Analytics In E-Learning - Getting Smarter About Your Workforce

Across the world, organizations are making big investments to leverage analytics tools and technologies to provide customized digital experiences and improved learner engagement. Today, the country is widely adopting data analytics approach across marketing, sales, security, healthcare, aviation and other sectors. Organizations are working in collaboration with industry leaders to impart innovative learning solutions and bridge the skills gaps. The exponential rise of data requires service providers to understand the need of big data and how it can be incorporated with Learning Management Software (LMS).

Data Analytics: Few Use Cases

The highly advanced analytics strategy is the game-changer, with increasing number of data generated by internal systems, blended with data coming from external sources. For example, in the insurance sector, combining the unstructured data such as user reviews and ratings gathered from social media help insurers to understand customer sentiments in an analytical way. These outcomes help to mitigate risks and accordingly set different premium models. Let us discuss a few benefits of implementing data analytics for workplace learning:

• Analytics helps leveraging valuable data, thereby improving information flow across the entire organization.
• Even if there is a lack of direct interaction, it is possible to create a perfect profile using data aggregated from different sources.
• Data aggregation is another form of recognizing the significance of ample sources of information. For instance, analytics can be implemented to share data with others, thereby enhancing operational efficiency.

Although big data is getting popular, technological advances are still going to take place in the coming time. Investing in employee training is one big way of increasing success of analytics in e-learning. As technology evolves in varied industries, it is important that companies invest in this area.

Why Your Company Needs Data Analytics?

For an employee, it is important to develop analytical skills and understand their varied learning behavioral patterns. Big data offers learning analytics which can inform about different aspects of employee training which include understanding employees, developing successful training programs and building collaboration among peers. In addition, if educators are given an opportunity to know how their employees are seeking information, they are able to deliver more engaging and customized training content. Course modules are tailored to individual needs of learners, providing an effective learning experience. Data analytics is one of the latest trends going down the pipeline and will have a bigger impact with the use of robust LMS.

Integration Of Augmented Reality In Modern Learning Spaces

From touchscreen encounters to real-world experiences, Virtual and Augmented Reality (AR) reflect a new trend of learning, engaging and collaborating across the enterprise. Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer-aided technology that uses realistic images, audios and animations to replicate a real-life environment. Availability of online courses in multiple formats via Learning Management Systems (LMSs) has become one of the most efficient methods to deliver continuous learning. The applications of an AR system are ample. As a collaborative tool, it enables real time communication among learners spread across diverse locations. As a training tool, it is used to direct learners with a series of steps to complete a task.

Scope of Augmented Reality in Different Industries

Awareness of AR has reached a crescendo, resulting in innovative learning solutions to support an increasing number of opportunities across industries. Augmented Reality has improved the interaction between learners and educators, resulting in better collaboration and marketing capabilities.

Figure- Adopting AR: What are Enterprises  Doing

Today, organizations looking to adopt AR have improved their learning technologies to leave a powerful impact on the enterprise market. The ever-evolving conditions of the digital world have increased the potential of online course delivery, saving costs and increasing effectiveness of workforce training. Let us discuss few industry verticals where AR is embedded with e-learning:

► Healthcare

From mental health ailments to 3D simulations, AR is expected to have a wide range of applications. For instance, virtual organ models are used in advance by doctors to prepare for complex surgeries. Today, AR solutions when blended with data analytics and artificial intelligence can change the way care is delivered.

► Entertainment

There are some organizations that organize live events, games and other forms of video entertainment to generate highest revenues through augmented reality. For players of video games, AR headsets add a digital value by providing seamless opportunities for interactive content.

► Retail

For retail companies, AR is used as an efficient tool to get the most out of information disseminated through social media and interactive mobile apps. Customer buying pattern can be analyzed to create virtual tours tailored to the learning needs of individuals.

► Manufacturing

Digitization has completely transformed the manufacturing industry. Sensors are installed on factory floors to improve operational efficiencies and reduce costs. AR helps building strong collaboration and engagement among learners, thereby streamlining the entire training process.

In conclusion, Augmented Reality is an advanced technology used to provide learners with the right type of content at the right time. An amalgam of personalized AR gadgets with robust e-learning applications can help taking learning to the next level.

How Does Video-based Mobile Learning Improves Learner Engagement

In today’s era of visual information, where most of us retain more knowledge through visual content, images and videos are gaining immense popularity in e-learning courses to keep learners engaged. Undoubtedly, video-based learning helps conveying messages faster, more efficiently, motivate learners and make it easy to retain information for long. The incorporation of videos in learning is not new. With the ability to impart both synchronous as well as asynchronous learning aligned to diversified needs, videos have the ability to engage the auditory as well as the visual senses of learners.

Organizations focus on empowering modern learners by allowing their employees to adopt the latest tools and technologies to boost workplace productivity. Videos are processed 60,000 times faster than normal textual information and is more appealing for learners. Let us discuss few tips that are used by organizations to engage maximum learners:

·         Storytelling

Story-based content delivery aids learners effectively visualize the real-life application of a particular topic and provides related context. Story leaves a greater impact when blended with video-based learning. Every story has a rise and fall, and same goes with learning at workplace. For instance, adding a climactic scene at the end of story will engage learners till the end and positively improves retention.

·         Continuous training improvement

Video-based content helps educators save their time investing in delivery training repetitively. The time saved can be utilized to improve the quality and efficiency of training program by organizing flipped classroom, customized learning paths, instant feedbacks and more.

·         Ask questions

It may sound rhetorical, but questions provide learners a great opportunity to think on what is being asked. Onscreen questions enable learners to recall whatsoever they learned till then, increasing their chances to remain engaged till the end.

·         Keep it short & precise

Content is transformed as short clips while delivering video-based learning for betterlearner interaction. Short duration videos impart accurate information which is aligned to customized needs of organizational workforce.

As text and graphics make courses boring, interactive videos are used to explain better by example and enhance the overall learning experience. So, it is important to ensure that videos are used in the right manner with a thoughtful planning and right amount of engagement so that video production is done in a professional way. In today’s revolutionary world where the use of multimedia presentations for learning is increasing, video content delivery is becoming an apt training method at workplace.

Significance Of Coworking Spaces For Workforce Learning

Coworking spaces have become quite popular among the organizational workforce to boost collaboration and business productivity. As a result, it helps in encouraging learners and driving demand for coworking spaces.

Flexible work environment, global connectivity and robust infrastructure are the major factors that help organizations remain ahead of the curve. Development of online learning courses in coworking spaces is one of the growing business models of today’s age. It provides an effective work environment where employees with from different backgrounds work in the same space to improve interaction level between learners and educators.

Emerging Need of Coworking Spaces

In the last few years, there has been an exponential rise in the scope of using coworking spaces to enable employees access e-learning courses in the same space. Companies from different industry verticals are using these spaces to enhance learning outcomes and increase flexibility. Consequently, it helps encouraging employees to learn more, thereby leading to enhanced workplace performance. For instance, a company that emphasize both on consumer demand and marketing uses a common space to work as well as study employee behavior.

Today, enterprises are adopting varied kinds of coworking spaces to cater to the customized needs of every learner. Sometimes, they motivate their offsite workforce to join these spaces and leverage the benefits reported by an independent workforce. Enhanced collaboration, employee satisfaction and better productivity are some of the benefits of coworking spaces.

Why to Embrace Coworking Spaces in an Organization? 

Whether small firms or large organizations, coworking approach has been followed by all to reap the maximum benefits from online training programs. Their strategies follow different scenarios as listed here:

• Placing different learners in common spaces help deriving communal benefits reported by independent co-workers. It is beneficial for employees who work in different geographic locations or work while travelling.

• Incorporating coworking spaces with company’s organizational strategies, either by creating an environment onsite or using offsite space. It helps build innovation and adopted by Research & Development team as well as Human Resources.

• Helping organizations to enhance their understanding of employees’ diverse work profiles that flourish in coworking spaces.

Accessibility of online courses in a coworking space offers ample opportunities to gain knowledge from colleagues who often share their ideas and vision. With advancement in technology, it has become easier for workforce to interact with others in coworking spaces virtually from anywhere. Ultimately, coworking allows employees learn at their own pace, acting as a respite from their day-to-day qualms of meeting deadlines and achieving organizational targets.

Impact Of Enterprise LMS In The New Age Of Learning

Workplace learning is facing tremendous changes with ever-changing economy, learners’ preferences and demographics. However, innovations in technology such as mobile learning, simulations, adaptive learning and delivery of dynamic content via online Learning Management System are providing organizations with ample opportunities to handle these challenges. Facilitators are adopting new technologies to successfully transform training needs into solutions that enhance employee engagement, retention and business productivity. 

                     

Today’s new age learners are tech-savvy and therefore look for online courses that completely change the way learning occurs. They expect for a customized learning experience that is perfectly aligned to their individual training needs. Online courses which can be accessed via modern enterprise LMS helps building strong collaboration between learners and trainers, adapting a style which is different from‘one-size-fits-all’approach. 

Delivering an Engaging Learning Experience 

Enterprise LMS enables organizations to deliver learning experiences that ensure success of every learner irrespective of their location, background or learning style. It also helps to extend their reach and offer individual instructions for every learner. Key features of a next-generation LMS include:

► Digital, as today’s modern era is completely digitized and has become the most vital component for learning processes. 

► It develops communication and collaboration between the learner and the educator. 

► It builds an environment which is dynamic, catering to the customized needs of workforce from different industry verticals. 

A shift towards the next-generation LMS transforms into a more engaging, anytime and anywhere learning experience, which results in positive training outcomes. For trainers, an online learning platform helps giving a more personalized attention to learners and boost their success. With the support of LMS features such as flexibility and robustness, organizations support different learners, delivery models and approaches they need to adapt in the future. 

The ever-evolving demands of learners from all over requires organizations to follow an innovative and efficient approach to workplace learning. It means to leverage cutting-edge technology as a crucial key to implement e-learning strategies in a cost-effective manner. Truly, enterprise LMS is one of the most significant tools of digital learning, used to create and deliver online courses and training modules.

Need Of Localizing E-Learning Components For Global Learners

With the increasing number of benefits that online courses impart to organizations, digital learning will not remain only as an efficient content delivery platform for workforce training, but will grow exponentially in the coming few years. With e-learning spread across a wide network of learners and facilitators, it has become essential to design custom courses in multiple languages for better learner understanding. The use of cutting-edge technology enables localization of e-learning content into multiple languages, making it more effective and engaging for learners. 

Exploring the Components to Facilitate Localization 

Organizations adopt varied e-learning strategies to design custom e-courses. There are different e-learning components that are localized to align with varied learning needs. Some of them are discussed as follows:

• Content translation

Training courses include on-screen text which needs to be translated. For instance, text is interpreted into another language such as French, Spanish and German, which needs to be reformatted in the original English language on the screen. Audios and narrations are also incorporated with online courses to enhance learners’ understanding of multilingual courses.

• Mouse cursor movement

Due to the instructional design of online courses, it is important to include cursor movements that point to information that the narrator is describing. This cursor movement is reflected in the localization of e-learning components also.

• Graphics

Graphics incorporated with e-courses should also be translated for better understanding. When text is added in the graphics, it needs to be exported in an external file and translated. Then, the original graphic can be localized.

• Assessments

Quizzes, assessments and feedbacks are some of the valuable components in an e-learning course. These include questions as true/false, fill in the blanks, multiple choice or matching items with pictures. The language used for these components should also be localized per learners’preferences, enabling them access courses and then evaluate their performances.

The ability to access courses via online learning platforms is a highly effective approach to achieve organizational targets. Organizations spend huge amounts of money in designing, developing and testing learning programs to update clients with latest products and services. By creating courses in a single language, it is not possible to fulfil training need of every individual. Therefore, localizing training curricula in multiple languages is crucial for serving the ever-evolving demands of learners from diverse industry domains. In addition, it also improves employee retention level, boosts learners’ interest and motivates them to enroll in different training programs for an engaging learning experience.

Use Of Efficient Enterprise LMS To Build A Successful Business Case

Digital solutions can be treated as a minefield as there are ample decisions to be taken and making mistakes at this level can be costly. However, most of the organizations fulfill their financial targets with enterprise Learning Management System (LMS) and yield fruitful results. Today, e-learning is considered as instructional content imparted with web-based technology. Whether you need to facilitate learning, deliver content to different demographic regions or reduce long-term costs, e-learning can be the perfect approach.

There are several reasons why organizations are investing in online learning solutions. As a training method, it imparts different benefits over traditional learning for the right topics and at the right time. While many organizations report growth in their learning budgets over time, online learning is still a part of larger training budgets. Classroom-led training is also an effective learning approach that will always be part of a training toolkit for enterprises. It might be blended with e-learning or even adopted as a standalone approach for customized courses.

Evaluate E-Learning as an Investment 

While thinking of initial evaluation of business feasibility and development of business case, the first question that arises is, “Why do you want to invest in this particular project?” What problem can be addressed using robust online platform? For instance, many organizations report that with reduced travel budgets, there is a decrease in count of learners in classrooms, which leads to decreased revenues. So, transforming the overall learning experience from classroom training to e-learning was an efficient way to generate business revenues. The financial analysis of e-learning comprises of three main steps as discussed below:

1. Identify E-Learning Costs

Calculating the initial cost investments and other related costs of e-learning can be complicated. There are multiple decisions to be taken that include investment in enterprise LMS, use of rapid authoring tools, implementation of innovative learning technologies that meet tailored needs. It is not easy for companies to start small and then gradually improve their e-learning budgets over time.

2. Quantify E-Learning Benefits 

After analyzing the initial costs involved, the next step is to quantify the advantages of digital learning. Few benefits are hard to quantify, but prove to be significant factors in  investment decisions. Some of these are listed here:

• Performance support
• Increased learning efficiency
• Enhanced consistency in content delivery
• Better scalability
• Better coordination between learner and educator
• More appealing and effective learning styles 

3. Calculate e-learning returns

After quantifying the costs and other benefits, the next step is to calculate returns over e-learning investments. One of the method to calculate returns is Economic Value Added (EVA). It assumes there is an opportunity cost to the money invested and might result in better returns.

A significant initiative has been taken by small companies as well as large enterprises. It is common to handle the evaluation of that decision in multiple phases, followed by in-depth research and evaluation. Every learning need is different, so e-learning is the perfect strategy to deliver a right content and meet the ever-changing needs of your organization.

Learning Management Software - Its Concept, Features And Benefits

In line with the ever-evolving modern era where most people rely on the internet for most of their activities, it is important to use an online system that cater to their training needs. Learning Management System (LMS) is an efficient online portal that connects educators and learners. It provides a platform to share classroom education and other related activities without any hassle.

The LMS provides an avenue for learners where they can search for information regarding their e-courseware, ensuring accuracy of the information at the same time. It is one of the most effective solutions which are useful for learners in an online learning environment. Learning Management System aids educators to deliver training content along with interactivity features such as discussion threads, forums and shared files. It also offers management activities including planning, tracking, virtual classrooms and statistical analysis. Consequently, it helps saving lot of time and effort of trainers without making any considerable change in the teaching process.

Challenges with LMS Implementation

With increasing use of online learning platform, there will be certain problems arising for the users. Most of the organizations are using LMS to create e-learning courses, but many instructors restrict themselves from uploading training materials on the web and are not familiar with the use of interactive features such as forums, wikis, emails and messages. In addition, few organizations face problems while integrating instructional technology into workplace training. Reasons behind this failure include huge expenses on technology, competition and lack of effective business strategy. Such organizations that impart e-learning face difficulties in achieving successful strategies from information delivery to the acceptance of courses.

A Glimpse of LMS Features

In a corporate world, LMS isused to monitor employees’ performance and track records of training and appraisals. Whether e-courses are implemented for few learners over long period of time or for short duration, LMS makes learning easier and smoother. Some of the features of the flexible learning platform are discussed here:

• ·       Easy-to-navigate GUI

Learning management systems provide customized options for the interface to enable users access content with ease. Graphical User Interface (GUI) of an LMS should be functional enough so that administrators can assign multilingual courses only once and these can be accessed by learners globally.

• ·       Personalized learning

LMS also provides customized options to cater to different needs of learners. Language versions, notification settings and other functionalities can be amended to suit the training requirements.      

• Virtual classroom

The integration of LMS with whiteboard systems for virtual classrooms help scheduling learning sessions. It also offers an ability to send invites and reminders and incorporate with online calendar.

• ·      Reports

It is crucial to generate reports through learning management system in the excel format, providing an easy to understand graphical representation.

In today’s digital world where information is conveyed faster via Internet, the LMS is a vital tool to keeplearners updated with their training course. In turn, online classes can reach out to maximum audience out of regular training hours and can instantly update learners over the LMS on issues associated with their course. 

Microlearning: Transforming E-Learning into Knowledge

The evolution of internet and mobile learning have impacted learners’ expectations of accessing relevant information. With the increasing pace of businesses and introduction of new content, more demand is placed on employees to perform better at workplace. Classroom training approach from the bygone days is no more sufficient to cater customized learning needs and improve employee retention level. It is crucial for organizations to develop effective e-learning courses and benefit learners with access to the right content at the right time. There comes the need to adopt microlearning, with an ability to provide just-in-time support to organizations.

Driving Force Behind Microlearning

New-age learners have a hectic schedule and they prefer hassle-free training as well asknowledge rich content. Professional instructors also look for strategies to engage maximum learners, and ensure high retention rate and workplace productivity. In today’s time, everyone is busy and business leaders are attracted towards bite-sized learning because:

• Modern learners are more distracted and they lean for impactful learning opportunities that improve their career growth, without wasting their valuable time. 
• Learning preferences are evolving with time. If learners are given with the choice to opt between a 60-minute training module or ten 5-minute modules, then they would prefer the latter. So, it is important to listen to your target audiences for successful content delivery.
• Chunked information is easy to remember and reinforce learning experience. 

Microlearning is about creating micro content and getting macro results. 

When thinking about the role of microlearning in e-learning courses, there is lot of flexibility. Nuggets of information can be used anywhere, as a standalone piece or as a large piece of training program. When learners progress through the learning lifecycle from readiness to reinforcement, microlearning plays a big role in all these stages.

Readiness: 
It is a phase where organizations try engaging more learners before actual training starts. It’s not about telling learners what they will learn, but also inspiring them to take up courses.


Discovery:

In this phase, microlearning provides bites of content that targets on one objective. As a result, this creates a behavioral change whenever required. E-courses help to empower learners impart their ideas and facilitate future organizational goals.

Reinforcement:

Instructors use micro content to tailor content and review learning, providing reference tools and assessing performance matrix. Without reinforcement, content can be forgotten, but as learners do not want to repeat a lengthy course, so here comes the need of microlearning.

Microlearning is cost-effective because it is reusable. Increasing demand for informal training has a huge impact on how e-courses are delivered. Organizations are looking for ways how training can occur quicker and cheaper, focusing on developing content that can be re-used. Incorporating microlearning as a crucial learning strategy helps employees sustain for long and apply knowledge continually at their workplace.

Transforming Your Training Experience With Mobile Learning

Today, the world is going mobile at an astounding pace and majority of internet access takes place via mobile devices. Smartphones, tablets, iPads and other handheld devices play an increasingly large role in personal and professional communication of learners. Mobile learning solutions are not merely learning via portable devices, but learning across contexts. With technology becoming smaller, powerful, more personalized and pervasive, it supports a more mobile environment.

If you are using a desktop machine, organizations support workflow learning or e-learning. But, people who are not able to meet all their learning needs tend to go mobile, as it provides a channel to bridge the gap between training content and learners’ tailored needs. 

There are several myths associated with the use of mobile devices for content delivery. Some of these are discussed as follows:

• Employees don’t have mobile devices

The world is shifting from analog to digital and modernization has a huge impact on all areas of work and businesses. It is quite common that people have their personalized mobile devices, making it easier to access e-courses anytime and anywhere.

• Small screens are limiting

Although the screen size is small, but plethora of things can be done with small amount of text, image, audio or a video.

• Always connected

Before using mobile data, devices were synched with computer systems. But, today, a lot can be done using mobile data, without any need to sync both when they are not in proximity. So, there are several things that can be preloaded, regardless of being universally connected.

• It’s about content

Content delivery on mobile devices is about content, but neither always nor completely. Sometimes, it is about collaboration and interactivity between learners as well as between learners and instructors.

• Learning through Mobile Devices

To ensure whether mobile learning helps deliver effective training solutions, you need to address the nature of learning problem. For this, Mosher and Gottfredson proposed a model to identify the five phases during which most learners require support to perform successfully:

Phases 1 and 2

The first two phases need to adopt a more structured learning approach and higher degree of teaching content. This involves in-depth information that requires greater demands on the learners’ attention span. So, if you are thinking of using a mobile device such as a tablet for learning, it is better to include it as a part of blended learning, where training is imparted via conventional classroom training, rather than a standalone module. For instance, smartphones are used to access training material, provide takeaways from the learning environment or offer information via information nuggets. If you are considering tablets for training delivery, you can customize your content delivery like the case of traditional web-based training.

Phases 3, 4 and 5

The next three phases include reinforcement of basic knowledge and skills that learners possess. Primary focus is on the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, access just-in-time learning and get information updates. Transformation from teaching to reinforcement prepare learners for successful content delivery over a portable device.

An incredible growth of the mobile market throughout the past few years presents a new set of challenges and opportunities for learners as well as educators. Most of the organizations have started showing interest in using mobile devices for effective training content delivery.

Managing E-Learning Projects Using Employee Training Software

Organizations have started looking for ways to build strong capabilities in e-learning. They found that most enterprises have implemented the use of Learning Management Software to move their focus to online learning in the context of knowledge management. Organizations use this software to create a web-based environment for supporting effective learning and teaching activities.

From a trainer’s perspective, an LMS helps manage and support a wide group of learners. Instructors use it to design quality-driven training materials. The course is designed per the training requirements of different learners and can be delivered via traditional lectures or online learning programs. From the perspective of a learner, access to courses via online portals is more engaging and helps boost workplace productivity.

Apart from the training material, the LMS consists of a suite of collaboration tools, including synchronous messaging, forums, and interactive whiteboards. The support of powerful training software is essential to facilitate the learning process. It can also be used to embed games in learning courses and deliver quizzes, surveys, and assessments. While most of the learning platforms support these capabilities, the features in the LMSs enable learners to learn at their own pace. E-learning helps increase the chances of interaction between learners and educators.

The management of all the activities associated with your e-learning projects can be daunting. Consequently, it is essential to use an learning management software to manage and deliver content efficiently. If your company chooses a system that is not tailored to your needs, you end up wasting your organization’s money and resources. It is significant to choose LMSs after considering flexibility, scalability, and their fit in the organizational structure. The powerful learning platform works as a main repository to address personalized learning needs. The major areas addressed by efficient training software to handle e-learning projects are discussed below:

◉ Curriculum Planning:

Generally, trainers are involved in curriculum planning, which is done before starting the course work. Course planning involves the detailed structuring of courses, stating the chapter description, lecture schedules, and courses covered during a specific program.

◉ Quick Evaluation:

With the help of LMS, the performanceof learners is evaluated through tests and quizzes. When participants click the Submit button, their answers are calculated instantly, with their grades displayed on the screen. This helps learners to identify their weak areas, get time to improve, and increase efficiency at the workplace.

◉Course Management:

The management of training content is crucial for both learners and educators. At times, trainers need to teach the same course to different people. An e-learning platform is used in this case, where the course can be managed online and content can be saved for the future. Similarly, learners can access e-courseware anytime and anywhere, per their convenience.

◉Learner Engagement:

Unlike the boring, traditional, classroom-based approach, e-learning is more engaging. With the support of tools such as chat, messages, forum discussions, wikis, and group assignments, learners feel like part of a community and engage more with the course.

E-learning platforms provide easy and flexible ways for online content delivery along with the ability to monitor learners’ participation and assess their performance.

Increasing Need Of E-learning Courses In The Oil And Gas Industry

Training at workplace has become the most significant factor for thriving any business. Online learning reaches every industry and market as well as crosses every geography. With digitization, a plethora of industries such as oil & gas, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and retail have adopted different types of e-learning methods to train employees effectively. 

Today, oil and gas companies are facing challenges in the education, development and training of employees. So, these companies have started creating and delivering quality-driven e-learning courses to train employees on worker safety and training, business approvals and regulatory needs.

Challenges Faced by Oil and Gas Industry

It is important to understand the risks involved with working in the oil and gas industry. For example: Chemicals used in this industry may result in serious chemical burns. The drilling process exposes workers to dust and toxic substances which may cause health issues. In addition, the risk of explosion, fire and workplace accidents are often there. Because of these safety risks, it becomes imperative for organizations to train their staff and prepare them for the rigors. The oil and gas industry has embraced customized online learning courses to deliver knowledge to the employees on how to sustain good health.

Introduction to new technological developments and environmental regulations are the two major changes that have reinvented this industry domain. Because of this, it is important for organizations to adapt these changes and stay ahead of the competition. It is done by providing e-learning training to the workforce.

In the renewable energy sector, it has become important to deliver excellent training solutions. The easy-to-access e-learning courses address major industrial challenges and train staff working on rotation or offshore. Oil fields are at remote areas, so travel is common, therefore e-learning helps to deliver training content on any mobile device with web access, saving huge expenses. So, e-learning offers tailored and mobile-friendly training methods to people who work onshore and offshore.

How E-Learning Helps this Industry

Most of the organizations are leading to adapt more flexible and convenient e-learning environment. From the rig workers to the administrators, every employee in the industry can seek benefits of online learning courses. These benefits are summarized as follows:

• E-learning saves both time as content is available online and can be accessed from any mobile platform.
• Offers a competitive edge to the companies by focusing on knowledge and skills of the staff.
• Unlike classroom-based training, e-learning offers more consistency as the same training content can be used several times.
• An ability to apply new knowledge at workplace after gathering it from the training program.
• It helps to reduce costs associated with paper, travel and maintenance, decreasing the overall environmental impact on organizations.

With e-learning, oil and gasindustry has developed its bespoke training methods to engage workers and move the industry forward. Workers are timely informed about the technological advancements which help them to add more value to their career.

Implement Mobile Learning For An Effective E-Learning Experience

Mobile learning is a rapidly growing area for all types of organizations. It is the most preferred way for training modern employees and ensures that companies achieve their business objectives in a cost-effective way. The learners can access training content on their mobile device, regardless of time and location factors.

                  

Mobile learning enables the organizations to deliver e-courseware via a mobile website or a native mobile application. As a result, mLearning is increasing in popularity by the day, enabling learners to learn at their own pace.

Smartphones, iPads, and tablets have made mobile learning courses easily accessible and memorable. Mobile learning offers a plethora of advantages to allorganizations, whether small or big. Mobile learning also has the power to offer quality- proven, and technology-aided training programs, which equates to varied benefits for the learners.

Are you planning to choose a mobile-friendly learning training program? Then, you are at the right place.

Why mLearning Is Important

Mobile learning takes the learners’ knowledge to the next level. An mLearning-based training is not only about adapting technology-based content to deliver content on mobile devices, but it is also about handling ever-changing learning contexts. It is an effective approach followed by the education realm as well as training organizations worldwide.

Here are some of the benefits of mobile learning in varied industrial domains:

v Custom learning experience:

Access to e-learning courseware on varied types of mobile platforms (laptops, tablets, and so on) offers a phenomenal learning experience. Mobile learning is tuned to the needs of learners, to ensure the delivery of custom learning content.

v Ease of access:

In today’s time, accessing training content is not limited to the use of laptops and desktops. With the increasing use of mobile devices, it is possible for learners to access the content anytime and anywhere.

v Optimum use of learning apps:

With the help of advanced mobile apps, learners can access training content per their choices. Many organizations take the benefit of mobile learning to drive learning on a larger scale.

v Access to training content when offline:

After the training content is downloaded on a mobile device, learners can continue training offline. They are not bounded to access the Internet all the time.

v Facilitating Just-In-Time (JIT) support:

Mobile learning focuses on enhancing the overall learning experience of learners and delivers JIT support for optimum quality. For example: A salesperson can access information about the company’s products, services, and other updates instantly, on his tablet or iPad.

v Time-saving:

As mobile devices are always close at hand, it is easy to access the training information at any time and without any hassle. Instead of attending the entire training program, learners can extract the required nugget of content. This minimizes the time required to deliver the learning program, saving productivity costs for the company.

The basic goals of mobile Learning are to motivate learners and enhance their knowledge level. Based on every business need, mobile learning helps boost productivity, provide flexibility to access content from anywhere, save time, and control budgets.

SCORM Principals And Authoring Tools

SCORM standard is a set of identical specifications explaining to developers how Learning Management Systems must read and present eLearning courses and how they should interact.

                        

Let us look at the 5 key principals of SCORM standard which makes it the most preferred standard to create an eLearning content.

1)      Reusable- SCORM online training courses are easily reusable in any of the conditions like Apps, programs, texts etc.

2)      Durable- SCORM also safeguards the accessibility and simplification to suit all technologies without extra and just expensive updates and follow-on revision.

3)      Efficient- Software engineers are able to get the technical specifications of how to create an eLearning course.  SCORM also helps in saving time and expenses that are required for technical instruction delivery and altering eLearning content for different systems / platforms.

4)      Adaptability- eLearning software can be customized according to business with the help of SCORM standard. So, courses which are SCORM compliant can be adapted as per specific needs of the business.

5)      Interoperability- SCORM ensures the capability to use content irrespective of platform it was made for. This means shifting SCORM compliance course to another LMS or software ispossible and can easily be done at any moment. So, SCORM also ensures humble and convenient course migration.

Authoring Tools that can be implemented in SCORM Online courses:

• Adding useful features- SCORM permits addition of valuable features as directing learners to click on various elements, translating dynamic text, implementing modules such as exams, videos, and assessments. The course becomes all the more engaging, collaborating, appealing and engaging.

• Enhanced Logic- It is easy to outline the time required for completing the course, as well as specify the order of the modules. It will be insensible to place a final exam in the middle or at first. So, with SCORM authoring tools it is very easy to keep the right sequence of the course. Additionally it is possible to create a single test for each module to track results in a better way.

• Analyzing Statistics- Companies can easily track the time learners spend on each module, video, page etc. SCORM allows analyses of general statistics, failures and successes of learners. These features are particularly useful for organizations that want to integrate eLearning / HRMplatforms to educate and onboard employees.
• Data Visualization- Data visualization makes reporting process easy convenient and less time consuming. Report scheduling can also be implemented to automate the process of reporting.

SORM is an appropriate tool to make tailored made eLearning solutions for your organizational training needs and make it more efficient and effective by adding features in it.

Managed Learning Services Ensure Better Quality in Training Solutions

Learning administration services are in growing popularity for the past few years due to constricted budgets and less available resources. Businesses today identifies the importance of Learning and Development in both maximizing the potential of employees and maintaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Large number of organizations are choosing to subcontract their Learning and Development needs to professional organizations which offer Managed Learning Services. This ensures better quality in training solutions.
                         

Many organizations outsource their generic training programs while retaining their own internal training capabilities. One of the major advantage of managed learning is the cost saving that brings through procuring training more proficiently and by implementing a robust negotiation approach with managed learning service providers. It ensures high quality and effective training delivery allowing L&D teams to increase external learning expertise and focus on other areas for better evaluation of the training activities.

Some of the key benefits of Managed Learning Services are:

• Improved Organizational Productivity- An organization can focus on its core competencies if it outsources trainings to an appropriate managed service provider as it aligns their training activities with their business objectives and goals. Companies can easily monitor post training activities and measure ROI and overall impact of training on company’s culture, operations etc. with the help of learning administrator service provider.
• Reduced Training Cost- In an internal training process lot of hidden cost is involved such as content development, logistics, pre and post training activities etc. However with managed learning services, companies are able to get insights about these hidden costs and ways to reduce these costs. This gives maximum value for the training process and enables an organization to allocate training budgets for maximum number of different types of trainings.
• Good Content- Not all the organizations have subject matter experts to create eLearning content internally. Managed learning service providers have expertise in doing content makeover so that information can be converted into relevant and efficient training material. These service providers can also guide companies in creating student manuals, training manuals, assessments etc.
• Good Learning Experience- Managed Learning Service providers can support in developing new training procedures and strategies for an organization and then aligning them to the business objectives. Contracting a Managed learning Service provider for training activities also leads to an improved level of learning experience across the whole organization.

Managed Learning Services gets integrated to a higher level within an organization by conducting an in-depth analysis of the company, its operations, culture, needs etc. and suggests required training solutions to improve business performance. It also helps reviewing individual training needs and align them to the company objectives, thus formulate the whole learning strategy.