Leaning at your own pace, in your own time, and without having to spend time out of the office – these are just some of the benefits of online learning great. But how do you know people are engaged in the process and not just 'clicking through?' How can you make sure they are learning effectively and apply new abilities on the job?

The key is in the design; online learning needs to be designed in such a way that it facilitates online conversations and encourages collaborative learning, for this way there'll be greater retention and increased application in the workplace.

Scott Blanchard is a master at this. Vice-President of The Ken Blanchard Companies, Scott is a long-time advocate of online learning and he's always finding new ways to meet the challenges presented by eLearning and, if you'd like to learn from him, he's hosting a free Webinar on the subject in September.

Key is setting up for success, right from the start, so his event will cover how to set realistic expectations for participation and engagement, and what organisational buy-in is needed to get the best results. Scott will also touch on how important it is to align organisational, departmental and individual goals, and how impact mapping can be highly effective.

He will also advise on best practice for launching online learning initiatives; creating excitement around learning; presenting an overview  of learning elements; and bringing learners together to discuss learning, application and success stories.

There will be case studies too, of course, so it's a great opportunity for L&D professionals involved in designing or managing online learning, or senior leaders looking to develop leadership capacity to improve productivity and performance.

The Webinar is called Building Effective and Engaging Online Learning Solutions; it's free, at it's at 15:00 on Wednesday 10th September. You can register here: www.kenblanchard.com/Events/Webinars