Getting the sage off the stage: How ubiquity will define the future of learning

The sudden switch to virtual learning in 2020 — at least, for those institutions who weren’t online already — is still sending aftershocks through the world of education and learning and development two years later. As with similar developments in fields from health care to white-collar work, the lines between in-person and remote experiences are continuing to blur much faster than we could have predicted before the pandemic.

But is the rise of remote reality a change for the better, or a change for change’s sake? And, can we use this moment of transformation, unexpected though it was, to build a better future of learning?

For those of us working in L&D, this shift may have been a silver lining. The disruption of the past two years is now enabling the creation of a learning experience that is universally accessible to learners anywhere, any time. It’s a concept that some are beginning to call “ubiquitous learning” — and it may hold the potential to transform the landscape of workforce training for the better.

 A ubiquitous learning experience is rooted in seamless access to educational experiences, both in and out of school or work, that never has to stop. You could call it a subset or byproduct of hybrid learning — the broader term that refers to learning experiences that take place partly online and partly in-person.

But ubiquitous learning refers to something more specific: It’s a hybrid learning experience whose core principles are flexibility and accessibility. Think of Arist’s text message-based “microlearning” modules that get delivered in the flow of work, or Penn Foster’s flexible courses that focus on career-based skills training and are accessible from any device. What makes these approaches special isn’t just that they use technology. It’s that they do so with a specific purpose: decoupling the learning experience from any particular classroom or instructor, and instead focusing on how to deliver whatever the learner needs, whenever they need it.

Effective ubiquitous learning depends on recognizing that technology is an enabler, but it is only with appropriate pedagogy that leverages technology that we see the magic happen — and education’s “holy grail,” a truly personalized learning experience, becomes possible.

Think of it this way: Ubiquitous learning means that the world is now your classroom. There is no longer a monopoly on information and knowledge. But in the same way that you can’t tell a student to go to the library and teach themselves economics, you cannot tell a student to search the web and learn algebra. The seamless integration between in- and out-of-school learning requires intentional design.

Rather than the traditional “sage on the stage” model of higher education, ubiquitous learning relies on both technological advances and pedagogical creativity to create a hybrid educational experience that is more self-directed, more relevant to employment and more accessible for learners. It’s broken up into small enough modules that you can make progress on your bus ride to work, in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, during your lunch break or for a few minutes before you go to bed each night. And for a generation that is navigating both the fallout from the pandemic and the increasingly short shelf-life of skills, a ubiquitous approach to learning may be the sort of disruption that opens the pathways to building a more resilient and future-ready workforce.

Embracing ubiquitous learning creates other opportunities, too. Research suggests that individuals who often seek opportunities for higher learning, but have had to navigate historic underrepresentation and underinvestment in their communities, are significantly more likely to have smartphones than any other kind of internet-enabled device. While learning that’s available via mobile device is not itself a solution for this persistent digital divide, it does create a clearer path to make high-quality education and training experiences available to those who may not otherwise have been able to access them.

What’s more, HR and talent expert Josh Bersin has argued that “learning in the flow of work” can also play a role in increasing employee engagement — and, in turn, boosting retention and reducing churn. In short, making ubiquitous learning a reality also holds the promise of addressing some of the challenges that have long vexed learning and development leaders navigating an ever-changing labor market.

As learning and talent leaders chart a course to a new world of work, what will it take for ubiquitous learning to become the norm? The next steps depend on the actions of the entire learning and talent development community. Learning providers and technology developers must continue to refine the technology that enables ubiquitous learning to be possible, and build the pedagogical structures and curricula to deliver it effectively. Employers need to take action, whether developing ubiquitous learning experiences or building strategic roadmaps toward the model’s implementation. Of course, learners themselves must be part of the process as well, providing feedback and guidance as the idea and its implementation continue to develop — and taking advantage of the opportunity to learn on-the-go, and at the time of need. What would the world look like if it was easy to learn new skills when we could otherwise be watching TV or surfing social media?

Bersin describes human beings as a “neotenic” species: Always curious and eager to learn. As we begin to embrace the potential of remote and hybrid experiences in the workplace, it’s time to find out if learning experiences that are intentionally designed to be ubiquitous and agnostic to any device can help us to respond to that deep biological need — and improve our working lives in the process.