Visible Blindspots Of Virtual Training And How To Avoid Them
E-learning is a method that is the inevitable future of learning. As more colleges begin to introduce fully remote semesters till fall, companies and employees might not be back till September and hence the Transition to virtual learning is no more an option but a necessity. Virtual training has many blind spots which can be easy to miss and thus here are some blind spots you can avoid while transitioning the content as soon as possible. Thus by avoiding them, you can scale up and improve your organisation.
Fast creation but slow adaptation
A course can be created in no time but the main challenge lies in the fact how well the users can accept and adjust to it. There is always a learning curve and it takes time and patience for people to actually learn how to optimally use a software. Gradually how to maximize the software capabilities will develop over time as the users get more comfortable while using it. A new environment can be stressful for some people and hence one tactic is to let the user explore it on their own during their first interaction. This will allow them to get more comfortable and ease the learning process. Like for example, the first time someone attends a video conference call can be scary or through issues and errors but gradually they will connect to the call with ease and even if the call drops, they will know that they can rejoin immediately. This comes with experience and other features like screen sharing and makes presenter and with time the learner will adapt to them.
It is tougher than just simple recycling
Recycling an instructor-led online training content is a horrible idea and can only work as a band-aid solution. Various employers are increasing their digitization speed as work from home is becoming more of a long term scenario. Repurposing the whole content if a course and hoping that it will work similarly in an online is a disaster as instructors cannot see their learners and they cannot interact with each other. To top it, there are many distractions and the list of faults continues. To correct it you need to rethink and design the course with extra features and out if the bix solutions which will help the content delivery system and new ways of reinforcing the concept which might or might not require new visuals to be created. Data can be collected and analysed for compliance, testing and post-event data need to be considered while planning for the development of the content.
Engagement should be a high priority
The major focus should be given on the egg basement factor and how much a learner can stay focused. For example, entering a virtual meeting with 15 others is a lot different than a physical meeting with the same people. You can see their faces and from the facial expression, you can detect whether they are paying attention or not. But in the case of online meetings, you cannot do that and hence you do not know whether the learner is still listening or has clicked on some other tab or doing some other work. In this scenario, the learning will not be effective and you cannot get the best out of your employees. The login process can be varied and made of a fun element, this will keep the audience engaged and they will stay engaged if they think it will be an interesting course. The blended learning approach also helps to reach this goal by including pre-course and post-course assignments, video and detailed hands-on practice. E-learning can provide various opportunities for reinforcing and presenting the course content to its learners. This is most effective in a large group of people like new joinees training. The more immersive the content is, the more memorable it becomes and hence ROI can be maximised and the potential of the employees.
Timing is the key
You might have noted all the time your need down to the extra second for the offline class but the same cannot be said for the online versions as there can be delays or slow internet speed or even the extra interaction and other engagement activities can take more time than expected and they are a crucial part of the virtual Training. Hence it is safe to say that to hope for the best but to plan according to the worst case. Especially in your first few virtual sessions. Anticipating for technical glitches or various difficulties makes you prepared to face anything that comes your way. Another good solution is to limit the training classes at 90 minutes and anything more than that should be broken down into parts and modules to keep the people engaged and minimize distractions which will help by a more impactful learning and better retentivity.
Thus now you know some of the best ways to avoid the blind spots and if you need any help with the creation of online courses, then you should visit CreateOnlineAcademy.com, where you can make the best online courses and dodge all blind spots and make the perfect course with the best tools available out there.
