If the 21st Century had to be summarized in five words or less, most could agree on “The Age of Information.” Between text messaging, social media, and the numerous chat programs floating around cyberspace, we have become a culture that rapidly interacts and shares new ideas on every platform available. That being said, blended training programs that incorporate these features often experience increased user engagement.
However, creating a blended learning program, and getting learners to embrace it, are two different beasts. We have listed a few quick tips below for building a community around your blended training, but feel free to contact us for additional ideas.
Setting Initial Expectations Early
It is not uncommon for employees to avoid speaking up and conversating within the training context. Hence why blended learning should use a community approach to create conversations among students early on. By creating group activities and encouraging deeper discussions, it sets early expectations for students to communicate.
Generate Attention-Capturing Lessons
Also, by utilizing content and mechanics that inspire communication you are likely to get learners more involved. Creating discussion both in the classroom and virtually is a great way to keep learners engaged. This is blended learning at its best, and these topics should be thought-provoking so users feel compelled to become a part of the conversation. By tying together both teaching styles, the US Department of Education shows that students/workers can greatly surpass the learning potential of traditional methods.
Likewise, the web training itself should be used as a catalyst to bring students together. Creating group assignments and activities is a great way to create new relationships, inspire collaboration, and is also a powerful learning tool. As long as these activities are engaging (and hopefully fun), students will see it as a positive growth opportunity and be more likely to interact.
Make Sure Training Evolves With Your Learners
By creating features like leaderboards, sharable badges and chat systems to keep users engaged, learners are far more likely to collaborate with others and remain engaged. The goal is to always have additional incentives in place before users meet every possible challenge, so there is additional room to grow and learn. Think of training as a living entity, it needs nurtured and attention to stay functional and beneficial.
For additional information on building a web training community or help with creating an E -Learning solution, feel free to call us at 866-316-9126 or contact us through our website.