Aside from the tremendous amount of time and energy that companies dedicate to the research, development, and implementation of online training courses, there should also be efforts devoted to the evaluation of the training programs. Every training program needs to be evaluated in order to measure the effectiveness of an e-learning strategy. Companies need to be able to determine if they are successfully achieving their goals through these online courses. Here are helpful tips on how to evaluate e-learning training strategies.
Perform Assessments
Assessments, such as quizzes, exams, and tests provided at the end of every course module will allow you to see how well the employees are actually absorbing information and developing skill sets. Conversely, these assessments can also let you know if the learners are falling behind and if they need additional help. On the part of the training department, assessments provide valuable insights as to which parts of the e-learning program require revisions to increase their effectiveness. Case in point, if a particular module consistently produces a low number of passers compared to the other modules of the online training course, then you will have to review this module and even ask the learners why they had difficulty passing this part of the course.
Use the LMS Course Tracking Features
It is important for companies to check if an LMS (learning management system) has course tracking features. Course tracking allows companies to view detailed information about their employees’ on-the-job performance, training evaluations, and other significant data which are vital to properly monitoring the employees’ progress. Also, these bits of information allow companies to accurately identify which areas of the e-learning training program needs to be improved. Check the LMS for these data on a regular basis to see if the training is effectively adding value to your employees’ work performance.
Conduct Surveys and Polls
Surveys and polls are effective and inexpensive tools that allow companies to acquire invaluable insights from their employees. By conducting surveys and polls after they have taken an online course, employers will be able to properly identify the strengths and weaknesses of their online training strategy. It will also be a good idea to ask the learners to complete a short survey after completing every module, so you can have a more accurate perspective about what they have learned from each part of the online course.
Conduct On-the-Job Performance Evaluations
The ultimate purpose and goal of an employee training program via e-learning platform is for learners to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills from the program and apply these in their work. Considering this, the best way to measure the effectiveness of an online training course is by observing if there is noticeable improvement in the performance level of every employee who has undergone the e-learning training program. Perform evaluations on a weekly and monthly basis to see if your employees are able to continue applying what they have learned and sustain these learnings.
These tips on how employers can properly assess the effectiveness of their online training strategy will help businesses ensure that they implement quality online trainings that will deliver a sound return on their investment.
Michelle Gonzalez has been writing for SMEs across the United States, Canada, Australia and the UK for the last five years. She is a highly-experienced blogger and SEO copywriter, writing business blogs for various industries such as marketing, law, health and wellness, beauty, and education, particularly on e-learning platforms.
