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Jannik Weichert
Managing Director
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An important topic for L&D experts is creating a sustainable learning culture that promotes self-directed learning and drives the change from a “knowing organization” to a “learning organization.” A learning organization is an organization in which information, ideas and challenges are openly shared and worked on together. A learning culture is one in which learning is deeply rooted in the organization and anchored throughout the organization. Why should companies and L&D managers think more than ever about developing a learning culture? That's what we want to find out in this blog post.
Remote learning has become a popular way for companies to offer training and professional development to their employees. In a company, learning offerings can be offered through online courses, webinars, and other forms of E-learnings take place. They offer a convenient and flexible way for employees to acquire new skills and knowledge without having to be physically present at a workshop or training facility. However, making the most of remote learning requires a different approach than traditional on-site training.
For companies, remote learning has become an important tool for the education and training of their employees. It provides a convenient and flexible way for employees to learn new skills and knowledge without taking time off from work or having to travel to a physical location. Remote learning can help increase productivity and efficiency in the workplace and save costs for education and training. It can also help companies attract and retain top talent as it demonstrates their commitment to developing and growing their employees. Remote learning allows companies to adapt quickly and easily to changing business needs and industry trends, and it can help employees stay up to date with skills and knowledge. In addition, distance learning can promote a sense of community and collaboration among employees, which can contribute to greater engagement and motivation. Overall, distance learning is an important tool for companies that want to offer their employees professional development and continuing education.
We've all experienced first-hand how important personal interaction is. As part of remote learning, we naturally lack the direct personal interaction with coaches, as we are used to from traditional training.
Blended learning may be the solution here.
Blended learning usually combines offline and online learning methods, i.e. e-learning and in-person training. However, this method can be adapted to physical distance and closure requirements. A mixed experience is created by integrating personal interaction in webinars or digital coaching (via video conferencing) into joint e-learning courses. Employees can ask questions and exchange ideas with each other (if they wish). Trainees can provide immediate feedback and answer questions.
Continuing education measures are only as good as they are actively used by employees. Too often, learners lose motivation during training or lack practical relevance, so that what they have learned cannot be applied and actively trained later.
The introduction of gamification methods (such as learning points for completing digital materials or digital rankings) has a proven impact on employee engagement.
More than 70% of employees believe that gamification encourages them to work harder (Source: Anadea)
Second, practical examples, such as case studies or smaller projects, encourage learners to apply what they have learned. Learning a concept in a controlled sandbox mode is different than applying it in the real world — often this is a completely different topic and much more complicated; the result of this discrepancy? Lack of transfer.
One of the most important but rarely noticed aspects of remote learning is the social component. One of the most common reasons why employees don't take online courses is that it can quickly become a very “lonely” activity. Especially in times of COVID-19, the social aspect of learning should be actively considered in continuing education measures.
Create smaller study groups within your team or company to work together on new topics. A targeted Slack or Microsoft Teams group is often enough, in which you regularly exchange information about the current status. Giving learners the opportunity to share helpful information, discuss a topic, or help each other with questions often increases motivation and engagement. If you can set it up, the availability of mentors who can support learners when needed is excellent support in the learning process.
Every person who has ever been looking for a training course knows the problem: Which is the right training or the right online course for me? Most courses don't pick us up at the point that's relevant to us. However, we often start with a topic that is unfortunately either too advanced for us or we start at the very beginning. One size fits all are extremely ineffective for most people. Learners rarely receive exactly the right learning material they need. We therefore strongly recommend personalizing training offerings for employees and offering the best possible support in choosing learning content.
Now that you know better how to make the most of remote learning in times of COVID, you might be interested in exploring the world of corporate e-learning even further. E-learning is the use of digital technologies to provide employees with educational content and resources. But what practical tips and strategies are there for implementing an effective e-learning program in your company?
Find out everything about a effective e-learning program in our guide.
edyoucated is funded by leading research institutions such as the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
