E-Learning has become more popular with the recent COVID-19 Pandemic. Businesses are utilizing our advanced technology to come up with different online training methods for their employees through the use of eLearning courses, webinars, videos, etc. However, developing an online training course requires in-depth planning to meet the variety of learning styles and immediate needs of your employees. Mapping out how to proceed with the development of your eLearning course, you may ask these following questions-
Who is the intended audience?
In order to develop the right content of an eLearning course you have to consider who will be using it, taking into account age differences. Younger generations tend to have more experience with online settings while older generations may not. How will your online training methods suit those who don’t feel as comfortable learning from a computer and how will you keep them engaged and motivated to learn?
What is the purpose of the training program?
Is the course you are developing going to be used for training new employees on new concepts or is the purpose simply to refresh? Having clear goals and objectives will make it a lot easier to come up with the right content and will ensure your employees are getting the most out of the course.
What are the limitations?
Developing effective training costs time, money, and other resources. Consider these limitations, keeping in mind what is best for your employees. Once you’ve tackled these questions you can begin the fun part!
Design and Development
Grasping your employees curiosity to learn, engaging throughout and ensuring information retention is vital with online training programs. There are a few key components you can implement to ensure your eLearning course is successful:
Platform Design
No one likes staring at a computer for long, let alone a bleak screen. Don’t get me wrong, readability is important so using clear fonts for information on core ideas is necessary. But don’t be scared to incorporate eye-catching material and color schemes to spice up the page.
Use of multimedia and interactives
Reading words on a page or listening to someone talk can be b-o-r-i-n-g. Keep the learner interested using images, animations, and informative videos. Research by Dianna Dukette and David Cornish (2009) uncovered adults can only sustain attention for about 20 minutes. These elements can help speed things up by conveying more in less time. Going beyond a mix of multimedia elements, you can add an interactive experience to it. Whether it is game-based or adding a short quiz in-between your content, giving the learner an activity keeps their attention on task and motivates them to keep going.
Create a story
Constructing a story-based module allows the learners to think about the information and relate it back to their personal experiences. Understanding how these scenarios relate back to the company and the work they are doing helps increase the seriousness of the training. Besides, who doesn’t like a story?
Feedback
Lastly, secure a place for feedback or add discussion forums. It is important to allow your employees to express their thoughts on the course, negative or positive. This isn’t just beneficial for them, but for you as the trainer. It can help you assess what worked well and what did not, keeping their feedback in mind when developing your next course.
Data analytics can also improve corporate training by utilizing predictive analytics, automation, and multi-source knowledge mapping. Using the data produced by elements discussed above like discussion forums and assessments, trainers can optimize their training course to best meet the needs of their employees.