The wave of technological advances that we have witnessed over the past few decades has almost seen the end of face-to-face personal service and the need for human contact within almost all industries and fields. This has now spread into the classroom as eLearning alongside a more sophisticated learning management system has steadily grown in popularity and usage.
Yet some say that the concept of eLearning deprives employees of that personal touch; that interaction between a teacher and student which has been so prevalent throughout all our lives.
However, by taking on board the following steps, you will be able to maintain the personal touch while still delivering a great learning experience:
1.Facetime at kick off
When introducing eLearning to your staff, it is vitally important to communicate how to use the eLearning software because frustration born out of not understanding it can lead to them not using it properly. Instruct and explain face-to-face and be personal with your instructions to breed confidence within your employees to be able to study and train on their own knowing that they are on the right track.
2.Lead by example, and from the top
By getting the top level managers in the HR department to use eLearning or a new training management software, it demonstrates the importance of the software and as a result it’s value will filter down to employees. Learning is not a passive experience and in order to instil the kind of motivation necessary into your employees, an example must be made from above.
3.Trust is Key
Put your faith in your employees and they will repay you. eLearning offers a sense of empowerment because it allows employees to sit down and go through the programme in their own time and convenience. This really resonates with people who may have long hours, and who dread the boredom and monotonous experience associated with the classroom. Be clear that employees have new control over when and where they learn, this will allow individuals to take ownership of the learning and naturally it becomes personalised.
4.Encourage interaction
Why should eLearning spell the end of interaction? It really doesn’t have to. Employees who want to interact with other learners and their trainer during online training sessions still can. If an employee has a problem or needs some help with a certain topic, being able to share and communicate with their peers helps motivate their progression through the syllabus. The interactive nature of learning should not be lost in eLearning, if anything it gives us the chance to engage with a wider number and across a variety of platforms.
The ‘personal touch’ of being in a classroom environment might not be replicated in the digital age, but it can be sufficiently complimented by the more interactive versions of eLearning, which, can sometimes be a much more powerful tool.
Dave Evans,
Commercial Director at accessplanit, specialist in training mangement software and learing management system