Adult learners typically struggle with understanding new concepts and ideas when such information lacks perspective – their unique perception. That’s because learning theory, be they Behaviorist, Cognitive, Constructivist or Motivational, underscores that, putting information into context, and giving perspective to knowledge produces better learning outcomes. Without adequate contextualization, most learners tend to disassociate from what they are learning. And when that happens, they may disengage from learning, leaving trainers an uphill task of re-engagement. UNDERSTANDING CONTEXTUALIZATION Contextualization is all about framing learning concepts in a way that’s familiar to the individual learner. To bring contextual value to your learning, it’s important to understand where your learner is coming from – not just his/her geographic location (we’ll touch upon that in a moment), but also their previous experiences, the terminology they’re familiar with and their expected application … [Read more...] about How to Increase Learner Retention by Contextualizing Your Training
The ELearning Course Designer’s Blog
The Onboarding Process: How To Help New Hires Adapt To A New Environment
Onboarding, the process of taking new hires, and integrating them into the company, can be one of the most important processes within a company. It can help form invaluable first impressions in the minds of new staff, and it can also ensure that new hires have a long and fulfilling career with the company. Unfortunately, statistics show that nearly 22% of employees quit within the initial 45 days of being hired [1]. Unless well planned, onboarding can lead to new hires exiting an organization quicker than HR can find replacements! Onboarding: A Multi-Layered Process In an organization with, say, less than fifty or sixty employees, and a single work location, a new employee can typically be onboarded in a matter of hours. Usually, the hiring manager will introduce the new hire to his/her new supervisor, and the onboarding process commences from there. However, where there are multiple locations, several cross-functional teams, and a hierarchy of management layers, onboarding can take … [Read more...] about The Onboarding Process: How To Help New Hires Adapt To A New Environment
6 Ways Of Capturing eLearning Feedback
Several years ago, I attended a Creative Writing course at a local community college. On day-1, the instructor handed out a stack of documents –the Day’s Outline– and asked us to quickly review them to understand what we were about to learn. What happened next is a classic case of miscommunication and misunderstanding – something that eLearning course creators should learn from and avoid! Capturing eLearning Feedback: Make It A 2-Way Conversation! We were not offered an opportunity to ask questions or provide inputs. By the time our instructor was ready to start the course, every participant had read and understood what was going to be taught. However, there was one very critical issue: We all understood the guidelines differently. Each of us had different expectations about the course, and that leads to a great degree of stress. Thankfully, this was just an exercise that the instructor had deliberately created to illustrate the importance of communication and feedback. As … [Read more...] about 6 Ways Of Capturing eLearning Feedback
Assessing Return On Investment Of eLearning
One of the biggest challenges that eLearning professionals experience is demonstrating the return on investment (ROI) of their training programs. In order to attract project sponsors and to justify resources invested in the development of eLearning, projects need to prove that they deliver real benefit to an organization. This article discusses considerations that need to be factored in when calculating eLearning ROI. Tips For Assessing Return On Investment Of eLearning eLearning has revolutionized how individuals (personally as well as in corporate settings) learn. There are a number of reasons why businesses and individuals gravitate towards eLearning programs, including: Flexibility Cost-effectiveness Standardization Repeatability Convenience ...just to name a few. However, as with any business venture, eLearning projects need to show that they deliver real benefit to an organization. If they can't demonstrate such value, then they are likely to not attract champions … [Read more...] about Assessing Return On Investment Of eLearning
How to Scaffold ELearning Content: Effective strategies and tactics to consider
eLearning attracts a diverse set of learners. Individuals from different educational backgrounds, age groups experience and prior knowledge of the subject matter might be partaking in an online course simultaneously. Each will learn at a different pace, understanding the content differently, and interpreting the message on their own terms. Because of this variation, L&D professionals might find it challenging to deliver their learning objectives using a one-size-fits-all approach. So, what’s the answer? Scaffolding. What is Scaffolding? Not all learners absorb online content equally. The best way for L&D professionals to achieve their teaching objectives is to design and develop courses that meet the needs of a diverse set of participants. Scaffolding is an instructional approach, based on the work of psychologist Lev Vygotsky’s research in cognitive development, that helps online learners move progressively through the learning process. At a very high-level, scaffolding … [Read more...] about How to Scaffold ELearning Content: Effective strategies and tactics to consider
12 Rules For Giving and Receiving Effective Feedback as an Instructional Designer
As eLearning specialists, we work with many different people to pull off our projects successfully. SMEs, managers, content creators, course designers, and stakeholders all play a part in making the magic happen. When things aren’t going as smoothly as you’d like, it’s inevitable that you’ll have to dispense constructive criticism, however. In this article, we'll explore 6 rules for delivering feedback and 6 rules for handling corrective feedback. 6 rules for deliver feedback #1 Be Specific - This one makes the list first, as it is the most important! Clear feedback is critical in actually getting the results you desire without multiple back-and-forths. Deliver it concisely to avoid any confusion, and provide enough detail to get what you want. I once received feedback on an article I had written that stated, “This section needs to be better”. That’s terrible feedback! Did the client mean I needed more examples, better engagement, a more consistent tone, a better focus on the … [Read more...] about 12 Rules For Giving and Receiving Effective Feedback as an Instructional Designer