10 Essential Elements To Include In Your Downloadable Online Training Resources

10 Essential Elements To Include In Your Downloadable Online Training Resources
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Summary: Offline and online training materials may eliminate tech distractions, but you still need to grab your corporate learners’ attention to make the knowledge stick. In this article, I’ll highlight 10 essential elements to include in your downloadable online training resources.

What To Include In Your Downloadable Online Training Resources

Contrary to popular belief, downloadable online training resources don’t have to be chock-full of boring old text blocks. You don’t have to go overboard and allocate your entire budget to revamp the current learning material. However, there are cost-effective ways to make it more memorable and engaging for your offline learning audience. Below is a list of 10 essential elements to jazz up your downloadable online training resources.

1. Relevant Images

An image is an easy way to connect with your corporate learners. Not only do they add color but also promote peer-to-peer discussions, as images can be subjective. However, you don’t want to add just any image. Make sure the image is relevant to the online training content, otherwise it will be more of a distraction than a learning aid. Avoid pictures that polarize your audience instead of sparking meaningful conversations. It’s best to use images featuring the workplace so that it resonates with employees. However, your rapid eLearning authoring tool asset library may also have suitable graphics.

2. Infographics

eLearning Infographics use both text and images to relay information, which improves knowledge retention and aesthetic appeal. One of the perks of including an infographic in downloadable online training resources is that employees can use it for quick reference on the job. For example, a graphic that highlights every step of a work-related task can help them refresh their memory instead of having to call on a manager to help them finish the transaction or handle a customer issue.

3. Creative Fonts

The typography you use in the resource conveys the tone of the online training program. It’s not just about the aesthetics, but how corporate learners will perceive the subject matter. For example, script and italics fonts are used to portray elegance and sophistication while bold, while modern fonts may be used to get a serious point across. In downloadable online training resources, you can play around with the font to see which emotions they evoke. This applies to the font used in eLearning Infographics and images, too.

4. Charts And Graphs

Why torture your corporate learners with text-based stats when you can display them in a colorful chart or graph? Reading about statistics and having to visualize them in your head makes the whole process dull and boring. But eye-grabbing charts and graphs show the significance of stats so that they’re easier to absorb. Visual aids allow your corporate learners to pick up the numbers more rapidly and improve memory retention.

5. Timelines

Timelines aren’t just for historical subject matters. You can use these visual aids to highlight the sequence of a task or to give corporate learners a general overview of which topics they’ve already covered and what’s up next so they can track their own progress. Use images and text descriptors for every entry on the timeline. Try not to include too many details, as this may cause cognitive overload and clutter the eLearning course design.

6. Summaries

After spending time going through the training, it can be tough to remember all the main discussion points. But a summary wraps everything up in a neat little package. The summary can include the takeaways, learning objectives, and real-world applications, as well as the skills that the corporate learner should have mastered and why.

7. Bullet Lists

Bullet lists recap the takeaways and clearly outline what corporate learners need to know in order to achieve the learning objectives. For example, a list features the most important aspects of your dress code or company policies. Thus, employees know what’s expected of them and how to handle themselves on the job. They don’t have to sift through an entire manual to get the information, because the list sums up it concisely. Make sure that the bulleted points are short sentences so that corporate learners can quickly assimilate the information.

8. Recommendations

There are times when corporate learners need to explore a related subject matter that isn’t covered in the downloadable online training resource. For example, participate in a simulation that allows them to test their newly acquired skills. Include a list of recommendations that employees can use to broaden their knowledge autonomously. You can even include a categorized recommendation guide at the end of the resource based on employees’ preferences and goals. For example, one section might include recommendations geared toward customer service staff who want to improve satisfaction scores, while another caters to sales employees who need to broaden their product knowledge. This makes it quick and convenient to find the supplemental online training tools they require.

9. Branding Elements

There are two key reasons why you should incorporate branding elements into your downloadable online training resources. Firstly, your corporate learners may choose to share the material with their peers and you want them to associate the high-quality content with your brand. That way they’ll want to learn more about your company and/or sign up for an online training course if you’re going the eCommerce route. Secondly, it maintains continuity and ensures that your corporate learners know that the resources are part of your online training program, which enhances the credibility and overall aesthetic.

10. Hyperlinks

The beauty of online training is that employees have access to a variety of online training resources. They may download online training guides or activities to complete offline, but they need to reconnect at some point to sync their progress. That is where hyperlinks come in. Corporate learners can simply click on the hyperlink to watch videos, complete assessments, or access additional coursework.

Downloadable online training resources can benefit every member of your organization. Not just those with spotty internet connections or outdated devices. They serve as a valuable moment of need tool and help employees reinforce knowledge on the go. Use these 10 tips to ensure that your downloadable online training content has everything your employees need to achieve the learning objectives.

Do you struggle with balancing written eLearning content with pictures? How can you be sure that your eLearning Infographics are meeting the evolving needs of your online learners? Download our free eBook The Ultimate Guide To eLearning Infographics to discover how to work with eLearning Infographic templates, the benefits of including eLearning Infographics into your eLearning course design, the steps you should follow to create them, as well as examples of creative uses and must-have features that exceptional eLearning Infographics usually include.