eLearning has Redefined the Learner, but the Learner has to Define eLearning
Diversity: A Problem to Solve?
Finding the right way to create and produce eLearning programs is an adventure that’s based largely on the tremendous diversity of the human being. Different people in different fields have different learning styles. You wouldn’t, for instance, use the same eLearning style to train both plumbers and urologists. While both groups work with tubes and pipes, the two are about as similar as “lightning” and “lightning-bug.” The same sort of diversity also exists in the material itself.
Given the enormous flexibility of the eLearning world, it’s no surprise that modules vary from very low-end slide presentations all the way up to highly interactive, technical productions that include bells and whistles worthy of the latest electronic games franchises. And it’s easy to think that the effectiveness and quality of an eLearning program are directly linked to fancy features.
Audience Based eLearning
Developing your presentations begins -- and ends -- with your audience. You may have a training module that rivals the XBox for entertainment and is the poster project for gamification, but if the material gets lost in the fancy bells and whistles, your learners will get nothing out of the training but a little entertainment. And of course there is the other extreme, where an eLearning course is so devoid of engagement that learners might paint a wall, just to watch it drying.
No single factor is solely responsible for the effectiveness of a training program. The most effective training programs take into account a number of considerations, and are based on the needs of your audience/learners. Here are 6 questions to consider when working with an eLearning program developer:
- What are the learning needs of your learning community, and what format(s) would provide them with the greatest foundation for effective learning?
- What kind of material do you need to communicate?
- What is the tone of your training relative to your audience?
- How much interaction do your learners need relative to the material?
- Does the content change frequently or is there some longevity to the material?
- Does the material need to be broken into “chapters” or taught in a single module?
- How will you be able to tell how much of the material has been learned -- do you need a way to measure the progress of your learners?
Connecting your material to your audience is where eLearning programs become an art-form. No one knows your content better than you do. You’re also the authority regarding your audience: your learners; the people that you need to educate. From concept to execution, an eLearning expert like KMI Learning works with you to customize your eLearning content in such a way that it speaks most effectively to the people who will use your training modules the most.
