5 Tips To Evaluate Online Training Quality

5 Tips To Evaluate Online Training Quality
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Summary: Is your online training program really delivering on its investment? Do your employees walk away with all the information and online training experience they need? The only way to find out is to gauge the effectiveness of your online training initiatives. In this article, I'll share 5 ways you can judge the quality of your online training to see if it's hitting the target.

How To Evaluate Online Training Quality

Do your online training courses help employees hone their abilities and uphold company standards? Or is it doing more harm than good? An effective online training program is worth every dollar you put into it and every hour you spend developing and deploying online training resources. Here are 5 ways to evaluate the quality of online training so that you can ensure its success.

1. Online Training Feedback

As the old saying goes, it's best to get it "straight from the horse's mouth". One of the most effective ways to evaluate online training quality is to ask those who actually participate in your online training course. Your employees access the online training resources to build skills and expand their knowledge. As such, they are in a unique position to tell you what's working and what needs to be improved. Surveys, interviews, and focus groups can reveal the strengths and weaknesses of your online training strategy. These online training feedback methods also give your corporate learners a voice which fosters active participation and motivation, as they know that they are a valuable part of the process.

Top Tip: Set up an online discussion or social media group to encourage corporate learners to voice their opinions and concerns. This provides them with an online outlet where they can share their thoughts and ideas that will help you improve your online training strategy. Modern eLearning authoring tools help you integrate social learning platforms where you can post weekly questions to get direct online training feedback and spark online discussions. Webinars and live Q&A sessions are also great ways to gather learner input and get them actively involved.

2. LMS Metrics

Learning Management Systems allow you to design and deploy meaningful online training experiences. However, they also contain an abundance of Big Data that can help you evaluate your eLearning course design. For example, course completion rates tell you how corporate learners are progressing and if they are fully engaged with the online training content, while satisfaction ratings reveal how corporate learners feel about the online training content, online instructors, and manager involvement. These LMS metrics give you the power to evaluate every aspect of your online training strategy and develop measurable goals. Some LMS solutions even feature customizable reports, which allow you to monitor online training pain points in order to achieve the desired outcomes.

3. eLearning Assessment Results

eLearning feedback delves into the thoughts and opinions of your audience. However, eLearning assessment results provide you with concrete numbers, so that you can identify patterns and trends. Half of your corporate learners, for example, are unable to pass the compliance certification exam. This may indicate that you need to take a closer look at that respective online training course, get to the root of the problem and modify your online training content. One of the best ways to gauge the quality of your online training program is to conduct pre and post eLearning assessments. The pre-assessment gives you a clear picture of what corporate learners know now and pinpoints their performance and skill gaps, while the final assessment shows you how far they've come. If there is little or no improvement, then you know that online training quality may be lacking.

Top Tip: Determine which eLearning assessment methods are best for your analysis. Quantitative assessments provide you with concrete numbers, which makes them ideal for online training topics that deal with knowledge comprehension. For example, figuring out whether an employee knows about company policies or compliance procedures. However, qualitative assessments are best for specific skills and tasks. For instance, a corporate learner participates in a branching scenario to exhibit their skill proficiency.

4. Learner Performance

There are two common ways to monitor learner performance. The first is on-the-job observations. Managers or online instructors evaluate employees as they carry out work-related tasks. However, this isn't an option if you're working with remote employees. In this case, online training scenarios and simulations are good performance indicators. Corporate learners must interact with virtual personas, use professional tools, and overcome challenges. All of this takes place in a risk-free environment that facilitates real-world experience. It also provides corporate learners with immediate feedback. As such, they are able to determine their own strengths and areas for improvement. Learner performance evaluations give you the opportunity to judge the quality of your online training on a case-by-case basis, which allows you to create customized online training courses that cater to their preferences and needs. Just make sure that the LMS of your choice has a built-in previewer, so that you can customize every aspect of your online training course.

5. Measure Desired Outcomes

Effective online training courses lead to meaningful change. They give corporate learners the online training resources they need to achieve their potential. As a result, high-quality online training results in the desired outcome. Develop criteria beforehand and decide how you are going to monitor learner progress and performance. Then, measure the results upon completion of the online training course as they relate to your learning objectives and goals. For example, your aim is to improve customer satisfaction scores. After an employee completes the necessary online training, their ratings rise by 25%. They've shown that they are able to provide better service and successfully resolve customer issues. The same process applies to an increase in sales numbers and a decrease in compliance violations. These are tell-tale signs that your online training initiatives are getting the desired results.

Is your online training up to par? Or do you need to rethink your online training strategy? Use these evaluation techniques to measure your online training quality and identify areas for improvement. As a matter of fact, you may want to utilize these methods on a quarterly basis to continually fine-tune your online training. Put it down in your schedule, so that you remember to conduct your Quality Assessment test and continually improve the quality of your online training.

Are you an eLearning professional looking to develop exceptional online training content? Request your free trial for Adobe’s stellar Captivate authoring tool, and craft content beyond imagination. Also, don’t forget to ask for the Adobe's Captivate Prime Demo to witness the experience of one of the best Learning Management Systems in the market.