As a result of COVID-19, schools, universities and businesses were forced to shut their doors and adapt quickly to digital-first learning strategies. A year on, with the return of in-person teaching imminent, Roy Kerley, founder and CEO of Synergy Learning, suggests that organisations that harness the power of integrated e-learning platforms will be better equipped to thrive in the new model of hybrid learning that looks set to stay long after the pandemic ends.
Synergy Learning is a homegrown, remote-first provider of world-class learning technologies services to a global customer base. The business works with brands like Samsung, Save the Children & numerous NHS Trusts to create engaging, intuitive and accessible learning technology that delivers meaningful, measurable results to over two million learners in over forty countries worldwide.
Ahead of Learning at Work Week 2021 (17th – 23rd May), Roy speaks to Business First about the importance of leaning into the e-learning boom of 2020 to enhance the capabilities of businesses’ online teaching programmes in the new hybrid world.
“We have seen a big increase in the desire for high quality e-learning programmes since the beginning of the pandemic”, Roy explains. “Synergy Learning, for instance, was offered the opportunity to develop a digital learning platform to assist hospital staff working on the frontline at NHS University Hospitals Birmingham this time last year. This was at a time when organisations were being forced away from face-to-face teaching and into the online space. As increasing pressure was put on the NHS to care for patients, the need to keep up to date with new information about the virus also grew. The quick roll out of a tailored digital learning platform for use with the Birmingham Nightingale Hospital staff no doubt helped many of these individuals adjust more efficiently to these new demands.
“Having an e-learning platform that works for the needs of your specific business is absolutely crucial to its success. What we offer at Synergy Learning goes well beyond the provision of an out-of-the-box product. Instead, we work closely with our clients to figure out their pain points and needs, then develop a bespoke learning platform that takes into account the organisation’s style, tone and intended audience. The needs of a hospital will differ dramatically to that of a university, for instance. At Synergy Learning, we are acutely aware that what we offer will have an impact on the education of teams and individuals across the world, in multiple different industries, and we are committed to being a world-class provider of learning solutions for every organisation.
“The advantages of this kind of bespoke digital learning platform are remarkable. Not only do these online programmes offer flexibility for the learner, allowing them to engage with the content at their own pace, they’re also increasingly user-friendly, accessible, and prove that an organisation can fulfil a commitment to teaching or training of the highest quality. E-learning has always been an important aspect of many businesses, but I think we’ll find that as the world adapts to a hybrid model of face-to-face and online teaching, organisations that have implemented this technology sooner will be in a stronger position than those that neglect the many benefits of a blended approach: a system that works for both online and offline learning.
“Since its establishment as a Moodle partner in 2005, at the very cusp of technological development, Synergy Learning has grown with its clients, and we have continually tailored our performance and offerings to the increasingly sophisticated needs of those we work with. As online learning continues to boom in 2021, we plan to continue our model of scaling and adapting alongside our partners. There is a huge growth market for education technologies, with a forecasted revenue in the industry of seven trillion pounds by 2025, so there are many opportunities to harness in this landscape and many businesses and organisations in need of new, up-to-date training models.
“Synergy Learning has now transitioned to a remote-first business model to allow our team to tailor their working lives around their home situations. This means that we must ensure that our own digital learning programmes are as exceptional as those which we build for our clients, as we seek to drive efficiency and equip our exceptional team with the best tools to succeed. We are especially aware of this need as Learning at Work Week approaches, too. I have no doubt that in the coming months we will speak to other organisations taking the same approach, so I want to stress the importance of having a solutions-driven strategy for adapting to this new world, which for many, will include an e-learning platform of their own.”
Roy concludes: “With over sixteen years of experience in learning technologies, I believe that Synergy Learning has the experience and skills needed to transform learning experiences for the better. As more and more organisations come to understand this, I believe that learning technology will become increasingly sophisticated and grow in value for companies – from the smallest charity, to the biggest corporation. The most important step for businesses to take, then, is to harness these tools now.”
