Just when you thought your university days were long behind you, some organizations are learning that the co-ed life is the way to go for training and development. And why not? Google Academy has seen extremely high rates of success for its Google Ad Academy and GE schools employees on leadership skills via its Crotonville campus. But these universities probably look a little different from the institution that gave you your diploma. By understanding just what makes a corporate university so successful and appealing to learners, you could have employees graduating summa cum laude from your next training initiative, too.
1. They Use Better, Scalable Platforms
A corporate university can ditch the old LMS and delivery methods of the path because they have to be super-accessible and easy to navigate. Because of that, a corporate university is usually presented on forward-thinking platforms that utilize learner tech such as mobile phones and tablets. These newer platforms are also highly scalable, which means more content, better content, and better reach throughout the organization.
2. Universities Mirror the Corporate Ecosystem
Think about it: The corporations and organizations most likely to incorporate university -style learning into their training strategy are those that already have a healthy leadership and learning ecosystem. Swapping more traditional training for a learner-lead university approach simply mirrors the ecosystem that learners already enjoy and expect. It shows learners respect and creates an environment where personal development is just as important as workplace training.
3. They’re Integrated with Social Sharing
While it’s true that most learners fairly crave independence, they don’t want their training to be on an island. Corporate universities usually offer social sharing tools built directly into the LMS, which means learners can interact with their colleagues and peers throughout the process. Whether it’s posting a YouTube video through a message board or a discussion via instant messaging, learners become teachers themselves as they pick out important points and continue their education on a social level.
4. Universities are Less Formal
Instead of treating training like a mandatory event, corporate universities put learners in the driver’s seat. They have control over which courses they choose, which they skip, and how they learn best. This casual approach works better than prodding all learners along the exact same learning path.
Put yourself in the same scenario: Why sit through redundant or inapplicable learning just in the name of checking off mandatory training? Corporate universities give learners a course catalog so they can assemble their own learning path based on their current roles, the roles they want to achieve, and their own interests.
5. Universities Utilize Microlearning
Because the corporate university can do away with the idea that learning has to be an event, microlearning becomes a more viable delivery method for information. Learners don’t need to sit through lengthy training meetings or click through long and boring modules. Instead, they can make any space a classroom through microlearning. Quick videos, reminder emails, and flashcards–all displayed on smaller screens–help to drip feed information to learners. That slow and steady processing of information is more likely to increase memory and retention, rather than trying to cram all that data in one big session.
If you want to learn more about why Microlearning can help you, download our free ebook here.
If traditional training is like an unyielding, completion-based year of high school, let your new approach look more like a flexible, experience-based semester of university. That way, learners are encouraged to forge their own path, instead of being forced through the same training no matter what. Think more like a corporate university and you’ll see more motivated learners.
