Technical Difficulties In Online Training You Need To Fend Off
We’re often told online training is the best option for corporates. It’s affordable, convenient, and it saves time. Purchasing teams will focus on features and price points. If they’re not digitally savvy, they won’t think to review technical matters. After all, nobody ever taught them how to use a touchscreen or navigate a website. It won’t occur to them that others may have a difficulty with these issues. Something as intrinsic as double-clicking can stump the non-digital generation. Then there are constraints that even netizens may struggle with. Let’s explore 7 possible technical difficulties in online training and ways to resolve them.
7 Top Tech Glitches And Troubleshooting Tips
1. Operating Systems
Lots of office computers run on Windows, but corporate learners don’t always study at work. They might use a tablet, a mobile phone, or their laptop at home. Their smartphones themselves have different OS – Symbian, Windows, Androids, or iOS. And even among the Androids and Apples, individual devices have different versions. iOS 4 vs iOS 12 for example, or Oreo vs KitKat. Before you purchase, confirm what OS your online training content can work with. Pick one that cuts across devices, otherwise you’ll be stuck with the expensive task of buying uniform gadgets for everyone. On the development side, test your software on as many systems as possible, ensuring broader compatibility and avoiding technical difficulties in online training.
2. Portable Devices
Along the same lines, some online training programs are cloud-based and you can log in from any device. Others are based on in-house servers, so you can’t use them outside a given radius. Be clear about this when you make your purchase. You may have a number of field corporate learners. Or maybe your employees want to study at home. Stay away from technical difficulties in online training, and ensure online training content can be accessed via mobile.
A related glitch is the inability to access the internet. Some workers may not have home web connections, or their distant postings may have unreliable broadband. This can lead to their online training course timing out mid-session. Design it in a way that offers offline functionality. You can also opt for a responsive design tool that displays the best version of the online training course. As well as an LMS that supports downloadable online training content or offline viewing.
3. Language Issues
Online training courses are good for global organizations. When you have teams in other cities or even in other countries, a multi-branch LMS or training tool helps. It’s far cheaper than organizing online training sessions for each team. However, you may take it for granted that everyone speaks English. Even if they do, they probably operate in their local language. Chances are they only switch to English when calling HQ or dealing with foreign clients. Therefore, offering online training in English could be less optimal. Allow easy translation options for enhanced knowledge transfer and increased knowledge retention.
4. User Experience
If you’ve spent your whole life using technology, you probably take it for granted. To get a clearer idea of challenges that test User Experience, widen your test group. Ask a great-grandparent and a ten-year-old to test your software. They don’t need to understand the online training content, but they’ll quickly identify trouble areas. Older users may want to increase the volume or the font size. Younger users may navigate to shiny, brightly colored page sections, regardless of content. By watching where they get stuck, you spot technical difficulties in online training that need repair.
5. Playback
Video and audio clips are increasingly essential for online training courses. You also need a generous mix of high-quality visuals. These products can be quite heavy, especially if you use high resolution/high definition. The default is to apply the highest speed/resolution display. However, areas with slower internet and more limited bandwidth will have a hard time viewing this. Offer ‘step-down’ options for users with older equipment to write off such technical difficulties in online training. Have a 1080 video, but have a 480 one as well. You can upload a 2GB audio if you have room, but allow a 2MB option as well – just in case.
6. Navigation Challenges
Corporate learners are unable to smoothly navigate through the online training course because of a less-than-intuitive User Interface. For example, there’s no logical progression and corporate learners aren’t sure where to go next. Or the buttons aren’t clearly labeled. There may even be an issue with clutter. Technical difficulties in online training could translate as extraneous images that force them to spend five minutes looking for the ‘next’ arrow. Another significant challenge that hinders User Experience is fragmented design. For instance, corporate learners complete the online training module, but there aren’t any recommendations for how they should proceed. For best results, use clearly labeled buttons, include instructions, and follow up with personalized guidance.
7. In-Course Accessibility Hurdles
From broken links to unfamiliar icons, there are plenty of technical difficulties that your corporate learners must overcome. These in-course hurdles keep them from accessing relevant online training resources and achieving the learning objectives. Which is why it’s crucial to conduct a test round beforehand to iron out the glitches and avoid technical difficulties in online training. For example, they need to quickly view an online training tutorial or walkthrough, but the broken link is making that next to impossible.
Conclusion
Technical difficulties in online training aren’t always mechanical. They cover all manner of challenges that prevent corporate learners from properly using their online training course. It could be an incompatible operating system, unfamiliarity with touchscreens, or losses in translation. The corporate learner may be unable to consistently connect to the internet. Each of these trouble spots is easy to fix. Synchronize your operating systems and test the online training content across devices before you launch. Make it easy to translate portions of the online training course and enable offline study. Test the online training course thoroughly to ensure the quality of every User Experience aspect.
What’s the point of an LMS if no one gets any benefit from using it? Are you in search of an LMS that offers the best LMS User Experience at a price you can afford? Download our free eBook The Complete Guide For Choosing A User-Friendly LMS That Fulfills Your Business Needs to discover why LMS User Experience really matters, how to use LMS user reviews & ratings to find the ideal LMS, as well as the advantages of using an LMS Online Directory to choose a user-friendly LMS, and how to evaluate the LMS User Interface during an LMS Demo or free trial.
