2023 Life Sciences Training Trends: Hype vs. Reality

Which new training technologies and buzzwords will stick, which aren’t ready yet, and how many are actually new? A panel of learning experts recently weighed in.

Corporate training professionals can consistently choose from a wide range of new technologies and approaches to make their programs more effective. But how many of them are mature enough for use in life sciences? How many are current fads or buzzwords but not yet ready to truly make an impact on your learning strategy?

Recently, training experts from life sciences shared their views in a hype-busting webinar that focused on nine top trends: Mixed reality, AI, LXPs, skilling, microlearning, manager empowerment, competency-based assessments, Training in the Flow, and Training for Distributed Teams (Table). The discussion focused on the readiness of those trends for life sciences learning.

This post summarizes our discussion, which involved Kari Borroel, head of operations quality learning and development and GxP learning at AstraZeneca; John Constantine, SVP of US consulting services at Orchestrall Care Network, and Christian Torstensson, director of learning and development, speciality care, for Sanofi Genzyme.

New technologies: shiny new objects or enabling tools?

First, we looked at mixed or virtual reality training systems, how they are being used, and what role they might play in GxP training programs in the future. Mixed reality training systems generally use a headset such as Google Glass or HoloLens to create an immersive learning experience so that simulation is overlaid on real world content (e.g. SOPs or training guides) in the training or work environment.

A move toward standardization, at least with the announcement of Apple Vision, bodes well for the technology, and more life sciences companies have developed use cases in areas such as training for aseptic gowning, while new vendors have launched life sciences-geared solutions. However, relatively few mixed reality applications have progressed beyond the pilot phase. The cost of entry and of updates is high. An audience poll found that 57% of attendees had no plans to use it in the future. Panelists agreed that the technology is promising, but not yet ready for routine use in life sciences.

Guests reached similar conclusions about artificial intelligence, although they agreed that AI will play a major and transformative role in the future. “Anyone who doesn’t think that AI will impact training will join those who thought that the Internet, ATMs, and cell phones weren’t going to make it. If you’re not dabbling with it right now, you need to start,” said John Constantine.

Challenging adoption is the industry’s lack of a common definition for AI. With ChatGPT for example – only one facet of AI — users will be able to input variables and automatically receive a customized training script,—in effect, an entire training course. Extensions of the ChatGPT model will also allow the insertion of stock images and video. However, the technology cannot yet create a course that is contextual to the industry, to a specific facility in a specific region, or one that uses specific equipment. Panelists agreed that practical training applications of AI aren’t fully ready yet, although they’re coming.

Event delivery and LXPs

In the short term, panelists expect to see greater use of Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs) as a way to deliver life science learning events and to improve skill-based training. By integrating a user interface that can deliver deep, rich, and visually-oriented content, and enabling a “pull” approach to training content aggregation and curation, LXPs have vastly improved the learner’s experience, and have forced vendors of traditional LMS solutions to try to keep up.

As Constantine pointed out, omnichannel LXPs are also being developed to handle, not only learning but coaching, meeting management, and other functions. Vendors are also actively pursuing certification and documentation that would allow their systems to be validated more easily for life sciences application.

Skilling vs. competency-based assessment

While GxP training continues to be crucial, the past few years have seen companies devote more attention to building broad workforce skills that cut across functions and divisions to promote business growth. “We’re working to better develop programs that leverage areas where key business skills overlay with the training required to perform a job well,” said Kari Borroel, pointing out two examples: training in critical thinking and in presenting and communicating ideas to senior executives.

In GxP training, panelists agreed that the industry is actively pushing back on “read and understand” approaches. One way they are doing this is through competency-based assessments, which are designed to provide an understanding of each individual’s capabilities, Employees can rate their own performance and comfort level, and, with 360-degree reviews, managers and coworkers can weigh in as well.

Microlearning

Microlearning is another life sciences training trend that is here to stay, panelists agreed. “It’s all about getting little bursts of learning to people when they need it, without overdoing it,” Constantine said.

Instead of simply breaking up macro learning into smaller pieces, trainers can now define smaller learning goals and tailor 10- to 15-minute interactive training courses. Today, for some limited topics, even 30 or 60 seconds can be an appropriate length, as long as subject matter experts’ review closely and approve.

Empowering managers and learning in-the-flow

Panelists agreed on the importance of enabling managers to actively manage their employees’ performance, but don’t see “manager empowerment” as a trend. In fact, some have seen the term used for practices that increase manager workload.

However, they agreed that on-the-job training offers a powerful, practical way to teach staffers the skills they need. Now, empowered by embedded multimedia learning, it has become connected to “learning in the flow,” a trend that panelists agreed is here to stay. “It’s having that information that you need, when you need it, where you need it, instead of having to scan War and Peace and then recall a sentence from page 375 when you’re trying to perform that task, said Christian Torstensson.

This approach would allow an operator to scan a barcode to get the SOPs required for a specific piece of equipment, on or near the equipment itself. Challenges with this approach include documenting that training has taken place, especially at organizations or divisions that are still using paper-based and manual documentation practices alongside digital assets that are accessed, for example, on the shop floor.

Distributed team training

The final topic on the program was managing training for distributed teams, whose members come from different functions and are based all over the world. Although not a new trend, since such teams existed before the COVID-19 pandemic, this evolving team structure challenges training leaders to optimize learning strategy and approach as well as content and delivery formats. In the end, variety and flexibility must be woven into whatever approach you take with the learning, Borroel said.

To hear the discussion, tune in to the webinar, “Top Trends Shaping Life Sciences Enterprise Learning Strategies.”