The year 2035 may seem distant, but time moves quickly, and the future of online and blended learning will take many different forms. Its evolution will depend on several key factors, including the specific learning environment—whether K-12 education, higher education, or the corporate sector. Each setting presents unique challenges and opportunities that will shape the future of digital learning.
From a global perspective, as seen in the challenges faced by Makerere University in Uganda (NTVUganda, 2022), the adoption of online and blended learning varies based on technological accessibility and government support. Additionally, the readiness of an organization or institution plays a crucial role. At its core, online and blended learning require a financial investment, which must be carefully considered when determining if it is the right direction (Simonson & Zvacek, 2019).
Given my experience in the financial industry within the corporate sector, I will focus on how online and blended learning will evolve in this space over the next 10 years. To do so, we must examine the current challenges, the necessary changes, and the ultimate goal—ensuring that both new and existing colleagues effectively learn the organization’s culture, goals, products, processes, and systems while staying aligned with regulatory requirements.
One of the most pressing questions is: How will colleagues adapt to learning in a constantly evolving corporate and regulatory landscape a decade from now?
Current Challenges
Large financial institutions, like mine, have been around for decades—which means their systems and technology have evolved over time, often creating integration challenges with modern learning technologies. For instance, 8 of the top 10 U.S. banks were established before 1904, meaning their legacy systems may struggle to seamlessly adopt new advancements in learning technology.
Another challenge is the ongoing reassessment of post-COVID in-office policies. In 10 years, will corporate training be fully asynchronous, or will blended learning be the standard approach? Additionally, organizations must evaluate whether their current training programs are truly effective or if they were developed without vision, creativity, or an understanding of the modern corporate learner’s needs.
Changes over the next 10 Years
If I were to craft a vision statement for online and blended learning in 2035, it would emphasize a seamless, adaptive, and personalized experience. This future learning environment would be powered by AI-driven learning analytics, continuously assessing how colleagues apply their learning to real-world performance, ensuring training is both impactful and relevant. The colleague learning experience would no longer be seen as a necessary hurdle to quickly onboard employees for profitability. Instead, it would be integrated into a structured career development plan, fostering long-term growth, engagement, and higher retention within the organization.
The organization would realize a strong ROI from its strategic investment in high-tech learning environments, including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and advanced gamification. These technologies would enable colleagues to engage interactively with their roles, enhancing skill development and retention. Additionally, collaborative learning spaces would be designed to foster a sense of community, encouraging peer-to-peer learning and instilling true ownership of the learning experience.
The integration of AI would significantly enhance compliance in a highly regulated industry by providing leaders with real-time feedback—eliminating the long wait times of traditional compliance reviews. AI-driven insights would enable timely interventions, automatically assigning targeted training modules to reinforce best practices and prevent future compliance errors.
Micro-learning would become a staple within financial industry systems, seamlessly embedded into Customer Relationship Management Systems (CRMs). These bite-sized, easily accessible modules would enhance the learning experience by delivering just-in-time training, eliminating the need for colleagues to search through an LMS for critical information.
Positive Outcome
By embracing the technology aspect of learning over the next decade along with a strong Community of Inquiry (COI) framework the outcome will be a positive colleague experience and ROI for the organization that will supersede their expectations.
The journey of a colleague, whether new or tenured, will take place within a strategically designed blended learning environment that incorporates these eight key steps:
1. Strategic Learning Objectives: Developing clear and specific learning objectives aligned with the colleague’s role and purpose within the organization.
2. Purposefully Blended Learning Environment: A thoughtfully mixed learning experience that includes in-person, virtual, and self-paced on-demand learning modules.
3. Engaging and Interactive Content: Dynamic and immersive training designed to be relevant to the colleague’s role, created in collaboration with subject matter experts (SMEs) and high-performing colleagues.
4. Personalized, Adaptable, and Accessible Learning: Fostering a sense of ownership by recognizing diverse learning needs and incorporating them into the training experience.
5. Social and Collaborative Learning Environment: Increased social presence by encouraging a sense of community by integrating social media, video, in-person interactions, and peer-to-peer engagement to enhance learning.
6. Strategic Use of Technology: Seamlessly integrating technology into the organization’s systems and processes to create a smooth and positive learning experience.
7. Real-Time Support and Feedback: Leveraging AI tools alongside human interaction from training managers and leadership teams to provide actionable feedback and ongoing support.
8. Continuous Assessment and Improvement: Utilizing AI-driven data and colleague feedback to regularly evaluate and enhance training modules, ensuring alignment with the organization’s strategic learning objectives.
Closing Thoughts
Over the next decade, online and blended learning will undergo significant advancements. Organizations that proactively embrace these changes and innovations will position themselves for long-term success and growth. This approach will not only enhance colleagues' performance but also elevate the customer experience, all while fostering a strong sense of community and purpose within the organization. By cultivating a learning culture that focuses on developing the "whole" colleague, the organization will drive excellence, compliance, and innovation. This commitment to continuous learning will ensure that colleagues remain at the forefront of industry advancements—empowered and prepared to shape the future of their organization.
NTVUganda. (2022, February 9). Why are Makerere University students up in arms over online education. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsH6aoq-crk
Simonson, M. R., Smaldino, S. E., & Zvacek, S. (2019). Teaching and learning at a distance : foundations of distance education. Information Age Publishing, Inc.
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