Profits rise when time efficiency, retention rates, and knowledge absorption improve. A poll conducted by Ambient Insight confirmed this. Adopting eLearning has resulted in an increase in revenue for 42% of the organizations examined.

Not only that, but eLearning provides a more scalable and adaptable learning environment. Several companies have gradually shifted to a hybrid learning model over time. Others, who had previously depended solely on offline models, may find the abrupt move to an exclusively online learning module — especially in the aftermath of the pandemic — confusing.

A detailed step-by-step approach can be helpful for companies who find the move from in-person training to adopting eLearning intimidating. This detailed how-to guide will assist you in getting started as you migrate from traditional face-to-face courses to an efficient, adaptable, and scalable online training program.

Adopting eLearning at Workplace: How to Migrate from In-person Training to eLearning

You may believe that you already have enough content and that all you need to do now is copy it into online modules. However, what works in a traditional classroom may not work in an eLearning setting. You can’t, for example, turn your complete PowerPoint presentation into a microlearning course. There is a procedure for doing so. You cannot condense a 2-hour training session into a 15-minute mobile module. You can’t even take each slide and create a digital replica of it.

To build an eLearning program, you must first identify the content that is required. Your original instructor Lead Training (ILT) may have included a variety of handouts, booklets, workbooks, notes, audio clips, video files, worksheets, and supplementary materials, as well as projected slides (PowerPoint) (answer sheets, guides, and feedback forms). Bring everything together in one spot.

Next, select the most significant aspects of in-person training to include in the online course. First, you should complete your learning objectives – what do you want your employees to learn from each learning unit? Then, using the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-sensitive) criteria, start revamping material around these goals.

Design a Structure

The second stage is to develop a structure once you’ve determined the material you’ll want to be removed from your existing, traditional model. Begin by sketching up a basic layout that is divided into components, modules, and sections. For example, when you have comprehensive training courses, you may need to split them down into smaller parts.

You will save money on development expenditures if you switch your standard learning curriculum to microlearning. Learning architect Ray Jimenez claims in his book 3-minute eLearning that — learning developers may reduce development expenses by 50% and boost production time by 300 percent by building micro-courses.

Certain learning elements, once again, are not transferable to online platforms. As a result, you must reconsider how you will rearrange these course components. You can then develop an eLearning storyboard to sketch out a detailed lesson plan based on the outline. After you’ve finished creating the final blueprint, you can go on to the design phase.

Create an eLearning Course

Your eLearning module will be designed very differently than your existing in-person format. Because face-to-face interactions will no longer be possible, your online strategy must include enjoyable, engaging features to assist learners in achieving their objectives. Begin by settling on the ideal platform. Choose a open source learning management system (LMS) with interactive and gamification features, the ability to incorporate a LIVE classroom and educational handouts, and the option to add supporting audio and video content.

Here is an example to demonstrate this. Assume you have a large number of flowcharts to teach a specific process step-by-step. You can make this experience more dynamic in your eLearning module by including a feature that allows students to drag and drop objects as needed. When you combine this with a scoring or reward system, you’ve got a recipe for healthy competition! On the other hand, if the intention of the flowchart was to be used as a guide, you can replicate it digitally and enrich it with hyperlinks and interaction.

Recheck your material thoroughly once again. Is it very text-heavy? Could some of them be removed or replaced with images or a video tutorial? Do you have any photographs that are followed by extensive paragraphs? If so, consider overlaying pop-up texts on top of the pictures. Long texts can be replaced by voiceover comments or in-house video clips when implementing eLearning in the workplace.

Adopting eLearning at Workplace: Phase-Out

Your eLearning course should be tailored to a particular group of people. Depending on who your end learners are, you can divide online learning into several modules. Typically, corporations divide eLearning into the following categories:

New Hire Onboarding: Using eLearning for employee onboarding, candidates can quickly become acquainted with your company’s culture and practices.

Compliance Training: Compliance training is necessary to guarantee that your workforce is aware of the company’s rules and regulations. New hires will require a thorough orientation while existing staff will regularly need a reminder for their training.

Training on Products and Services: Your staff must have a thorough understanding of your company’s products and services. This is where an eLearning product or service training program comes in helpful.

Technology/Skill Training: Skill training gives employees a better understanding of the software programs, technologies, and skills employed in various business situations. This information helps to streamline work processes and increase productivity.

Soft Skills Training: Soft skills such as good corporate communication and time management are best taught through online modules because classroom sessions would be too dull in this scenario. Furthermore, who has the time to take a full-fledged class on correct language delivery? Such training is best done digitally!

Review and Organize

It is critical to review the learning material before implementing eLearning in the workplace. Examine the materials to see whether anything is out of date. Converting your work offline to online is a great way to update, rewrite, and correct it. If there is any information that is repeated, mark it. It is highly advantageous to be able to attend a live, in-person session during the review stage. The gap areas can then be identified and rectified during the conversion phase.

The next stage is to organize your team as well as the learning materials. Make sure you have instructional designers, subject matter experts, and support staff on your conversion team. Provide them with clear roles and duties, as well as deadlines.

Finally, arrange your information. By segmenting each module into units, themes, and subtopics, you may create an overall flow for it. You can also group them by category, which groups content with similar features together. Otherwise, you can organize the information by separating it into steps and managing it that way.

Finally, if you change your learning methodology, you’ll have to change your assessment methods. After you’ve created your eLearning module, you’ll need to assess your students’ progress. How do you go about doing that? After finishing every level, you can incorporate an online test. The final goals will determine the number and type of tests. Finally, after the training program is over, don’t forget to ask for feedback via a questionnaire or survey.

Conclusion

Pandemic or no pandemic, firms that want to succeed in training programs must employ eLearning in the workplace. Online modules not only improve employee efficiency but also save a lot of money. According to Dave Evans, IBM saved around $200 million after moving to eLearning. So, if you’ve decided to forego traditional in-person sessions in favor of a comprehensive digital learning module, we hope our advice will assist you in getting started.