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1. What\u2019s best: instructor-led training or self-paced learning?<\/h2>\n
One of the most common eLearning FAQs is whether companies should invest in instructor-led training or self-paced learning. The answer really depends on the situation and the audience.<\/p>\n
Instructor-led training has the advantage of being immediate and interactive.<\/strong> Employees can ask SMEs questions in real-time and the answer will benefit the whole group, not just the person who asked the question. Classroom training has been a preference among learners for a long time, as this Training Industry article points out<\/a> \u2014 and instructor-led training replicates that.<\/p>\n On the cons side though, instructor-led training can be too rigid and expensive<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Self-paced learning, on the other hand, is much more flexible. Learners will usually watch videos and complete training sessions on their own time. This way, they get to create a learning schedule that works best for them.<\/p>\n Self-paced learning is cost-effective<\/strong>, too. People can rewatch videos as many times as they need at no extra cost, whereas if you\u2019ve booked an SME for a webinar you\u2019ve paid them for that one appearance. Everything else would probably be charged extra. Yet, self-paced learning doesn\u2019t provide structure to learners<\/strong>, making it difficult for people who struggle with self-discipline to hit their training goals.<\/p>\n Wouldn\u2019t it be great to have the structure and interactive aspect of instructor-led training and the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of self-paced training?<\/p>\n With blended learning, you can have the best of both worlds.<\/strong><\/p>\n Blended learning<\/a> means that you can still invite SMEs for webinars, and, at the same time, offer training material people can revisit at their own pace. It provides just enough structure, while still allowing for flexibility. Plus, with blended training, you have more chances of keeping learners engaged, as different people learn in different ways.<\/p>\n If you want to learn more, this article explains the benefits of a blended learning approach<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Back to top<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n This is one of the most debatable questions about eLearning. Some employers opt for optional employee training as they don\u2019t want to put an extra burden on their staff \u2014 especially in times where circumstances change from one day to another and uncertainty prevails.<\/p>\n Yet, the TalentLMS remote work statistics survey<\/strong><\/a> showed that employees enjoy training and actively seek it out. Those who haven\u2019t received training from their employers said they would like to (78%), whereas those who received it rated themselves at consistently higher rates than those that haven\u2019t. It seems that, when it comes to happiness while working from home and feeling valued by their companies, training makes a difference.<\/p>\n Making employee training mandatory provides a structure in the working day, strengthens company culture, and ensures the knowledge gaps of your team are being addressed. And of course, there are certain types of training, like workplace safety training or compliance training<\/a>, that need to be mandatory<\/strong>.<\/p>\n On the other hand, mandatory courses could make training look like a chore. Employees who can pick the courses they\u2019re interested in will get the chance to grow the skills they<\/em> want. This flexibility will boost their wellbeing and engagement. So it would be a good idea to offer both optional and mandatory training to your employees<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Mandatory training could be for specific topics or situations (e.g. when you launch a new product and everyone needs to be up-to-date). And optional training could be for soft skills or other areas of expertise they\u2019d like to explore even if they\u2019re not part of their current job. For example, you can give your employees access to a content library such as TalentLibrary™<\/strong><\/a>, where they can pick the subjects they like.<\/p>\n Meet TalentLibrary™ Back to top<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n When researching eLearning or when building your first eLearning courses, gamification will always come up sooner or later.<\/p>\n It\u2019s no coincidence. Adding gamification elements into your eLearning program<\/strong><\/a> has many benefits such as:<\/p>\n Check this article out and learn how you can incorporate gamification into training<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Back to top<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Training takes time. It\u2019s understandable if the idea of your employees sacrificing precious working hours on training makes you a bit uncomfortable. Shouldn\u2019t they just spend their time on hitting their quotas and deadlines for the week?<\/p>\n Well, yes \u2014 and no.<\/p>\n Considering that training will help employees perform better at their job, isn\u2019t this \u201csacrifice\u201d worth it? In other words, we shouldn\u2019t view training as something independent of the job<\/strong> \u2014 and working hours, consequently.<\/p>\n However, training goes even beyond job performance. It strengthens company culture and shows employees you invest in them. As such, it\u2019s better for your company in the long run to find ways to incorporate training during work hours.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not to say people can\u2019t or won\u2019t get training after hours. For example, in the TalentLMS remote work survey<\/strong><\/a>, 87% of employees say that they\u2019re willing to take training after hours. And 45% specified that they would do so because they enjoy it, not because they have to.<\/p>\n But this is where the distinction between mandatory and optional training comes into play. It\u2019s perfectly alright to tell employees they can pursue optional training after hours. Mandatory training, however, should be completed during regular work hours as it is part of work.<\/p>\n In any case, you shouldn\u2019t require<\/em> employees to take training outside their working hours. A well-organized training plan, with regular but short training sessions, will ensure that employees get all the knowledge they need and grow their skills without leaving important tasks behind.<\/p>\n Build interactive\u00a0online training courses in minutes with TalentLMS<\/strong> Back to top<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Just like most of the other eLearning questions and answers, this is not a \u201cblack-and-white\u201d issue. Both options have their pros and cons.<\/p>\n When you ask employees to take training only on their corporate computers or mobiles:<\/p>\n However, let\u2019s not ignore the costs associated<\/strong> with this option. Asking employees to take their training exclusively on corporate devices, means that you need to provide those devices. And while this might be obvious when we\u2019re talking about office workers, it\u2019s not always the case with deskless employees or people who work remotely.<\/p>\n A TalentCards survey on deskless workers<\/strong><\/a>, though, showed that 74% are comfortable using their personal mobile device for training.<\/p>\n Letting employees complete their training on their personal devices comes with its benefits:<\/p>\n Of course, this option raises some issues, too, including data security risks<\/strong> and reduced participation<\/strong> in case employees don\u2019t have the proper devices at home. One way to address these issues is by training employees on cybersecurity best practices<\/strong><\/a> so they learn how to securely use personal and company devices alike.<\/p>\n Your role is to ensure all employees have access to training and make the process as smooth as possible. For example, if you\u2019re using an LMS to train employees, pick a platform that comes with a native app for online and offline learning<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Back to top<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n This is probably one of the toughest eLearning FAQs to answer. The truth is, \u201csuccess\u201d will look different for every company, as it depends on what your goals were, to begin with.<\/p>\n That being said, the best way to gauge the success of any eLearning program is to track some key metrics through your LMS<\/strong>. These metrics can be:<\/p>\n Of course, you can also track other metrics that won\u2019t be available within an LMS but will help you get a clearer image based on your specific company goals. These metrics include sales quota pre- and post-training (via your CRM), number of safety incidents, and overall growth rate.<\/p>\n Back to top<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Although there are many benefits to eLearning when compared to face-to-face training, keeping engagement levels consistently up is not easy. Most people nowadays have an average attention span of less than 10 seconds \u2014 and we\u2019re all used to getting distracted or multi-tasking when we\u2019re online.<\/p>\n Still, there are several things you can do to motivate learners:<\/p>\n Here are more ideas on how to combat the short attention span of learners<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n2. Should employee training be mandatory or optional?<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/b>A growing collection of ready-made courses that cover the soft skills
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\n3. What are the benefits of gamification in eLearning?<\/h2>\n
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4. Should employees complete their training at work or after hours?<\/h2>\n
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\nThe learning management system that\u2019s easy to set up, easy to use, and easy to customize.<\/p>\n![\"Create](\"https:\/\/www.talentlms.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/CTA.png\")
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\n5. Should we ask employees to bring their own devices or take training only on their corporate computers\/mobiles?<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n6. How can we tell whether an eLearning program is successful?<\/h2>\n
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\nInformation retention, through follow-up assessments after a month or so<\/li>\n7. How can we engage learners during online courses?<\/h2>\n
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