Learning actually happens within an individual so, while distribution systems are, and will be, massive and global, learning actually happens individually and thus locally. That is why the design of the interface of that last mile needs to fit the local and individual contexts rather than only satisfy the global and collective ones. In distribution systems, the last mile often accounts for 28 percent of the whole cost to move goods, even though those goods might move thousands of miles. The last mile is always disproportionately expensive compared to the rest of the journey. The main reasons for this is that the last mile is also disproportionately complex, rich in multiple transit connections and the systemic elegance of economies of scale runs full throttle into the reality and nuances of delivery, acceptance and application requirements. Of course, any distribution system needs robust long-distance infrastructure or it is a moot point, but the last mile is where much of the value is gained and/or lost.
The problem with past and most current digital learning and development journeys is that we do not do enough to recognize that the last mile is significantly different than the rest of the journey. We treat the local, individual, last mile much like the rest of the journey, and we fail in helping the learner make proper contextual connections to the content that the system has carried. The rich and individualized local human requirements of the ideas disseminated are not taken into account or designed to work easily and seamlessly.
This paper examines the challenges and opportunities for digital learning. It identifies and focuses on the most significant hurdle to finally cross – the last mile of the