Lakshmipuleti

In the current business scenario, workplace learning teams must be made up of the right people armed with the correct information. The roles of the concerned teams are shifting in tandem with the evolution of learning and development. To take on these increased duties, leaders must have the necessary skills and competencies. To comprehend how modern L&D teams should be constituted, you must first gauge what employers seek in new workers. Additionally, you must try to understand what the L&D function means to experts. While some L&D specialists want their employees to be familiar with the organization and the environment, others wish their team has an innate drive to learn. Digital proficiency, on the other hand, is a must-have. Let's now explore these points in further detail.

What Does the Learning Team Structure Look Like in a Contemporary Organisation?

If you consider the L&D job market, one aspect is crystal clear. Most of the recruiters are searching for the correct mentality and soft skills in their candidates. Some of these qualities include proactivity and innovation. On the other hand, L&D professionals should not hesitate in giving quantitative numbers to their influence and contribution. In the hard skills domain, the most critical elements are project management and analytics. Hiring requirements include several aspects. And L&D professionals must both be pros in playing a leading role in coming up with initiatives and reporting on their progress using data-driven analysis. Moreover, several companies opt to recruit people with an HR background for their L&D function.

The Evolving L&D Structure and Changing Expectations

Previously, it was widely assumed that content developers and program administrators alone should make up corporate learning teams. However, they are nowthe architects of a learning ecosystem. The L&D teams play a vital role in workforce development to keep the ecosystem going. The result?They must always be ready to become change drivers. They must also be proactive in putting in a lot of effort regarding accountability and responsibility. Traditional L&D competencies have been transformed because of these changes in the role. Hence, workplaces should pay close attention to the skilling of their L&D team structures.

A Successful Workplace Learning Team's Three Pillars

In L&D teams, one of the critical aspects is to have a diverse set of profiles. Now, what's the ideal recipe for a successful learning and development department? A mix of professionals possessing skills in data analysis or UX development. We should also have individuals with a keen understanding of psychology and behavior. Finally, we must include people from the business itself.

Business Profiles

Individuals with expertise in business and customer service possess a sound understanding of the needs of the company. They are in a better position to convert their knowledge into L&D policies more efficiently and have a clear idea of communicating with leaders, deciphering technical jargon, and understanding the organizational culture.

Data Analysts and Software Developers

The profiles mentioned above enable you to reap the multiple benefits of data analysis. You can take the help of the right analytics to aid in ensuring accountability of the organization's workplace learning team. How? Number crunching and analysis are used to assess the effectiveness and impact of training programs. User Experience, aka UE, and user-friendly platforms are other segments where UX and software engineers come in handy. As a result, they can nowdevelop new ideas and approaches to improve the learner's experience (LX). "An L&D function with outstanding standards on EX (employee experience) is scarce on the market, even if it is an essential component of its impacts," says David Hindley, former HRD for Danone and Disney. It is pretty necessary.

Psychologists

Profiles of psychologists or those with a social science background thoroughly understand human behavior and learning processes personally. Such experts can swiftly assess what triggers can be used to accelerate people's learning curves and knowledge acquisition. To better understand the organization's culture, mindset, and behaviors, you can provide them coaching sessions and assist them with learning frameworks and co-development processes. Psychologists also guarantee that the content created by their L&D team is pedagogically sound and reliable. They are the ones who will support people's development and help bridge the gaps in a workplace learning team framework.

An Exploration of the New Roles in a Workplace Learning Team

Aside from the changing responsibilities in today's environment, L&D competencies will also alter shortly. Companies are currently focusing on an employee's experience in a learning setting, for example. They do, however, seek employees with a UX development background. This combination could lead to the formation of the following profile:

Employee Learning Experience Designer 

These experts turn the knowledge that needs to be learned into better learning experiences. They are well-versed in the many learning methods and platforms (digital and offline) that may be used to optimize learning, and they have even designed some of them.

Data Analyst + Performance Consultant

This position will have a significant impact on the L&D department. Dual abilities are required for such a profile. The first is to examine data from business intelligence and learning and development. The figures should then be combined to report the effects of the workplace learning team's activities on business executives.

In short, the builders of a system that encourages the learning attitude make up the modern workplace learning team structure. So, what does this mean? The management must become involved to ensure the long-term viability of the structure. Keeping this in mind that the Community Engagement Manager's role will ensure that L&D teams take responsibility for ensuring the learning community's long-term viability. Second, content, communications, and fresh learning experiences must be updated regularly,so the employees remain interested.

Rounding it Up 

The new L&D organizational structure does not imply that established responsibilities will be eliminated. However, it indicates that in-demand skill sets will change. Organizations should commit to creating and acquiring the L&D attitude, as mentioned above, to meet these evolutionary needs. In a nutshell, the primary aspects of a successful L&D team will include expertise in organizational growth, change management, systemic thinking, and digital upskilling. Do you want to learn more? At PlayAblo, you can speak with one of our professionals. We're only a phone call away! Read more: e learning platform

The future of workplace learning is already here, and it’s not just about new content or cutting-edge digital platforms. Employees have transformed how they learn on the job, with many seeking solutions on their own rather than relying on learning and development departments. That isn’t to say that the L&D department is no longer relevant. It does, however, imply that it will most likely need to change.

But how do you do it? L&D is becoming increasingly digital for every learning leader. As a result, practically anyone can now learn almost whatever they need, whenever they choose, on their own. What isn’t evident is how learning and development teams should adjust to this new reality. To address such a question, we must first comprehend how today’s workers develop their talents. These individuals operate at all levels of organizations, in large and small businesses, in various industries and job types.

So, today, let’s address this critical question: What is the Evolving Role of L&D Leaders in the Future of Workplace Learning?

Evolving Role of L&D Leaders in the Future of Workplace Learning

People’s investment in an on-demand economy

Most CEOs do not invest in people out of altruism or social conscience. Management invests in workplace training to increase productivity and performance. Chief executives get compensated primarily for delivering value to shareholders, which one derives mainly from increased earnings.

So what if employees are dissatisfied with their training? Because learning and development are among the most potent tools businesses have to boost productivity, research shows that employee engagement predicts future financial success.

People are a high cost, accounting for a considerable part of the operating costs in many firms. As a result, we talk about human capital management more than we talk about investing in people. In recent years, employers have contributed a significant section of the payroll and into the contingent workforce as a continuous efficiency drive. 

Freelancers, contractors, and temp workers are also on the rise. A growing number of firms are using contract and temporary (“gig”) employees. Employees value the flexibility and independence of contract jobs above the typical structure of a steady 9-to-5 job in the gig economy, which signals a shift in how they view work. Organizations are grappling with how to train these new types of workers, who may not have access to typical employee systems like learning portals, as the gig economy grows.

When it comes to achieving optimal performance for the organization, the L&D function must think outside the enterprise. As the nature of work changes, L&D is adapting by providing learning opportunities for employees that go beyond standard corporate training.

Again, when it comes to individuals in the on-demand economy, efficiency takes precedence over engagement.

This push for efficiency has altered L&D as well. Corporate training is increasingly given through technology to increase reach, reduce expenses, and improve consistency rather than satisfy the unique demands of Generation X, Millennials, or the Homeland Generation (those born after the mid-1990s).

Investing in efficiency alone, on the other hand, isn’t enough for today’s workers. The desire for efficiency, on the other hand, isn’t going away. As a result, traditional trade tools such as instructional design, facilitation, open source learning management systems (LMS), e-learning courses, virtual classes, and fast authoring tools are still helpful. They’re simply unfinished. In addition to efficiency, tools must handle engagement.

Conclusion

Rebuilding Learning and Development (L&D) for the digital age and democracy

Getting and keeping employees involved in their work is more important than ever, and L&D is critical to accomplishing this. However, the methods by which we train and develop workers must change.

Leaders in learning and development recognize the need to change. They’re rethinking their corporate learning practices to engage today’s workforce better. Many are investing in new technology or more modern content. Fewer, on the other hand, are reorganizing, reskilling, and recruiting for new talents within their own teams.

The truth is that entertaining, bite-sized content and gamified social learning systems won’t suffice to prepare you for the near future of learning and development. To better balance corporate and individual imperatives, you must also embrace new methods of thinking and doing.

A bite-sized approach is a perfect answer when your corporate training modules are too challenging to digest and overwhelm your learners. To discover more about what is microlearning and how you can use it to improve training engagement and knowledge retention, read the rest of our post. A bite-sized approach is a perfect answer when your corporate training modules are too challenging to digest and overwhelm your learners. To discover more about what is microlearning and how you can use it to improve training engagement and knowledge retention, read the rest of our post. Read more: corporate learning

An Introduction to Microlearning

Microlearning is a powerful tool. Compared to standard eLearning, Microlearning is more engaging, less time-consuming, and less expensive to generate high ROI. While it isn’t the right choice for every type of training, it is surprisingly effective for corporate and workplace training.

By the end of this article, you’ll know what is microlearning, its traits, and how to utilize it in your training. Let’s begin!

What is Microlearning? Its Definition

While there is no official definition of microlearning, all microlearning-based training have one thing in common: Concise, small learning units, or short-term learning activities could be used to enable quick delivery of learning content. Read more: open source learning management system

Micro-training provides learners with small bursts of knowledge to study at their preferred pace and place. Content can take numerous forms, from text to fully interactive multimedia, but it must always be concise.

Some Examples of Microlearning Content:

• Short texts in the form of phrases or brief paragraphs
• Photos and illustrations
• Short video clips
• Audio clips in the form of short snippets of speech or music
• Quizzes and tests
• Gamified elements

It’s worth noting at this point that not all microlearning apps support all of these content kinds. Check with your microlearning provider to see if the formats you want are supported.

Many people link microlearning with video, which is a popular and frequently effective method of doing so. However, video is not the only feasible form of microlearning. Examples are self-paced e-learning, games, blogs, job aids, podcasts, infographics, and other visualizations. Professionals in talent development should choose the type of media most fit for their scenario and learning needs.

One can answer ‘What is microlearning’ in a variety of ways. According to research, talent development professionals believe that 13 minutes is the maximum length of time for something to be termed microlearning. The ideal length of a microlearning segment is 10 minutes, with portions between two and five minutes being the most successful.

While knowing the optimum time frame for classifying a training session as microlearning is helpful, many experts say it should not be limited merely to a specific time frame. Instead, it should be as long as it is necessary — no more, no less. Microlearning should concentrate on what is needed to know rather than what is good to know knowledge.

Your strategy should be cover one or two learning objectives in each microlearning session. It’s also crucial to make sure that the learner can meet the learning goal through microlearning. If extra time is needed to complete the objective, the course designer should not force-fit the content into microlearning chunks.

Why Is Microlearning So Popular?

Even while bite-sized training has grown in popularity over the last two years, it has a long history predating computers’ invention. When it came into contact with the modern smartphone, though, it took off. So much so that the most popular microlearning platforms resemble a cross between Twitter and Instagram, but for education. Read more: e learning platform

Microlearning is a near-perfect training paradigm in this day of hectic schedules and short attention spans. Organizations today are utilizing Microlearning for a variety of training needs. Employee onboarding, compliance training, and skills training are just a few instances of microlearning usage in the real world.

Conclusion

So there you have it! You now understand what is microlearning. What better way to thoroughly comprehend it than to put it to the test? Experiment with it to gain a sense of the vast possibilities that small-group training provides.

The young generation is the digitally native Gen Z and Gen Y. While the former comprises people born between 1995 to 2015, the latter, also called the Millennia’s, consists of individuals born between 1980 and 1995. Millennia’s, currently, account for the largest chunk of employees in companies. And numbers are here to prove our claims. As per PEW Research,

More than one-in-three American labor force participants (35%) are Millennia’s, making them the largest generation in the U.S. labor force. The Census Bureau projects that the Millennial population will peak at 75 million. At that number, a high rate of labor force participation would be needed to reach a labor force of 66 million.” The same applies to the Gen Z-ers as well, who are rapidly taking up new positions in companies.

With this gradual transformation in workplaces, we need to be clear about one thing. Both the Gen Z and Gen Y have grown up using technology. They are so tech savvy that their entire world lies online -- on their mobile devices, iPads, desktops, or laptops. They also have distinct learning styles. In both cases, you must have a corporate learning LMS for Millennials and Gen Z, which is fully equipped to match each generation’s preferred style of learning. But before understanding how to design the perfect LMS, let’s get an idea of both these generations’ behavioural traits.

The Differences Between the Learning Traits of the Gen Z and Gen Y Employee

According to the Way to Work survey conducted by Adecco, here are the key differences between Millennia’s and Generation Z when it comes to workplace behavioral patterns:

• Members of Gen Z are more concerned about the cost of education (21% of respondents) than Millennials (13% of respondents).
• Millennials value stability (34%), while Gen Z puts more emphasis on finding their dream job (32%).
• More Gen Zers follow their parents’ influence (42%) than their Millennial counterparts (36%).

Now, the next question might be -- How do you address these traits and develop a dynamic curriculum that addresses Millennial and Gen Z workers’ distinct user preferences? 

When you start with the Learning Management System framework for Millennials and Gen Z, you need to give the prime focus to your end-users. This is an experimental, repetitive, and iterative process. Again,  once you have access to all the information regarding your young learners’ specific needs, you can start carrying out detailed research on industry-specific courses that will give the required value addition. Now, you can decide where your Corporate Training Platform for Millennials and Gen Z needs improvements.

After your E Learning Management System development team has selected the areas of improvement in your existing LMS for Millennials, your next step is to hold sessions — which include your design squad and internal stakeholders. Before arriving at the final design, consider all ideas that can enhance the entire LMS experience. Now, you need to experiment and turn ideas into a curriculum. You can then organise for a beta test before the full launch. Finally, once you are confident about your prototype, share it within your organisation. Give users plenty of scopes to provide honest feedback. Once you have the feedback ready, use this information to finalise your new curriculum.

If you are reading this blog, it means you already have an LMS in place -- to address your corporate training needs. However, if you are considering to embrace a new E Learning Management System, your current software must have certain downsides. But will the new LMS be sufficient in closing the gap areas? After all, when you introduce a new system to your workplace, you need to ensure that your employees learn and embrace the software within the required time frame. Again, you will be required to transfer your old legacy content into the new LMS.

Therefore, to make sure that your switch to another LMS is the right decision, you should keep some important factors in mind. And our blog will help you in making the correct choice.

Five Factors to Consider When Switching from Your Old LMS to a New One

Identify the Gaps in Your Existing eLearning Management System

You are advised to kick off your LMS search by first researching the gap areas in your current LMS. Have detailed discussions with your trainees, content developers, designers, and the L&D leadership. Only then, you can shortlist the key pain points in your existing Learning Management System. Now, you can think of making the switch -- by establishing the main criteria for success. When your end goals have clarity, choosing a new corporate training software should be easier.

Compare the Features You Have Vs. the Features You Want

Your current LMS must have some features that are highly essential for the operations of your business. Now, make a list of those features that don’t have much impact on your overall learning culture in the company. Create a comparison table and then, start your new Learning Management System shopping process. You cannot neglect a software just because it does not have a certain function. There is a good chance that there may be an alternative or you may simply not require that feature.

Consider the Engagement Quotient

This is an important consideration. The contemporary time-crunched, modern workforce won’t enroll in an eLearning Management System that is boring. Therefore, your new LMS must allow you to curate content that’s engaging. Check if the software has interesting features like gamified quizzes, feedback-based assessment systems, reward-oriented courses, and multimedia for enhancing the visual experience. Your courses should also be mobile-optimized and must be developed in brief, micro-modules to enhance the absorption and retention rates.

Check the Option of New Content Creation

Make a list of all the content creation features that are not present in your current LMS. Creating new corporate training modules uses a lot of resources. See if your new LMS has the option to re-use old and existing legacy content. Again, check if the new LMS allows you to create rich and interactive content. Finally, make sure that the new platform has the option to allow the migration of content, users, and enrollments from the older version.

Consider the Time and Cost

Finally, consider the overall time that is estimated for the switchover. Hence, invest enough time to calculate the number of days that would be required for the transition process. Also, the total cost of ownership for an LMS includes licensing and infrastructure expenses + additional costs. You will need to consider the expenditures involved in training users, managing content, and creating reports. Pick an LMS that makes these processes more efficient as compared to your old LMS.

Well, that’s it. If you think that there are any important factors we have missed out, do not forget to leave a comment below!

According to a recent research report on online corporate learning, “72% of organizations interviewed believe that eLearning helps them increase their competitive edge by keeping up with the changes in their particular market.” The same study also suggests that “eLearning takes 40% to 60% less employee time than traditional education.”

Time and again, we have reiterated the multiple benefits of an online corporate training model. And now, with the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations are increasingly leaning toward virtual platforms. Because, whatever be the scenario, knowledge dissemination for existing and new employees cannot stop. Learning and development has to continue if your workforce needs to stay updated with the latest product, service and industry developments -- even when working from remote locations.

Of course, digital learning strategies are a go-to method to enhance your employees’ professional development. It ensures a continuous learning culture within your organization. But how can you make sure that your training modules appeal to trainees, located in diverse places? When they work at their own pace, without supervision, how can you ascertain that they do not get bored or lose their attention? Well, our tips might help you with that!

Take the help of webinars and virtual live classrooms

Short, engaging webinars, covering a vast range of topics, for both professional and personal development, will go a long way in holding the interest quotient of your employees. You can give them lessons on how to manage their working hours, how their productivity affects the company’s goals and business deadlines, or how to tackle common challenges -- arising from a virtual model.

With the correct content, online live classrooms can help your learners to make that transition from passive viewers to active participants. Video conferencing, interactive whiteboards, collaborative code editors, online polls and surveys, live screen-sharing, and live streaming are just some of the ways to enhance the remote corporate training experience.

Use Microlearning

Microlearning offers actionable information that enables employees to use the required knowledge to solve a targeted issue. This allows them to take instant decisions and helps improve business performance. Microlearning, which segments training into manageable chunks, can also be optimized to fit any screen size. Employees can then access courses anywhere, at any time and on any device.

Pick an effective Learning Management System

An effective learning management system (LMS) is an ideal tool to disseminate remote knowledge. When you have the right LMS, you can customize your corporate learning modules and give access to resources to deliver just-in-time, on-the-go training. LMS can also help the L&D leadership to identify skill gaps and determine individual training needs. You can then use this data to create employee learning paths, embedded with different types of training models.

Wrapping it up

Even in a remote model, teams should meet regularly to collaborate on enjoyable online learning sessions. You can ensure that your employees gather via video conferencing or teleconferencing -- at least once every month. You can include activities in these sessions like team-building sessions, storytelling and story-building, quizzes, or games. When you keep your workforce engaged, there is no reason why they will not attend your training programs!

The most important yet often disregarded element of the training and development cycle is setting and writing down training objectives. Because the L&D staff is eager to prepare presentations and schedule courses, creating a training objectives plan is frequently pushed to the bottom of the priority list and not given the attention it deserves.

SMART training objectives, on the other hand, ensure that your courses are a success. It would help if you aimed for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound (S.M.A.R.T) objectives. You’ll be able to express these goals in a way that interests and resonates with employees if you use the SMART approach. Read more: Corporate Learning

This article will show you how to create and write practical training objectives.

How can you create the perfect organizational training objectives?

It’s time to write down your training goals now that you’ve defined them. These will be the foundation of your training course as well as your most persuasive marketing material.

Is it difficult for you to write training objectives? It’s not necessary. These 6 tips will assist you in creating compelling, practical, and quantifiable staff training objectives like a pro.

1. Make it clear what the training program’s goal is

What do you hope to get out of this training program? How can you boost staff productivity? How do you close a knowledge gap? Teach new employees skills that will help your business compete? Whatever the case may be, you must ensure that the training’s aim is apparent.

2. Define the expected outcomes of the training

The measurable goals that learners are expected to attain at the end of a training program are known as training outcomes. Because you’ll evaluate training based on whether or not your teams achieve these outcomes, outcomes define your training approach’s success (or failure).

3. Pay close attention to the circumstances

When creating training objectives, keep the following in mind. It would help if you examined several factors that will influence the design and delivery of your training program.

The availability of a trained instructor or a suitable facility, for example, can influence how you provide training. Your staff? Are they in-house or remote employees? What is your budget? It will play a role as well.

4. Align your training objectives with your company’s objectives

Base the training goals on observable and measurable outcomes. These results, in turn, must be based on a set of criteria, commonly known as key performance indicators or skill levels. Why? Because the primary purpose of training is to generate business outcomes. Read more: Open source learning management system

5. Jot down your training objectives using the SMART format

When it comes to creating any type of goal – training or otherwise – the SMART approach has long been the gold standard. The process of developing SMART training objectives can be summed up in five letters:

S (Specific): Training objectives must be small and specific. What abilities will be gained by whom, and for what purpose? For each training aim, concentrate on one particular skill or knowledge.

M (Measurable): Learning outcomes must also be quantifiable. This implies that the organization or the department may quantify the acquired ability or knowledge in specific terms, such as a 10% jump in annual revenues.

A (Attainable): This term refers to training objectives that are realistic given the time and resources available. For example, you can’t expect trainees to grasp a complex skill in 20 minutes or even two hours of training.

R (Relevant): Being relevant means that your training objectives answer the question — “Why?” They should have an answer for: “What’s in it for me?” Learners must understand why they are undergoing training and what they may expect to gain from it. Will they be able to improve their work performance due to the skills or information they will gain? Will they be able to apply these skills in the workplace?

T – Time-bound: The time-bound element responds to the inquiry — “When?” A goal without a deadline is said to be nothing more than a fantasy. The same may be said for training objectives. Typically, the deadline is set after the training program. Of course, an additional practice may be required in some circumstances. Read more: Corporate training in bangalore

Conclusion

Training objectives connect a training program to real-world business outcomes. Setting clear, practical, and measurable training goals at the start of the training creation process will go a long way toward assuring your course’s success. The purpose of clear training is not only to answer the audience’s question: What’s in it for me? They also link training to organizational objectives and outcomes that can be measured. A lot is riding on these objectives, so do the wise thing and make them SMART.

An online and corporate training platform should always offer the option to pick a learning methodology -- best-suited to meet your employees' needs. The requirements may include the learning style, individual interests, and personal schedules. Yes, with the constant evolution of technology, the need for on-demand online training has also sky-rocketed. The modern generation is so accustomed to accessing information at their fingertips that it has dramatically altered their expectations of digital learning. In fact, remote trainees prefer to have control of their own learning, in contrast to traditional classroom structures.

Now, with the help of a subscription-based LMS like Playablo, L&D teams have the option to distribute courses, based on which skills need to be acquired by a certain learner group. You can allocate training modules to your employees when you understand what knowledge they will need to complete a specific task. For this purpose, you have the option to pick auto-subscribing courses. However, here is the thing. As we already mentioned, the contemporary employee has his/her own individual interests. S/he prefers flexibility. S/he might want to acquire knowledge about something else -- which is outside his/her domain. And this is where the option of self-subscribing courses on LMS comes in handy.

For instance, suppose you have an audience segment from the sales and marketing team. And you have developed a mandatory course, which provides learners with the tools and ideas to maximise individual and team sales. Now, certain participants from the group might want to have more clarity on the design aspect of your products -- to better understand how to pitch the offering. Here, they can go for self-subscribing courses on LMS (Open Source Learning Management System) . Well, to give you a better idea of how this option is made possible with PlayAblo, here is a short, step-by-step guide.

How Does PlayAblo's Self-Subscribing Courses on LMS Work?

When you create a course using Playablo ' UCM, you have the choice of deciding if you want it to be self-subscribed. The learner can then decide to opt for self-subscribing courses on LMS if s/he wants to acquire additional knowledge over the subjects that have already been assigned to him/her. For this purpose, you can simply click on 'Allow for self subscription as shown below:

Now, when the course is self-subscribed, let's see how it looks from the learner's end. Your employee can just go to the 'Explore courses' tab and choose any module that they want to self-subscribe.

Once they self-subscribe, the course will automatically become available on their dashboard.

Well, did you see how effortless and simple the process is? If you want some more clarity on the same, you can just speak to our experts.

NOTE: This blog was originally published by Playablo.

In learning and development, learners have to revise important concepts at regular intervals. And this is where refresher training comes into play. A refresher training course ensures that trainees revisit basic pointers from a training session, which had taken place in the past. Now, in this blog, we will try to explain the whats, hows, and whys of refresher training.

The Definition: What is Refresher Training?

Refresher training is simply ‘retraining’. As the name suggests, it is a session, exclusively designed to help learners refresh their memory. It effectively tests if an employee’s knowledge about a certain subject is up-to-date or not. In fact, you can use refresher training for any category of LMS (Open Source Learning Management System) program — especially in compliance and safety training, where companies usually have rules for annual or periodic reviews. Regular sessions ensure that trainees are always updated about the latest knowledge and complex organisational procedures and processes.

Why Should You Opt for Refresher Training?

When you bypass knowledge gaps among your staff members, it can lead to serious errors in the future. There can be miscommunication or worse, ignorance about vital safety rules! Therefore, it is critical to hold retraining classes to refresh knowledge and cover new topics in the workplace. Again, often, trainees complain that they cannot always recall key learning points after the conclusion of a training session.

This is where you need to consider the concept of the forgetting curve. And employee refresher course training diminishes the effect of the forgetting curve on an organisation’s valuable resources.

What Are the Upsides of Refresher Training?

Refresher training for employees contains multiple upsides. It leads to increased efficiency, reduced errors, and leads to a culture of corporate learning. It promotes parity in employee knowledge, excellence, and adherence to safety norms. Timely reviews ensure that you achieve compliance, identify training needs and skills gaps, build employee confidence, have increased employee retention, and achieve awareness of new products, trends, and marketplace information.

How to Deploy Refresher Training in Your Workplace?

There are several methodologies via which you can deploy refresher training in your workplace.

Traditional Classroom Training

In the traditional classroom-style training delivered by an instructor, you can reap the benefits of direct interactions between the trainer and trainees. Learners can ask questions and the instructor can curate the session, depending on the group being taught. Of course, the offline sessions do have their own disadvantages such as expenses, logistics, and accessibility in the midst of a global pandemic.

Virtual Classroom

In virtual classrooms, there is an instructor who delivers training from a remote location by using web conferencing software. We still have the interactivity element between the trainer and the trainees. And employees can attend the session from the comforts of their homes. If you use advanced software, then you can have the option of enabling additional interactive elements such as whiteboarding, surveys, and on-screen drawing — which promote increased engagement levels. There are some disadvantages though like sudden technical issues and the need to schedule the session since it is synchronous training.

Therefore, the best way out is to choose E Learning Management System, which ensures quick content creation and frequent, easy updates. Micro learning is another methodology that delivers refresher training to employees in digestible, bite-sized chunks. Also, blended learning combines the benefits of both online and hands-on training — delivering the best of both worlds.

We have already discussed how to calculate the cost of an enterprise LMS. We have also discussed the pros and cons of an open-source vs SaaS Open Source Learning Management System. Open-source software (OSS) is an effective example of open collaboration. A licensed source code gives users the option to use, study, change, and distribute the software. In EdTech (for both corporates and educational institutions), an OSS LMS can be used for many activities. For instance, blended learning, distance learning, flipped classroom, and e-learning.

Several users opt for an open-source LMS, believing that it is free. But at the end of the day, does it really arrive at zero cost? Yes, the source code of the software is available openly for download and is free to use. But there are certain hidden costs that organisations must be aware of before opting for this solution. And today, we are here to enlighten you about the real, long-term pric  e of the so-called 'free LMS'. Therefore, let's get on with it!

What Are the Hidden Costs in an Open-source Free LMS?

Installation and Customization

It's true that once you download and install a free LMS, you can instantly access the code without paying any additional fee. You can even avail yourself of the user licenses free. However, the issue arises when you decide to get the LMS running. You have to scour for the necessary skills required to install the server. For the purposes mentioned above, you have to deploy your IT team or recruit external experts. In both cases, you end up spending quite an amount of money

Hosting                   

Once you complete the installation and customization processes, you have to think about hosting your free LMS. Users will access the software for learning and corporate training platform. One option is to host the LMS on-premise by buying the specified hardware. The second alternative is to host the LMS on the cloud. Even in the latter case, you need to subscribe to a reliable hosting service.

Technical Support

It's rare for open-source free LMSs to offer dedicated and consistent tech support. You will usually have access to forums, where finding a solution for a time-bound problem is difficult. Since the customization and administration of an open-source LMS is solely your responsibility, you are forced to solve technical roadblocks like de-bugging and upgrades on your own. Again, you will need to invest in a dedicated IT team or external experts to give you timely solutions.

Training and Administration

It's challenging to administer most of the open-source free LMSs. You have to seek expert assistance. And this demands money and a budget. The choice is yours -- do you want to deploy your in-house staff or do you wish to hire an external professional. Will s/he be full time or part-time? Moreover, you will also need to offer the necessary training to your LMS administrators.

Regular Upgrades

After the customization and setup of an open-source free LMS, you have to continually improvise on its features as your organisation evolves. For installing the next upgrade, you spend some extra bucks.

Conclusion

Open-source and free Online Learning Management Systems appear to be the perfect fit when you compare them with a commercial LMS. There are no licensing costs. You even have the flexibility to customise and add features. But they do involve several hidden expenses as mentioned above -- such as setup, hosting, maintenance, and support. If you already have a dedicated in-house team to handle the aforementioned tasks, you can rest assured of lesser costs. If not, it is better to consider all the factors before picking an open-source free LMS.

Limited budgets = limited features: this is a common misconception among many organizations, looking for the perfect eLearning Management System. But this preconceived notion is not true. With the right research, you can pick the ideal eLMS and that too within a rapid turnaround time. An inefficient LMS can lead to disastrous results for your company, especially if it is a start-up. It can obstruct the long-term success of your corporation. However, there are several options to select the right corporate training platform on a tight budget. How? Our tips will help you in getting started with choosing a full-fledged, feature-rich Learning Management System that does not break your bank.

Repurpose Your Existing Assets

If you go for an LMS that has a built-in authoring tool, you can use your already existing assets -- to cut down on costs. You may have a lot of training materials, which is obsolete in modern times. However, an all-in-one LMS can be used to edit or revamp the current training content. You can give new life to it by embedding it with new media, assessments, and gamified elements. Certain platforms like PlayAblo even allow you to migrate your existing legacy content into manageable micro-modules. When you choose an LMS with built-in authoring tools, you save money that would otherwise be spent in additional technology.

Use the Option of Free Trials

Free trials give you a glimpse of the targeted LMS -- and paves your way toward total ownership. When you try the E Learning Management System before actually implementing it, you get a taste of its existing features. You can then decide if the software is really worth your investment. If you invest in a complex LMS without even testing it first and later discover that its features are not aligned to your objectives -- you have stretched your budget for no reason!

Set Your Budget in the Beginning

You should set your budget before deciding on an LMS -- and not the other way round. Else, you might end up overspending. Several companies make this mistake of settling on their dream LMS software and cutting costs on the expense sheet -- thereby, negatively affecting other vital business operations. Again, when you create your budget, you should also be wary of hidden costs. Be realistic about your total investment. If required, start with a basic package and scale it up as you grow.

Look for Customization

Designing eLearning content from scratch is costly. If you opt for an LMS solution with pre-existing templates, you can reduce resources and cost in developing new materials. You can simply update your online training courses and embed personalized branding. Again, an LMS with a customizable client portal enables your customers to have their own settings, users, and branding.

Consider Support Services

You might think that considering support services should be the last item on your criteria list --while choosing an LMS on a tight budget. However, it comes with long-term benefits and savings. With a full-fledged after support service, you do not have to hire dedicated and additional support staff -- like an IT team. Go for an LMS provider who offers 24x7 phone support or live chat -- enabling your team to troubleshoot errors. You can then use your IT team to focus on other matters apart from Open Source Learning Management System -related issues.

We hope that the above tips will prove beneficial for investing in an LMS that fits within your budget and scales with your requirements.

Time and again, mobile learning has proved that it can stand up to its hype. And with the Millennial generation surging up in workplaces, m-learning has become indispensable. In fact, according to recent research, “71% of Millennials say they connect more with mobile learning than L&D activities delivered via desktop or formal methods.”

Yes, the modern employee is so used to the smartphone and accessing information at his/her fingertips. Be it entertainment, banking, social networking, shopping, or training, mobile phones rule the globe. Now, since mobile learning is such a necessity, you must have given some thoughts to implementing it in your organisation. However, simply making your materials accessible on mobile gadgets won’t do the job. You need to consider multiple other factors. Hence, to help you out, here are our 10 hand-picked best practices to create learning courses for mobiles.

1. Remove Unnecessary Information

When it comes to mLearning, you need to keep your content short. Include only the necessary information and share additional notes as handouts. Lengthy sessions not only consume precious hours but do not appeal to the modern on-the-go learner as well.

2. Increase the Loading Speed

On a phone, learners are prone to abandoning a course if it takes too much time to load. Some tips to increase the loading time include cropping graphics, compressing image sizes, and replacing large images with image maps. The last option piques the trainee’s curiosity levels and adds an interactive element to a mobile lesson.

3. Chunk the Content

One uses his/her smartphone for brief time periods. Therefore, from a design POV, you

should chunk your mobile lessons into bite-sized sessions. In other words, you should opt for microlearning.

NOTE: Mobile learning lessons should range from five to ten minutes in length and

never more than fifteen minutes.

4. Optimise the Layout

You must consider the value of the correct placement of your important content. You need to keep in mind that mobile learners do not expect to see all the critical content as soon as they land on the screen. You can start creating the course by first introducing the employee to the course and then, guiding him/her to take more actions.

2. Test Prior to Your Launch

It is a huge mistake to launch a mLearning course without having tested it on multiple devices to ensure proper function and deployment. Now, do not depend only on one person during the testing process. Test the program with different users — starting from tech-savvy individuals to freshers. Finally, keep a record of your tests, the results, and the optimisations, for improvising the course and even future ones.

6. Pick a Responsive Design

When you say responsive design, it means that the content layout can adapt to any device. The screen could be the size of an Android phone, iPhone, iPad, or laptop. In each case, a responsive layout can be optimized as per the screen size — automatically!

7. Consider Your Target Audience

To best understand the corporate learning habits of your staff, talk to your employees

and their managers. Gauge their learning habits. Analyse commonly asked questions, learners’ approaches for gathering information, and peer-to-peer interactions. When you know your end audience, you can design impactful mlearning courses that meet their requirements and address their gap areas.

1. Simplification is Key

In a mobile learning management system, you should refrain from using too many features and options. It will simply end up confusing the learner. When you add more buttons, graphics, and paragraphs, the screen appears cluttered and complex. Again, mobile users usually use their devices with one or two thumbs. Hence, you must design the course while considering this user behavior.

1. Keep an Eye on the Design Aspects & Engagement/Interaction Elements

While creating mobile-friendly training modules, use simple menu styles, increase the spatial size of buttons, and enlarge interface elements like buttons. Again, if you wish to up the engagement factor, go for gamified learning modules — something that can be easily achieved with a platform like playablo.

10. Include Feedback

Mobile devices are accessible 24×7 to the learner. You can take advantage of this fact to send out quick messages and notification about new additions to mobile learning materials and segments. Learners can then know which modules are unfinished and which classes need more attention.

Conclusion

eLearning is constantly evolving with the use of mobile devices. Therefore, you need to be wary of the continual changes that are introduced in this methodology — so that your corporate training platform modules are up-to-date as per the latest trends. Or, you can seek the guidance of our experts at playablo, who will do all the hard work for you while you relax and concentrate on other important tasks!

You can never compare an effective training program to a potato. Huh... what? Well, we do know that potatoes gel in with all kinds of edible dishes. Like one-veggie-fits-all! However, a one-size-fits-all concept never works for corporate learning. With so many alternatives available in the market, choosing the right learning solution can become overwhelming. Therefore, to help you out, we have compiled this guide to pick the best training method for your needs to suit your requirements.

The 5 Most Popular Employee Training Methodologies

You can segment training tools for your workforce into two major categories - traditional and modern. Let's get into the details of which learning methods fall under each category.

Traditional Training Methods

2. Classroom-Based Training Programs:

Instructors usually conduct corporate training in the classroom, which happens to be a brick-and-mortar venue. The sessions go on for one or more days where learners sit through a series of presentation slides and group/individual activities.

2. Interactive Training

Interactive training is one of the most efficient employee training methodologies. It attempts to engage employees in their learning journey. Certain elements incorporated in this training model are simulations, scenarios, role plays, quizzes, and games.

2. On-The-Job Training

On-the-job training demands the employees involving actively throughout the learning process. Additionally, they partake in activities, which connect directly to their job at hand. This method is a practical training model and works exceptionally well for succession planning.

Modern Training Methods

Modern learning incorporates recent trends such as diverse workplaces and remotely located employees. Hence, new training needs to be online, entwined with social aspects.

2. Social Learning

Social learning is difficult to structure, measure, and control. However, it proves to be extremely effective since employees have the scope to grasp new perspectives and problem-solving skills.

2. Online Training

eLearning, aka online training, is currently one of the most common modern corporate training methods. Such learning models incorporate eLearning courses, webinars, videos -- enabling knowledge to be presented and tested in multiple formats.

How To Choose The Right Employee Training Methodologies?

Before settling on the right training methodology, you must ask yourself the following questions:

What is the End Goal of Your Training Curriculum?

Whenever you decide to introduce a new training model, you must work on defining the objectives first. For instance, if you wish to disseminate information about employee relations policies, you might want to go for offline training. Again, if you're going to enrich your staff about compliance, you can go for eLearning.

Who is Your End Audience?

Training is always more effective when your end audience understands the value of the imparted knowledge. Some of the factors involved here are demographics, nature of the job, level of seniority, and if learning will be delivered in groups or to individuals.

What Are the Challenges While Deploying a Training Method?

Training is not free, period! You have to invest resources in terms of money and time. If time is a constraint, we would advise you to go for quick learning methodologies. For instance, a one-day classroom-based workshop might do the job. But if all of the employees do not belong to the same workspace, you can think of an online LMS.

Conclusion

Training is never a one-off event or a one-size-fits-all solution. Organisations must continually work toward refining their employees’ skills and encourage workplace learning. Hence, a blend of different training methods does the job. In a blended delivery approach, one can access both offline and online employee training methodologies. And you can quickly achieve this with the help of a reliable Learning Management System such as PlayAblo.

75% of managers report dissatisfaction with their Corporate Learning & Development department. 70% of employees say that they don’t have mastery over the required skills. Only 12% of employees apply the new skills gathered from corporate learning programs. Only 25% of the workforce believe that training measurably improves performance -- Harvard Business Review.

If you glance at the above stats, it’s evident that corporate training suffers from huge gaps -- right from the managerial level to deployment, skill development, and performance measurement. In short, there is a severe disconnect between learning and results -- that occurs somewhere on the knowledge transfer curve.

But why this discontinuity? First, your training material is not relevant to your business, the leadership, and target audience. Second, your learners are unable to apply the newly acquired skills and knowledge on-the-job. Therefore, to ensure that your investment in training and development does not go down the drain, you must address this disconnect. How? By avoiding these five deadly corporate learning mistakes.

Training Sessions Which Are Not On-time

For effective training, the sessions should be delivered on-time -- as close as possible to the event where the acquired skills will be practically applied. For instance, several companies give sales training when the actual pitch is weeks away. Others train interviewers way before they interview a new candidate. This is a serious mistake. If the new skills are not used immediately, the knowledge gets stale with time -- and enters the forgetting curve. After all, practice makes perfect!

Content-heavy, Cumbersome Sessions

Whenever an employee is recruited to a company or promoted to a position, several L&D practitioners overwhelm them with information. In one corporate learning module, they cram up everything -- including communication, problem solving, decision-making, target setting, learning management system, delegation, and workload management … the list can go on.

Again, this is a mistake. Try to segment your content so that it reaches a targeted audience. Spend some time on researching who needs a certain training session and when. Then, divide the content into manageable chunks -- and disseminate the knowledge, one module at a time. The other name for this format is micro-learning. 

The One-size-fits-all Concept

If generic corporate learning modules worked in reality, learners would have been able to apply the acquired skills on-the-job. Therefore, the one-size-fits-all concept does not work. In fact, it’s obsolete in the current era. To promote the adoption and application of new skills, your corporate learning sessions must be customized to meet specific individual, team, and corporate goals.

Done and Dusted

Time and again, we have reiterated that learning is not a one-off process. A culture of learning must be embedded as a continuous practice in your organization. If you conduct a single training session and hope that it will lead to immediate improvement on on-the-job behavior, you are wrong! For effective results, you must treat training as a change initiative -- not a one-time event.

Boring, Dull Sessions

How can you ensure that your training program truly resonates with your learners? You need to measure learner engagement -- defined as the quantity and quality of a learner’s participation in a certain course. Boring sessions often put a trainee to sleep. And a bored learner is not a productive learner.

So, how do you avoid this? Strive for engagement. Make corporate learning a fun and engaging experience. How? Incorporate multimedia: video, pictures, visual aids -- or introduce gamified elements - to enhance the interaction and competitive levels of trainees.

Bottom Line

It is important that you do not create a corporate learning program that is bound to fail! We hope that by avoiding the five most important corporate training platform mistakes, you will be able to design and deploy an effective employee development program for your organization.

eLearning has emerged as an effective training methodology. It is gaining acceptance among organizations at an accelerated pace — and for all the right reasons. The eLearning market is packed with so many best-in-class, intuitive software, which offers a comprehensive learning experience — which is fun, engaging, interactive, and informative.

Now, your next question might be: what is an eLearning platform?

An eLearning platform is an online learning platform, which is integrated with all the tools and technologies required to deliver the complete digital training experience. Additionally, it brings together trainers, learners, and related personnel and enriches them with the necessary information and resources — required to support and enhance educational delivery and management. One of the most common eLearning platforms is the Open Source Learning Management System (LMS).

What Are the Different Types of eLearning Platforms?

You can broadly segment eLearning platforms into the following types:

Learning Destination Sites

A learning destination site brings together learning materials from different vendors. In short, it serves as a shared website. Moreover, you can author your courses with the help of an authoring tool or an LMS. You can then upload or link the courses to the site.

Traditional Learning Management System

A traditional Learning Management System is software that has all the elements required to create, host, and distribute online courses. Designers and developers can use an LMS to author courses, store them, manage learning profiles, report grades, and track progress.

Open Source Learning Management System

An Open-source Online Learning Management System is embedded with all the basic tools, needed for developing and hosting an online course. In fact, it is similar to an LMS — with the only difference being in the charges and customization capability. Additionally, Open-source LMS is free of charge and each platform comprises a mix of vendors, who configure, host, and customize the solutions for free.

Modern Learning Management Solutions

Traditional Learning Management Systems have their own set of challenges. Therefore, this has led to a new wave of modern LMS solutions. Such vendors focus on delivering a learner experience and sometimes on specific pedagogies. However, traditional LMS solutions might not always support such solutions.

Learning Management Ecosystems

Another category of eLearning platforms is the learning management ecosystem. With the help of this model, organizations look to use best-of-breed “point” solutions and combine them together into one platform. You can then integrate the platform with elements like course authoring software, assessment tools, adaptive learning engines, eCommerce sites, and learning content management solutions. Learning management ecosystems usually pair up with a custom front end, which creates an illusion of a single system.

Custom Built Learning Platform

The final type of E Learning platform is the complete custom-built learning platform. When you implement this solution, you have to create all, or most, of the technology you need from scratch by concentrating on serving the business, learner, and pedagogy. Hence, although this solution takes time for the full-fledged deployment and arrives with high, one-time costs, it gives you exactly what you want. You even have complete control over the learner experience and course direction.

eLearning is extremely versatile. Any industry can implement online training and use it to train their employees efficiently. This is the sole reason why eLearning is a constantly evolving sphere. In fact, the “E-Learning Market size surpassed USD 200 billion in 2019 and is anticipated to grow at over 8% CAGR between 2020 and 2026.”

However, there are certain principles you should follow while creating the perfect e learning management system course. Therefore, we have come up with these 10 commandments of eLearning in 2021 to give you some handy tips!

1.Thou Shalt Try to Relate to Thy Learner

Learners should be the first preference when you create an elearning course. Your trainees are the ones who will be reaping the benefits of the digital training program, hopefully long after your involvement is over. Hence, you need to collect as much information as you can about your end audience.

2. Thou Shalt Incorporate Gamification Elements

When you incorporate gamified software to disseminate knowledge and offer training, the trainee’s interest component multiplies. They start enjoying every moment of their ‘learning’ sessions (sometimes, maybe, unknowingly!). It translates to increased course retention and completion rates.

2. Thou Shalt Deliver Knowledge in Easily-digestible Chunks

Micro-learning management system is a learning strategy designed for millennials learners with reduced attention spans. Also termed bite-sized learning, it is currently vital for employee training. Micro-learning segments information into small logical chunks — improving absorption and retention.

4.Thy Knowledge Delivery Shalt Be Consistent

A consistent course is always more efficient since it allows learners to follow the instructions and gets rid of potential distractions. Now, when you say consistency, you should consider both the look and content of your course. The colors, styles, and logos you use should all match your client’s branding. Consistency enables your learners to know what is important and what you want them to do.

2. Thou Shalt Tend to Different Learning Styles

It is common for learners to get bored and lose interest in the midst of a long presentation or while taking a course. This is because most programs are conceptualized simply to tell us what to do. If you want your audience to remember your content, you need to provide them with learning options so they can find the one that best suits them.

2. Thou Shalt Include Only the Necessary Visuals

Relevant and informative plus creative visuals can make the difference between an average course and a great course. The best graphics can grab your learners’ attention. What’s more? They can serve as a useful aid to illustrate the steps in a process, interactions between people, or simply a concept.

2. Thou Shalt Include Interactive Elements

Interactivity is vital to making your course engaging and involving for your learners. You can incorporate interactivity in your elearning course in a variety of ways. You have the option to employ innumerable interactive elements. Some examples are click-to-reveals, drag-and-drop, matching pairs, which allow learners to discover content for themselves.

2. Thou Shalt Incorporate Characters

When you include engaging characters in your learning, it can personalize the whole learning experience. It creates a deeper emotional connection between your learners and the content. You can take the help of characters to provide narration, to act as a presenter or guide, and as an integral part of any scenarios.

2. Thou eLearning Course Shalt Certify Thy Learners’ Progress

Tests and assessments are essential to gauge what users have learned from your course. There are many different types you can employ, from simple true or false and multiple-choice questions, to drag and drop and fill-in-the-blanks. If your elearning is training [corporate training platform] users how to use a new application, you can even include a simulation to test their knowledge in a real-world environment.

2. Thou Shalt Pay Attention to Detail

Your course must look, sound, and feel right in order to gain credibility with your learners. The courses should be customized as per the industry. Are you using the correct terminology? Are you using the same tense throughout and the active voice as much as possible? Is the grammar correct? Are you sticking to the brand code and logo? If yes, you are all set to go!

Well, these are our 10 commandments for eLearning in 2021! Do you have any add-ons? Leave a shoutout in the comment section below!