What are the blended learning trends of 2023?

Steven van Luipen - Independent L&D professional and program manager at Neerlands diep

Blended learning is getting smarter and better

"Face-to-face is still seen as very valuable, there is a lot of need and demand for that. At the same time, there is a great demand for short and intense learning interventions. That requires blended learning programs with lots of synchronous and asynchronous components. I see much more deliberate and thoughtful blended design. That's really different from three years ago."

"We used to take more time for longer learning tracks, like two or three days at a time. That's getting harder and harder. Blended learning used to be mostly a lot of face-to-face meetings plus 'something' we could do online. Now it's much more thoughtful. A lot of content from a learning program easily be can be shared online."

"So much online learning is possible these days. Also synchronously online. I'm working on more and more real world cases  that we run through learning programs. You can also let participants do the reflection online too. Even the more difficult conversations turn out to be possible online. Of course, there are certain things and topics that you do still really want to discuss in a live meeting, and that does happen. Then it's convenient to meet physically. But in the future those well thought out blended elements will create stronger learning tracks."

Social learning is becoming increasingly important

"I hope that we will move more and more toward mobile learning in the coming year. It's not just logging on to your PC anymore. The momentum is really toward mobile learning. Because then you can bring it closer to practice. Social learning - online asynchronous - is becoming increasingly important in the blend. Reflecting and responding to each other works better when you're just a little faster and can easily respond to someone, on your phone."  

Joitske Hulsebosch - Author of 'Designing Blended Learning' and initiator of Losmakers

'Blended learning is becoming more social learning'

"I really see a shift from LMS, learning management systems, to more learning experience platforms (LXP) and social learning. Those are very different forms of learning. Much more spontaneous learning. An LXP platform supports a whole other form of learning. It gives much more ownership to employees. For example, if you want to know something about chatbots, you put that on an LXP. It's the Netflix-like way of learning, as they call it. I personally think that's a really good development. We also started learning from social media 10 years ago and not through stand-alone elearning modules. Blended learning will become more social learning and I really support that."

Virtual reality growing fast

"VR (Virtual Reality) is growing more and more. It is now very normal to think about VR in your design as well. In very specific situations, you can apply VR perfectly. An example is the RTM (Rotterdamsche Tramweg Maatschappij). How do you deal with difficult customers in the tram in certain scenarios? With VR you can then practice indefinitely. That's different from a training actor, where only one person can practice at a time. If you develop such a VR, for example, for all  conductors in the Netherlands, it works really well."

Differences between creating content yourself and professional creators, is gettting smaller

"There are more and more learning consultants who create content themselves. There are also more and more tools to do that. Participants can also learn by searching and creating content themselves. Think animations, infographics and podcasts. That's what we also encourage, that type of learning. The control is with the learners, with the online tools. There used to be some doubts about the quality of that type of content. We think: as long as it works well. Better a good on-the-fly video than a boring professional one. It also fits into dynamic learning processes."

"Blended learning and also creating your own content is the future though. Of course, some teachers are skeptical. But if you can make really fun and educational things with good tools, then people will really turn around. They have to start seeing the added value first." 

Helma van den Berg - founder 'Let's Learn' - microlearning expert

Deepening in blended learning

"Blended learning is a concept that will only become broader. If you randomly ask someone now what blended learning is, the answer you get is a mix between online and offline. But it's also a mix between synchronous and asynchronous. That also has to be understood. Really good pathways can emerge from that. We are no longer going to accept that training is just a mix between online and offline."

"That's also an opportunity for microlearning, both online and offline. I see more and more examples coming by in practice. With great questions from companies saying, hey, we want to offer more than just some elearning. I think that in recent years the switch to online learning has been made at lightning speed, but the really great blending is yet to come."

Sjoerd Boersma – founder and developer of LearningStone

The trainer is evolving tremendously

"Trainers are becoming more flexible, maintain better contact and control, and can easily respond to wishes of their participants and clients with new technology. That technology is following that development that trainers are going through. You see the continued development of technology, it is becoming more intuitive and user-friendly."

"On the one hand, you see trainers developing their digital skills, because there is a greater awareness that that is where their product and their business can be improved. They understand more about the tools, how it can be deployed and the benefits it brings. The knowledge, usefulness and convenience of one integrated learning and communication environment is increasing and we are seeing more and more creativity the blended approaches."

Time allocation will change due to more blended learning

"We are now in a period of catching up with live training. I hear of a lot of trainers that were actually already paid for the work that they doing right now. It's so busy for a lot of trainers that the larger training agencies have an advantage. They still have people with enough time for innovation. Though there are a lot of innovative individuals out there, in general, smaller training agencies still need to catch up. I expect this will happen quickly as they are more flexible. I also expect there will soon be a smarter allocation of trainer and participant time and tools that broadly support that."