How To Create A Course ‘Quick’ For Blended Studying
Rapid Blended Learning: How to Build a Course on a Tight Schedule
According to Valamis’ global L&D survey comparison, 48% of stakeholders said time is the biggest barrier to corporate L&D. Instructors don’t have time to cover all of the information students need to know; learners do not have enough time to spend in the classroom in addition to work; and eLearning designers just don’t have enough time. Period.
It seems that lack of time is the kryptonite for corporate L&D. We can solve this time constraint by reducing classroom training and the time it takes to develop online training courses. And the best way to achieve this is to combine the possibilities of blended learning and rapid eLearning.
eBook publication
Quickly Design and Develop eLearning – A Guide for Enterprise Trainers
Discover what fast eLearning is, how to align it with your business goals, and what tools you need for this task!
What is blended learning?
Blended learning is a training approach that combines synchronous classroom training with asynchronous online learning and offers the best of both worlds. It enables learners to learn by themselves and to interact face-to-face with teachers. The synchronous part of the training can be done in either brick-n-mortar classrooms or virtual instructor-led training. And training at your own pace can be eLearning, microlearning or just-in-time performance support.
Fast eLearning in blended learning
How to develop assets for blended learning with Rapid eLearning – quickly and easily.
1. Balance face-to-face and online training – start with the goal in mind
You can’t just turn all classroom training into online training with no logic. For one, it will put a tremendous burden on your eLearning development team. It’s also very time consuming and not feasible with tight deadlines. Second, as much as we hate to admit it, some training is only effective with the guidance of an instructor.
So the most important part of implementing blended learning is determining when to do classroom training and when to do online training at your own pace. The choice between classroom training vs. eLearning depends on one thing – the training needs! What should your learners do at the end of the training?
Download the eBook to evaluate both options and find out when it is best to use face-to-face or online training.
2. Rely on rapid prototyping – think win-win
Once you’ve decided what to cover in the online training, the next step is to create a prototype. This will help you to reconcile the project expectations of everyone involved and to resolve technical malfunctions. For example, if there are conflicting opinions between the SME and the L&D team about course content or design, the prototype will help solve the problem before developing the entire course. A lot of time and effort can be saved as you know exactly what the SMB expects from the course. The graphical user interface (GUI) of eLearning courses can also be finalized during prototyping.
3. Convert existing ILT (classroom) material – Demo Quick Wins
If you’re a company looking to take a blended learning approach, you most likely already have a ton of instructor-led training (ILT) materials on hand – PPT decks, PDF files, guides, manuals. You can quickly turn these training materials into e-learning and microlearning courses in the classroom using rapid authoring tools. Here are some tips for quick wins:
- Select a project with high visibility (e.g. compliance training) to demonstrate the benefits of moving to online training
- Create a group of pilot users to test the courses in your organization
- Choose a provider with experience in converting teaching material to eLearning / VILT
4. Reuse VILT content for job aids – reuse, recycle, renew
Blended learning is not limited to the combination of online methods with stationary face-to-face events. Virtual instructor-led training (VILT) is becoming increasingly popular lately. And it has a distinct advantage over traditional classroom sessions, as VILT sessions can be recorded and later converted into videos that can be used as work aids.
Learners can post their questions in the chat window during VILT sessions and these questions can also be used as a knowledge resource. Based on the questions and the subsequent discussions, you can create short PDFs and infographics that can also serve as performance-enhancing work aids.
Conclusion
Download the Rapid eLearning Design and Development Revelation – A Guide for Corporate Training Managers eBook to find the right tools and techniques to start a rapid eLearning development strategy that works best for your business. You can also attend the webinar to learn the key considerations for effective learning.
References:
CommLab India
Working with multiple outsourcing providers can be stressful and a waste of time and money. With CommLab India, all of your online training needs will be met quickly and inexpensively.
