The Perpetual Student: Self-Directed Learning in the Digital Age
When is the last time you decided to teach yourself something new? What resources did you turn to for guidance? Years ago, we turned to parents or teachers or sought help from experts in the field. We made phone calls or even wrote letters to individuals we wanted to learn from in order to express our interest and open the lines of communication. In today’s interconnected world, you probably already know where to turn. New language? Duolingo. Programming? Codecademy. Hair and makeup, changing a tire or card tricks to perform at parties? Youtube. Now, our opportunities for learning are unlimited. There are few barriers to accessing information, and we are not constrained by library operating hours or geographic distance.
What is self-directed learning? A recent research study by Bridge defines self directed learning as what happens when the learner takes the initiative to gain new knowledge independently or to voluntarily attend training. As Millennials become a larger and larger portion of the working population, their desire for self-directed learning is transforming the way organizations view ongoing training. According to the research, Millennials report the highest rate of self-directed learning as well as the highest use of web and mobile devices to facilitate learning.
Millennials are expected to make up 75% of the workforce by 2025. This digital native generation is highly self-motivated, comfortable with technology and eager to learn. The problem is, many feel that college did not adequately prepare them for the workforce. As such, Millennials expect their employers to provide robust training opportunities in both formal and informal settings. Millennials want to learn new skills and gain more experience in order to remain upwardly mobile. Contrary to popular belief, though, it’s not just about the money. According to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers, millennials rated training and development as the most highly valued employee benefit. In fact, training and development outranked cash bonuses by a whopping 300 percent.
When you are thinking about training and development in your organization, evaluate the opportunities that currently exist. Does training only consist of formalized workshops and scheduled meetings? Research has shown that the modern human’s attention span is now less than that of a goldfish—is it no wonder that we just aren’t finding full-day lectures all that engaging anymore? We, as employees, particularly the Millennial generation, have become adept at multitasking and moving fluidly between projects. In order to get the most value out of learning and training programs, the same accessibility and flexibility is necessary. Many of your employees don’t want to wait for an annual retreat to learn a new skill. They want to learn it today, and want to simply go to the web, watch a video or read some articles, and practice that skill almost immediately.
Self-directed learning must be an integral part of any organization’s L&D program. For more information on trends, tools and techniques driving self-directed learning, register for the webcast “Making Smarter Employees with Self-Directed Learning” on Thursday, November 17 at 1pm ET.