Quickly rolling out virtual training

Like most companies, yours is currently facing sweeping changes brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. Over the span of just a few weeks, 88% of companies worldwide have made a quick transition to remote working.

The sudden shift to working from home creates new needs for essential job-related skills. Your organization’s employees need to upskill quickly, so they have the know-how to perform in a remote work environment. At the same time, you’ve got to continue routine training to help keep the business moving, even during a crisis.

How can L&D and HR professionals convert classroom training to virtual training to reach employees who are working from home? It’s time to rapidly shift our classroom training to virtual training.

Need help getting started? You’re not alone! Here’s a quick guide and some helpful tips to bring you up to speed on making the shift the virtual training.

What’s possible with online learning?

If your organization has not embraced online learning in the past, there’s no better time than now. In fact, our new home office reality makes online learning a necessary tool.

Virtual training uses web-based technologies to provide knowledge to your employees. The possibilities are endless. You can use e-learning authoring software to create course content ranging from video tutorials to step-by-step guides, to microlearning modules, to interactive learning games, quizzes, and more.

A key advantage of converting face-to-face training to online is making use of e-learning’s interactive nature. Employees feel empowered because they can access and use the knowledge on-demand, whenever they need it most. You can also establish an “Employee-generated Learning” system, in which employees themselves author training content based on their areas of expertise.

Shifting to virtual learning: do’s and don’ts

When shifting from in-person to online learning, start by determining which virtual learning methods are best for your organization.

Here are some “do’s and don’ts” to get you thinking in the right direction:

What to do:

• • Use cost-effective, cloud-based e-learning software like Easygenerator that’s very easy to access and use.
  • Leverage your most valuable asset: your employees. Encourage team members to contribute to a shared knowledge base that their coworkers can access.
  • Look for that 20% of your employees who thrive from sharing their knowledge with others and are eager to contribute. These are your true allies in the shift to virtual learning.
  • Set clear learning objectives and use these as a guide for creating learning content
  • Make learning social and interactive (#SocialByDesign) by turning your online learning platform into a space for coworkers to share, collaborate and exchange ideas with each other.

What not to do:

• • Don’t simply upload existing PowerPoint presentations and expect learners to flip through these on their own. This is not an engaging way to present new information, and it will be counterproductive.
  • Don’t simply “convert” face-to-face training to virtual training. Instead, “transform” your approach: explore and embrace the possibilities that online training and the virtual classroom offer.
  • Don’t waste time with overly complicated course authoring software. Pick a zero-learning curve solution like Easygenerator, so you’re not stuck training people on how to use the training software itself.
  • Don’t panic. This will take some getting used to. Remind yourself and your colleagues that you’re all experimenting with a new approach. This will create an atmosphere in which it’s okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them.

Virtual learning is here to stay

Once your organization discovers the benefits of virtual learning, you’ll wonder why you didn’t embrace it sooner. Even when the current crisis is over, you can continue to benefit from online learning. It actually works great in combination with face-to-face training (a method known as “blended learning”), giving you the best of both worlds.

So, take advantage of this opportunity to explore new possibilities. We’re all coming up with creative solutions to keep things moving forward. And that’s what virtual learning is all about.