Online training is a highly useful tool to use for many reasons. It gives people the opportunity to learn in their own time and at their own pace. All sorts of courses are available. It also tends to be an affordable option. However, there are also some common mistakes that are worth avoiding. Otherwise, you will not be making the very most of it.
Picking the Wrong Platform or Course
There are all sorts of different online platforms and courses to choose between, so you need to make sure that you select one that has the highest level of relevance to you, your students and/or staff members. When you are picking a digital learning platform, it is worth checking out the reviews online and getting some personalized recommendations if you are able to obtain them. If you pick a platform or course that is simply unsuitable, you will not be getting the most out of the online training.
Taking on a ‘One-Size’ System
Everyone learns in different ways and at their own pace. So, this means that if you take a ‘one-size’ approach, this can end up people leaving disadvantaged. You should prioritize the courses that are able to build a good degree of flexibility in terms of the content. Allowing people to choose their own path in terms of their learning allows them to focus on the areas in which they need the most support or what they are especially interested in.
Not Relating it to Real Life
While online learning is highly useful, it should not exist entirely in its own sphere without any relation to the real world. This means you should be testing people on what they have learned via real-life training or examples. Otherwise, it is more likely that they are simply going to forget the knowledge or skills that they picked up in their online sessions.
Failing to Include Evaluation or Testing
One of the best ways of making sure that people have really taken in what they have learned is through evaluation or testing. Many online courses have these elements already built into them, which is obviously highly useful. However, even if they have not included them, it is still worth devising your own testing program to ensure that everyone is fully up to speed with all of the information that has been presented to them.
Not Having a Time Limit
While one of the obvious advantages of online learning is that people can take in the information in their own time, if you do not put an overall time limit on the completion of the course, this can lead to a situation in which people simply put it off time and time again.
Avoiding all of these mistakes makes it much more likely that the online training will be conducted in the most useful manner that provides plenty of benefits to your organization as a whole. E-learning is certainly here to stay for the long run.