Strategies for learner engagement
1. Invest in a solid Learning Management System (LMS)
One of the most important tools for creating courses that can be accessed at any time and from any location is a good LMS.
Choose an LMS that allows you to access learning materials on both online and offline mobile devices. A powerful learner engagement strategy is to combine a good LMS with just-in-time learning principles, which focus on giving learners what they need, when they need it.
Content should be broken down into small, digestible chunks. Then think about the kinds of quick-access resources that learners want to use frequently. Templates, tools, short videos, checklists, and even infographics that summarize a procedure are examples of these.
Apply the same principles to assessment activities. Completion rates always rise when an assessment takes less than fifteen minutes to complete.
2. Engaging and Gamified Content
This one seems self-evident, but what exactly does “engaging content” imply? Again, begin with creativity, make the program interactive, and ensure that key concepts are communicated.
Games, art, role-play, audience polls, storytelling, and other creative and interactive learning experiences can be entertaining, but they must still meet the learning objectives. Begin by describing what learners will learn. After that, teach it to them and tell them what they’ve learned. Remember to check for comprehension along the way.
There are several ways to incorporate interactivity into your modules. For example, pop quizzes, videos, and drag-and-drop activities can all be used in asynchronous courses. Polling, annotation tools, virtual breakout rooms, and shared whiteboards are other options for synchronous courses (like webinars)
3. Reward learners for their engagement
Recognizing a learner’s effort seems like a no-brainer for learner engagement strategies. But is it used often? Begin by identifying what drives learners/trainees to improve. Is it a friendly rivalry? Is it a progress bar that shows your progress from test to test? Is it possible that the course instructor or a subject expert recognized you?
Leaderboards, badges, and certificates are simple but effective ways to reward cycles in learning. Allowing learners to earn badges for completing tasks is one way to engage them. A leaderboard can also be used to showcase top performers.
Professionals are most motivated to learn if they can earn a certificate for their efforts. Consider using credentials to recognize accomplishments. If possible, get certificates signed by an authority figure like an instructor, a university, or the CEO.
Encourage instructors to share learner success stories in person or via video. In addition, they can use this space to highlight learner feedback, improvements, and other achievements.
4. A Needs-Based Strategy
To ensure alignment across both, first, understand the skills and needs of your learners and the organizational goals.
Upskilling employees should take into account both immediate needs and long-term trends. It’s great to focus on manager training this year to help team members during rapid organizational growth, but don’t forget to consult with the leadership team about future skills required for ever-changing organizational priorities.
This strategy provides a framework for engaging employees across formal learning programs. Still, each company is unique, and successful engagement strategies can evolve as its workforce grows or its needs shift.
Remember to stay flexible and listen to your learners as you work to increase learner engagement. Request feedback to evaluate programs and make adjustments to meet the needs of learners.
5. Use realistic simulations and on-the-job training
Corporate learners are mainly concerned with converting their learning into improved job performance. However, they are more likely to be engaged when they are asked to deal with real-life workplace issues regularly.
Use practical methods to engage employees, such as simulations, case studies, and scenario-based activities based on real-life situations. This will pique the interest of corporate learners. Where possible, incorporate job shadowing or other on-the-job training into a portion of the course. This allows learners to put their new skills to the test and deal with difficult situations firsthand.
6. Create a personalized approach
Using generic courses is one way to get disengaged learners. When it comes to training and development, learners are looking for relevance. It’s not enough to teach lessons and skills relevant to real-life or the workplace.
Avoid using hypothetical situations as case studies to make your courses more relevant. Your learners will benefit greatly if your course content reflects the most common workplace issues. It gives them the sense of getting the help and knowledge they need.
Personalization as a learner engagement strategy involves addressing contexts. You should tailor courses to your learners’ cultures, languages, and learning styles. For example, North American strategy and content won’t work in Asia or other regions.
How can an LMS Engage Learners?
- Using an LMS as part of your learner engagement strategy benefits your learners and your training team. The ability to create and update courses more quickly and deliver them globally makes your job much easier.
- Having interactive course creation features in an LMS isn’t enough. Simply by providing learners with the flexibility to complete courses at their own pace and convenience, learner engagement can skyrocket.
- The freedom they feel, combined with the fact that they can go back and repeat their training (or look for that tip in that presentation) whenever they want, makes them feel in control of what they’re learning. This, in turn, boosts their self-assurance and motivation to improve.
- Aside from logistics, the content itself should be delivered user-friendly. Some learners, for example, prefer virtual training to in-person classrooms, and others choose public speaking to participate in a chat group.
