The (Re) Evolution Of Learning and Development

Organizations that are successfully shifting from a trainer-led to a learner-led model are reaping benefits in learner engagement and motivation, as well as business performance. The L&D professional has to be an excellent knowledge curator, an agent of change, leveraging social learning and collaboration tools, and, using analytics to understand performance improvement.

- Shruti Chadha

Over the last four decades, the role of the human resource developer has changed from that of training individuals to that of a facilitator for training. And, the organizational perception of an employee has changed from that of a simple resource to that of a resourceful individual, to be nurtured for the benefit of the company and society. Teamwork and collaboration is encouraged, as is creativity and an entrepreneurial outlook.

Evolution of Corporate Training and Learning

As has been indicated in the chart, over the last decade, the sphere of corporate training has traversed four major phases. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, traditional instructor-led training (which still makes up more than 60% of all training delivery today), was the primary form of training, which, in turn, was complimented by various forms of available technology of those times viz. CD ROMs, Video Disks, VHS tapes, Video Broadcasts with a goal to enhance the reach and reduce the cost. Computer based training (CBT) was the terminology adapted to such technology-supported training of the yester years.