The Future of Learning: Why Associations and Professional Networks Need a Community-Driven Platform

In the evolving landscape of professional education, associations are working to maintain their position as the authoritative source of insights, learning products, and networking for their industry or profession. Many struggle to retain members, engage early-career professionals, and differentiate from new sources of competition. These complexities are compounded by the increasing expectations of their members and the need to leverage new technology to enhance the member experience and deliver value. 

At Forj, we are solving these problems and providing new solutions to empower the professionals who make our world better. We are challenging conventional beliefs about community and learning and preparing our clients to meet evolving member expectations. 

Rising Member Expectations

As the world has shifted towards remote and hybrid work, professionals are actively seeking opportunities to connect and grow–in fact, our State of Member Experience research shows that professionals join associations to connect, and stay to learn. The traditional approach of static e-learning, dominated by slideshows, webinars and videos, does not meet these needs. 

Associations and professional networks must recognize that their customers are yearning for a more engaging and interactive learning experience. In the minds of their members, connecting and learning are two inextricably intertwined experiences that must happen together.

Learners want to do more than just consume information. They crave active engagement, collaboration with peers, and the ability to continue meaningful conversations beyond formal training sessions. Forj believes that learning should not be confined to isolated experiences but integrated into a vibrant community where members communicate and collaborate as they learn, and learn while they are connecting. 

The Community-Driven Learning Advantage

The age of static e-learning and stagnant communities is over, and the future is Community-Driven Learning. Forj is building a seamless, modern platform that combines community and learning, offering a personalized experience that aligns with the expectations and aspirations of today's professionals. Forj provides organizations with an alternative to the frustrations of traditional Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Community Platforms.

Your members demand and deserve more than static webinars or training courses. They crave:

• An engaging learning experience.
• Opportunities to learn together and work in cohorts with other professionals in their field.
• Continuous conversations that extend beyond the completion of courses.
• Guidance from their professional community on how to apply new knowledge and solve problems together.
• The ability to leverage learning to build meaningful relationships.
• Personalized recommendations that surface learning opportunities connected to their interests and conversations.

Traditional LMSes fail to meet these expectations because they keep the learning experience separate from the networking and engagement offered by community platforms. Keeping your LMS separate from your community creates a barrier for members who want to leverage learning to build relationships with peers and recognized experts in their field. And, most importantly, the siloed learning experience deprives learners of the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the content with their peers, lowering the quality and impact of the learning. 

The World’s First Community-Driven Learning Platform

Forj is at the forefront of building the learning experience that your members expect and deserve. Our Community-Driven Learning platform integrates community and learning, providing a personalized and engaging experience not available in any other platform. Imagine an environment where individuals actively engage, present and interact, fostering a vibrant learning community.

The Forj platform will simplify the legacy tech stack, modernize the experience and accelerate growth in communities of practice: 

• When members discuss a topic in the community, the platform will serve up recommendations for learning content that is related to the topic of their discussion. 
• When members engage with learning content, they will be presented with recommended discussions on relevant topics. 
• Members enjoy the smooth user experience and engagement features of a modern community technology on the same platform used to host learning content like virtual events, resources, and courses. 
• Organizations can sell virtual events, resources, and courses directly in the platform, lowering the barriers to sale found in the traditional tech stack. 
• Community-Driven Learning can be flexibly deployed by education, membership, or both to drive non-dues revenue, improve member retention, and attract new members. 

Join the Future of Learning with Forj

Does your technology connect community with learning to provide an elevated member experience? For a glimpse into the future of Community-Driven Learning, and how the Forj Community Platform can transform your organization's approach to education, get in touch with us today.