8 Tips To Convert Traditional Training Material Into Interactive Online Training Resources

8 Tips To Convert Traditional Training Material Into Interactive Online Training Resources
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Summary: Is your online training course creating an emotional connect with corporate learners? Does it give them the chance to put their skills into action? In this article, I’ll share 8 tips to turn those traditional online training materials into engaging and interactive online training resources.

How To Convert Traditional Training Material Into Interactive Online Training Resources

One of the perks of online training is being able to provide a multisensory experience. Visual, audio, and kinesthetic elements work together to create an all-encompassing learning environment. To achieve this, you must give corporate learners the opportunity to become active participants instead of passive observers. Here are 8 tips to transform traditional online training resources into interactive online training activities.

1. Convert Manuals To Online Training Tutorials

Manuals aren’t the most fun and engaging online training resources, even if they do contain valuable information that employees need on the job. Fortunately, you can make them easier to digest with the help of video-creation tools. Manuals may become entertaining online video training tutorials that cover every aspect of a task or visually illustrate company policy, such as the professional dress code. You can use images, clips, and audio narrations to improve comprehension and enhance the aesthetics.

2. Incorporate Decision-Making Scenarios

Employees may not know how they’ll apply online training knowledge or react in certain situations, until they experience it firsthand. For example, in a decision-making branching scenario that exposes them to a broad range of workplace challenges. Explaining how to appease an unhappy customer or navigate a difficult sale is one thing, but branching scenarios enable them to explore the circumstances on their own and make choices that lead to various outcomes.

3. Add Engaging Multimedia

Text-based online training content can benefit from images, videos, and other multimedia components, especially when they provide visual representations that improve understanding and knowledge retention. For example, an online training tutorial that features snapshots of each step in the process. Other options are a microlearning podcast that offers helpful tips or personal anecdotes that resonate with employees. Voiceovers can also improve the accessibility of your online training resources, especially for corporate learners who are visually impaired or auditory learners.

4. Forego Traditional Exams For Online Training Simulations

A multiple choice exam only tells you how much an employee knows, not how well they know it, or if they can apply their skills in a real-world context. On the other hand, online training simulations give them the power to display their talents and identify areas for improvement. They are a highly effective qualitative assessment tool that builds experience and allows employees to benefit from their mistakes. Many rapid eLearning authoring tools even have simulation templates to create interactive online training activities that also measure employee performance.

5. Use Real-World Examples To Enhance Meaning

Information is nothing more than a collection of facts and ideas, if your corporate learners are unable to assign meaning. Real-world examples allow them to see how the online training topics apply in the workplace. For example, the main online training character uses management skills to facilitate communication among co-workers and resolve customer complaints.

6. Gamify Your Online Training Strategy

Incorporate gamification elements in your existing eLearning course design to improve employee motivation and create interactive online training. The secret is to find the right rewards for your corporate learners based on their preferences, interests, and backgrounds. Carry out online surveys to determine their primary sources of motivation and then choose your incentives accordingly. Here are just a few game mechanics to consider turning your traditional online training materials into interactive online training resources:

a. Badges

Corporate learners earn attention-grabbing badges for every milestone, from successfully completing an online training simulation or scenario, to achieving high marks on exams. Ideally, every badge should support a favorable behavior or objective.

b. Points

Every online training activity is assigned a point value, and employees strive to collect as many points as possible to earn a reward. That may be something as simple as a certificate of achievement or bypassing coursework.

c. Leaderboards

If your corporate learners are competitive by nature, a leaderboard gives them the chance to rise up the ranks and surpass their peers. Point-based systems often go hand-in-hand with leaderboards, as employees have a way to measure their progress and determine how many points they need to reach the top.

d. Levels

Employees must successfully complete a series of online training modules or activities to reach the next level. You should also include progress bars or maps so that they can track their own performance.

7. Use Infographics To Improve Product Knowledge

Many companies use spec sheets to impart product knowledge. Infographics, however, offer more visual engagement and highlight the features and benefits of your products and services. For example, each section of the infographic covers a practical use that will help consumers overcome everyday challenges or explore the unique features and how to utilize them effectively. Infographics are also great for statistical data, such as showcasing how the product fared during a focus group or clinical trial. For instance, 85% of the participants stated that the product helped them alleviate stress or become more productive.

8. Turn Text-Based Compliance Content Into Serious Games

Employees usually dread mandatory compliance online training because it is either boring or purely theoretical. It’s more about memorizing policies and protocols than learning how they translate in the workplace. Serious games make compliance topics more entertaining and interactive. Not to mention, they improve real-world application. Games can feature levels, obstacles, and fictional foes that help employees assimilate the information in a practical context.

The first step to transform traditional online training materials into interactive online training resources is evaluating the online training resources you already have, to identify potential improvements. Some assets may just require minor adjustments, while others call for a complete overhaul. You should also conduct a training needs analysis and take a closer look at your current learning objectives and goals. As your organization evolves and expands, so do the needs of your corporate learners. Update your online training materials frequently to minimize growing pains and keep your interactive online training resources relevant and engaging.