DevLearn Las Vegas Trend Report: Learning Becomes Measurable

From October 25 - 27, developers, managers and executives met at America's largest learning technology conference, DevLearn, in Las Vegas, and this year was all about AI. Digital learning provider and Europe's top company for soft skills development, PINKTUM, was there with the USA team summarizing the most important trends. Alois Krtil, CTO of PINKTUM, categorizes their relevance for the German market.

Trend 1: AI Measures Learning Success

American learning platforms are increasingly implementing tools that measure learners' progress towards defined objectives (Objectives & Key Results, OKR), making the progress transparent. Departments and employees can therefore see whether they are on track with their learning programs and achieving the desired goals.

"This trend will continue to spread,” explains Krtil, PINKTUM CTO, “However, there will also be a countermovement, as traditional KPIs do not always guarantee sustainable success. At PINKTUM for example, we can use quiz-like test questions, but an AI-supported solution that determines individual learning success is the future."

Trend 2: Learning Incentives Are Becoming More Important

Learning must become increasingly appealing - from the interface to the learning experience. AI should help to improve the user interface (UI) and the user experience (UX). The focus here is on encouraging learners to learn and stick with it. Many providers integrate games and challenges and use social media mechanisms, including streaks and animations.

"Companies are currently under great pressure to prepare their employees for change and need to create new learning incentives. This trend will also be relevant in Germany. At PINKTUM, good usability is important, but it is increasingly about individual incentives for specific types of learners,” Krtil said.

Trend 3: Learning is Becoming More Individual and Fragmented

Complex learning content is divided into chunks and tailored to individual requirements. This takes into account the fact that people are concentrating for shorter periods of time and have different learning styles.

"Individualization and variety of methods are the most important trends worldwide, but also the most challenging to implement,” Krtil points out. “At PINKTUM, we use a specially developed, scientifically based analysis tool to identify unique learning needs and individual development areas. As soon as these have been identified, we focus on targeted, time-coordinated use of various teaching methods. The right mix of knowledge transfer, practice and repetition is crucial. We are well advanced in this exciting field, both technically and methodologically, and believe that this is where the future of learning lies.”

Trend 4: AI Ensures Cost-Effective Updating of Content

Las Vegas showed a strong demand for fast and cost-effective ways to update learning content. For example, if sequences in a video need to be changed, an AI avatar of the real speaker speaks the new sequences. Instead of reshooting the entire video, only the relevant section is replaced.

"There is currently little acceptance in the German market for AI-generated avatars to convey learning content. That's why we use professional actors for our video modules and pay attention to cultural fit. Even subtitles and voiceovers are often met with resistance, which is also a cultural issue. However, I am convinced that the acceptance of AI-generated videos will change in the coming years. The technology is developing fast, and the results are constantly improving, which will increase user acceptance,” said Krtil.

About PINKTUM

PINKTUM is one of the leading providers for the sustainable improvement of company soft skills. Customers embark on digital learning paths which are tailored to their individual development needs and integrated into their daily work routine. At the heart of the organization is an internationally award-winning online library. It comprises around 600 video-based, interactive e⁠-⁠training courses, which are available in several culturally-adapted languages. PINKTUM is constantly developing its methods and learning content based on psychological research and provides new learning initiatives for companies.

A part of the Pawlik Group, PINKTUM is the brand name of Pink University GmbH and is led by CEO Joachim Pawlik. Founded in 2010, PINKTUM has approximately 150 employees at 16 locations worldwide and is headquartered in Hamburg and Munich.

Press contact PINKTUM

Pink University GmbH
Kristina Behrend
Head of Communications
presse@pinktum.com

+49 89 547 278 44 18
+49 (0)171 930 20 40