As creators, sellers and users of online training, we often come up against naysayers who bring excellent issues to the table about various aspects of online training. Some we hear are good points and some are completely unfounded, however, no matter the issues, we have solutions for each of them. Here are the top five challenges we have found with online training and some solutions to tackle them.

Issue #1 - Going online just means more distractions.

While we can't eliminate distractions, we can limit their ability to impact a learner by using a few simple techniques. First of all, it is important to set a deadline. You set a deadline for in-person trainings (the person has to attend the training and stay until completion), so why shouldn't you set a deadline for online training completions? Let the learner know approximately how long the course will take and give them a date it needs to be completed by. And secondly, courses should be broken up into short, manageable segments where a learner can find the time to complete them on his or her schedule. This is one of the biggests benefits of online training, flexibility.

Issue #2 - Online courses have low Impact.

If this is true, then the course was either not well-thoughout or designed poorly. Online courses should be designed to align with an organizations objectives. Too many times we have seen where an organization and the author of the course get so focused on the online experience, the interactions and all the bells and whistles a course can contain, but completely forget to make sure the course has the proper content and structure that will convey the information needed. This step of content and structure is crucial to having an effective course, the bells and whistles can come later. In addition to this, measuring the course success and content retention is important. By installing short, checkpoint quizzes within the course and measuring the specific objectives after the course has been taken, you can be certain the course will have a high impact on the organization.

Issue #3 - Courses are mediocre and boring.

This one typically makes us laugh. Online courses don't have to be boring, it's as simple as that. And there is a difference between dry content and a boring course. Through our own experience, we know that even dry content can be made into an interesting course. By building animations, interactions, games and quizzes into a course, the content and truly come to life. Bulletpointed lists don't have to be bulletpointed lists in an online course, we promise. By bringing just a little creativity, an online course can be every bit as engaging as any in-person training. And even more so if the trainer is one who just stands there and drones on.

Issue #4 - Technical difficulties associated with going online.

Technical issues happen, but they can be mitigated to a certain extent. One way to do this is by using a proven application to deliver the training such as a high quality LMS or intranet. The high quality LMS has an added perk of easy tracking and reporting. Another way to mitigate some of the techincal difficulties is to offer a course that works on multiple devices and operating systems. This offers a learner the ability to pick which device they are most comfortable with, giving less of a chance for any techincal difficulties. And the last way to mitigate techincal difficulties is to choose a learning solutions partner that has excellent customer service and who understands the importance of not only getting the training up and running, but also keeping it updated and running smoothly.

Issue #5 - Online training has a lack of in-person interaction.

In-person interaction for online training is always going to be a concern, but in today's environment we have been provided with many excellent 'plan b' options that that can help with the lack of person-to-person interaction. From online conferencing applications such as Zoom and Google Meet, to team communication and collaboration applications such as Slack, Microsoft Teams and Google Hangout, these alternatives to in-person interaction provide a great opportunity to stay connected. Nothing can fully replace in-person interactions, but there are definitely some good alternatives.

As you can see, there are some challenges to overcome with online training, but we have found that they can all be solved in one way or another. At Cornerstone Learning, we are an employee engagement consultancy at our core, and just happen to have the ability to create online training. So we know what best engages your people. The courses we build are high quality, highly engaging and effective. And if you're in need of a high quality LMS without the high price tag, we have an excellent solution for that as well.

You bring the training, we transform it. Let us be your online training partner. Your new and existing employees get the training they need in a safer and effective format. Let us help you make the switch.

We are an employee engagement consultancy at our core with the ability to develop online training, so we know what truly engages your people more than a standard online training authoring company. Contact us today at info@cornerstonelearning.com and let us partner with you to transform your training.