How To Provide Personalized eLearning Feedback For Self-Paced Learning
eLearning feedback is one of the most important aspects of learning. Regular eLearning feedback helps corporate learners determine how effectively they comprehend the information or skills, as well as identify their personal weaknesses and improve behaviors or habits. In a traditional training environment, instructors can easily offer input and point out mistakes. Self-paced learning environments often lack one-on-one interactions, but there are still ways to make it personal and give corporate learners the ongoing support they need.
7 Insider Tips To Personalize The Feedback Process
1. Use Concrete Examples To Clarify Points
Online training courses that introduce new concepts or skills should feature concrete examples to drive the point home. New ideas are particularly difficult to master, and case studies make it easier for corporate learners to tie them to real-world situations. You may be wondering what case studies and concrete examples have to do with providing eLearning feedback. However, these online training tools require corporate learners to use their newfound knowledge to predict how a branching scenario will play out, as well as the negative/positive consequences of their behaviors and actions. When designing case studies for online training courses, break them into different parts and have corporate learners predict what should be done in a particular scene. The system should then reveal the right answers that the corporate learners will use to check if they made the correct prediction or not.
2. Provide Corporate Learners With A Progress Map
Since the online training program is self-paced, corporate learners should be able to pinpoint their progress on the platform. As such, eLearning developers should incorporate progress maps that will tell corporate learners where they are at a given moment. This gives corporate learners the ability to monitor their progress and to find ways to make improvements if they are lagging behind. To make it easy for corporate learners to track their progress, divide online training courses into several lessons that your corporate learners can attempt in the order they wish. At the end of each lesson, they are able to self-check their performance and progress recorded on the map, which provides them personalized eLearning feedback they can use to continually develop their skills and knowledge base.
3. Avoid A One-Size-Fits-All Approach
Most eLearning developers fail where it matters most by generalizing the eLearning feedback provided to corporate learners upon completion. They take a step in the right direction by offering eLearning feedback after assessments to tell corporate learners where they went right or wrong. But they take two steps back by providing generic eLearning feedback that does not identify specific areas for improvement. Corporate learners have different learning requirements, such as their preferred method of content delivery and the speed at which they grasp the concepts. Thus, eLearning professionals should individualize constructive criticism and recommendations. They can do this by setting multiple-choice questions or simple true or false questions after every online training activity. Based on the answers provided, the system automatically adjusts the corporate learner’s online training path or provides a list of suggested online training activities/modules, thus enabling self-paced learning.
4. Open A Feedback Dialogue
The best way to provide eLearning feedback for self-paced learning is to create a rapport with corporate learners rather than offering it as an instruction or demand that makes them feel singled out. Include some targeted questions at the end of the online training course and ask corporate learners to come up with suggestions on how they might apply the concepts in a real-life setting. The goal is to encourage them to seek out solutions on their own, instead of feeling like they’re being forced into change.
5. Incorporate Follow-Up eLearning Feedback
It’s not enough to simply provide eLearning feedback and then hope that corporate learners enact change. It’s wise to follow up with individuals who require ongoing support and help them prioritize. For example, analyze your LMS reports to identify which corporate learners are still struggling with the online training course despite the fact that you’ve offered personalized recommendations and criticism in the past regarding the same skill or knowledge gaps. Schedule a one-on-one coaching session or pair them with a mentor who can offer additional help. Even working with peers in a group setting to complete a task might give them the experience and insight they need.
6. Focus On Actionable Learning Goals And Objectives
The secret to successful eLearning feedback that promotes self-paced learning is being specific. You must align it with actionable and measurable learning goals that corporate learners can actually track instead of vague learning objectives that lack effective milestones. Let them know exactly where they need to improve and what online training resources they can use to achieve their goals. Also, avoid feedback that feels more like a personal attack than insightful criticism. For example, recommending that a corporate learner changes their attitude toward the online training experience or alter behavior that’s rooted in their cultural background.
7. Empower Corporate Learners To Create Their Own Improvement Plan
eLearning feedback is only effective when corporate learners use it to bridge gaps and improve performance behaviors. For this reason, it’s crucial to get corporate learners actively involved by empowering them to create their own plan of action. Invite them to participate in simulations, branching scenarios, or other interactive activities that allow them to analyze their performance. For example, a branching scenario that helps them identify skills or topics they need to work on in order to improve their conflict resolution approach. Then give them access to a microlearning online training library or an active online community they can use to continually improve and broaden their knowledge.
Conclusion
eLearning feedback is a key aspect of self-paced learning. It gives corporate learners the opportunity to fine-tune behaviors and focus on areas for improvement. Above are 7 things that eLearning developers can do to provide personalized eLearning feedback and avoid a one-size-fits-all approach.
