The Age of Curation for Lifelong Learning in the Workplace

In the modern age, lifelong learning is becoming increasingly important as we navigate an ever-changing world and work environment. Gone are the days when we could expect to learn everything we need to know in our formal education and then rely on that knowledge for the rest of our careers. Instead, we must constantly learn and adapt to stay relevant and succeed in today’s rapidly evolving job market.

This is where learning content curation comes in. Learning content curation is selecting and organizing formal and informal resources, such as articles, videos, podcasts, ebooks, top voices experts, and online courses, to facilitate learning on a specific topic or subject. It allows learners to access a curated selection of high-quality resources relevant to their learning goals, saving them time and effort.

One of the key benefits of learning content curation is that it allows learners to tailor their education to their specific needs and interests. Instead of being limited to a predetermined curriculum, learners can choose from a wide range of resources to create a personalized learning experience. This can be especially useful for those pursuing continuing education or self-directed learning.

Learning content curation also has the potential to democratize workplace education by making high-quality resources more accessible to learners around the world regardless of role, level, or language. With the rise of the internet and the proliferation of online learning platforms, it has become easier than ever before to access a wide range of educational resources. Curating these resources and organizing them in a meaningful way can help learners easily find and use the resources that are most relevant to them.

Overall, learning content curation will play a crucial role in the future of lifelong learning. By allowing learners to access a curated selection of high-quality resources and create personalized learning experiences, it will help them stay up-to-date and adapt to the changing needs of the job market.

‍

‍

A strategic asset for an effective learning strategy

There are several reasons why a chief learning officer (CLO) should consider incorporating learning content curation into their strategy for better business outcomes.

First, learning content curation allows a CLO to tailor the learning experiences of their employees to their specific needs and interests. By selecting and organizing relevant resources, a CLO can create a personalized learning experience that is more likely to engage and motivate employees. This can lead to better retention of knowledge and skills and ultimately, to better business outcomes.

Second, learning content curation can save time and resources for both the CLO and their employees. By curating high-quality resources, a CLO can eliminate the need for employees to spend time searching for and evaluating individual resources. This can free up more time for employees to focus on their work and contribute to the business.

Third, learning content curation can help CLO stay up-to-date with the latest developments in their industry and ensure that their employees have access to the most current and relevant information. This can help the business stay competitive and adapt to changes in the market.

Incorporating learning content curation into a CLO’s strategy can help create a more effective and efficient learning program, leading to better business outcomes.

‍

‍

From the age of editors to the age of curators

Back in the 2000s, we saw the rise of the e-learning platform and along with that, the e-learning content catalog to feed their LMS: Skillsoft, Lynda (now Linkedin Learning), and Cegos to name a few. E-learning content catalogs are not a once-and-done investment. Therefore, learning leaders and training directors needed to hire skills-specific editors to address the ongoing requirements of maintaining, growing, curating and organizing the catalog with qualified content. And those editors either needed to write the content themselves or find resources available on the web. The latter choice was easy because only a few players creating quality content were available.

In the 2010s, in response to the increasing pace of change in the workplace requiring new skills, more geographic coverage, and new topical areas, we saw the explosive growth of the e-learning content universe. As the e-learning content market became more crowded, CLOs found it difficult to evaluate and engage with all content resource providers so a new category arose: the aggregators. Some evolved as a module of the LMS, ContentAnytime for Cornerstone and Talentsoft Content are examples, and others entered the market as stand-alone like OpenSesame or GO1. Either way, they eased the purchase process for online courses.

The 2020s is the age of curators, not only do they aggregate formal content, but they qualify and organize across new formats including podcasts, webinars, articles, blogs, and videos. Content curators save workforce learning organizations hundreds of thousands of hours and dollars spent on finding, selecting, evaluating, negotiating, integrating, organizing and updating required content resources for their employees. Using a learning curation partner, the CLO and their learning organization can spend time on creating value: strategic competency framework, data analysis, community management, promotion, and engagement.

Curated learning catalogs coupled with LXP/LMS or skills management platforms are becoming a must-have strategic asset to enable a better learning experience and gain a competitive advantage by building a lifelong learning culture across the organization.

‍

‍

A CLO, or Chief Learning Officer, is responsible for leading an organization’s learning and development efforts. Integrating learning curation into a CLO’s strategy can be beneficial for several reasons:

1. It helps ensure that the learning materials and resources are up-to-date, relevant, and high quality.
2. It allows the CLO to tailor the learning experience to the needs and goals of the organization and its employees rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.
3. It can help save time and resources by curating and organizing materials in a way that makes it easy for learners to find what they need.
4. It can improve the overall effectiveness of the learning program by ensuring that learners have access to the most relevant and useful information.

Overall, incorporating learning curation into a CLO’s strategy can help ensure that an organization’s learning and development efforts are aligned with its goals and that its employees have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful.