NovoEd Makes a Mark on Strategic Learning in EMEA

We’re proud to announce NovoEd’s inclusion on the 2021 Fosway 9-Grid™ for Learning Systems for the first time. This achievement reflects both accelerating growth in the EMEA region and the unique capabilities of the NovoEd collaborative learning platform to enable strategic learning programmes for global enterprises.

The annual grid is accompanied by a detailed market analysis that includes insights into the rapid disruption of corporate learning, which accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was triggered by the need for rapid upskilling and reskilling because of accompanying economic challenges. According to Fosway’s data, 95% of companies say their learning will not revert to how it was before, with digital learning solutions coming to the fore.

NovoEd enters the Fosway grid for 2021 as a Potential Performer — an up-and-coming ‘one to watch’ as the area of programmatic learning gains more attention in global workforces that operate in increasingly distributed, remote, and hybrid settings.

A focus on experiences that enable strategic learning programmes

In 2020, Fosway rejected the use of the Learning Experience Platform (LXP) label as confusing hype that failed to inform which aspects of the learning experience corporate buyers should be looking to change at their organizations. Instead, the analysts chose to classify the capabilities of learning technology providers in terms of ‘suites’ and ‘specialists’ — suites being platforms with a broad range of traditional and forward-leaning capabilities, and specialists focusing “one area of capability, with a disruptive, high impact agenda.” That classification continues into 2021 to clarify differentiation in how vendors achieve disruptive outcomes.

One area where Fosway sees most learning systems missing the mark is support for strategic learning programs. While many providers tout their ability to blend different learning modalities and support collaboration, few do it well, especially for high-value learning programs that support groups of learners:

Systems need to be better at harnessing multiple content types and real collaboration, as well as enabling online feedback, coaching, mentoring, and reflection. The sophistication to create fully digital versions of high impact strategic programmes is lacking in all bar a few Specialist providers.

This set of learning experiences, which Fosway classifies as ‘programmatic learning,’ describes the individual and organizational capability development that supports strategic business outcomes, and which is poorly supported by most technology solutions. As organizations emerge from the pandemic crisis, these areas of strategic importance include:

• Leadership at all levels
• Upskilling and reskilling
• Onboarding
• Sales enablement
• Innovation
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion

Supporting strategic learning for the global enterprise

Founded at Stanford’s University’s social algorithms laboratory in 2012, the NovoEd platform empowers organizations to design and deliver experiential learning that accelerates business performance on a global scale. While the company has supported learners in the EMEA region for years, 2020 saw an acceleration in momentum as more EMEA-domiciled enterprises — including Nestlé, Merlin Entertainments, Volvo, and Agility Logistics —turned to NovoEd for purpose-built learning programmes that encompass leadership development, upskilling and reskilling, employee onboarding, sales enablement, and more.

Robust approach to collaborative learning

To meet the needs of strategic learning programmes, NovoEd offers a robust approach to online learning that is effective in developing organizational capabilities and creating resilient learning cultures, and goes well beyond liking, sharing, and commenting on content. 

At its best, this vision of collaborative learning is active, promotes discussion and feedback, and engages peers with each other and experts. Elements of this approach include:

• Practice and application to support learning in the context of work and organizational goals
• Discussion and feedback to enhance learning by sharing perspective with peers and experts
• Team-based learning that mirrors how work happens and develops interpersonal skills
• Mentors and managers to support learning with expertise and wisdom
• Curated and goal-aligned content that connects to business and learning goals
• Effective facilitators who guide learners through high-quality experiences that result in impact.

To learn more about NovoEd’s approach to delivering high-value learning, download Online Collaborative Learning for the Enterprise: A Complete Guide, or contact us for a demonstration of the NovoEd platform.