Conventional training methods, such as in-person group training, can prove challenging because not every employee learns at the same pace. Also, your company may not get the desired outcomes.
In that regard, a learning management system (LMS) is a more efficient and cost-effective alternative to traditional training. LMSs can improve online training by offering a centralized platform for distributing and managing training material, which improves the learning experience.
As an L&D professional, you are already aware of the benefits of using an LMS, but you’re also probably always looking for ways to improve it and make it more effective.
Gamify Your LMS
Gamification is a term that gets thrown around a lot, but it’s essential to creating an engaging learning environment. Adding gamification functionality to your LMS lets you motivate, intrigue, engage, and excite your learners. Studies have shown that gamification has a positive effect on engagement, with one study finding that employees experienced a 48% increase in engagement with the help of gamification.
You can configure your LMS to reward points and badges to learners who finish eLearning programs and engage with the platform. You could award your learners with the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ badge if they successfully use the search bar or the ‘Long Haul’ badge if they stay signed in for 90 minutes straight.
You could also award achievements like ‘Learning Legend’ for completing three eLearning modules or ‘Super Scholar’ for gaining 100% on a test. Adding gamification to your LMS will entice employees to take an active role in their online learning.
Make It Aesthetically Pleasing
People are naturally attracted to things that look nice. If your LMS looks like it was designed on a PC from the Stone Age, your learners won’t want to use it. It’s essential to ensure that your learning management system has depth and personality, not just outward appearances.
If you ask your students to utilize a poorly designed platform, they won’t like the process of learning very much. Poor design and a bad user experience can cause your eLearning program to fail. In a world where we’re surrounded by gorgeously designed applications, learners shouldn’t have to put up with something that looks and feels outdated.
Get Interactive
How interactive is your online learning platform? Can your learners explore the LMS and pick up badges and points on the way? Can they brag about their accomplishments to other learners and post badges online? If employees only see the courses they need to take and the exams they need to take when they log in to the LMS, you’re not getting the most out of your investment.
When learners are able to interact with their online learning platform, they become more involved and interested in logging on, taking part, and pushing their learning forward. When you create a learning environment that’s engaging, interactive, and rich in content, employees get invested in their own learning and development.
Encourage Competitiveness
Add some healthy competition to your LMS if you want to see it thrive. The motivation of your learners will skyrocket after you’ve set up leaderboards on your LMS that show how well each employee is performing in front of everyone in the company. No one enjoys a second-place finish nearly as much as they dislike finishing last. Therefore, you’ll discover fierce rivalry at both ends of your scoreboard.
When learners are fighting it out for the top spot, they’ll be more likely to put in extra effort to complete courses and improve their performance. This competitive edge can be particularly useful when trying to motivate employees who are struggling to engage with online learning.
To make things even more exciting, you could introduce rewards for top-performing learners. These could be as simple as a certificate of achievement or as extravagant as a monetary bonus or promotion. Whatever the reward, it’ll provide an added incentive for employees to engage with online learning and give them a sense of achievement when they succeed.
Final Thoughts
It’s important to remember that the success of your learning management system is highly dependent on the strategies you employ to keep it afloat. By adding gamification, improving the design, increasing interactivity, and introducing competition, you can create an engaging and rewarding learning environment for your employees.
As a result, they’ll take a more active role in their own learning and become more invested in the success of your organization. With these strategies in place, your LMS will be less likely to fail, and you can sit back and watch as your employees take the lead and guide your company toward success.
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