How To Encourage Collaboration In eLearning Course Design
Online collaboration is one of the most effective ways to boost user participation and promote knowledge retention. It gives corporate learners the ability to share their experiences and this, more often than not, helps them understand the concepts on a deeper level. Employees will gain a lot from online training and this will go a long way in improving their performance and productivity at work. Online collaboration also makes online training programs fun and enjoyable. Thus, enhancing motivation and engagement. Here are 6 creative ways to encourage collaboration in eLearning course design.
6 Ways To Fuel Learner Collaboration
1. Social Media Showcase
Almost everyone is on social media. Instructional Designers looking to make their online training courses as collaborative as possible should consider social media engagement. People use sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to chat and catch up on the latest stories. LMS platforms that integrate social media use allow interaction among peers in a less formal setting. They can use the social media buttons to discuss different topics and to share tips on how to best get the most from the online training experience.
Effective learning is not just about using online training modules to enhance skills and productivity. It also involves getting and sharing eLearning feedback. Social media is a great channel for this. Corporate learners can use social media to provide eLearning feedback, as well as for the betterment of their peers. Invite corporate learners to upload their own online training content and solicit feedback. This social media showcase allows them to expand their own knowledge by accessing online training resources created by other corporate learners, in addition to identifying areas for improvement and shedding light on strengths, thanks to the social media feedback.
2. Turn Employees Into Bloggers
Blogging is another effective way to encourage collaboration in eLearning course design. Blogging will allow corporate learners to open up and express themselves freely. After completing a certain online training module, an employee may choose to blog about it. Therefore, creating a more meaningful online training experience and providing your organization with valuable eLearning feedback. If a certain online training program helped them overcome certain challenges at work, they can write a blog post to explain how that happened. Blogs usually support comments from other users, and this is how blogging turns your LMS into a collaborative online training tool. Other users may comment on the corporate eLearning blogs, which allows them to share their opinions and feelings productively. This exchange of ideas promotes online collaboration and helps corporate learners make the most of the online training materials.
3. Create Group Collaboration Projects
Develop group collaboration projects that require corporate learners to work as a team to complete the assignment or collectively solve common challenges. People usually take different routes when it comes to overcoming obstacles. Getting them to collaborate on a project introduces different viewpoints and this promotes more effective learning. Corporate learners benefit from each other’s knowledge base and experiences. This promotes skill development, content mastery, and memory retention. Instead of merely presenting them with a training topic, switch things up by offering a real-world mystery. For example, they must put their heads together to handle a common compliance issue and devise various solutions.
4. Incorporate Team-Based Branching Scenarios
Online training programs should test qualitative knowledge by asking employees to use their skills to solve problems and challenges. By incorporating real-world scenarios into online training programs, corporate learners are able to understand how to use their new skills to solve real-world challenges. Branching scenarios also create emotionally engaging experiences that allow corporate learners to connect with the ideas in context. However, they don’t have to be a solo activity.
To encourage collaboration in eLearning course design, you can transform them into group collaboration activities that involve discussions, debates, and even friendly competition. Present corporate learners with a general overview of the challenge that lies ahead. Then ask them to discuss each decision-making path before making their final choice. For instance, they must discuss all the options/responses available and explain why they would choose a specific path. This gives them the opportunity to understand different viewpoints and challenge their own cognitions/beliefs.
5. Create Live Online Training Events To Facilitate Collaboration
Corporate learners can access online training materials wherever they are, as long as they have a reliable internet connection. This makes it possible to host a live online training event that engages corporate learners and allows them to interact with remote peers. The members can discuss a certain training topic or debate the issues mentioned in an online training module. Better yet, divide them into groups and invite each team to host their own live online training event. They must write an outline and create companion online training activities or resources for their online peers.
6. Host Weekly Online Debates
Your corporate learners come from different backgrounds, which means that they may have opposing viewpoints from time to time. Host a weekly debate on social media or online discussions where they can explore their own perspective and share opinions with peers. The catch is that they must stay on topic and remain civilized. At the end of the debate, corporate learners can recap the session and highlight what they’ve learned. For example, which personal assumptions or beliefs were debunked during the live online training event?
Conclusion
Collaboration is an essential component of effective online training. It helps corporate learners understand the concepts presented in the online training modules better and to take advantage of social learning opportunities. Use these 6 tips to encourage collaboration in eLearning course design and create more engaging and memorable online training experiences that facilitate peer-based interactions.
Conflict resolution is a crucial part of successful collaboration. Download Remote Team Dynamics: How To Launch A Successful Conflict Management Training Program For Your Global Workforce to learn how to instill a sense of community and collaborate with ease.
