Today, training acts as a generator of new trends, such as fashion in the 1980s, television in the 1990s, and the social media in the first decades of this new millennium. Learning does not follow cultural trends, it sets them, […] it is the primary driver of global, cultural and economic change!
(From Il Sole 24 Ore, 14 May 2021)
The new challenges of digital platforms
In a fast-changing world, training makes giant leaps ahead, promptly responding effectively to the latest needs.
The Covid-19 emergency, for example, accelerated many processes that were already underway, radically changing our learning models under the sign of innovation and digitalisation.
Classes have become virtual, synchronous lessons have become asynchronous, intensive sessions have been fragmented into short concentrations. The development of micro-learning has facilitated the use of mobile learning, which makes it possible to follow courses anytime and anywhere, directly from a smartphone or tablet. This fast and handy “tailor-made” training is now offered to Leonardo people through its advanced e-learning platforms Coursera and Speak&Go, whose dedicated apps are always accessible, also from mobile devices.
Content has been enriched and has been made increasingly smart and fun through the use of gamification, edutainment and immersive reality. Courses guide and help to live in the present: “Covid-19: what you need to know”, “Managing your mental health during Covid-19”, “Smart Working – working effectively from home” are just some of the courses that were immediately made available at the start of the pandemic via the digital platforms also accessible to Leonardo employees, so as to better understand the situation, manage the new way of working, and maintain the right physical or mental balance.
People and their interests at the centre
These courses centre on people and their well-being. Everyone is the architect and star of their own training, being free to follow courses on subjects of personal or professional interest. This is a new concept of lifelong learning, which is not imposed but chosen freely based on personal interests and passions. Hence the name of the initiative - LoveForLearning - through which Leonardo offers access to Coursera to all its people worldwide.
MOOC (Massive Online Open Course) platforms such as Coursera open the doors to the best international universities and hi-tech companies so that anyone can contact lecturers and professionals of the highest level in just a click, to obtain extensive and varied, but also increasingly prestigious and advanced training, certifying the skills acquired with certifications that enrich the CV and the professional web reputation.
Social learning
Training has become increasingly social, therefore, it is possible to share results and learning experiences with friends and colleagues. In the vast array of course offerings, customer reviews direct decisions on the content to be included in the “training cart”, through e-learning platforms that are very similar to those best known for the purchase of goods or videos on demand. The interfaces are user-friendly and combine big data and analytics to offer content personalised in accordance with personal characteristics and preferences.
Study thus becomes an opportunity for exchange and growth, both professional and cultural, with virtual classes bringing together time zones, countries and continents, 24/7. Speak&Go, for example, enriches its users’ language skills by offering a varied range of activities and content developed in collaboration with authoritative partners such as the Harvard Business Review and the New York Times. Therefore, everyone at Leonardo is given the opportunity to learn a language and - through videos and articles on the latest international trends and access to the world’s leading newspapers - to understand current events and topical developments in a variety of countries. An opportunity to truly experience globalisation and share cultural empathy with colleagues from around the globe.
Thus, times and distances shorten; it doesn't matter how, it doesn't matter why, and it doesn't matter when. True freedom is to be able to acquire first-rate skills, by day or night, from your desk or in your kitchen.
Choose to enjoy the Digital Learning Revolution!