Digital Procrastination
Yes, it’s a thing. The digital transformation of learning has augmented an organizations' ability to evolve by providing just-in-time training solutions. And yet, many are still waiting on the sidelines or are confused about how to get started in online learning. For me, I just call it plain procrastination – a digital one at that. What do I mean? First, I understand that it is a new landscape for many. It’s unchartered ground. But for the most part, the platform has been there even before COVID19. It’s just that the transition to modern-day learning was always a second priority, if at all.
There is this one agency that I know of that’s been on the lookout for a digital platform for their learning solutions since last year, even before the pandemic hit. Surprisingly though, months after that, and a considerable time since the lockdown, I have yet to see them actually get on board the digital learning space. What’s getting in the way? What’s causing all this procrastination?
I think it has to do with too much thinking. Again, it’s because it’s relatively “new ground” that it causes much hesitation, some careful thought, and maybe even several circling back just to be able to understand what it takes to build an online learning solution. But I’m here to tell you it really doesn’t take much. You can get started with your transition with just what you have. Here are three steps you may want to consider –
1. Get started with what you already have. You may be tempted to think that in order to “go online” you need to develop and enhance content by using a variety of technology tools from audio, video, graphics, blogs, wikis, podcasts and more. All of these technology tools can play a role in enhancing the content of your migrated online course, true, but it is not what technologies are used, but how they are used. So work with what you have. You can “digitize” a lesson by simply doing a voice over on a powerpoint file and publish it over email. Sure, you can’t track or grade your students, but hey, they’re able to access a lesson. From you.
2. Being with the end in mind. Or, to align it with learning and development jargon, “focus on your learning outcomes.” Perfecting an online course is impossible. Looking for the right platform, the best student experience, the easiest medium for content developers takes ages to conquer and even much harder to balance. There are always trade offs, so don't strive for that. Getting clear on what you want students to learn can open you up to be more flexible about how you teach the important stuff. For all you know, just a mini-session using a whiteboard and some breakout room exercises seal the deal for students wanting to learn something new. Easy peasy.
3. Prepare for the student experience. If there’s any amount of procrastination you are permitted to do, it is in planning for how your students want to receive your digital online solution. As learning practitioners we probably want the bells and whistles, but students? They just want to learn. Relevant planning is needed in curriculum design for online learning. The role of a face-to-face instructor and online learning instructor is quite different; the teaching style must be more student- rather than instructor-centered. So think about what the student prefers rather than shoving them to a platform which they might not access because it just doesn’t match how they want to experience online learning.
With this transformation of when, where and how people are willing to work also comes a change in how we approach learning new skills to cope with the new work model. It is incumbent upon organizations to support their workforce in transitioning to the new learning paradigms. Not doing so can prove to be a huge competitive disadvantage. But to dilly-dally is not the way. Act now, digitize, or fade away.
