The Top Tools for Learning list is compiled by Jane Hart and released yearly.
With 2,951 votes from 52 countries, the list provides an excellent snapshot of the tools being used by L&D professionals as well as those outside of the learning profession.
We are big fans of this list, to help us learn about learning technology that is being used, the technology we may have missed or new releases that have improved existing tools.
The top 10 hasn’t changed much, the noticeable addition is Zoom, a video meeting tool. Video content is on the rise as are webinars so this reflects the growth in that medium.
If you go beyond the top 10 there are some tools that have seen significant increases – Microsoft Teams, a team collaboration tool; Canva – a graphic design tool (we love this!) , H5P – HTML5 content creator (are more L&D teams designing content in-house?) and Degreed which is a great learning platform.
Jane has identified 10 trends for Digital Learning in 2018 and possibly beyond:
- Web resources still dominate
- Mixed results for social networks – Facebook drops out of top 10, WhatsApp and Instagram still do well
- Web courses increasing in popularity
- More content development happening
- A more personalised approach to learning at work
- Social learning through team collaboration
- Microsoft is showing its power
- As illustrated by OneNote beating Evernote – we are fans of Google keep.
- Video conferencing more popular than conference calls
- Audience engagement is more important than ever
Whilst digital is empowering, uniting teams and ensuring better connectivity always remember to have a balance of medium, both within the digital space as well as real-life interaction.
But ignore digital at your peril. If you aren’t sure where to start or need assistance creating a digital learning strategy we can provide you with expert consultants to help shape your organisation’s future. Contact us at info@optimuslearningservices.com or call 0845 519 7408.
The full Top Tools for Learning list can be found on Jane’s website – it has an interactive spreadsheet and an expanded analysis from Jane.
