Blog Post

Why Content Variety Matters

Nonprofit page hero

There’s no single way to learn.

Whether an employee is searching for quick answers, more profound insights or guidance on their goals, the key to increased engagement is matching the format of employee learning to the context of their work. Because when it comes to learning, one size does not fit all. Variety is the key to learning with purpose and driving personal initiative.

Create value over volume 

A common term tossed around when designing a learning experience is “modality.” A modality is a mode of consuming and sharing information based on a particular sensory channel, such as audio or video. Each modality has a specific topic, context and use case.

But a modality isn’t the only factor required when building variety into your learner’s experiences. You also must consider the format of the content (e.g., micro vs. long-form) and the learning goal (e.g., instruction vs. motivation). Together, each of these factors affects how valuable the learning content will be.

People will naturally seek out different types of learning based on their context and skill level. In our Cornerstone Content Anytime subscriptions, we strive to cover each learning topic with multiple modalities. That way, no matter who at your organization needs to know what, there’s a piece of content that fits.

With Cornerstone Content Anytime, your learners have exclusive access to a full spectrum of curated subscriptions, from modern compliance training to professional skills to leadership development and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) strategies. The expansive content library helps employees achieve higher skill mastery in less time and reach their full potential.

Designed with modalities in mind 

To build balanced and diverse content subscriptions at Cornerstone, we often think about a framework called “VARK.” VARK represents the four main modalities of learning content: visual, audio, reading/writing and kinesthetic.

  • Visual – Includes all sight graphics, like the one featured below
  • Auditory – Includes information that can be heard or spoken
  • Reading/Writing – Includes information displayed as words
  • Kinesthetic – Includes hands-on learning experiences and can be combined with visual and auditory elements

Including content for each of these four modalities helps ensure variety in Cornerstone Content Anytime subscriptions. When your people have control over their options, they’ll find the content they need no matter what their goals are. Content like these award-winners:

  • Grovo – (visual + reading/writing) Delivering impactful microlearning on sought-after topics, Grovo gives you the ability to change or create your own programs through the Cornerstone Create Tool. Engage your employees, develop stronger leaders, create an inclusive culture and develop goals to drive your business forward with exclusive Grovo content. 
  • A Seat at the Table – (visual + reading) Offering an innovative, empathetic approach to DEIB training, A Seat at the Table features real working professionals having deep, inspiring conversations about sensitive social issues. By contextualizing the lived experience of others through conversational learning, the video series and accompanying learner activation materials help all employees better understand how to build a more inclusive culture where everyone feels welcome.
  • Masters of Scale – (audio) Hosted by Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and partner at Greylock, the Masters of Scale collection includes 150 podcast episodes, audio courses and a small number of animated videos. Together, this exclusive content offering combines Masters of Scale’s critically acclaimed storytelling with Hoffman’s analysis. From this analysis, you can distill actionable insights from the world’s most successful leaders, including Barack Obama and Arianna Huffington, as well as the founders and CEOs of Netflix, Airbnb, Peloton, Nike, Disney, Spotify and more, including our original collaboration, Skills for Scale.
  • CyberU – (visual + reading/writing) Transforming education for millions of learners and educators around the globe, CyberU provides hundreds of long-formcourses led by experts on a variety of topics, from the newest blockchain trends to desk yoga for relieving tension throughout the day.

Revolutionizing the learning landscape

Cornerstone Content Anytime works in harmony with its own learning experience platforms. For example, EdCast and Cornerstone combined to deliver the most future-forward learning infrastructure with a data-driven engine designed to pull learning content across the web. This streamlined, individualized people experience takes learning to a whole new level with hand-picked content for the skills of the future and the people who need them.

In addition, the award-winning content works in lockstep with the Cornerstone Talent Experience Platform (TXP), a best-in-class intelligent tech fabric with AI-powered content discovery, curation and integration. A component of the TXP, the Talent Marketplace, encourages employees to seek professional growth through real-world experiences, like engaging with mentors or acquiring new skills through its robust library of learning content.

Level up your learning 

As the 18th-century English poet William Cowper said, “Variety’s the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor.” Content diversity gives learners the information they need when they need it. Whether you’re seeking quick, actionable learning objectives to integrate into day-to-day work or looking to consciously slow down and systematically embrace a new skill over time, Cornerstone Content Anytime offers an entire range of learning solutions to help you branch out and find the right formula.

If you’re interested in leveling up your learning with Cornerstone Content Anytime, we have you covered. Explore our courses and innovative modalities to turn learners into leaders.

Related Resources

Want to keep learning? Explore our products, customer stories, and the latest industry insights.

Why visibility into the performance of your content strategy is critical

Blog Post

Why visibility into the performance of your content strategy is critical

We all know the way we work is changing at warp speed. In today's hyperdrive environment, learning in the flow of work is more crucial than ever before. Employers must stay on their A-game — anticipating learners' needs and providing on-demand learning content to help them acquire new skills and knowledge efficiently.

Schedule a personalized 1:1

Talk to a Cornerstone expert about how we can help with your organization’s unique people management needs.

© Cornerstone 2024
Legal