3 Remote Training Mistakes to Avoid

The use of remote training for corporate learning is rising in 2021. This is because companies have social distancing regulations they must comply with due to the pandemic. This year, remote training is a necessity for most organizations that want to ensure their dispersed workforce remains skilled and compliant with industry-specific regulatory requirements. eLearning Industry stated, 

“...in the case of remote learning opportunities, (COVID-19) has allowed for more enthusiastic adoption, advances in technology, improved user experience, and increased visibility and appreciation of the power of (remote) learning and training.”¹

A contributor said remote learning is becoming mainstream because it meets organizations' training needs by being accessible, expandable, interactive, and enjoyable for learners. Those aren’t the only benefits of remote training for companies. Remote training also:

• Provides on-demand learning - With remote training, learners can access learning modules online right at their point of need. Remote training is available to them at any time and from any place. On-demand remote learning is especially effective when it is accessible on learners’ personal mobile devices.  
• Allows for self-directed learning - Most learners prefer to pace their own learning experience as opposed to adhering to a strict training schedule, which can be the case with in-person training. Remote training allows learners to fit training into their busy schedule instead of arranging their schedule around in-person training sessions. 
• Creates cost savings - The average company spent $1,111 per employee on training last year, according to the 2020 Training Industry Report.² This can really add up and eat into an organization’s budget, especially for large companies. Remote training promotes cost savings by eliminating the cost of individual instructor salaries, classroom rentals, travel, etc. By paying for a flat-rate LMS and purchasing eLearning content to upload to the system, a company can train an entire workforce while saving money.   
• Promotes accurate reporting - One of the best things about remote online training is that it can be reported on. For example, using LMS reports, company administrators can determine how effective training is by measuring the rates of participation and learner engagement with training. This gives administrators insights into what changes would make remote training more effective. 

TOPYX LMS software makes remote training simple for both administrators and learners. It allows learners to access remote online employee training on demand, from any mobile device, and pace their own learning experience. This can increase learner engagement with training. For administrators, TOPYX LMS software offers LMS reporting. It can also cut down on the overall cost of training as it is a flat-rate LMS. 

Interested in learning more about how TOPYX LMS software can provide the remote training your workforce needs? Request a free LMS demo of TOPYX.

Keep Learning: How eLearning Tools Enable Remote Training During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Avoid These 3 Remote Training Mistakes

Remote training is beneficial when implemented correctly. However, when an organization makes remote training mistakes, much of the benefit of this type of training is cancelled. It’s easy to avoid these mistakes when you know what they are. Here are some of the most common remote training mistakes to be aware of: 

1. Not providing learners with feedback on training - Something you should avoid when remotely training employees is failing to provide learners with feedback pertaining to training. Simply having employees complete an eLearning course isn’t enough. There should be sufficient follow-up after the course, as well as check-ins during the course. This will not only ensure learners complete the course, but that they comprehend the material and meet the course objectives. 

“In a classroom, trainers are continually checking learners’ understanding; providing feedback based on what they understood (and misunderstood!); and encouraging them, trying to keep them engaged and motivated,” stated Training Industry.³ “Online learners still need all of that checking, feedback and encouragement, but the trainer isn’t there to give it in person.” 

By sprinkling short quizzes and knowledge checks throughout a remote training course, you can give valuable feedback to learners. You may also want to consider having your L&D team reach out to user groups after the completion of an eLearning course to ensure learners’ questions are answered. This will help to increase employee satisfaction with training and enhance the overall learning experience.

By checking in with learners during an eLearning course and following up with them after, you can provide remote learners with the feedback they need to be successful in training. This will lead to better application of skills on the job.   

2. Not making remote training interactive - For some learners, eLearning is inherently engaging. These individuals often do well setting their own goals and staying on track with their training. Not every employee is like this. Some may not find online remote training as interesting as in-person training. 

To ensure remote training is engaging for all learners, it is important that you make training as interactive as possible. Training Industry⁴ suggested some great ways to include elements of interactivity into real-time remote training: 

• Have learners turn on video when they join a web training session
• Aim to engage learners every 10 minutes throughout a training session
• Acknowledge participants by using first names
• Begin and end training sessions in full-screen presenter mode 

Administrators should strive just as hard to make on-demand remote training interactive. They can accomplish this by adding quizzes, knowledge checks, simulations, scenarios, storylines, PowerPoint triggers, and hyperlinks to remote training courses. 

Making training more interactive is a sure way to increase learner engagement. You can also boost learner engagement by making remote training more collaborative. Use LMS software social learning tools to connect learners via user groups and online communities. Chances are your employees will feel more connected to training when they feel connected to their fellow learners.   

3. Not getting remote training feedback from learners - Gathering learners’ feedback after their participation in a remote training course is helpful to everyone. It aids training creators in designing effective employee training that delivers a good ROI for the organization. In creating better training, learners are directly benefited. For these reasons, it’s vital that companies prioritize not only giving feedback to learners during and after training, but also getting feedback pertaining to training from learners. 

One way to get feedback from learners is to create surveys for training participants. The surveys should ask targeted questions that help administrators understand how well-received the eLearning course was and how it could be improved. Offer learners incentives for completing the survey quickly (for example, enter these individuals into a drawing for a gift card) to receive answers in a timely manner.  

Using LMS reporting is another effective way to get feedback about how well learners are doing in training. Best of all, with LMS reporting you can get feedback without having to ask learners for it. This LMS software feature allows you to easily pull data on user activity and performance. Just imagine how much this would help your L&D team design training that gets better results. Because LMS reporting gives you an inside look at how effective training is, it is an LMS software feature every organization that relies on remote training needs.  

Related Reading: How to Transform In-Person Training Into Remote Training Content  

Find the Right LMS Software for Your Organization 

Another remote training mistake to avoid is using the wrong LMS software to deliver training with. Every company has a different employee base, mission, vision, and culture. Therefore, LMS software isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s essential that you find LMS software that is the perfect fit for your company. By taking the time to find the right LMS software for your individual organization, you can promote successful remote training. 

The best remote training software for your company will have the following LMS features:

• Robust reporting
• Mobile learning 
• A flat-rate, cost-saving pricing model 
• Social learning
• Collaborative learning
• LMS integrations
• Certifications 

TOPYX LMS software ticks every box on this checklist. By requesting a free LMS demo of TOPYX, you can find out if our remote training platform is right for your organization.  

References: 

1. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/rise-of-remote-learning-2021.  
2. 2020 Training Industry Report. https://pubs.royle.com/publication/?m=20617&i=678873&p=24. 
3. Training Industry. https://trainingindustry.com/articles/e-learning/creating-effective-feedback-for-e-learning/#:~:text=By%20humanizing%20the%20feedback%2C%20you,and%20encourage%20them%20to%20persevere.&text=It's%20important%20to%20consider%20what%20the%20feedback%20is,do%3A%20to%20educate%20and%20motivate.
4. Training Industry. https://trainingindustry.com/articles/remote-learning/10-strategies-to-make-virtual-training-more-engaging/.