Let’s talk about leveraging interactive training tools to transform training program.
While high-quality content, easy-to-navigate interface, and attractive design are three very crucial aspects of designing a successful eLearning course, there is one aspect that is often overlooked, and that is the element of interactivity. No matter how high quality is your content, it will fall short of expectations if it does not succeed in holding and retaining your learner’s attention.
As a result, they are less likely to engage with the content or acquire and retain the information that you seek to provide. By incorporating interactive training tools, you can transform your regular training program and ensure that it meets its end objectives.
Research has consistently shown that higher learner engagement results from instructional design methods that include interactive learning techniques. In passive learning, learners watch, read or listen; however, in interactive learning, they do, collaborate, and solve problems that involve real-world challenges.
Interactive learning engages learners, motivates them to improve their learning graph and results in long-term retention of the course material.
So how to make your eLearning content interactive?
Here are some interactive training tools that can transform your training program.
1. Evaluation Tools
It is important to assess, measure, and document the progress of your learners during the training process and this is where training evaluation tools can help. These tools include assessment tests, surveys, quizzes, etc., which not only hold learners’ attention but also provide useful information for training providers to gauge the effectiveness of their eLearning courses. Learners too can gauge their progress.
A good way to make these quizzes interactive is by including real-life scenarios which the learners must solve on the basis of the new skills they have acquired as part of the eLearning course.
Another idea is to have the quizzes in the form of video and/or audio questions. These interactive tools will not only prevent boredom but also boost knowledge retention.
2. Personalized Training
As in the case of shopping for clothes, there is no one-size-fit-all in eLearning. Interactive tools make it possible to provide more personalized training, suited to individual requirements. By using digital media, you can create different learning paths that cater to the unique needs of individuals.
For example, a great way to build problem-solving skills is to have videos with branching scenarios that allow learners to take different paths, and then redefine their journey based on the choices they make, till they are able to identify the correct route to dealing with a situation.
With these branching scenarios, learners can progress at their own pace, learn by trial and error, practice in a safe virtual environment, and avoid making mistakes in real-life situations.
3. Interactive Whiteboards
Using whiteboards, learners and instructors can communicate with each other, discuss ideas and explain concepts visually, without actually being face-to-face. These boards are especially helpful in distant learning solutions.
They are crucial to any virtual classroom, allowing trainers to share notes and even upload documents.
4. Chat Rooms
Chat rooms are an interesting interactive feature that allows learners and trainers to communicate with each other using an online environment. Here are 10 Features to Look for in Corporate Training Solutions.
5. Discussion Forums
An extension of the chat room, forums allow learners to post their queries or ideas over a longer period of time. As a result, more people have an opportunity to interact with the post, even across varying time zones.
Your employees can use the forums to initiate or participate in a discussion over a topic of interest, share best practices of learning and gain information that may not be available in a teaching resource.
These communication tools enable greater collaboration between the learners since they can start group chats and collectively work together to solve a problem.
Group collaboration is also a great way to add a human element to your eLearning courses, and break the monotony of technology. Human interactions provide learners the opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences and also explore a topic in group setting.
6. Audio and Video Training Tools
Video is by far one of the most powerful tools for delivering employee training. Your employees are more likely to watch a video than read a document. Audio and video tools help to capture and retain attention and ensure greater connect between the course and the learners.
Besides, they are a great and cost-effective way to provide remote support. With audio and video conferencing tools, you can live stream your subject matter via an online platform.
Your learners and instructors don’t have to be on the same location – with authorized credentials they can log into the training from wherever they are and participate in the discussion.
7. Mobile Capability
More and more people now access and consume their content on their smartphones or tablets. In fact, these devices have become a natural extension of all working individuals. Here are the Top 10 Use Cases of Mobile Training Solutions.
Leveraging mobile-first training platforms, you can create microlearning content, or short, concise videos, approximately 3 to 5 minutes in length, which your learners can access anytime and anywhere, while commuting or in between breaks.
The advantage with these microlearning nuggets is that they are concise, to the point, and provide exactly the information the employees need, and at the time they most need.
The other advantage is that since they are short in length, they prevent cognitive overload, so the learners are more likely to process and retain the information.
White paper:
Accelerate Employee Engagement with Mobile-based Corporate Training Program
8. Make Your Course Attention-Grabbing
Using digital media tools such as audio, video, augmented reality, virtual reality, graphics, infographics and simulations, you can bring alive your eLearning course material and ensure a greater connect between your learners and the curriculum.
These interactive elements will ensure a deeper and more contextual learning experience, resulting in greater learning outcomes.
In conclusion
By using interactive training tools, you can take your eLearning course to the next level. You can use a combination of videos, audio, 3D images, graphics etc., to make learning more fun and interesting, and more aligned to modern education psychology and practices.
Your employees can learn by doing, learn at their own pace and in the comfort of their own space. Besides, they can also use various communication tools such as chat rooms and online forums to remain connected and learn from peers and their instructors.
Interactive training tools thus unfetter learning from the classroom, empower learners to take greater control over their learning, and upgrade their skills and knowledge in alignment to real-life situations. These tools also help to break monotony in learning and make it fun, engaging, entertaining and interesting.
Related:
DISCOVER HOW A MOBILE-FIRST INTERACTIVE TRAINING PLATFORM CAN HELP YOUR ORGANIZATION
Kitaboo is a cloud-based platform to create, deliver & track mobile-first interactive training content.
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Snehnath Neendoor
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