Learning Technology: Where’s the Money Going?

Technology is still the hot topic in corporate learning conversations, but how are organizations putting their money where their mouth is?

A new survey by learning services provider Impact Instruction Group found that e-learning is still the top learning technology investment heading into 2013, with 86 percent reporting that they are investing heavily in the strategy.

Moreover, companies also reported they are focusing their investments in webinars and video — 66 percent and 56 percent, respectively — for learning delivery for next year.

The survey aimed to get a pulse on learning organizations’ technology strategies heading into the next year, including design and delivery, leadership support, strategy implementation and staffing skills requirements.

Surprisingly, investments in mobile applications, games and simulations for learning — which have garnered heavy enthusiasm among learning leaders of late — still remain relatively low heading into 2013, according to the survey. Just 22 percent of business leaders reported in the survey that they plan to investment in mobile applications; 14 percent said the same for games and simulations.

Amy Franko, founder and CEO of Impact Instruction Group, said despite continued interest and enthusiasm for mobile and game-based learning, it appears companies are still reluctant to make larger investments in those areas.

“E-learning has been in the mix for some time now, so that’s why it didn’t surprise me that it’s at such a high level,” Franko said. “... On many levels, it’s a proven commodity.”

Many learning leaders had to scale back investments in learning technology during the recession, as organizations were forced to cut budgets overall in training and development. Now that much of that funding is starting to come back, Franko said companies are sticking with what has already proven effective — in this case e-learning, webinars and video.

Still, some learning leaders think skewing investments away from mobile and other collaborative and innovative learning technologies is a mistake.

“The fact that these companies are spending little time investing in mobile, gamification and simulations suggests they aren’t spending much time thinking in the context of workforce engagement and overall better learning practices,” said Dan Pontefract, senior director of learning and collaboration at Canadian telecommunications firm Telus. “That, in my opinion, is just plain wrong.”

Franko said learning leaders must work to bridge the gap from interest to adoption to investment with senior business leaders when it comes to mobile and game-based technologies.

The good news from the survey, however, is that 75 percent reported that their leadership team’s interest in implementing technology-based learning technology is growing.

“I think the one thing that is important for any L&D professional is being savvy about the technology trends in the workplace,” Franko said. “... Leaders and executives have to make it a point to individuals what’s happening in technology, because it will directly affect [future] learning strategy.”

Frank Kalman is an associate editor of Chief Learning Officer magazine. He can be reached at fkalman@CLOmedia.com.