Good eLearning should provide many happy returns on investment (ROI). It’s not a matter of pushing it out there, crossing your fingers, and hoping for the best. ROI needs to be considered as an integral part of the design and development process, from conception to realization.
This article covers 4 tips PulseLearning recommends to help maximize your eLearning Return on Investment.
1. Determine business needs
During the initial scoping part of the design and development process, determine the real business need driving the learning. Through clearly understanding business needs and expectations, you will be able to create an aligned product that hits the mark.
2. Link to performance goals
Training that is tied to real performance improvements is a good investment. Through determining performance outcomes and links to KPIs and organizational objectives, you can design training that teaches content that learners really need to know. This process will also help to identify what constitutes post-training learner success and offer a means to measure the impact and success of the training.
3. Consult with SMEs
Involve subject matter experts (SMEs) from the early stages of the project to ensure the learning hits the mark. Find out what learners really need to know and use this to inform the training from the beginning.
4. Create context, not content
Learner-centric training that focuses on situational context and provides the strongest link to on-the-job experiences yields greater ROI. Focus on creating content that is relevant and specific to the daily role and tasks of the learner so it can instantly be put into practice rather than remain theoretical.
5. Evaluate before launching
User feedback is valuable for delivering maximum eLearning ROI. Organize a pilot run with a small group of learners to complete and evaluate the training before the official launch. This will help to identify issues and fix them while still in the development phase. For example, perhaps your assessment is slightly too difficult. The pilot feedback will provide an opportunity to fix these issues before you go live and create an impact.
6. Provide opportunities for social learning
Memorable eLearning that gets people talking yields greater ROI since sharing and discussing content encourages knowledge retention. Consider deploying eLearning through an LMS that allows social interaction. Consider designing eLearning to align with an organization-wide campaign to ensure greater visibility and discussion opportunities.
7. Futureproofing
Using the most up-to-date industry-standard design techniques and innovations ensures eLearning solutions have a sustainable product life. Design learning solutions with reusing and repurposing of content in mind so you won’t have to start from scratch next time. Always keep in mind design and development methods that make updating content easy and cost effective.
