Monday, February 27, 2012

Which Factors Make Elearning Session Effective


In recent years, Elearning has evolved as the ideal learning strategy that offers interactivity and industry-specific learning options. Besides, being extremely learner-centric, Elearning session presents learners with a virtual platform with a guide or a mentor acting as the facilitator in the learning process. In this system, emphasis is given not only on knowledge sharing but also on knowledge assimilation and its practical applications. Thus, making an eLearning program a successful venture, instructional designers should identify the key influencers that can make the process effective and functional.
Here is a brief overview of some of these factors that can make the Elearning session highly productive and result-oriented.
Subject matter
Choosing the correct subject matter is fundamental to the success of an Elearning course. Thus, keeping it relevant to the learners' interest will directly affect their motivation levels in taking up the course. Instructional designers should highlight how the study material may be helpful in steering his career goals. It is likely to help the learners stay interested in the course.
Opportunity Provided by the Elearning Session
Learners are always interested to know about future prospects before getting enrolled in an Elearning session or training programs. If they know about opportunities they can have on gaining this new knowledge, they are likely to make more effort to obtain that knowledge. Moreover, if the new knowledge is going to offer them new opportunities for career growth, learners will be more interested in and serious about joining the course.
Eagerness to learn
For a successful Elearning session, the eagerness of the learners in their respective subjects is also important. Unless learners feel interested about this, the effectiveness cannot be achieved.. Many a times, learners lack the motivation or interest to explore or learn something new. Keep in mind that the learner's eagerness to learn, and motivation to explore new knowledge results in an effective learning procedure.
Instructional design
Following sound instructional design principles is extremely important in Elearning. Keep in mind that the instructional design principles should cater to all learning types to fit with the learner's requirements. Keep the learning objectives of learners, their profile and preferences in mind; the instructional designers should work on the course modules. For this purpose, you can even include interactivities with the right usage of audio/ visual interface, case studies and research data to substantiate the concepts.
Collaborative feature
Ensure maximum collaborative aspects in the process of learning are imperative to a successful Elearning session. Thus, providing a collaborative platform for giving opinions and share viewpoints regarding course improves learning value. The experience of learners in adding their valuable insights shared through a common forum helps in widening the knowledge base.
The Learning and Development industry should be perfectly aware about these key factors before launching an Elearning Session.

Monday, February 20, 2012

What Is Online Learning and Why Is It Important?


The traditional concept of learning has radically changed and evolved over time. Conventional teaching via classrooms has given way to teaching in an online environment. Nowadays, learning has become more student-centric; with courses being created keeping in mind the individual learning styles and needs.
Corporate enterprises have started using online learning system instead of its age-old onsite version. According to corporate training administrators, online learning helps in addressing the demands of the current workforce much better. This in turn leads to increased productivity and sales.
In this article, we will discuss the importance of introducing online learning methods in both schools and the work place.
Ideal for Globally Dispersed and Diverse Employees
Virtual learning or training programs are just perfect for offices having multiple branch locations and a global workforce. You can organize a training session over the internet, allowing employees working in multiple branch offices to participate in the same. Thus, the complicated problems of onsite training or learning such as travelling delays and accommodation problems can be totally eliminated once you organize a virtual meeting or seminar.
Easy Registration and Payment
Online distant learning can successfully tackle some of the issues of onsite learning. For example, online course registration can be executed and viewed without the need to travel a long distances to check the same. Online registration solution provides instant viewing and filling up of a registration form, anytime, at one's convenience. Moreover, registrants can also send their registration fees to the class or training organizer via several online payment methods (credit cards, PayPal, wire transfers, etc).
Easy Translation Facility
Web-based learning/training technology offers the facility of translating course materials into native languages for easy understanding by geographically dispersed people.
Create Customized Learning Objects
Many educational institutions as well as corporate houses are compelled to create customized learning objects to meet their learners' demands, regardless of their relation to any assignment, projects, company-specific information or policies.
Can easily Update Course Materials
Trainers as well as educators can at anytime update the class or training materials to match the changing needs of learners. Such simple online modifications also help in keeping your courses or programs up-to-date and relevant to your growing business.
Create Online Certificates
At the end of each training session or class, you need to issue certificates to participants who have successfully completed the course. Now, online learning simplifies the class or training certification process by allowing you to create and send certificates online. You can easily design multiple certificates, 24x7 and send them via emails or to their mobile devices (smartphone, tablet, etc) enabling them to print the same.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Why Will You Opt For an Online Corporate Meeting? 7 Key Steps to Success


Our workload has continued to grow in recent years. Emails flood our inboxes and tele-calling keeps us busy all day long. We have to react and take decisions quickly, failing which we will fall far behind our competitors. In order to keep ahead in today's rat race, organizing online corporate meetings can help in overcoming the constraints of geographical boundaries and time but enables updating of knowledge at the same time. You can arrange a corporate meeting, seminar or conference, very easily using just a PC and an internet connection.
Online meetings can be organized to enhance sales, marketing and promotion, and for virtual presentations and discussions with the employees and customers. These types of meetings can be hosted from anywhere - at home or from the office. A person can even host a virtual meeting while he/she participates in a worldwide seminar outside the country, sitting from a hotel room.
Let's now discuss the 7 key steps to why we should opt for online corporate meetings.
Quick Organization
You can organize a virtual meeting or conference quickly over the internet. It saves both money and time in searching for a suitable venue to host the event. Thus, you can additionally save the time and funds on decorating the venue to make it look presentable for the event.
Instant Registration
Manual registration process is time-consuming and needs potential registrants to travel all the way to your office to fill up the event registration form. In contrast, an online registration system allows a person to fill up and submit a form over the internet, from any place across the world. It saves time as well as paper required to create hardcopy registration forms.
Flexible Timing
Online corporate events can be organized anytime, at the convenience of the workers. Moreover, it lets an employee participate from home making your organization highly attractive to potential people.
Handle Complex Processes Easily
Through live chats and discussions with geographically diverse employees, you can address any problem within a short span to time. All participants can work together in collaboration whenever there is a requirement of clarity on issues being deliberated upon.
Increase Efficiency
You can increase efficiency by overcoming travel delays and such other physical obstacles. All participants can join the meeting sitting at their respective locations, without thinking of how to reach the venue on time. In a sense, virtual meetings are highly cost-effective, as they help save on travel and accommodation costs as well as the expense of booking a location and hiring external staff to manage the event.
Reach More Sales Contacts within the Same Timeframe
A virtual event enables you to reach out to more sales contacts within a set time period. You can simultaneously send emails to hundreds of individuals stating the features and benefits of using your products or attending your upcoming webinar.
No Work Interruptions
You will remain untouched by work interruptions because of such incidents like labor strikes or natural calamities. This means you can successfully administer a meeting taking place at any remote location of the world.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

What Are the Benefits of Web-Based Training Programs?


Have you ever thought of introducing web-based training programs in place of corporate training sessions? A large section of the corporate houses are now embracing web-based technology where they don't need to search for a location to host training sessions or face difficulties trying to assemble employees on a single day. Anyone from anywhere can get connected with the speaker/presenter during the training program via audio, video links, or multimedia technology.
Let's discuss in detail the key benefits of organizing a web-based training program.
Save Costs on Travel, Lodging, and Meals
You don't need to spend a single penny on travelling, lodging, and meals since online training programs can be attended from any remote location. This means that the entire necessary expenditure on travel, accommodation, meals can be easily eliminated from the equation. One can attend the web training program from the comfort of one's home or workplace.
Training Programs Can Be Tailored Well
At traditional onsite training sessions, a trainer cannot modify an aspect of the program, even if he or she wants to on an urgent basis. However, in web-based training sessions, one can easily tailor a session to meet an employee's specific needs.
Highly Convenient
You can quickly change the date of the training program to an alternative day without worrying about altering or cancelling accommodation and traveling difficulties. Everything from the registration to payment handling and participation is done online. Hence, one can easily host a training program at the convenience of the employees and employer.
No Hiring of Staff
You don't need to hire any additional staff from outside to man the registration desk as well as collect payments from the registrants and perform other training related administrative tasks. Web-based training programs can be created, managed, and monitored superbly from the online centralized platform. You just need a PC with an internet connection to launch the training session with all relevant details for potential attendees to view and register over the internet.
Instantly Deliverable
Web-based training sessions can be quickly delivered on demand of the attendees or those who were unable to attend the event. You can download the Cloud-based training session in CD ROMs, videos, and tapes to send them instantly to anyone who wants to view it later.
Constantly Updateable, 24x7
You can at anytime update a web-based training content without republishing a manual or a booklet. You can change or modify training material over the internet as well as upload fresh and updated content and delete older versions without any delay.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Top 4 Tips to Create An Online Product Training Material


Product knowledge training is essentially aimed at training employees of organizations to share and update useful information about its products, their features and benefits. However, many a times, learners are overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge they need to grasp all at once. Thus, online product training material needs to be customized accordingly so that learners can absorb the required amount of knowledge as well as apply the same practically. Here are some tips that can help you to develop effective online product training courses.
Set the learning goals beforehand
Charting out the learning goals well in advance allows you to create a product training course, which is effective as well as functional. For this purpose, you need to define your target audience at the very onset in order to confirm their requirements. Normally, the target learners of product training course are usually, the sales team, service team or customer service representatives.
However, a course designer needs to know that the training material for a sales team would be different from the one intended for customer care representatives. For example, a salesperson needs to know the value proposition of the product so that they can effectively convey it to the prospective customer. On the contrary, a customer care executive should be aware about troubleshooting techniques so that he can help customers when faced with service issues. The online training program should be able to address these individual learning goals.
Determining how much information is required
Depending on the requirements of the individual group of learners, the training material needs to be tailored. Thus, determining the quantity of information required for catering to a particular group is extremely important. While a sales person might need a particular level of knowledge about products, a service engineer or technician might require an in-depth technical knowledge of the product. Therefore, organizing training material according to the learner's profile makes it more relevant and productive.
Focus on the motivation levels of learners
Considering the motivational levels of learners is extremely important when designing a course. Unless you know what motivates your target audience to take up a particular course, you won't be able to provide anything relevant to them. For example, a salesperson is likely to be interested in knowing the benefits of a particular product, while an engineer will be keen on learning about the technical aspects of a particular product. Designing course materials according to multiple choices is likely to trigger interest in joining online training programs.
Create a brief structure for long product line
Many a times, the training course has to deal with long product lines of the company. In such cases, the instructional designers should focus on creating a brief structure that is relevant to a majority of the products. You can furnish information with the help of info-graphics, where you can focus on individual features, benefits, cost and their USP.
Follow these tips to create a product training course that yields value-added results in terms of employee training.