How can you improve your learner engagement with eLearning?

Data analytics is a current hot topic both in the L&D world and in the wider organisational context in general. In many organisations LMS data analytics can reveal a depressing story in terms of the levels of learner engagement and adoption of learning. However, there are a number of simple and mostly low cost ways which will boost and improve your levels of learner engagement and online course completions.

1.  Be Relevant and Timely

Personalised learning is another current buzzword in L&D. The interest and desire for personalised learning is centred on a drive to increase the relevance of learning which is a critical factor in the adoption and outcomes achieved in learning initiatives. It’s an obvious point but one that can easily get forgotten when delivering learning at scale and at pace. Addressing the relevance agenda requires a sound understanding of the learning needs of your audience and attention to the Training Needs Analysis stage of the learning lifecycle. Timing is all about attracting the learner at their moment of need and self-directed learning is the best way of addressing this criterion.

2.  Gamify it!

Yes, I know it is another buzzword, but behind the buzzword is an important concept – appealing to the competitive nature of the human condition. The core objective of gamification is to provide visibility and comparability of individual performance. Awarding digital badges and publishing online Leaderboards are tow common ways of achieving this. Also, consider providing other more material rewards and prizes for top performers of key programmes.

3.  Make it Self-Paced

I refer to the importance of self-paced learning as a solution to the timing challenge but it deserves a spotlight of its own. For many year’s now I have tried to remove the word ‘training’ from my dictionary. The word ‘Training’ is derived from a Latin word ‘trahere’ which means to pull or draw which is way we also use the word for trains that run on tracks. Today, we recognise the importance of empowering our learners to take control and responsibility for their own learning and allowing learners to study at their own pace is a key element of this ownership and eLearning delivery models are very well suited to the concept of self-pacing.

4.  Introduce Social Learning

‘Social’ is also integral to the human condition. Yes, we like to be self-paced but we also like to share our experiences and learn from others. Social Learning is yet another current buzzword in L&D communities. However, creating an active and sustained community of learners in a digital world is not easy and many attempts to introduce Yammer or other corporate social media platforms have failed, both for learning and any other agenda. It can sometimes be best instigated by working with a small community of dedicated but geographically dispersed learners with a strong sense of common purpose.

5.  Get Sponsorship!

Leadership involvement, attention and sponsorship is a very powerful and motivating driver of learner engagement. Ensure your learning programmes receive the profile and support they need and deserve. Start by ensuring that your learning programmes are aligned with and articulated in language that reflects the positive outcomes that will enhance operational outcomes and productivity. Use the language of your business leaders and they will support you.

6.  Manageable Milestones and Chunking

We all like ‘quick wins’. Of course, there may be some longer-term goals and objectives but also ensure that your programmes are ‘chunked’ so that you can offer a number of shorter term milestones that recognises the steps of success that will lead to the final successful outcome.

If you are looking for off-the-shelf digital learning content to fuel your organisation’s learning and development programmes why not check out Course-Source – our one-stop-shop for all your eLearning content needs.