Develop a Results-Driven eLearning Program with 3 Key Strategies

• 3 min read

Invest your company’s time and money wisely with eLearning that delivers the desired results

Many learning professionals strongly believe that learning has an intrinsic value of its own. But while it’s true that learning for learning’s sake often holds merit, most would also agree that when their company invests time and money in corporate training initiatives, they expect to see results.

So how can you ensure that your eLearning program delivers on the results that your boss is looking for? Read on for our advice!

Emphasize Application And Benefits Before Each eLearning Activity

It’s perhaps the most important rule of teaching – your learners must always be able to assign meaning to the subject matter at hand. Otherwise, it’s unlikely you’ll see much engagement with your eLearning content or active participation in the learning experience. For this reason, you should be sure to provide context for eLearning activities. Start by stressing the real world applications and benefits that learners can expect to get out of the training they’re about to receive.

This also allows learners to focus on the key takeaways and prevent cognitive overload by staying focused on the primary goal at hand. For example, if an online learner knows that a game has been designed to help them master a particular task, they’ll pay close attention to the steps involved so that they can complete the process.

Pair Experiential eLearning Activities With Immediate Feedback

One of the benefits of an eLearning environment is that online learners have the chance to take risks and improve their performance in a safe environment that is relatively free of judgment or consequences. Experiential eLearning activities, based on real world scenarios, allow participants to make mistakes and learn from them. Simulations, branching scenarios and serious games can all enable learners to apply knowledge and skills to solve everyday challenges.

However, there’s a big caveat. If these learning opportunities are not paired with immediate feedback, it’s much less likely that learners will grasp the key takeaways. Help your learners out by making it easy for them to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and recommend additional online resources if their performance suggests that they could use improvement in any particular areas. You can also take this opportunity to praise top performers in order to maintain their motivation and reinforce positive behaviors.

Give Online Learners Time For Self-Exploration And Reflection

Studies have shown that when learners are asked to reflect on their learning experience there is often a positive impact on future performance. Giving your online learners the power to not only reflect on their personal thoughts about what they’ve learned, but to explore topics freely and go back to information they found relevant, can help them to work through any lingering questions they may have. For example, they may use this opportunity to address any limiting beliefs or assumptions that could hold them back.

There are a couple ways L&D professionals can go about encouraging this self-exploration. Integrate thought-provoking questions throughout your eLearning content and give learners the chance to write down their answers, regardless of whether their answers will be marked. You might even be able to encourage learners to interact with peers who hold opposing viewpoints in online discussion groups. After each eLearning activity, incorporate time for personal reflection where online learners are given the chance to relate the information to their own lives. For instance, how might they be able to apply what they’ve learned to overcome a common obstacle?

Ultimately, results-driven eLearning programs give your online learners the greatest chance of success once the training is over and they must begin to apply their learning in the real world. Begin implementing these tips in your eLearning course design to achieve the best results for your program and the best ROI for your effort.

Begin your free two-week Docebo trial today to see first hand how a great learner experience can deliver results in your eLearning program.