Converting ILT To eLearning: Common Pitfalls And Their Solutions

Converting ILT To eLearning: Common Pitfalls And Their Solutions
Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock.com
Summary: Converting instructor-led training material to eLearning has its share of pitfalls. However, these are easy to overcome with a little planning and forethought. Read this article to know how this is possible.

Pitfalls You Might Face When Converting ILT To eLearning And How To Get Past Them

Organizations are increasingly favoring online training over the classroom; as a result, they are converting their instructor-led training materials to eLearning. However, ILT to eLearning conversion is not just moving the content and PowerPoint slides to an online platform. It requires an Instructional Design approach. You will have to devise the instructional strategy, design the interactivities and assessments for your online course.

So you need to meticulously plan for the conversion process. In this process of ILT to eLearning conversion, there are some common pitfalls you might face. This article will highlight some of them and explain how you can resolve them.

Selecting The Right Content

One question that crops up after you have gathered all the ILT material is how current the material is, and whether it is relevant to your present training needs. What is the quality? To find out, do an analysis of the content after you have organized it.

Assess the material to see if the content is complete and adequate for your online course. If the content is found lacking and you feel it will not meet the objectives of your course, then you will have to update and rework the content. There may also be gaps, find ways to fill them. In case the content is outdated, replace it with relevant content.

Put the content together to ensure there is a logical flow. Working with unstructured content will make it difficult to analyze the content, match it with the learning objectives, and devise an effective instructional strategy.

Another pitfall with the content is that it may just be a couple of bullets on a slide or a bunch of instructor’s notes. The content in ILT sessions would have been delivered straight from the instructor’s head and will not be on the PPT. You will need to get in touch with the SME or the instructor to access this content.

Making The Distinction Between ‘Need-To-Know’ And ‘Nice-To Know’ Content

ILT sessions provide substantial content resources. It will not be possible to accommodate all of them in an eLearning course. So there is a need to chunk the content, and separate the ‘need-to-know’ and ‘nice-to-know’ information. Once you have decided on the learning objectives of your online course, you will have to map it with the ILT content.

You will have to cut extraneous information and remove any material that does not contribute to the course outcomes. This will prevent information overload and help learners learn enough to do the job. Content has to be aligned with the learning outcomes of your course. So segregating the content into crucial and secondary components is necessary.

Well-layered content helps Instructional Designers create effective strategies to communicate content that is of high importance. Less important information can be provided as performance support solutions or secondary reading.

Including Classroom Activities In The eLearning Course

Classroom training sessions include a lot of interactivities such as discussions, quizzes, live demonstrations, worksheets, and case studies. They will have to be transformed into suitable formats for the online mode.

It is possible to have discussions in an eLearning course through online discussion forums. Interactivities such as drag and drop, or click to reveal, can be used to quiz learners. You can also convert case studies to scenarios where learners are made to think on the course of action. Or use simulations or videos in place of live demonstrations.

The interactivities you choose to include in the course must be based on the learners’ profile as well. If the learners are new to eLearning, it is best to avoid complex interactivities and stick to simple ones. The interactivities can be on a higher level for learners familiar with eLearning.

Choosing The Right Instructional Strategy

eLearning lacks the physical presence of an instructor, unlike an ILT session. Overcoming this barrier and effectively communicating the content requires choosing the right instructional strategy for your eLearning course. The choice of strategy depends on the subject and the audience.

If it is to teach a process, then a guided learning strategy will work. Learning through exploration and discovery (LEAD) strategy will be ideal for induction training. Other strategies, such as a scenario-based approach, will suit compliance training.

Creating Assessments For Online Courses

Classroom sessions will usually only have summative assessments at the end of the session. While you can use them for your online course, you need to come up with formative assessments. Base both your summative and formative assessments on ‘need-to-know’ information. Use the various assessment options available for eLearning courses to engage the learner.

The conversion of ILT to eLearning is not a straightforward process. It needs careful thought and planning. Look at the conversion process as an opportunity to create an online course that will bring more value to your learners.