Transformative Digital Technology for Effective Workplace Learning

In a world bursting with new information, ideas, opportunities, and technological advancements, it is time to rethink how continuous learning shapes our future. Amidst the ongoing digital revolution, widespread educational reform, and the most significant global pandemic of our lifetimes, we are at a pivotal time in history.

Transformative Digital Technology for Effective Workplace Learning explores the technological developments that are rapidly unfolding in the workplace and those that support workplace training. What emerges is that the rate of change and the possibilities for improvement are more extensive than many of us might have suspected. From artificial intelligence to virtual reality, from data analytics, to adaptive learning, there is the capacity for significant innovation and opportunity if harnessed in the right ways.

The book offers an overview of several critical issues that face the future of the workplace and examines them through the lens of lifelong learning. The book begins by conveying the current impacts on the workplace and how the internal function of learning and development has evolved. It then considers the eight learning imperatives that drive workplace learning and then looks at the future workplace. Exploring technological frameworks for digitally enhanced workplace learning, the book takes a deep dive into the capabilities of immersive technologies, as well as into the insights enabled through learning analytics.

The goal of this book is not to merely describe technological advancements in the workplace but instead, to challenge the status quo and think critically about the future that lies ahead. One aim is to have business leaders understand the necessity for ongoing workplace learning. Another is that individuals appreciate that lifelong learning is the new social norm. Ongoing education allows people to become more open to change and less anxious about new experiences. Developing a growth mindset and adopting a company culture that says everyone can learn new things and continue to improve their performance will become the standard. Most importantly, as the business world is reconfigured before our very eyes, ongoing learning must become an economic imperative.

Ria O’Donnell is a learning and development specialist with decades of experience in advanced learning technologies. She has earned two Master of Education degrees; one focuses on technology and the other on global education. She spent her early career as a classroom teacher before moving into learning and development in the corporate sector. Her research with the University of Melbourne focuses on the effectiveness of online learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic.