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As an e-learning expert and former trainer, I hear this from people all the time: “Do you really think corporate training can be … fun?”
I don’t blame them. I’ve had my fair share of boring presentations and training sessions in the conference style classroom. It can be difficult to change employees ’perceptions when their previous training experiences were affected by the“ death by PowerPoint ”and Zoom fatigue.
But as training plays an even more important role in organizations, with almost three out of four leaders in learning and development (R&D) pointing out that over the last year, R&D has become a more strategic role. , according to LinkedIn, a puff and / or The sleep-inducing approach will not reduce it.
In fact, successful training involves a lot of creativity and planning. It must be relevant and, in many cases, customized to suit the needs of each employee. In addition, a lack of proper training can hurt a company’s results, often in the form of knowledge gaps and lost productivity that tend to snowball and negatively affect performance. But because this does not happen overnight and can be difficult to estimate, companies tend to minimize this aspect and postpone investing in training that is really enjoyable.
However, I would argue that this should not be the case. In fact, companies have more options and resources than ever to make training fun. And with training becoming an increasingly strategic imperative, why not take advantage of them?
Here are some ideas for designing an attractive training, so that employees really want more, not less.
Related: 4 reasons for low participation in training (and how to change it)
1. Use games to motivate students
Gamification, or the incorporation of game elements into learning design, remains an important e-learning trend, and is fairly straightforward. For example, you can reward employees with points and badges each time they complete a module, take a test, or perform other training-related action.
However, attractive e-learning games encompass much more than that. To create a truly motivating learning experience, instructors can also create game levels, so that every time a student accumulates enough points, they “level up”. Many employees find this really rewarding because it shows them that they are moving forward, not just marking the formation of their to-do list.
The same goes for the leaderboards that show student scores and team games. Some employees find it more motivating to complete their training if their individual game points count toward a team effort. For example, entire teams or departments can participate in a fun and unobtrusive competition and challenge each other to learn more.
Related: 3 Corporate Training Resolutions for 2022
2. Facilitate the collaboration of students
Social learning is another powerful way to make training more fun. Students are more likely to participate in the training if they see that their peers are also interested, participate, and share their knowledge.
For live (face-to-face or online) learning, there are some tried and tested ways to encourage collaboration, such as role-playing games and assigning people to workspaces in Zoom. Keep in mind, however, that these types of activities are not for everyone, as not everyone enjoys and thrives in a public speaking environment.
Another way to foster collaboration, often in an on-demand learning environment, is by creating virtual learning communities, where students can “be friends” with each other and engage in meaningful discussions focused on their interests and goals. . For example, employees interested in leadership may have their own group in which they exchange ideas and information related to the courses they are enrolled in.
In these discussion-based environments, one student asks a question and someone else answers. Afterwards, the most helpful answers for the community are usually rewarded with likes or a badge. Sound familiar? That’s the amount of people around the world interacting in online forums and social media, so why not take a format you already know and adapt it to your training?
Related: How to assess whether your corporate training works
3. Promote interactive learning
Gamification and social learning are great examples of collaborative training. In addition, in order for training to increase the fun factor, you also need to have great content supported by interactive elements.
Let’s start with video learning, which is more than just a trend. Having short video lessons is a great way to create course content that is easily digestible and will not overwhelm busy employees.
Effective video modules are also accompanied by interactive tasks, such as short questions that allow employees to test their knowledge, view results, and take corrective action.
And speaking of finding the next best action today, a training platform can do more than just react to what students do. For example, proactive platforms have the ability to recommend online courses, articles, e-books, discussion forums, and more, depending on student interests, pre-training performance, and goals. This also shows that the future of training is based on interactivity, which encourages fun learning experiences.
Related: 5 training lessons that companies have learned from the pandemic
From banality to fun
Training has always been important to companies, but it is now playing an even more vital role in helping employees improve, recognize and have the right skills to meet the big global challenges.
It’s time to dispense with the notion that constant, serious, and boring training, because it may be the status quo, is like training. must be. Fun workout is not a dilute workout. In fact, it is often “more catchy”; when relevant material is supported by attractive delivery methods, such as gamification, collaboration, and interactivity, the result is often greater participation and retention.
In addition, adding a “human touch” to training, with proper humor and personal connections, can help managers, designers, and trainers connect better with employees and make training more enjoyable and enjoyable.
Good luck with your training initiatives, and most importantly, have fun with them!