How To Simplify Online Training Courses
One of the perks of corporate eLearning is making your online training more efficient and effective. Employees have the opportunity to access the online platform whenever, wherever. This leads to an increase in retention rates, employee satisfaction, and training ROI. But all of these benefits rely on a very important assumption: that corporate learners are actually learning. That they are absorbing the core ideas and applying them in the workplace. So, how do you ensure that this happens, especially when complex concepts are involved? Here are 8 top tips to help you simplify online training courses.
1. Know What And How Well Your Employees Know
Audience research is the first, and most important, step to simplify your online training program. You must uncover how much your employees know, how well they know it, and what they still need to learn. In other words, what are their performance gaps and how you can bridge them? Learning as much as possible about your employees allows you to create relevant and practical online training courses. It also prevents cognitive overload, as you can skip topics they already know and move onto more pressing matters. For example, experienced staff members are familiar with beginner tasks. As such, you're able to focus on more advanced topics instead of rehashing the basics.
2. Relevancy Rules
Keep in mind that online training centers on real world applications. It's not about the quantity of information that your employees know, but how they use it on-the-job. As such, the online training must be relevant, timely, and personalized to their needs. This is particularly the case for just-in-time online training that focuses on specific tasks and skills. Omit extraneous details and concentrate on the topics, ideas, and sub-skills that matter most. Relevancy also improves employee engagement and motivation, which further improves your ROI.
3. Pinpoint Distractions And Learning Hurdles
There may be complications with the online training program, itself. For example, ineffective online training modules or activities that make tasks more complex than they truly are. Distractions are yet another obstacle to contend with. Employees may be so caught up in the bold colors and compelling graphics in your online training course that they forget about the takeaways. As such, you need to evaluate every aspect of your current online training course design to identify roadblocks. Your LMS reports can tell you where to focus your efforts. For instance, a vast majority of your employees are struggling through the safety compliance online training course. This would be a great place to start. Search for any ambiguous online training content or irrelevant graphics that may be muddling the online training experience.
4. Tech Plays Second Fiddle To Online Training Content
There are plenty of amazing learning technologies and tools at your disposal. But that doesn't mean that you should flood your online training course with multimedia. Sometimes the best approach is the simplest. Focus on the online training content and make sure it aligns with your learning objectives and desired outcomes. For example, a bullet list that highlights every step of the task may be more effective than an interactive online presentation, especially if it refers to a relatively simple process. In addition, the quality of your online training content is paramount. If you have to choose between amazing online training content or cutting edge tech resources, content wins every time.
5. Cut The Clutter To Reduce The Chaos
White space is perfectly acceptable. In fact, it's an absolute necessity if you want to simplify your online training course. It reduces the clutter, restores order, and improves comprehension. Employees are able to distinguish between unrelated concepts and focus on the core ideas. That said, you must also include relevant images and graphics to create visual interest. Just make sure that you keep it minimalist in order not to distract from the main text.
6. Use Diagrams, Chats, And Images To Illustrate The Point
They say that "a picture is worth a thousand words". Human beings are able to absorb and assimilate information more effectively when it's in a visual format. Thus, diagrams, charts, and other media can help you illustrate the point and simplify complex subjects. As an example, your employees need to know how to clean up a hazardous spill. An infographic tells them which safety gear they require, the clean-up process, and tips to prevent future spills. It pairs text with images to create a quick visual reference that they can use on-the-job.
7. Focus On The Learning Objectives
Every element of your online training program should revolve around the learning objectives and goals. More specifically, targeted learning objectives that involve corporate pain points and performance gaps. If it doesn’t serve the desired outcome, then it probably doesn't belong in your online training course. Simplification is all about cutting out the extras and concentrating on the most important aspects of your online training program. For example, the skills that employees need to improve their productivity.
8. Break It Down
Your employees already have a lot on their mind, between work responsibilities and personal obligations. The last thing they need is an online training course that barrages them with information. Content chunking and microlearning give you the ability to create easily digestible online training courses. Organize your online training content by order of importance and group related concepts. Instead of one long online training course, break it down into smaller modules that focus on core competencies and skills. You might even consider a microlearning online repository for easy reference. Employees have the power to pick-and-choose the online resources that are relevant to their needs and goals.
De-cluttering your online training course design, incorporating visuals, and focusing on quality online training content are the pillars of online training simplification. These 8 tips can help you restore order to the chaos and provide relevant, relatable online training to your valued team members. Simplifying your online training design may take time, but it will benefit your bottom line.
Are your employees locking the information in their long term memory? Or is the forgetting curve a force to be reckoned with? Read the article 9 Knowledge Retention Techniques For eLearning to discover some knowledge retention techniques for your corporate learners.
