Training institutes have been hit the hardest during this coronavirus pandemic. Most people avoid stepping out unless absolutely required and subscriptions for training courses have therefore dropped. For those training centres that have managed to stay open, the issue of safety measures under the virus continues to plague them. Keeping these factors in mind, it is imperative to note that training institutes without smart eLearning solutions have suffered.
Therefore, it has become imperative for such institutes to switch to online platforms or miss out on clients and students.
So, the question to answer is what are smart eLearning solutions, and how can these eLearning solutions help training institutes?
So, let us begin by first answering the question: what is eLearning.
What is eLearning?
Simply put, any learning that takes place on a digital platform is eLearning. Most eLearning methods include hardware such as mobile phones, tablets, or computers; an eLearning software and of course an Internet connection.
So then,
What are eLearning Solutions?
eLearning solutions are processes that help offline courses transition to an online platform. So, if you are an educator who wants to train students online, then eLearning solutions help you move your courses to an online platform, create courses online and store your course in a digital repository.
What factors go into creating Smart eLearning Solutions?
Instruction Delivery Methods
The mode of instruction is an important aspect to consider while moving to an online platform. This depends on what kind of training methodology the institute wants to implement. Do they want to rely on video-based instruction? Or would they prefer to have an instruction method based on live, student-teacher interaction?
For an optimal training experience, it is often best that centres opt for blended systems, where they can combine video courses with the expertise and human touch of a live, instructor-led system.
In order to achieve this, training centres must choose smart eLearning solutions that are equipped with solid, feature-rich LMS software with video conferencing options.
Content Availability
Small training firms do not have easy access to customized course creation tools, nor access to enlarged content teams. Therefore, if possible, for the sake of proper implementation, it is better to choose an eLearning solution that comes equipped with its own digital library. A digital library is vital for a smart eLearning plan as it provides training institutes material to create faster and better courses.
Gamification
Gamification is such an important aspect of online training platforms that we have decided to dedicate a whole different section to it. An online eLearning platform for training centres must come with Gamification to allow for better learning. Gamification is a learning principle where the process of learning mimics a game. There are levels to pass and coins to earn, thus ensuring that students feel like they are playing a game while they learning. A gamified eLearning platform for training centres like ours also comes with top scores and badges so learners develop a healthy competitive spirit amongst each other.
Ease of Communication
Teacher-student interaction is an important aspect of successful teaching strategies. If students do not have avenues to pose questions or ask doubts to their teachers, then they will not be able to learn properly. Similarly, during classes, teachers should be able to talk and see all their students. Feedback is another important aspect of communication. Students must be able to give feedback to teachers about their courses. For this reason, a good eLearning solution for training centres must include features like discussion forums, query corners, survey polls, and other tools that encourage communication between student and teacher. Additionally, for the video conferencing aspect of eLearning, make sure to use one with a multi-view broadcast option for better visibility and communication.
Increasing Participation
One danger to watch out for in an online classroom is the risk of boring your students. In an offline mode, there is natural interaction between students and teachers. The physical space that teachers and students share allows for face-to-face interaction. However, the same cannot be said of online classes. If teachers are not careful, they could conduct classes that are full of monologues and lecture-based. Therefore, one must ensure that the online classroom chosen is one that comes with features that aid participation. For example, the annotate function is of vital importance in this regard as it lets students write and solve questions on the online whiteboard. In essence, it acts as an online version of students writing on the blackboard in physical classrooms. Similarly, other functions such as chat, the raise-hand function, in-class surveys, etc are all tools that could help increase student participation rates.
Testing Abilities
Without testing the students, training institutes cannot determine if their courses are working, which aspects of their course are working, if the courses are too tough/not tough enough, etc. So, it goes without saying that assessments are vital when switching over to an online platform. With assessments, trainers can identify weak spots of students and increase their focus there. However, care should be taken to choose an online platform that allows trainers to customize their tests to their preference so they can pinpoint with more accuracy what needs to change.
At the end of the day, the most important goal of any training centre is that their students have a thorough understanding of all the concepts.
Technological and Security Capabilities
Finally, let’s not forget the importance of adaptability in smart eLearning solutions. For training institutes to truly move over to an online platform, they need to ensure that their platform has three main features – adaptability, variety, and security.
Adaptability means that a virtual learning management platform must allow students to learn irrespective of what device they are using – phones, tablets, or computers. Additionally, opt for a system that uses less internet bandwidth – after all, the entire point of taking online classes is to meet the needs of everyone, everywhere.
Variety refers to the ability of an online platform to seamlessly integrate a number of different forms of content on the platform. For example, can your online platform integrate ppts, videos, audios into your live classes? Is your virtual eLearning platform SCORM compliant? And does it allow you to create online courses with PowerPoint presentations, animated video, spreadsheets, audio clips, and pdf documents, etc? Are assessments part of your online module or will they have to be taken separately? These are some questions to keep in mind when determining the best online platform for training centres to jump onto.
Security is a vital aspect of creating a smart eLearning platform for training centres. This means that your eLearning solution providers must give your organization the option to use digital rights management tools to protect your content against piracy concerns. Additionally, ensure that regular security updates are done via patches for OS, SSL, and TLS. Without these, your platform would be vulnerable against threats and cyber-attacks, keeping students away from your courses.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. Now that you have an outline about creating a smart eLearning platform for your training institute, tell us what you think. Leave us a comment below if we missed something or call us if you like what we have to say.
