During the pandemic, many trainers have been forced to organize online training courses. And it seems as if online learning will remain popular post-Covid. At the same time, some trainers worry about the quality they can offer through the virtual route.
Of course, you don’t have to be in the physical presence of participants to offer a great training experience. What’s important is that you provide a solid training course. But how to go about it when you can only communicate from behind a computer screen? In this blog post, we’ll discuss 3 elements of a rock-solid online training course!
1. Interaction and inclusivity
In the world of online training, interactivity is more important than ever. You won’t hold participants’ attention by inundating them with information. If you want them to stay focused, you should involve them and offer them enough challenge. It all starts with the teaching materials. These need to be diverse, so they will appeal to every participant — regardless of their cultural, religious, or economic background. You should also allow participants to voice their opinions. For example, offer them the opportunity to post questions and comments, let them submit ideas, or have them share materials.
If you share teaching materials on the blended learning platform, participants can study them in their own time. This means you can use online live sessions for discussions and interactive assignments. That’s how you take your training course to the next level!
2. Practice leads to results
If you put together an intellectually challenging training course, you should allow participants enough opportunities to practice with course materials. After studying the materials, they need to put the things they’ve learned into practice. You can use the blended learning platform to help them do so. If you want to vary the assignments, you can send short assignments, tests, or quizzes to participants at unexpected times (this is also referred to as microlearning). When working with an online platform, it’s possible to organize and prepare these things in advance.
Furthermore, you need to be clear on the (tangible) results participants can achieve from the start. What skills and knowledge can they acquire? What are the types of assignments they should complete? How will you assess their performance? You should clearly explain these things, so you can move towards the finish line together.
3. The glue that holds everything together: the trainer
A proactive trainer makes the difference. If you empathize with participants, respond and provide feedback at the right time, and show understanding for their personal situations, they will be much more motivated. It’s paramount that you are approachable and reachable. If a participant is going through a difficult time, you should listen to them. Together, you can try to work out a solution.
If you adopt this approach, more participants will successfully complete the training course. And there’s a good chance they will take another training course with you in the future!
Want to get started?
Do you want to create a solid online training course using a reliable blended learning platform? Create a free LearningStone workspace to see how a blended learning environment works in practice. Or, contact us so we can discuss your opportunities.
