (Massive
online open courses)
Adaptive Learning
Systems
Social Learning
Systems
Differentiated
Learning systems

25. How should Learning professionals cope
Adapt to relinquish control
Reskill themselves on usage of digital/new age tools
Redrawing learning design documents
based on principles of Heutagogy
Analyse data to make personalized & Point-of-
need Learning continuumsPut Learner in
Centre

26. Thank you

27. Sources
www.grovo.com – 7 strategies developing employees
70:20:10 forum
Wikipedia
Learning Seat by Litmos
Dougherty County School System
Determining The ROI Of eLearning – Using Kirkpatrick’s Model Of Training Evaluation by Asha
Pandey