Recently, while giving a presentation on online learning, I asked my audience to review and compare some online courses.
What did this group discover? Large boring text dumps and crowded, challenging interfaces developed by instructional designers more in love with technology than sound design. There were lots of bytes … but far too many bells and whistles (audio plus whirling graphics) that did not add to the learning. I am not a technophobe, but technology must add to, not detract from, learning outcomes.
Choosing the menu
Should the training you are proposing go online? Here are some key questions to ask that help define the scope of the problem/opportunity.
1. What is the root cause of the problem? (It might not be a training problem! See point 4.)
2. What are employees’ skills and knowledge gaps?
3. What are employees’ entry skills and reading levels?
4. What is the most appropriate solution? Training is only one solution; rewards, recognition, feedback or job aids may be more appropriate.
5. Are learners able to learn online?
6. What type of skills or knowledge do you want employees to develop? (Some courses require face-to-face training.)
7. When and where will learners take the training? What will motivate them to complete the training?
8. Do you have time and resource commitments from stakeholders?
9. Do you have design/development, and technical, resources to support and maintain the initiative?
10. Are there any technical issues? Is the bandwidth and equipment adequate?
Answering these questions before you start designing and developing your course is like creating your shopping list before you go to the grocery store. It is the start of creating a balanced diet that can be supported and maintained.
Key ingredients
What key ingredients constitute a balanced online learning diet? The following framework can help establish the essentials.
Objectives – Identify key objectives or explain them at the beginning of the course.
Motivation – Build in motivational components and interactivity to ensure learners complete the course.
User interface – Make the course intuitive and easy to navigate, with a consistently designed interface. Give the learner complete control of the navigation.
Active responding – Provide learners with opportunities to respond actively to the materials through questions, choices, and interactions.
Immediate feedback – Follow every response with straightforward and positive feedback to affirm or correct the choice.
Manageable chunks – Present information in increments small enough to ensure frequent responses and sequenced to ensure acquisition of required skills and knowledge.
Practice – Provide frequent opportunities for learners to practice their new skills.
Job/Task relevancy – Make practice opportunities ‘job/task relevant’, i.e., scenario-based.
Assessing learning – Explain learner evaluation and use it effectively. It is also good practice to let learners evaluate their own progress.
Summary
Whether you choose to add a dash of paprika, the zest of a lemon, or a little cinnamon is up to you! Consult with professionals if and when required, but remember to include the key ingredients for successful online learning.
