Each year it is exciting to see the changes that emerge in the elearning and training industry.

There are new technical innovations, instructional design trends, and training methodologies that emerge. Some of these are short lives while others prove to stand the test of time.

It is about this time of year that I make my yearly predictions for our industry,  and that list is generally related to three particular items that I believe will “happen” in the industry based on current trends and happenings. I am still working on that one.

This article is a bit different.

Rather than make an effort to flesh out three trends I wanted to share my wish list for our industry in the coming year. I fully understand that some of these items will probably not grow in influence or come to be. Insteaad, these items are what I would personally like to see happen in the new year.

Tin Can API/xAPI Heavily pushed – It’s time folks. This API has been available for four to five years. Let’s just fully adopt it already and replace SCORM.

Adobe Captivate Improves Innovation – They have such visibility that they really could push the market in innovative ways. Their current stuff seems a couple years behind.

Advances in Micro-learning Methodology – Mobile learning is huge and micro-learning is growing. We need some more clear-cut methodology when it comes to building mobile learning courses leveraging this instructional design concept.

Moodle UI Improvement – Despite what some may think, I have always been on the side of Moodle. Similar to Adobe Captivate, the Moodle project is in a position to really help push the LMS industry.

Increased ELearning Completion Rates – Online courses have terrible completion rates, especially those in MOOCs. It has to change, so why not this year?

More Affordable ELearning Conferences – Expos and conferences are a great way to network and learn in our industry, but the ticket prices make it difficult for everyone to participate.

Less “All In One” Solutions – The “All In One” solution (be it an LMS, course content creation, or some other tool) is a bit of a sham. No one solution can do everything perfect, especially in the context of elearning where there are so many unique demands.

Higher salaries for Instructional Designers – Each year we find elearning becoming more relevant. It’s time that the salaries of instructional designers adjust to reflect the importance of the job they do.