Can TikTok Be Used to Train Employees?

Photos of weddings and random thoughts posted on people’s walls filled the first stages of social media, but things have changed significantly recently. With so many options for social media, everything is now very compartmentalized, and there is a tool for professional and personal development.

But where does eLearning fit into all of this? Can you use platforms such as TikTok for learning?

What is TikTok?

If you aren’t familiar with this hype, TikTok is the new social media platform that exploded in popularity in the last few years. The core concept of TikTok is short, fun videos that audiences can engage with. The company is well aware that the average age of their users is firmly stuck somewhere between 16 and 24, which is why they are currently trying to launch several initiatives tied to learning and education. So read on to find out about TikTok eLearning.

TikTok and eLearning

TikTok could become the perfect meeting point for students and educators, given how young their average user is. Especially given the recent global switch to remote education, this could become an essential part of the future of education.

The simplest way that TikTok can approach education is through dedicated hashtags. Recently the #LearnOnTikTok hashtag garnered over 63.3 billion views. The only problem with this option is that the hashtag videos vary wildly in quality and nature. You can find everything from Bill Nye the Science Guy shorts to advice on “how to get a better car deal.” Browsing this particular hashtag can be pretty chaotic, and finding the specific information you need is next to impossible.

A better and more curated variant is the #EduTok Program. According to the creators, the core tenet of this program is to “democratize learning,” with a particular focus on their main Indian market. Currently, TikTok operates an official #EduTok account with 368.1K followers. This hashtag promotes content from TedTalks and various inspirational videos. The social media platform is working on a partnership with Josh Talks and The/Nudge Foundation to educate over 5000 young individuals through a mentorship program that will launch soon.

TikTok has also made strategic partnerships with various educational institutions such as Toppr, GradeUp, and Made Easy. The types of content that they are currently creating are interesting and valid examples of how eLearning through social media could be developed for the future. Most of their short and to-the-point videos cover topics ranging from “myths and facts about COVID-19” to Feynman’s Technique. While it also focuses on the Indian market, these concepts could be quickly and easily expanded globally.

Does it work?

If you’re expecting actual palpable results from all of this, only time will tell. The efforts made seem promising, but there is still a lot of work left. Everything happening on TikTok moves at a breakneck pace compared to other social media platforms. The central concept is fast and easily-accessible entertainment at your fingertips 24/7, and it offers that in spades. But trying to adapt this fast-paced environment to education will be easier said than done.

Proper education requires an investment of time both from learners and educators. Absorbing information takes time, access to support tools, plus feedback and learning assessment. These are the parts where TikTok fails in these eLearning efforts. A personalized learning experience based on the actual educational needs is better suited for creating a better and brighter future for our children’s minds.

Conclusion

The concept of TikTok as an eLearning platform should not be entirely dismissed. While it won’t fully replace education anytime soon, it could be a beneficial and complementary learning tool. Maybe your audiences will find ancient history more interesting if they find some funny memes about Socrates on TikTok.

The future of education will become more and more linked with various other mediums. While many voices are against this learning approach, be mindful that this is common with most new technologies implemented into education. The main focus shouldn’t be to reinvent education entirely but adapt it to these modern times and keep up with how fast society is evolving.

Designing Digitally can help innovate your corporate learning using online training strategies that engage your learners and improve results. If you are interested in discussing how we can help you enhance your learning and development programs, please contact our team today or book a time using our Online Calendar.