How to Transition Your Organization into Digital Learning
I remember when I got my first job back in 1996. I had just graduated from high school and wanted to make some money during the summer before my freshman year in college. As far as training goes, I was presented with a procedural handbook and told to study it and be prepared to receive on-the-job training once I started.
Fast-forward to 2020, and things have changed. Instead of handing out corporate handbooks the size of telephone books, companies use digital learning to train new and current employees. Employees have access to learning content 24/7 and, in the process, gain the skills that they need to competently do their jobs. The best digital learning helps employees translate what they learn online, and the worst only teaches basic knowledge and skills.
If your company is still stuck in the stone ages and wants to transition to digital learning, keep reading. In this article, we will give you some tips for accomplishing just that.
1. Change Your Digital Learning Content from Flash to HTML5
Although Flash was once the gold standard of online learning classes is now breathing its last breath. HTML5 has replaced Flash. HTML5 helps build online learning classes that are automatically responsive and can be run on smartphones and other mobile devices such as laptops and tablets. Mobile learning is becoming more popular each year and is likely to replace online learning in the future. Organizations need to migrate all their relevant online learning classes from Flash to HTML5.
2. Make the change to microlearning
The time of hour-long online learning classes that require employees/learners to sit in front of a computer to consume information has passed. Microlearning is what we use in the present, which means that organizations need to create classes that are not only short but utilize several engaging formats and strategies such as gamification and simulations. Ask your instructional designers to research how microlearning modules are created and then create bite-sized learning that has minimal text, is mobile-first, and can be accessed anytime by a learner on their smartphone via a learning portal or app of some sort.
3. Develop a Library of Digital Learning Classes
To turn their employees into self-directed learners, organizations need a robust LMS (Learning Management System) or an LXP (Learning Experience Platform), preferably cloud-based, which has a growing digital learning class portfolio, which can be accessed anytime via different devices. This flexibility lets learners access any digital learning class at any time and any place they want, essentially giving them a whole library of learning modules at their fingertips. You will surely see a spike in employee academic performance after you empower them in such a manner.
4. Keep you digital learning content up-to-date
Having a cloud based LMS will allow digital learning designers or subject matter experts to update digital learning classes from their computers, laptops, or mobile devices whenever and wherever they want. Updating digital learning classes is essential because relevant skills and knowledge change, and you wouldn’t want your employees to have outdated or obsolete knowledge. Updating digital learning classes is also essential because learning strategies might change. If you find an innovative way to train learners better, you can update your classes or modules accordingly.
5. Consider creating virtual classrooms
If you want to really liven up your digital learning, allow instructors to create virtual classrooms. If you have a limited budget, don’t fret, as there are plenty of free options out there. For instance, we just launched a free site named Pedagogue that supports remote learning with a virtual classroom feature that allows educators to Livestream, make audio or video conference calls, share their screen, files or a virtual whiteboard, and much more. Watch the following demo video to learn how to quickly develop your own stream-based or virtual classroom. You can stop watching at the 4:15 mark unless you want to learn how to create over 30 types of interactive assignments and assessments.
Concluding thoughts
Well, that’s it. Now you have the information that you need to transition your company to digital learning. Do you have any additional tips, techniques, or strategies that you would like to share with our readers? If so, leave them in the comment section below.