How to make distance learning effective? The main thing is that you need to competently approach the choice of a program and a training center. Training of employees of the organization, of course, is relevant at any stage of work: when entering a new position, when expanding official powers, when improving knowledge in the main specialty.
In the age of rapidly developing Internet technologies, distance learning is becoming more and more popular, as it expands the boundaries of knowledge, making it possible for an employee of any organization, regardless of its geographic location, to study in a variety of prestigious training centers. Many employees take up training just to get certified with certificates like Salesforce certification etc. The attractiveness of distance learning is primarily due to the fact that it is carried out on the job. At the same time, company employees do not need to go on a business trip, and employers, accordingly, have to bear travel expenses, look for a replacement for such employees for the period of their training.
Why Distance Learning?
Sometimes distance learning is resorted to if you need to quickly and without unnecessary fuss to get a “crust” in accordance with the requirements of the law. Then training becomes a formality. But, unfortunately, such offers on the market exist and will exist as long as there is a demand for them. But how to make distance learning effective if both the employee and the employer are interested in high-quality training in an interesting and promising training program for the organization?
To do this, the head of the enterprise or the person responsible for training employees will need to perform a series of steps to determine the program and training center, which can be trusted with training.
The choice of a distance learning training center can be influenced by :
- The presence of a license to conduct educational activities, if such a license is required for the implementation of the program (for example, if at the end of the training a document on advanced training or retraining is issued, then the license must be required).
- Volume and content of the training program. In order to understand what issues will be studied by an employee in the framework of training, the training program or curriculum should be posted in the public domain.
- Comprehensive information about the means and methods of teaching. In other words, it should be clear from the description of distance learning technologies how it is carried out. For example, through daily live communication between the teacher and the listener through the Internet broadcast, an independent study of lecture material, watching video lectures, etc. In addition, it should be clear how the practical classes are held, in what forms, in what time frame.
- Most often, information about distance learning programs can be found on the websites of training centers. Such a site, if it claims to be a high-level site, should not, after studying the information posted on it, leave the listener with any questions and (or) force the listener to additionally contact the site developers to clarify them.
Improve training effectiveness
What methods will allow the employer to be convinced of the effectiveness of training?
- FIRST , the training center should implement a monitoring system for the passage of training. It can be automated and non-automated. For example, a distance learning portal can record the amount of material that was viewed by a trainee by passing a mandatory intermediate control (for example, a test or control work), or by fixing transitions through the texts of a lecture material, or by sending training materials in separate parts, etc. Most often the training center provides the employer with the results of control at his request. However, in some distance learning systems, special services are implemented to reflect all the results of completed assignments, for example, a virtual grade.
- SECONDLY , within the framework of the training, the possibility of communication with the teacher (in the form of online consultations, webinars, etc.) should be realized. This ensures that you receive answers to your questions during the training and contributes to the additional assimilation of the passed material. Moreover, if there are practical questions in the employer’s organization, this is a great opportunity to discuss them with the specialist teaching the course. You need to understand that sometimes such specialist consultations can cost more than the training itself.
- Thirdly , the training program should include different types of practical tasks (for example, business games, testing, control, project assignments, etc.). For greater efficiency, practical tasks should be individual. This allows you to formulate control questions for each of the students and check their actual knowledge.
The most popular type of final certification in distance learning is testing . To exclude the possibility of using the Internet and other sources of information when passing the test, the distance learning system must provide protection against such actions. For example, the time for passing the test may be limited, when the test is repeated, the question options must completely change, etc.
Conclusion
Long-term work in the distance learning system and the accumulated experience of working with various organizations and distance learning portals allow us to conclude that in the absence of the forms and methods of distance learning described above, it is impossible to assess the effectiveness of such training.
Once again, we repeat that for a reasonable financial investment in the education of your staff, you need to correctly approach the choice of a program and a training center.