When implementing eLearning into your organization it is imperative to draw upon your Subject Matter Expert’s (SME) vast body of knowledge in order create more institutionally effective and highly relevant training content. Using your SME’s background however is not enough to build great eLearning. Knowing different pedagogical techniques to build effective courses is imperative to having successful learning both in a face-to-face environment as well as an online environment. Making sure your instructional design teams are experts in learning theories and strategies is critical to effective learning.
Techniques for effective online learning
Here are several techniques for implementing effective online learning:
- Blended learning – Blended Learning is an effective strategy for utilizing your expert’s knowledge in a highly targeted manner. Using this strategy you have a portion of your course delivered in real time either in a classroom environment or via a live distance learning portal, and a portion of your course via an asynchronous course model via an LMS (typically via learning objects, discussion forums, and online assessments). Your employees can take basic and intermediate level courses through the online course portal in their own time and at their own pace. For more complex or hands on experiences you can have an expert deliver training face-to-face, on site, or virtual via a synchronous platform (WebEx, Go2Meeting, Connect, etc…).
- Interactive tutorial based training – This is the most typical method of training. In a highly interactive environment basic and intermediate skills and knowledge can be presented in an effective manner that can be assessed and tracked as training materials are presented. This is typically launched via an LMS and packaged as a SCORM object or xAPI object.
- Simulation based training – Simulation based training allows users to learn how to operate expensive machinery or work with complex computer software in a safe and easy to work in environment. It provides its end users a method of experimenting and learning in an environment that does not have severe or dangerous consequences if they make a mistake – all the while tracking their performance and educating them on best practices.
- Case based training – Case based learning is an excellent method of training your users utilizing real world case studies that the learners work through throughout their course. This provides your learners a situated experience in the course that is similar to challenges they will face on the job. Case based learning forces users to analyze their decisions in an environment that provides feedback that helps them get to the next step in the learning environment. Case based learning is often used in Harvard Business school as a method of helping students understand the impact of workplace decisions that are made in the work environment.
- Problem based training – Problem-based training emphasizes learning as a process that involves problem solving and critical thinking in situated contexts. It provides opportunities to address broader learning goals that focus on preparing workers for active and responsible roles within their jobs. Learners gain experience in tackling realistic problems, and emphasis is placed on using communication, cooperation, and resources to formulate ideas and develop reasoning skills all the while tackling real problems faced in the workplace.
While there are many more learning techniques these are 5 of the more common ones. Stay tuned next for my next post when I cover the 8 methods to build a Gamified course! 🙂
Author:
Josh Squires is currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer of Docebo EMEA. Josh has spent the past 15 years researching and implementing creative learning solutions within corporate and higher education environments. With clients ranging from Motorola to Disney, he has been on the designing and implementing stage of a wide range of learning scenarios with customers spanning the globe. Josh has also taught Instructional Technology theory and tools as a consultant and faculty member for over 8 years in both Corporate and Higher Education environments.
You can contact him directly via email or connect with him via LinkedIn or follow him on twitter @squires_j