Train its employees using audio capsules, digital learning is reinforced with a new mode of learning. Train when you want, where you want, at the pace you want… It brings flexibility and agility.
Shorter, more flexible, more practical format…, the learning podcast is the latest arrival in the panoply of digital learning. “At the time of the Covid, of reinforced teleworking for employees and the difficulty of organizing face-to-face meetings, the podcast is added to the already wide range of educational resources available and enriches the digital learning paths. Some companies are increasingly favoring new, more agile learning methods.explains Mohamed Tazi, director of LMS Formation.
For neophytes, podcast learning or microlearning is simply audio content specifically created for digital distribution, which can be streamed or downloaded via the internet or applications. If it is acclaimed in the field of training, it is because it brings a new freshness to learning. Like video, audio learning is ideal for memorizing, conveying messages, emotions.
For Ghita Benboujida, innovation director at LMS, “It stands out among the new training formats, because it allows learners to train when they want, where they want, at the pace they want. This advantage of agility also makes it possible to stimulate the engagement and the memorization of the learners, especially the reluctant public with other more usual formats like the texts». And to add that “this type of format is much more suited to more recent themes such as management 4.0 or design thinking”.
Moreover, faced with an increasingly obvious demand, the firm has embarked on the creation of audio content for companies by offering both tailor-made and off-the-shelf content. “We were approached by a local bank to set up podcasts on banking automation, trading, market finance…, with the aim of popularizing banking professions, especially among young people eager for new learning techniques such as serious games or why not audio learning»adds M.me Benboujida.
For example, certain professions or themes lend themselves particularly well to this mode, particularly in the field of sales force, customer relations, health and safety or even the onboarding process (integration of new recruits).
Touching the field of business communication
For his part, Oussama Esmili, CEO of Ideo Factory, points out that “this new mode is at the crossroads between internal communication and training. It can be extended to information and communication actions, for example on the values of the company, or respond to issues of sharing experiences and good practices.. And to continue that “certain local groups that have large staff and recruit massively, particularly in the field of IT, outsourcing and offshoring, resort to this type of device or create in particular internal radio stations that serve as podcast capsules”.
There is no doubt that the podcast can now assert itself in the field of distance learning. However, its implementation must be part of a well-thought-out training engineering. “Engineering is needed to determine where to place podcast learning at the beginning, middle or end of a learning journey while combining it with other formats like blended or face-to-face. In addition, the investment is not expensive. It is necessary to look into the editorial line of podcasts if it is regarding communication actions, messages to convey, themes addressed…”, adds the CEO of Ideo Factory. It is built on the basis of educational objectives which are broken down into each of the episodes, with a reflection on the narrative modality which is the most appropriate. Some employees can also be actors in training by participating in the creation of podcasts or even by lending their voice by participating in the recording of content. A way also to stir up a certain interest in them.
Evaluation is not left out, since methods of evaluating acquired knowledge, such as MCQs, can thus be useful. It is also important to involve management in the deployment of the approach.
