The Art of Choosing Online Training Courses
According to Ambient Insight, the content market will reach $38.3 billion by 2016 (SOURCE: AMBIENT INSIGHT 2012). With such a large market and no dearth of content providers, choosing the right provider is nothing short of a “task.” There are two types of content providers. The one is the Customized Online Training Course Providers and the other is the Catalog Online Training Course Providers. Organizations can choose either, or a mix of the two, depending on their requirements.
How To Decide Between Customized Online Training Courses And Catalog Online Training Courses
Customized Online Training Courses are made according to the specifications of the client; so while they meet industry standards, they speak the language of the organization as well. The online training courses are focused and organization-specific; the matter is unique, relevant and usable. However, customized online training courses take long to create, and it could be a few weeks before they perfectly mimic the requirement.
Types of Customized Online Training Courses that an organization can do with:
- Technical courses,
- industry-specific courses,
- orientation,
- induction and onboarding online courses, and
- any learning that is specific to the organization.
Catalog Online Training Courses are available off the shelf and are ready to use immediately after the implementation process. They are generic and may be used by various industries. Decision makers must view the online training course in question and decide if it will meet the learning needs of their employees. Industry-specific online training courses are available too. However, catalog online training courses may also contain material that is irrelevant to a particular organization. This means paying for something that will not be used, as well as cluttering a training program with irrelevant information. It may also be that a single provider will not be stocked with all the online training courses require by an organization. The good news is that it is possible to buy online training courses from more than one provider.
Types of Catalog Online Training Courses that an Organization can do with:
- Generic courses,
- courses on soft skills,
- language courses, and
- any other course that teaches a set of skills that is common to all industries.
4 Tips to Help You Choose The Ideal Online Training Course
Here are some invaluable tips to keep in mind before you make any decision about your next online training course.
- Understand Your Audience
Before buying an online training course, know your audience. Take into account their age, their learning needs and their attitude toward online learning. In many organizations, eLearning is predominantly used by the younger lot – the net-savvy, tech-savvy younger generation, while the older employees prefer face-to-face training. Some organizations have a majority of incumbent workers who are reluctant to lay a finger on technology, let alone use it to learn. If there is a mixture of young, new, and incumbent workers in your organization, it’s important that all these groups are able to relate to and derive knowledge from the course that you choose for them. - Choose Online Training Courses that Work
And by this I don’t mean that the online training courses are ‘successful’ – rather, they must be ‘playable’. When organizations go on a keep-up-to-date frenzy wherein all the company systems are updated, online training courses may not comply with the new configuration - as a result of which training suffers. Should a conflict arise, it is the onus of the content developer/provider to configure the online training course to the new updates. The longer it takes for the online course providers to set this right, the greater the risk of losing the learner’s interest in training. - Buy Online Training Courses from a Reliable Content Provider
Whether it is customized online training courses or off-the-shelf online courses – whether the provider is a re-seller or a seller, do a deep dive into the backend services provided by the company. If there is a snag that needs immediate attention, how long will it take for it to be set right? Does the provider have a reliable customer support team in place? A reliable customized content provider will have a technical team that supports any technical issues. A reliable re-seller will have its own technical team in place to fix any problem that may arise, as well as access to the course provider’s technical team to fix the issue. - Buy Online Training Courses that are Simple
eLearning gives employees the option to work from anywhere. As a result the online training course itself must be concise, precise, up-to-date and easily accessible. A short online training course will download quickly and easily. A short online training course will only contain information that is relevant, as well.
Buying online training courses that work is not rocket science. Follow these basic steps and you will see the fruitful results of the hours you spent on researching the right online training courses, in your learners’ performance.
