The online training experience is a very human experience. While this may seem obvious at the surface, the effects of your online training environment and course designs are greatly impacted by how well you curate an experience that is sensitive to the factors that enhance or inhibit learning and retention. Here are some guidelines to follow as you develop your training programs to be great user experiences.
Tunneled or Tailored
Some training programs need to be linear so that learners are building upon information as they move through a course or set of courses. If this is necessary to the successful training of your people, then be sure to design your training environment to guide learners through content step-by-step. Meaning, make it obvious what course you take first, second, third, etc.
- Set the learner’s expectation of how many courses are required, what order they will be taken in, and how long each course takes on average.
- Use numbers in the course titles: Example: “1 of 5 – Safety Training”, “2 of 5 – Safety Training”, etc.
- Keep courses locked until the learner completes prerequisite courses or activities.
If providing learners a self-guided guided experience is your goal, be sure to provide options for learners to choose their own relevant tasks. Consider micro-training strategies that allow learners to build their own learning plans.
Entertain as you Train
Use humor and playfulness to alleviate the pressure of training when appropriate. The less like “work” your training feels, can increase engagement. Seek to find a balance between seriousness and light heartedness in your programs.
- Utilize multiple choice Q&As where some answers are ridiculous and funny.
- Mix in interactive instructional strategies like puzzles, mix-and-match, and choose your own adventure activities that can be fun for learners while increasing mastery of content.
Reward Accomplishments
Many LMS systems offer gamification features. If yours doesn’t, get one that does! Insentiving desired behaviors can have a substantial positive impact on the learning experience and information retention. The use of rewards systems offer virtual currencies like coins that learners can spend to purchase things in your rewards store. Learner love this and the practice creates motivation to finish your programs and shop for rewards that are meaningful to them.
- Learners earn coins for course and activity completions.
- Coins can be redeemed in your custom rewards store for merchandise, PTO, or special privileges.
- Let learners see each other’s rate of completion and coins earned to prompt friendly competition. Feeling connected to others leads to a higher level of engagement.
Simple, Light, and Colorful
The simpler your learning environment design, the better. By making complex tasks simple, you increase the likelihood a learner will behave as the design . Use color intentionally to call attention to actions you want the learner to take. Remember that white space is your friend. Our eyes take several involuntary rests on white space during intensive study, so be sure to provide fatigued eyes places void of text, images, and distraction. In short reduce cognitive load whenever possible.
- Light backgrounds are your friend.
- Simple text layouts with headers support reading test on screen.
- The fewer words, the better – a picture is worth a thousand words
- Use icons or intentional areas of color to bring attention and prompt action.
Think of your training experience like a theatrical experience. You want to set the stage for fun, engagement, and entertainment. You want your learners to grasp and retain your training courses, but you also want them to leave feeling good about the experience, and ready to dive into the next course that comes their way. And, the positive impact you make on your business is like the applause at the end of the performance, and that’s a great experience for you too.
