7 Simple Zen Principles To Improve Your Online Training

7 Simple Zen Principles To Improve Your Online Training
Summary: Here are 7 simple Zen principles you can put to use in order to improve your online training courses.

How To Improve Your Online Training Using These Simple Zen Principles    

We are still getting used to the concept of eLearning which makes it inevitable for each one of us to understand the tactics. Different from traditional methods of learning, eLearning requires you to remain calm, concentrate, patient all the more. This is basic training that Zen principles provide you with – to remain mindful and calm. Putting these principles to use will make you a more successful eLearning professional without the need to be an expert in Zen philosophy.

  1. Being simple is the trick.
    Simplicity is often confused with boredom or lack of interesting elements. However, the reality is quite different. Zen teaches you to remain simple and applying this in eLearning would mean not confusing your learner with more than what is needed – to not use too many distracting elements such as graphics or colors. Rather than using a lot of different fonts to make the course look appealing, you could focus on the subject itself and keep the presentation simple.
  2. Awareness regarding emotions.
    Connecting emotions with a professional pursuit such as online learning is not something that we do usually. However, a successful learning experience is one which has a good balance between both. A good eLearning professional will know how to engage their students emotionally so that they learn quickly as well as with passion. This also involves understanding their standpoint, belief systems and troubles in accepting new opinions. Teachers who take the emotions of their students into account also understand how one’s opinion is preventing them from moving ahead in life or accepting something new in their online course.
  3. Embracing and overcoming the uncomfortable.
    The biggest achievements come to us only when we dare to go beyond the boundaries of our comfort zone. The same applies to online training. Unless your students or employees are able to venture out into the area of discomfort or do something they are unsure about, they will never be able to proceed. Incorporate unknown scenarios in your training course, let them take unusual decisions and find out what results they arrive at. Let them do it on their own. You could help them in the process by provoking them or asking them a question. However, you must always respect the backgrounds of your students and not push them too much.
  4. Agree to disagree.
    Zen principles teach us to be aware of our own opinions and also accept that of others. The experience of eLearning could be even richer if you encourage your students and employees to understand this simple concept. Tell them to engage in debates and discussions with their colleagues and fellow students and exchange ideas. They must respect the opinion of others even though they might differ. Online projects could also be organised for a healthy exchange of ideas.
  5. Patience is the key to success.
    Employees need to understand that success does not come in a day – they have to be patient to see things till their end. They have to complete the online training course and patiently internalize all that the program teaches them. Changing the behavior of an individual will be challenging and this is why employees need to understand that online training is an ongoing process which will take time to show its results. If your students are unable to follow the course, you could support them with extra resources.
  6. Concentrating on the present, more than the future.
    Zen principles state that one must focus on the present and complete the task taken up before thinking about the future. Planning for the future is definitely important but not at the cost of the present. Employees must be well aware of the environment they are learning in and engage with it for optimum results. If they are interested in the online world, they will never be distracted.
  7. Finally, practice what you learn.
    In the end, learning is taken up with the aim of practicing – or at least that is the way it should be. Tell your employees that whatever they are learning is connected to the life they lead and show them how.

Successfully employing Zen principles in online learning would mean understanding the goals of your company and applying it accordingly.