Learning 2.0 - an update from the eLearning Guild

The eLearning Guild have recently released a new report on Learning 2.0 - Learning in a Web 2.0 World. The list of authors represents a blogging who's who, with contributions from Jane Hart, Tony Karrer, Michele Martin, Mark Oehlert, Sanjay Parker, Brent Schlenker, and Will Thalheimer.

As usual with Guild reports, there's a good overall response, in this case 1160 members from 979 different organisations, of which 73% are US-based.

For the purposes of the report, the authors define Learning 2.0 as 'the idea of learning through digital connections and peer collaboration enhanced by technologies driven by Web 2.0,' which seems reasonable. I've picked out a few highlights from my perspective:

• Learning 2.0 can play an important role in supporting formal learning in terms of active support and follow-through.
• Learning 2.0 is growing much faster than other approaches (albeit from a much lower base).
• It is the belief of the authors that younger workers will demand it, and that organisations who adopt it will do better when it comes to attracting and retaining talent.
• Seventy percent of respondents plan to apply more Learning 2.0 in the coming year.
• The biggest users are in Europe, Middle East and Africa, and in Asia Pacific (although the number of respondents from these regions are much lower).
• Small organisations use Learning 2.0 the most.
• Learners under 30 years of age take more advantage of it.

Some third-party research is quoted in the report:

• Some 77% of Inc 500 organisations have adopted some form of social media tool (University of Massachusetts).
• Three-quarters of executives plan to maintain or increase technologies that encourage user collaboration (McKinseys).

The report also includes an update on the 'training modalities' used by members. While Learning 2.0, asynchronous and synchronous e-learning and even the classroom were showing increased usage, mobile learning was down 10% and serious games down 6%. Surprising you might think.