Here are some interesting stats on voice search:

• 20% of all searches on Google are voice-based
• 31% of smartphone users use voice search at least once a week
• 50% of all online searches will be voice-based by 2020
• Almost 20% of all voice search queries are triggered by just 25 keywords
• Global voice commerce is expected to be worth $40B by 2022

This article offers further insights on the emerging market for voice search.  L&D has been at the forefront of embracing new and innovative technologies and voice-search is an interesting development that L&D has embraced. Voice search is creating a steady shift in the way learners are accessing new learning content. In this blog post, we will examine the importance of voice-based search and the presence of virtual classrooms in learning platforms.

The Evolution of Voice Search and the Voice Assistant

See this brief video that takes you on a journey narrating the evolution of the voice assistant.

Contrary to popular belief, Siri was not the first key development in voice assistants. In the 1960s, IBM introduced IBM Shoebox, the first digital speech recognition tool. It recognized 16 words and digits. This was the first real breakthrough in creating voice assistants. See this journey map below originally published on the Voicebot website to see how voice assistants have evolved over the years.

Market data from eConsultancy and SEO Tribunal indicates that a quarter of a trillion voice searches were made in 2018. Google Assistant has outperformed rival voice assistants Alexa, Bixby, and Siri for voice search queries related to product categories and brands. One key factor that puts Google on top is that the voice assistant is bundled with inexpensive Android phones that have a major fan following in growing markets. Additionally, Google continues to remain the number one search engine and when we are looking for some information, we are now conditioned to run a ‘Google Search’ for answers.

Voice Search and Learning Experience Design

Would it not be fun to have a magic genie that pops out of a lamp and fulfils all your wishes? Well – all that’s good for fairy tales and Arabian Nights – but what is feasible is to integrate a voice assistant that makes your learning experience better. As a learner, you could speak into your smartphone or laptop and ask for a specific learning path or topic? Or you could ask the system to let you know if any new assignments have been added or a new module added to a program that you are studying. Voice search simplifies things and saves you the hassle of typing on a small device. The modern workforce comprising millennials and Generation Z prefers to use Siri, Google Now, and Alexa to automate tasks. Why should their learning experience be any different?

Voice Search in Fractal LXP

When we conceptualized Fractal, our technology team was quite sure and focused on the fact that we wanted to integrate voice search within the platform. The platform seamlessly integrates voice search be it within the Fractal mobile app or the Fractal web app. Users can ask for multiple items, ranging from course suggestions and course status to new topics added on to the platform or courses assigned to them by the learning administrator.

Virtual Classrooms in Learning Platforms

Despite the growth of self-paced learning; there is a comfort in the presence of an instructor or teacher who can guide the learner. This is precisely why blended learning continues to retain a significant chunk of corporate training budgets.  Virtual classrooms are heavily underrated for the kind of benefits they offer to learners and instructors. Typically, a virtual classroom should allow two-way communication between the learners and the instructor.

Using Virtual Classrooms

• Instructors can conduct real-time video lectures and guide learners.
• Live chats can be hosted that allow students to communicate with the instructor and get their doubts clarified.
• Game-based interactive learning activities can be integrated within the virtual classroom. Multiple learners can collaborate on an assignment or learning activity.
• Instant feedback on assignments and learning tasks will help students receive faster feedback and this saves time for everyone concerned.

 Virtual Classrooms and Voice-Based Search in Workplace Learning

IBM has been one of the pioneers of championing virtual classrooms to deliver training. IBM uses Saba Centra technology to deliver its virtual classroom training. An IBM software brand reported that, in less than two years, 33% of previous classroom courses were also being offered via virtual classrooms for clients in North America, reducing delivery and travel costs for clients while maintaining revenue for the training business unit. 

In this Forbes article, Sinan Ozdemir, from Kylie AI makes an interesting observation – “We focus a lot on the power of using voice technology in regard to company-customer relations; however, I am also excited about using the same technology to connect employees to internal resources on demand. This will let developers access extensive documentation or allow anyone to get questions answered about workplace policies, all with a voice-activated system.”

Virtual classrooms are an integral part of modern workplace learning and despite the push for self-paced learning, specific training programs still need the presence of an instructor to guide the learner. As voice-based search evolves further we will look at applications of the technology going beyond chatbots and animated characters guiding learners.

Virtual Classrooms in Fractal LXP

Virtual classrooms are an integral feature of Fractal LXP. We understand the importance of real-time interaction between instructors and learners and were quite particular to build this function in the platform. As stated in the earlier paragraph, you can use the virtual classroom in Fractal LXP to conduct video lectures, deploy and assess collaborative learning tasks and assignments among a group of learners, and provide instant feedback and clarify learner queries.

Conclusion

Does your current learning platform offer you the benefits of voice-based search and virtual classrooms? Fractal LXP offers both features and much more to provide a wholesome, refreshing, and engaging learning experience that your learners will love. With competitive pricing that lets you scale as your learners increase; Fractal LXP can work as the perfect learning experience platform for your organization.

Get in touch with us for a demo.