E-learning has taken the business world by storm. Originally adopted by educators all over the world, online learning and training has since been adapted to meet the needs of on-the-job training and continued education within an organization. E-learning is still a relatively new concept in both the education world and business world alike. With many sceptics and late-adopters of the learning management platforms, there is still some convincing to do before it is as necessary to a businesses survival as having some sort of cash flow - which, let’s face it, is necessary.
For those that have already adopted a learning management system and are working to develop fluid, scalable, and engaging courses there are no shortage of tips on how to create better training modules. Maybe you’re a corporate trainer that is struggling with keeping your employees engaged throughout the learning process, or part of the HR staff and onboarding is difficult with what seems like monthly changes to the way your organization operates. No matter which position you are in, creating courses for employees to take that covers a breadth of topics and ensures consistent results and retention is difficult. Check out these 7 tips to improve e-learning across the board for your company.
Not only are people interested in learning from multiple people - but there are likely multiple people within any organization that are interested in demonstrating some thought leadership and educating others. The benefit of using multiple subject matter experts is that each teaching style could speak to a different type of learner, it eliminates “towers of knowledge” that can emerge in an organization and prevent only a few people from knowing important how-tos for the best on-the-job results. Not only does this help bring about leadership opportunities, but it also ensures that the select few that are participating in the education of others will not burnout. Spreading the responsibility to educate others has lasting impacts on the entire organization, from higher buy-in to ensuring that each person can be equipped with the same organization principles which effectively raises the bar throughout the organization. It sounds like a win-win to us!
Some of the joy of online training is that there doesn’t have to be a set meeting time to complete the learning. This allows learners to not only take their time to digest the content, but also be in a setting that allows for the best learning to be done for the individual. While there still needs to be some control over the when someone learns the content and puts it into action on the job, it is much more conducive to provide ample time for when testing, acknowledgement, etc. of the material needs to take place. Using a system that allows for access even during off hours is also helpful as people have natural tendencies when trying to learn that may not be best tapped into while they are focusing on their work during normal operating hours.
While this may be counterintuitive, sometimes the amount of material to be learned is too great and then it can be a roadblock to those working to learn the material. Breaking material down into more manageable portions ensures that the learners do not get burned out, but also that they can take the time to fully learn and apply the material. This is not to be taken for granted, if lessons are too long, there is a higher likelihood for disengagement, and lower rates of retention and no one wants that especially when the information is important. Drawing attention to the most important lessons and concepts throughout these shorter trainings ensures that students understand exactly which points are the most important and applicable to their daily life on the job. To go along with this point, before a learner sets out to take any course, set expectations before entering - will there be assessments? How many? How long will it take to watch the video? Read through the content or skim through a powerpoint? This allows learners to plan accordingly when setting their own goals about how much content they are willing to work through when sitting down to begin.
While these aren’t the only ways that a company can work to improve their e-learning throughout the organization. These are the beginning steps in the right direction to help your staff, employees, or trainees get the most out of the content they are supposed to be learning. What other tips do you use to help increase the learning and development happening within your organization through e-learning courses?