The 21st century is ushering in the new social learning revolution. Today's workers come from a variety of cultures and generations, and we must address the requirements of this diverse, global audience. Companies understand that the current trends are all about interaction. The following are some of the trends we're seeing:

Webinars: Virtual classrooms will continue to expand and technology will become increasingly more sophisticated allowing more interaction than ever before. Instructors still hold classes, only the participants don't have to be together.

Video: Low-end videos include those you see on YouTube. All you need is a camera and some basic editing savvy. High-end videos are expensive, but the cost can be justified for certain types of corporate training services. You can include pauses where learners interact or perform certain tasks, and make the experience very participatory.

Social networks and social learning: This involves sitting at your computer or mobile phone and interacting with others. Social networks are creeping into companies and many have embraced Twitter within their own organizations. Others have created home-grown internal social networks. In addition to instant messages (IM) and chats, these are other avenues for people to get information and answers to questions quickly.

Podcasts and blogs: These are associated with more formal learning and are gaining strong footholds in the learning and development services.