Our Online Learning Isn’t Being Used!
There’s a dirty little secret behind Online Learning: All too often it simply doesn’t get used. This is unfortunate, because payroll is by far the largest expense for most organizations, and Online Learning is a great way to increase staff productivity and reduce support costs. If it’s properly promoted and deployed, an Online Learning program pays for itself many times over.
There are several reasons why Online Learning can have low adoption rates:
- It’s Not Promoted
Often users simply don’t know that Online Learning is there for them! If you purchase an Online Learning solution, make sure you invest in promoting it as well. - Boring, Non-Engaging Courses
Many Online Learning providers churn out lots of course titles instead of paying attention to quality. If you’re evaluating an Online Learning solution, make sure you try out each course. Is the content engaging? Did you learn anything? If the answer is no, move on to another provider. - Long Course Times
People don’t have a lot of time. If a course takes 15 minutes or more to complete they’ll probably leave – and never come back. - Irrelevant Topics
Whether it’s Microsoft Office or Soft Skills training, most users already know the basics and don’t want to sit through topics they already know. Current Online Learning research shows the importance of developing courses that are broken up into bite-sized modules so users can skip topics they already know and focus on new topics instead.
When it comes to Online Learning nothing is more important than whether or not it gets used. If you’re shopping around always keep the previous points in mind. Also, make sure to take some time to evaluate lots of demo courses and ask yourself “Would I want to sit through this if I was a user?”
I don’t want to state a problem without providing a solution, so in my next article I’ll give you some easy ways to promote and get the most out of your Online Learning.
Until next time! 
Jon High
President, CustomGuide
Learn On Demand
CustomGuide Software Training
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