Coorpacademy, an EdTech startup offering smart learning experience platforms to one million learners, is launching Cybercafé: a series of 5-minute podcasts in 5 episodes to learn about the great history of the Web.
With over 135,000 educational podcasts produced in 2020, the audio format is booming. The productions are increasing, the audience is growing with 90 million listenings per month and the engagement rates are very good: 93% of people listen to podcasts in their entirety or almost.
Coorpacademy innovates by launching an audiolearning series of 5 episodes to better understand the Web and thus develop digital skills, to accompany the training of employees and more broadly, the digital transformation of companies.
Cybercafé is a discussion between Yann and Lya. Every morning, Yann takes his coffee with his virtual assistant. He shares his questions about the vast world of the Web while Lya corrects him, informs him, and gives him information on a multitude of digital-related topics.
With this format, which is conducive to storytelling and arouses emotions, Coorpacademy relies on the audio to allow the learner to be truly immersed in the world of Yann and Lya, as Laurence Mijoin-Duroche, in charge of pedagogical innovation at Coorpacademy explains:
“Digital culture is a strong axis of Coorpacademy’s catalog. This is why we chose audio to tell the story of the Web. The audio format offers us plenty of possibilities, especially with storytelling, sound design, and sound staging, which engages the learner and optimizes concentration.”
Because there are many ways of learning, Coorpacademy integrates audiolearning into its training catalog and optimizes its global digital learning offer. Learning through various learning formats allows better retention of information, as well as a more diverse content proposal, to adapt to all uses. The audio format is accessible everywhere, practical for the learner, and offers a multitude of creation tools, to always better accompany training in companies.
Do you use voice messages instead of sending a text? You can’t live without Alexa, Siri, or another voice assistant? Indeed, our uses have changed since audio became part of our lives. To meet these new expectations, Coorpacademy investigated this popular format.
Learn how to provide an offer of engaging and efficient training podcasts and audio content! To better understand this phenomenon, discover our e-book on The rise of audiolearning, or learn about the key topics covered in this 2021 study through this article.
The podcast, a growing format
You can listen to it anywhere, whenever and it lasts an average of 25 minutes: the podcast. Born in the early 2000s, this downloadable digital audio content has experienced an exponential rise in recent years. With the use of cell phones and the unprecedented situation of lockdown, the audience today represents 90 million listeners per month. A trend that is not likely to decline: estimations project it will double by 2023. Investing in this medium becomes essential, as audio content is in demand and appreciated.
Learn by listening: it’s easy, engaging, and effective
Podcasts cover different uses: they can inform, entertain or immerse their audience in life stories. Yet, 74% of listeners want to learn new things quickly and screen-free! With an increase of 135,000 educational podcasts produced in 2020, this format is leading the way. Following the lockdown, audiolearning has taken off, and the offer is even wider! Lending itself to the art of storytelling, podcasts provide better memorization, and engagement rates are excellent: 93% of people listen to podcasts in their entirety or almost.
The multiplication of media allows us to solicit all of our senses and therefore to make our brain work! No scientific theory corroborates the popular misconception that everyone is rather “visual” or “auditory”. Sylvia Koenig, Director of Digital Learning at our partner Bookboon (world’s leading publisher of ebooks and audio learning for professionals) reminds us, audiolearning is like reading and it does not differ for the brain if the word is spoken or read.
What are the main audiolearning formats and their advantages?
Available in various formats such as interviews, talks, or stories, audiolearning is a fresh way of learning. Audiobooks are also flourishing and can be a real audio pleasure, even on “corporate” subjects! Beyond the diversity of formats audio content offers us, it has many advantages: easy to carry, you can listen to it at your own pace, and be able to multitask while listening. It satisfies listeners to be free of any screen, to learn informally, and find real flexibility to integrate learning moments into their busy schedule.
Download our e-book The rise of audiolearning to find a detailed typology of audio content, a podcasts’ selection dealing with major business transformations, a guide to best practices, and an overview of all opportunities offered by this format. Learn how to create and/or integrate an audiolearning offer for your training!
Coorpacademy has partnered with Bookboon, the world‘s leading publisher of ebooks and audio learning for professionals. A new way of consuming online content has recently taken off: podcasts. Audio content, avoiding the fatigue of the screen that has become omnipresent, is experiencing an unprecedented boom and its use is becoming part of everyone’s daily life. That’s why audio formats are now to be part of digital learning catalogues and offers!
Sylvia Koenig, Digital Learning Director at Bookboon, has answered our questions giving us more details about Bookboon and diving into audiolearning specifics and benefits!
Q. Can you give us a quick introduction to Bookboon Learning?
Bookboon Learning is often referred to by clients as “the Netflix of corporate learning”, which is due to our high focus on User Experience and Simplicity.
Bookboon Index
Our content focus is to develop highly relevant and easy to digest content on soft skills and personal efficiency. With our bite size eBooks and Audio Learning items, we provide focused learning experiences from 10 minutes to 1,5 hours. This is short enough to finish in a single sitting, while still delivering the amount of knowledge needed to fully develop a new skill.
With currently thousands of titles, we constantly update and expand our catalogue, so our learners can discover new exclusive content every week.
Q. How do you design your audio content and ebooks? What is the validation process and how do you recruit the experts?
We are a digital and AI driven learning company. When it comes to developing our content, Bookboon Learning operates similar to traditional publishing house with an experienced team of editors and a global network of renown authors. Our content is written and produced exclusively for Bookboon Learning. We breathe knowledge and understand ourselves as thought leaders guiding the industry.
The Bookboon Learning editorial team is well connected with experts across the world. They recruit authors by relevance and authority for a specific topic. There are also authors approaching us as they know our reputation and reach. All our authors are leading experts in their fields, like e.g., Nick Van Damm, the former CLO of McKinsey. He writes for example on the future of Learning & Development or on How to stay relevant in the job market.
Each editor works closely with the author for the best result – from a learning impact and a design perspective. Everything needs to be short and precise to the point: Read or listen today, use it tomorrow.
Q. What makes audio learning an effective learning tool?
From our personal experiences and the feedback from our clients, Audio is filling a gap in existing learning mixes. Its offscreen format is flexible and liberating. Audio allows people learning on top of doing something else, even while walking the dog or driving a car. This makes it perfect for busy schedules – it just saves time.
Because of its informal aspects, audio doesn’t feel like learning. The motivation is higher compared to traditional learning tools.
Peoples’ screen time has dramatically increased during lockdowns. They value a variation in learning formats with more flexibility for time and place of their learning sessions.
Another fact that is often overlooked:
More than 30% of the population are auditory learners, learning best through hearing. This is big group of people where audio can make a difference.
Audio learning checks many boxes of a contemporary and effective learning tool and should be part of every modern learning offer.
Top 3 Audiolearning Benefits (Bookboon)
Q. How does knowledge anchoring work with audio learning versus traditional learning?
Audio is perfect to grasp a concept in a short time. The learner gets the framework and recommendations. And is ready to use it immediately for his or her purpose. eBooks deliver more complex and detailed information in a digestible way. Reading is faster than listening, compensating the usually bigger scope of an eBook.
In terms of perception, science suggests that audio learning is comparable to reading. As a study from the researchers of Gallant Lab at UC Berkeley published in the Journal of Neuroscience concluded, it does not make a difference for the brain if the word is spoken or read. A study from the University of California by Matthew Traxler comes to a similar conclusion. You can choose the format that suits you best.
Q. What is your vision of the evolution of corporate training in the next 5 years?
The vision of Bookboon Learning for the future of learning is focused on simplicity. As the world continues to grow ever more complex, all our data points in the direction of even-further increasing simplicity.
There is a very interesting annual simplicity study by global brand strategy firm Siegel+Gale, defining simplicity as a strong driver for brand loyalty. Consumers prefer a seamless, simpler, and faster brand engagement, as this saves one very important thing: Time. From our experience, you can easily transfer these finding to learners. Instead of overwhelming them with complex experiences, simplicity of content and learning paths will always pay back in highly appreciated timely efficiency, leading to higher motivation and steady recurrence – both fundamental requirements of successful learning programs.
Q. What have you observed in the world of training during the Covid-19 crisis?
A year ago, there still where discussions about the relevance and impact of online learning.
Due to the worldwide COVID restrictions, digital learning is not just an option anymore, it’s a necessity now.
People had to dramatically adjust to new scenarios in a very short period. Remote Working, Virtual meetings, Working from Home, Homeschooling. All these new skills don’t come naturally, they must be learned, reflected, and adapted for the own personal situation. Digital learning can be done while life happens, while questions occur – it’s real time. It has proved its strengths and is the perfect companion to thriving these days.
