Skillsoft Perspectives, an annual forum for Skillsoft customers, provided L&D professionals with a look at how the elearning landscape is evolving.
Delegates to this year's Skillsoft customer conference, Skillsoft Perspectives, heard how the economic downturn had resulted in mixed fortunes for learning and development professionals.
Skillsoft chief operating officer Jerry Nine told delegates that organisations had seen productivity go up as a result of downsizing. The challenge now for organisations is to sustain this productivity.
This means a shift away from what he called the "old thinking" of viewing training as an expense to new thinking of delivering more efficient training.
Nine said that feedback from Skillsoft customers had shown that aligning learning to the business strategy was working and organisations were having successes at delivering learning on a global scale. Blended learning had been particularly successful for leadership development.
But the future held many new challenges for learning and development, he said, as workforce requirements changed. These changes included the need to reach more learners in more places and provide them with more specialised knowledge.
Nine said that as organisations are doing more for less so employee stress is on the rise. L&D will have a critical role in helping organisations reengage with employees, he said.
People, technology and learning interventions on a global scale make L&D complex, Nine said. Acquiring, managing and delivering learning interventions with supply chain thinking will differentiate businesses as effective learning organisations, he added.
Skillsoft Perspectives, which was held at the Millenium Hotel in London's Mayfair, also featured a range of case study presentations and announcements on Skillsoft product enhancements.
TrainingZone talked to Darren Bezani, learning and development director at legal publisher LexisNexis. Bezani shared his thoughts on technology and its impact on learning, the sustainability of learning and the importance of marketing and communication in elearning.
John Ambrose, senior vice president of strategy, corporate development and emerging business shared his thoughts on the current elearning landscape and how it will develop over the coming years.
