Once you’ve made the decision to implement training in your organisation, you need to choose the right training model. This can be challenging, as there are many factors to consider. You need to define learning goals, your target audience, what resources you have (time, budget, and expertise) and how flexible you need to be – among other things. Other questions are bound to crop along the way!
You also need to keep in mind that every training programme has different goals, and that it may be necessary to adapt or change the training model to suit your specific needs.
Here are some key considerations to help you choose a training model for your e-learning endeavours that matches your purpose and goals.
- Learning goals
Whichever training model you choose, you need to be sure it meets the learning goals you have set. For example, if you want to encourage critical thinking and problem solving, it might be a good idea to choose an investigative training model rather than traditional lectures. This is a question of activeversus passive learning.
E-learning gives you lots of opportunities to combine passive and active learning. You can provide theoretical training using media such as video, podcasts, and text. You can get participants to apply their new knowledge in practice by using interactive toos. By combining theoretical and practical approaches, you close the gap between passive knowledge acquisition and active application of that knowledge.
2. Target audience
Think about the needs and circumstances of your target audience. The type of training model that is most suitable can vary greatly depending on whether you want to target the whole organisation or specific teams.
A learning management system – or LMS – lets you easily organise training initatives for specific groups, proficiency levels, or knowledge requirements. It’s ideal for onboarding new employees, creating instruction modules for learning about new software or products, or to inform about your organisation’s Code of Conduct.
Some of our customers have developed instructional product trainings, which they then offer their customers. This is a very welcome and effective alternative to the traditional instruction manual.
- Resources
Think about what resources are available to you. For example, if you choose to go with e-learning, you will need a learning management system (LMS) or equivalent, and an authoring tool to create your courses. You also need to decide if you want to include videos, audio or illustrations – and budget for this. TicTac can supply you with both an LMS and authoring tools. If you would like help with planning the entire learning journey and developing e-learning modules, we can do that too.
- Flexibility
Choose a model that is flexible and can meet your needs both now and in the future. Many of our customers choose to start with organisation-wide training, such as an onboarding, or a course on GDPR or sustainability. There is a long-term need for this type of training, and it can be updated easily as needed.
Look at your organisation as a whole! Work out your learning goals – and what type of courses you need to achieve them!
By deciding on your learning goals, target audience, resources, and flexibility, you will have a solid foundation to build on. As with everything else, preparation is important. It will be much easier (and more satisfying!) to develop training for your organisation if you know exactly what you need. At TicTac, we have the resources, knowledge, and technology to help you all the way, or just to get started.
Good luck and #Neverstoplearning!